Older Bolder Life

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vegetables

the Older Bolder Life Salad Wednesday: Grilled Sweet Potato, Onion, and Chile Salad

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Since late May I’ve been personally pushing my fitness levels fairly hard; starting my fitness and health recovery journey a little over two years ago I never imagined I’d be sprinting and dialing in some pretty danged specific training to compete next spring in Masters track and field events. (I’ve been telling people lately that back then I was a 412 pound weakling; thankfully that’s now very nearly 200 pounds and lightyears of fitness ago…)

Having been in nutritional ketosis for more or less the past 16 months (probably 95% of the time or better) I have noted that my performance did begin to lag on my leanest carb intake days, prompting some experimentation with carb cycling and adjusting my carb targets on my hardest work days.

One of the ways we’ve done that is incorporate sweet potatoes into the rotation a bit more often. Back in our pre-primal/pre-paleo days we had several grilled potato salads we enjoyed, so that set me to playing with several recipes featuring grilled sweet potatoes.

This Grilled Sweet Potato, Onion, and Chile Salad is one that we keep coming back to again and again; we love the Asian-inspired flavor profile in the dressing, the sweetness of the grilled onions, and the herbal tones from the basil added to finish it off. This salad (or side dish if you prefer) is even damned pretty on the platter or plate too.

You can serve it warm just as it’s finished, at room temp, or chilled – my wife prefers it chilled, but it’s good any way you dish it up.

Approx. 2 pounds sweet potatoes, sliced cross-wise into 3/4-inch thick discs
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup EVOO or avocado oil
1 large or 2 smaller red onion(s)
3 garlic cloves, grated
2 cups basil leaves, torn if large
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Dressing
2/3 cup rice vinegar (unseasoned)
3 red Fresno or jalapeño chiles, thinly sliced
3 tbsp EVOO or avocado oil
1-3 tbsp good fish sauce
1 tbsp honey (optional)

Cover the sliced sweet potatoes with water in a large sauce pan; add the salt and stir to combine. Bring to a healthy simmer, reduce heat to medium and simmer gently until the potato slices are just tender (use a fork or paring knife to check) – this will take 9-10 minutes pending how thick your slices are. Remove from the water and drain.

While the potatoes are cooling, whisk together the sauce ingredients, adjust for salt, and set aside (you’ll want to whisk again before pouring over the grilled potatoes).

Fire the grill (you only need a medium heat fire here).

Grate the garlic into a large bowl, stir in the 1/4 cup oil, and add the onions which you’ve cut into wedges (6-8 per onion) through the root end (keeps the wedges together on the grill). Toss the cooled potato slices and the onion wedges in the bowl, add a sprinkle of salt.

Now grill the onions and potato slices until well-marked, crispy, and a little charred (10-15 minutes pending your fire). Return to the large bowl (wipe out any excess oil in the bowl first), chopping into bite sized pieces first, toss with the dressing, then gently toss in the basil leaves and sesame seeds, adjusting for added salt one final time.

Can serve warm off the grill, room temp, or chilled – this one’s good any way you take it.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday: Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh

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Here’s another great summer and early fall side bursting with flavor, featuring some of the best fresh produce (late summer tomatoes and cucumbers), and as an added bonus this dish is best served chilled (it still scorching hot here in North Texas these days).

And while it’s a piece of cake to make riced cauliflower at home (hello box grater or food processor), of late given a crazy August schedule we’ve taken to using the organic pre-riced cauliflower available via Costco. It’s been consistent, affordable, delicious – and time-saving.

It is of course critical that you use the freshest herbs and vegetables that you can get your hands on for this one, and we think it’s unquestionably better with a handful of toasted/roasted pine nuts and a handful of a good crumbled feta thrown in at the last minute before serving.

