Super Green Quinoa Burritos

These Super Green Quinoa Burritos are a major player in our weekly lunch rotation. They are wonderfully portable—wrap in foil for a picnic or even a long plane trip—and easily freezable, but around here, I usually just make all the components ahead of time (quinoa, mung beans, chopped kale, and avocado-tahini spread) and assemble them fresh every day for the week.  

I have to start by talking about the avocado-tahini spread. It is other-worldy. Verdant and tangy, like a nutty guacamole, the consistency is perfect—almost like a whipped butter; fluffy and light, but substantial enough to thickly dress all of the interior ingredients without making the burritos soggy.

I was new to mung beans before this recipe, or so I thought—they are actually the legume responsible for the sprouts on top of your Pad Thai. Mung beans come dried, not canned, but don't have the same laborious cooking time as other dried beans. These little green guys cook for only 5 to 20 minutes, depending on whether you purchase them sprouted or whole. They are hearty, similar to lentils, with an earthy, mellow taste. If you are a regular legume consumer like I am, it's a nice change of pace from the more commonplace varietals.

Finally, these burritos just feel so healthy; the perfect reset after a glutenous weekend or vacation. Despite their little footprint (after I wrap them up in a regular sized tortilla, I always think, that's all?) they are very filling thanks to the protein and fiber-rich quinoa and mung beans. If you happen to find yourself with leftover avocado-tahini spread, you can use it as a salad dressing or chip dip—but I wouldn't count on a surplus.

Super Green Quinoa Burritos (from 101 Cookbooks)

Makes 6 burritos

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 scallions, trimmed
• Handful of chives, basil, and/or cilantro (I always use cilantro)
• 1/4 c tahini 
• 1/4 c water
• 5 Tbsp lemon juice
• Salt or coconut aminos, to taste (I use both)
• 1 serrano chile or jalapeno pepper
• 2 bunches of kale, de-stemmed, and sliced
• 6 multi-grain, whole-wheat, or spinach tortillas
• 3 cups cooked mung beans*
• 3 cups cooked quinoa
• Toasted pepitas and/or hemp seeds (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine the avocado, garlic, scallion, herbs, tahini, water, lemon juice, salt, and serrano in a blender or food processor and pulse until creamy. Transfer to a jar.

2. Place the kale in a large bowl, and add about 1/2 of the dressing to it. Massage with your hands until the kale is nicely coated and beginning to collapse a bit.

3. Place one tortilla on the counter and fill with about 1/2 cup of the quinoa, 1/2 cup of the mung beans, a couple generous dollops of the dressing, a handful of the kale mixture, and a sprinkling of pepitas and hemp seeds (if using). Fold and roll, and then repeat with the remaining burritos. Wrap each in parchment paper, and then foil if you're planning on eating later. You can freeze in multiples, wrapped in parchment, and then foil in large plastic bag.

*Mung beans directions often include a long period of soaking prior to cooking, which I never do. Just keep an eye on them to make sure you don't overcook: they will become mushy, and you want them to keep their crunch.

Smoky Quinoa Black Bean Falafel

I adore falafel, but it’s definitely not one of my favorite dishes to make. I put the two-bite morsels in the same boat as sushi: ideal take-out fare, where I can gleefully delight in every transportable component from the tiny side condiments to the just-so placed meal elements inside the rectangular cardboard container, not at an inch of surface area to spare. Fried chickpea patties are probably not the first dish that comes to mind when you think dinner on-the-go, but I happen to live near Taim, which serves sensational herbed falafel nestled against perfectly proportioned dollops of hummus, tahini, Israeli salad, and tabbouleh, plus a za’atar spiced pita bread on the side. The arrangement is nothing short of heaven, and I’ll happily dig into this smorgasbord of flavors with my plastic fork over recreating each of these accoutrements from scratch any day.

