Buddha Bowl Bar with Miso Vinaigrette

Buddha Bowls--we have been calling them "Grain Bowls" or "Grain Salads" and I've heard them referred to as "Hippie Bowls"  and "Power Bowls" but whatever you want to call them, they are definitely worth a try. Delicious, healthy, beautiful and easy-- what's not to love here? I set the ingredients out and let guests select their favorites, that way everybody is content. (Salad bars and Potato bars are the direct ancestor of this concept.) The list of ingredients presented happens to be vegan but adding one or two cheeses, bacon crumbles and diced deli turkey is something we do often. We even included mini pepperoni once! The Miso dressing is fab and we use it on most of our green salads. It is a terrific probiotic concoction and coupled with the prebiotic bowl ingredients, you have a top tier gut health combo.

Buddha Bowl Bar (serves 6-8)
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 cups coconut back rice
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup mukimame (shelled soy beans)
1 cup garbanzo beans
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 sliced avocados
2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped spinach
1 cup sliced cucumber
2 cups mixed roasted veggies (sweet potato, red pepper, cauliflower, parsnip roasted in olive oil)
Heat quinoa, rice and roasted veggies. Place all ingredients in serving dishes and allow diners to assemble their own bowls. Top with Miso Vinaigrette.
Miso Vinaigrette
1/3 cup unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup grape seed or walnut oil (or oil of your choice)
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons white or red miso paste
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
Whisk all ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate any left over vinaigrette.

Hints: Warming the grains allows the vinaigrette to absorb better. It also seems to make the dish more satisfying and filling to have some hot and some cold ingredients. Use whatever veggies, grains, beans, nuts, herbs and greens you have on hand. You can buy a nice vinaigrette if you don't want to make your own (but you should really try this one out someday!) You don't have to use roasted veggies--finely chopped raw ones are also really great and I do that in the summer when I don't want to heat up the oven. Adding a sweeter touch is also nice with diced pear or apple, or sectioned oranges or grapefruit, or red grapes or berries. I try to use what is in season and what is readily available. If you use kale, cut it finely and massage it with some of the vinaigrette or some lemon juice to soften it. Adding cooked crumbled bacon, blue or feta cheese and/or sliced deli meat is also really good.

I have been making variations of this bowl for a couple of years now and it is one of our favorite dinners. I'll defrost some frozen leftover black rice and open a can of hominy for the grains, raid the fridge for veggies and scour the garden for fresh herbs. A healthy and delicious dinner can be ready in 10 minutes. No wonder it has become one of our 1st choices!

Potstickers Twice, Pork and Vegan

What is it about little bundles of food? The whole world has some type of wrapped up savory morsels that delight. Ravioli, samosas, tamales, knoedel, dumplings, pasties, etc. First up here is an interperetation of traditional pot stickers and then, inspired by Indian appetizers,  a delightful vegan option.
I had the opportunity to visit the Thermador, Bosh, Gaggenau corporate kitchens in California a couple of years ago and the demo chef did a variation of these pot stickers for us. They looked good but may have been a bit under cooked via his method and pork that is not throughly cooked...? Anyway, try these and see if your family likes them as much as my family does. Each of these recipes will serve 4 adults a main dish portion--about 7 potstickers each.

Pork Potstickers
1/2 lbs ground pork sausage (I use my local store's "Country" style bulk sausage)
1/4 cup finely shredded cabbage
1/4 cup finely shredded carrot
1/8 cup finely chopped snow peas
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons water
1 package square wonton wrappers
3 tablespoons peanut or coconut oil, divided

Mix the sausage, the veggies, soy sauce, ginger and water together. Taking one wrapper at a time, place a heaping teaspoon of pork filling in the center, wet the edges with water and fold corners together. Seal along the seams and set aside. Continue to pack and seal each potsticker until filling is used up. Heat a 12 to 14" non stick skillet that has a tight fitting lid over medium high heat. Place about 1 tablespoon of oil in pan and then about 10 potstickers, one at a time, swirling the bottom in the hot oil. Prepare to cover the skillet with the lid, then ladle 1/4 to 1/3 cup water into the pan and immediately cover with the lid. Steam about 3 to 4 minutes -- the water may have cooked all the way off. Remove cooked potstickers to a tray and place in a warm oven or warming drawer until all are cooked. Serve with dipping sauce.