1 medium head cauliflower OR
1 pound bag of pre-riced cauliflower

5 tbsp good EVOO, divided
1 tsp good salt (+ more to taste), divided
2 cups flat leaf parsley (included tender stems)
1 cup mint leaves
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3-4 green onions, pale-green and white parts only
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp grated fresh lemon zest
1/4 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 medium cucumber (or more), peeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice
6-8 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered

Optional
1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup nicoise or kalamata olives, chopped

If using fresh cauliflower, grate it using the largest holes on a box grater, then microwave or sauté with 1 tbsp of oil and 1/2 tsp of salt until just tender (3 minutes or so). Spread to cool on a large platter or baking sheet.

Coarsely chop the parsley, mint, green onions, and lemon zest (food processor or by hand if your knife skills are sharp), then combine in a bowl with the lemon juice, the remaining 1/4 cup EVOO, and the remaining salt.

Now stir in the cauliflower rice until well mixed, then gently fold in the cucumber, tomatoes, feta, nuts, and olives if using. Adjust for salt, and go to it.

Enjoy.

Five Signs You’re at An Awesome Farmers Market

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This week a client peppered me with questions about farmers markets; questions like how to find a good one, how to pick through the bins, how to haggle, how to best manage shopping logistics, and more. Here are a few of the tips I shared on finding a great market…

The Produce is Sorta Funky, with Irregular Shapes and Sizes

Real small farms produce “real” produce; in fact, those accustomed to shopping the in the world of mass produced foods where all the cucumbers and carrots look exactly the same might not even realize massive farms yield produce that’s picked (and often otherwise manipulated) to look exactly the same every time (uniform size, shape, ripening window, etc.).

Shop the markets that have vendors selling irregular – even ugly – produce, think curvy cucumbers and forked, stubby carrots for example. Vegetables picked at the peak of freshness don’t all look the same.

The vendor selling perfectly symmetrical, same-sized veg may have actually bought a load at wholesale from another vendor, maybe not even locally, and be passing it off as small farm treasure.

The Produce is in Season and Fits Your Locale

Just for example, we live in North Texas, in a region that has definite seasons; it’s pretty easy to follow what should be coming in from local farms, give or take a few weeks pending the specific weather.

A local vendor was trying to pass off avocados as being a local crop at a market nearby the other day – ain’t no way avocados are being harvested in North Texas in August. The boxes stacked behind the stand we’re even labelled as being from Mexico, yet she stuck to her story and even sold a few as I quizzed her. (She asked us to move along…).

The Vendor is Happy to Talk About Their Farm

We’ve yet to meet a genuine small farm producer who doesn’t love to talk about their farm, their farming practices, their favorite crops, what work they’re doing now, and how the weather’s been.

Any time a vendor doesn’t want to answer questions about their produce or operation in detail, move on down the aisle. Local producers want to teach you, and hear how much you enjoyed their food; everyone is allowed a bad down now and then, but the vendor who doesn’t want to talk about their produce is waving a warning flag…

The Produce Might Just Seem a Bit Pricy Compared to Your Favorite Grocer

My friend Chef Libby scolded me one day in Austin after I haggled with a vendor over something in her stand (I can’t even recall what it was); I’ve tended to be a be a value shopper over the years, and I thought the farm stand pricing was too high.

Libby’s two points have stuck in my head since: one, it’s damned hard to make a living as a small farmer, and most are simply neither able nor inclined to sell the fruits of their hard-earned labor at the cheapest possible price. And two, you’re going to pay a premium, albeit a small one hopefully, for the very best, freshest ingredients, often grown with extraordinary care. The overwhelming majority of the time – it’s worth every penny.

If you run across a bin of goods at the market that appears oddly inexpensive, take note; you may be looking at a reseller or otherwise sub-optimal goods.

The Bins are Full of Fresh Produce and Meats, and Not Much Else

The best farmers markets sell fresh produce and meats – that’s was what drove their creation and very existence in the first place. Beware markets packed with prepared food vendors, arts and crafts, and stall after stall of unrelated goods.

Don’t get me wrong, they all can be damned interesting, but when you’re after the very best, and freshest, foods to put on your table, you want the market’s objective to be the same as yours – to present to you and your family the best options your local farms have on hand that very day (or weekend) in a format that makes shopping fun and interesting. And a little friendly competition is good for everybody in the game, and your budget as well.