I know, I know, falafel isn’t hard to make. It involves a food processor and an oven. (I actually have an excellent recipe for the homemade version here). But let’s be honest, it’s not exactly a “put everything in the food processor!” kind of dish. It involves herbs—usually more than one kind—that have to be carefully destemmed before blending. The bulb, whether it be onions, scallions, or shallots, likely need to be chopped too. Then each patty has to be hand-formed, and before you know it, the whole endeavor becomes quite cumbersome. (On second thought, can I have an extra za’atar spiced pita with my order, please?) 
Quashing all of my grievances with a single recipe is this Smoky Quinoa Black Bean Falafel. Here, we have a true everything-into-the-food-processor patty, no knife required. Even better, it’s a pantry item rendition: you most likely already have the ingredients in your larder. The base is a bean, seed and nut mix (hello protein!) seasoned with ample spices, tomato paste, and chipotle pepper for acidity; and coconut aminos and nutritional yeast for umami. (Don’t fret if you don’t have some of the more obscure ingredients. Soy sauce can easily take the place of coconut aminos—just omit the salt—and nutritional yeast is optional. If you don’t have chipotle peppers in adobe lying around, use one teaspoon of chili powder instead). 

Dana of Minimalist Baker—the quick & easy vegan cooking queen— is behind the recipe, so you know she has a few tried-and-true tricks up her sleeve when it comes to texture. To ensure a super crispy crust without using any oil, Dana bakes the canned beans in advance to rid of excess water, ensuring that the quinoa/black bean base is sticky and unyielding. You’ll feel the sturdiness of the batter in your hands after blending: its appropriately crumbly, but not too pliant; and just gummy enough to instill confidence that each rolled patty will deftly hold its own. Post-baking, this translates to an overwhelmingly satisfying chip-like crunch on the outside, and moist, meaty chew on the inside. 

I was also able to adjust my patty-forming technique to be much more efficient than in the past. The trick lies in rolling each patty with your palms, rather than your fingers. Using a heaping tablespoon of batter per patty, I would scoop the contents into the palm of my hand, where I would roll it into a ball. Then, I would flatten the patty—again, only using the palm of my hand—before transferring to the baking sheet. Each patty took about 30 seconds with this method. 

Try the falafel in a pita or on top of a salad—I always like serving mine with some diced tomatoes and cucumbers, but the second time around I got creative and added some olives and pickled onions, too. For a simple tahini dressing, combine 3 parts tahini, 2 parts fresh lemon juice, 1 part olive oil, and enough water (likely the same amount as the lemon juice) to achieve a drizzly consistency. (Water will thicken tahini before it thins it, so don’t be alarmed if at the beginning you achieve the reverse effect). Then, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Smoky Quinoa Black Bean Falafel (from Minimalist Baker)

Makes 16 falafel patties

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked and cooled quinoa, from 1/2 cup dry (make sure it's cooked and completely cooled before using) 

1 15-ounce can black beans (rinsed, drained, dried) 

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (raw or roasted) 

5 cloves garlic (skin removed and crushed) 

1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste 

1 tsp ground cumin 

1/2 tsp ground coriander 

2 Tbsp tomato paste 

2 Tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce, if using, omit the sea salt)

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (can sub 1 tsp chili powder) 

1 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)

Directions:

1. If you haven’t prepared your quinoa yet, do so now (make sure it’s cooked and cooled completely before use). 

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add rinsed, dried black beans to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until beans appear cracked and feel dry to the touch. Remove beans from the oven and then increase oven heat to 375 degrees F. 

3. Add black beans to a food processor along with pumpkin seeds and garlic and pulse into a loose meal. Then add cooked/cooled quinoa, salt, cumin, coriander, tomato paste, coconut aminos, chipotle pepper in adobo, and nutritional yeast (optional). Blend to combine until a textured dough forms (you're not looking for a purée). 

4. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more coconut aminos for saltiness/depth of flavor, adobo sauce for heat, cumin for smokiness, or salt for overall flavor. 

5. Scoop out 1 1/2 Tbsp amounts and gently form into small discs using your hands. Add formed falafel to a parchment-lined baking sheet. 

6. Bake for 15 minutes. Then flip to ensure even baking and bake for 10-15 minutes more or until golden brown and crispy on the edges.