Simple Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup each: warm water, lite soy sauce, rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped green onion (or fresh cilantro)
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Mix together and pour into individual dishes to serve.

Veggie Potstickers
2/3 cup green peas, blanched fresh or thawed from frozen
1 cup sweet potato chunks (1/2" or smaller), cooked to just tender (microwave or dry pan fried)
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 package round wonton wrappers
3 tablespoons peanut oil or coconut oil
Stir veggies, ginger and soy sauce together. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons in the center of a wrapper, wet edge with fingers dipped in water, fold in half and seal by pinching edges together and pleating 3 or 4 times. Continue to pack and seal each potsticker until filling is used up. Heat a 12 to 14" non stick skillet that has a tight fitting lid over medium high heat. Place about 1 tablespoon of oil in pan and then about 10 potstickers, one at a time, swirling the bottom in the hot oil. Prepare to cover the skillet with the lid, then ladle 1/4 to 1/3 cup water into the pan and immediately cover. Steam about 3 to 4 minutes -- or until the water has evaporated. Remove cooked potstickers to a tray and place in a warm oven or warming drawer until all are cooked. Serve with dipping sauce if desired.

Hints: Round and square wrappers, both work great. Just about any type of veggies can be used in either variety- I have used celery, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, cauliflower, red onion, bell pepper, soy beans, parsnip and more. You can make potstickers with ground turkey or chopped raw shrimp. I have not tried them with beef but maybe? They seem to work out best if there is slightly more veggie than meat by volume. Too much meat and they become more solid and feel like little bites of meatloaf--which may be ok for you- just not what I like. The water helps loosen up the mixture and it is much easier to work with. Sealing the wrapper really well helps the potstickers hold together so be sure and wet all along the edges. They may stick to the pan a bit but can easily be loosened with a flat spatula or small lifting tool. I like to keep them warm when done, in a warming drawer or low temp oven, if they are the main dish. If using as an appetizer, I make them and set out in batches as they get finished. Dipping sauces can be anything from bottled sweet and sour sauce to wasabi/soy sauce mixture. A fresh mint sauce works well with the sweet potato and pea variety.

These little bundles are full of flavor! Always a happy little treat for the tastebuds. They do take a few minutes to prepare but are so worth the effort. So wrangle some help if you can and have a potsticker party soon! 

Apple and Roasted Parsnip Soup

For my book groups this month we read A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy. (It was good!) In it the main character learns to cook apple and parsnip soup. I had never heard of this--but I like both apples and parsnips so I decided to try it out. What a great flavor combination! I used cardamom as a top note and it worked out nicely. I have put this into the soup rotation at my house.

Apple and Roasted Parsnip Soup
3 medium parsnips
1/2 sweet onion
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
2 teaspoons salt, divided
4 small apples of different varieties-(one Granny Smith and three less tart)
1 tablespoon butter
6 cups hot water
Juice from 1/2 a medium lemon
1 teaspoon cardamom
2 teaspoons honey
Optional-1 cup half and half
 Peel parsnips and cut into 1/4 inch rounds. Chop onion roughly. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Toss veggies with grape seed oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a roasting pan. Roast for 20-30 minutes, stirring once, until parsnips are fork tender. While veggies are roasting, peel, core and slice apples. Melt butter in a pan, add apples, cook and stir over medium high heat until apples are beginning to caramelize. Add roasted parsnips and onions to pan. Continue to cook and stir for another minute. Add water and lemon juice to pan and cook until apples are very soft, another 5 to 10 minutes. Using a immersion blender, puree soup throughly. (Or do this in batches in a counter top blender.) Add remaining salt and cardamom. Stir in half and half if using. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, honey or cardamom as desired. Serve warm.

Hints: Roasting the parsnips and onions brings out their sweetness and mellows their flavors. The soup can be vegan but adding half and half enhances the texture and flavor a bit. Avoid boiling after adding the half and half. This soup keeps well refrigerated for 2 or 3 days. I use cardamom infrequently so I store it in my freezer to keep it potent.

