Hearty Yam and White Bean Hash

Hi friends,

I have a special treat for you today! I am off traveling in Washington DC for a conference this week and can't wait to share my food journey with you! Until then, I guess you'll just have to do with this hearty yam and white bean hash I cooked up over the weekend.

You can find this recipe over on Richa's blog, Vegan Richa. I'm a big fan of hers and I love the way she combines simple, plant-based ingredients into amazing dishes with a focus on Indian cuisine. (Plus, if you haven't checked out her Roasted Butternut Squash Sliders with Balsamic Caramelized Onions you definitely should!)

Hope you have a wonderful week!

Continue to the recipe...

Kohlrabi Chickpea Salad

What is kohl-rabi? Kohl...rabi? Is that how you say it?

What does kohl-rabi taste like? Can you eat the leaves?

That's a funny looking vegetable! 

I've seen kohlrabi at the store, but I don't know what to do with it. How do you prepare it?


In my life away from this computer, I spend a lot of time talking to people about vegetables and encouraging kids and adults to eat outside of their comfort zones. Fall and winter brings us many vegetables that we are already familiar with and love, including: winter squashes, a variety of greens, and beautiful root vegetables. I've found that kohlrabi is one of the most unfamiliar veggies this season and most people have questions about how to prepare it and what to do with it.

Today I have a special treat for you... Check out the video below to learn how easy it is to prepare kohlrabi and see the cooking demo for this delicious recipe!

This recipe can be easily assembled in under ten minutes and is the perfect make-ahead dish for weekday lunches. The ingredients are very flexible so if you don't have broccoli stalks, you can sub more kohlrabi or cabbage.  And, if a sweeter version is desired, simply add some shredded carrots or apples to the mix!

Kohlrabi Chickpea Salad
Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:
2 medium or 3 small kohlrabi
five medium broccoli stalks (one pound)
one small head (one pound) red cabbage
grated zest of 1 lemon
lemon juice from two lemons (6 tablespoons)
large bunch of dill, roughly chopped (about 6 heaping tablespoons)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
2 cups cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans
freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
Peel the kohlrabi and broccoli stalks and grate or process in food processor, until finely shredded. Slice the cabbage finely into 1/4-inch thick strips. Put kohlrabi, broccoli, and cabbage into a large mixing bowl.

Mix the lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, olive oil, and garlic clove together and pour over kohlrabi mixture. Add sea salt.  Use your hands to massage everything together for about a minute so the flavors will mix and the cabbage will soften.  Add the chickpeas and mix. Let sit for about ten minutes.

Top with freshly-ground black pepper and serve. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Recipe shared at Wellness Weekend

Spicy Wakame Chili

I'm currently in the midst of a weird living situation and it includes living with two football fanatics. The television is always blaring sports. There are randoms screams and bouts of profanity blaring from the living room at all hours. And I have committed the football schedule to heart so I know exactly when I should be out of the house. Come Super Bowl Sunday you can find me at the spa, thank you very much.

When I made this chili this week it was not with the intention of serving it at a pre-game party, but I think this recipe will nourish you regardless of what you have in store this weekend. And, I'm really excited to share this recipe with you because this chili has a special ingredient.  Can you guess what it is?  I suppose judging from the title you might say wakame, and you would be correct!

If you are not already familiar with wakame, it's definitely time to get this sea vegetable on your radar. Wakame is a seaweed loaded with magnesium, iron, calcium, iodine, folate, and a host of vitamins. I've mentioned before that I can't stand the smell of the ocean or anything that tastes "fishy," but I have become an expert at hiding sea vegetables in foods.

I always add kombu (edible kelp) to my beans while cooking (to help soften them and add trace minerals) and I can't get enough of this gingered sea vegetable salad with arame. I've recently begun to sneak wakame into my vegetable stocks and soups and I promise that with this recipe, you won't even know it's in there!

I usually buy my wakame and sea vegetables from Eden Organic. I trust their brand and have always been impressed with their quality. (You can usually find them in your local health food store as well as online.)

Start by soaking the wakame in water. Look at it grow! I only used two teaspoons of dried wakame in this recipe so that I wouldn't notice it in the broth. However, if you actually like the taste of the ocean, feel free to add more!

Once you soak the wakame for about five minutes, simply drain the soaking water and then blend it with the vegetable broth. I have found that blending it helps to disperse the seaweed so you can be sure you won't find any chunks in your soup. You can use this technique to add wakame to any recipe that calls for vegetable broth. 

After this, you're off to make your chili. This chili is fabulous on its own, but it's even better when topped with tofu sour cream!

(Psst: Have you "liked" For The Love of Food on Facebook yet? This is a great way to stay updated on new recipes and engage with our food community!)

Recipe shared at Wellness Weekend

Spicy Wakame Chili
Serves 6

2 teaspoons dried diced wakame
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked black beans
2 cups cooked kidney beans
2 cups cooked pinto beans
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1-28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1-14.5 oz can diced and fire-roasted tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste
Sea salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

Begin by soaking the wakame in some water for about 5 minutes, until it expands. Drain the wakame and add to a blender with your vegetable broth. Blend until smooth and set aside.

Add the oil to a pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and saute for about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add the bell pepper and garlic and saute an additional minute, until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the remaining ingredients, along with your vegetable broth, and simmer on low for about 30 minutes. Serve hot, topped with the tofu sour cream.

Tofu Sour Cream
adapted from Food.com

1 (10 1/2 ounce) box silken firm tofu
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt

Crumble tofu and all other ingredients into a food processor and process for several minutes, until smooth. I recommend placing it in the fridge or freezer for about 10 minutes to help firm it up prior to serving.

Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and it will keep up to 5 days. (Note: it may separate so mix thoroughly before reusing).

Fajita Baked Yams

I've stopped myself about ten times now from sharing this recipe with you. Why? It's a silly reason and I'm sure you'll laugh. It's because I worry that it's too simple.

I'm all about easy and quick recipes, but this one just seems overly simple. I finally decided to get over myself and just share it with you already because it's a great example of a meal that I eat. And, quite often I might add.

There are recipes that are great for company.  There are recipes that are great for showing off fancy culinary techniques. Then there are recipes that just taste good, are easy to make, and make a fabulous meal.  This is the latter. And I'm going to keep telling myself that just because a recipe is simple doesn't mean it's any less tasty.

This recipe includes baked yams, sautéed fajita veggies, and some spiced black beans.  For an easy weeknight dinner, roast the yams and make the black beans ahead of time. Then, come dinnertime, simply saute up your fajita veggies, reheat your potato, and top it with some black beans. This recipe is incredibly flexible so feel free to add in any leftovers from your fridge that need to be used up. And, it is mighty fine with topped with some fresh avocado slices! 

Fajita Baked Yams
Serves 4

4 medium-large yams
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 green bell peppers, seeded and sliced
1 red onion, sliced


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub yams and place in a baking dish (you can line it with foil to make cleaning easier). Bake about 45 minutes - 1 hour, or until yams are tender.

Add olive oil to a pan over medium-low heat. Add the bell pepper and onions and saute 5 - 7 minutes, until tender-crisp.

Simple Black Beans

Serves 4

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons smoked paprika
pinch of chile powder

4 cups cooked black beans

1 cup vegetable broth

2 bay leaves

freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes

Add the olive oil to a pot over medium heat.  Saute the onion for 5 minutes, or until translucent.  Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, and chile powder and saute for an additional minute. Add the black beans, vegetable broth, and bay leaves. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until beans are soft, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the bay leaves and serve beans atop baked yams. Garnish with red pepper flakes, if desired.