CREAMY BEET, FENNEL & PARSNIP SOUP WITH PISTACHIO & CREME FRAICHE

I don't know about you, but there has been a revolving door of root vegetables in my house for the past few months.  Like many, I've been making tons of soup, roasting vegetables, making mashes, chilis, etc.  We're all just looking for a little bit of comfort from the little bit of variety we have right now.  Even so -  and as much as I love Winter vegetables - I'm still yearning for a little brightness.  

While getting a little sick of brothy soups, living with a Russian and Valentine's day sparking the mood, I finally gave in to the idea of a beet soup.   If the color isn't enough to sway you, maybe the flavor will.  The bit of ginger offers a nice bite & brightness, while still feeling like a soup fit for cold weather.  Although it's still (literally) freezing outside, this colorful soup might tide me over till Spring.

CREAMY BEET, FENNEL & PARSNIP SOUP WITH PISTACHIO & CREME FRAICHE (Gluten-free, Grain-free, Dairy-free opt.) Adapted from Epicurious | SERVES 4-6

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 3 large beets, large dice
• 2 parsnips, large dice
• 1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (15oz) can full-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 lemon, juice
• Sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper
• About 1/3 cup yogurt, to serve (opt)
• About 1/3 cup chopped & toasted pistachios, to serve
• Handful of greens or micro greens, to serve

In a large dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add onions, garlic and ginger, stirring often for 4-5 minutes.  Add beets, parsnips and fennel and sauté for another 4-5 minutes, then add stock and coconut milk.  Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, over low heat until beets and parsnips are tender.  Add squeeze of lemon juice, then season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  

Using an immersion hand blender or regular blender, blend soup until smooth or desired texture.  Garnish with a dollop or swirl of creme fraiche, chopped pistachios & greens. 

MORNING MEALS ROUND-UP

Like everyone else in the world, I'm starting my year off trying to eat purely and detox from screens.  Although I've already failed my "no phones after 7pm" rule, I have read more in the last month than I did in the last 6, so that's something.  So far, so good?  And now on to my favorite breakfasts of the year so far / a Morning Meals round-up:

DETOX GREEN SMOOTHIE (gluten-free, vegan) SERVES 2

• 3 cups organic spinach
• 1 cup frozen organic mixed berries
• 1 cup frozen mango or peach
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 tablespoon spirulina
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 tablespoon chia seeds
• 2 cups almond milk
• Small handful of fresh parsley or mint
• Pomegranate seeds for topping

Add all ingredients to your blender.  Blend on high for 2-3 minutes or until well blended and thick.  Garnish your smoothie with pomegranate seeds and more fresh herbs.  Eat with a spoon and enjoy!

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SPICED CANDIED PECANS & POMEGRANATE YOGURT CUPS (Gluten-free) SERVES 2

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
• 4 oz. raw pecans
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 cups greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds 

In a small bowl, mix together spices and sugar. Set aside.

Then, in a small saucepan, heat butter over medium until melted.  Add pecans, then slowly add spice mixture making sure to nuts are coated evenly.  Add maple syrup and up the heat to medium high. Stirring often for 3-4 minutes or until mixture begins to smell nutty and more syrupy.

Remove from heat and add in an even layer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let cool. (For immediate cooling, add to freezer for 5 minutes.)

Once pecans have cooled, top greek yogurt with them and a few tablespoons of pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.

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MINI DILL FRITTATAS (gluten-free, dairy-free) SERVES 2-3, Makes 12 mini frittatas

• 5 large eggs
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 3 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Freshly cracked pepper
• Sea salt to taste
• Baby arugula, to serve

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, garlic, shallot, almond milk and dill.  Zest approximately 1 teaspoon of zest and the juice of half a lemon.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Combine well.

Use olive oil to grease your mini muffin pan.  Ladle in egg mixture up to the top.  Season with flaky sea salt. Bake for 22-25 minutes.  They will puff up slightly when done.  Let cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and serve on a bed of arugula drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice.  Enjoy!

A VERY VOGUE THANKSGIVING

It's easy to get overwhelmed by the entertaining aspect of Thanksgiving as a holiday, but also just plainly: what exactly to serve.  Everyone has their own long-standing traditions (marshmallows y/n?) and now, probably some food allergies thrown into the mix. The Hemsley ladies have featured 8 recipes on Vogue that are naturally gluten AND grain free, not to mention a nice mix of vegetarian and meat-starring recipes.  

I had the pleasure of shooting and styling them for a special Hemsley-centric Thanksgiving.  One of my favorite recipes, a real showstopper, is the beet and goat cheese terrine (featured below!).  Unless you're vegan (or hate beets), you can eat and enjoy it.  Not only is it completely gorgeous, but it's delicious alone/with crackers/etc. - so, it will surely keep your guests busy while you're wrestling your turkey.  Happy cooking ;) 

BEET & GOAT CHEESE TERRINE (Gluten-free, grain-free) from The Art of Eating Well

• 4 purple beets, about 10 ½ oz
• 4 golden or any other color beets, about 10 ½ oz (the more colors the better)
• 2 Tbsp freshly snipped chives
• 2 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 14 oz goats’ cheese
• sea salt and black pepper

Line a 4 x 8 inch loaf tin with parchment paper, leaving enough paper hanging over that you can easily cover the terrine when the tin is full.

Scrub the beet, then place in a pan, cover with water, pop on the lid, and cook for about 30–40 minutes until tender. Set aside to cool, then peel.

Meanwhile, mix all the herbs and garlic with the goats’ cheese in a bowl and season to taste.  Slice the cooked beets into various thicknesses – some 1⁄8 inch, some 1⁄4 inch.

Put a layer of golden or candy-colored beets along the bottom of the tin, followed by a thin layer of the garlic and herb goats’ cheese mix. Do this for 6 layers of each, so you have 12 layers in total, and then start on the purple beets and cheese layers until you reach the top. If you have more colors, vary them as you go along.

Pull the parchment paper over so all the terrine is covered. Place a weight on top of the tin and leave in the fridge overnight or for 8 hours to set.

Cover the set terrine with a plate and turn upside down to remove the terrine. Slice and serve or refrigerate the terrine until needed.