Category: Veggies!

Cream of Symphony Soup

11/25/2013

I have been genuinely surprised that everyone has verbally, without provocation, told me how much they love this soup. Creamy and full of flavor. Add bacon or leave just veggies. It has so many vegetables in one serving, its a great way to get the less-used veggies into your diet.

Perfect light meal-in-a-bowl after all the holiday over eating.

1 Onion
1-2 cloves of Fresh Garlic
1 small Zucchini
1 bunch of Asparagus
1 head of Broccoli
1/2 head of Cauliflower
1 small Celery Root
1-3 tbs. Grass Fed Butter
Chicken stock or Water
5 oz. Container of Arugula
Sea Salt to taste

Peel the celery root and clean and chop up all your veggies. It doesn't matter the size as this soup will be being blended. Yippee! Easy.

Use your broccoli stems! Under that tough skin is tender broccoli flesh.

This is an other idea for your broccoli stems (Pressed Salad)

Make your chicken stock or skip this step if you're using just water. (Click here for instruction)

Saute your onions in a generous pad of butter.

Then add all your veggies, minus the arugula, and the broth to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer until everything is tender. About 15-20min.

OPTIONAL: Add 2-4 strips of bacon or turkey bacon for an added umph!

Once everything is soft, add the arugula and simmer 3-5 min.

Blend with an immersion blender or in batches in your regular blender. Season with salt to taste.

Symphony Soup.

Delish.

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Favorite Fun Juice

11/20/2013

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This is by far my #1 Juice if you ask me what combination feels right. It's a sweet, earthy juice with pick me up power. When I was Director at a local vegan restaurant and stuck at my desk, I'd call down to the juice bar. "My regular, Please." Everyone knew what to make and then it was hand delivered. Boy I miss that!

Please feel free to adjust to your liking. And refrain from drinking over white carpet or clothes... Don't ask.

2 Oranges
1 Beet
4 leaves of Kale
6 Carrots

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Pressed Salad

11/16/2013

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What the...?! Why would you want to press a salad? Most people like them un-wilted. In Japanese style macrobiotics, the pressed salad is used for live enzymes from raw food, but adding a pickling quality to make it more digestible. This is particularly useful for those with poor digestion that are sick or weak. I'm neither, but still love the crunchy, wilted style of this salad.

Hard veggies of choice (just choose 3):
Examples:
Cabbage (green or Napa)
Red Radishes or Daikon
Red Onion
Broccoli Stems
Cucumbers

If you like, something green (just choose 1):
Examples:
Root Tops for color (carrot, radish, daikon...)
Arugula
Collards

Ume Vinegar or Sea Salt
Large Bowl
Small Plate
Something Heavy

The trick to a good pressed salad is that you need to slice all your vegetables very thin. This way the pickling process happens quickly.

Here I've used Cabbage, Red Onion...

...and Radish.

But this dish is a great way to use those pesky broccoli stems that they make you buy with the tops! They're tender and have a light broccoli taste.

Take the tops off for use in another dish.

Peel the hard fibrous skin off with your knife.

Slice on a thin diagonal.

And then into a thin matchstick.

Place all your sliced veggies in a large bowl and knead in ume vinegar or salt. I can't tell you exactly how much as there are too many variables, but make sure that the veggies glisten or actually have water drip off them when you squeeze them. This amount of wetness will vary depending on the vegetable you choose.

Place a small plate on top of the veggies and then something heavy on top of the plate. This is where pressure and time help the salt to change the energy and start the pickling process.

After 15 minutes you should see water rise above the vegetables. If you don't then you need more ume or salt.

Then let it press for 30min to an hour depending on your choice of veggies. Harder veggies can have a longer time.

Strain the excess water and squeeze the veggies.

Taste them, too. If they are too salty, then rinse them and squeeze the excess water off.

Ready to eat as is or with your favorite dressing.

I like my dairy-free ranch. It makes it taste like coleslaw.

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Marinated Porto Bellos

10/26/2013

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Porto Bello.... It just rolls off the tongue. Maybe I cook them just so I can say I'm having Porto Bellos? But really, they are so meaty and add depth to any salad or hot dish you make. Stuff them or simply add them as a side dish. This is my favorite recipe to "marinate" and pan fry them. Then the world is your oyster as to what you do next.

2-3 Porto Bellos
Sea Salt
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Pepper to taste
Water or cooking wine

Wash your Porto Bellos with a dry clean towel. Make sure to cut off the dirty part of the stem.

Pan fry them in olive oil, lids down, to brown their tops a bit. Once they're brown, add salt, pepper, 2/3 water and 1/3 vinegar to cover them half way . Flip them over and add a lid. Simmer with lid ajar.

When all the liquid is gone, then you are ready for your next step.

What ever that may be!

Stuff with seasoned ground meat or other yummy mixture while cooking so both are done at the same time.

Simply chop and add to a salad.

Imagination: What will you do?
Casserole?
Sandwich?
Baked with eggs?
Frisbee?
(just checking to see if your imagination is working.)

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Cauliflower Pizza

10/17/2013

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I made this for my clients, and had to do a taste test, right? Difficult to stop tasting!!!! Who needs flour crust when something like this is sooooo goooooood? I call it Cauli Pizza (like Cali Pizza for California...)

They moved like hot cakes at a friend's play date... Yes, Children LOVE pizza, even if its made entirely of vegetables. Just keep the secret to yourself.

