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Vegetables

The building block system makes a distinction between vegetables in general and leafy varieties. In the following section, you will find lots of recipes for different vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet potatoes. The leafy green vegetables get their own special chapter (see Leafy vegetables).

Vegetables | CONTENTS

Roasted root vegetables with dill and orange

Risotto-style carrots

Vegetable gratin with Asian peanut sauce

Cauliflower steak with a miso and citrus marinade

Vegetables pickled in vinegar and spice

Celery and mushroom ceviche with blueberries

Pan-fried sprouts with fiery harissa sauce

Cauliflower cream

Celeriac tagliatelle with lemon cream sauce

Roasted sweet potato puree with tahini chimichurri

Building block basics:
simple steamed vegetables and leafy vegetables

As we explained in the section describing the recipe building blocks, it is not always necessary to cook five gourmet components from the building block system in this book to create a nutritious meal. Three gourmet components, to ensure some complex flavors, plus two basic recipes that are easy to prepare will be quite enough. You can also choose to serve just three components (two gourmet and one basic). Here we will look at the basic vegetable components. You can steam vegetables in no time and this gentle cooking method ensures a good supply of nutrients. Steamed vegetables also taste delicious.

DK Take the vegetable of your choice, prepare and wash it, peeling it, too, if desired.

Add roughly 1in (3cm) of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Next, you need a steaming basket, bamboo steamer, or other steamer insert. Add the prepared vegetables. Close the lid and steam the vegetables for as long as required depending on how firm you like them and how small they have been chopped. Insert a sharp knife to test the vegetables occasionally and see how well they are cooked. Take care when removing the lid—the steam is extremely hot.

The Recipes | VEGETABLES

BASTI’S TIP

To preserve the maximum number of vitamins, vegetables are best steamed whole. This takes longer, but it is the best way to protect their nutritional content.

In general, very firm vegetables that contain less water (like celery, carrots, and parsnips) and vegetables that are high in starch (potatoes and some types of sweet potato) will need slightly longer to cook. The cooking time will be significantly shorter for vegetables with a high water content (like fennel, peppers, zucchini, and radishes) and for vegetables with a shape that allows the hot steam to permeate more easily (like cauliflower, broccoli, romanesco broccoli, sliced pointed cabbage, and red cabbage). Broccoli florets that are about 2in (5cm) in size can be steamed in a maximum of 3 minutes if you like your vegetables with a bit of bite.

If you want to steam different kinds of vegetables together, you will need to take their different cooking times into account and add them gradually to the steamer—starting with the variety with the longest cooking time.

The water used for steaming will absorb a certain amount of flavor and nutrients from the vegetables, so you should never throw it away—it makes a wonderful base for soups and sauces. The exception is potatoes, because they contain a toxin called solanine, which is released into the water and is heat-resistant, so it remains after cooking. Excess consumption of solanine can cause stomach ache, headaches, nausea, and diarrhea.

DK

Roasted root vegetables with dill and orange

DK Serves 3

DK Vegetables: scant 1lb (400g) root vegetables, peeled (e.g. small red or yellow beets, turnips, carrots) | 1 large orange | 5 sprigs of dill

Marinade: 2 tbsp date paste | 1 tsp hot paprika | 1 tsp sweet paprika | 12 tsp ground cumin | small pinch of ground cloves | 1 tbsp olive oil | 1 tbsp shiro miso | 112 tbsp organic soy sauce

Nutritional values per portion: 153 cal | 26.1g carbohydrate | 5.3g fat | 3.4g protein | 6g fiber | 0.1g ALA | 185mg lysine | 70mg calcium | 0.6mg zinc | 1.6mg iron | 0.1mg B2 | < 0.1mg RE | 2µg iodine | 1.2g salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the root vegetables into roughly 34in (2cm) wedges. Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Add the vegetables, toss them until well covered with the marinade, spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and roast in the oven (middle rack) for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, use a sharp knife to remove the peel of the orange right down to the fruit, making sure no white pith remains. Then dice the orange into 12in (1cm) cubes. Finely slice the dill, including the stalks. During the final 6 minutes of the cooking time, turn on the broiler to toast the vegetables. Remove the vegetables, which will be cooked al dente, add to a bowl with the orange, sprinkle with dill, and serve.

Vegetables | Roasted root vegetables with dill and orange

VARIATION

Instead of the orange, you can use any ripe, juicy fruit and choose a different vegetable to replace the roots. Then chop the vegetables to an appropriate size for the cooking time.

