Author: Suzannah Kolbeck

Riced Cauliflower With Basil Cashew Cream Sauce And Pretty Much Anything Else You Want

This unassuming little dish holds a tiny cloud of heaven: basil cashew cream sauce.

There is something incredibly comforting about a warm bowl of food. Since it seems we are living in season 4 of The Handmaid’s Tale, we need comfort and care now more than ever. Enter basil cashew cream sauce.

This sauce takes advantage of the late summer flush of basil on my back porch; it’s also vegan and packed with protein (hello, cashews!). If you don’t have basil, you can skip it or try some parsley or other mixed herbs.

Feed yourself (and your people) with love. And for fuck’s sake, VOTE.

Riced Cauliflower With Basil Cashew Cream Sauce And Pretty Much Anything Else You Want

You can make every component of this meal on a Sunday and have dinner on the table in 15 minutes any night of the week.

Ingredients

1 cup cashews

Boiling water

7 tablespoons water (ish. Maybe more, maybe less)

3 tablespoons lemon juice (ish. Also, see Recipe Notes)

Fresh basil leaves (a nice bunch – maybe an ounce or so)

1 head of cauliflower

2 tablespoons olive oil or ghee

Other stuff (see Recipe Notes)

Method

Place cashews in a jar with a lid and cover with boiling water. Let stand for at least 30 minutes (an hour or more is ok), then drain and rinse and put in a food processor.

Add water, lemon juice, and basil and process until everything is light and creamy and pourable. You may use more or less water and lemon juice to get the consistency you want.

The amount of basil you add depends on your taste and what you have. I like a bright, fresh, herbaceous sauce, so I added lots more than most people, but this isn’t pesto. You want to allow the subtle cashew flavor to come through, too. So add and taste and be judicious.

Also add salt and pepper to taste, then blend once more before putting in the ‘fridge. This sauce will last a couple of days chilled, more if you don’t add basil and just process with water and lemon. If you are using the sauce right away, no need to refrigerate.

Rice your entire head of cauliflower. This is most easily done in a food processor with a shredding disk, but you can also grate on a box grater or chop the shit out of it until the cauliflower is approximately the size of – wait for it – rice. You can also buy pre-riced cauliflower.

You’ll need two heaping cups for this recipe (one per person, with some leftovers). Pack the rest into two-cup servings in Ziploc bags and toss in the freezer for easy meals later.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, then add the cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper. You may need to add a little bit of water if the cauliflower absorbs the oil, but that’s ok. Cook the cauliflower on medium heat for about five minutes.

And here is where things get interesting. You can roast veggies separately and then add to the cauliflower and top with sauce. You can steam kale or other fall bitter greens in the pan with the cauliflower, then add cashew sauce and mix together (not pretty but YUM). You can use anything that you love in a bowl of food and bring it all together with the basil cashew cream sauce.

So. Freaking. Delicious.

Recipe Notes

This might seem a little thing, but when I first used this, I tossed a section of preserved lemon in the processor instead of lemon juice, and I also used stock instead of water. I had both of these things lying around. If you do, too, I encourage you to use those substitutions for a richer, more complex experience.

When it comes to “other stuff,” the sky is the limit. This is great with leftover (or freshly roasted) veg, grilled meat, or all on its own. You can really add what you like or what’s left in your ‘fridge (hopefully they are the same thing).

We Could All Use Some Sweetness: Vegan (Sugar-free) Mixed Berry Tart

Glossy, delicious, vegan, and sugar-free (with no artificial sugar, either). Truth.

Friends, if you are even a semi-regular reader of this blog, you know that the above headline for this recipe is an anomaly here.

I am a HUGE FAN of sugar. I like it in all of its forms.

I like it in the form of a big piece of cake, balanced on my chest as I lie in the bed and watch TV.

I like it in the form of empty wrappers of Dove dark chocolates, the ones that I used to hand out at the end of my yin classes at Yoga Tree.

I love drippy ice cream cones, cheesecake, caramel apples, scones, muffins, pies.

Watermelon and fresh peaches.

I. Love. Sugar. ALL OF IT.

So imagine my surprise as I find myself in week three of a seasonal Renewal with my good friend Martha at Full Moon Acupuncture with nary a fine grain of sugar anywhere.

THREE WEEKS. I have not had sugar for THREE WEEKS. I haven’t cheated (which I think is stupid language to begin with. “Cheat days” and “cheating” are, in general, ridiculous constructs when it comes to food, and I do not in any way, shape, or form condone the use of them. I use it here to indicate that I have, against all odds, stuck with the program and eliminated all processed foods, including sugars in all forms, for a period that will last four weeks-ish. But I digress.)

