Posts Tagged ‘mustard’

Broccoli, Mushroom & Mustard Pizza

What is it about pizza that turns any regular ol’ night into a better one? I pondered this while rolling out the dough Friday night. It must be nostalgia for sleep overs and birthday parties, where girls and boys gather around sharing stories and giggling into the night while biting into a hot slice. Or maybe it’s just a basic comfort food that you can feed almost anyone, knowing it will be a hit. Then I thought maybe it’s because everyone has a favorite and these days there seems no wrong way to top a pizza.

I thought about this last one as I started to smear pesto on the first of the four small dough rounds and stopped. I wondered what mustard would be like on pizza? I decided to give it a go thinking it couldn’t be that bad and we would at least have the two with pesto still. I used to do this thing in college where I toasted a bagel, spread on some cream cheese, then a squirt of mustard and topped it all with sprouts. I realized I hadn’t thought of that bagel until that very moment, but the idea of making it into pizza seemed like the perfect thing to do.


I was excited to find out that my homemade mustard worked! I’m sure it will vary slightly depending on the mustard you use, but I encourage you to try this slightly unusual combination, especially those of you who are mustard lovers out there.

This recipe all started from Mark Bittman’s no-work mostly whole wheat pizza dough and it evolved out of what odds and ends I had in the fridge at the moment; broccoli, mushrooms, and red onion. Pizza should always be a comfort food, but every once in awhile it needs to be taken out of its comfort zone and changed up for great results to be found. Enjoy and see what other Food Matters Project members made here and see the full recipe from Salt and Pepper.

Broccoli, Mushroom & Mustard Pizza / makes 4 personal size pizza’s or 2 large
pizza dough adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook

I really wish I had broccolini on hand for this one. Once it arrives at the market, I’m sure Ill be trying it out.

for the dough
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup medium grind cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt

1/3-1/2 cup homemade mustard or your favorite mustard
mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, I used a local variety that’s close to a Parmesan (leave off if you want vegan)
1 head broccoli, cut into bit sized pieces
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling
salt and pepper
lemon for serving

Combine the flours, corn meal, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water. The dough should be a bit sticky and wet, if not, add more water or flour, which ever is needed.

Cover the bowl and place in a warm spot to sit for about 6-12 hours. The longer the dough sits, the more complex the flavor will become.

When ready, heat oven to 475F. Dust a clean work surface with a little flour, dived the dough into 2-4 pieces, and roll it out into 8-10-inch rounds. Place it on a cornmeal or lightly floured baking sheet (use a baking stone if you have one). Spread on about 1-2 tablespoons of mustard (double that if making large size) and top with the cheese, onion, mushrooms, and broccoli. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake the pizzas for 12-15 minutes. Squeeze on a bit of lemon just before serving if you’d like.

Bread, Vegan, Vegetables

Homemade Mustard + Mustard Roasted Carrots

I’ve never been one to shy away from trying new things, especially in the kitchen. I’ve had mustard on my to-make list for a long time and I was impressed at how easy it was. However, it’s not instant satisfaction, you have to soak the mustard seeds first and then even though you can eat the finished product right after giving it a whirl in the food processor, it’s flavor seems to get better after another day or two. My version below is really basic, but feel free to add a tablespoon of honey for honey-mustard, or try using other spices like rosemary, thyme, cinnamon, or cloves. There are endless possibilities and I can’t wait to experiment!

homemade mustardcarrots and mustardI’ve always been a mustard over ketchup person and with grilling season not too far away, this will make the perfect accompaniment to my bean burgers. It keeps for awhile, just like the store bought stuff too, so don’t worry about using it all up in a week. I thought I’d share a quick and simple way to use the mustard that doesn’t involve the usual suspects. Carrots slathered in mustard, roasted, and topped with a sprinkling of parsley makes a great side for any meal where you want to get in an extra shot of colorful produce.

carrots with mustard

roasted carrotsroasted carrots

Homemade Mustard / makes about 1 1/2 cups

I had a hard time locating brown mustard seeds, but you can substitute out up to half the yellow for brown if you’d like. Be warned though, your mustard will be spicier.

