Spaghetti Squash Baby Cakes with Crispy Sage

November 28, 2013 153 Comments

Dearest friends! He’s here!!!

I guess you could tell from the radio silence that something major was up. Well, I am more than elated to tell you that my little son has been born, along with two very proud parents. He came into the world calmly and peacefully at home, in the kitchen of all places. Can you believe that?! Although we had planned to be here, we never imagined that the great event would take place in that particular room. It certainly was meant to be – it’s where all the magic seems to happen in this house.

When I was a little girl, of no more than seven, I used to walk around with a pillow under my t-shirt pretending to be pregnant. Suffice to say that I always knew that I wanted to be a mother (and that I thoroughly freaked out my parents), and here I am now, on the “other side” as it were. It feels surreal to look down at this perfect little person and know that we will be connected forever. My heart is bursting.

However, I cannot even tell you how difficult it’s been to find just a few hours to write this post, but then again, duh (cue laughter from every parent reading this). I think my old work-a-holic brain and my new mama brain need to have a serious chat and sort some things out. Between trying to write a cookbook, keeping up with the blog, and taking care of an infant ‘round the clock (sleep? Ha!) I may just have to lower my expectations. Got any advice on that one? Sure. Get back to me when you can.

I had a lot of help the past few weeks with my husband on paternity leave and my mom visiting from Canada, but since both have left, I will say that these little Spaghetti Squash Baby Cakes have saved me. I made a large batch right after giving birth, stored the cooked ones in the freezer and take out a couple at lunch when I have absolutely no time to make anything half decent. I actually discovered that I can just pop them in my toaster! Brilliant. With a simple salad and a slice of hearty bread, it’s a really lovely little meal that makes me feel nourished and normal (well, somewhat).

Full-Power Winter Squash
Spaghetti squash is a powerhouse veggie. Unlike summer squash (zucchini, crookneck, pattypan), winter squash (spaghetti, butternut, acorn) has had a lot more time to develop and pump itself full of vitamins and minerals throughout its lengthy life on the stem. We’re talking oodles more vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), vitamin C, manganese, potassium, and even some extra dietary fiber thrown in just for kicks. This combination of nutrients spells good news for asthma sufferers, those with heart disease, elevated cholesterol, or inflammatory conditions such a rheumatoid and osteoarthritis.

The other bonus? Nature designed summer squash to be rather delicate, with a high water content for those hot summer days when we need a cool down. Naturally, their shelf life is rather short during our abundant harvest season when produce is plentiful. On the flip side, winter squash has a tough outer skin and lower water content, which allows it to be stored for a very long time – some varieties up to six months. This means that we can keep these vitamin bombs around for a long time after the first frost to provide our bodies with the nutrition we need to see us through the long months of winter when there is nothing fresh in sight.
Put that in your oven and roast it!

Spaghetti Squash Baby Cakes are savory and satisfying, deliciously moist with a little crunch around the edges. I added some salty sheep cheese because I love it combined with the sweetness of the squash, but you could perhaps use nutritional yeast instead. I wish I could say I’d made a totally vegan version of these, but I am craving eggs like crazy lately so I used one in the recipe. I cannot guarantee the effectiveness of chia or flax gel holding these puppies together, so I would suggest a vegan egg replacer if you want to go that route.

The real gourmet addition to this dish is the crispy fried sage; one of those incredibly simple delights that shocks you with flavour. I also love the little bit of crunch it imparts, adding another texture to the somewhat soft and creamy cakes. The sage needs to be cooked “to order” so don’t fry it all if you’re planning on storing leftovers in the freezer. You can also skip the fried sage altogether, but I highly recommend it. It’s a very rewarding little supplement, as you’ll see how something that is so easy to make can elevate a dish to great new heights. Fried sage is also delicious on pasta, risotto, gnocchi, quinoa, eggs, and soup.

Spaghetti Squash Baby Cakes with Crispy Sage
Makes 15-20 small patties

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash (approx. 1kg / 2.2 lbs)
1 cup / 100g rolled oats, ground into flour (or use oat flour)
4 cloves garlic
1 green onion, with green tops
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. cracked black pepper
2 ½ oz. / 75g Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (substitute ¼ cup nutritional yeast)
1 organic egg, beaten
1 bunch sage, about 30 large leaves, divided

