RootDown LA

You Can Also Find our Recipes in a more easily readable format on WeGottaEat

Here’s where we post some of the recipes we use, to make all those nasty veggies taste better!  We aim for foods that are easy, affordable and healthy to eat!  Read through for Spanish and English versions.

Also, look for our Top Techniques to make Nasty Veggies Taste Better: ABCGS ² Acid, Blanche, Caramelize, Grate, Salt and Sautee – throughout the recipes!

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Beets and Greens Quesadillas

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 medium-size onion, sliced thinly
1 unpeeled beet, sliced very thinly
1 bunch 4 to 5 cups beets greens, chopped finely
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp water
6 (8 inch) or 3 (10 inch) tortillas
1 heaping cup of Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

1. Heat the oil in a 10 or 12 inch skillet. Add the onion and beet, and sautee over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes, stirring often.

2. Add the greens, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and water, and stir until the spices and salt are well distributed. Cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and all the water has evaporated.

3. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a bowl, then wash and dry the skillet. Heat the clean skillet over medium-low heat and oil lightly. Lay a tortilla in the pan, then spread about 2 tablespoons of cheese over half of the tortilla. Cover the cheese with 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons of the cooked vegetables. Spread another tablespoon of cheese over the vegetables, then fold the tortilla in half and flip it with a spatula. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until the tortilla is nicely browned and the cheese is melted through.

Remolacha y los Verdes Quesadillas

1 cucharada de aceite vegetal
1 / 2 cebolla mediana, en rodajas finas
1 remolacha sin pelar, en rodajas muy finas
1 manojo de 4 a 5 tazas de hojas de remolacha, finamente picado
1 cucharadita de chile en polvo
1 / 2 cucharadita de comino molido
1 / 2 cucharadita orégano seco
1 / 2 cucharadita de sal
2 cucharadas de agua
6 (8 pulgadas) o 3 (10 pulgadas) tortillas
1 taza colmada de Monterey Jack o queso cheddar

1. Calentar el aceite en una sartén de 10 o 12 pulgadas. Añadir la cebolla y la remolacha, y cocine a fuego medio-alto durante unos 6 minutos, revolviendo con frecuencia.

2. Añadir las verduras, el chile en polvo, comino, orégano, sal y agua, y revuelva hasta que las especias y la sal están bien distribuidos. Cocine a fuego medio durante 2 ó 3 minutos, o hasta que las verduras estén blandas y toda el agua se haya evaporado.

3. Transferir el verduras cocidas en un bol, a continuación, lavar y secar la sartén. Calentar la sartén limpia sobre fuego medio-bajo y ligeramente grande. Coloque una tortilla en la sartén, luego se extendió alrededor de 2 cucharadas de queso más de la mitad de la tortilla. Cubra el queso con 2 a 3 cucharadas colmadas de las verduras cocidas. Extender otra cucharada de queso sobre los vegetales, luego doble la tortilla por la mitad y tapa con una espátula. Cocine durante 1 a 2 minutos por cada lado, hasta que la tortilla se dore bien y el queso se derrita a través.

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TUNA SALAD WITH TUMANY VEGGIES

 

(if you ask me)!

Ok no joke, when Warren brought this recipe in recently I said, “Oh sure Warren, I can hardly choke down tuna with celery if it’s not cut super fine.  You think these kids are gonna wanna eat tuna with onions, carrots, cucumber AND celery?”

BOY WAS I WRONG!  “In my FACE!” The kids were too polite to say…
During our Friday tastings at Jefferson High, even the kids who’d never COOKED with us before were eating it up.

2 cans tuna
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
3 carrots, grated
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
3 Tbs fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 Tbs fresh lime juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.  Season to taste!

CARROT MINT SALAD

Carrots can taste pretty boring if you don’t add some flavor to them.  Believe it or not, if you didn’t like carrots before, you’ll like’em now!  Want to take an added risk?  Throw in some BEETS! They’ll add some color and taste even better than the carrots.  No joke.  People who say they hate beets love them grated in salads!

$$ Money saving tip: You can use green onions/scallions or even some finely grated white or yellow onion instead of chives, for extra flavor.

Whisk together:

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of ground pepper
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

Toss in:
1 lb carrots, peeled, coarsely grated and salted. (And don’t forget those grated beets for more color and nutrients!)

