Healthy Recipes
CHEF's CORNER - Delicious Recipes from Bay Area Chefs.
Featuring Chef Shelley Dyer
Shelley Dyer is passionate about preserving and celebrating African American foodways. Shelley has a B.A. in Anthropology & Sociology from Spelman College and a Masters in Early Childhood Education from Georgia State University. Currently, Shelley is a Quality Assurance Manager for an affordable housing & community developer in San Francisco. She is also a passionate home cook, yoga teacher and wellness advocate. Shelley previously served as the Freedom Farmer’s Market Manager for Farms to Grow, Inc.
Chef Shelley's
Coconut Curry Braised Cabbage
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 green cabbage
3 one-inch knobs fresh ginger
1 cup coconut milk
2 cloves garlic
1 handful fresh chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons yellow curry (I used Persian lime curry from Oaktown spice)
2 pinches flaky sea salt
1 lime
Instructions:
Peel outer cabbage leaves. Wash under cold running water.
Slice deep T-Shaped slits into cabbage top of cabbage.
Chop garlic and ginger. Set aside until ready to use.
Place a heavy pot over medium heat. Heat one tablespoon of oil.
Place cabbage, stem-side down into pot. Add flaky salt in crevices of cabbage.
Add coconut milk and curry to bottom of pot and stir.
Add ginger and garlic to the pot. Pour about 1/4 cup of coconut milk mixture over cabbage.
Cover and reduce heat to LOW for about 45 minutes or until cabbage is tender.
Serve with cilantro and squeeze of lime.
Serve over your favorite grain, such as rice or quinoa.
Featuring Chef Aneesha Hargrave
Chef Aneesha honed the foundation of her technical skill as she pursued a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts & Food Service Management at Johnson & Wales University’s Charlotte, North Carolina campus.
During the last two years of that journey, she earned a position as a Teaching Assistant in the culinary department. This experience would help to expound upon the influence of food as not only a profession but also as a craft. Upon graduating Aneesha immediately sought opportunities in New York City where she began a nearly decade long career in menu development and research & development. Working in the ever-changing fast casual sector, she earned the opportunity to work with organizations like Google and The CIA and to contribute to publications and platforms such as Vogue, Self, and Heritage Radio.
Chef Aneesha's
Smoky Vegan Collards
Ingredients
1 medium bunches of collards, stems removed and cut into thin ribbons
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup thin sliced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
1-1/2 tsp smoked paprika
(optional) 1/4 cup tomatoes, diced
Directions
Bring a sauté pan up to temperature over medium heat
Add olive oil and wait until oil is "shiny" to add the onions
Season lightly with salt and let onions cook until fragrant and starting to brown
Add garlic and cook until fragrant stirring frequently to prevent burning, 2-3 minutes
Add vegetable stock, collards, and smoked paprika
It may be necessary to add collards in batches
Let cook until tender, approximately 45 minutes
Season to taste with salt
Serve while hot and garnish with tomatoes if desired
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Chef Aneesha's
Maple & Thyme Roasted Turnips
Ingredients
3-4 small turnips, tops & bottoms trimmed
1 ½ Tbsp fresh thyme, leaves only & rough chopped
1 Tbsp maple syrup + more to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees (with fan if available).
Cut trimmed turnips into wedges and place into a mixing bowl with all other ingredients EXCEPT black pepper. Give a good mix to evenly distribute everything. Don’t worry if it initially seems a little sticky and hard to mix. Turnips are watery and after about 10 seconds water will release making it a breeze to mix.
Place seasoned turnips onto a baking sheet being careful to spread out and lay flat side down and reserving any residual liquid for use later. Give a final season to the turnips with a few grinds of fresh cracked pepper. Place into the oven on a rack in the upper middle of the preheated oven. Roast until fork tender and golden brown along the edges. This should take approximately 20-25 minutes depending on your oven.
Drizzle with any reserved liquid from earlier, serve hot, and enjoy!
Chef Aneesha's
Root Vegetable Gratin
Ingredients
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3-4 small turnips, tops & bottoms trimmed
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1 medium russet potato
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½ c Panko-style breadcrumbs
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2 Tbsp fresh parsley, leaves & small stems finely chopped
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2 Tbsp butter + more to butter pie pan (a plant-based butter works great too!)
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½ c chicken or vegetable stock
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1 Tbsp + ½ tsp kosher salt
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fresh cracked black pepper
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Serve hot and enjoy!
Directions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees (with fan if available). Butter your pie pan or other shallow round oven safe dish. A half tablespoon should be plenty.
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Heat a sauté pan over low heat and melt two tablespoons of butter until the white foamy milk solids cook off. Add panko breadcrumbs, one tablespoon salt, and 2-3 grinds of fresh cracked pepper. Toast until breadcrumbs are golden brown being careful not to allow breadcrumbs to burn. Once lightly browned, remove from heat and let cool enough to handle. Add parsley and mix to combine. Taste for seasoning and set aside.
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Prep turnips by cutting off about a half inch or so from the top to separate turnip greens from “turnip bottoms”. Trim to remove any thin air roots poking out of the sides. Thinly slice turnips into approximately 1/8” rounds or the thickness of a dime, using a mandoline (if available) or sharp chef’s knife. Set aside.
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Prep potato slicing as you did the turnip bottoms. Peel the potato only as a personal preference. Set aside in cold water to prevent oxidation or browning.
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Using a 9” pie pan (or larger) or any round shallow baking dish, working clockwise and starting at the top edge, lay a single layer of turnips around. Allow the turnips to overlap each other by at least half. Think, shingles on a roof.
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Alternate between turnips rows with rows of potatoes assembled in the same way. Continue until you have used all turnips and potatoes. The end product should look like a flower.
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Carefully pour the vegetable or chicken stock in the center of the assembled vegetables. We want to be sure not to dislodge the assembly of potatoes and turnips. Tightly cover with aluminum foil and place into preheated oven on the middle rack. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. Remove foil and add half of reserved breadcrumbs. Trust us, you’ll want to add more breadcrumbs on your plate! Return uncovered gratin to the oven for 10 more
Chef Aneesha's
Roasted Vegetables w/ Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
1 large or 2 medium russet potatoes, medium dice
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, medium dice
2-3 zucchini squash, approx. 1” coins
1 large onion, medium dice
½ cup + 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
½ cup fresh parsley, leaves and small stems finely chopped
¼ cup cilantro, leaves and small stems finely chopped
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
coarse sea salt
fresh cracked pepper
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400
Place potatoes in one mixing bowl, squash and onions in another
Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to each bowl
Season with salt and pepper, mix to evenly coat
Place onto separate sheet trays and roast until lightly browned and fork tender
Expect cooking time to be shorter for squash and onions
Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and bring chimichurri together with a fork
Season to taste with salt
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve
Enjoy hot roasted veggies drizzled liberally with chimichurri