2 tomatoes
1 hard-boiled egg, medium chop
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp capers
5 leaves basil, julienne or torn
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch black pepper
1. Slice, dice or wedge the tomatoes.
2. Add the chopped egg, olive oil, capers and basil.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4 1/2 cups cooked red quinoa (1 1/2 cups uncooked; can use a blend of red and white quinoa)
Kosher salt and black pepper
3 hearts of romaine
2 tsp olive oil
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
1 shallot, thinly sliced
Juice of 2 limes
1. Preheat a grill pan over high heat.
2. Cut the romaine hearts in half lengthwise, keeping the end intact to hold the leaves together. Brush with 1 tsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Place the romaine on the grill and cook until nice grill marks are achieved. Remove and cool.
4. Roughly chop the romaine and add to the cooked quinoa.
5. Add the remaining ingredients and the remaining 1 tsp of olive oil and stir to combine (do not over stir because it will make the quinoa gummy).
Future considerations: cumin, fresh herb?
Couscous, prepared using package’s directions for 6 servings
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 10-oz bag baby arugula
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups sweet green peas (if fresh: blanch ahead of time; if frozen: thaw)
1. Make the couscous (yeah, yeah, I know–these are very lazy instructions. Womp womp). Add 1 tbsp of the oil, salt and black pepper to the cooking liquid (I used water) before adding the couscous.
2. While the couscous is cooking, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 30-60 seconds.
3. Add the arugula to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Stir until just barely wilted and remove from the heat.
4. Once the couscous is finished, fluff with a fork and add the remaining olive oil, lemon zest and juice and peas.
1 lb carrots, peeled
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
2/3 cup dry lentils
1 hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeds removed if they are visible
4 oz feta cheese, medium dice
1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
Juice from 1/2 large lemon
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the carrots into 3/4 inch slices on a bias, and then cut each slice in half lengthwise. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on a sheet pan for 10-15 minutes, or until dark golden brown, flipping halfway. Cool.
While the carrots are roasting, prepare the lentils per the package’s directions. Season with salt toward the end of cooking. Cool.
And while that’s all going down, cut the cucumber halves into half-moon slices and combine with the feta and parsley. Add the cooled carrots and lentils to the mixture and gently stir. Add lemon juice and a glug of olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
I’d say this is nice as a snack, but can also be a satisfying vegetarian main entree for the spring and summer seasons.
My boss recently made a savory, Tunisian-inspired oatmeal from our company’s upcoming new cookbook, and I’m obsessed. Unable to wait until we feature it as a special on our restaurants’ menus, I made my own version perfect for spring. This one’s not only an easy, vegan (you heard me) dish, but it is an exciting dish to add to your breakfast rotation.
This one’s just a rough outline:
Prepare steel-cut oats according to the directions on the package. Top the oats with thinly sliced raw asparagus, sweet peas (if using frozen, thaw and reheat in the microwave, or blanch in boiling water from frozen; if using fresh, blanch in boiling water), thinly sliced scallion, lemon zest, harissa oil (simply harissa combined with extra-virgin olive oil).
Garnish with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
Enjoy for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
eating in your underwear 