We’re doubling down on happy holiday vibes with our annual Thanksgiving cooking class with co-host, Jenni Kayne. This year, our November Guest Editor, Daphne Oz, cooked up a storm and dazzled guests with veggie-focused side dishes from her new cookbook, The Happy Cook – and we’re sharing a few of our faves here!
Daphne worked her magic inside Pressed Juicery co-founder Carly de Castro’s kitchen (get decor tips and design details here!) for a few of our favorite L.A. ladies and we’re ready to recreate these delicious dishes for Thanksgiving gatherings next week. Get all our Thanksgiving cooking class recipes here and check out Daphne Oz’s cookbook recipes below that’ll compliment whatever else lands on your holiday table. Be sure to check back later this week for a killer sweet potato recipe that might even outshine the main dish.
Roasted Okra With Scallions, Dates And Hazelnuts
Note from Daphne: Roasting makes okra much less slimy. Non-okra folks will love this recipe. The topping is so good I put it on everything.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb okra
4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil divided
1 tsp kosher salt divided
2 bunches scallions trimmed and finely chopped (all but top 2″)
1/2 cup Medjool dates (6-8 pitted and thinly sliced into strips)
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts roughly chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Rinse okra thoroughly, pat dry, and trim ends and stems. Add okra to a bowl and drizzle with half the olive oil and half the salt. Toss to coat, then arrange the okra on a baking sheet, spreading into a single layer and being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Roast in the oven about 20 minutes – okra should be tender and deeply golden brown in places and have a toasty aroma.
Meanwhile, prepare the topping. In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, warm remaining olive oil until shimmering. Add the scallions and a pinch of salt and cook to soften, 1-2 minutes. Add the dates and hazelnuts and cook to warm through, 1-2 minutes more.
When the okra have finished roasting, arrange them on a plate and ladle the date topping over top.
Quinoa Salad With Lemon, Herbs And Feta
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup almonds toasted
1/2 cup quinoa
3 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup peas fresh or thawed (or chopped sugar-snap peas or shelled edamame)
2 lemons
2 15.5 oz cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh dill chopped
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant and golden brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.
In a fine-mesh sieve, rinse the quinoa under running water until the water runs clear. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, toast the quinoa, stirring constantly, until a faintly nutty aroma emerges. Add 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until the quinoa is tender and has absorbed all the water, about 15 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with two forks, place a sheet of paper towel over the pot, cover, and let steam off the heat for at least 5 minutes. The quinoa should be light and fluffy with no remaining wetness. Turn the quinoa out into a large bowl and set aside.
Rinse and fill the saucepan with water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring it to a boil, add the fresh peas to cook until they are tender, bright green, and no longer starchy, about 2 minutes. Drain and dunk in a large bowl of cold water to stop the cooking.
Zest one of the lemons into the bowl of quinoa. Add the chickpeas, peas, mint, parsley, and dill.
Squeeze the juice of both lemons into the bowl, then add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste, and toss to combine. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. Crumble the almonds and feta on top just before serving.
Saint’s Salad With Ginger-Maple Vinaigrette
Note from Daphne: Slicing kale this finely gives a whole new flavor profile to kale! It’s lighter, less bitter and soaks up this vinaigrette beautifully.
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup pine puts , hazelnuts or walnuts
1 bunch Tuscan kale washed, dried and ribs removed
1 3/4 cups cooked farro
1 apple peeled, cored and finely diced
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
For the dressing:
1″ fresh ginger
1 small garlic clove
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly cracked pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
DIRECTIONS:
To make the salad, toast the pine nuts in a medium skillet over medium heat until they are golden brown, shaking the pan often, 2 to 3 minutes. Set the nuts aside to cool on a plate.
Stack a few kale leaves and roll them like a cigar, then thinly slice them crosswise into ribbons. Add the kale, rice and apple to a large bowl.
To make the dressing, peel the ginger and grate it on a microplane- style rasp into a medium bowl. Gather the grated ginger in your fingers and squeeze to release the ginger juice, then discard the pulp. Grate the garlic into the bowl with the ginger juice. Whisk in the vinegar, maple syrup, salt and pepper to taste. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to emulsify.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Let the salad sit for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the nuts and pomegranate seeds (if using) and serve.