Thankfully, and speaking of Weeks, my particular friend KWeeks had a birthday October 1st, and it is traditional for the birthday people in my life to get the dinner and the dessert of their choice on their day. KWeeks has simple taste, so dinner was (for him) French lentils over cornbread and topped with a fried egg.

TRUST ME. This is rustic and delicious. But I couldn’t eat it. See referenced Renewal above. And it’s hard to not share a meal on the birthday of someone you love.

He doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I thought perhaps I could make something sweet that we could both eat.

Enter the vegan, sugar-free mixed berry tart.

Apple syrup made from 100% cold-pressed apple cider provides the sweet, and the gluten-free crust is six simple ingredients: walnuts, almonds, oats, salt, coconut oil, and apple syrup. Technically the oats are not allowed in the Renewal (no grains), but everything else is so damn good for you it doesn’t seem to matter.

It’s pretty, and it’s festive, and it gets real close to satisfying my (still) voracious appetite for sugar.

Vegan (Sugar-free) Mixed Berry Tart

KWeeks and I ate about half of this on his birthday and then shared the rest with his vegan co-workers at The Friends School of Baltimore. They have not been the beneficiaries of my baking, ever, and I am glad to finally be able to have something to share with them.

Ingredients

80 grams almonds (about 2/3 cup)

80 grams walnuts (about 2/3 cup)

70 grams oats (you guessed it: about 2/3 cup)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons apple syrup (divided)

1/2 cup lemon juice/water combo

1/2 teaspoon agar

3 cups chopped fruit of your choice (see Recipe Notes)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 350. Use cooking spray to grease a 9″ tart pan with removable bottom (you can use butter if you don’t want to keep it vegan) and set aside.

Place almonds, walnuts, oats, and salt in a food processor, and pulse to chop fine.

Add coconut oil and 3 tablespoons of your apple syrup and pulse until the mixture begins to come together. Dump into your tart pan and press into an even layer along the bottom and the sides.

Bake until brown and the bottom is firm (between 15 and 20 minutes). If the edges of the crust begin to burn, pull the tart out of the oven and place aluminum foil strips over the edges, then replace and finish. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely while you make the filling (the ‘fridge is great for a quick chill).

To make the filling, place 1/4 cup apple syrup and the 1/2 cup of lemon juice/water combo in a saucepan with the agar. Whisk to combine, and bring just to a boil.

Add the fruit and stir. Warm the fruit (especially if it’s frozen), then add to the chilled tart crust. Place back in the ‘fridge and allow to chill for at least three hours.

Serve with vegan whipped cream, or ice cream, or plain for breakfast. Just as you like.

Recipe Notes

Apple syrup is a delicious way to add sweetness to desserts (or yogurt or granola or whatever) without adding sugar. Well, ok, technically it’s fruit sugar, which the body does still recognize as sugar, but it’s not processed to within an inch of its life. Essentially, you are taking pure apple cider (NOT juice) and boiling it down until it reduces by half. I make this in two-cup batches, so I start with four cups of apple cider. Bring to a medium boil (not a simmer, but not too rolling either). Boil until the cider is reduced by half. If you want it to be even sweeter, keep going and reduce it even more.

Any fruit works here, fresh or frozen. I have used fresh and frozen blueberries, cherries, and nectarines in my tests, and they have all been delicious. You can also switch up the extracts if you like and use an almond extract, but use just 1/4 teaspoon if you do that.

Stuffed Sweet Potato with Lots of Things, Plus Avocado Cream

A little boat of delicious: sweet potato, roasted broccoli, quinoa,
chopped cashews, and avocado cream.

So this was supposed to post on Wednesday, except I posted Monday’s blog on Tuesday.

Monday was Yom Kippur and KWeeks was home from school. These days, the only way I have been able to keep track of time is through other people. Because I am a freelance writer, every day can be pretty much like the next in the sense that I set my own schedule and can work whenever so long as I meet my deadlines. I have taken to working on the weekends so that I can enjoy the out-of-doors without dodging non-mask-wearing joggers and people who don’t think leash laws apply to them.

But I digress.

This is ostensibly a food blog, but it is having a crisis of conscience. Yes, we all need to eat, and this here is some excellent vegan food that you won’t believe is actually good for you (but it so is), but there are things happening in the world that make it hard to post pithy blog posts about food.