This soup uses winter produce beautifully. A great luncheon soup or starter soup for dinner. I even had a bowl for breakfast once with toast and it was pretty good then too. 

Easy Miso Soup

Fast and flexible, this Miso Soup is my go to lunch when I'm working from home. I use what veggies I have on hand although my favorites are baby portabellos and snow peas. This recipe is easily scalable so you can feed yourself or a full crew. I try to keep some firm tofu in the fridge just for this soup but have made it without tofu and still enjoyed.

Easy Miso Soup
For each portion:
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup sliced veggies, (mushrooms and snow peas preferred)
2 to 3 ounces firm tofu, diced
1 1/4 cups water, divided
2 to 3 teaspoons miso paste, red or white
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger root, optional
Chives or green onions for garnish
red pepper flakes, optional
Heat a sauce pan over medium high heat. Pour oil in pan, stir in veggies and cook for a minute. Add tofu and cook another minute or two, stirring occasionally, until the tofu begins to brown a bit. Pour in 1 cup of water, stir to loosen any of the fond on the bottom of the pan and bring to a simmer. Using a micro plainer, grate ginger into the soup. Make a slurry with the remaining water and miso paste. When soup is simmering, turn off heat and stir in the miso slurry. Transfer to bowl and garnish with chives or green onions and red pepper flakes.

Hints: Storing sesame oil in the fridge increased its shelf life, it remains liquid and easy to use even when chilled. Peanut oil is a good alternative but any oil will be fine. I have used asparagus, carrot, celery, eggplant, parsnip, peppers, spinach and zucchini as veggies in this soup and they were all good. Shred, dice or chop to produce small enough pieces that cook quickly and they will work beautifully. To store tofu successfully, transfer to an air tight container and cover with water. Changing the water daily will keep the tofu fresh for a week after opening the package. Miso paste is available in most grocery stores, (Smiths, Whole Foods etc) and will keep for several months in the fridge. The red variety is my favorite for this soup. Two tricks when using miso for soup: 1) making a slurry will ensure quick, even distribution 2) don't boil the soup after adding the miso slurry. The ginger adds a bright note to the flavor profile and I keep a knob frozen so it is easy to grate into the soup. I love to pluck some fresh chive from my garden for the garnish but the green onion is a great choice as well. And of course, I use a healthy shake of crushed red pepper flakes because I like my soup spicy. Tofu and miso are good sources of probiotics; the ginger also aids digestion.

I started making miso soup with Trader Joe's miso ginger broth and liked it so much that I wanted to learn how to make it from scratch. That broth is a good product but I wanted a bit more umami "oomph" so I moved on to making my own, adjusting the flavors until it was just what I wanted. I love how quickly this homemade soup comes together and how satisfying a meal it is. 

Pomegranate, Quinoa and Hominy Salad

This was my go to salad for the 2014 holiday season. Great at pot lucks as well as great for quick, healthy dinners at home.  I am going to keep going to it for a while longer--as long as I can get pomegranates this winter.

Pomegranate, Quinoa and Hominy Salad
4 cups mixed greens (spinach, arugula, romaine etc.)
1 cup pomegranate arils
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup white hominy
1 cup cooked red quinoa
1/2 sweet onion, sliced thinly
1/4 cup slivered red cabbage
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup pomegranate balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
optional: 4 ounces blue cheese, cubed or crumbled
Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pomegranate balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Prepare and place in a serving bowl the greens, pomegranate arils, pistachios, hominy and quinoa. Heat a small non stick sauce pan to medium heat then add the sweet onion slices, red cabbage and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Cook and stir for 4 or 5 minutes. Add vinegar and salt. Continue to cook for another 4 or 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vinegar has reduced almost entirely. Set aside to cool slightly.
Prepare the dressing by whisking the ingredients together. Toss the warm onions and cabbage, the blue cheese if using and the dressing with other ingredients just before serving.