Healthy and fun farmers market shopping this week.

The Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday: Chile Peanut Cauliflower Rice

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Like many of you, we’ve been enjoying a variety of spiced-up, tasty and delicious cauliflower rice (or riced cauliflower if you prefer) dishes on our ancestral food journey.

I have to be brutally honest, I’ve been a big fan of rice of all shapes and sizes since a young child, perhaps related to my parents growing in rice country along the Texas coast, and missed rice dearly in the first months of transitioning away from grains.

We were in fact somewhat late to jump on the cauliflower rice bandwagon – it made me miss the “real thing” at first – though with the wonderful preps we’ve been cooking of late, honestly we find cauliflower rice dishes to be as good or better than actual rice these days. Right now our favorites include these recipes: Asian Fried Cauliflower Rice, Crispy Verde Cauliflower Rice, and this Ginger Pecan Cauliflower Rice.

That said, when this version of the traditional Indian recipe for this dish showed up in Bon Appetit’s feed, I set out to adapt it to a cauliflower rice version. Of note, we’ve done it with both the traditional curry leaves as well as substituting fresh basil and lime zest for the curry leaves and like the basil/lime zest version better. By the way, if you enjoy food and cooking videos, the video of Priya Krishna cooking the traditional version at the Bon Appetit link above is very well done, and she is simply a delight.

And like all recipes, sometimes you simply have to change things up to fit what’s in the fridge or pantry; you’ll note in the pictures there aren’t any serranos, but instead half ring slices of green jalapeños (they were delicious by the way), as that’s all I had in the fridge last week.

This one is easy-peasy with a great tasting, high-presentation value result.

1 pound bag frozen cauliflower rice (about 5 cups)
1 tbsp ghee, butter, or oil of choice

4 tbsp fresh lime juice (2 limes)
2 tsp good salt
1/2 cup ghee, divided
1 and 1/2 tbsp black mustard seeds
14 fresh curry leaves OR
Zest of one lime + 10-12 basil leaves, chopped
1 cup roasted peanuts
1 large onion, sliced into strips
3 serrano chiles, halved lengthwise
3-4 tbsp chopped cilantro (w/ tender stems)

Heat the frozen cauliflower rice until dried and it just begins to caramelize at the edges a little; remove to a bowl.

Heat 1/4 cup ghee, then sauté mustard seeds until they begin to pop, remove from heat and stir in curry leaves until they’re coated with ghee (leaves will pop and crisp); if using the basil and lime zest instead of the curry leaves, don’t add them yet.

Return pan to medium-low heat and add peanuts; cook until medium brown and fragrant, stirring frequently (6-8 minutes), then pour over the cauliflower rice in the bowl. Add the lime zest and basil to the bowl if using to replace the curry leaves. Add the lime juice.

In same pan heat the remaining ghee, add the sliced onions and chiles, and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring now and again, until the onions begin to caramelize. Stir onions and peppers into the cauliflower rice mixture, taste and adjust for for salt, lime, and basil (if using).

Top with chopped cilantro just before serving.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday: Grilled Leeks and Zucchini with Pecans

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I promise this will be the last zucchini recipe I’ll post for a while; the zucchini coming in now are just so good, so available, and such a good buy right now I couldn’t resist this one.

That said, the real star of this dish is actually the grilled leeks, something you don’t see all that often, though they’re delicious and should be on everyone’s radar during the summer grilling season.

And besides tasting great, leeks are packed with a host of nutrients and phytochemicals, including impressive amounts of vitamin K, manganese, copper, vitamins B6, C, A, folate, iron, the flavonoid kaempferol, and a number of antioxidant polyphenols.