I am not one of those people who is moving on with the news cycle. #Blacklivesstillmatter

And it is luxurious in my life to be able to put aside whatever is trouble and whip up some food. A luxury that so many don’t have.

And I am not here to justify any of that.

But I am here to say this: here is something delicious that I created with loved and shared with people so they can feel good in their bodies.

It doesn’t erase or negate my feelings about what is happening in the world, and it’s not the only action I am taking.

But it’s the small thing I can do – feed people – that I know makes a difference.

I am trying to figure out how to make this more of love in action instead of love online. If you have thoughts, let me know. I am open.

Stuffed Sweet Potato With Roasted Broccoli, Red Onion, Chopped Cashews, and Avocado Cream
(serves 4)

Make this on Sunday night for delicious lunches all week. Quinoa is a densely nutritious seed – a so-called “false grain” – that pairs well with sweet potatoes. Together they provide a sweet-bitter balance of taste set off by the sharp tang of the lime juice.

Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed well
2 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cup quinoa, rinsed in cold water (see Recipe Notes)
1 large head of broccoli, cut into small florets (about 4 cups)
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 very ripe avocadoes
½ cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon lime juice (more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup chopped cashews
optional: fresh chopped cilantro (see Recipe Notes)

Method

Preheat oven to 400. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Scrub sweet potatoes and remove any blemishes. Prick each sweet potato with a fork, then place directly on the oven rack to roast (put a piece of aluminum foil under them to catch any spills). Set your kitchen timer for 25 minutes.

Bring stock to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add ½ cup of onion, quinoa, and a pinch of salt. Return to a boil, lower heat, cover, and simmer until liquid is absorbed – about 15 to 20 minutes.

After your quinoa is covered, prepare the broccoli. Place broccoli, olive oil, cumin, salt, and pepper in large bowl and toss to coat. Pour onto baking sheet. When the timer for the sweet potatoes goes off, put broccoli in the oven with the sweet potatoes and roast for 20 minutes. The broccoli will be done in 20 minutes, and sweet potatoes should be, too, but check by poking with a fork. They should give easily all the way to the center. If not, roast until done.

While the broccoli is roasting, make the avocado cream. Place avocado, coconut milk, and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed – consider more lime, salt, or pepper as needed.

When everything is ready, serve family-style with chopped cashews and cilantro (if using), or assemble and pack into portable containers for lunch on the run. Leave avocado cream on the side until ready to heat and eat.

Recipe Notes

• This makes extra quinoa to use in quick salads, in lunch bowls, or as a side. If you want just enough for this meal, cut amounts in half.
• If you are a fan of cilantro, you can add it to the avocado cream. It is optional here as some are not fond of the taste, and a little goes a long way.
• Carnivores can add the meat of their choice to this meal. Think leftover chicken or grilled steak.

Bacon and Broccoli Salad with Grilled Chicken

“So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great, good fortune.” Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Edited to add: When I wrote this, Breonna Taylor’s murderers were let off the hook. More protestors were arrested than murderers of Breonna Taylor. Two cops in Louisville were shot the night of this announcement, and Kentucky law enforcement vowed to find and prosecute the killers. Until we value Black lives. Until we show our love with justice. Until we recognize the enduring legacy of enslaved people. Until we change. Nothing is good. Nothing is worthy. Nothing is real. We cannot continue in this country the way we have for the past 400 years. Revolution is coming. The uprising will not be peaceful, and no one will be spared. Choose now which side of history you want to be on.

In a desperate attempt to find an unbiased source of news, I signed up for The Guardian’s daily digest.

Although I remain unsure of its neutrality, this morning I got the most glorious story in my email: it’s all about a tree.

Apparently, The Guardian does a little feature called “tree of the week.” Readers snap a picture of a tree and nominate it, sort of like a vegetal popularity contest.

This week’s featured tree is an oak tree growing firm and steady out of a set of stairs.

We should all be so persistent and hardy in these times.

To help, here’s a little lunch.

May you grow strong and tall through the cracks of your life. That is, after all, how the light gets in.

Broccoli and Bacon Salad with Grilled Chicken
(serves 4)

In addition to being a powerhouse of nutrition, broccoli has medicinal properties that support the body’s transition into fall. It regulates water circulation in the body and boosts qi, making a great option for a satisfying lunch that leaves you full but not weighed down. You can use leftover chicken and make the salad ahead of time – it stays delicious in the ‘fridge for 3 days.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see Recipe Notes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 cups broccoli florets
1 cup shredded carrot (about 2 carrots)
½ medium red onion, sliced thin
½ cup chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans
½ lb cooked bacon, crumbled (see Recipe Notes)
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon mustard powder
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Place chicken breasts in a sealed plastic bag and use a rolling pin or heavy pan to pound them into a uniform thickness. Place chicken breasts on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, salt both sides, and place in the ‘fridge for 30 minutes.

