If your garden is overflowing with basil, green beans, and potatoes this is the perfect recipe. Do you have chickweed growing (unintentionally) in your garden? Don’t throw it in the compost! It makes the most delicious, earthy pesto. This pasta whips up in the time it takes to boil the potatoes, so it’s a terrific weeknight meal. Inspired by Food52.
I am all about one pot meals, you guys. Anything to make dinner easier while working a full-time job and parenting at two and half year old. We could all use more recipes that are easy, quick, and tasty. Technically I did use a food processor to make the pesto but the potatoes, green beans, and pasta all boil in the same pot!
The best part of this meal though? Much of it was grown from the garden! Free food!! The basil and chickweed came from my garden, and the green beans from my stepmom’s. I tried to use my own potatoes I grew but I dug a few up and they weren’t quite ready yet. I’m growing Magic Molly potatoes which are purple inside and out! They have a rich and nutty flavor that I just can’t get enough of. My grandpa used to grown them and when I found them at our local nursery I had to get some. Fun fact: As a child I used to sneak away and dig up my grandpa’s “treasures” well before they were ready because I just couldn’t contain my excitement. It appears as if I have not outgrown this. There is just something so exciting about digging up potatoes! Is it just me?
Garden Pesto Pasta
By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade
If your garden is overflowing with basil, green beans, and potatoes this is the perfect recipe. Do you have chickweed growing (unintentionally) in your garden? Don’t throw it in the compost! It makes the most delicious, earthy pesto. This pasta whips up in the time it takes to boil the potatoes, so it’s a terrific weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 1 large red or Yukon Gold potato, peeled and quartered and cut into ¼ inch thick slices
- ¼ lb fresh green beans, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 8 oz dry thin spaghetti (if using regular spaghetti increase cooking time)
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup packed fresh chickweed, removing any thick stems and cleaning thoroughly (or basil, spinach, arugula, or other greens)
- 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- Heaping ¼ cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
- 1 tbsp miso paste
- ¾ tsp table salt
- ⅓ cup vegan shredded mozzarella cheese
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Garnish of vegan parmesan (optional)
- Place the sliced potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil then salt; continue to boil for 5 minutes then add the pasta and green beans. Boil for an additional 5-8 minutes until all the vegetables and pasta are cooked. Drain and return to pot.
- While the pasta cooks: to a food processor add the basil, greens, garlic, pine nuts, miso, salt, and cheese. Pulse until coarse and grainy. With the processor running drizzle in the olive oil and process until mixed thoroughly.
- Stir the pesto into the cooked pasta and veggies. Serve hot and topped with vegan parmesan!
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Yield: 3-4 servings
BBQ Kale Baked Potatoes
Sometimes you just need a baked potato! Who would have thought that kale dripping in BBQ sauce and sweet caramelized onions would make such a scrumptious combination? This is a easy and uncomplicated meal that just takes a bit of time for the potatoes. It's a perfect introduction to a more summery mood.
Hello there, my sweet doves! Sorry it's been so long, but as you know (if you follow on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter) I've been in Kauai! It was a complete dream. There was lots of Hawaiian farmer's markets attended, playing at the beach, eating at delicious vegan restaurants, and even a nude beach adventure! It got a little creepy, but that's a story for another time.
I'm happy to be home though, even in the full swing of everything that's happening. It's a crazy busy life and I often have to remind myself that life can't always be a relaxing day at the beach, or a serene ski through the woods. Change is necessary. Even if at the time it feelings overwhelmingly worrisome, exhausting, and stressful. I know that the payoff is big and 110% worth every nerve-wracking minute!
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
Before we left on vacation I whipped up these baked taters, while trying to use up the last of the vegetables in the house. Boy did they hit the spot! It's a great spring time dish to kind of help get you in the mood of summer strolling on down the lane. Todd and I can't wait to do a lot of BBQing this summer! #grillalltheveggies
BBQ Kale Baked Potatoes
Sometimes you just need a baked potato! Who would have thought that kale dripping in BBQ sauce and sweet caramelized onions would make such a scrumptious combination? This is a easy and uncomplicated meal that just takes a bit of time for the potatoes.