This recipe is easy-peasy, just don’t overcook the vegetables on the grill; they need to crisp-tender and not soggy. By the way, you can use whatever nuts you favor or have on hand, we used pecans given the Texas penchant for pecans, though this would be great with walnuts as well…

1/3 cup pecans
5 tbsp avocado or extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 garlic clove, grated
Good salt
Fresh ground black pepper

2 large leeks, white and pale-green parts only, see below
2-3 medium zucchini (about a pound), scrubbed, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup (generous) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Toast the pecans (oven or skillet) until fragrant, chop coarsely, then throw into large bowl along with 3 tbsp of your oil of choice, the lemon juice, grated garlic, a generous pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper.
Fire the grill and prep the vegetables; leave the root end of the leeks intact and slice in half lengthwise once trimmed to length. Coat the vegetable with the remaining oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

Now grill the vegetables over a hot fire, turning every minute or so, until well marked and they begin to tenderize – be careful to not overcook, you want the vegetables to be “al dente” and not mushy.

When done, pull the vegetables and place on a cutting board; cut into bite-sized pieces (trim the root ends of the leeks of course), and add to the bowl with the pecans and vinaigrette along with the parsley. Toss to combine well and coat the vegetables, adjust seasonings for salt, pepper, and lemon.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Salsa Monday: Simple Salsa Criolla

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Recently on a trip to Austin my wife and I strolled by one of the many famous eateries on South Congress (what a fascinating slice of life to be seen there) and I stopped to read the menu posted outside. Their special that evening was a grilled, grass-fed, house-made hot dog (bratwurst for the purists out there) served with a Salsa Criolla.

I hung around long enough to see a platter of these come out, and I have to admit, the salsa looked delicious.

When back home I added salsa criolla to my recipe research list, and even pestered friend Chef Libby in Austin for her favorite version. She kindly responded with this recipe, and reminded me that both Peru and Argentina claim salsa criolla as regional salsas or side dishes, and of course there are a number of regional variations pending who you ask.

She seemed to think that the Peruvian version was a little more simple and typically made with red onions and rarely tomato, while the Argentinian version was more often made with sweet white onions and tomato.

Regarding the peppers, she also noted that her South American recipes for salsa criolla almost always call for an ahi amarillo pepper, native to South America, though here in the States recipes call for 1/2 of a bell pepper (use yellow or orange for the color), serranos or jalapeños, though she and I agree that the Texas-born Mediterraneo Dulce peppers is a nifty choice here if you can find them.

The lime juice adds the perfect burst of citrus tartness, and Libby and I prefer cilantro, though parsley might actually be more true to the salsa’s South American roots.

1 large tomato, blanched, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 medium red or white onion (red is more traditional)
1/2 bell pepper, 1 Mediterraneo Dulce pepper, or 1-2 serranos or jalapeños
1 green onion, white and green parts, thinly sliced
Juice of one lime (roughly 3 tbsp)
1-2 tbsp avocado oil or EVOO
1-2 tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
1/2 to 1 tsp good salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Optional
1/2 clove fresh garlic, grated
1 tsp fresh oregano, minced
Additional lime juice or white vinegar to taste

Blanch your tomato for 10-15 seconds in a pot of boiling water, then immediately immerse it in an ice-water bath to cool. Peel, cut in half, seed, chop into a 1/4-inch dice, and add to a medium bowl.

Slice the onion into thin slices, the pepper(s) of choice into 1/4-inch dice, and thinly slice the green onion; add everything to the tomato bowl. Add the chopped cilantro or parsley and oregano if using, then the lime juice, oil of choice, salt, pepper, and garlic if using. Stir well to combine, correct the seasonings to taste.

Enjoy.

The Older Bolder Life Salad Wednesday: Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Cashews and Ricotta Salata

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It’s not zucchini week here on the Older Bolder Life, but I have to admit we’ve been enjoying the bounty of fresh zucchini coming in now in North Texas several days a week.

We’re still crunching through the latest batch of Quick Zucchini Dills I shared on Monday, and my lovely wife has been pestering me to grill up another recipe of this Grilled Summer Squash, Feta, and Pepper Salad from a few weeks back.

Here’s another fresh zucchini dish perfect for that handful of young, very tender, smaller zucchini you picked up at the farmer’s market and weren’t quite sure what do with – a Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Cashews and Ricotta Salata.

