Baked Delicata Squash Rings

If you aren’t sure what a delicata squash is, here’s a picture in its whole form.

I had never eaten, nor heard of one until it arrived in my weekly organic produce delivery. Now it is one of my favorites. What I love is, because it’s small, it cooks quickly. Also, because the skin is thin & gets soft during cooking, you can eat the skin too.

Last night I had it in delicata squash & tofu curry, but below is one of my favorite, simple ways to enjoy it as a side dish or even healthy snack.

2 small delicata squash

1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Herbs of choice (I use rosemary)

Preheat oven to 425.

Slice off ends & cut squash into 1/2 inch thick rings. Use a spoon to scoop seeds from center of each ring. Toss rings with oil, salt, pepper & herbs in a bowl to coat.

Lay rings on baking sheet (make sure they’re not over lapping) and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown & soft when pierced.

Eat!

Black Bean Croquettes

This is one of my go-to recipes. It is so simple & uses pantry staples. I’ve adapted a recipe that called for preparing fresh salsa & use pico de gallo to save time. Serve alongside rice & greens. Pictured here with zippy yams & collard greens.

2 15-oz cans black beans, drained & rinsed

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 tsp ground cumin

¼ c + 1/3 c panko bread crumbs

1 cup prepared pico de gallo

1 Tbsp olive oil

½ tsp chili powder

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Mash black beans and cumin with a fork in a large bowl until no whole beans remain. Stir in corn, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs & pico de gallo.

Mix the remaining 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, oil and chili powder in a small bowl until the breadcrumbs are coated with oil. Divide the bean mixture into 8 scant 1/2-cup balls. Lightly press each bean ball into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the croquettes until heated through and the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Original recipe can be found here: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/black_bean_croquettes_with_fresh_salsa.html

Q&A - Substituting non-dairy milk

I received a message asking if I’m taking questions on the blog. Yes! Exciting that I have at least a few readers J If you have questions about a specific post, post a comment. Or you can email more general questions to yorkandspoon@gmail.com

I will answer them here so everyone benefits.

How has your cooking changed? For example, can you still make non-vegan recipes using soy milk or almond milk instead of dairy milk? Does consistency stay the same?

Substituting non-dairy milk for dairy milk in most recipes is simple. Just make a switch for equal amounts. There are many choices; soy, almong, rice, oat, coconut, hemp... Works well in baking, smoothies, sauces, etc. I prefer unsweetened soy milk as the regular can taste a bit sweet in some sauces & I try to avoid added sugars. My favorite non-dairy milk is almond milk. I prefer the aseptically packaged boxes you find on the isle vs the refrigerated half gallons. I can keep them in the pantry until opened.

Benefits of non-dairy milks are lower calories & zero cholesterol. A cup of 2% milk has 130 calories vs 60 in almond & 90 in soy. Plus their expiration is much longer. I’ve never had to toss unused non-dairy milks.

Some recipes would definitely not work, such as an alfredo sauce that calls for cheese, cream & milk. I would just find a vegan cream sauce recipe.

Here is a website with a great guide on substituting, especially in baking. http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=2763&catId=2

Because this is getting long, I will answer the second question regarding egg substitution in a separate post.

Spaghetti-Nos - Cheesy Spaghetti Sauce

It was probably in college I last had spaghetti-Os. I found this recipe on Post Punk Kitchen & it sounded comforting. After this, I would never enjoy the canned variety. This was amazing & made with real ingredients vs processed foods.

I made the full recipe, homemade sauce & mini lentil balls which is what you see in the photo. While each were simple, I found it to be too time consuming for one evening. Next time I’ll make the sauce, or the lentil balls with jarred sauce. I couldn’t find anellini pasta (little Os) & used alphabet pasta, but any small pasta would work.

For the Cheesy Tomato Sauce:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 24 oz. cans crushed tomato with basil
1/4 cup cashews, soaked
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast*

Preheat a large pot over medium heat. Sautee onions in olive oil with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic about a minute more, then mix in black pepper, oregano, salt & brown sugar. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the sugar is melted. Add the tomato sauce, cashews and nutritional yeast, cover and cook for about 20 minutes.

Now puree the sauce until smooth. It’s easiest to use an immersion blender. You can also use a blender or food processor, blending in batches. Once it’s smooth, keep warm in the pot until ready to use.

Add to 1lb cooked anellini pasta or small pasta of choice.

* You may have never heard of nutrition yeast. Nothing like brewers yeast. It is a yellow powder or flakes with a nutty/cheesy flavor. It is purchased as natural foods stores or in the bulk bins at Fred Meyer. I suggest having some in your pantry, but this recipe would still be delicious without it.

Avocado Pesto Pasta

I dislike avocados. Enough to make the effort to pick them out of my veggie sushi, however I always give anything more than one chance. I finally found a recipe I love! Plus it's easy & the husband loves it too.

I hope you enjoy this recipe from Chloe Coscarelli.

16 ounces dried linguine or spaghetti
1 bunch basil
1/2 cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ripe avocados, pitted & peeled
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add pasta & cook according to package instructions. While pasta cooks, prepare sauce. In a food processor, blend basil, pine nuts, avocados, lemon juice, garlic & olive oil. Season with salt & pepper.

Drain pasta. Toss pasta & sauce in a large serving bowl.
Serves 6

Why did I go vegan?

Before we jump into food I want to share why I made this choice. The transition was a process. I gave up beef for a year in 2008 for health reasons. I have never been big on beef; pot roast, steak, etc. It grossed me out. What I did enjoy was ground beef in the form of burgers. I figured it would be healthier just to give it up. The next year I also gave up poultry & pork; now for animal rights reasons. This left me with fish, eggs & cheese.

In September 2010, I attended a series of classes called Food for Life through the Cancer Project. They focused on cancer prevention & increased survival. Studies have shown immense benefits from a plant based diet. What is plant based? Fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, beans. The benefits of this diet are that it is low fat & high fiber as well as loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants & phytonutrients which all play a role in cancer risk.

With years of school & two degrees in nutrition, it only made sense to follow one of my favorite quotes, “Let food be thy medicine.” Side note, if anyone wants to try to help me talk my husband into getting that as a tattoo, feel free.

I have learned through further research of texts & studies that a plant based diet is not only very healthy, but is safe. Yes, I get plenty of protein. Do note, B12 should be supplemented. For curiosity, I had a full lab work up, B12, iron panel, vitamin D, etc. My iron levels are now higher than they were when I ate meat. I eat much more leafy greens & beans now which are also good sources of iron.

I do not expect everyone to follow in my footsteps. If you choose to, I will support you. But everyone could benefits from trimming some fat from the diet, increasing fiber intake & increasing fruits & vegetables.