Hints: This is a very hearty salad and can easily be used as a main dish, especially if you use the blue cheese. Try feta or fresh mozzarella if you don't like blue cheese. I find white hominy in the canned vegetable section of the supermarket. It comes in yellow too. Cut the onion in half lengthwise and then slice it into slivers. When I took this salad to pot lucks, I kept the dressing and the onion cabbage mixtures separately to transport then mixed together just before serving. I had some pomegranate balsamic vinegar on hand that I purchased from my local grocery store (I also saw it at Trader Joes) but plain balsamic would be just fine. I try to keep some cooked quinoa on hand in the fridge for salads like this one, soups or for crackers etc. Black or brown rice would be a good substitute for the quinoa.

This not only tastes superb but travels well and has beautiful color, (red, green and white) for a winter salad. When I make it with romaine lettuce only, it holds up until the next day for my leftovers lunch.

Cauliflower and Pumpkin Soup

Seasonal eating. One of my favorite things about winter is soup. Belly warming, aromatic, soul pleasing soup. This one is an interpretation of Indian cuisine I came up with a few weeks ago that uses readily available ingredients and comes together very quickly. I've made it several times already, once served it in bread bowls, which was exceptionally nice.

Cauliflower and Pumpkin Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (I used canned but cooking your own would be awesome)
4 cups hot water
2 cubes vegetable bullion (or 1 tablespoon chicken stock paste)
salt to taste
pomegranate garnish, optional (see Hints for additional serving ideas)
Heat a 2 quart sauce pan over medium high heat. Add oil to pan. Stir in onion and cook for 1 minute. Stir in cauliflower, 1/2 teaspoon salt and Garam Masala. Cook for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. When onion begins to brown, add the pumpkin puree and cook for an additional 3 or 4 minutes. Then add the water and bullion. Bring to a simmer and puree with an immersion blender. Check seasonings and add salt if necessary. Serve hot with pomegranate garnish if desired.

Hints: Chop the cauliflower pretty finely. A really nice thing about soup is the flexibility in measurements. The proportions of cauliflower to pumpkin here is about 1 to 1 in weight. I like Target's Archer Farms brand Garam Masala and toasting it with the cauliflower brings out a beautiful flavor. A immersion blender is really useful but you could also blend in a counter top model. I also ate this soup as lunch heated up with a spoonful of white hominy and of red quinoa in the bottom of the bowl--it was fantastic and I highly recommend eating it this way!

This cauliflower pumpkin combo could go another direction with different flavors--maybe Mexican with chili powder and cumin; or Greek with some lemon zest and oregano. Let me know if you come up with a great flavor profile.

Frozen Blackberry Lemonade

It has gotten hot! Signaling the time for cooling drinks. Frozen lemonades, refreshing in taste, temperature and texture, are great for kicking off the season. Blended with blackberries and made with honey, may even be pretty healthy for you.

Frozen Blackberry Lemonade
12 ounces frozen blackberries
4 medium lemons
3 to 6 tablespoons honey (how sweet do you like your lemonade?)
4 cups cold water (use carbonated water if desired)
Place 1/2 the berries in a blender container. Wash two lemons well under running water. Zest one lemon over berries. Squeeze the juice of the zested lemon and one other into the blender container. Add 1/2 the honey and then 1/2 of the water. Place cover on blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a serving pitcher. Repeat with the other half of ingredients. Serve right away.

Hints: There are seeds. The blackberries are loaded with them and I don't strain the lemonade, although you could if the seeds are a concern for you. Use room temperature lemons to get the most juice out and make sure you strain the lemon seeds out. I have used commercially frozen blackberries and have frozen my own for this recipe. Layer fresh blackberries on a wax paper lined tray and pop in the freezer for an hour or two. Once frozen, place them in a zip top bag and remove as much air as possible. They will keep for several months.

It's a hit! Sophie and Robby are working on their third cups here.

Lemon, Cilantro, Jicama Salad/Slaw

Great as a stand alone salad or as a slaw topping on Balsamic Pork sandwiches, this dish assembles in minutes and has fabulous flavor.

Lemon, Cilantro Jicama Salad
1 1/2 cup jicama, 1/4 inch dice

1 cup cucumber, 1/4 inch dice

1 cup celery, 1/4 inch dice
1/2 cup lemon flesh, chop segments w/o membrane
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup torn red leaf lettuce
Dressing:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons peanut oil (or canola oil)
Place all salad ingredients in a bowl except red leaf lettuce. Whisk dressing ingredients together and toss with salad. Add red leaf lettuce just before serving and toss again.