BASTI’S TIP

The quantity here is slightly larger because these oven-baked roots taste wonderful cold or eaten the following day.

If using fresh turnips, trim the greenery to about 34in (2cm) in length. Clean well and slice the turnips so that each wedge includes a bit of green. Turnip leaves are edible and look really attractive.

DK

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Risotto-style carrots

DK Serves 2

DK 4 carrots (about 10oz/300g) | 1 small onion, peeled | 1 tsp olive oil | 1 tsp dried thyme | 2/3 cup (150ml) soy milk with calcium (or other plant-based milk) | 8 basil leaves | 3 tbsp yeast flakes | 1 tbsp lemon juice | salt | freshly ground black pepper

Nutritional values per portion: 185 cal | 31.2g carbohydrate | 4.1g fat | 6.6g protein | 7.7g fiber | < 0.1g ALA | 182mg lysine | 191mg calcium | 0.8mg zinc | 2.5iron | 3.9mg B2 | 2.1mg RE | 6µg iodine | 0.2g salt

Wash the carrots, cut off a small section at the ends and slice into ¾in (2cm) pieces. Blitz these in the food processor until roughly the size of rice grains. Finely chop the onion.

Heat a small pan. Add the chopped onion, drizzle with oil, add the thyme, and sauté the onion until it is browning slightly. Stir in the carrot “rice” and sauté briefly. Deglaze the vegetables with the soy milk, bring to a boil briefly, then simmer the carrots, uncovered, over medium heat for 5 minutes until you have a creamy consistency, similar to a risotto.

Meanwhile, finely chop the basil. Season the risotto with yeast flakes, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve the risotto on four plates, sprinkle with basil, and enjoy.

Vegetables | Risotto-style carrots

VARIATION

Any fairly firm vegetable can be used for this kind of risotto-style recipe: such as celeriac, beetroot, or parsley root. You can vary the spices depending on what you fancy – perhaps some curry paste or harissa.

Vegetable gratin with Asian peanut sauce

DK Serves 2

DK 3 tbsp (50g) peanut butter (or almond butter) | 1 small yellow banana (about 3oz/90g), peeled |1 tbsp organic soy sauce | 12 tsp hot paprika | 1/3 cup (30g) unsweetened shredded coconut (or sesame seeds) | 2 thick slices of cauliflower (Step 2) | juice of 1 lime | 3 tbsp finely chopped mint and finely chopped cilantro (optional)

Nutritional values per portion: 276 cal | 27.4g carbohydrate | 17.5g fat | 8.8g protein | 6.5g fiber | 0.2g ALA | 339mg lysine | 42mg calcium | 1.1mg zinc | 1.6mg iron | 0.2mg B2 | < 0.1mg RE | 6µg iodine | 0.7g salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) . Add the peanut butter, banana, soy sauce, and paprika to the food processor and blitz to a smooth, creamy consistency. Then stir in the shredded coconut.

Place the cauliflower slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with the creamy sauce, and bake in the oven (middle rack) for 15 minutes until the vegetables have turned nicely brown and are cooked, but still have a bit of bite. Arrange the cauliflower on two plates, drizzle with lime juice, and sprinkle with herbs before serving, if you like.

Vegetables | Vegetable gratin with Asian peanut sauce

VARIATION

Instead of cauliflower you could use broccoli, 34in- (2cm-) thick slices of sweet potato, squash, or kohlrabi, or even zucchini sliced in half lengthwise. Try replacing the banana with 3 soft dates and 1 tbsp of tomato paste, and the coconut with pine nuts, then sprinkle the vegetables with finely chopped basil for a Mediterranean feel.

DK

Cauliflower steak with a miso and citrus marinade

DK Serves 2

DK 5 sprigs of cilantro (or dill) | 1 organic orange | 2 tbsp (20g) raisins | 1 large cauliflower | 1/3 cup (30g) walnuts | 1 tsp olive oil | 1 lemon | 2 tbsp shiro miso | 1 tsp organic soy sauce (or vegetable stock paste)

Nutritional values per portion: 323 cal | 47.7g carbohydrate | 14.8g fat | 13.4g protein | 16.5g fiber | 2.2g ALA | 635mg lysine | 153mg calcium | 1.4mg zinc | 2.6mg iron | 0.4mg B2 | < 0.1mg RE | 6µg iodine | 2g salt

Finely chop the fresh cilantro. Wash the orange in hot water, dry it, and remove two strips of zest using a peeler. Add the raisins to a small pan with 1/2 cup (100ml) of water and the orange peel, bring to a boil, and simmer gently for 10 minutes over low heat.

