It's been a tremendous labor of love, but we are thrilled to say prayers have been answered and the rumors are true: we wrote a cookbook! And it's filled with 100 of the most earth-shatteringly delicious, decadent and ultimately healing recipes. Many are recipes clients have been asking for, for years— while others are brand new and soon to be favorites.
On the Upper East Side, we spent the better part of last winter recipe testing, creating, and playing in the kitchen to curate the collection of recipes that are both eye candy and good for the soul. But, just as deleted scenes are some of the best parts of a movie, we wanted to share a few standout recipes that didn't make the printed book and are just as phenomenal as the 100 that did. We thought we'd tease them to you here, so you can whip up your own nourishing Sakara meals on the weekends when delivery is just a Monday away.
Black Bean Pasta with Almond Romesco
While we welcome the call to enjoy all types of foods, there are some foods that we want to indulge in more frequently, without compromising how kind we’re being to our bodies. Pasta pretty much tops that list, and, luckily, there are now a ton of noodle alternatives that are just as sumptuous as a steaming bowl of the traditional wheat-based varieties. We especially love black bean pasta, which delivers all the heart-healing, antioxidant-powering, fiber-scrubbing goodness that comes from eating the legumes themselves. We top this dish with our nod to Spanish Romesco sauce, a robust mix of almonds, roasted red peppers, olive oil, and sherry vinegar.
Inspired by Whitney’s two years living in Spain, it calls to mind the fields of Catalonia, where every year residents partake in the ritual of grilling spring onions and dipping them in this creamy, smoky sauce. We recommend doubling or even tripling a batch and storing it in the freezer (which you can do for up to two months), for any time you need a trip to the Spanish countryside.
Ingredients:
Serves 4
For the Romesco sauce:
1 cup (140 g) roasted red peppers, drained
½ cup (55 g) sliced almonds, toasted
½ cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup (60 ml) plus 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
4 small cloves garlic
1 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
For the vegetables:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 cups (360 g) baby kale
½ cup (25 g) packed fresh cilantro leaves
Himalayan sea salt
1 large zucchini, sliced into ½-inch (12 mm) half-moons
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced into ½-inch (12 mm) half-moons
1 cup (175 g) corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
For finishing:
1 (8-ounce/225 g) package uncooked black bean pasta
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
4 sprigs fresh cilantro, leaves picked
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
Process:
Make the Romesco: In a blender, combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Make the vegetables: In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the kale, cilantro, and a pinch of salt. Toss the greens as they cook, about 2 minutes, until just wilted. Transfer the greens to a large serving bowl.
Discard any liquid from the pan and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, corn, and garlic and season with a pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper. Cook until the zucchini is just tender, about 3 minutes.
Assemble the pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and toss with a healthy drizzle of the Romesco sauce. Top the kale with the dressed pasta and then the vegetables. Garnish with the almonds, cilantro, and hemp seeds. Serve with more sauce, if desired.
