Four Course Fridays: Meat-Free, Not Taste-Free
Marc Matsumoto
With all the great design blogs, craft blogs, and tech blogs to keep up with, who has time to spend drooling over all the food blogs out there? That’s where I come in. Each week I’ll be choosing a theme and subjecting myself to hunger pangs as I scour the web in search of tasty recipes that anyone can make.
Having been holed up all winter in a tiny Manhattan apartment, fighting off the frigid weather with protein, I have a serious meat hang-over. This always seems to happen around this time of year as the city warms up, the flowers bloom, and a rainbow of produce starts appearing at the markets. This week I've compiled a bevy of vegetarian dishes that might be missing the meat, but aren't lacking anything in flavour.
Course 1: Kentucky Sidecar
When people think about vegetarians, they often associate the word with the image of a health nut who lives a monastic life---but having been one, I can soundly say this is untrue. This Kentucky Sidecar by Todd & Diane of White on Rice Couple will tempt even the most virtuous vegetarians with its fresh squeezed lemon and tangerine juices.
Course 2: Spring Asparagus Soup
When you have fresh ingredients, simpler is often better and this verdant soup, adapted from the Southern Living Farmer’s Market Cookbook by Megan of A Sweet Spoonful, highlights the subtle flavors of the green spears with onions, garlic, thyme, lemon, dairy, and not much else.
Course 3: Whole Wheat Penne with Butternut Squash and Crispy Sage
For those of you who aren't quite ready to jump into spring with both feet just yet, here's a pasta that gives you the best of both worlds. Miri from Laura Carmen roasts the butternut squash and onions in this pasta to bring out all the great flavors in these veggies, then quickly sautés the chard before tossing it all together with some whole wheat penne.
Course 4: Olive Oil Ice Cream with Blood Oranges
Since our meal didn't contain a ton of protein, we have to make it up for it somewhere, and this olive oil and blood orange ice cream by Jenny from Nourished Kitchen fills in the gap with high quality olive oil. Jenny describes a good olive oil as having a lingering flavor "enhanced by fruity notes and an almost floral perfume". The raw milk, cream and egg yolks add plenty of additional protein and nutrients, making for a wholesome dessert that strikes the perfect balance between rich and refreshing.
[images from top: White on Rice Couple, A Sweet Spoonful, Laura Carmen, Nourished Kitchen]
When people think about vegetarians, they often associate the word with the image of a health nut who lives a monastic life---but having been one, I can soundly say this is untrue. This Kentucky Sidecar by Todd & Diane of White on Rice Couple will tempt even the most virtuous vegetarians with its fresh squeezed lemon and tangerine juices.
Course 2: Spring Asparagus Soup
When you have fresh ingredients, simpler is often better and this verdant soup, adapted from the Southern Living Farmer’s Market Cookbook by Megan of A Sweet Spoonful, highlights the subtle flavors of the green spears with onions, garlic, thyme, lemon, dairy, and not much else.
Course 3: Whole Wheat Penne with Butternut Squash and Crispy Sage
For those of you who aren't quite ready to jump into spring with both feet just yet, here's a pasta that gives you the best of both worlds. Miri from Laura Carmen roasts the butternut squash and onions in this pasta to bring out all the great flavors in these veggies, then quickly sautés the chard before tossing it all together with some whole wheat penne.
Course 4: Olive Oil Ice Cream with Blood Oranges
Since our meal didn't contain a ton of protein, we have to make it up for it somewhere, and this olive oil and blood orange ice cream by Jenny from Nourished Kitchen fills in the gap with high quality olive oil. Jenny describes a good olive oil as having a lingering flavor "enhanced by fruity notes and an almost floral perfume". The raw milk, cream and egg yolks add plenty of additional protein and nutrients, making for a wholesome dessert that strikes the perfect balance between rich and refreshing.
[images from top: White on Rice Couple, A Sweet Spoonful, Laura Carmen, Nourished Kitchen]
