The Conscious Kitchen

Roasted Medley of Potatoes

May

I love potatoes. They rank high on my list of foods I would want if I was stranded on a deserted island. Yukon Gold potatoes are my favorites. Their sweet and buttery flavor and texture are perfect for everything from roasting to mashing, but they rate higher on the glycemic index than the blue potatoes, red potatoes, and garnet yams. Armed with this knowledge, I like to use all of them together for roasting. Mixing them creates a nice balance of sugars, flavors, and colors as well as being fun for the family. Roasted potatoes of any variety are among the best and easiest side dishes to prepare. They are tasty crowd pleasers that go incredibly well with a variety of dishes.

Orange and Cumin Scented Beet Salad

May

Beets and oranges compliment one another as only the best of friends can do. Not only do they look beautiful together, but the tang of the oranges and their juices dress and brighten the earthiness of the beets. The addition of toasted cumin seeds add an additional layer of flavor to the combination. This salad will hold in the refrigerator and can be served cold or at room temperature.

Beet, Apple, and Fennel Salad

May

Beets are delicious served at all temperatures. Since they store well in the refrigerator, I like to use them for salads. Their sweet earthy flavor works well with tart and tangy fruits to balance them out. In this salad, I used fuji apples, fennel, watercress, and walnuts. The result was a crunchy salad with a solid balance of flavors and textures. Although the color of the beets does bleed over time, the texture of this salad will hold up and taste equally good the next day.

Roasted Beets

Apr

My husband brought a big bunch of beet roots to me in the kitchen the other day that he dug up from our garden. They were so beautiful I had to start taking pictures of their jewel like color immediately. I will share a couple of new recipes for what I did with them over the next couple of days, but in the meantime I am going to cover the basics of my favorite and most simple method for roasting them.

Gluten Free Oatmeal Porridge with Berries

Apr

I love a bowl of hot oatmeal porridge for breakfast. It’s very satisfying topped with a swirl of honey or agave nectar, berries, and some chopped nuts, and is also an excellent source of protein and fiber.

Cranberry Fig Chutney

Apr

Cranberry Fig Chutney is a spicy and savory variation on the traditional cranberry sauce. When my husband and I were married, the big day was only a few days before Thanksgiving. Since I love cranberries so much, I thought jars of Cranberry Chutney would make a great party favor. As an insane bride to be, I made and canned 30 pints of Cranberry Fig Chutney to send home with our wedding guests to have with their Thanksgiving Meals. The preparation is labor intensive, but the process and cooking are simple. Delicious.

Mustard Vinaigrette

Apr

Penne Puttanesca

Apr

Puttanesca literally translates to mean “the way a whore would make it”. It is said that this pasta got it’s name for being a dish that prostitutes would prepare quickly and inexpensively between their customers or to lure them in. Others believe that the Neapolitan sauce was given this name for its spicy flavor and smell.

Oven Roasted Chicken Perfected

Apr

About a year ago, I posted a recipe for what I found to be the simplest roasted chicken recipe I have made. Recently I roasted a chicken for my family that was just as simple to prepare, but with even better results. The basics of the recipe remain, the only real difference was that I replaced the dutch oven with a 12 inch cast iron skillet and tied the legs together. In the end, it wound up taking less time to roast, the meat was just as tender, and it had a crisper skin.

Roasted Pumpkin

Nov

Many people think of pumpkin as something that is pureed and strictly used in pies, breads, and soups. It is a delicious vegetable that deserves to shine entirely on it’s own. Roasting fresh pumpkin is easy, flavorful, and healthful. The skin is tender and edible, the caramelized flesh is creamy, and it is a great source of fiber, beta-carotene, and vitamin A.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

Nov

During the holidays of past years, I would go for all out flavor and let healthy eating fall on other days. A favorite wintertime dish is roasted and caramelized Brussels sprouts with pancetta and whole chestnuts with the aid of brown sugar. Delicious as it might be, today I would prefer to maintain a healthful outlook on all of the meals I prepare. If there are dishes that are truly special that I like to have on the holiday table, I will make them, but not all of them. Even if it seems like you are being a party pooper, it is better to balance out the richness of the meal. You might actually feel satisfied in a good way when you finish dinner.

Apple Crisp (vegan)

Nov

I am studying up on how to adapt some of my favorite recipes to a healthier lifestyle. As I only try to avoid gluten and do not suffer from Celiac, I am using some wheat flour in my recipes. That being said, I am only going to use whole wheat flour and try to minimized it as much as possible. I am still plannning on preparing a turkey and my best recipe for pumpkin pie for my family, but will avoid using dairy butter, cream, and eggs in most other recipes.