Three-Alarm Texas Black Bean Caviar

Did you make a New Year's resolution for 2019? I did not, because I am already perfect. Kidding, but jokes aside, I guess I like to think that I work year-round towards continual betterment of self? Maybe. Anyway, this year I have decided to make one and it is the following: make sh*t easier for myself. For example, not making a second trip to Fairway, after completing my food shopping at Whole Foods, just because I know the Garden of Eatin’ salt-free blue chips I like are on sale there and full-price here. Not forgoing all my purchases at Bed Bath & Beyond because I left my 20% off coupon at home. Clearly, I take extreme delight in couponing, but in 2019, I’ll spend those extra few bucks to save something far more precious: my time.

And next time I am innocuously asked to “just bring an appetizer” to a dinner party, I will whip up this Three-Alarm Texas Black Bean Caviar without thinking twice. Despite knowing that its perfectly acceptable to pick up an assortment of cheeses or dips and call it a day, I feel compelled to create a dish from scratch—it’s in my kitchen-kvelling bones. Over the years, this mandate has led to multiple instances of biting off more than I can chew, and/or, totally disproportionate amounts of effort to reward. Certain entertaining parameters limit the types of appetizers I can make (i.e., sticking to room-temperature fare should the host need the oven for the main meal; assembling hors d'oeuvres that travel easily and require minimal serving prep) which forces me to get creative—often at my own expense. I’ve seen the shrimp summer rolls I so painstakingly put together unravel right before my eyes; watched in horror as a guest asked if my made-from-scratch, soaked-overnight white bean dip was Sabra brand hummus.

Good riddance, futile appetizer exertion! Instead, let’s roll effortlessly into 2019 with this ballyhoo-deserving “caviar”— a delightfully robust black bean dip with all the flavor complexities and luxuriant richness of its highbrow delicacy moniker. Have you ever had Trader Joe’s Cowboy Caviar, the irresistible black bean and corn salsa I always end up eating out of the jar by the spoonful? This is that, but homemade. The TJ version is a bit too sweet for my taste, but this recipe is more reserved with the sugar (it is from the American Medical Association Family Health Cookbook, after all) relying on the natural pickling of the vinegar-doused diced peppers and onions to create that lip-smacking saccharine tang. Boisterous in both spice and heat, the dip's texture and flavors are reminiscent of a slow-cooked chili; tortilla chips temper the picante factor just so.

I highly suggest doubling the recipe—the caviar will go fast, and, you can always save some for yourself to use as a salsa for grilled chicken or fish. The longer it sits, the better it tastes, so do try to make it a day ahead if possible.

Three-Alarm Texas Black Bean Caviar (From AMA Family Health Cookbook)
Makes 2 ½ cups (about 8 servings)

Ingredients:
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 pickled jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finally chopped
¼ c red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp dried savory (optional)
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp white pepper
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Tortilla chips, for serving

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the beans, onion, red pepper, jalapeno, and garlic.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, chili powder, savory, cumin, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and white pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the bean mixture, return the mixture to a boil, and simmer for 1 minute*. Using the back of a spoon (or immersion blender) mash about a quarter of the beans against the side of the saucepan. (This will help thicken the mixture.) Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl, cool to room temp, and refrigerate for at least 1 hr (up to 5 days).

3. Return to room temperature before serving. Serve in a bowl, accompanied by chips for scooping.

*I simmered for closer to 5-7 minutes, to ensure the onions lost their sharp bite.

Miso Harissa Delicata Squash

Before you accuse me of a typo in the first two ingredients of this recipe—um hello questionable kveller, don't tell me you mean to intentionally combine the all-encompassing umami Asian flavor of miso with the distinctly spicy, capsicum essence of Moroccan cuisine's harissa?— let me assure you it is not. Ever since I saw these two incongruous tastes paired together in Miso Harissa Delicata Squash, I've had my eye on this recipe. Last weekend I came across all the main ingredients at the Greenmarket—kale, radishes, and fingerling potatoes play a supporting role in addition to the delicata namesake— so it was finally time to fulfill my curiosity of the marriage of these bold, distinctly different flavors. The result was a dazzling, daring flavor bomb of spicy, sweet, and salty that transformed these sometimes overplayed fall-forward vegetables into an exciting and edgy novel dish.

