Easy, Pectin-free Strawberry Rhubarb Pepper Jelly and Glazed Rutabaga

I just returned from a beautiful vacation in Maui, an island that will now forever be connected to pepper jelly in my mind.  Yes, while the rest of my family was eating ham and cheese sandwiches, I was dumping globs of the stuff on a plate and happily picking it up with slices of crusty bread.  BTW, if per chance you go to Maui, you must visit this place.  Sure, I could have made myself a wonderful vegetarian sandwich, but I didn't want to.  I was in love.  I returned home and I knew I wanted to continue this love affair, but since I no longer have the luxury of eating it on a tropical island I decided to compensate by making this the best. darn. pepper jelly I have ever tasted. 

I can't get enough of this stuff, so don't let that itty bitty jar fool you- this makes about 2 cups worth.  About rutabaga- it's fabulous, and is the whole reason I started this veggie journey!  I was at the grocery store with my dad when he saw them and cringed.  I asked, "What's so bad about them?" and he couldn't answer because... he'd never had them before!  His father had once declared them awful and apparently my pops had taken his word for it.  But I wanted to see for myself, so I popped one in my cart and haven't looked back since.  My kids love it mixed in with their hash browns, but I prefer it roasted (I'm beginning to think this blog should have been named Vegetarian Loves Roasting :)  I can't really speak for rhubarb, as the flavors in this all play together and I haven't had it since I was a child.  But it's on my to try list for sure.  Anyways, let's get down to business, or should I say play- though the jelly takes a while, there's really not much work involved!


Strawberry Rhubarb Pepper Jelly
This recipe was adapted from Averie Cooks' Stovetop Pepper Jelly

nonstick spray
1 stalk rhubarb, chopped (no need to peel but def remove leaves- they're poisonous)
1/2 cup sweet onion (preferably maui :), chopped
3 jalapenos, seeded, ribs removed, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup strawberries, chopped
2 cups sugar
1 cup cider vinegar

Spray a nonreactive  medium sized saucepan with nonstick spray and bring to medium high heat..  Add all ingredients except for strawberries and let cook until softened, about 6-8 minutes.  Add strawberries and cook for 2 more.  Add sugar and vinegar, bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until reduced by half, stirring occasionally (this usually takes me about an hour and a half.)  I used a toothpick to mark where the mixture began and checked every time I stirred, which was about 3 times during the process.  When it develops a syrupy consistency on your spoon you are generally good to go.  Pour into canning jar (careful- it's hot!) and place in warm cupboard overnight to set.  Then store it in your fridge for up to 3 weeks, or in your freezer for a year.

Glazed Rutabaga

2 rutabagas
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup Strawberry Rhubarb Pepper Jelly

Preheat oven to 400F.  Cut the peel off rutabagas and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.  Place in bowl and massage in olive oil, salt, and sugar.  Roast for 30-40 minutes on foil-lined baking sheet until tender, stirring every 15 minutes to reduce sticking.  Melt jelly in microwave and drizzle over rutabaga, stir, then return to oven for 2-3 minutes. 

Cauliflower Lentil Sloppy Joes with Coconut Slaw

When I saw The Food In My Beard's Cauliflower Taco post I knew I wanted in on that action.  Cauliflower as meat?  Love it.  I decided I would make cauliflower sloppy joes- weeks ago.  But these kids are a handful!  It seems I never have time to cook anymore, and when I do it needs to be something quick and tried and true.  As I continued to put this recipe off day after day, it grew- suddenly it wasn't just cauliflower sloppy joes, it was cauliflower lentil sloppy joes.  Carrots decided to hop into the mix, and celery the next day.  Then, when I finally found time to make this I had a mad craving for some coconut slaw.  And you should always, always listen to your gut.

Let's take a moment to go over what this dish has going for it.  First off- it's chock-full of nutrients.  It's got veggies galore- cauliflower, celery, bell pepper, carrots, cabbage, onions, garlic- and lentils, too.  It's slightly spicy, and because it's roasted the cauliflower imparts a wonderful caramelized nuttiness.  The warmth of this combined with the cool tanginess of the coconut slaw= a cornucopia of flavors that will make every one of your taste buds happy.