Yield: 4 potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes, whole and unpeeled
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into half-moon slices
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 4 large kale leaves, destemmed and chopped
- ½ cup vegan BBQ sauce, divided
- ½ tsp ground mustard powder (or regular mustard)
- dash of salt
- dash of ground black pepper
Cooking Directions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Scrub the potatoes and dry them. Poke with a fork about six times per potato, all over. Place them in a bowl and coat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Next, place the potatoes directly on the center rack in the oven and bake for about 1 hour. Put a baking pan on the rack below the potatoes to catch any oil drippings. When done, the potatoes should be fork tender.
- While the potatoes bake, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed soup pan over medium. Add the onion slices to caramelize. This will take about 40 minutes over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. When they are darkened in color and taste sweet, add the garlic and reduce heat to medium.
- Next, add the kale leaves to wilt. You may have to wilt them in batches if there isn’t enough room in the pan, but they wilt down quite a bit so don’t be scared of overflowing the pan. Once they are completely wilted and tender, stir the mustard powder into a ¼ cup of BBQ sauce. Next, stir the ¼ cup of sauce into the kale mixture. Remove from heat and set aside.
- When the potatoes are done baking, Poke a dotted line with the fork from tip to tail of each potato. Push on the sides to crack it open, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle each potato with about 1 tbsp (remaining ¼ cup) of BBQ sauce and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Next, place ¼ of the kale mixture in the middle of the each potato.
- Serve hot!
Dutch Word of The Day
Vacation --> vakantie (vah-kon-zee)
Information of The Day
If you occasionally indulge in McDonalds french fries (no judgement, fries=delicious)..they are in fact...surprising not vegan. Or even vegetarian! Check it out in it's ridiculousness here. They assure us nothing they have is either vegan or vegetarian. Good to know. Word has it Burger King's fries are the same, but Wendy's apparently are A-okay!
Greek Scalloped Potatoes Gratin
Wind. No Snow. Freezing temperatures. More wind. Unending darkness.
It's time for some serious comfort food in Alaska, my friends. This house-arresting weather demands it. If I can't ski, I will make comfort food!
Growing up, my dad used to make ham and scalloped potatoes. I hadn't had them in so long and for some reason a peculiar craving for the creamy spuds overcame me. So, I made my own version! Sans our animal friend, the pig, of course and better than ever! Todd and his strange and somewhat spontaneous love of Kalamata olives inspired me to develop a greek gratin with him in mind.
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
Canned coconut milk replaces heavy cream in my verison. Creamy and slightly sweet, this comforting herbed Greek Scalloped Potato Gratin is accompanied by green kale, salty Kalamata olives, and juicy yellow onion.
Greek Scalloped Potato Gratin
Creamy and slightly sweet, this comforting herbed Greek Scalloped Potato Gratin is accompanied by green kale, salty Kalamata olives, and juicy yellow onion.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz. can full-fat coconut milk
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp. dried thyme
- ½ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
- dash of ground black pepper
- dash of kosher salt
- 1 ½-2 lbs. russet potatoes (about 3 medium), washed and thinly sliced
- ½ medium yellow onion, sliced
- 3 large kale leaves, de-stemmed and chopped
- 12 pitted Kalamata olives, minced
- sprinkling of nutritional yeast
Cooking Directions
- In a small saucepan, heat the coconut milk through and including the salt over medium-low. Whisk to combine. Do not allow to boil.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and coat a large 9x13 inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Ladle some of the sauce into the prepared dish, so it covers the bottom. Place one sliced potato in the dish, arranging the slices evenly among the bottom. Add half of the sliced onion, one of the chopped kale leaves, and four minced olives evenly over the first layer of potato.
- Repeat with second layer, excluding the sauce. Repeat with third layer (there will be no onion in this top layer).
- Remove the sauce from heat and take out the bay leaves. Pour the remaining sauce over the layers. Sprinkle the top evenly with nutritional yeast
- Cover with aluminum foil, leaving one corner open for steam to escape. Bake at 400 F for 40 minutes.
- Remove and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve hot.
Dutch Word of The Day
Potato --> aardappel (ard-apple)
Good Deed of The Day
Are you surprised that a plant-based, minimal animal products way of eating was ranked as the healthiest diet again this year? Not me! Time to ditch the meat.
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