It's simple, really. The salad is very good. And the fact that it's dressed in an unusual blend of known, but rarely mixed, flavors makes it even better. There is sweet, thanks to the inherently honeyed delicata squash and sugary miso; and there is earthy, thanks to the starchy potatoes and bitter kale. These two profiles play beautifully off each other, ensconced in tinges of harissa components cumin, coriander, and chili pepper. Biting radishes and toasted seeds give crunch to the tender baked vegetables. The salad is best served warm, though room temperature is fine, too.

The recipe is extremely efficient with its time allotment. You can prepare all remaining ingredients while the squash and potatoes are roasting, so upon their completion (which is only 25 minutes, not the protracted 50 minutes of a sweet potato or spaghetti squash) everything else is already sitting in one large bowl. Their transfer finishes the recipe.

The hearty dish feels like a main, so I added a can of chickpeas for protein to secure that title. The original recipe calls for roasted almonds, but I subbed in the toasted seeds from the delicata. If you don't want to roast those seeds but stay in the squash family, toasted pepitas also suffice. One more note: I doubled all the vegetables (reflected in recipe) but used the called-for amount of harissa/miso, as both ingredients are very pungent. I thought the vegetables were dressed just right, so I suggest erring on the side of less harissa and miso. You can always add more once the vegetables have roasted.

Miso Harissa Delicata Squash (from 101 Cookbooks)

Ingredients:

1 lb small fingerling potatoes, washed and dried
1 1/2 lb delicata squash
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil (OK to use less)
1/4 c white miso*
1-2 Tbsp harissa paste*
3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 bunch kale, de-stemmed and finely chopped
4 radishes, very thinly sliced
1/8 c toasted delicta squash seeds, pepitas, or Marcona almonds

1 16 oz can chickpeas, drained (optional)

*Both of these ingredients are available at mainstream markets like Whole Foods and Fairway. For those who live in NYC, try Taim harissa paste. It's the best!

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. If the potatoes aren't tiny, slice them into pieces no larger than your thumb. Cut the delicata squash in half length-wise, and use a spoon to clear out all the seeds. Cut into 1/2-inch wide half-moons. You can leave the peel on these squash.

2. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, miso, harissa. Place the potatoes and squash in a large bowl with 1/3 cup of the miso-harissa oil. Use your hands to toss well, then turn everything out onto a baking sheet. Bake until everything is baked through and browned, about 25-30 minutes. Toss once or twice along the way after things start to brown a bit. Keep an eye on things though, you can go from browned to burned in a flash.

3. In the meantime, whisk the lemon juice into the remaining miso-harissa oil. Taste, it should be intensely flavorful, but if yours is too spicy or salty, you can dilute it with a bit more olive oil or lemon juice. Stir the kale into the leftover dressing and set aside.

4. Place the warm roasted vegetables in a bowl and toss with the kale mixture, radishes, seeds/almonds, and chickpeas (if using).

Bone Broth, à la carte or for Egg Drop Soup and Lentil Soup

“Blue Monday,” the alleged gloomiest day of the year, occurs on the third week of January’s workday start. It is marked by two things: withdrawal of holiday season high spirits, and the onset of widespread seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Throw in this week’s nor’easter and the nightmare state of our country, week one, and I’m going to go ahead and say that this dark, dark, cerulean period is going to extend a bit longer than 24 hours. 

Winter-onset SAD is a real thing, marked by symptoms like irritability, tiredness, low energy, and heavy, leaden limbs. With our physical and mental energies down, it’s important to nurture our bodies more than ever. I can’t think of anything more heart and soul warming than a steaming cup of Chicken Bone Broth, consumed on its own or as the main ingredient in Egg Drop Soup or Lentil Soup.

