shaved fennel salad

shaved fennel salad

*photo from 101cookbooks
* recipe adapted from 101cokbooks

If you're using a knife to prep here, do your best to slice things very, very thinly - not quite see through thin, but close

1 medium-large zucchini, sliced into paper thin coins
2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and shaved paper-thin
2/3 cup loosely chopped fresh dill
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
2 tbsp tahini
fine grain sea salt
4 or 5 generous handfuls arugula
Honey, if needed
1/2 cup / 2 oz/ 60g almonds toasted
1/3 cup / 2 oz / 60g / feta cheese, crumbled

Combine the zucchini, fennel and dill in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, olive oil, tahini and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside and marinate for 20 minutes, or up to an hour.

When you are ready to serve the salad, put the arugula in a large bowl. Scoop all of the zucchini and fennel onto the arugula, and pour most of the lemon juice dressing on top of that. Toss gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust with more of the dressing, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini,or salt if needed. If the lemons were particularly tart, you may need to counter the pucker-factor by adding a tiny drizzle of honey into the salad at this point. Let your taste buds guide you. Serve topped with almonds and feta.

Serves 4 to 6.

carob chip, cranberry, and coconut macaroons

Carob Chip, Cranberry, and Coconut Macaroons

*recipe adapted from oh she glows

• 2 2/3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut (to make coconut butter)
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 (additional) cups shredded unsweetened coconut
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or nuts of choice)
• 1/2 cup carob chips
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat the oven to 300F and line a baking sheet with a non-stick mat or parchment. In a food processor, process 2 and 2/3 cups of shredded coconut and 3 tbsp of water t for about 5-8 minutes until a coconut butter forms. You will have to keep scraping down the sides of the bowl. Alternatively, you can use 1 cup of store bought coconut butter.

2. Once you have made the coconut butter, add maple syrup and vanilla extract and pulse until combined. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor pulsing and scrapping sides until just combined.  Poor mixture into a bowl and  mix ingredients further with a spatula. 

3. Using a small ice cream scoop - scoop about 1-2 tbsp of dough onto a baking sheet. Alternatively, role 1 - 2 tbsp of dough to form a ball and place on baking sheet.  You don’t have to leave much room in between as they do not spread out. Bake for 17- 25 minutes at 300F.  Watch them closely after 17 minutes. The bottoms of my macaroons should be golden in colour.
4. Allow the macaroons to sit for 25 minutes so they can firm up. If you do not do this, the macaroons will crumble, so this step is crucial! Store in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container. Makes about two dozen macaroons.

* note walnuts, carob chips, and cranberries can be substituted or eliminated for ingredients of your choice.  Lemon juice, vanilla bean, almond extract, pecans, or cocoa would be great alternatives!

Pan Roasted Cauliflower

Pan Roasted Cauliflower

* recipe and photo found at Fresh365

1/4 c pine nuts (optional)
1 large head cauliflower, cut into tiny florets
2 T olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 t ground mustard
1/2 t salt
pepper, to taste
2 T chopped chives

In a large sauté pan, add pine nuts over medium heat, and cook, stirring often, 5-7 minutes, until toasted. Transfer pine nuts to a serving bowl. Place pan back on heat and add cauliflower, olive oil, lemon juice, ground mustard and salt. Cook, 10-12 minutes, shaking or stirring every few minutes, until cauliflower is golden brown. Transfer cauliflower to the serving bowl with pine nuts. Season to taste with pepper, and top with chives.

Marinated Kale

Marinated Kale

*picture found here
1 bunch of Kale - chopped
3 cloves garlic - diced (garlic optional)
Juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon sea salt

Combine Kale and garlic in a medium sized bowl. Pour lemon juice over Kale and garlic. Sprinkle salt over Kale and massage Kale for 1 minute or until well coated with lemon juice.

You can eat Kale immediately or let it sit over night (up to five days in the fridge).

Marinated Kale can be a great addition to salad greens, shredded cabbage etc.

Notes on Kale
Kale provides one of the highest nutrition per calorie ratio. Kale is a part of the brassica family. Other members include cabbage, collard greens and brussle sprouts. High in calcium, lutein, iron, and Vitamins A, C, and K, kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli! It is also a great source of fiber. But what makes kale really stand out are the phytochemicals sulforaphane and indoles which kale is abundant in. Research suggests that these important nutrients protect us against cancer.

