Cebollitas Kohlrabi Asadas

This past weekend, as we were recovering from our travels across the country to meet family, T stopped by the grocery store again. He must have been missing me by his side cause he got me a 2 veggies which he thought I'd never tried before. He got me some Kohlrabi (New Veggie #17) and he got me a bunch of Cebollitas - which I ended up making New Veggie #64. I decided to make a traditional Asadas because its traditionally vegan and hence easy to adapt to my no-added-fat technique. 

Roasted Cebollitas

Prep Time: 15-20 min

Ingredients (2 Servings):

1. One bunch Scallions (Cebollitas) - 4 or 5 bulbs
2. 4-5 Small (baby) Kohlrabi
3. 2-3 cloves (or 1 tsp) garlic, minced finely
4. 1 tsp Ground Mustard Powder
5. Salt and Pepper, to taste
6. Lime Juice, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 F. Rinse the kohlrabi and cebollitas bulbs in water. Trim ends. For the kohlrabi, peel the thick skin off with a paring knife and dice each bulb into 8-12 pieces, making sure that all the pieces are approximately the same size. For the cebollitas, either slice the bulb lengthwise into 2 halves, or leave whole, as you prefer. If you do cut it into 2 halves, remember to handle each half gently else the leaves will separate and burn in the oven. In a ziploc bag, mix all spices and kohlrabi and give a good toss. Spread halved cebollitas on a greased cookie sheet and pour the tossed kohlrabi on top (this gets the spices on the cebollitas without having to handle them too much). Spread the veggies in a single layer and bake for 10 minutes on one side, give a quick toss, check to see if the kohlrabi is tender and then bake for another 5 minutes until both the cebollitas and kohlrabi is getting a nice char on it. Remove, sprinkle lime juice on top and serve warm.  

Roasted Cebollitas and Kohlrabi

My Assessment: LOVED it!! Even Tony loved the kohlrabi. This dish, is so simple, and such an amazing side. It will definitely make it to my 'favorites' list!!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 42
Total Fat 0.6 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Carbohydrates 8.5 g; Fiber 3.8 g; Sugars 2.8 g; Protein 2.4 g

Kohlrabi Coconut Curry

I had 2 Kohlrabi (New Veggie #17) left over from the weekend and I also had some store-bought naan left over from my radicchio pizza also from the weekend. I was itching for some home-made subzi so that I could eat it with naan and this is what I came up with. 

Prep Time: 30 min.

Ingredients: 

1. 2 small kohlrabi, finely diced (not like mine!). 
2. 1 small onion, or a Leek, finely sliced (New Veggie #8). 
3. 1 cup baby spinach  (or use Kohlrabi leaves)
4. 1/2 cup coconut milk
5. 2 tsp mustard seeds
6. 2 tsp coriander powder
7. 2 tsp cumin powder
8. 1 tsp turmeric
9. salt, to taste.

Directions:

Preheat coconut milk in a deep pan and add spices. Cook for a few minutes to release the aromas and then add onion/leek and cook for a few minutes. Then add diced kohlrabi, cover and simmer until almost cooked. Add baby spinach or chopped kohlrabi greens, allow to wilt and serve with warm naan.

Nik's Reaction: He tried 1 little piece of kohlrabi and spit it back out!

My Assessment: This meal was reminiscent of evenings at home with a sabzi and roti and I really enjoyed the feel of breaking break with my hands and rolling it around the veggies. The mustard seeds and coconut milk gave this recipe a distinctive taste of Southern India. Next time, I'm going to make kohlrabi the Punjabi way - which is what I grew up eating. Kohlrabi get an awesome A++.

Veggie Fact of the Day

New Vegetable #17 - Kohlrabi (Kadam)

Kohlrabi, also called German Turnip, belongs to the cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts family. It is one of the most commonly eaten vegetables in Kashmir where it is eaten along with the leaves (haakh) and is often prepared as a Saag. In Punjab, it is know as Kadam ka Saag and the preparation includes the greens and finely diced bulbs, in a mustard seed based spice mixture (tadka). The texture of kohlrabi is similar to that of a broccoli stem or a cabbage heart. Earlier this year, I tried making celery root, and it also reminded me of Kohlrabi. The taste is mild, sweet and has a little bit of a crunch also after it has been cooked. In the USA, Kohlrabi is often eaten raw in salads. There are several varieties of Kohlrabi that are commonly available including one called the “Purple Danube” – which is bright purple in color, although the color is mainly superficial. The purple variety is sweeter and apparently tastier than the pale apple-green variety. While buying kohlrabi, look for smaller bulbs for their edible skin. Larger bulbs appear to have a tougher more woody skin and may need to be peeled. Kohlrabi are low in calories, and high in fiber like most vegetables. Their claim to fame is a very high potassium, calcium and Vitamin A and C content.

Kohlrabi & Leek Soup

Another weekend, another experiment for my New Veggie Quest. After using 2 new ones last night, I had simple meals for breakfast and lunch and then got the crock pot going for a warm 'no-hassle' dinner, for a rather stormy evening in Central Ohio. New Veggie #17 - Kohlrabi, is not really a new veggie to me, as we ate it a lot when we were kids. However, this is the first time I prepared it myself.

Kohlrabi &Leek Soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes set up; 4 hours on HIGH in a crock pot.

Ingredients:

1. 2 Kohlrabi bulbs, diced
2. 2 Leeks, thinly sliced (New Veggie #8)
3. 2 cups Vegetable broth
4. 1 cup white button mushrooms, halved
5. 1 large tomato
6. 3 medium russet potatoes, quartered
7. 2 links Vegan sausage, sliced
8. 2 tbsp dried parsley
9. 2 tbsp dried onion flakes
10. 4-6 tbsp worcestershire sauce (to taste)
11. Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
12. 1/2 cup Quinoa (optional)

Directions:

Add all the above the ingredients to a crock pot, mix well and cook on HIGH until the chunks of potato and kohlrabi are well cooked and tender (about 4 hours). Check salt and flavoring, and adjust to taste. Garnish with freshly ground pepper and serve with toasted garlic bread. Yumm!

My Assessment:  This wasn't on my super-star meal list. But I did enjoy the flavors of kohlrabi in this soup. The use of leeks added the mild onion flavor I was looking for, without overpowering the kohlrabi. Next time, I will use larger chunks of kohlrabi and hold the vegan sausage (maybe the brand I picked up wasn't the best but I am not a fan after tonight!!). I think this soup gained nothing from the sausage. Overall a 7 on 10 for this dinner!!