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Rub with a little ghee or coconut oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in the oven, cut side up and cook for 45 minutes or so, until you can easily pierce the squash with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Using a fork, scrape out all flesh and place in a large sieve over the sink or a bowl to drain.
2. In a food processor, grind oats until you have a rough flour. Add 12 sage leaves, garlic, sat, pepper and pulse to combine.
3. Squeeze any remaining liquid out of the spaghetti squash. Place in a large bowl and add the oat mixture. Thinly slice the green onion into rings and add to bowl, along with the egg, and grated cheese. Fold to combine. A kind of dough should start to form as the ingredients come together. Take a small amount, roll into a ball and flatten into a patty shape – if the patty stays together they are ready. If they are too dry, add a little water, one tablespoon at a time until they hold. If they are too wet, add another handful of oats. Form all the cakes before you begin.
4. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a knob of coconut oil or ghee. When hot, add the cakes and cook until golden on one side, then flip. Alternatively, you can cook these in a 375°F / 190°C oven for approximately 10-15 minutes on each side.
5. To fry sage, heat a couple knobs of coconut oil or ghee (ghee is preferable) in a small saucepan. When hot, add 6-8 sage leaves at a time, fry for 10-15 seconds, transfer with a fork to paper towels, and sprinkle with sea salt immediately.
6. To serve, place a few squash cakes on the plate and garnish with fried sage leaves. Enjoy with roasted tomatoes and a simple massaged kale salad. Freeze leftover cooked cakes and heat to enjoy.

To roast tomatoes, drizzle with a little coconut oil or ghee and place on the same baking sheet as the spaghetti squash. The tomatoes will cook faster than the squash, so keep and eye on them. Remove from oven when blistered.

To make the kale salad, massage finely chopped kale with lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt until tender. Add some toasted seeds, slivered red onion and vegetables of choice.

Thank you to everyone who commented on the last post – your words of love and encouragement fuelled me through my last days of pregnancy and surely made their way to the heart of my little boy. We are all settling into our new lives, and soaking it in as much as our sleepy minds will allow. I look forward to sharing more stories and recipes from my kitchen as we bump our way along and find the path that will feed our new family. I hope you’ll join me on the journey.

Lots of love from us,
Sarah B + co.

Beet & Black Lentil Borscht + A Book

November 1, 2013 128 Comments

I have been sitting on such a huge secret and I’ve just gotten the okay to share it…a cookbook is on the way! A real-life, printed, hold-in-your-hands cookbook that can sit in your kitchen and get dog-eared corners and covered in food stains for years to come! Hoorah! Whew, feels good to get that off my shoulders. It’s pretty difficult to have hidden my excitement for this long and have so many of you asking what it is I’ve been up to if I’m not working in restaurants or running courses. Well, there’s your answer. Ever since I signed on to do this project back in the spring, it’s been full-steam ahead, growing food, writing recipes, testing them, photographing, and of course, eating a lot of really yummy things. I am so in love with each and every one of my creations so far and cannot wait to see them all bound up.

To try and answer some of the questions to come…the book is going to be seasonally-focused and totally plant-based of course, with some optional animal products thrown in for function or flavour when necessary. It is almost entirely all-new recipes (!!!) with a few favorites from the blog because how could I omit a version of the Life Changing Loaf of Bread? I mean, really. I am also making the recipes gluten-free whenever possible, without the use of complicated combinations of special flours and gums. The recipes use relatively simple and seasonal base ingredients with some special touches thrown in for nutrition, taste, and aesthetics of course. There will be nutritional information in many of the recipes, like I have here on the blog – if the recipe features carrots, I’ll probably talk about beta-carotene. You get the idea. I’ve also tried to keep the equipment requirements relatively low so that everyone can make the recipes. There are a few exceptions, but most of the dishes require little more than a typically outfitted kitchen.

And the question on everybody’s mind: when can we buy the book?! We’re aiming for spring 2015 release and please stay tuned here on the blog for updates. There are no preorders at this time, so don’t go looking for it just yet – I promise to keep you all in the loop! I am just as excited as you are. No wait, more excited.

This recipe was one I made the other day after pulling up the last of my beets from the garden. I was going to put it in the book, but decided to share it with you all instead. It’s a very delicious borscht recipe that I’ve gussied up with juniper berries, caraway seeds and Dijon mustard. Heavenly! I also added lentils for extra protein and satisfaction. This is just the kind of meal that makes this mama-to-be very happy.

I remember the first time I ate borscht (and beets for that matter), I was about 12 years old and on another food adventure with my best friend’s mother, Annie, whom I spoke about in this post about sushi. We went to the Future Bakery, a Toronto institution that serves Eastern European fare in a no-fuss kind of way. Annie ordered borscht for me, with a side of toasted sourdough bread. I took one look at the soup and my stomach flipped. How could I possibly eat anything magenta?! This slurry was the exact hue of my Barbie doll’s prom dress. I hesitantly took a spoonful, and although I thought it tasted pretty good, the colour threw me off to the point where I wasn’t able to eat it at all.

