Lentil and Roasted Root Vegetables with Miso-Parsley Sauce

Roasted Vegetables

1 pound potatoes

5 medium carrots, cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

Lentils

1½ cups vegetable broth or water

1 cup French green lentils or regular brown lentils, picked through to remove debris and rinsed

Gremolata miso sauce

1 cup fresh parsley, gently packed

1 lemon, zested and juiced

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1¾ teaspoon white miso

Pinch red pepper flakes

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste

Roast the vegetables: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the chopped potatoes and carrots in 2 tablespoons olive oil and arrange them in a single layer on a (preferably rimmed) baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and golden.

Cook the lentils: In a medium saucepan, bring the broth (or water) to boil and add lentils. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, until tender. Drain the lentils, return to pot, remove bay leaf and cover.

Make the sauce: In the bowl of a small food processor or a blender, combine the parsley, lemon zest and juice, garlic cloves, miso and red pepper flakes. Blend the mixture while slowly drizzling in the olive oil. (If you don't have a food processor/blender, you could finely chop the parsley, press or mince the garlic cloves and whisk the ingredients together.)

Assemble the dish: In a large serving bowl, toss together the lentils, vegetables and sauce. Season with black pepper and salt to taste (miso is salty so you might not need much or any salt). Serve.

Golden Beet Borscht Stew

2 tbsp. canola oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1/2 tsp smoked sweet paprika

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, divided

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

3-4 cups peeled and chopped golden beets (1-inch pieces)

3 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, divided

Sea salt, to taste

1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven on medium-high, heat oil. Add garlic and onion and sauté, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes, until soft and translucent.

Stir in paprika and 1/4 tsp pepper, then add carrots, beets, cabbage and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until beets are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from heat. Stir in vinegar, 2 tbsp dill, remaining 1/4 tsp pepper and salt. (TIP: For a creamier dish, transfer about half of the soup to a blender and purée. Add purée back to soup and stir.)

Meanwhile, whisk together yogurt and remaining 2 tbsp dill. Divide among serving bowls and top with yogurt mixture.

Daikon and Carrot Salad (Namasu)

½ of each daikon radish

1 carrot peeled

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

1 ½ Tbsp. granulated sugar

1½ Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbsp. water

¼ tsp Kosher salt

Using a vegetable peeler peel thin strips of the daikon radishes and carrots and mix together. 

Lightly salt them and put in a strainer for about 10 minutes.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved.

Squeeze moisture from the carrot and radish mixture and then mix with dressing. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Very enjoyable right away or let sit in your fridge overnight to allow the flavors to meld.

If you enjoy the simple salad you can reserve the dressing and keep adding more carrot and radish to your heart’s content.

Creamy Thai-Inspired Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

3 cups diced peeled carrots

3 cups diced peeled sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 cups chopped yellow (sweet) onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons red curry paste

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more if needed

¼ cup raw almond butter or peanut butter

½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt, plus more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

Up to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, if you like spice)

In a large pot, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Stir in the curry paste. In a small bowl, whisk together some of the broth with the almond butter until smooth. Add the mixture to the pot, along with the carrots, sweet potatoes, salt, and remaining vegetable broth. Stir until combined.

Bring the soup to a low boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender.

Ladle the soup carefully into a blender. You will likely have to do this in a couple of batches, depending on the size of your blender (never fill your blender past the maximum fill line). Being careful to avoid hot steam escaping from the lid, blend on low and slowly increase the speed until the soup is completely smooth. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender and blend the soup directly in the pot.)

Taste, and season with salt and black pepper. If you’d like more spice, add a pinch or full ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and blend again. Transfer the soup back to the pot and reheat if necessary. If desired, you can thin the soup out with a bit more broth if it’s too thick for your preference.

Carrot Miso Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 big carrots, peeled, thinly sliced

1 large onion, finely chopped

4-6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1-2 tablespoon finely chopped or grated ginger

4 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup white miso paste, or more to taste

Sesame oil

2 scallions, very thinly sliced

Heat oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion and garlic sauté until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add broth and ginger. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender when pierced, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Puree soup in batches in a blender, or all at once with an immersion blender. In a small bowl, whisk together the miso and a half-cup of the soup. Stir the mixture back into the pot of soup. Taste the soup and season with salt, pepper, or additional miso to taste. Finish with sliced scallions and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Carrot and Zucchini Fritters with Basil Yogurt

1 cup all-purpose flour, more as needed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon coriander

¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more for serving

1 cup milk, more as needed

1 large egg

¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest

¼ teaspoon pepper

2-3 medium carrots, grated (about 1 cup)

1 zucchini, grated (about 2 cups)

2 scallions or a quarter onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

½ cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon chopped basil

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

 Olive oil, for frying

To make the batter for the fritters: in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, coriander and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, lemon zest and pepper.

Pour dry ingredients into wet; whisk until just blended (do not overmix). Batter should be slightly thicker than cream. If it’s too thick, add some milk; if it’s too thin, sprinkle with additional flour. Stir in the carrots, zucchini and scallions/onion. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Mash together the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt with the flat of a knife and then mince. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, yogurt, basil and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Fill a wide saucepan with 1 inch of olive oil; heat until the temperature registers 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer (or until a small drip of batter browns immediately). Line a cookie sheet with paper towels. Working in batches, drop battered vegetables by the tablespoon into the oil, being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden all over, about 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fritters to the cookie sheet to drain. Transfer fritters to a platter or plate; sprinkle with salt and serve with yogurt dip.

Buttered Carrots and Beans

½# Carrots, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips

Green Beans cut into 1” diagonal strips

1 medium Onion sliced thin

2 Tbsp Chopped Parsley (Optional)

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

Blanch beans in pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer green beans to bowl of ice water. Cook carrots in same boiling water until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Transfer carrots to ice water with beans. Drain; pat vegetables dry. 

Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions and cook until aromatic 1-2 Minutes. Add carrots and beans and toss until hot, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add parsley.

Asian Style Cabbage Salad

⅓ cup white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root

¼ teaspoon salt

1 head Bok Choy or Cabbage, thinly sliced

2-3 carrots peeled and grated

4 scallions, thinly sliced

¼ cup toasted sesame seeds

Bring white wine vinegar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely, about 10 minutes. Whisk in sesame oil, vegetable oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and salt.

Add choy/cabbage and carrots to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. Let stand 5 minutes. Add sesame seeds and scallions.