All three of these recipes come from the Annual Goop Detox, which, I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant to start at first. Words like “detox”, “cleanse”, and “elimination-diet” are really not my style—I’m more of a whole-ingredient, nutrient-rich eating gal who prefers general eating for health over restriction and discipline.

However, all of the recipes in the detox looked amazing, and I loved how GP reused ingredients and components for the different dishes. I didn’t commit to elimination-diet rules (no caffeine, no way!) but am currently making my way through each of the 14 dishes with utter delight. Roughly three-quarters through, I’ve immensely enjoyed the way that GP constructed “cozy-hot breakfasts, warm and filling dinners, and quick and simple lunches” to make clean eating feel natural in our current cold-weather climate. By the end, she promises a “lighter, happier, refreshed you.” A tall order for Blue Monday: Extreme Edition, but I truly felt all those qualities after two weeks of eating the meals.

Many of the recipes in the Annual Detox have an Asian flare, and the Chicken Bone Broth is no exception. Simmered with ginger, star anise pods, cilantro, and apple cider vinegar, this broth exudes a lovely, spicy bite from these more exotic ingredients (in addition to common ones like celery, onion, carrots, and garlic). It is truly glorious on its own, and despite the recipe’s recommendation to cook for a total of 10 hours, ample flavor can be achieved in just 2-3.

The Egg Drop Soup is simply a fortified version of the broth, adding turmeric, chili flakes, more ginger, lemon juice, and a single egg for a protein-rich, inflammation-fighting, citrusy enhancement. It’s lovely, and ribboning the eggs was so fun! (Though my soup looks more like a weird floating omelet because I used two eggs and apparent have terrible ribboning form). GP even recommends this soup for breakfast, and its light enough to fit the bill.

The Lentil Soup is a fairly basic recipe, but exalted to Best-I’ve-ever-had status through use of the bone broth. Two kinds of lentils, puy and red, give legume depth and variety, which are cooked simply with garlic, carrot, and celery before blended with a quick grate of fresh ginger and the broth. The bite from the ginger is a really nice complement to the earthy lentils, and I added some frozen chopped spinach and red wine vinegar for extra gusto, too.

Find the full Annual Goop Detox here. (Laarb Lettuce Cups and Miso Sweet Potato Collard Wrap are two of my non-soup favorites).

At first, I was struck by how ironic it was that I was getting such pleasure from these pure, simple foods. I literally felt like I was indulging, as if I were drinking a glass of red wine and eating a rich chocolate cake. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. My body, mind, and spirit are trying to heal. And while I can’t control what goes on outside of me—whether that be the weather or the president—I can take charge of what I put inside of me. And here is the only place to start.

Chicken Bone Broth (from Goop Annual Detox)
Makes 12 cups

Ingredients:
1 half organic chicken (or just the equivalent roasted chicken bones. I made a version this way and it was great, too)
1 celery stalk, cut into thirds
1 yellow onion, cut in quarters
2 medium carrots, cut in half
4 garlic cloves
2 star anise pods
1 3-inch piece ginger, sliced
½ bunch cilantro
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
10 cups water (or enough to cover all the ingredients)
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
20 black peppercorns

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low heat for 6* hours. Remove meat from chicken, shred, and store until ready to use.
2. Return the chicken bones to the crockpot and continue cooking for 4 more hours.
3. Strain, cool, season to taste with salt, and store in the fridge.

*2 to 3 hours of cooking, total, is perfectly adequate.

Egg Drop Soup (from Goop Annual Detox)
Serves 2

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken bone broth
½ tsp ground turmeric
2 pinches chili flakes
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste
a squeeze of fresh lemon
cilantro to garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine the bone broth, ground turmeric, chili flakes, and grated ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. While the mixture heats up, crack the eggs in a small bowl, season with a pinch of salt, and beat with a fork.
3. When the broth is simmering, pour the egg through the holes of a slotted metal spoon directly over the broth, making egg ribbons.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper and squeeze over some fresh lemon juice just before serving. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Lentil Soup (from Goop Annual Detox)
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1-2 medium carrots, diced
1-2 celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
⅔ cup puy lentils
⅓ cup red lentils
2 cups chicken bone broth or chicken stock
½ tsp salt
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
2 cups bone broth
½ cup chopped frozen spinach (optional)
Red wine vinegar, drizzled before serving

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a medium dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
2. Add lentils, broth, and ½ tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 20-25 minutes (or until the lentils are cooked but still have some bite), stirring occasionally.
3. Remove pot from heat and let cool for at least 5 minutes. Add the fresh grated ginger and 2 cups bone broth to the pot. Blend together with an immersion blender. Add spinach, if using. Serve with a drizzling of red wine vinegar.