Meanwhile, wash the cauliflower and slice two roughly 34in (2cm) thick slices, including the stalk, from the middle of the cauliflower head. Use the rest of the cauliflower in some other way, such as for the pickled vinegar and spice vegetables.

Gently toast the walnuts in a dry pan for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, then tip them out onto a plate.

Use your hands to rub oil over the cauliflower slices, ensuring they have a very thin coating all over. Place the cauliflower slices in the hot pan and fry for 1 minute on each side. Continue cooking over medium heat, turning the slices occasionally, until they are cooked to your taste. They should be nicely browned.

Squeeze the orange and lemon, mix the juices with the miso paste and soy sauce in a bowl. Deglaze the cauliflower pan with the citrus marinade. Turn the cauliflower and remove it from the stove. Arrange the cauliflower steaks on two plates and garnish with the rest of the sauce, raisins, cilantro, and nuts.

Vegetables | Cauliflower steak with a miso and citrus marinade

VARIATION

If you are short of time, a dash of organic soy sauce will also work as a steak marinade. In which case, a topping of fresh herbs, nuts, or fresh fruit is really important. These cauliflower steaks also taste fantastic with the apple and cilantro topping or the smoky umami gomasio. Thanks to their treelike shape, broccoli, romanesco, and cauliflower all look particularly attractive as steaks, but large slices of kohlrabi, sweet potato, or celeriac work just as well.

BASTI’S TIP

The cauliflower is best when cooked but still with a bit of bite.

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Vegetables pickled in vinegar and spice

DK Serves 2 (1 preserving jar with 21/2 cups/750ml pints capacity)

DK 5 Deglet Noor dates, pitted | 2 garlic cloves, peeled | 1 small red onion, peeled | 2/3 cup (150ml) apple cider vinegar | 2 tbsp organic soy sauce | 2 tsp pink peppercorns | 12 tsp freshly ground black pepper | 12 tsp ground turmeric | 3 cups (250g) broccoli (about 1 small head), chopped | 1 sprig of rosemary (or thyme)

Nutritional values per portion: 159 cal | 33.1g carbohydrate | 0.7g fat | 6.3g protein | 6.8g fiber | 0.1g ALA | 261mg lysine | 107mg calcium | 0.9mg zinc | 2.3mg iron | 0.2mg B2 | < 0.1mg RE | 20µg iodine | < 0.1g salt

Finely chop the dates and garlic and slice the onion into rings. Put 11/4 cups (300ml) of water, vinegar, soy sauce, pink peppercorns, pepper, turmeric, dates, garlic, and onion rings into a pan, bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes.

Wash the broccoli and slice into 112in (4cm) florets. Peel the stalk and slice this into chunks, including the lovely leaves. Add the broccoli pieces and leaves plus the sprig of rosemary to the cooking liquid, cover, and boil for 5 minutes. While it is still boiling hot, transfer the broccoli and all the cooking liquid into a clean, sterilized jar and seal firmly. Turn the jar upside down and leave to cool. Then turn the jar the right way up and store in the fridge for at least 1 day to allow the flavors to develop.

Vegetables | VEGETABLES PICKLED IN VINEGAR AND SPICE

VARIATION

This recipe is very flexible. In principle it works with lots of different vegetables—you just need to chop them into pieces the right size to cook in the specified time. Try the following options: small cauliflower florets, small romanesco broccoli florets, green beans, 12in- (1cm-) thick beet batons, sliced fennel, or sweet potato, 34in- (2cm-) thick slices of kohlrabi or radish, 112in- (4cm-) thick slices of zucchini or cucumber—or why not use a mixture? You can also play around with the spices. The crucial thing is to get the correct ratio of water to vinegar and a certain amount of sweetness.

BASTI’S TIP

Pickled vegetables will keep for at least 2 weeks if chilled and sealed. This is a quick, delicious vegetable side dish to have ready in your pantry.

Celery and mushroom ceviche with blueberries

DK Serves 2

DK 1 red onion, peeled | 2 large celery sticks | 2 tomatoes | 8 sprigs of cilantro | 1 orange | 3 limes | 1 mild fresh chile | 3 tbsp blueberries (optional) | 2 tsp olive oil (or 12 ripe avocado, finely diced) | 2 cups (200g) mushrooms (large firm button mushrooms or king oyster mushrooms) | 2 tsp organic soy sauce

Nutritional values per portion: 188 cal | 35.7g carbohydrate | 5.6g fat | 6.8g protein | 9g fiber | > 0.1g ALA | 211mg lysine | 107.8mg calcium | 1.1mg zinc | 1.9mg iron | 0.5mg B2 | 0.2mg RE | 23µg iodine | 0.4g salt

Slice the onion into very thin rings. Wash the celery. First slice the stalks lengthwise into thin strips, then dice finely. Wash the tomatoes and grate coarsely to create a tomato puree. Finely chop the cilantro. Squeeze the orange and limes. Wash and finely chop the chile. If using, wash the blueberries and leave to drain. Put the prepared ingredients into a bowl with the olive oil, mix, and leave to infuse.