Hints: The lemon is easy to section (see this post for directions) or you can use a grapefruit spoon to scoop the flesh out. Don't leave the lemon too large. The smaller size dice makes this work well as a sandwich topping. Lime would work here equally well as a substitute for the lemon, as would grapefruit.Without the lettuce, this will hold well over night. Add the lettuce just before serving, or omit it.

Fresh tasting with a crunch--just right for warmer weather that is coming soon.

Broccoli Peanut Salad

Green is THE color tomorrow. Green pancakes or green mint cookies or green pudding are wonderful, (I know that I will have at least one of those,) but I wanted to offer a healthier way to dive into the colored frenzy of the day. (The one day a year I get to wear my shiny green flash eyelashes!) Use green bell pepper and substitute pistachios for the peanuts for a fully VERDANT dish. If you need additional green food ideas check out Broccoli Salad w/ cheese, Spinach Crepes and Arugula Kiwi Salad.

Broccoli Peanut Salad
2 cups chopped broccoli, tough stems discarded
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup roughly chopped roasted, salted peanuts
1/3 cup cooked bacon crumbles, about 3 slices, (optional)
1 medium avocado, diced
Place all ingredients except avocado in a bowl and toss with the peanut dressing. Add the avocados and mix gently. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Peanut Dressing
3 tablespoons peanutbutter
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
Place ingredients in a microwave safe dish and microwave for about 20 seconds. Mix thoroughly with a fork or flat whisk. Pour over salad and toss.

Hints: You can choose not to use the bacon if you want a vegan dish. The best result is, of course, with a perfectly ripe avocado. The dressing options of red pepper flakes and honey will give you a sweeter and hotter result -- which I prefer. This dish can be a light meal on it's own; it is also a great accompanying dish for fish, pork or chicken meals. It holds well and is perhaps even better the next day after chilling overnight. Terrific with a tuna sandwich on rye bread.

The smooth avocado amid the crunchy veggies and peanuts is blissful. The strong broccoli, pepper and bacon flavors require a strongly flavored dressing which is exactly what this peanut butter dressing is. What a great way to get several of your five daily veggie servings!

Hummus with Roasted Sweet Potato

Hummus and fresh veggies in the fridge means a healthy snack is always an option. Sweet potato ramps up the nutritional heft and the flavor in this version of hummus. I used part of the roasted sweet potato in a souffle and the rest for this appetizer/snack. Neal uses hummus instead of mayo on his sandwiches--have I mentioned he's a smart guy? With a few pantry friendly ingredients and a bit of time you can have a flavorful, healthy dip/spread at the ready.

Hummus with Roasted Sweet Potato
4 cloves garlic
1 cup sweet potato chunks, 1- 2 inch dice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans
2 tablespoons tahini paste (I buy this at the local grocery store)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Salt to taste
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss unpeeled garlic and sweet potato chunks with olive oil and place on a roasting sheet. Cook for about 20 minutes or until tender, stirring once. When cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic out of skins into a food processor bowl along with the sweet potato. Drain beans, reserving liquid. Add beans, tahini, lemon juice and zest. Pulse several times. With processor on, pour in some of the reserved liquid and process until very smooth. Use up to half the liquid, depending on the consistency you like. Add salt to taste. Serve with naan, pita bread or veggie dippers.

Hints: A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top is great when serving it with naan or pita bread. Add more or less lemon if you like. Hummus should be very smooth and creamy. I like mine with a bit more body, especially with veggie dippers, and so I use less of the liquid from the beans. It is always easy to add a bit more liquid but impossible to take any out so don't let it get soupy (if it does, open another can of beans). This recipe doubles easily w/o any modifications. Good served at room temp, OK chilled, too. Stores for several days in the fridge.

Sweet potato makes this hummus colorful, so serve it with bright green veggies for a great visual payoff. Happy snacking! (Check out Lemon and Carrot Hummus  for another non-dairy, non-gluten recipe.)