Research has found that kale’s sulpher containing phytonutrients activate detoxifing enzymes in the liver that help neutralize potentially carcinogenic substances. When we eat kale, our genes increase production of enzymes involved in detoxification, and our bodies eliminate harmful compounds. Kale is one of the powerhouses in it’s ability to help our bodies be healthy.

kale and apple salad

Kale and Apple Salad

* recipe and photos from design sponge

Salad Ingredients
1 large bunch of kale, washed (about 7 cups loosely packed)
1 Golden Delicious apple, cut into matchstick slices
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, thinly sliced with carrot peeler

Dressing Ingredients
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon molasses (not blackstrap)
1 teaspoon coarse ground mustard
1 small shallot, finely diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vegetable stock

Pecan Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
pinch of allspice
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup pecan halves

Instructions

1. Using a sharp knife, cut away think center stems of kale leaves and discard stems. Stack several leaves, tightly roll them into a cigar shape and slice them into thin ribbons. Repeat until all leaves are thinly sliced.

2. In a small bowl, combine molasses, vinegar, mustard, shallots, oil and stock, and season with salt and pepper. Toss dressing with kale, apple and cheese, and let sit at room temperature for one hour.

3. Heat butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in cinnamon, allspice, pepper, sugar and pecans. Toast pecans for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until the sugar has melted and the pecans are lightly toasted. Spread on wax paper to cool. Toss pecans with salad and serve.

two salad dressings

Eva's Salad dressings

Salad dressing #1

• 1 shallot
• lemon juice from 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup of oil
• 3 tsp celery seeds
• 1 tbsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp paprika (optional)
• 1/3 cup honey

Combine ingredients in a blender or food processor.

Salad dressing #2

• 1 clove of garlic (pressed)
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 6 tbsp oil

Combine ingredients in a blender or food processor.

Corn and Cilantro Chowder

Corn and Cillantro Chowder (no cream)
* recipe adapted from summer harvest chowder recipe in Rebar Modern Food Cookbook
* photo from unknown source

Ingredients:

• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 tsp salt
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 4 small red potatoes, diced
• 3 jalapeno peppers, diced (optional)
• 2 red peppers, diced
• 4 cups corn fresh or frozen (about 3 cans of corn)
• 3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• fresh lime juice to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped basil or 3 tbsp of pesto

* optional - top with bacon bits

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil or butter in a soup pot and saute onion with 1 tsp salt, until soft and golden. Add garlic,cracked pepper, oregano and half of the basil; saute 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes, jalapenos, red pepper, corn and remaining salt. Saute briefly, then add stock to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender.
2. Add tomatoes, remaining basil and cilantro. Heat through, season to taste and serve.

lentil soup

Lentil Soup
*photo from 101cookbooks
 recipe adapted from 101 cookbooks

4 cups of vegetable or mushroom broth
2 cups of water
2 cups green french lentils
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cups water 
3 cups of a big leafy green (chard, kale, etc), rinsed well, deveined, finely chopped

Bring 4 cups of broth and 2 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan, add the lentils, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and salt and saute until tender, a couple minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, lentils, and water and continue cooking for a few more minutes, letting the soup come back up to a simmer. Stir in the chopped greens, and wait another minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning if need be. Ladle into bowls, and serve with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.

Variations:

- You can serve it with a poached egg on top,
- or crunchy, fried shallots,
- with a drizzle of chive infused cream,
- or with chunks of tiny pan-fried butternut squash cubes.

- Make a thicker version by using just a bit of water, and then spoon it over an omelette in the morning.

- Have some cooked farro or wheat berries around? Toss some faro, wheat berries or millet might be good too.

- You can finish the soup by adding your favorite spices or spice blends. Smoked paprika, crushed chiles, toasted cumin, would all work nicely.

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

* Picture from 101 cookbooks

* Recipe adapted from 101 cookbooks

1 cup yellow split peas


1 cup red split lentils

7 cups / 1.6 liters water


1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice


2 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger


2 tablespoons curry powder


2 tablespoons butter 


8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced


1/3 cup golden raisins chopped

156 ml  tomato paste
 (or one mini can)

1 14-ounce can coconut milk


2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt

2 tbsp honey

1 ½ cup cooked quinoa

1 can of diced tomatoes (398 ml)

one small handful cilantro, chopped

cooked brown rice or farro, for serving (optional)

Give the split peas and lentils a good rinse - until they no longer put off murky water. Place them in an extra-large soup pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/4 of the ginger. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.

In the meantime, in a small dry skillet or saucepan over low heat, toast the curry powder until it is quite fragrant. Be careful though, you don't want to burn the curry powder, just toast it. Set aside. Place the butter in a pan over medium heat, add the green onions, the remaining ginger, and raisins. Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two more.

Add the toasted curry powder to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the simmering soup along with the coconut milk, salt, honey, cooked quinoa, and diced tomatoes. Simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or so. The texture should thicken up, but you can play around with the consistency if you like by adding more water, a bit at a time, if you like. Or simmer longer for a thicker consistency.

