Spring Sauté with New Potatoes, Peas, Leeks & Artichokes

Really, any excuse to eat artichokes is valid in my book, at any time of year. In the winter and early spring, this means making do with canned or marinated artichokes. I say "making do" because the alternative is fresh, but marinated artichokes aren’t necessary lesser than their fresh counterpart. Just different.

So while artichokes aren't ready to be harvested yet, the canned variety still feels perfect in this moment. Leeks, with a mellow onion flavor, get caramelized in the bottom of the pan until they're sweet. Young potatoes and peas add a light starchiness to this dish -- making it satisfying on soggy spring days (it has been raining here all week) or warm ones.

Hope you enjoy! 

Spring Sauté with New Potatoes, Peas, Leeks & Artichokes

Published May 24, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil
• 1 leek, roots and dark green pieces removed, and washed well
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup diced young potatoes
• 1 cup fresh or frozen english peas
• 1 cup canned artichoke hearts, halved or quartered, drained
• Salt & ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat butter/oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat.
2. Slice leek into thin rounds, and add to pan. Sauté until leeks are softened.
3. Add minced garlic, diced potatoes, and peas to the pan, and cover. Cook, stirring every 3-4 minutes, until potatoes are softened through.
4. Add artichoke hearts and cook for 2 minutes more, until artichokes are warmed through. Season to taste with salt & pepper and serve hot.

Moroccan Spiced Carrot Salad (Paleo & Vegan)

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To my surprise, little baby carrot heads were popping out from the surface of our garden beds back in early March. They were from seeds planted last year, ones that didn’t sprout before the season ended. And somehow, they grew on through snow and frost and unpredictable Colorado spring weather... hardy little plants to say the least! I’m planning to xeriscape our front yard this year, and build brand new garden boxes, so I’ll likely have to wipe them out before they get fully grow, but maybe they’ll have enough time to grow into baby carrots before then. 

Moroccan Carrot Salad is a quick recipe and perfect for carrots big or small: only 4 real salad components, if you don’t count the spices that give it that Moroccan flare. Carrots, parsley, raisins, and lemon vinaigrette. Then, ground cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, and cinnamon pop in and dress it up. Thanks to those spices, this carrot salad really stands out. 

I use a food processor with a shredding attachment to shred the carrots — I do not have the patience to do that by hand! 

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This is the perfect side to Moroccan Beef Kabobs, or Lamb & Winter Squash Tagine.

Moroccan Spiced Carrot Salad

Published April 17, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 6   |    Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 cups shredded carrots
• 1/3 cup minced parsley
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 dashes ground cayenne
• Juice from 2 lemons
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Place shredded carrots in a bowl with minced parsley and raisins. Add cumin coriander, paprika, cinnamon, and cayenne and toss.
2. Make vinaigrette: Mince the garlic and add it to a jar with the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Shake to combine. (Makes enough dressing for 2-3 salads). Drizzle about 1/3 of vinaigrette over salad, or to taste. Toss and serve!

Green Machine Slaw with Ginger Lime Vinaigrette

With toasted slivered almonds, crunchy sugar snap peas, creamy avocado, and bright cucumber, this extraordinarily green slaw is everything you need and more when you're craving a plateful of veggies and something bright. 

It started as a simple thing -- a slaw to be served under some salmon burgers I've been working on. But then it spiraled out of control: as I drove home, I started to day dream about an everything-green slaw and what all could go into it. Next thing you know, I'm pulling off the thoroughfare and aiming for the closest grocery store to pick up a few things I don't have at home: green onions, limes, and a green bell pepper. 

With the color green as my muse, I headed home and immediately started slicing and dicing. The salmon burgers? I'm sure they were fine, but I don't quite remember. It was the slaw that got all of the attention. Dressed in a bright ginger-lime vinaigrette, it was refreshing and bold. Bits of toasted almond added a punch that was rather addicting, and avocado -- well, we all love avocado, don't we? 

Here's to the color green! It makes for one pretty slaw. 

Green Machine Slaw with Ginger Lime Vinaigrette

Published April 3, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 6   |    Total Time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients:

For the Slaw:
• 1/2 head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, cut julienne
• 1 cucumber
• 2 green onions
• 1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

For the Vinaigrette:
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup 
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated on microplane

Directions:

1. Place thinly sliced cabbage and sliced bell pepper in large salad bowl.
2. Cut cucumber on a bias (here’s a video on how to do that), and add to bowl. Then, remove roots and dark green parts form green onions, slice green onions, and add to bowl. Add add optional jalapeño, cubed avocado, minced cilantro, and slivered almonds. Toss salad to combine ingredients.
3. In a small jar, combine lime juice, olive oil, sesame oil, salt, maple syrup, and grated ginger. Place lid on jar and shake until combined. Pour dressing over salad and toss until everything is coated. Serve.