Jicama and Cucumber Salad

Combining cucumbers and fresh sage from my garden with crunchy jicama produced this delightful salad. It really hit the spot--the refreshing spot--we were in need of on the latest 100 plus degree day. Wow! Heat wave summer for sure.

Jicama and Cucumber Salad
3 cups cubed jicama, (1/2 inch)
2 cups cubed, peeled cucumber
1/2 cup sliced red pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 lime, zest and juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Mix all ingredients in a serving bowl. Serve at room temperature or chill before serving.

Hints: Peel the jicama, slice it 1/2 inch thick then cut the slices up. I like the cucumbers peeled but you could leave the skins on. A zester and a lime squeezer are both real time savers. Use whatever fresh herb you have available, I chose sage but thyme, oregano, rosemary or mint would be good as well. And lemon verses lime is a viable argument.

I labeled this post as Mexican simply because of the jicama. This salad would be great with any type of main dish or even as a main dish. The jicama and cucumber open themselves to lots of flavors, complimenting many different cuisines.

Jicama Salad

Refreshing! That is what this salad is and that is just what we need. Crispy, cool and slightly sweet, jicama is a natural for salads. It plays the starring role here along side juicy pineapple, accented with silky avocado and tangy arugula. The finish is a citrus dressing that packs a bit of bite. The heat is wacky this year and I am spending time outside more than usual. Thus the birth of this salad (with others coming soon).

Jicama Salad
4 to 5 cups jicama, cut into a large julienne
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1 cup diced avocado
1 cup baby arugula
Dressing:
1 lime, zest and juice
1 clementine, zest and juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1/3 cup canola oil
Peel the jicama and cut into long strips (I used my mandolin but you can do this by hand or with a food processor). Mix the jicama, pineapple, avocado and arugula together in a bowl. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Toss to coat and serve. (If you are not going to serve right away, keep the arugula out and mix it in just before serving.)

Hints: The proportions of the ingredients may be varied if you like. It was my intention that the jicama be the main flavor with the pineapple complimenting. Of course the ideal result is achieved if the pineapple and avocado are perfectly ripe.

I found a beautiful jicama at the grocery store. I had forgotten how good they can be. Tyler was teasing me and telling me that in the area of Mexico where he served a Morman mission, they were called "jimica" pronounced "he-MI-ka". I fell for it for a while. 

More Snow Cone Syrups

Happy 4th of July! Or as my son-in-law says, "Happy 'Mer'ca Day." Here are two more snow cone syrups I have been using with my new ice shaver. These are also great as Italian sodas but you may want to have those on Italian Day--just saying.

Mandarin Vanilla Bean Syrup
2 cups sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
3 mandarin oranges
1 cup water
3 tablespoons white corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
Place sugar in a medium sauce pan. Split vanilla bean in half length wise and scrape the seeds into the sugar. Drop the pod in as well. Slice the oranges into 1/4 inch thick slices and add to sugar. Stir in water, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature. Remove vanilla pod and oranges slices. Place in a covered container and store in the fridge. 

Lemon Blueberry Syrup
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup blueberries
1 large lemon
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons white corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
Place sugar in a medium size sauce pan. Add blueberries to pan. Slice lemon about 1/4 inch thick and add to pan, removing seeds if possible. Stir in water, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring often and mashing berries. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature and then pass through a fine mesh strainer, pushing berries through with the back of a spoon. Discard lemon and berry pulp. Place syrup in a covered container and store in the fridge.

Hints: I used fresh blueberries but frozen would probably turn out the same. Simple syrups are just water and sugar boiled with flavoring agents. The corn syrup to help prevent crystalization. Choose any flavor or flavor combo you can think of. I am going to try Kiwi soon and something with lavender. I have also been thinking about mint with peach or pear.

I'll let you know if I get a great flavor when experimenting and you do the same for me. Enjoy the fireworks today!
 

Balsamic Vegetable Phyllo Triangles

A working lunch happens fairly often. Taking a meeting or working on a project while noshing is nothing new. These savory triangles fill the need for fast and convenient yet healthy food. They keep well and are delicious warm or at room temperature. Or try them as an appetizer at your next party!