You may enjoy big ladles of this soup over ~1/2 cup of warm farro or brown rice would be good as well. Sprinkle each bowl with cilantro and green onion.

Kabocha Squash French Lentil Soup

Kabocha Squash French Lentil Soup
*Photo from 101 Cookbooks
*Recipe adapted from 101 cookbooks

1 kabocha or buttercup squash 1 1/2 lb

1/2 cup water


1 tablespoon olive oil


2 tsp sea salt
(divided)

1 cup green lentils, rinsed


5 coins ginger, 1/8-inch thick


1 whole star anise


8 cups water


2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste


1/4 cup / 60 ml olive oil


1 yellow onion, medium dice


1 leek, sliced into

1/4 moons


1 fennel bulb, medium dice

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp sugar

Sour cream (optional - topping)

Croutons *see below

Preheat oven to 425F, with the rack in the top third of the oven.

Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Oil and salt the squash and roast cut side down (in a rimmed baking pan) with the 1/2 cup of water poured into the pan. Roast until tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. When cool enough, scoop out cooked squash and set aside.

In the meantime, in a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, ginger, star anise and water. Simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt.

In a large stockpot combine the olive oil, onion, leeks, fennel, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 tsp salt. Cook covered over low heat until vegetables soften, about 7 - 10 minutes.

Remove the star anise and ginger coins from the lentil sauce pan, then add the lentils, lentil broth and squash to the vegetables in the stock pot. Add 2 tbsp sugar. Stir well and cook for another 15 minutes or so, allowing the flavors to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning here with more salt / cinnamon/ sugar if needed.

Serve as is, or topped with sour cream and lots of garlicky homemade croutons.*

*For the croutons I simply rip up the remainder of a day-old loaf of bread into tiny shreds, douse it in olive oil, garlic, and a bit of salt, and toast it in the oven until golden and crunchy - set the oven to 375.

Apple and Carrot Shortbread

*Recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks

*Picture from 101 Cookbooks

You're going to want to use metal (or sharp-edged) cookie cutters here, it will help cut through the shreds of apple/carrot more easily.

1/4 cup  semolina flour 

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt


3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature


2/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup grated carrot

1/4 cup grated apple, grated


zest of one lemon

milk

Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Combine the semolina, flours, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir the carrot, apple, and lemon zest into the flour mixture, and mix until well coated and evenly dispersed.

Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until a dough forms, then knead a couple times to bring everything together. Split the dough in two, flatten each piece into an inch-thick patty, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes.

When you're ready to bake the shortbread, roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface ¼ inch thick. Use a metal cutter to stamp out cookies, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush lightly with a bit of milk and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to brown just a bit.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Gluten Free Muesli

Gluten Free Muesli

* recipe adapted from green kitchen stories and photo by green kitchen stories

Gluten Free Muesli
2 big glass jars

2 cups quinoa flakes
1 cup hemp seeds
1 cup almonds (chopped)
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup walnuts (chopped)
1 cup dried coconut flakes

4 tbsp honey
3 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix the dry ingredients with apple syrup and cinnamon. Spread them out on the baking sheets and let it roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Stir around a couple of times to keep it from getting burnt.

3/4 cup dried dates (chopped)
1 cup  dried apricots (chopped)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup raisins

1 cup puffed buckwheat
1 cup puffed amaranth

While the dry ingredients are in the oven, chop the soft ingredients roughly and put in a large bowl. Let the roasted dry ingredients cool of before stirring it all together.
Store the muesli in large glass jars.

fall vegetable pesto soup

fall vegetable soup

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion 

2 leeks

5 garlic cloves

2 beets (roasted and sliced)

2 tomatoes (chopped)

1 1/2 cups of crushed tomatoes

1 apple (grated)

2 carrots (grated)

1 can of black beans

2 cups of cooked or canned lentils

3/4 cup of pesto or chopped basil leaves

4 cups of vegetable broth

2 cups of water

Salt and Pepper to taste

1) Slice beets in half and roast in a 350 F oven until tender (30-40 min). Cool, remove peel and dice.

2) Dice onion, garlic and leaks.  Saute in soup pot with 1 tbsp of oil.

3) On medium heat - Add diced beets, tomatoes and crushed tomatoes.

4) Add grated apple, grated carrots, black beans, lentils, pesto, vegetable broth ( I used organic mushroom broth).

5) Add salt and pepper to taste.

6) Add approximately 2 cups of water - assess consistency, add less if you would like a thicker soup.

