Category Archives: June 2011

Growing up, your mom must have told you that eating carrots would sharpen your eyesight. And she was right — carrots are packed with loads of vision-healthy vitamin A. But the benefits of Bugs Bunny’s favorite veggie extend well beyond its promises of enhanced eyesight. Carrots just so happen to be rich in dietary fibre, antioxidants and minerals, too.

Sure, the vegetable’s most prolific proponent may have preferred his carrots raw, but chances are it’s only because he never tried them cooked until soft, soaked in creamy almond milk and tossed with spaghetti.

California Carrot and Spaghetti 

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients
1 12 oz package of whole wheat spaghetti, cooked per package directions
1/2 lb. California carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup almond or soy milk
2 tablespoons enoki mushrooms
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large skillet, combine olive oil, carrots, and orange juice, and cook over medium heat until carrots are tender (approximately 20 minutes). Stir in milk and cook for an additional 10 minutes, until milk is reduced by half. Stir in enoki mushrooms after the heat is turned off.

2. In the meantime, cook spaghetti as per package instructions, and then toss lightly in olive oil and carrot sauce. Drizzle a bit of sesame oil if desired, and garnish with parsley and purslane or other seasonal wild weeds!

Have a favorite seasonal vegetable that you think you’ll miss in a couple of months? Try your hand at pickling, and you’ll be able to enjoy it long after the summer ends. Here’s a quick and easy pickled fennel recipe that takes less than 30 minutes in preparation time, plus a tasty salad to showcase it in.

Arugula and Mango Salad with Spicy Pickled Fennel
Serves 4 as a starter and 2 as a main course

Ingredients

For the pickled fennel:
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons Asian ground red pepper

For the salad:
1 10-ounce bag of baby arugula
1 mango, cubed
1/2 cup pine nuts

For the lemon vinaigrette:
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. For pickled fennel, combine all ingredients except fennel in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Place fennel in a bowl, and pour boiling mixture over it. Allow mixture fennel to cool at room temperature in the pickling liquid and then refrigerate for two hours. Drain before using.

2. For vinaigrette, combine lemon juice and olive oil and whisk together to emulsify. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. To assemble, dress arugula with vinaigrette, then stir in diced mango, pine nuts, and pickled fennel.

Recipe: Rina Oh

I made a stop at a local farm in Chester, NJ this past week and picked my own bunch! I also purchased fresh red leaf lettuce, and got inspired to use both in a sweet and savory salad. Here’s to kicking off a healthy summer!

Ingredients:

For the salad:
5 medium Idaho potatoes, diced
2 Kirby cucumbers, peeled and diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 medium mango, diced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons mint, finely sliced
1 head red leaf lettuce, ends trimmed
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, halved

For the dressing:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup fresh strawberries
Pinch of salt
Pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook potatoes until fork tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Combine strawberry, yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper and water in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes, cucumbers, celery, mango, 1 tablespoon of the sliced mint, salt and pepper. Stir in Strawberry Yogurt dressing.

4. Serve salad in lettuce leaves. Garnish with the remaining mint.