Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Tahini-Maple Dressing

While planning out winter seedlings, I went a bit overboard on kale. By early spring, I had ten abundant kale plants (a mix of red russian and curly kale varieties). That's a lot of kale for one person. I started to keep a jar of pre-washed kale leaves arranged in an enticing bouquet by my sink (nagging me to add a little green to my morning juice and meals throughout the day). I also started volunteering to bring kale salads to friend and family gatherings -- with the bragging rights of having just cut the kale from my garden that morning. One recipe I discovered, that I now love, comes from Cookie and Kate. It's savory, has great texture and is crazy healthy (kale and brussels sprouts, whoa).

Curly kale from the garden

Ingredients
1 bunch kale (any variety), chopped
12 brussels sprouts, thinly sliced and chopped
1/2 cup roasted almonds, chopped
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan (optional)  
Salt

Tahini-Maple Dressing

1/4 cup tahini
2 Tbs. brown rice vinegar
2 tsp. miso
2 tsp. maple syrup
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. water

1) Cut out spines of kale leaves and chop into small pieces. Transfer chopped kale to large serving bowl.
2) Chop off ends of brussels sprouts, slice thin horizontally, then chop and break apart with fingers into little pieces. Add sprouts to serving bowl.
3) In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, vinegar, miso, maple syrup and red pepper flakes. Stir in the water until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour the dressing over kale and sprouts, add almonds and Parmesan and mix well.

Lilita Likes

 Lightly sweet and refreshing - House Kombucha - Hibiscus Sunrise (Oakland, CA)

In the Bay Area, there's no shortage of local, artisan food. We seem to take a lot of pride in supporting local businesses and farms, while we reap the rewards of getting food that is fresh and close to the source (not to mention, minimizing our carbon footprint). It's a win-win. When I grocery shop, I work like a detective - scrutinizing food labels for what ingredients are used, whether they're organic and where it's made. Every now and then, I stumble upon a true gem and find myself becoming an evangelist. Since I get no greater joy than sharing great food with the people I love, "Lilita Likes" will become a reoccurring feature on the blog. I hope you enjoy this week's finds.

So good, I tried to create my own...and failed miserably - Grindstone Bakery Dark Chocolate GF Cookie (Rohnert Park, CA)

Puts other nut butters to shame - Riverview Orchard Organic Almond Hazelnut Butter (Orland, CA)

Vegetarian Chili

Is there anything more cozy than curling up with a bowl of chili on a windy night? I’d have to say that chili is already pretty high up on my list of comfort foods – I love the different textures of beans and veggies and kick of spices. I also love that you can easily put your own stamp on the recipe by varying the proteins. I’ve tinkered with my chili recipe quite a bit from season to season and I think I’ve finally nailed it –  a harmonious blend of quinoa, black beans, harissa and a little yam strikes the right balance of savory, sweet and spicy. But feel free to put your own stamp on it!

Ingredients
1 cup dried black beans, soaked overnight
1 cup dried quinoa
2 cups water
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, diced
1 Tbs. harissa
1 Tbs. oregano (fresh or dried)
2 tsp. cumin
28-oz. can roasted crushed tomatoes (I prefer Muir Glen)
32-oz vegetable stock
1 yam, peeled and cubed
4 green onions, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Add soaked beans to a soup pot and submerge completely under 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook until beans are tender (about 1.5-2 hours). Once beans are thoroughly cooked, add a few pinches of salt to the water and set aside.
2. Combine shallots and garlic with olive oil in a soup pot and saute over medium heat for a few minutes until shallots start to become translucent. Stir in fresh tomatoes, celery, carrots, harissa, oregano and cumin and saute for another few minutes. Stir in beans, crushed tomatoes, stock, yam, quinoa and season with salt and pepper. 
3. Cook on medium heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring frequently, until potatoes are cooked and the chili has thickened. 
4. Ladle into bowls and top with green onion.  

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Sometimes it feels like I'm the only person who truly gets excited about tabbouleh. "Did you see they have tabbouleh!" I'll exclaim to a friend as we dig into the menu at a Mediterranean restaurant. "Oh....nice," responds friend with feigned enthusiasm. Tabbouleh is never the star of a meal — it gets outshined by hummus, baba ghanouj and falafel among other Middle Eastern delicacies. But what I love about tabbouleh, and what many people overlook in my opinion, is that its both refreshing and satiating. The chopped tomatoes, cucumber and parsley give it a satisfying crunch while the wheat bulgur provides a hearty balance. Since the recipe for tabbouleh is more or less the same across the board, the key to a making a great tabbouleh is having high quality ingredients to begin with (it may seem like a no brainer, but I've seen many get it wrong with a mealy tomato or soggy cucumber). I decided to do my own twist on the dish by substituting quinoa for wheat bulgur which provides some extra nuttiness and texture.

Quinoa Tabbouleh 
Serves 6

Ingredients
1 cup dried quinoa

1 English cucumber
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 bunch parsley
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Bring the quinoa, a few pinches of salt and 1 1/2 cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until quinoa has absorbed all of the water and is tender (about 15 minutes). Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Chop tomatoes and cucumber slices into quarters. Combine with chopped parsley and quinoa in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together lemon juice, olive oil and garlic.
4. Toss lemon dressing with chopped quinoa salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Coconut-Cacao Frosting

I hate seeing good produce go to waste. So when a coworker with a surplus of home-grown pumpkins needed help unloading her family's Halloween rejects, I readily jumped at the opportunity. The great thing about pumpkins (and most other squash varieties) is that they last a long time and make festive house decorations while you're deciding what to cook. With my father's 63rd birthday coming up, I wanted to make a seasonal cake that was decadent yet healthy (yes, you can have both!). I found the prefect recipe on My New Roots and added my own twist by adding unsweetened cocoa powder to the frosting (I probably added 3/4 cup, but you can start with 1/4 cup and adjust depending on how chocolatey you want your cake). I finished it off with roasted hazelnuts and chopped dark chocolate. The cake turned out subtly sweet yet spicy and the coconut-cacao frosting was light and velvety.

Mornin' Groats

As a vegetarian, who doesn't eat eggs, I'm often limited to a fruit cup and side of hash browns when I go out for brunch. Of course, there's the occasional granola bowl (like my favorite at La Boulange in San Francisco). At home, I like to get creative with my breakfast options and I'm constantly looking for new inspiration. This weekend, my father introduced me to whole oat groats, which are basically minimally processed oats (the oat kernel with the hull removed). Groats not only have a high nutritional value, they also have a wonderful nutty flavor and creamy texture. They're also a labor of love (if you want super creamy groats, you'll need to cook them for at least an hour and a half) but are well worth the wait. They taste great with a little chopped banana, blueberries, pepita seeds and walnut pieces.

Whole Oat Groats
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup whole oat groats
8 cups water
drizzle of honey or maple syrup (optional)
chopped fruit, handful of chopped nuts and seeds (optional)
splash of nut milk (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine groats with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for required time, stirring often until desired consistency is reached.
2. Top with a splash of hemp milk, chopped fruit, nuts, seeds and a drizzle of honey.