While your chicken rests, get started on the broccoli salad.

Blanche your broccoli florets: Bring a large quantity of salted water to boil (prepare another bowl with ice water). When the water boils, add broccoli to it, cooking until just tender/crisp – about 2 minutes. Remove from boiling water and place in ice bath to stop the cooking.

Drain broccoli completely (a salad spinner helps to get all of the water out). Place broccoli in a large bowl with onions, walnut, and crumbled bacon.

Make the dressing: Combine apple cider vinegar, mustard powder, and olive oil and whisk to combine. Pour over broccoli salad and mix to combine. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.

When your grill is hot, brush chicken with olive oil and season with pepper. Place on the warmest part of the grill for 3 to 5 minutes, looking for grill marks and nice browning. Flip and grill the other side until the chicken is cooked through. If you find the chicken is getting too brown before it’s cooked through, move to a cooler part of the grill. Remove from grill and let rest before serving.

Recipe Notes

• Feel free to substitute a different cut of chicken if you prefer. Simply salt and let rest in the ‘fridge, then grill. The safe cooking temperature for chicken is 160 degrees, but there is some carryover cooking, so removed it from the grill just before it reaches that temperature for juiciest results.
• Bacon can be cooked on the grill right along with your chicken, but it will take longer, so plan ahead. Use heavy-duty aluminum foil or an oven-safe pan and cook bacon just as you would in the oven, flipping once and removing to paper towels when crispy. At 400, crispy bacon takes about 15 minutes.

Sweet Potato and Sausage Hash with Preserved Lemon

The steam made this picture fuzzy, I swear.

So it’s maybe a little strange to start a food blog writing about death, but isn’t it all related in the end?

My beautiful friend Mark Garner died a year ago on October 23rd, 2019, and he opted for a green burial – doing more good than harm in death as in his life.

And KWeeks’s father died six years ago on September 20, 2014, two days after his birthday.

And fall is a natural time to think about death, I think, as the leaves plummet from the trees and all of the outward signs of life begin to fold in and shrivel up.

This morning I found this article on mushroom coffins, an excellent idea if there ever was one, and I got to thinking about how we all eventually become food (or energy) for the earth that we took food and energy from in our lifetime.

Perhaps that’s why in the fall we reach for comfort food – familiar ingredients and easy, warming meals. We are returning, in a sense, to our beginnings as we move irrevocably to our end.

This could be a sad and depressing thought, or it could be a meditation on how we care for ourselves and each other in these transitions: with love and kindness, or anger and impatience?

The sweet and the sour. Life and death. Here’s some dinner to mull it over with.

Sweet Potato And Sausage Hash With Preserved Lemon
(serves 4 to 6)

Comfort food at its finest, with leftovers for lunch the next day. Hearty, salty sausage is balanced with the sweetness of sweet potatoes and the deeply satisfying sourness of lemon. Adjust cinnamon and cumin to taste and season lightly.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil or ghee
1 12-ounce package of kielbasa, cut into ¼” coins (see Recipe Note)
1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced into ¼” slices
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼” cubes (see Recipe Note)
1 ½ teaspoons cumin
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon pepper
8 wedges preserved lemon, chopped small (see Recipe Notes)

Method

In a large frying pan with high sides and a lid, heat one tablespoon of olive oil or ghee over medium heat. Add kielbasa and brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add remaining oil or ghee and then add onions. Cook until onions begin to turn translucent.

Add sweet potatoes and toss to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally until brown, about ten minutes.

When the sweet potatoes are browned, add spices, preserved lemon, and sausage. Turn heat down, cover, and cook until the sweet potatoes are cooked through. This could take between 5 and 15 minutes, depending on the size of your vegetables.

Remove from heat, check for seasoning (salt and pepper), and serve.

Recipe Notes

• The smaller you cut your sweet potatoes, the faster this will come together.
• Look for kielbasa with no sugar, nitrates/nitrites, or other artificial ingredients
• If you don’t have preserved lemon, you can use 1 ½ lemons, cut into wedges. Unlike the preserved lemon, though, do not eat the fresh lemon.
• If your sausage is lean, drizzle the dish with ghee before serving.