As the year draws to a close, I thought I’d share my 10 favorite recipes of 2011. I hope you’ll put these into your regular rotation, as I have. When I looked back at the recipes I posted this year, my first thought was:

“Wow, I’ve been busy.”

I had 62 posts this year. Only a little more than one per week, but that’s a big accomplishment when you have a very intense full-time job like mine. I somehow managed to avoid working most weekends (yay!), which allowed me to keep cooking and blogging.

My second thought was:

“Oh my God, I’m almost vegan!”

Out of those 62 posts, only 6 were not vegan (usually baked goods where I threw in an egg.)  While total veganism isn’t something I’m striving toward, I’m pretty happy about this trend, which has just happened naturally.

Anyway, it was hard to whittle my list down to 10 favorites. It pains me to not include my roasted corn and potato chowder, pasta with romesco marinara or vegan banana oat french toast, among others. I hope you’ll go back and try those, too.

Happy New Year!

[portfolio_slideshow]

On a recent trip to Los Angeles, I had the pleasure of dining at Gjelina, with a few friends including Adair from the amazing Lentil Breakdown. Aside from the wonderful conversation, the salad of beets, avocado, citrus and toasted hazelnuts was a highlight of the meal. I’ve recreated it here, with the addition of arugula. This colorful salad makes a stunning addition to your holiday dinner table. It definitely has a festive air about it!

Since having this salad, I have become a little obsessed with hazelnuts. I roast and peel large batches of them, so I have them at hand to throw into all kinds of salads or use in cookies. They have a distinctive flavor and are a nice change of pace from the more common almonds and walnuts. Start with this salad, and you might also find yourself going hazelnut crazy, too!

Recipe Note: You can easily roast the beets, but I admit to cheating and using those vacuum-packed cooked beets in a pinch. They taste great!


Arugula, Beet, Orange and Avocado Salad with Hazelnuts

4 small cooked, peeled beets, cut into wedges (see note above)
1 large navel orange
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and very roughly chopped
1 large Hass avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or lemon juice
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 ounces baby arugula

Zest the orange and set the zest aside. Cut the top and bottom off the orange and cut off the peel, making sure to cut off all the white part.  Slice the orange crosswise into slices, then cut each slice in half.

In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar or lemon juice, Dijon mustard and orange zest. Whisk in the olive oil. Toss most of the dressing with the arugula, onion and beets, and place on a serving platter. Top with the orange slices, avocado and hazelnuts. Drizzle with the remaining dressing.

Serves 4 as a side dish

Dec 19, 2011

Spicy Spiced Nuts

 

Spiced nuts are a ubiquitous holiday party nibble. I always get excited to dig in, only to find that the nuts are so sweet they might as well be on the dessert table. Some are made with butter, which is a no-no for my heart-healthy diet. And many aren’t very spicy at all – so why call them spiced nuts?

That’s why I created a vegan spiced nut mix that’s just barely sweet, and has a real kick to it. It took me several tries to get the spice combination just right – we were eating nuts for days on end. It was a worthwhile exercise, because the end result was amazing. The cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika create a smoky and spicy party in your mouth! I hereby pronounce these my new favorite snack.


Spicy Spiced Nuts

1 teaspoon chili powder, preferably ancho (if you use a regular supermarket chili powder, cut down the cumin below)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
3/4 cup pecans
3/4 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
½ cup raw pistachios
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar
½ teaspoon coarse salt (I like Maldon sea salt on these)

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Mix the spices in a small bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil and agave.

Spread the nuts on a large baking sheet and roast for about 12 minutes, until they start to get toasty and aromatic.  Watch them carefully to make sure they don’t burn.

Remove to a bowl and toss with the olive oil mixture, stirring well. Add the spices and stir briefly. Return to the tray and roast for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with salt to taste and cool before serving.

 

Dec 10, 2011

Mint Chocolate Thins

I was eyeing the Chocolate Mint Melties from Dreena Burton’s Eat, Drink & Be Vegan, and simply couldn’t resist making them.

I played around with the proportions of the original recipe a bit, and changed the flour from spelt to whole wheat pastry flour. The resulting cookie is thin and crispy, while still chewy on the inside. With an intense minty aroma, they’re the perfect holiday cookies.

I think these are best the same day they are made, as they tend to lose their crispness over time. So I bake up cookies with part of the batter, then refrigerate the rest for the next day. That also keeps me from eating so many in one sitting!

These will remind you of Girl Scout Thin Mints…minus the icky trans fats. Admittedly, they are super sweet. But they’re also whole grain and vegan. So go ahead, indulge!

Mint Chocolate Thins
Adapted from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan

1/2 cup organic canola oil or high-oleic safflower oil
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon organic sugar, divided
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 T. almond milk (can substitute dairy milk)
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Rounded ¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3.5 ounces 70% or 72% dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the oil, ½ cup sugar, maple syrup, agave, milk and extracts.  In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until combined. Gently mix in the dark chocolate.

Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with a little of the additional sugar. Bake 11 minutes (don’t worry if they don’t look done – they flatten and harden after coming out of the oven). Cool for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a rack.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

This post is linked to The Secret Recipe Club’s Cookie Party.