I can’t recall when beets came back into my life, but surely it was in a form other borscht. Admittedly, they took some getting used to, as I had grown up on a pretty beige diet. Pink was reserved for candy. After some courageous attempts, I realized just how yummy beets are: rich, earthy, deep. And because they can be juiced, and eaten either cooked or raw, there is a whole world of possibilities to explore within this one little root. Just by slicing a beet in a different manner, you discover an entirely new characteristic. Gosh, they really get me going! And now borscht happens to be one of my favourite ways to enjoy them.

My version of borscht is fragrant and full of autumnal goodness. I chose to use juniper berries, a fairly new ingredient to me, to add another dimension of flavour. I really like the piney-ness that they impart – kind of like taking your taste buds on a walk through a coniferous forest after a heavy rain. They are a classic Scandinavian ingredient, so if you can’t find them whenever you live, just omit them. And I will say that although they add delicious flavour to this soup, I didn’t enjoy eating them whole, so I (politely) spat them out (also because pregnant women really aren’t supposed to eat too many of them!).

Beet & Black Lentil Borscht
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
knob ghee
3 leeks
4 cloves garlic
pinch salt
4 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 Tbsp. dried, plus more for garnish if desired
4 medium / 1 ½ lbs. beets
3 medium carrots
2 cups shredded cabbage of your choice
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. dried juniper berries (about 12)
1 tsp. caraway seeds
8-10 cups / 2+ liters vegetable broth
1 cup dried black lentils (Du Put lentils would also work)
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
cracked black pepper to taste
olive oil for garnish

Directions:
1. If possible, soak lentils overnight or for up to 8 hours in pure water. Drain and rinse well.
2. Prepare all vegetables. Wash and slice the leeks into rounds. Mince garlic. Peel beets and grate using a food processor or julienne by hand (the beets break down too much when grated by hand). Slice unpeeled carrots into rounds. Shred cabbage.
3. In a large stockpot over medium heat, melt a knob of coconut oil or ghee. Add leeks and salt and cook until tender, about five minutes. Add garlic, cook 2 minutes until fragrant. Add bay leaves, thyme, juniper berries, caraway, tomato paste, and mustard, stirring to coat the leeks and garlic. Add remaining ingredients: beets, carrots, vegetable broth (start with 8 cups and add as needd), and lentils (reserve cabbage). Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until the lentils are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Add cabbage and vinegar, stir, and let cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with fresh thyme and plenty of cracked black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and serve. Enjoy.

I realized something today: this could very well be the last post I write before becoming a mother, and if that is the case, I just want to send out big love to all of you for your support over the past few months. Whether it’s been sending me a caring comment after my cake-tastrophe confession, or joining me in the park for potluck picnicking, I really feel grateful to all of you! Please know that I’ll still be blogging from now on, just a tad lighter perhaps. You can still follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and I just set up a Pinterest account after many requests. Please be patient with me, as I am pretty slow on the uptake with this computer stuff (remember how long it took me to get on Facebook? Sheesh).

And now it’s back to the kitchen for me – I have a cookbook to write!

Be well and make food for each other.
With a (very) full belly,

Sarah B. + sprout

Celeriac Pasta with Puttanesca Sauce

October 23, 2013 60 Comments

When people ask me for advice on how to become healthier, they often look at me through misty, puppy dog eyes as if they are about to lose their life savings: but do I have to give up pasta? Seems like there are a lot of folks who are very emotionally attached to those ribbons of flour. But answer is, and always will be, no. You don’t have to give up anything you really love to be a healthier person, because I think that deprivation and / or eating with the feeling of guilt is far more detrimental to one’s health than the food itself.

That being said, would you feel better if you ate something else instead? Perhaps. If you treated pasta as something special, to be greatly appreciated once in a while instead of on a nightly basis because there-is-nothing-else-to-eat? Most likely. But I am just here to plant a seed and present an alternative. I rarely eat pasta myself, only because it makes me want to lie down and take a big ol’ nap afterwards, but I will admit how good it is. Because it is. So. Good.

To change things up today, I decided that I would make pasta out of something completely different. Slightly traumatized from the bumper crop of zucchini this summer, I knew I wasn’t getting into squash noodles again, so celeriac took its place. I made celeriac noodles unintentionally for another project I was working on last week. What was supposed to be just a shaved vegetable salad turned into quite the rad discovery: when sliced thinly enough, celeriac becomes pasta! Or something close – let’s face it, nothing besides pasta will ever be pasta. Tender, creamy and with the slightest bit of nuttiness, this will be my autumn go-to for pasta replacements.