7) Turn heat down to low and simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Black Bean Brownies

Amazing Black Bean Brownie Recipe
* adapted from 101 cookbooks
* photo from 101 cookbooks

Keep these brownies in the refrigerator, they will slice much better if refrigerated several hours or preferably overnight.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate


½ cup unsalted butter


2 cups soft-cooked or canned black beans, drained well

3 tbsp cocoa powder

1 cup walnuts chopped

1 tablespoon vanilla extract


3 large eggs


1/2 cup corn syrup (or agave nectar)

¼ cup honey

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

- Prepare (grease) a 9 inch square baking pan.

- Melt the chocolate and butter in a sauce pan. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely.

- Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and cocoa in a food processor.  Blend for about 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add melted chocolate mixture to bean mixture and blend for 1 minute. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Pour chocolate / bean mixture into a bowl, mix in remaining walnuts and set aside.

- In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the corn syrup and honey and beat well. Set aside.



Combine the egg mixture with the bean/chocolate mixture.  Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)

Thai chicken soup

Thai chicken soup
4.5 cups of coconut milk (3 cans)
6 cups of chicken stock
2 pieces of frozen galangal root (optional)
1 tbsp of grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sugar
rind from 1 lime
3 tbsp thai red curry paste
1 lemongrass stalk (cut into 1 inch pieces)
3 cups of of shredded cooked chicken
3 cups of mushrooms
1/4 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
4 carrots, julienned or grated
2 red peppers, sliced thinly
2 cups of fresh cilantro, chopped
3 cups of cooked rice

In a large soup pot, bring coconut milk and stock to a boil.  Add galangal root, ginger, lemon juice, fish sauce, sugar, lime rind, thai red curry paste, and lemongrass.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Add chicken mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, red pepper, cilantro and rice.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Taste and add more lemon juice, sugar, fish sauce, curry paste as needed.  Garnish with cilantro.

Green beans with Thai style sesame sauce

Green beans with Thai style sesame sauce
1/2 pound green beans
2 tblsp cashew butter
1 tblsp sesame oil
1 tblsp rice vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 1/2 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1. Steam the green beans over boiling water until just tender.

2. In a medium bowl, blend together the cashew butter, sesame oil, vinegar, honey, tamari, and ginger. Add the beans and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature.

Pesto with cashews

Pesto
4 cups of Fresh Basil (packed)
3 garlic cloves
2 tsp of rock salt
2/3 cup cashews
2/3 cup olive oil
fresh parmesan cheese


Use a mortar and pestel to crush the garlic cloves and rock salt.  Blend basil, garlic / salt mixture, cashews and olive oil in a food processor.  Add parmesan cheese to pesto before serving.


* if you have an abundance of basil... make several batches at once and freeze in ziplock bags or in ice cube trays.

Glory Bowl with excellent dressing

* adapted from Whitewatercooks cook book
 Ingredients: (SERVES 4)
    The Bowl
    4 cups brown rice
    1 cup beets, grated
    1 cup carrots, grated
    1 cup almonds, toasted
    2 cups spinach leaves
    1 package firm tofu cut into 1/2-inch cubes
     Dressing
     1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes *
     2 tbsp water
     3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
     3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
     1 clove garlic, crushed
     3/4 cup sunflower oil
     1 tbsp tahini paste
Directions:
1. Prepare rice and set aside.
2. Sauté tofu cubes in a skillet with a little vegetable oil.
3. To prepare dressing combine nutritional yeast flakes, water, tamari or soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, tahini and crushed garlic in blender. Add oil in a steady stream.
4. To assemble the bowls, place cooked brown rice into 4 bowls, top with beets, carrots, spinach leaves, almonds, and sautéed tofu cubes.
5. Drizzle bowls generously with the dressing.

We also make this into a delicious wrap using whole-wheat flour tortillas and all the same vegetables with falafel instead of tofu.
*Nutritional yeast flakes can be found at any natural foods store.

Bran muffins

Moist, sweet and healthy bran muffins!  Perfect for a meal on the go.

Bran Muffins

adapted from eva's recipe

2 cup flour

1 1/2 cup bran

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp grated orange rind

2 cup butter milk

1 egg

1/2 cup molasses

4 tbsp melted butter

3/4 cup of chopped dates

1/2 cup sliced almonds

combine wet and dry ingredients.  distribute combined ingredients into greased muffin tins.  

Bake at 350 F for 23 minutes.

*Makes 12 large muffins

Honey cilantro basil dressing

Picture by guilty kitchen

Honey Cilantro Basil Dressing

recipe adapted from guilty kitchen

1/4 cup Rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar

Juice of 1 Lime

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp  Honey

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup cilantro (loosely packed)

1 cup basil (loosely packed)

Salt & White pepper to taste

1. In small bowl or food processor, combine vinegars, Lime juice, Dijon & honey.

2. Drizzle olive oil into vinegar mix while mixing / blending.

3. When all is combined, add salt & pepper. Allow to sit for an hour or more to allow flavours to meld and intensify.