Add in:
2 Tbs fresh chives
3 Tbs fresh minced mint leaves
Served slightly chilled or at room temperature.

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JENNIE COOK’S ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

From Jennie’s Mystery Lunch Box Cook-Offs

Zucchini squash are growing in abundance in summer.  We use our Grating technique to break down these little veggies, light fry them until they are crisp, and serve them with sour cream, salsa or tomato sauce!

•    3 pounds (approx. 5-6 medium sized) zucchini
•    1 1/3 cups plain fine dry bread crumbs
•    1 tsp baking powder
•    2 large eggs, lightly beaten
•    1/2 teaspoon dried basil (Try oregano, fresh mint or cayenne too!)
•    Approx one cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil for frying
•    Salt and pepper

Grate zucchini on a box grater or in a food processor with the medium shredding disc.  Transfer zucchini to a bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons of salt.  Let stand for 30 minutes.  Squeeze zucchini in batches in a kitchen towel to remove as much water from them as possible.  Transfer zucchini to a large bowl and stir in bread crumbs, eggs, basil or other spices, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees now if you are serving immediately and want to keep these warm.  You can also reheat these in a pan later.
Heat 1/3 cup oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.  Scoop 2 tablespoons of the mixture and drop it onto the skillet, flattening it with a fork slightly so it cooks evenly.  Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side.  Transfer to a paper-towel lined baking sheet to keep in the oven.

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RANCH DRESSING – the RootDown way!

It starts with Ranch.  When we start working with a new group of kids, they are almost always willing to eat at least SOME kind of veggie if they can dip it in – guess what – Ranch Dressing

Why do we make our own ranch dressing?

Many store-bought dressings have unhealthy ingredients like MSG and high fructose corn syrup.  We like this Ranch because it doesn’t have all the chemicals and preservatives that many store bought brands do.  You can make it just the way YOU like and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat your favorite salad or veggies. (You can also smother your less favorite veggies in it if it helps you eat your veggies!)  Lots of veggies +  healthier Ranch = healthy eating!

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup buttermilk and 1.5 tablespoons (more or less to get correct thickness)
1 teaspoon dried chives
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1.5 teaspoons dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.   Add the buttermilk until it’s as thick as you want it – more for a salad dressing and less for a dip.
Adjust salt & pepper and spices to taste
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving (or not but flavors will mix better if given a little time to hang out together).

Rancho Aderezo
Estilo RootDown Los Angeles

¿Por qué hacemos nuestro propio rancho aderezo?
Debido a que muchos compran en la tienda su aderez sin saber que tiene ingredientes poco saludables y extraños, como MSG y de jarabe de maíz alto en fructosa. ¡Qué asco!!

Nos gusta este estilo de aderez echo en casa, porque no tiene todos los productos químicos y conservantes que  usan muchas de las marcas de aderez que oferece la marketa. Puede que el sabor sea sólo TU favorito y guárdalo en el refrigerador hasta que estés listo para comer tu ensalada favorita o verduras. (También puedes ahogar tus verduras favoritas en tu aderez si te ayuda a comer tus verduras!)

Muchas porciones de vegetales +rancho aderezo = comer saludable!

Tiempo de preparación: sólo 5 minutos!
1 taza de mayonesa
1 taza de crema agria
1 taza de lechemantequilla y 1.5 cucharadas (más o menos para
conseguir el espesor correcto)
1 cucharadita de cebollino
1 cucharadita de perejil seco
1,5 cucharaditas de eneldo seco
1 /2 cucharadita de polvo de ajo
1 / 2 cucharadita de cebolla en polvo
1 / 4 de cucharadita de sal
1 / 4 cucharadita de pimienta negra

En un tazón grande, bata la mayonesa, crema agria, el cebollín, perejil, eneldo, ajo en polvo, cebolla en polvo, sal y pimienta. Agregue la lechemantequilla hasta que esté tan espeso como quieras – mas para una ensalada y menos para un vegetal chapuzon.
Ajustar la sal y pimienta y especias al gusto.

Cubra y refrigere por 30 minutos antes de servir (o no, pero los sabores se mezclan mejor si se les da un poco de tiempo para pasar el rato juntos).