April 1st, 2014
I’ll start off by saying how grateful and excited we are to be nominees in Saveur’s Best Food Blog Awards. The company we’re in is amazing, and it truly is an honor. If you enjoy our recipes and photos, please consider voting for Golubka Kitchen in the Special Diets category – it would mean the world!
Finding time to spend in the kitchen is never easy. Between work, school, children and taxes, cooking can quickly become the last thing you want to worry about as your tired self. I think one of the most challenging things to plan for is lunch to take to work or school. But bringing lunch instead of buying it is much more economical, will most likely be healthier and, dare I say, even tastier.
What I like to do is prepare a few separate components over the weekend, which can quickly be assembled into a big, tasty salad on the weekdays. Beans, legumes or grains are an important base – they will keep you nourished and full. A variety of roasted or steamed vegetables will add flavour and juice. Olives and maybe even a nice, soft cheese like Bulgarian feta will contribute a bit of depth and salt. Sliced avocado is always great for its natural fats. Garnish with herbs, seeds or nuts, lay it all on a bed of greens, and after a squeeze of lemon and maybe a drizzle of olive oil, you will have yourself a lunch. No dressing necessary. The valuable thing about this kind of recipe is that all the components can be prepared ahead of time, and you can always keep switching them up when you assemble, so as not to get tired of eating the same thing. I find that having your own home cooking for lunch at work is quite comforting, and it always tastes extra delicious.
Weekday Salad Components
1. Eggplant
Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Cut eggplant in half lengthwise and score diagonally. Sprinkle with salt, optionally brush with olive oil. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until soft, depending on the size. Keep refrigerated in an air tight container. If you’re not into eggplants, grilled zucchini will work great too.
2. Roasted Bell Peppers
Cut peppers in quarters, remove seeds. Place on a large baking tray with minimal overlapping and bake for 20 minutes at 400F (200C). Alternatively, turn on the broiler and place whole peppers on a foil-covered tray under the broiler. Check and turn peppers frequently until all the skin is burnt. Remove and cover to let sweat, until cool. Peel the skin away. Slice and remove the stem and seeds, keep refrigerated.
3. Beans and Legumes
Pre-soak and cook any kind of beans and or lentils until soft, drain, and let cool. Or rinse canned beans. I like a variety of beans such as chickpeas, kidney, black, white, puy or black lentils, etc. – any will do. To keep things even lighter and healthier, you can sprout your beans/lentils instead of cooking them. Add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste to your cooked or sprouted beans, add a small amount of minced garlic and plenty of fresh herbs, such as dil, parsley, cilantro, mint, basil – whatever you prefer. I’m partial to dill and parsley here. Squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice over and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Mix to combine thoroughly. The salad will become more flavorful after marinating in the refrigerator for some time. Alternatively, make your favourite grains.
4. Good Olives
I love Cerignola and Castelvetrano, which can usually be found at the salad bars of health food stores and Italian markets.
5. Other add-ons:
Sliced cucumbers
Cherry tomatoes
Sliced avocado
This Shredded Beet Salad
Sauerkraut
Fresh salad greens
Goat’s and/or sheep’s milk feta cheese
Lemons
Nuts/seeds
Assembly
Assemble any way you like! I like to arrange salad greens on a plate or in salad bowl. Top with a small amount of chopped grilled eggplant and sliced roasted peppers. Add a tablespoon or two of beans, olives, avocado and cheese and squeeze more lemon juice over, together with olive oil (even though it’s optional here). Grind more of black pepper on top, if desired.
Optionally, add a scoop of beet salad, if using. Add sauerkraut, cucumbers and tomatoes instead of or together with other ingredients. Enjoy!
Tags: beans, eggplant, lentils, olives, salad
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March 25th, 2012
This post is also available in: French
I recently re-discovered rutabaga and have been adding it to all sorts of recipes. I go through these phases with ingredients – one will become my favourite, and I will try to squeeze it into every dish I make. This lasts until I feel like I’ve come to know and understand the ingredient’s complexities and general temper. Then I can move on to the next thing.
Rutabaga is a root vegetable that has a mild flavour and hints at the freshness of a cabbage or turnip. Then it’s got a very delicate sweetness, which makes it versatile and great for both raw and cooked dishes. It is surprisingly delicious when simply peeled and sliced for a snack, maybe dipped in some almond butter. Steaming and roasting also yields very tasty results, of course.
As far as I know, rutabaga is a fairly uncommon ingredient. Let us correct that.
It has been a very long week for Paloma and I. Our papa has been away, taking a much needed break to do what he loves most – skiing in the mountains of Utah. We missed him dearly, and spent a lot of time together, going for walks, learning Russian, painting, and cooking this colourful pizza.
For the pizza crust, you can use almost any mild vegetable – rutabaga, jicama, zucchini, squash, or any mixture of those. We loved the crust topped with a spicy hummus spread, green olives, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and crispy sage. There are many possibilities with the toppings and herbs on this neutral crust – a perfect opportunity to get creative and enjoy some rutabaga.
Rutabaga and Crispy Sage Pizza
Pizza Crust
2 1/2 cups rutabaga, jicama, zucchini, etc., or combination – cubed
2 1/2 cups walnuts – soaked for 1 hour
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cups hemp seeds
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
2 tablespoons purified water, more if needed
In a food processor, grind the vegetables into small pieces, making sure not to puree. Transfer into a large bowl. Place the walnuts into the food processor and pulse until choped into tiny pieces. Add the walnuts to the bowl with vegetables. Add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl. Mix to make a sticky dough, adjusting the amount of water if necessary.
Spread the dough on Teflex-lined dehydrator trays, forming a round pizza shape, or any other shape desired. I made one large and one small round pizza, utilizing two trays. Dehydrate at 115F for 6-8 hours. Flip, peel away the Teflex liner, and dehydrate on screens for another 3 hours or so. Once both sides are dry enough to handle, cut your pizzas into slices and dehydrate for another hour, or until the crust is steady and firm.
Spicy Hummus Spread
2 cups cashews – soaked for 2 hours
2 tablespoons raw sesame tahini
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
1/2 cup purified water or more if needed
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients, with the exception of water. Add water gradually, until the hummus reaches a smooth and fluffy consistency.
Green Olive Tapenade
1 1/2 cups green olives such as Castelvetrano or Green Cerignola – pitted
1 handful fresh dill or parsley
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
Chop the olives and herbs into small pieces and mix in the rest of the ingredients. You can also combine everything but the herbs in a food processor, adding in the herbs at the very end.
Marinated Mushrooms
2 cups shiitake or other mushrooms
a few sage leaves (optional)
1/2 cup each orange, lime, and lemon juice – freshly squeezed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Mix all marinade ingredients and pour over the mushrooms. Stir to cover and marinate for 1-2 hours at room temperature. Drain.
Optionally, dehydrate the marinated sage leaves to a crispy consistency and use as a topping for pizza.
Assembly
Spread a thin layer of spicy hummus on the crust. Top with cherry tomatoes, marinated mushrooms, olive tapenade and/or olives. Sprinkle with crushed crispy sage.
Tags: mushrooms, olives, raw, recipe, rutabaga, sage, savoury, tomato, vegan
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