Cauliflower Lentil Sloppy Joes with Coconut SlawServes 4-6 (depending on how sloppy you're feeling)
Tip:  Prepare slaw before the Joes so it has time for the flavors to be fully absorbed


Coconut Slaw
1/8 cup full fat coconut milk
1/4 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 package coleslaw mix


Whisk first 4 ingredients well, removing any lumps.  Stir in slaw and refrigerate.

Cauliflower Lentil Sloppy Joes
1 head cauliflower cut to small florets
about 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tbsp taco seasoning
2 tbsp montreal steak seasoning
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 cloves garlic,minced
6 oz tomato paste
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 cups lentils (red or green,) cooked 

Chop the cauliflower into pea sized pieces.  Toss in a roasting dish with 2 tbsp olive oil and roast for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.  Add remaining oil to large pot and sautee bell pepper, onion, carrot and celery until onion is translucent.  Add rest of ingredients listed except for lentils.  Combine well, then gently fold in roasted cauliflower crumbles and lentils.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Place on toasted buns and top with Coconut Slaw (above.)

Hidden Veggie Puttanesca

Hello!  Notice anything new?  I'll give you a hint- look to your right.  Yes!  I've been awarded "top health blogger" status at Wellsphere.com!  I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be receiving recognition for this humble little blog.  Shall we celebrate?  I don't know about you, but when I hear "celebrate" I think one thing- carbs!  How about a nice big plate of pasta puttanesca? 

And what the hey, since this is a blog about vegetables after all, let's load it up with veggies- ones I promise you will hardly even notice.  Now, we all know the story of puttanesca, don't we?  That the "ladies of the night" would leave it out in windows to attract gentleman callers?  Well, this vegefied version had 3, count 'em, 3 handsome men gathered around my kitchen table in no time.  That's the power of puttanesca.

Hidden Veggie Puttanesca

1 lb angel hair or spaghetti noodles
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium carrots, grated
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups baby spinach, chopped
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp italian seasoning
5 tbsp capers
1 1/2 cups oil cured olives, pitted and chopped (can substitute kalamata)
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
24 oz tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp kelp granules (optional, but gives it an oceany flavor similar to anchovies)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Fresh grated parmesan, for serving

In a medium saucepan, bring oil to medium high heat and add onion and carrots.  Sautee until onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes.  Add spinach, red pepper flakes, italian seasoning, capers, olives, and garlic, and cook for 30 seconds.  Then add rest of ingredients and reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to instructions on package.  Drain (but don't rinse!  Never rinse- you want all of that lovely starchiness) and gently work sauce into pasta.  Spoon into bowls or onto plates
 and sprinkle with parmesan. 

Caribbean Jerk Jicama Slaw with Roasted Edamame and Avocado

I've been feeling a little "blah" lately.  I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that I've finally quit drinking coffee- or should I say I'm in the process of quitting it.  One day at a time, right?  My reason for quitting didn't have so much to do with coffee as it did the Coffee Mate I can't seem to enjoy it without.  You see, I've always taken good care of my teeth, and I've always had relatively easy Dentist appointments.  But this last one was a doozy.  Scrape, scrape, pick, pick, "You know, you have severe erosion of enamel," scrape.  I didn't ever want to go through that again!  So I took a look at my diet, and the only thing that had changed since my last appointment was the addition of coffee and coffee mate- lots of it.  So white tea it is.  White tea is full of antioxidants, has a mild flavor so there is no need for sweeteners, and causes less staining than green tea.  It helps to have a substitute, but I've been having horrible headaches.  I'm not sure if it's because the tea has less caffeine, or because my body is craving the chemicals in coffee mate, but it's no fun!  So, once again, I turn to mother nature to heal me.  

Much better.  This salad, or slaw, or whatever you want to call it, did just the trick, and was amazing.  I didn't need this much healing, but once I tasted it I just couldn't stop myself.  It's loaded with healthy fats and vitamins, and oh, that dressing.  So, so good.  And so easy!  