One-Pot Kale and Sweet Potato Curry

The recipes by Minimalist Baker are my entertaining secret weapon. In order to perform due diligence to the “minimalist” moniker, there are strict parameters: all recipes must require 10 ingredients or less, one bowl or pot, or 30 minutes or less to prepare.  When cooking for a crowd, this simplistic approach is critical for a smooth dinner party/my sanity.

But here’s the thing about Minimalist Baker author Dana. Not only are her recipes easy, they are unequivocally fantastic. Each recipe erupts with bright flavors, intelligent combinations, and crowd-pleasing triumph.  Translation: I feel comfortable trying a novel recipe on a group I am eager to impress.

Case in point: One-Pot Kale and Sweet Potato Curry.  Curries are known for their intense spice, and there’s no shortage of apropos savory here. Ginger, chili, and turmeric accompany Thai red curry paste (if you are a soup enthusiast, make this a pantry staple for the colder months) in a silky broth of light coconut milk and dash of maple syrup. The broth bellows cozy! hearty! filling! But keeps other descriptors like “heavy” “rich” “where’s the Tums” at bay. All the positives of ebullient flavor without the stomachache of a fat-laden soup is difficult to achieve in a robust curry. But here lies the genius of Dana’s recipes.

 

The broth lends itself to a host of vegetable combinations; any leafy green, potato, or squash will do. But I immensely enjoyed the juxtaposition—both flavor and texture— of the earthy, ribbed Tuscan kale against the soft sweet potatoes, dotted with peas.  I did make a few small tweaks, reflected in the recipe below: I doubled the servings of vegetables, and added chickpeas for a protein boost.

Because the curry is so flavor forward, I recommend serving over a bed of plain brown rice to balance the meal. Arranged on the side, cilantro sprigs and lemon wedges make beautiful and customizable accoutrements.

One-Pot Kale and Sweet Potato Curry (slightly tweaked from Minimalist Baker)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 ½ Tbsp coconut oil (can sub avocado or grape seed oil)

1 shallot, minced

2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Thai red chili (or serrano pepper), stem removed and thinly sliced with seeds

3 Tbsp red curry paste (I like Thai Kitchen brand, which is vegetarian—note most are not)

3 large sweet potatoes, skin removed + cubed

2 14-ounce cans light coconut milk

1-2 Tbsp maple syrup, plus more to taste

1 ½ tsp ground turmeric

½ cup frozen green peas

4 cups chopped kale (I used Tuscan)

1 14-ounce can chickpeas

1 lemon, juiced

Optional additions: ½ cup roasted cashews, salt (use sparingly; curry paste has very high sodium content)

Optional serving sides: brown rice, fresh cilantro, Thai basil, lemon slices

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add coconut oil, shallot, ginger, garlic, and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Add red curry paste and sweet potato and stir, and cook for 2 minutes more.

3. Add coconut milk, maple syrup, turmeric, and a pinch of salt and stir. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

4. Once simmering, add peas and slightly reduce heat. You want a simmer, not a boil, which should be around low to medium-low heat.

5. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to soften the potato and peas, and infuse them with curry flavor. Taste and adjust flavor as needed.

6. Once the broth is well seasoned and the potatoes are softened, add kale, chickpeas, cashews (optional) and lemon juice, and cover. Simmer for 3-4 minutes more over low to medium-low heat.