Of course don’t shave in that delicious cheese if you’re intolerant or hard-core, never venture off the trail Paleo, but you’ll be missing something here.

This happens to be another one of those recipes graced by a simple, tasty, and fresh vinaigrette-type dressing, and we think the red pepper flakes are essential to balancing out all the wonderful flavors here.

The mint is an almost surprising, and danged refreshing, flavor in the mix, as are the cashews (I’m sure other nuts will play, you’ll just need to experiment a bit.). And by the way, if you’re not familiar with ricotta salata, the saltier, aged, firmer-after-pressing version of fresh ricotta, you’re in for a treat…

3 small zucchini (roughly 1.5 pounds), trimmed, thinly sliced (see below)
1 cup mint leaves, torn
1/2 cup roasted, salted cashews
5-6 ounces ricotta salata, shaved into very thin slices

Dressing
1/4 cup EVOO or avocado oil
2-3 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp good Dijon mustard
1 tsp (or more) crushed red pepper flakes
Pinch of good salt

First whisk the dressing ingredients together and set aside.

Now thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise into wide, long ribbons; it’s a piece of cake with a vegetable peeler or a mandoline.

Place in a large bowl and coat with roughly 3/4 of the dressing, tossing gently so the ribbons don’t break. Now add the mint, cashews, and shavings of the ricotta salata you’ve shaved off with your vegetable peeler again. Again gently toss to combine, then drizzle with the remaining dressing.

Serve immediately, and enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Pickle Monday: Quick Turmeric Zucchini Dills

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It’s been a while since I shared a recipe for a quick pickle; several of our favorites posted here on the Older Bolder Life include these Tasty Quick Dills, these Quick Pickled Beets and Onions, and these Quick Pickled Daikon Radishes.

Some might ask why the quick pickle?

In times like these when the fresh produce is rolling in, it’s nice to prepare the freshest and best of the crop in a variety of ways; by the way, we’ll be looking at another great zucchini-based salad later in the week. Quick pickles can be set up with ease, thrown in the fridge, and enjoyed almost immediately; there’s no hot water bath processing to deal with, no fermenting, no waiting, etc.

Don’t get me wrong, I still make a batch of fermented dills every year, but bright, acidic, spicy quick pickles have evolved to be my very favorites over time, due (at least in part) to their bright flavors and well-preserved crunch. Frankly you can quick pickle almost anything, and with a little creativity you can adjust spice levels and seasoning to bring smiles to you and yours at the summer (or whatever season) table.

Zucchini are abundant this time of year, a bargain at the farmstead or your favorite grocer, and easy to prep and process. This particular recipe packs in a fair amount of spice and the tiny bit of turmeric adds both flavor and color to the final pickles. Give it a spin and customize as you go.

2 pounds small zucchini, trimmed
1/4 cup pickling salt, divided
2 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups water
12 fresh dill sprigs
4 garlic cloves, halved
4 red jalapeños or Fresno chiles (split) or 6-8 dried de arbor or Thai chiles
2 tsp yellow or brown mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp dill seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric

Optional
1 large shallot or small red onion, trimmed, quartered, and cut into slices
1-2 tbsp sugar

Trim the zucchini into 4-inch pieces, and then quarter lengthwise and throw in a large bowl; add the sliced onion if using. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp of salt, add 4 cups of ice and stir, then set aside for at least an hour. Drain and then rinse quickly.

While the zucchini is “brining”, bring the vinegar, remaining 2 tbsp salt, the water, turmeric, and sugar if using to a boil in a small saucepan; set aside to cool slightly when the salt (and sugar) have dissolved.

Into two quart jars divide the dill sprigs, garlic cloves, peppers of choice, mustard, dill and coriander seeds, then pack in the zucchini spears (and onion if using). Now pour the hot vinegar mixture into the jars, leaving roughly 1/2-inch headspace, and loosely cap. Leave on the counter to cool, then into the fridge they go.

Enjoy.