Swiss Chard Mini Galettes

 

Little hand pies are such a joy to eat! Better than a burger (less mess!) and usually made of flour and butter, total deliciousness!

Every cuisine around the world has some version. Pasties from Cornwall, Empanadas from Central America, Samosas from India, Scacciatas from Sicily or Galette's from France. I love them all! 

Galettes are super easy, just roll out a filling, place some cooked veggies in it and pop it in the oven to bake the dough and Voila! Heaven in your hand!

Seared Mushrooms with Dijon Mustard Cream Sauce

 

This recipe sounds fancy and complicated but that is just a disguise! 

Sear mushrooms in butter until they begin to brown, deglaze the pan with a flavorful alcohol, add cream and a swirl of Dijon mustard and Voila! You have alchemical magic in a pan!

The beauty of this dish is that it is great over pasta, rice, polenta or even humble toast. But you will definitely want something to mop up that amazing sauce! 

For those of you worried about calories and the amount of heavy cream this dish requires, relax! Most of the cream is cooked a way as the sauce reduces, leaving behind flavor and unctuousness. 

Grilled Cabbage Wedges with Gochujang Mayo

 

Somewhere someone declared that cabbage was the vegetable of the moment. I say, what took you so long?!

I was the lunchroom weirdo who ate raw hunks of green cabbage all through high school, but raw cabbage is not something that everyone's tummy can handle. Here it is seared on high heat and then drizzled with gochujang mayo - a gift of the gods!

You want to use green cabbage and not Napa or Savory cabbage, since green cabbage has a dense and compact interior that is best for slicing into wedges to sear. Buy a cabbage that feels heavy for it size, ensuring that dense interior.

Tattie Scones AKA Mashed Potato Cake

Mashed potato anything is always a winner in my book. I have made mashed potato cakes from leftovers just by adding an egg and some flour, but if you don't have leftovers, this recipe is easy and fast.

These tattie scones are great on their own straight out of the pan or add your favorite toppings. Pesto, cream sauce, cauliflower cream, anything you need to use up that goes with potato would suit these lovelies.

I highly recommend making them just to have some in the freezer; popping them into a toaster oven is a quick and highly satisfying snack option!

Celery Root Pastrami Sandwich

More than a year ago I googled "vegan pastrami" and came across Derek Sarno on Youtube. What a revelation! Watch his stuff, learn from it, and adapt it. You won't be sorry.

It has taken me a little time to whittle his technique down to something that works in my kitchen - I don't have a smoker like his Green Egg - but this is something that I am happy with and feel is doable for others.

Needless to say, I LOVE this sandwich, and while it takes a little advance preparation, it is worth it. And since Celery Root aka Celeriac is now in season, now is the time to make and eat this amazing homemade faux meat!

Asian Style Root Slaw

Here we are deep in winter and it is the perfect time to make root vegetable based slaws. My favorite way is this Asian version, super simple and works with any root vegetable. It's great on tacos, and this version is inspired by Korean flavorings.

Grate any of those knobby roots - turnips, celery root, carrot, daikon radish - and add cabbage if you like, some red or green onion, sprinkle on some rice vinegar, a little sesame oil and soy sauce and presto! You have a fantastic slaw that is delicious, and packed with nutrition! All of those roots are high in potassium as well as great sources of fiber, so they fill you up and keep you hydrated. Win win!