7. Serve over rice, accompanied by lemon wedges and stalks of Thai basil or cilantro.

Butternut Squash Black Bean Enchiladas

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are Mexican cuisine’s best kept secret. There are two distinct elements nestled within each $2-$3 can: the chipotles, which are smoked and dried rehydrated jalapenos, and the adobe sauce, a tangy, pungent mix of tomato puree, vinegar, garlic, and spices. The result is intense, smoky flavor that’s a one-stop-shop. Chipotle peppers can operate hans solo, no additional spices or seasonings required. However, if you want to add an extra ingredient, they do play well with others. A dollop of plain Greek yogurt can add a rich, creamy taste. Or, in these Butternut Squash Black Bean Enchiladas, the addition of plain, canned tomato sauce and sautéed garlic create an enchilada sauce that’s simply magnificent.

To be perfectly honest, I’ve always been suspicious of enchilada sauce. To me, it fell into the category of processed, salty jarred sauces that accompanied my most abhorred type of food: greasy Mexican. And given that enchiladas are usually doused in cheese and sour cream, I tend to stay away from them and opt for fresher, lighter options.  But, this recipe proves my theory wrong. Here, the enchilada “meat” consists of hearty, seasonal butternut squash and cumin-kissed black beans. Oil is scant, and cheese altogether absent—the dish is vegan. Whole-grain corn tortillas add another healthy component, and dousing in the homemade enchilada sauce loads on the flavor, but not the cals. Toppings options are abundant and tailored—my favorites are sliced avocado, minced cilantro, and quartered limes. If you absolutely cannot fathom an enchilada sans cheese, feel free to go ahead and sprinkle some on top. (Cheddar is the obvious choice, but feta is surprisingly good too.)

This dish works perfectly for the holiday time of year. In a season characterized by general frenzy and heavy celebratory eating, these enchiladas are a fresh breath of air that utilize a fresh seasonal ingredient to produce hearty fare that’s surprisingly light. Plus, the prep is easy: a handful of ingredients come together with mindless ease, and the majority of time is just spent cooking the enchiladas in the oven.

Next to taste, my second favorite things about this dish is the texture. A quick spray of olive oil via mister over the tortillas, pre-bake, ensures that they are perfectly crisp on the outside, but flawlessly soft on the side.  Though not necessarily pretty after storing, they do keep for a few days, and those extra chipotles can stay refrigerated for months.

Butternut Squash Black Bean Enchiladas (adapted from Minimalist Baker)

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

For the enchiladas

• 3 cups cubed butternut squash
• 1-2 tsp grape seed or olive oil
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 8 corn tortillas
• Sea salt and black pepper

For the sauce

• 1-2 tsp grape seed or olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce + 2 Tbsp adobo sauce
• ½ cup water (or sub vegetable broth for more flavor)
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Optional toppings

• Red onion, diced
• Ripe avocado, sliced
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Toasted pumpkin seeds
• Lime wedges

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a baking sheet, combine butternut squash, 1-2 tsp oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
2. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until squash is tender. Set aside to cool. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F.
3. While squash is cooking, prepare sauce. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1-2 tsp oil and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is slightly browned and translucent, 4-5 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to low. Add tomato sauce, diced chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, and water/vegetable broth to pan. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Transfer sauce to a blender and blend well for a completely smooth sauce (optional). Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.
6. Place same skillet used earlier back over medium heat and add black beans. (Its OK that there will still be some sauce in the pan.) Season with a little salt, pepper, cumin and stir. Once bubbling, remove from heat and add roasted butternut squash and 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, mixing thoroughly.
7. Wrap tortillas in damp paper or cloth towel and microwave to warm for 30 seconds to make more pliable. Pour a bit of sauce into the bottom of 9×13-inch baking dish. Spread to coat.
8. Take one corn tortilla and lay it down in the dish. Fill with generous amount of squash-bean filling, then roll up tortilla. Place seam side down at one end of dish. Continue until all tortillas are filled and wrapped, then pour remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas in a stripe down the middle. Brush/spray the edges of the bare tortillas with oil for crispy edges.
9. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through. Top with desired toppings and serve. The enchiladas can keep for a few days in the refrigerator.