1 very large head of Cauliflower
2-4 tbs. Soft Goat Cheese
2 Eggs
Pinch of Salt
Italian Herbs and Spices if you like
Olive Oil
Parchment Paper
Cheese cloth
Plate
Colander
Something heavy

Sauce you prefer (I'll be posting one of my recipes soon)
Toppings you prefer (I like arugula, caramelized onions and sometimes grilled eggplant!)

Steam Cauliflower until soft. Discard water.

Blend in a blender until smooth pate.

Then pour into a colander lined with cheese cloth and twist to secure the opening. Place a plate on top and a weight on top of that (or push water out with a spatula).

This is one of my set ups in one of the kitchen I work in.

Let sit for 10-15min to drain liquid out.

While waiting for the cauliflower to drain, gather your other ingredients and prepare anything you need to for your toppings. Line your casserole with parchment paper. This makes it so much easier to serve.

As you can see, I've caramelized some onions in the background.

You can do this by sauteing in butter with a pinch of salt until they are brown and sweet. Add a little water if necessary to not burn them.

Add your eggs, salt, cheese and any spices you may like. Whip or blend with a fork until creamy.

Add a bit of olive oil to give that Italian flavor.

Pour into a parchment lined casserole dish and smooth top with a spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30min or until golden and firm to the touch.

Top with your sauce and veggies or meat. Serve hot or cold... or room temp. It's so tasty you may want to make a double batch!

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Caramelized Onion Pate

10/17/2013

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Dips are such a great way to enjoy your veggies! This is one of my favorites, and it's so easy to do. You can make it raw or roasted. Dip veggies, or spread on your favorite crackers. Either way, its a crowd pleaser.

The difference between these 2 recipes is time and time! Raw will take a lot more time, but if you prefer your dip to not be cooked, then the description is to the right!

Roasted:
2 cups Raw Cashews, we will roast
2 large Onions
1/4 pinch salt
3 Tbs. Olive Oil
3 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar(I really like to use flavored ones. Fig is my preferred)
3 Tbs. Sweetener like coconut nectar or date syrup
1 Tbs. Sea Salt
1/4 cup water

1. Place all the ingredients except water into a saute pan and saute on med low flame until the onions are golden and gooey. Add water during the browning just to make sure they don't burn.

While your sauteing, place your cashews on a sheet pan and Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15min or until golden and aromatic.

Raw:
1 1/4 cup Raw Cashews, Soak for 2-8 hours
2 large Onions
1/4 pinch salt
3 Tbs. Olive Oil
3 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs. Sweetener like coconut nectar or date syrup
1 Tbs. Sea Salt
1/4 cup water

1.Thinly slice your onions into half moons and toss in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Let sit for 1-2hours to marinate.

Then drain and place in dehydrator at 115 for 5-6 hours. Save the marinade for the blender.

Now, follow the same directions for either roasted or raw.

Separate your onions in half.

one half will go in the blender and the other will either be garnish or mixed in to the final product.

(Don't be alarmed if you have more onions than in this picture. I made a small batch this day)

Blend your cashews with all the ingredients (except half of the onions for garnish.

You want a thick pate, not a pourable texture, so add a little water if needed. This is best accomplished with a food processor or the type of blender that I have called the Nija. It has 6 blades as opposed to just on the bottom like traditional blenders, so it acts like a food processor.

Pour into your serving or storage bowl and either top with the remaining onions or stir them in.

YUMMMMMMMmmmmmmm!

One of my cracker recipes to come soon...

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Kale Chips Red Pepper

10/12/2013

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4 bunches Organic Curly Kale
1 Organic Red Bell Pepper
2 cups Organic Cashews, raw
(or 1 cup sunflower seed butter if nut-free)
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
2 tsp. Paprika
2/3 cup Lemon or Lime Juice
2 tsp. Lemon or Lime Zest
1/2-1 tsp. Sea Salt

Mmmmmmmmm Chips!

Who cares if they are green... They're yummmmmmy and hit the spot when you need crunch! They are so packed full of nutrition, too!
For some of my clients, they are a weekly must have!

Cut this recipe in 1/2 if you have a small dehydrator.

Roast your cashews in a 300 degree oven until golden brown and aromatic. If you prefer your kale chips to be raw, then soak your cashews overnight instead.

Clean and sanitize your sink. Be sure to also get the stopper for the drain. Fill with water and dunk your kale to clean off all dirt and bugs. You can add some vinegar if you like. I de-stem at this point, too. Drain the water and fluff the kale to get as much excess water off as possible.

Blend all your ingredients well. I like to make this a thick pate as the kale will be holding quite a bit of water from washing. Use the Kale to clean out the blender so you get every little bit! Knead the mixture into the kale to cover it all evenly.

Place evenly on dehydrator trays.

Dehydrate at 135 degrees for 5-8 hours.

Or if you prefer your Kale raw:
Dehydrate at 130 for 45 min and then down to 105 until done. This could take up to a day or two to get crispy.

You will know they are done when they are crunchy like potato chips and have no more wet leaves. They will darken in color.

Dig in! This made 4 big bags!

But that doesn't mean they last very long!

One of my favorite snacks of all time...

Kale chips... Come and get 'em!

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Forward>>

Cream of Symphony Soup

Favorite Fun Juice

Pressed Salad

Marinated Porto Bellos

Cauliflower Pizza

Caramelized Onion Pate

Kale Chips Red Pepper

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