Dry the mushrooms and remove the section at the stalk. Roughly break up the mushrooms by hand into uneven pieces about 1in (3cm) in size. Heat a pan over very high heat. Add the mushrooms and use a pan lid to press them down on the bottom of the pan for 30 seconds until the mushrooms have browned. Turn the mushrooms, press down with the lid for another 30 seconds and fry. Add the mushrooms to the other ingredients in the bowl. Season the ceviche with soy sauce, leave to infuse for at least 5, ideally 20, minutes. Then serve on two plates and enjoy.

Vegetables | CELERY AND MUSHROOM CEVICHE WITH BLUEBERRIES

VARIATION

Instead of mushrooms, you can also make this ceviche with sweet potato (adjust the cooking time), smoked tofu, zucchini, or watermelon. But do not fry the melon.

BASTI’S TIP

If you do not like the flavor of raw onion, just let the onion rings soak for 10 minutes in cold water with salt and a dash of cider vinegar. This makes the onions milder, but valuable oils are also lost.

Pan-fried sprouts with fiery harissa sauce

DK Serves 3

DK Sprouts: scant 1lb (400g) Brussels sprouts | scant 1 cup (200ml) light vegetable stock | salt | 3 tbsp toasted almonds | 5 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro Sauce: 2 garlic cloves, peeled | 1 tsp olive oil | 1 tsp grated ginger | 4 Deglet Noor dates, pitted | 1 tsp ground cumin | 12 tsp ground cinnamon | 2 tbsp pepper paste (or tomato paste) | 2 tsp hot paprika | 3 tbsp lime juice | scant 1 cup (200ml) vegetable stock

Nutritional values per portion: 192 cal | 31g carbohydrate | 7g fat | 8.3g protein | 9g fiber | 0.2g ALA | 321mg lysine | 134mg calcium | 1.2mg zinc | 4.2mg iron | 0.3mg B2 | 0.3mg RE | 2µg iodine | 1.1g salt

Wash the sprouts, remove any small stalks and wilting outer leaves, slice each sprout in half. Put a deep pan over high heat, add the sprouts, and sauté vigorously without any fat. After 2 minutes, pour in the stock and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, put the garlic and other ingredients into a food processor and puree until smooth. Once the stock in the pan has virtually boiled away, pour in the sauce and cook over high heat for 1–2 minutes until the sprouts are completely coated in the sauce. Season with salt before serving on three plates sprinkled with almonds and fresh cilantro.

Vegetables | PAN-FRIED SPROUTS WITH FIERY HARISSA SAUCE

VARIATION

The Brussels sprouts can be replaced by green asparagus, kohlrabi, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, or other vegetables.

BASTI’S TIP

You can also coat the sprouts with the sauce, spread them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and roast for 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C). For this recipe, the quantities are designed to be slightly more generous, but the sprouts taste great cold or eaten the following day.

Cauliflower cream

DK Serves 3

DK 1 medium head (360g) cauliflower | 11/2 medium (200g) sweet potato (or celeriac) | 2 garlic cloves, peeled | small pinch of ground cloves | 2 tbsp shiro miso | 2 tsp almond butter | 2 tsp olive oil | 1 tsp grated organic lemon zest | salt

Nutritional values per portion: 159 cal | 24.9g carbohydrate | 5.7g fat | 4.9g protein | 5.4g fiber | 0.4g ALA | 382mg lysine | 64mg calcium | 0.7mg zinc | 1.1mg iron | 0.2mg B2 | 0.9mg RE | 3µg iodine | 0.9g salt

Wash the cauliflower and slice into small florets. Peel the sweet potato and cut into 12in- (1cm-) thick slices. Put roughly 1in (3cm) of water in a large pan and add a steamer insert. Bring the water to a boil. Put the vegetables in the steamer, cover, and steam over high heat for about 8 minutes until soft. Alternatively, put water to a depth of roughly 34in (2cm) in a pan, bring to a boil, and cook the vegetables directly in the water (with no steamer insert) for 8 minutes until soft.

