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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Green Goblin

My oldest son loves soups. And my youngest loves kale. So we put the two together and made this yummy kale & potato soup.

Green Goblin
1 T butter
1 head of dino/lacinato kale, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 red potatoes, cubed
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 ears of raw corn.
1/4 C Bragg's Amino Acid
salt and pepper
water (enough to cover, about 3-4 cups)
1/2 C cream (I used half & half because I had it on hand, but you could use any type of cream)

Saute onions in melted butter in pot for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add potatoes and pour 1/2 of Bragg's over it and cook for about 5 minutes. Add enough water to cover and bring to boil. Once it boils, simmer for about 10 minutes, until  potatoes are soft. Take potato masher and mash away. Add kale. Stand corn on end and using knife slice off cob. Add to soup. Cover with more water and rest of Bragg's, then bring to boil. Drop to a simmer and cook 5-10 minutes until kale is soft, adding garlic 1/2 way through. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper as needed. Take 2/3 of soup and blend in food processor or blender until smooth. Add back to soup, keeping on a low temp, and add in cream. Stir thoroughly and serve!

This was hands down some of the best soup I've made. So yummy and flavorful. Adding the garlic towards the end makes sure that all the garlic flavor isn't boiled out. And processing it was the best last minute idea. Kids each ate 2 bowls! Adding this to the must have list for rainy and snowy days.

Bon Appetit!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Ratatouille

I just got an eggplant from a friend and the only way I can get my dear Papa to eat it is the best peasant dish ever invented - ratatouille. When I mentioned to my kids were having this for dinner, they both thought I meant the movie and got excited. Needless to say they were a little let down when I informed them otherwise. But, once the dish was served they both gobbled it up without argument. I was also very lucky that my CSA share which came in today had some luscious tomatoes and zucchini's to throw in as well - actually, all the veggies except the eggplant were from my CSA. Yummy!!!

Ratatouille over Rice
1 medium eggplant (quartered lengthwise and sliced into thick chunks)*
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 large tomatoes, chopped into big chunks
1-2 T dried parsley
1/2 C water (this is optional, I like my ratatouille more like a stew)
1/4 C Parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper
1T walnut oil

*Usually eggplant needs to be salted, but I didn't have time to do this. If you want to eliminate some of the bitterness, cut eggplant as instructed, put in strainer and sprinkle with salt then weight down with a plate. Let sit for 20 minutes, pat down eggplant with towel and then it's ready to use.

Pre-heat oven to 350. Heat oil over medium heat in a big skillet with tight fitting lid, then saute eggplant, onions and garlic for 5 minutes. (I like to add garlic at the last minute because it enhances the flavor the less it is cooked). Remove from heat and toss in rest of vegetables, salt and pepper. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and parsley. Cover with lid and put in oven. Bake for 45 minutes, removing lid for last 5. If you want it to be more soupy, add water 1/2 way through cooking by pouring it gently around the edges so as not to disturb the cheese on top. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each serving.

I serve this dish over rice, but you can also use pasta or just eat it as is with a chunk of bread to sop up the juices. Bon appetit!

RAW Curry Noodles

I am loving all my fresh veggies from my CSA with Hatchet Cove! And as much as I like to cook up something yummy with them, I'm a huge fan of RAW foods. When you cook vegetables they tend to lose a great deal of their nutrients, so making a RAW dish keeps all those nutrients in tact, making for a yummy and healthy new food option. I've done RAW cleanses off & on for the last 2 years and it always does wonders for my health, energy and body. I lost 15 pounds in 2 weeks once, just slipped right away, because of the RAW diet. It's not for everyone, and it can be difficult to manage, but I definitely think everyone should include more RAW foods in their everyday diets to reap the benefits. So, without further ado, here is my take on something I crave every day - curry! I saw a few curry noodle recipes on GoneRaw and I thought I would whip one up of my own. This makes 2 servings, so find someone to share the curry love with.

RAW Curry Noodles
2 T Sunflower Seeds
1 T black sesame seeds
2 T walnut oil (or any other light cold-pressed oils)
1/4 C shredded unsweetened coconut
salt & pepper
curry powder - as much you like - this all depends on brand and desire for curry hotness
water - used to get a creamy substance, so add until desired consistency
1 small zucchini, sliced thin with a veggie peeler
1 small summer squash, sliced thin with a veggie peeler
1/2 tomato, diced

Blend sunflower seeds & sesame seeds in food processor until they are a fine powder. Add oil, coconut, salt and pepper, curry powder and small amounts of water until desired consistency - process until smooth. Toss of zucchini and summer squash noodles. I let mine sit over night in the fridge, but it can be eaten immediately. To serve, add tomatoes then sprinkle with salt and curry powder.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Peanut Butter Carob Balls

I made this recipe from GoneRaw, but I substituted peanut butter for the almond butter. These are decadent!

