Early Spring Session Week 2 Recipes

(Pictured above Cilantro-Rutabaga Mash by Kailyard Kitchen)

Cilantro-Rutabaga Mash

2 pounds’ rutabagas, peeled and cut into medium pieces
Zest and juice from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt to taste

1. Place rutabagas in a pot with enough water to cover by an inch or two. Add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook rutabagas until easily pierced with a fork (they should turn more yellow than when they were raw). When the rutabagas are cooked, drain off the water.
2. Place warm rutabagas in a food processor with remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. This would be great served with chicken and brown rice or as a sauce for lots of roasted veggies with lentils or farro.

(Recipe provided by Heather at Kailyard Kitchen)

Simple Sautéed Sprouting Broccoli and Leeks

1 pound leeks, cut into 1/2 inch half moons (here’s a tip: leeks are much easier to wash after they’ve been cut)
1 bunch sprouting broccoli, based trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of chili flakes
Salt to taste

1. In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the leeks. Cook leeks until they begin to become transparent, 4-5 minutes. Add the cumin and chili flakes, stirring to coat the leeks.
2. Add broccoli pieces to the pan and stir to mix in with leeks. Cook another 8-10 minutes so that broccoli is tender but still has a good bite to it. Season with salt to your liking.

**Note: this recipe would be tasty if you added mushrooms to it, which you can do at the beginning with the leeks (in this case, double the amount of butter) or you can substitute rainbow chard for the broccoli.**

(Recipe provided by Heather at Kailyard Kitchen)

 

Rainbow Chard, Mushroom, Leek Pie

8 sheets phyllo dough
1 or 2 large leeks, diced and rinsed well
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 bunch rainbow chard, sliced into ribbons
1 clove minced garlic
pinch ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
4 TBSP melted butter
2 TBSP olive oil
5 ounces’ feta or goat cheese (your preference)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Defrost phyllo dough in fridge overnight, then leave at room temp roughly 2 hrs before using to soften. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Heat the olive oil in skillet over med-high heat, add leeks, garlic, and mushrooms, sauté, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Turn heat down a bit and add chard, nutmeg, and sprinkle with salt and pepper, stir until wilted.
3. Using a pie pan, cake pan, or even bread pan, brush bottom of pan with melted butter and lay first sheet of dough across the bottom, leaving half the dough draped out of the pan, off one edge. Repeat, layering each sheet of phyllo with melted butter, and alternating sides to that there is dough lying outside the entire circumference of the pan (intending on creating a circle of phyllo around entire pan to fold over the top).
4. Spoon greens/mushroom mixture into dough, and top with crumbled cheese.
5. Fold each outside layer of phyllo over greens, layering melted butter in between each. Top with walnuts.
6. Bake at 375 F for roughly 30 min, until phyllo is golden brown.

** Options: Add additional winter greens into the cooking process of the rainbow chard for more bulk- arugula, kale, or collards work well. Or, toss fresh arugula with lemon juice, little oil, salt and pepper, and top phyllo pie with extra greens **

Helpful hints and tips:

Arugula- high in calcium, folate, vitamin K, vitamin A, iron, anti-oxidants, and low in calories, this brassica is a health booster all around!  It’s slightly peppery yet sweet flavor adds a little pep to any salad or greens dish.  Try adding it to a winter soup, Asian sauté, or any sandwich. One way I enjoy this green is in a quinoa salad: cooked quinoa, tossed with caramelized onions or leeks, finely diced and sautéed broccoli, wilted arugula, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add a little goat cheese upon serving for some sweet-tang! 

Leeks- a mild member of the allium family (think onion, garlic, shallots…), leeks can be eaten raw or cooked.  Slicing thin and layering in a sandwich or tossed into a salad, one can enjoy the refined flavor, sans tears. Try substituting leeks for onions in most any recipe, adding to soups, stews, cooked bean dishes, or mashed potatoes. 

Rutabaga- a good source of vitamin C, A, and calcium, this root vegetable can be eaten raw, roasted, or boiled. Try grating them raw into a salad or coleslaw, steaming and mashing just like potatoes, or adding to a root vegetable bake. One delicious method is cutting them into wedges, tossing with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasting at a high temperature (475 F for 15-20 min per side).