1/3 cup yellow mustard seeds
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Place the mustard seeds in a bowl and add to it the vinegar and water. Let stand at room temperature, covered, for a day. Place everything into a food processor and process until mustard is to your desired consistency. Store covered in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.

Mustard Roasted Carrots / serves 3-4

1 bunch carrots, scrubbed and green tops chopped off
olive oil, about 1-2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons homemade mustard
salt to taste
handful of parsley, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 425F.

Combine the olive oil, mustard, and salt and toss with the carrots. Spread the carrots out in a large baking pan and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the ends just start getting crispy. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.

Gluten-Free, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables

Lentil Veggie Salad

Every summer I find myself in a particular rhythm; one I wish would never end. A rhythm that has me feeling free and laid back in shorts or skirts and t-shirts every day. A refreshment filled with ice in one hand and ripe juicy fruit in the other. Evening walks, long casual bike rides, trips to the ocean or mountains. I am truly a Summer time gal.

Living in the NW makes Summer time especially sweet. If you live here, or have ever visited, then you know that a 76?F day with very low to none humidity and a slight breeze are the norm. You also know that it takes forever for it to arrive and that its time is always shorter than expected; lasting to the end of September if we’re lucky, before cool and crisp Fall days are upon us.

What also makes it sweet is the bounty of fresh and local produce. Even though the first of our strawberries and asparagus come usually a month after all you Californians and southerners get yours, they still come. By August we’ve practically caught up to you and have more Summer squash, berries, peaches, greens, peppers, tomatoes, cherries, beans, and corn growing so quickly we wonder what we’re going to do with it all, but it finds its place.

It’s hard for me to understand why people are still buying produce from the grocery store, especially in the Summer. I know there is a slight convince to stores being open every day for that quick stop, but even if you planned to buy just one thing from a local farmer this week, I’d guarantee you’d be hooked and go back the next week for more. Beside, many times you can go directly to a farm and pick up produce and they are usually open through the week. Recently Kelsey and Shaun over at Happyolks posted many great reasons for supporting local food, I’d suggest you read it.

Lentil Veggie Salad / serves 4-6

Last week before we headed to the mountains, I made this salad from a bunch of odds and ends I had left from a recent market purchase. August is truly a month for experimentation, you really can’t go to wrong when things are so fresh! I also had a hard time finding a name for the salad. Even though there are potatoes in it, I hesitate to call it a “potato” salad because there is equal parts patty pan squash, lentils and curly endive too. So lentil veggie salad is all I could come up with; not exciting, but definitely tasty.

1/2 cup dry lentils, rinsed and sorted (I used French green lentils or Le Puy)
1 lb fingerling potatoes
2 patty pan squash, diced
2 T rice vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sea salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
2T chives
2T basil
2T parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
3-4 cups curly endive, chopped

Place the lentils in a small saucepan and cover with water about 2-3 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes. When they are finished they should be tender, but not mushy or falling apart. Remove from heat and drain the remaining liquid, set aside and allow to cool a bit.

While the lentils are cooking, place the potatoes into another saucepan and cover with cool water. Bring to a rapid boil, then lower the heat so a gentle boil. Cook just until a knife can be inserted easily, but that they are not falling apart, about 15 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes. Drain and let cool a bit before dicing into bite sized pieces.

While everything is cooking, prepare the dressing. Place the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs into a small glass jar and give it a good shake. Add the olive oil and give another shake.

Place the cooked lentils, potatoes, and patty pan squash into a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and give everything a good toss. Add in the curly endive and toss once more so everything is incorporated. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Store tightly covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Gluten-Free, Proteins, Salads, Sides, Summer, Vegan, Vegetables

Bok Choy & Edamame with Walnuts & Mustard Vinaigrette

The past couple of weeks I’ve finally been able to bring home more than asparagus, radishes, and rhubarb from the markets. My favorite is all the greens and soon all the berries, cherries and peaches! This past week I was picking up some herbs and looked over my shoulder to see some baby bok choy. Perfectly bound little clusters with the prettiest green leaves. A green that is usually stir fried and seasoned with Asian influenced dressings or sauces. Instead of turning to soy sauce I wanted something vinegary, fresh, and light.