Celeriac is that knobby, quite frightening-looking root vegetable that you’ve probably passed by in the store a few times thinking “I have no desire to eat an alien’s baby”. Well, don’t judge a book by its cover; celeriac is delicious, incredibly health-promoting and tastes very much of planet earth.

The water-soluble fiber in celeriac lowers cholesterol and may reduce the risk of heart attack. It is quite low in calories (1 cup contains only 42 calories versus the same amount of potato being 118 calories), and carbohydrates, while maintaining a good amount of fiber and no fat, so it is a prefect food choice for those looking to keep their weight down. It is beneficial to the nervous, lymphatic and urinary systems of the body.

Key nutrients in celeriac include calcium to help maintain the acid/alkaline balance in the blood; iron for oxygen transport; magnesium to sustain bone integrity; and zinc to keep your immune system strong.

Celeriac is also known as celery root, and comes from a celery-like plant of which only the root is palatable. You can of course attempt to nosh on the leafy green stalks if you desire (I sometimes add them to stock), but this vegetable is cultivated specifically for the root alone and the tops most people find inedible. The taste of celeriac is very similar to traditional celery, however there are lovely hints of parsley and walnut in there too. It is delicious cooked, making an excellent replacement for anyone avoiding potatoes due to its creaminess, but you can also enjoy it raw as I’m showing you today.

I can’t exactly remember when I first learned about puttanesca sauce, but it must have been sometime after I met my husband, because before him I hated olives. Now I think they are the yummiest things in the world and I will order anything on a menu with them. Like this sauce – I will definitely order pasta for this sauce. It’s like eating a miracle.

Named after “Italian ladies of the night”, this traditional sauce is spicy, briny and super garlicky. The base is tomatoes, folded into a luscious combination of olive oil, red onion, garlic, capers, olives and chilies – pretty much all that is awesome. It’s really easy to make in a hurry, inexpensive, and deeply flavourful despite the short cooking time. It is the ultimate comfort food for fall and winter, and can be enjoyed folded into whole grains like quinoa or millet, and I bet delicious with a poached egg on toast as well.

Two things needed to be mentioned about this sauce. First, yes, I am using olive oil to cook with. Please note that the temperature of the oil needs to be kept as low as possible so that it does not burn, oxidize, and do more harm in your body than good. I rarely cook with olive oil as you may know, but I make an exception for this sauce and just ensure that it doesn’t get too hot. Second, please purchase good-quality olives with the pits still inside – it’s well worth it. Pitted olive have a pretty lousy texture and flavour, so splurge a bit, pit the olives yourself and you’ll notice a big difference.

Celeriac Pasta with Puttanesca Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 lb. / 500g celeriac

Directions:
1. Slice off the knobby exterior of the celeriac – this may leave you with only ¾ of the original vegetable. Slice the root into half-inch (1.25cm) sections. Using a mandoline slicer, run the celeriac slices lengthwise to create ribbons. I recommend a 1mm thickness.
2. Place celeriac ribbons in a large bowl and toss with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to prevent browning. Set aside until ready to use.

Puttanesca Sauce
Ingredients:
¼ cup /60ml high-quality olive oil
2 small red onions, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tsp. crushed chili flakes (more or less according to taste)
2 cans (14oz/400g) organic crushed tomatoes
3 Tbsp. capers, plus more for garnish
5 oz. /150g high-quality black olives / 1 cup (purchase them with pits. I like Kalamata olives best), plus more for garnish
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
a couple pinches of salt, to taste
caper berries for garnish (optional)
flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil on low heat. Add the crushed chili flakes and let steep as the oil warms up. When the oil is hot add the garlic and let fry gently for 1-2 minutes, then add the onion and cook until translucent, 5 minutes or so. Watch that the oil doesn’t get too hot – use a thermometer if needed and remove it from the burner if necessary (olive burns around 320°F / 160°C).
2. While the onions are cooking, pit the olives by lining several up on a cutting board and smashing them with the flat side of a knife blade. The pits are now easily removed. Roughly chop once or twice.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the oil, stir well, and cover to simmer for as long as you have (minimum 10 minutes). If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little water until the desired consistency is reached.
4. Place desired servings of celeriac pasta in each bowl. Serve with the hot sauce on top, and garnish with a few extra olives, capers and caper berries. Drizzle with olive oil and chopped parsley. Enjoy.