Caribbean Jerk Jicama Slaw with Roasted Edamame and Avocado
Roasted Edamame
1/2 cup shelled edamame
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

In a bowl, mix edamame with oil and seasonings.  Spread out on foil-lined baking sheet and roast at 400F for 20-25 minutes, shaking the pan a few times, until nicely browned.

Coconut Caribbean Jerk Dressing:
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1- 1 1/2 tbsp caribbean jerk seasoning
1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Whisk ingredients together.  


Salad:
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup grated jicama
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup shredded red bell pepper
1/2 avocado, chopped 

Mix together all ingredients except for avocado (you don't want it to get mushy) and toss with dressing.  Top with avocado and roasted edamame. 

Round Table Gourmet Veg Copy Cat Recipe

There's been a lot of pizza making going on in the Wilson household this year.  For the first 6 months they were all soft and Digiorno-y- and that's about the biggest insult I can think of for a homemade pizza. I was being stubborn.  I'd heard that in order to make a good pizza crust you must use a pizza stone- I just didn't want to believe it.  And it's not that I didn't have one- I did.  But it was something new to me, and I don't do "new" well.  Finally, I broke down and pulled it out.  I must have researched how to use that thing for an hour straight, I was so scared!  But just like most things in life, this turned out to be much easier than expected, and I was able to create the pizza crust of my dreams.  Now it was time to face my next challenge: a pizza that can hold a candle to the Round Table Gourmet Veggie.

The secret to the Gourmet Veg lies in Round Table's creamy garlic sauce.   I tried making this with store bought garlic alfredo sauce, but that was a huge letdown  (probably because store bought sauce never tastes good anyways.)  I tried making it with ranch dressing, as some people on the internet had suggested, but that was a flop as well.  But this?  This- is magic.

I did without the zucchini and mushrooms, because this is how I always order it.  I may have made peace with mushrooms and be on speaking terms with zucchini, but I still don't necessarily want them on my pizza.  But of course, if it tickles your fancy, pile them on. 
I used Jay's Pizza Crust recipe, which is amazing, but yields an extra large pizza.  My stone is medium-sized so I cut the dough in half and stored the rest in the freezer or fridge.  But you can use any dough you feel comfortable with. 



Round Table Gourmet Veggie Copy Cat Recipe


Creamy Garlic Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk, warmed in microwave until lightly bubbling
3 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp italian or pizza seasoning
pinch salt
pinch pepper
pinch nutmeg

In a small saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Use a baby whisk to whisk in the flour and stir for about 2 minutes.  Add milk and bring to a boil. Add garlic, italian seasoning, salt, pepper and nutmeg, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more.

 Toppings:
1/2 cup chopped baby spinach
1/4 cup shredded fontina
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup ground parmesan

Assembly:
Spread sauce evenly over entire pizza.  Add spinach, then top with fontina.  Add rest of  veggies, then top with mozzarella, cheddar, and lastly, parmesan. 

Balsamic Pasta Salad with Bocconcini and Roasted Asparagus

I'll never forget the first time I took my husband to Whole Foods.  "This place is miraculous" were his exact words.  And it really is.  It's nothing like the grocery stores we've become accustomed to- at which people rush around in an angry frenzy, all of them wishing they were somewhere else.  It's a place where people come to admire the fruits of mother nature- a museum for people who love food, if you will.  And if Whole Foods is a museum, then the salad bar is where the crown jewels are held- and priced accordingly.  So rather than spend a week's worth of diapers on one meal, I've taken to tasting and then recreating their offerings at home.  And this balsamic pasta salad, in my opinion, blows theirs straight out of the water. 

Words cannot express how much I love balsamic vinegar, and this salad is such a perfect vessel for it.  It's also great to make ahead of time, as the flavors only intensify, especially in the asparagus, which soaks it up so beautifully while still holding its shape.  Heaven.