Transfer the vegetables to the food processor with the rest of the ingredients and 4 tablespoons of the cooking water. Blend to a smooth puree. Season to taste with salt.

Vegetables | Cauliflower cream

VARIATION

Instead of cauliflower, you could use broccoli or romanesco. Kohlrabi also works well; just add a bit more nut butter to get the right consistency.

BASTI’S TIP

Serve the cream in a pretty bowl with vegetable batons and bread as an appetizer, garnish with a handful of roasted diced sweet potato, toasted sesame seeds, a handful of torn basil leaves, and fresh lime slices. It’s a good idea to make this in a slightly larger quantity because the cream still tastes delicious the next day.

DK

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Celeriac tagliatelle with lemon cream sauce

DK Serves 3

DK 1 small onion, peeled | 11/4 cups (300ml) light vegetable stock | 1 tbsp almond butter (or cashew butter) | 2 Deglet Noor dates, pitted | 1 tsp dried thyme | 1 tbsp shiro miso | 3 tbsp lemon juice | 3 strips of organic lemon peel (about 112in/4cm long) | 12 small celeriac (about 10oz/300g) | 5 tbsp finely chopped parsley | freshly ground black pepper | 1 tbsp hazelnuts, toasted (optional)

Nutritional values per portion: 165 cal | 28.4g carbohydrate | 5.4g fat | 4.7g protein | 4.8g fiber | < 0.1g ALA | 122mg lysine | 119mg calcium | 0.8mg zinc | 2.5mg iron | 0.2mg B2 | < 0.1mg RE | 6µg iodine | 1.6g salt

Dice the onion. Heat a pan. Add the diced onion and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of water. When the onion begins to take on some color, add it to the food processor along with the stock, almond butter, dates, thyme, miso, lemon juice ,and peel and puree until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan and simmer gently over medium heat for 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the celeriac and chop into 12in- (1cm-) thick slices. Use a peeler to create strips like tagliatelle from the celeriac slices. Alternatively, use a julienne peeler or spiralizer to create celeriac noodles.

Add the celeriac to the sauce and cook for 1–2 minutes over a high heat until nice and thick. Add the parsley and leave the flavors to develop briefly. Season the “pasta” with pepper, garnish with chopped hazelnuts, if you like, and enjoy.

Vegetables | Celeriac tagliatelle with lemon cream sauce

VARIATION

You can freely substitute other vegetables here, too. This recipe is delicious made with radish or carrot tagliatelle. But you can also use a spiralizer to transform kohlrabi, beets, zucchini, or sweet potato into veggie pasta. Instead of nut butter, you could replace half of the stock with oat cream or soy cream.

DK

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Roasted sweet potato puree with tahini chimichurri

DK Serves 3

DK Puree: 2 sweet potatoes (about 1lb 2oz/500g) | 1 tsp olive oil | 2 garlic cloves, peeled | 12 tsp ground turmeric | 12 tsp ground cumin Chimichurri: 1/2 cup (100ml) vegetable stock | 1 tbsp shiro miso | 3 tbsp light tahini (sesame seed paste; see tip) | 6 tbsp finely chopped herbs (e.g. arugula, basil, or parsley) | 3 tbsp lemon juice | salt | freshly ground black pepper | 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

Nutritional values per portion: 301 cal | 43.9g carbohydrate | 12.4g fat | 7g protein | 7.2fiber | 0.1g ALA | 180mg lysine | 99mg calcium | 1.9mg zinc | 2.9mg iron | 0.2mg B2 | 2.4mg RE | 5µg iodine | 0.6g salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into 1in (3cm) cubes. Put in a bowl with the oil, coat the cubes thinly all over. Add the garlic, turmeric, and cumin and mix again. Spread the sweet potato cubes out on a baking tray and roast in an oven (middle rack) for 15–20 minutes until they are browning nicely.

Meanwhile, to make the chimichurri, put the stock, miso, tahini, herbs, and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir to make a thick sauce and season with salt and pepper. Put the sweet potato cubes and garlic in a bowl, mash roughly to make a puree, drizzle with the chimichurri, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and enjoy.

Vegetables | Roasted sweet potato puree with tahini chimichurri

VARIATION

Instead of sweet potato, you can also use any kind of squash, or even parsnips or celeriac: the preparation time is the same and the result just as delicious.

BASTI’S TIP

Tahini can vary greatly in quality; read the tip for Copien’s lentil hummus. Feel free to make a larger quantity as this puree also tastes great cold.

DK
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