Snowballs:

Summer Squash & Green Bean Risotto

Risotto is my favorite meal to cook and eat. I love the creaminess of it, and the rich flavors of whatever veggie I use to flavor it. My absolute favorite is mushroom risotto, but alas, my man does not like mushrooms. Even though I still cook it and make him eat it, I have to play nice and cook up one that he likes every once in a while. Don't get me wrong, he'll eat the mushroom risotto because even with the mushrooms, it's his favorite dish. Now that summer is ending and I'm filling my fridge with summer squash and green beans, I came up with this recipe.

Summer Squash & Green Bean Risotto
1 C Risotto (Arborio) Rice
4-6 C stock/water
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T oil
1 small summer squash, halved length-wise and sliced
1 handful green beans, chopped into 1" pieces
1/4 Parmesan Cheese/Nutritional Yeast
2 T butter
Salt & pepper

Place stock in a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent then add rice and stir to cover with oil and onions. Cook 2-3 minutes until rice starts to brown. Slowly ladle stock into rice, one ladle full at a time. Stir rice constantly until stock is soaked in. Continue this process, stirring constantly. (You can opt to only stir every few minutes, but the rice will be creamier and taste like traditional risotto if you stir constantly). When rice is almost cooked, add squash and green beans. Cook rice until it is al dente - tender to bite, with a bit of firmness in the center. When this is achieved, add butter, salt, pepper and Parmesan Cheese/Nutritional Yeast and stir thoroughly.

I forgot to take a picture of the risotto until I had eaten most of it, but here it is in all its creamy glory!

Homemade Stock

Every weekend I take my scraps from the kitchen - vegetable peels, ends of onions, etc. - and make my own stock. By Saturday I usually have a decent sized bowl of raw veggie scraps just waiting for a purpose. I usually heat a bit of oil in a big pot (one with a tight-fitting lid) and toss in the veggies and roast them up a bit, stirring occasionally. Then once they are smelling nice, I fill the  pot with water, toss in some spices like salt and pepper, a bay leaf if you have it, and maybe a good squirt of Bragg's Amino Acid. I bring it to boil, then drop it to a simmer for a few hours. If I boil too much out, I add more water a few more times until I've squeezed every bit of life out of those veggies. Once I feel it looks good and tastes like stock, I strain out the veggies, pushing gently on them to push out all the "juice." Let the stock cool and put it in the fridge for your weekly cooking. I usually get about 2 cups worth.

Enjoy!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Summer Pasta

I had a plethora of zucchini and summer squash from my last couple of bags of CSA veggies so I decided to whip them up with some pasta tonight. The boys devoured this meal, which they usually do when there are chickpeas involved.

Summer Veggie Pasta
1 box of pasta
2 zucchini, sliced thin with a peeler
2 summer squash, sliced thin with a peeler
1 carrot, sliced thin with a peeler
1 onion, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 can chickpeas (I use dried & cook them)
1 bunch of fresh basil, chopped
1 stick butter
1 T walnut oil (or any other type of light oil)
1 lemon, juiced
salt & pepper

Cook pasta according to box. Meanwhile, heat oil in pan and saute onions and garlic until brown on medium heat. Melt butter (reserving 2 T) in a separate pan and add basil and lemon juice. Add remaining 2 T of butter to onions & garlic then toss in zucchini, squash and carrots until covered and warm. Toss pasta with basil butter mixture and add beans, and veggies. Toss and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

This was yummy and light and the kids devoured every bite. I know what I'll be making again!! Enjoy.

Cool as a Cucumber Soup

With the hot August weather, today I was craving something cool and refreshing. Here it is! A raw soup that's a snap to make with a blender.

Cucumber Soup
1 large cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 avocado
1 small clump of fresh basil
1 small fennel bulb
water
salt & pepper
curry powder
small amount of diced tomatoes
dollop of vanilla Greek yogurt

Process cucumber, avocado, fennel, and basil in blender until smooth, adding water until you get the consistency you want (I used about 1 cup). Dump into bowl and stir in salt and pepper. Put soup in fridge and let sit 1 hour to combine flavors. Serve with a sprinkling of curry powder, tomatoes and yogurt. YUM!

NOTE: All these veggies came from my CSA share at Hatchet Cove Farms in Warren, ME and that makes all the difference! SO much better than store bought veggies. Thanks Bill & Reba & crew!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Marinated Swiss Chard

I was up at my brother's house the other day and their garden has an over-abundance of swiss chard, so I lopped off a few leaves and brought them home. Sunday night, I started this RAW salad.

Marinated Swiss Chard w/ Cilantro Dressing
Cilantro Dressing
6 leaves swiss chard
1 carrot, peeled & diced

Remove stems from chard and shop leaves coarsely. Add a decent amount of dressing and massage leaves for 5 minutes. Add carrot and toss thoroughly. Set aside in refrigerator for 1-2 days (I did 2 and it was yummy). Stir and add another tablespoon of dressing. Eat.

