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vegetarian

Erin Gleeson

ingredient obsession: mint pesto crostini

Written on May 23, 2013 at 8:00 am , by

Hello! Erin from The Forest Feast here, with an easy appetizer idea. I have oodles of mint in my garden right now, so I whipped up some Mint Pesto inspired by this BHG Homemade Pesto recipe. I used mint instead of basil for a fresh spring taste, and pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds) instead of pine nuts because they are nutrient rich and much less expensive. This mint pesto is also great on pasta!

Mint Pesto Crostini
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch (about 1 cup  firmly packed) fresh mint leaves
  • 1/4 cup  grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
  • 1/4 cup  piepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds)
  • 5T  olive oil

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Set this pesto aside. Toast several slices of baguette and toast on a baking sheet in the oven until golden brown (approx 3 minutes under the broiler). While bread is still warm, spread a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese on each slice. Top that with a spoonful of the mint pesto, and garnish each with a couple pepitas. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The Forest Feast is a blog by Erin Gleeson full of simple, colorful vegetable based recipes with photos and watercolor illustration. After working for many years as a food photographer in NYC, Erin moved to a cabin in the woods where she is currently working on The Forest Feast cookbook. Follow Erin on Twitter and  Instagram, @theforestfeast.

Erin Gleeson

better cook: tabbouleh in endive boats

Written on April 11, 2013 at 8:00 am , by

Tabbouleh is a healthy grain based Mediterranean dish and serving it like this in little endive boats is so much fun! I started with this BHG Tabbouleh recipe and made it my own. You can buy boxes of tabbouleh mix at most grocery stores, and then customize them by adding lots of fresh veggies and herbs like tomatoes, bell pepper, mint and parsley. You really can’t go wrong! It’s colorful and great as an appetizer or a side.

Ingredients

  • 1 5 1/4 ounce package tabbouleh (wheat salad) mix
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped tomato
  • 1 cup chopped yellow, red, and/or green sweet pepper
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onions
  • 1/2 cup snipped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 cup snipped fresh mint
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • endive leaves

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine tabbouleh mix with spice package. Stir in the boiling water. Cover and chill for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

2. Stir in tomato, the sweet pepper, green onion, parsley, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, and black pepper.

3. To serve, spoon onto endive leaves. (Or cover and chill up to 24 hours.) Make 6 servings and works as an appetizer or side.

The Forest Feast is a blog by Erin Gleeson full of simple, colorful vegetable based recipes with photos and watercolor illustration. After working for many years as a food photographer in NYC, Erin moved to a cabin in the woods where she is currently working on The Forest Feast Cookbook. Follow Erin on Twitter and  Instagram, @theforestfeast.

Erin Gleeson

in-season eats: roasted rosemary beets

Written on January 17, 2013 at 8:30 am , by

In Northern California at The Forest Feast, I am getting oodles of beets in my weekly CSA box! But no matter where you happen to live, it’s likely that beets are available at your local farmers market during the winter. My favorite way to cook these vibrant little gems is to roast them until slightly crispy, with herbs, olive oil, salt and pepper. I started with this recipe for Roasted Beets and modified it a bit, adding rosemary. It makes a great side dish during these cold weather months!

Roasted Rosemary Beets
Ingredients
  • 6 medium beets
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Scrub beets; trim off stem and root ends. If desired, peel  (I don’t bother).

2. Place beets in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. In a small bowl combine olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Drizzle over vegetables in pan. Toss lightly to coat.

3. Cover pan with foil and roast in a 375 degrees F oven for 30 minutes; uncover and continue roasting for 20 to 30 minutes more or until vegetables are tender.

4. Makes 6 servings.

 

The Forest Feast is a blog by Erin Gleeson full of simple, colorful vegetable based recipes with photos and watercolor illustration. After working for many years as a food photographer in NYC, Erin moved to a cabin in the woods where she is currently working on The Forest Feast Cookbook.

 

 

Erin Gleeson

let’s party: breadsticks with cashews and sunflower seeds

Written on January 3, 2013 at 8:30 am , by

Happy New Year from The Forest Feast! Out here in the woods, the celebrations continue so I am making these breadsticks for a gathering this weekend. They are super easy, and will wow your guests when served warm, fresh out of the oven. You can buy pizza dough, or make your own.

