Seared Fennel & Clementine Salad

This is one of my favorite wintery salads to make this time of year. It is light and bright and the seared fennel adds a nice soft contrast to the other crunchier ingredients on the plate. This salad is delicious any time of year but it is especially good right now with all of the readily available citrus at the market.

Seared Fennel & Clementine Salad

SEARED FENNEL & CLEMENTINE SALAD

recipe from The Forest Feast Mediterranean

2 fennel bulbs (tops removed & set aside)

5 clementines (peel 4 and slice into rounds)

2 T Kalamata olives (whole, pitted)

1 T mint

1 red onion (rings from 1 or 2 round center slices)

Slice the fennel bulbs thinly, keeping some pieces in large slabs. Saute in 1-2 T olive oil & a pinch of salt on medium heat until just a bit tender & golden on both sides (about 5 min.), then spread out on a platter. Top with the clementine rounds, olives, mint, onion rings & a few small fennel fronds. Halve the last clementine & squeeze the juice over the whole platter along with a sprinkle of olive oil, salt & pepper.

Enjoy!

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xx

Erin

Peanut Butter-Avocado Shake

It’s the New Year (Happy 2020!) so I thought I would share some lighter ideas for those who are looking for clean, fresh, and healthy recipes. This avocado shake from my first book is filling and delicious and it is really quick to make for mornings when you need to head out the door!

Peanut Butter-Avocado Shake

PEANUT BUTTER-AVOCADO SHAKE

recipe from The Forest Feast

1/2 ripe avocado

1 1/4 c (300 ml almond milk or your milk of choice)

2 frozen bananas (peel & cut in chunks before freezing)

1 T peanut butter (or any nut butter)

3 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth!

Serves 2.

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For more light recipes, check out:

Pumpkin Smoothies

Kale Tacos

Cheers to the New Year!

xx

Erin

Happy New Year!

I can’t believe it is 2020! When I can, I like to spend some time during the holidays to take stock of the past year and set some intentions for the New Year. Two women who have inspired me recently in this regard are Gabby Bernstein and Tina Roth Eisenberg.

Tina Roth Eisenberg is the founder of Tattly, CreativeMornings, and a creative co-working space (to name a few!) and I love this talk she gave about the importance of pursuing side projects. Ever since I first heard it a few years ago, I like to go back and listen again when I need a little jolt of inspiration.

Gabby is a speaker and author and I just finished her book, The Universe Has Your Back. It has inspired me to carve out some time to get clear on what I really want to manifest this next year.

Do you have any creative side projects you want to take on in 2020?

And in case you are looking for healthy recipe ideas as we move out of the holidays, I love this Peanut Butter Avocado Shake from my first book!

PEANUT BUTTER AVOCADO SHAKE

1/2 ripe avocado

1 1/4 c (300 ml) milk (I use almond milk)

2 frozen bananas (peel & cut into chunks before freezing)

3 ice cubes

2 T peanut butter

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth!

Serves 2

New Year's Brunch ROUND-UP!

In case you’re hosting a New Year’s brunch, I’ve got some easy ideas for you. For brunch, I’ll often look for quiche or tart ideas since they are yummy served warm or at room temperature. This Caramelized Onion Tart was the first ever video on The Forest Feast’s YouTube Channel! In just 2 minutes I take you through the steps of making a simple Caramelized Onion Tart. Note: For full recipe instructions scroll down:

Caramelized Onion Tart (serves 4-6 as a main course)

3-4 medium onions (red, white, or both!)

1 T butter

1 T olive oil

6 eggs

1/3 c cream (milk or half-n-half works, too)

1 sheet of defrosted puff pastry

4 oz. creamy goat cheese (like chevre) at room temp.

2 t chopped fresh rosemary

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1.) Roll out the sheet of puff pastry until it fits into an approx. 13x9-inch greased casserole dish or baking pan. Press the pastry into the pan, crimp the edges to form a crust. 

2.) Slice 3 to 4 onions into thin circles. Sauté for about 30 minutes with butter, olive oil and a pinch of coarse salt in a large skillet over medium/low heat. Caramelize the onions- you’ll know they’re done when they become translucent and begin to get a bit golden.

3.) While onions are cooking, beat 6 eggs and 1/3 c cream with a fork in a bowl. Set aside.

4.) Spread the goat cheese all over the bottom of the puff pastry in the pan forming a base layer of the tart.

5.) When onions are done, spread them evenly over the goat cheese “base layer”. Then pour the egg mixture over the onions. Lastly, sprinkle the top with chopped rosemary, and salt and pepper, if you like.

6.) Bake at 350F degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the egg is set and the crust is golden. 

Serve warm. (Lovely with a side salad for brunch or lunch!)

For more New Year’s Eve brunch ideas, check out:

Yellow Squash Ribbon Quiche

New Year’s Wine & Cheese Party Menu

Prosecco with Pomegranate

The Golden Mary (a take on the classic Bloody Mary)

Latke Round-up!

I love a good latke this time of year! It is easy and fun to experiment with different variations of this potato pancake. Latkes are traditional Hanukkah treats because they are cooked in oil and symbolize the miracle of the holiday.

Unless otherwise noted, I like to use Russett potatoes when making latkes since they have less moisture. A non-stick pan can be helpful too!

Here’s a quick round-up of favorite Forest Feast latke recipes:

• Cauliflower Potato Latkes

• Sweet potato Latkes from The Forest Feast cookbook

• Zuchini Latkes

Happy Hanukkah!