November meals

With weekdays spent trying to stay a step ahead of the bustle of school and homework and the demands of work, my weekends are sacred. This is my time to focus on my family. We spend lazy hours catching up and laughing, and most of all, eating. This is when I nurture them, not just for Saturday and Sunday, but also for the week ahead. My friend Marni calls me a food pusher, but really, I am a feeder. Through food I express my love and care. It's my way of protecting and honoring those I cherish.

So, every Saturday morning, it's off to the Union Square Greenmarket I go. The bulk of my food comes from there.

This week, I came home with mustard greens, broccoli rabe, romaine lettuce, turnips, carrots, fennel, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, broccoli, apples, pears, lamb chops, venison stew meat, beef bones for stock, bacon, lemon thyme, peppermint and coriander. I placed the beef bones, carrots and turnips, along with some kelp and half a cup of apple cider vinegar, in a large pot and let them come to a gentle simmer over a low flame. This pot will continue simmering for three more days, yielding a rich broth of minerals and gelatin, from which I will infuse all my other dishes with flavor and nutrition.

I then set bowls of kidney beans, oats, Italian almonds, green lentils, brown rice and buckwheat to soak overnight.

Here's what I made on Sunday.

Maple Almond Granola

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.
Mix wet ingredients in a large bowl, add oats, almonds and salt. Mix well.
Spread in a thin layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Roast for 40 minutes, turning every 15 minutes until golden.
Allow to cool completely. Add rasins and chocolate chips.



Broccoli Rabe With Bacon

1 bunch broccoli rabe, washed and de-stemmed
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 slices of organic bacon, chopped
sea salt
olive oil
grapeseed oil for cooking

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add oil.
Sauté bacon and garlic until golden.
Add broccoli rabe and sprinkle with sea salt.
Cover and and allow to cook for four minutes or until broccoli rabe is bright green.
Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil.

Turkey & Sweet Potato Chili

1 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups pre-soaked kidney beans
1 lb. ground dark turkey meat
1 large sweet potato
4 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon turmeric
1.5 teaspoons cumin
dash (or more) of chili powder
3 sprigs fresh lemon thyme plus more for garnish
3 teaspoons minced fresh coriander (or cilantro)
1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
grapeseed oil for frying
grated aged havarti for garnish

Heat oven to 275.
Over medium heat, in a cast iron pot, brown ground turkey. Remove and set aside.
Add onions and garlic, sauté until lightly golden.
Add beef broth, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, thyme, coriander and salt.
Mix well, add sweet potatoes, beans and turkey.
Cover and allow to cook for three hours or until the beans are tender and buttery. Add more broth, if needed. When almost done, correct seasoning.
Serve with grated havarti and brown rice.
This chili tastes even better the next day and freezes well.

Mint, Millet & Venison Stew

1 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, chopped
2 turnips, chopped
3 slices organic bacon (optional)
1 lb. venison stew meat
1 cup pre-soaked millet
1 cup pre-soaked green lentils
2 large pieces of kelp
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
5 sprigs fresh peppermint plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
5 cups beef broth
grapeseed oil for frying

Heat oven to 275.
Over medium high heat, sear venison until brown.
Remove and lower the heat to medium. Add bacon, onion and garlic and sauté until golden.
Add broth, turmeric, bay leaves, paprika, nutmeg and salt. Mix well.
Add venison, carrots, turnips, millet, lentils and peppermint.
Bake covered for 3 hours. Venison will be fork-tender when done. Add broth as needed. When cooked, check and correct seasoning.
Remove peppermint sprigs and bay leaves.
With a fork, mash turnips.
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of mint leaves.

Lamb Chops

3 large boneless lamb chops
sea salt
pepper
grapeseed oil for frying

Heat a cast iron skillet to medium high heat.
Wash and dry lamb shops. Season with salt and pepper.
Sear for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
Let rest covered for 15 minutes.
Slice on an angle against the grain.
Serve with pan juices.







Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Garlic and Bacon

3 slices organic bacon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, washed and halved
sea salt
black pepper
grapeseed oil for frying

Heat oven to 375.
In a frying pan, over medium heat, lightly brown garlic and bacon.
Add brussels sprouts, season with salt and pepper.
Mix to coat with oil and bacon fat.
Bake uncovered in the oven until Brussels sprouts are bright green with a little caramelization and fork-tender, approx. 20 minutes.
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.



Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

4 cups pre-soaked rolled oats, drained
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup pre-soaked almonds
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup raw cacao
5 pitted dates
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
mini chocolate chips (optional)

Heat oven to 325.
In a food processor, combine maple syrup, oil, almonds, dates, cacao, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Process until minimally lumpy.
Add oats and process until well incorporated.
Mix in chocolate chips by hand.
Pour into a parchment paper-lined baking pan.
Bake for 1 hour or until the center is firm to the touch.
Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars when cooled.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 cups pre-soaked pecans
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325.
In a food processor, combine all ingredients until well mixed.
Drop by the spoonful onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Flatten cookies slightly with clean fingers.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges turn golden.
Cool on a wire rack.

Buckwheat pancakes

Gluten, dairy and egg free may sound too limiting and not very yummy when it comes to pancakes. Actually, bland and boring comes to mind. Well, I didn't have a choice, I had to make them better than good... I had to make them good enough to satisfy the most uncompromising critics of all— my kids. After months of failed attempts and brutal commentary, here they are. Whole food, six ingredients—utterly satisfying and good for you too!

Buckwheat Pancakes
1.5 cups raw buckwheat groats, presoaked overnight
4 dates or 1 egg
1 cup whole coconut milk
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
grapeseed oil for cooking
Optional: chocolate chips (Enjoy Life), wild blueberries or raisins.

1. In a Vita-Mix combine dates, milk, maple syrup, salt and vanilla and blend until smooth. 
2. Add pre-soaked buckwheat (and egg, if you are making them with eggs) and blend until smooth once again.
3. Add chocolate chips, blueberries or raisins.
4. Warm grapeseed oil over medium heat. Pour batter onto skillet. Keep these pancakes on the small side. 
5. Fry until golden and flip. Serve hot or take along cold for snacks.

To presoak, measure out the buckwheat groats, add a squeeze of lemon juice or a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, cover with water and let sit on the counter overnight. Rinse well before cooking.

If you do not have a Vita-Mix try making them in a regular blender or a food processor.

Summer jam

I was lucky last week. Walking through the Tompkins Square Greenmarket, I came upon a large basket of bruised, kinda gross-looking late-season strawberries. Perfect! I bought five quarts and carefully walked them home. 

All I needed was a big, cast iron pot, one juiced lemon and a cup of real maple syrup. Three hours over a low flame and ta-da! Yummy jam! 

It came out a bit juicy, so I used some of the extra liquid to make a strawberry-mint martini. The kids use the jam as a topping over fresh ricotta, and smear globs of it on their buckwheat pancakes. Everyone's happy!