You could add other salad type veggies if you wanted, or replace the chard with any other type of greens. We don't eat enough greens in our diet, so this is how I started getting more of them - RAW is always better because when you cook food it takes away most of the vital nutrients and taste. I love to do this with Kale, too. The key is to massage, massage, massage! It breaks down the green, naturally wilting it to a cooked consistency. This is a yummy go to lunch or toss it in a lettuce/cabbage leaf and make it a wrap. I was thinking some avocado slices and tomatoes would be yummy, too. I have some left over so maybe tomorrow I'll spice it up a bit. Think of it as a base and go from there!

Enjoy!!!!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Summer Veggie Tofu Pot Pie

With the rainy day I thought it would be a good time to turn on the oven and cook us up a warm summer veggie pot pie.
2 pie crusts
3 medium red potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, peeled & sliced
1 zucchini, peeled & cubed
1 handful fresh green beans, chopped into 1" pieces
1/2 lb firm tofu, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3T butter
3T flour
2 C broth
1 T walnut oil
1 T bragg's amino acid
Preheat oven to 400

Steam potatoes, zucchini, carrots and green beans and set aside. Toss tofu into bragg's. Heat 1 T oil on medium heat then toss in tofu and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often to keep from sticking. Add onions and saute for a few minutes until translucent. In a smaller pan, add 3 T butter and melt over medium heat. Add 3 T of flour and whisk until brown and bubbly, about 5 minutes, making a roux. Slowly add broth into roux and whisk until well blended. Add steamed veggies, tofu and onions and combine. Put in a pie pan with bottom crust, then cover with top crust and cut slits for steam vents. Bake for 30 minutes, then let sit 10 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Re-Runs Re-Vamped

I was "cooking" for myself tonight because Papa was at work and the kids wanted eggs. So, I took the left-over tomato avocado sauce from last night's meal (see previous post for recipe) and the pesto, and made something new!


Creamed Tomato Pesto Soup
1 C Creamy tomato/avocado sauce (ingredients & directions in previous post)
2 T Pesto (ingredients & directions in previous post)
2 T Fennel bulb, fresh
1/8 t cumin
salt & pepper, to taste
2 T water
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 tomato, diced

Process fennel in food processor until finely minced. Add pesto, tomato avocado soup & cumin, to fennel and process until smooth, adding water a little bit at a time until desired consistency is reached. Spoon into bowl and top with cucumbers, tomato, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Raw Zucchini Veggie Rolls

The kids were away, and since they aren't overly fond of elaborate raw food meals, I decided to make the Papa and I something yummy and raw to celebrate being kid free for one night.

*all our veggies for this meal (except the pepper) were straight from our CSA share with Hatchet Cove Farms in Warren - http://hatchetcovefarm.com/


Zucchini Veggie Rolls:
1-2 Zucchini's
1 small carrot, shredded or shaved with vegetable peeler
2-3 broccoli, florets, chopped

Basil Pesto:
handful of fresh basil
2 T pine nuts
1 clove garlic
1/4 C oil (I used Walnut)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Creamy Tomato & Avocado Sauce:
2 tomatoes
1 avocado
1/2 small onion
1/3 small orange pepper
couple of basil leaves
salt & pepper to taste

Make pesto first by putting all ingredients in a food processor and blending until desired consistency, adding more oil, or even a teeny bit of water if needed.

For Zucchini Rolls, peel zucchini and then take the peeler and shave off long thin slices, as many as you can. The center area will be difficult so if you can't get slices from there, use a 2nd zucchini to get desired amount. Save unused zucchini for something else - don't waste it! Lay 3 pieces of zucchini (or however many to get desired width), overlapping each other on a plate, like if you were building lasagna. Spread a dollop of pest over the zucchini and at one end put chopped broccoli. Then spread carrots over rest of layer. Starting at the broccoli end, roll zucchini - I had to use a butter knife to slide under the edge and get it going nice and even, without dropping any zucchini slices. Place zucchini roll on plate. Do as many as desired. 3 is very filling.

For sauce, place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Adjust seasonings until desired taste. You may want to add a clove of garlic. I didn't, but I think it would add a nice zing. Any other Mediterranean type herbs and spices would be great, too. I didn't have any on hand, but Parsley and perhaps a bit of thyme would of been nice. Once sauce is blended, spoon over zucchini rolls.

*Any left-over sauce would also make a lovely cold soup, like a creamy gazpacho, maybe with some cucumbers or fennel chopped up in it for texture. Or, add a bit of apple cider vinegar and make a salad dressing out of it.

Serve zucchini rolls with a light mixed green salad. I used the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette recipe from Goneraw.com for mine: http://goneraw.com/recipe/cilantro-lime-vinaigrette-dressing

Enjoy with a nice glass of wine. We drank a red from Argentina that was medium-bodied, not too robust or oakey, but not too fruity. It paired very nicely with the flavors of the meal.

Bon Appetit!