Balsamic Pasta Salad with Bocconcini and Roasted AsparagusYield: 4-6 servings
(Can be made vegan by substituting nutritional yeast for parmesan and omitting bocconcini)

12 oz multicolored rotini
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup capers 
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup sundried or slow-roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup sliced red onions
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan
1 cup bocconcini
salt and pepper, to taste


Preheat oven to 350.  Drizzle asparagus with 2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, until fork tender.  Bring large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to instructions on package.  Whisk together remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic.  Add all ingredients to pasta and gently toss with dressing.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Too easy cracked peppercorn bread with honey almond "schmear"

Some women have naturally adorable sneezes- barely audible little squeaks that cause their faces to pucker up ever so slightly.  Some women try to mimic these adorable sneezes- but it never works.  You can't just add a dainty little "choo" to a trumpeting "Aaaah!"  My sneezes are definitely not adorable-  but they can be a sign of good things to come.  At least, they were today.

When I lived in the Bay Area I was lucky to have a well-paying job.  Unfortunately, I was surrounded by amazing food joints, which meant that I had no need to learn how to cook and my savings account stayed at a steady $5.00.  I've come a long way since the days when Rice-A-Roni seemed like rocket science, but I still have yet to create a bagel that could hold a candle to my favorite morning stop, Noah's.  And, really- who wants to go to all that trouble for a version that is so lackluster compared to its counterpart?  So rather than exhaust myself only to be disappointed by the outcome, I decided to make a rustic bread inspired by my favorite breakfast of all time- the cracked peppercorn bagel, and to top it off with it's soul mate, honey almond schmear.


I know what you're thinking.  You've been lied to before.  But this bread is no tease- there's no kneading, no bread machine, no dough hook required.  


This recipe has been adapted from Jim Lahey's rustic loaf recipe.

Too Easy Cracked Peppercorn Bread
3 cups flour (bread flour works best, but all purpose is fine, too)
1/4 tsp instant yeast (fold up the package and store in ziploc bag in fridge)
1  1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tbsp whole peppercorns

Just mix together all dry ingredients except for the peppercorns, then add water and use a fork to combine.  It will look lumpy and not very promising, like this:

Cover with saran wrap and let rise in warm place (microwave works perfectly) for 12 hours.
Bring a small pot of water to boil and add peppercorns.  Let boil for 10 minutes, then let cool, and roll them around in a dish cloth to dry.  Place in ziploc bag and crush with hammer or mallet.  Don't get too crazy here- you don't want them ground, just halved or quartered.  Some may not get crushed at all- that's no biggie.

This picture is a lie.  You will need two hands.  But go on, mix it all up.  Squish it around, fold, whatever you gotta do to get it all incorporated. Cover again and let rise for 2 hours.

Sprinkle flour around the sides and use your hands to scoop out the dough

 Place on waxed paper coated generously with flour.  Fold in all four corners of the dough, then turn dough over and fold up both sides of the waxed paper to form a tent.  Let rest until doubled, about one hour.


Pick a ceramic pot that can withstand very high temperatures.  I used my crockpot, but because the lid has a plastic handle I used a cookie sheet as a lid instead.  Place the pot in the oven before turning it on, then set to 475.  Let the pot heat up for 30 minutes.  To grease or not to grease?  I grease the pot, but I wait until it is hot (if you grease it before, the burnt oil releases  a terrible smell and gets caked onto the pot to the point that it is impossible to remove.)  I like to grease it by dropping about a tablespoon of oil into it, then working it around the pot with a cotton cloth, making sure not to touch anything.  Then carefully plop the dough in it.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes (original recipe says 30, but I find 20 works better.)  Then use oven mitts to remove lid and cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 200 degrees.  Turn the pot upside down and plop bread onto wire rack to cool.  Do not cut into it yet!  You must wait at least one hour or the crust will lose it's crispiness.  But don't worry- it will still be warm and wonderful after the wait.  

Honey Almond "Schmear"

1 cup cream cheese

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tbsp sugar

1/8 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for flavors to get acquainted. Stir once more before serving.