Balsamic Vegetable Phyllo (Filo) Triangles
1/2 pound of frozen filo sheets
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup sweet potato, 1/4 inch dice
1/2 cup red bell pepper, 1/4 inch dice
1/3 cup thin asparagus, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
2 tablespoons finely diced purple onion
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped Swiss chard
1 teaspoons kosher salt, plus some for sprinkling
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Optional: 1/3 cup feta or Balsamic Bellavitano cheese
Thaw filo in the fridge for several hours or overnight. When veggies are diced and ready to go, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium high heat. Add sweet potatoes, cook and stir for 3 or 4 minutes or until they begin to caramelize. Stir in red pepper and continue cooking 2 or 3 minutes more. Add asparagus, purple onion, pine nuts and rosemary. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Add Swiss chard and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. When chard has wilted, stir in 1 teaspoon salt and red pepper flakes. Pour balsamic vinegar into pan then cook and stir until vinegar has been absorbed in the veggies, about 4 minutes.

 Put the olive oil in a small bowl. Place one sheet of filo onto a work surface, keeping other sheets under plastic wrap. With a pastry brush or your fingers, spread a bit of olive oil over the filo then top with another sheet. Spread oil on 1/2 of this filo sheet, lengthwise. Fold sheets in half lengthwise. Place about 1/4 to 1/3 cup filling on one end in a rough triangle. Top with 1  tablespoon cheese, if using. Fold into triangle shapes, like a flag is folded. Tuck ends in, place on an ungreased baking sheet, brush top with oil then sprinkle with some kosher salt. Repeat until all the sheets of filo are used. Place sheet in a cold oven and turn temperature to 350 degrees. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. If using the cheese, make sure to chill with in one hour. 

 Hints: The filo will dry out but not too quickly as you work with it. Keeping it covered will help with that. Use spinach if you don't have Swiss Chard. Dried rosemary would work but fresh is a bit better. You could substitute another herb such as oregano or thyme if you like. Use as much red pepper flakes as you want or leave them out altogether. The balsamic is lovely in this filling and I love it with the rosemary. These are pretty messy to eat but worth every crumb! This filling would also work in a yeast dough as a calzone or in pie crust dough as a savory hand pie.

I have made these with and without cheese. They are delicious both ways. It just depends on whether you want to up the protein or you want straight vegan fare. Try my recipe for spanakopita if you like these.

Snow Cone Syrups

I bought an ice shaver (snow cone maker) this year. I also purchased some of the flavored syrups that were marketed along side it. They were...OK...if you're a kid. They weren't great. Lots of artificial flavors and dyes. So here are a couple of healthier versions, still loaded with sugar so not actually healthy but all things in moderation, right? A snow cone can make the miserable heat a bit more tolerable. These syrups work well in sparkling water--add some cream for Italian Cream Sodas. Check out this post for two more flavors.

Strawberry Basil Syrup
2 cups strawberries, washed and hulled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
3 tablespoons white corn syrup
pinch of salt
In a medium size sauce pan, combine strawberries, basil and sugar. Mash with a potato masher until strawberries are broken down. Stir in water, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender container). Allow to come to room temperature. Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and pour syrup through stainer into bowl. Stir to help the syrup pass through the mesh. Discard any solids left in strainer. Store syrup in a covered container in the refrigerator. Serve with snow cones, Italian sodas, on crepes or ice cream.

Lime Ginger Syrup
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons white corn syrup
2 cups water
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
1 lime, sliced thinly
pinch of salt
Combine all ingredients in a medium size sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes then remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature, remove lime slices and chill in a covered container. Use for snow cones, Italian sodas or for punch.

Hints: The corn syrup will help prevent crystallization as the syrup chills. These syrups can be stored for 2 weeks in the fridge. You can choose how much syrup you use on the snow cones. I like to serve mine in a mug with a handle so that my hands don't get too cold.

I didn't like snow cones until this year. But when I went to the zoo with Sophie, Robert and Stella we shared one and then I saw the machine for sale and now I'm nuts about them! Next up I'm going to try a blueberry lemon syrup. I would love suggestion for new flavors...