This month is all about manifesting my insatiable love for soup. Not only are soups typically forgiving and flexible, they can be quite amenable to augmentation if you happen to run out of a particular spice or herb. A hearty soup or stew can be repurposed for multiple meals throughout the week, alleviating much of the 8pm, just home from work/gym, grab a bag of blue corn chips hangry drama. For my take on lentil soup, I enriched the flavors with smoked paprika, spicy chili powder, and warm and earthy cumin to add a distinct robustness to this hearty winter soup. A handful of baby kale is added right before eating for added nutrient density and a burst of color.
Read moremy favorite way to eat brussels sprouts
Well, this is a slight lie because I love brussels sprouts in many, many forms. This is my current favorite way to eat them. I created this recipe when I was in search of a healthier version of the infamous David Chang of Momofuku's brussels. I swapped out the fish sauce for a blend of lime juice, brown rice vinegar, and a little soy, exchanged sugar for maple syrup, and added plenty of hot sauce for that spicy and sweet kick. As an added crunch factor, I threw in thin slices of cucumber and plenty of sesame seeds for garnish and texture.
Read moreNext Stop-Spice Town
Looking for an alternative to stuffing or basic roasted vegetables this Thanksgiving? Take a flavor-driven trip to India with this Curry Cauliflower Quinoa Salad oozing with the ideal balance of spicy and sweet. This flavorful powerhouse salad is light and satisfying with additional immune boosting antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties from the curry and the turmeric. Think outside the box this holiday and start a new tradition with this curried cauliflower crunch fest.
Read moreSuper Simple Soup
Tomatoes can be fickle, sometimes emanating pure summer in a mouthful, while at other times promises of juiciness and the pristine balance of acid and sweet turn out to be mealy and bland. A surefire way to elevate your tomato game is a slow and leisurely roast. Slow roasted tomatoes have endless possibilities- tossed with brown rice pasta, pureed into tomato sauce, submerged in a grain bowl, or blended for a simple and flavorful soup. Here is my super simple slow roasted tomato soup.
Read moreSummer Soba Solution
Summery soba noodle bowls with raw and roasted seasonal vegetables is the ideal simple and satiating end-of-summer meal. For this bowl, I tossed broccoli with cayenne pepper and chili powder to create a spicy coating and roasted until tender and slightly crisp. Thinly shredded raw zucchini and squash paired nicely with brown rice and wakame soba. To bring all the ingredients together, a quick lime and herb laced ginger tahini sauce was the ideal dressing for this light and summery bowl.
Read morePop it Off
This recipe was initially featured on Refinery29, but I wanted it to find a home here, on The Crunchy Radish. Zesty, flavorful, and antioxidant- rich, this carrot ginger soup makes for a lovely light and nourishing "clean" meal. The topping of the poppers makes the soup more hearty and fills a void where heavy and calorically dense croutons or bread typically lie.
Read moreSuperfoods Series- Hemp
No, these little seedlings won't give you a temporary high, but they will provide you with a plethora of health benefits. Hemp seeds are derived from the same species of plant as marijuana. However, they do not contain THC (the active substance) and the seed, not the flowering bud is what is utilized. Like chia seeds, (mentioned in the previous post) these seedlings contain both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, which help decrease inflammation and promote cardiovascular health.
Read moreThe House Pasta
The House Pasta evolved out of necessity one night. I was feeling semi-lazy, but did not want to succumb to take-out. It was developed over time and was inspired by a dish that I've had time and time again from our local neighbor joint. The ingredients for the House Pasta are typically on hand in my pantry and are usually thrown together on a whim when I am lacking in fresh produce or inspiration. I like to use a mix of both fresh and jarred products and always finish with freshly grated parm and a rough chop or tear of fresh herbs. I have been gravitating toward gluten-free pastas lately that are made with quinoa and brown rice. I like the added nutrient punch that they supply as well as the lack of "brick in the gut" feeling that can result from regular pasta.
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Autumn Chili with a Twist
Chili is always an autumn staple in my kitchen, mainly because of its accessibility and versatility. It can really be as basic or as complex as you want but, regardless of your chili style, it can serve as a great platform for a complex carbohydrate, fiber, and vegetable protein-dense meal.
I'm always one who gets excited over the prospect of garnishes, and chili is the perfect way to provide yourself and your dining companions with options to add their flavor specific flare. For the chili, I made a little pico, some lime tinged "crema", toasted organic corn tortillas, and, of course the obligatory avocado.
Urban flame roasted poblanos, coffee, raw cacao nibs, and aged balsamic vinegar all played their parts in adding depth of flavor to an autumn kitchen staple.
Read moreJust Peachy
Peaches have been an abundant staple in my CSA loot these past few weeks. In order to preserve the life of some of the stone fruit that were about to cross over to the "other side", I decided to utilize them in a different manner than mixed with my Ezekiel cereal or Siggis at breakfast. Sure, I could have gone down the salsa or galette route but, when surveying the cheese department one afternoon, I knew what had to be done. Grilled peaches served as a flavorful catalyst for this summertime salad indulgence. Why do I consider this salad an indulgence? Solely because it was tossed with torn, creamy morsels of burrata. Hey, everyone has their vices; and mine typically fall in the stinky and fermented category.
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