YEAR OF THE HIPPIE / "PULSES" !

I was very excited to be contacted by the USADPLC back in March to help them develop recipes based on dry peas, beans & legumes.  I mean, what a treat!  Apparently, each year the United Nations picks a topic of global interest, and they named 2016 the “Year of Pulses” - meaning beans, peas & legumes (who knew they were named pulses, right?).  It’s officially going to be the year of hippie food!

Obviously, I’ve always been a huge advocate of beans & legumes.  For healthy eating, vegetarian cooking & low-cost meals, “pulses” are literally the best option out there.  When I’m tired, exhausted & don’t want to feed myself (but need a homemade meal), I’ll very often turn to soccas or a quick batch of lentils over a salad.  It’s the easiest way to feel well-fed, fast.

Gearing up for 2016 (I can’t believe it’s already May), each country is called to submit one recipe to represent their country.  The USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council reached out for me to develop a recipe to be in the running.  Side note: If you love cooking with beans/legumes, their site is a great resource for recipes ( Lentil meatballs & chickpea quiche sound so good!).  With your help, my recipe could be selected as the National Signature Pulse Recipe for the U.S.

All you have to do, is go to the USADPLC Facebook page & vote just by LIKING my photo.  Simple as that.  I'd love if you could help spread the word, help out this amazing non-profit and get a good, hippie pizza recipe selected Nationally.  As always, thank you for your continued support!

As for this pizza, it's the simplest crust option there is - no rising, waiting or yeast.  It's super quick & something you could throw together for a lovely weeknight meal.  Plus, pesto & pizza are a true match made in heaven.

CHICKPEA PIZZA WITH ARUGULA, PISTACHIO NETTLE PESTO & BURRATA (Gluten-free, Grain-free) Serves 4

Chickpea Crust:

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fennel fronds, roughly chopped
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 4-6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 lemon, zest
• 4oz. burrata, broken into knobs
• Large handful baby arugula, to top
• Pea shoots, to top
• Flaky sea salt
• Cracked black pepper

Toasted Pistachio Nettle Pesto:

• 2 large "tongfuls" of stinging nettle leaves, de-stemmed* 
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup pistachios, toasted
• 1 lemon, juice & zest
• 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano, freshly grated & packed
• 1;2 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Olive oil (about 1/3-1/2 cup)

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together chickpea flour, salt, pepper, celery seed, fennel fronds and parsley. Slowly whisk in lukewarm water, making sure to eliminate all lumps.  Stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Fold in garlic and lemon zest.  Let mixture sit and thicken for about 15 minutes (or up to 12 hours).  

While socca thickens, make pesto: Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Blanch your nettles: add leaves to a boiling pot of water for 1-2 minutes. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon, and add to an ice bath to cool.  once greens are cool to the touch, strain and squeeze all water from the leaves.

Roughly chop the blanched greens.  Add to a food processor with garlic, pistachios, lemon juice and zest, parmigiano, salt and pepper.  Pulse into a coarse paste.  Then stream olive oil to desired consistency or about 1/3-1/2 cup.  Set aside.

*NOTE: To de-stem your nettle leaves, hold onto stem with tongs, and use your other hand to carefully snip the leaves using kitchen scissors

Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil evenly into a cast iron (10-12 inches) or 9x11 baking dish to preheat for about 5-6 minutes (or until pan is very hot).  Carefully remove hot pan and pour in batter evenly.  

Top with sea salt, fresh pepper and bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are browned and firm.  If socca appears dry while baking or after, drizzle more olive oil over top.  Let cool for 15-20 minutes.  Then. spread a thick layer of pesto over chickpea crust and dollop with burrata.  Top with baby arugula, a sprinkling of pea shoots, flaky sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.  Serve warm!

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.