Maybe I just wasn’t over the potato saladI recently spoke about, but somehow the vinaigrette, walnuts and edamame made for a perfect afternoon meal when paired with rice. I’ll for sure be making this one again.

Bok choy is easy to prepare; cut off the ends so that each leaf is detached from the others, rinse under cool water making sure to remove any dirt that gets stuck between the leaves and dry off. Bok choy has a high water content and you’ll notice this when sauteing. This is why I like to remove the greens to a serving dish with tongs to avoid pouring out all the liquid with them.

Bok Choy & Edamame with Walnuts & Mustard Vinaigrette / serves 4-6

Make sure to toast your walnuts. It brings our so much more depth and flavor to the nut, but if you don’t like, or are allergic to them sub in almonds or another of your favorite nut or seed. This salad if definitely best served upon making, but the dressing will keep for several days in an airtight container in the fridge if you want to get a head start.

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
sea salt and ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch baby bok choy, washed and ends trimmed
1 cup fresh or frozen shelled edamame
1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Combine the mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk in the 1/2 cup olive oil. Stir in the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper.If using frozen edamame, bring a small pot of water to boil and cook according to package instructions, usually about 5-10 minutes. If using fresh cook for a slightly shorter time, until tender. Drain and reserve.

Place the tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the bok choy. Quickly saute, using tongs to move the pieces on the bottom to the top once they’ve wilted. Once the leaves have wilted and turned a nice bright green, use tongs to place in a serving dish.

Toss in the edamame. Pour about 3/4 of the dressing and toss everything to combine well, adding more dressing if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Top with the toasted walnuts and serve warm.

Gluten-Free, Proteins, Salads, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables

Roasted Potato Salad

I’m one of those people who does not like mayonnaise. Always have, most likely always will. I’m not sure if it stems from a bad childhood memory of the white stuff being slathered with a heavy hand on my otherwise delightful sandwich or from way to many Summer picnics that involved potato salads sitting out in the sun just a tad to long. The sticky, squishy sound it makes when people reach for a big spoonful alone is enough to send me in the other direction.

So my idea of the perfect potato salad has always been without the mayo. But don’t worry all you mayo lovers out there, this potato salad is just as delightful and perfect to take to all your Summer festivities.

My favorite part of a potato salad has always been the sharp taste of vinegar and fresh combination of the herbs that manages to go so well with potatoes. The hard boiled egg gives this salad its classic creaminess, but in a much subtler way. I usually boil the potatoes until just barely soft and cut them into their familiar cubed shape, but this time around I decided roasting them would be an interesting take.

This salad is almost like eating those thick cut sea salt and vinegar potato chips (you know the ones I’m talking about), but with much less crunch and much less grease. Roasting the potatoes keeps this salad pretty too. Instead of stirring together soft bits of potato that end up falling apart, no matter how careful you seem to be, they stay together for a nice presentation.

Roasted Potato Salad / serves 4-6

I usually make this with those small fingerling potatoes, it’s especially pretty when they’re all different colors, but I didn’t want to make another trip to the store and these were what I had on hand. Feel free to make this with which ever. The dressing is meant to be on the thicker side to, so don’t think you’ve missed something if it doesn’t seem to have enough oil in it.

2 pounds red or fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and sliced 1/4-1/8 inch thick
2 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
pinch red chile flakes
2 hard boiled eggs, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Toss the cut potatoes in the 2 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes on a lined or oiled rimmed baking sheet. I had to use to so that all my slices lay flat and not on top of each other. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the underside of the potatoes has lightly browned. Flip and roast for another 15 minutes.

Meanwhile make the dressing. Place the chives, dill, vinegar, 2 teaspoons olive oil, Dijon and chile flakes in small bowl, stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

When the potatoes are done roasting transfer them to a serving bowl or plate. Sprinkle the crumbled egg and dressing over the potatoes. Serve at room temperature.

If you want to make the salad ahead of time, I would recommend just leaving the egg off until you are ready to serve.

Gluten-Free, Proteins, Salads, Sides, Vegetables