Winter Salad Hummus Bowls with Seedy Power Sprinkle

Recipe from Anna Stockwell via Epicurious

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4

5 Tablespoons unseasoned brown rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon honey

1 Tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 bunch kale, stems removed, torn into bit-sized pieces OR 4 cups baby kale

1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed, thinly sliced

4 Hard-Cooked Eggs, cut in half

1 cup store bought or homemade hummus

1 cup Seedy Power Sprinkle*

Flaky sea salt, for serving

Freshly ground pepper, for serving

Whisk the unseasoned brown rice vinegar, honey, tamari or soy sauce, kosher salt and ¼ cup olive oil in a large bowl.

Add the kale and brussels sprouts to the vinaigrette.  Toss and massage with your hands until the kale is darker in color and the vegetables are coated in the dressing.

Smear about ¼ cup of hummus onto the side of each bowl or plate.  Top with the salad and egg halves. Season the eggs with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.  Drizzle with oil and top with the Seedy Power Sprinkle.

Notes:  Unpeeled eggs can be prepared 2 days ahead.  The vegetable salad can be made 8 hours in advance. 

Seedy Power Sprinkle

1 large egg white

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon Aleppo-style pepper (optional)

1 Tablespoon water

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup sunflower seeds

½ cup chia seeds

½ cup flaxseeds

½ cup raw sesame seeds

Whisk egg white, oil, honey, pepper (if using), salt, and water in a medium bowl to combine.  Add the sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and sesame seeds and stir to coat.  Let sit until the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325F.  Spread the seed mixture in an even layer on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.  Bake, stirring very gently after 10 minutes to encourage the mixture to from small clusters, until golden brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes.  Let cool.  Sprinkle can be made 2 weeks in advance.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.  Use them for the salad listed above or use them to sprinkle atop yogurt, soups, or on anything you wish to add a bit of crunch.

Brussels Sprouts, Cranberry, and Quinoa Salad (Vegan)

Serves 8

Recipe from Gimmesomeoven.com

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This is a lovely wintery salad that will be welcomed at any gathering.  It would also make a yummy lunchbox addition.  It’s full of protein with the quinoa and the crunchy pecans.  It’s also got the nutritional goodness from the brussels sprouts.  It’s sweetened with a bit of orange juice and dried cranberries.  If you make quinoa in advance then this salad is a cinch to put together.  If you are pressed for time, you can forget about plumping the cranberries, but I think plumping them up is totally worth the little effort it takes.

Salad

1 cup dried cranberries

1 pound brussels sprouts, rinsed, and ends trimmed, then halved and very thinly sliced

2 cups cooked quinoa*

2/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted**

Orange Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Orange Vinaigrette

Zest of one orange (optional)

¼ cup freshly-squeezed orange juice

¼ cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste             

Preheat the oven to 400 F for toasting the pecans.  (See directions below.) While you are slicing the brussels sprouts, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  Pour the dried cranberries into the boiling water.  Turn off the heat.  Allow the cranberries to plump up in the hot water for about 10 minutes.  Drain the cranberries and put them on a clean dry towel to absorb any excess water.  Now that they are plump and dry, they can go into to the salad.  Put the sliced brussels sprouts into a large bowl.  Add the cranberries, the quinoa, and the pecans.  Set aside.  Put all of the Orange Vinaigrette ingredients into a jar with a lid.  Shake vigorously until combined.  Pour the vinaigrette over the salad ingredients and toss until coated.  Serve.   By my calculations, one of eight servings equals about 332 calories.

*Here’s how to prepare quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”)

Just 1 cup of uncooked quinoa will yield almost 4 cups cooked. (I usually prepare a batch and then use 2 cups for a meal and then I freeze 2 cups for another time.  Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.)

Here's what you will need to cook the quinoa: 1 cup uncooked quinoa; 2 cups water for cooking; a sieve; water for rinsing; a saucepan with a cover and a kitchen timer.

Place 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in a sieve (strainer.) Quinoa has a bitter coating (called saponin) that must be rinsed off.  An effective method for rinsing off the bitter coating is to place the quinoa seeds in a fine-meshed strainer and run cold water over the quinoa while gently rubbing the seeds together in your hands. Place the rinsed quinoa in a saucepan and add 2 cups water. (Quinoa is really excellent when cooked in vegetable or chicken broth. Try adding other spices aromatics during cooking as well: A clove of smashed garlic, a sprig of fresh rosemary, or a dash of black pepper.) Bring the cooking liquid to a rolling boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer. Place a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. (Set a kitchen timer to 15 minutes so you won't forget to check for doneness. You’ll know it’s done when it is tender and you see a little curled “tail” showing on each grain.)  Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork.  (If using quinoa for a cold salad, allow the quinoa to come to room temperature after fluffing so that your salad doesn’t turn out mushy.)

**Here’s how to toast pecans:  Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Place the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake the pecans for about 6-8 minutes, until they smell delicious and are toasty brown and crisp.  Watch carefully so that they don’t burn.  Leave them whole or pour the toasted pecans onto a cutting board and chop away.

Salmon Vegetable Chowder

Serves 4-6

Recipe from Food Network Magazine

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Preparing this tasty chowder took a bit of prep, but my husband said, “I could eat this every day” and so I would say it was worth the effort.  Make it on a weekend and have it for lunch during the work week or make this delicious (and pretty) chowder for a casual dinner party for friends.

4 slices bacon, chopped

6 shallots, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh dill, divided (I used 1 heaping Tablespoon of dried dill since fresh wasn’t in season.)

3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

6 medium carrots, peeled and diced

4-5 cups water

Kosher salt, to taste

10 oz. sliced mushrooms

10 oz. Brussels sprouts, halved (or quartered if large)

2 large egg yolks

1 cup half-and-half

3 Tablespoons dry white wine or fresh lemon juice

¾ pound skinless, deboned* salmon fillet, cut into bite-sized pieces

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cook the bacon in a soup pot over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the shallots and half the dill and cook until the shallots are soft, about 3 minutes. 

Add the potatoes, carrots, and 1 teaspoon salt.  (You can add 1 cup more water if the soup seems too thick at this point.)  Cook until the potatoes and carrots are almost tender, about 6 minutes. 

Add the mushrooms and Brussels sprouts and cook until all of the vegetables are tender, about 6 more minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, half-and-half, and the wine in a small bowl.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the salmon and cook until opaque, about 2-3 minutes.  Gently stir in the egg mixture and cook until the soup thickens just slightly, 1-2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Divide the soup among bowls and top with the remaining dill.

Nutritional Info per Serving:  567 calories; 23 g fat (9 g saturated fat); 184 mg cholesterol; 58 g carbohydrates; 8 g fiber; 33 g protein

*I keep a pair of tweezers in my kitchen gadget drawer just for this purpose.  Run your finger along the salmon fillet and you’ll feel the bones.  Grasp a bone with the tweezers and pull.  The bone will slide right out.