Ingredients
  • 1  package refrigerated pizza dough (approx 14 oz)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 – 3 tablespoons seeds or nuts, chopped (I used cashews and sunflower seeds)
  • Coarse salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease two large baking sheets. Unroll pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. Using your hands, shape dough into a 12×9-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with some of the egg. Sprinkle with seeds and lightly sprinkle with salt. Use a floured long knife or floured pizza cutter to cut dough crosswise into 1/4- to 1/2-inch wide strips.

2. Place strips on prepared baking sheets. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 24 breadsticks.

The Forest Feast is a blog by Erin Gleeson full of simple, colorful vegetable based recipes with photos and watercolor illustration. After working for many years as a food photographer in NYC, Erin moved to a cabin in the woods where she is currently working on The Forest Feast Cookbook.

 

Kate Taylor

ingredient obsession: miso soup

Written on December 27, 2012 at 10:27 am , by

bowl of vegetarian miso soup

Hello! Kate from Cookie and Kate here. I’m excited to share this restorative miso soup today, which is a perfectly simple, hot one-pot meal. It’s light but filling, which is just the kind of meal I’m craving on these chilly days when I’m feeling overstuffed from all the holidays feasts.

miso

Miso is on my short list of “magic ingredients,” right up there with various vinegars and flaky finishing salts. Miso is most often made of fermented soy beans, and it adds a delicious umami flavor to Japanese-style dishes. It comes in several different colors; white being the most mild in flavor and the darker red, yellow and black colors have more intense, complex flavors. So far, I have only experimented with white miso, and it adds a delicious “je ne sais quoi” factor to Asian dishes. It really made this simple soup go from ordinary to something special.

miso soup ingredients

Once miso hit my radar, I was surprised to discover that it is relatively easy to find at grocery stores. Look for it in the refrigerated section (typically near the tofu). It also lasts for a few months in the refrigerator, so I don’t worry about it going bad.

vegetarian miso soup recipe

For this soup recipe, I followed BHG’s Asian Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, making it vegetarian with a couple of simple substitutions. I used vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and extra-firm tofu instead of chicken, which I chopped into small, bite-sized strips. I also added a carrot that I sliced into ribbons using my vegetable peeler, and spiced up the final result with some sriracha. I hope you’ll give it a try soon!

vegetarian miso and tofu soup

Erin Gleeson

Ingredient Obsession: Edamame Hummus

Written on December 6, 2012 at 8:30 am , by

Hello from The Forest Feast! Lately I have been really into edamame. Since I don’t eat much meat, I am always looking for different sources of protein, and there is a lot you can do with these bright green little beans. Using this Edamame Humus recipe, I whirred them up in my food processor to make a colorful, healthy dip. Out here in the woods, we love having snacks with our cocktails before dinner, and this is a fun alternative to regular hummus. Considering its color, if you serve it with red bell peppers it’ll be a festive appetizer to serve at a holiday party this time of year.

A great cocktail hour snack! And easy to make ahead for holiday entertaining…

 

Edamame Hummus

Ingredients

  • 1 10 ounce package frozen sweet soybeans (edamame)
  • 1/2 cup snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley (I left this out since I am not a big parsley fan, but you could alternatively add basil or cilantro)
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice (lime also works)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon paprika (optional, for garnish)
  • 8 cups assorted vegetable dippers, such as sweet red bell pepper pieces, cucumber slices, baby carrots, snow pea pods, and/or celery sticks

Directions

1. Shell and cook edamame until tender according to package directions; drain. Several grocery stores sell pre-cooked shelled edamame beans in the frozen section.

2. In a food processor combine edamame, parsley, lemon juice, the water, tahini, garlic, salt, and cumin. Cover and process until smooth. With food processor running, slowly add oil in a thin steady stream, processing until smooth. Add additional water if necessary to reach desired consistency. If desired, sprinkle with paprika. Serve with vegetable dippers or crackers.

The Forest Feast is a blog by Erin Gleeson full of simple, colorful vegetable based recipes. After working for many years as a food photographer in NYC, Erin moved to a cabin in the woods last summer where she is currently working on The Forest Feast Cookbook.

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