Posts Tagged ‘recipes’
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
We’ve all been there… door swung open, cool air quickly escaping, staring into the depths of the fridge, hoping that something magical and tasty will appear before our very eyes. Our brains do some quick computations, itemizing all the raw materials and shifting ingredients around until we can come up with a formula that sounds yummy.
Sometimes (certainly not always!), these are moments of magic, when often disparate ingredients come together to make a truly delicious meal, made all the more tasty as it seemingly was made of nothing (”there’s nothing to eat in the house!”). While there have been many a colossal failure (eaten anyway because I hate wasting), they are usually quickly forgotten. Probably a self-protective response to shield us from the horrors of our own bad cooking!
CSA season is over, so I’m left to fend for myself when stocking my fridge… (more…)
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Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
This recipe comes from www.integrativenutrition.com. It’s easily adaptable so take out what you don’t like and add in what you do!
Ingredients
2 cups almonds, raw
1 cup pecans
2 cups walnuts, raw
2 cups pumpkin or squash seed, raw
2 cups dried cranberries (unsweetened)
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
Directions
In a bowl mix together almonds, pecans, walnuts and seeds. Cover with water and soak overnight.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Rinse and discard soaking water.
Add cranberries and add olive oil. Mix until everything is coated well.
Spread the mixture out evenly on baking sheet and place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until you can smell the roasting nuts and they start to turn color a lot. Make sure they don’t burn!
Cool and store in air-tight glass container.
Notes:
* Try any nuts and dried fruits you like, but make sure the dried fruits are unsweetened and unsulphured.
* The nuts and seeds can be soaked for a few hours to help their digestibility
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Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
Infinitely flexible and forgiving, vegetable stocks are quick and easy to make, and if you plan ahead, practically free! Save trimmings from vegetables and store them in a ziplock back in the freezer. When the bag is full…make stock! Use whatever vegetables you have on hand, but make sure you include carrots, onions, and celery, the ‘holy-trinity’ of all soup bases. You can go heavy on the mushrooms, for a more intense, earthy flavor.
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: About 35-45 min.
Serves: 4-6
2 carrots
1 red onion
2 leeks, white & green parts
3 celery stalks
1 small fennel bulb
1 cup mushrooms, including stems
4 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
6 sprigs flat leaf parsley
6 sprigs thyme
3 quarter sized slices of fresh ginger
10 coriander seeds
8-10 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon sea salt
10 cups water
Preheat oven to 400º F.
Roughly chop all vegetables, toss with olive oil, and spread on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden and soft.
Transfer vegetables to a large stock pot, add the ginger, herbs, salt, and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
Pour the stock through a fine mesh strainer, pressing to remove all the liquid. Let cool before pouring into 1-2 cup freezer containers. You can also freeze the stock in ice-cube strays, and store the stock cubes in an airtight container in your freezer.
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Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
Who says you can’t have pumpkin pie for breakfast!? This simple, but hearty breakfast is so absurdly delicious, I can’t even take it! I love all kinds of hard winter squash, but pumpkin holds a special place for me. I love anything made with pumpkin, sweet or savory. Last week I posted a recipe for a truly awesome pumpkin & sweet potato coconut curry, so I thought I’d flip things over and go for a sweet pumpkin recipe. But no, not pumpkin pie. That’s too easy, too pedestrian. This is PUMPKIN OATMEAL!
The hearty, sweet, and rib-stickiness of rolled oats, a cold weather favorite, pairs wonderfully with the sweet taste and fragrant aroma of cooked pumpkin. Throw in some pumpkin pie spices, and a little maple syrup, and it’s breakfast heaven! While fresh pumpkin is what I made this recipe with, you can always use canned if you’re in a pinch.
PUMPKIN SPICE OATMEAL
Serves 2-4
Prep Time: 2-30 min, depending on if you use canned or fresh pumpkin
Cook Time: 10 minutes
1 cup rolled oats
pinch of salt
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and ground cloves
1/2 cup pumpkin, fresh or canned*
2 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans, or almonds, or both
1. In a medium saucepan bring 2 cups of water, and a decent sized pinch of salt to a boil. Add oats, reduce heat, and simmer. Add spices and cook, until oats have absorbed most of the water.
2. If you’re using canned pumpkin, add it to the oats, stirring to combine. If you’re using fresh pumpkin, either mash it or leave it in small chunks, and add to oats, stirring to combine. Cook just to heat pumpkin through.
3. Sweeten with maple syrup, and top with toasted nuts.
*If you’re using fresh pumpkin, cut it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and roast it, cut side down in a 400 degree oven for 30-50 minutes (depending on the size of the pumpkin). Fresh is always better than canned, but roasting a pumpkin for breakfast is just not going to happen for 99% of people, myself included. That said, you can always roast the pumpkin the night before, and toss the flesh inside the fridge for the morning.
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Friday, November 6th, 2009
Breakfast is often a difficult meal for many people. Either they don’t eat it, they eat it rushed and on the go, or they eat the same thing over and over again. Earlier this year I posted about switching things up and thinking outside the box when it comes to breakfast, opening up to savory meals instead of the sweet ones we so often go for. Clients often ask me what I eat for breakfast, and I usually end up saying something like “oh, a lot of different things!”, which helps absolutely no one!
So here I’ve compiled a list of things I’ll often make for breakfast. Some of them may sound weird, but trust me…. (more…)
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Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
I love this dish because it’s easily adaptable to whatever vegetables you’ve got around. This would be great with eggplant, potatoes and green beans, or broccoli & tofu! I made this dish with quinoa, but try it with Jasmine rice, brown rice, or even rice noodles.
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: About 35-45 min.
Serves: 4-6
2 sweet potatoes, chopped in 1 inch chunks
2-3 cups pumpkin, peeled & chopped in 1 inch chunks
olive oil
1 can coconut milk
1/4 cup water
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon ground corriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more for a hotter curry)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups cooked
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salt to taste
Preheat oven to 400º F.
Place chopped sweet potato and pumpkin on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat. Roast for about 20-25 minutes until tender, but not soft.
In a blender add 3/4 cup of coconut milk, 1/4 cup water, garlic, ginger, spices, soy sauce, lime juice, and sugar. Blend until completely smooth.
When sweet potatoes and pumpkins are tender, transfer them, along with the chickpeas, to a large pot and cover with curry sauce. Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and salt to taste.
To serve, pour remaining 1/4 cup of coconut milk over dish, and garnish with cilantro.
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Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
This could not be easier or tastier! Simple roasted cauliflower is one of my favorite things to make, so turning this into a soup made perfect sense. With four basic ingredients, this makes a surprisingly complex and hearty meal! Serve this with a crusty bread for a perfect warming dinner.
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: About 40 min.
Serves: 5-7
1 large head cauliflower, broken into small florets
1 medium onion, chopped
1 russet potato, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
salt
pepper
6 cups vegetable stock
Preheat oven to 400º F.
Spread the cauliflower florets, chopped onion, cubed potato, and minced garlic on a large baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil generously over the vegetables, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
Roast for 25-30 min, until mostly tender, with a little golden color. Transfer to a large pot, add vegetable stock and simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Use an immersion blender (or regular blender) to puree the soup.
Check soup for seasoning and serve. So easy!
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Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, vegan yum yum, and instantly had to try it. I was floored by how incredible this was, and have decided to put it, and variations of it, into my regular repertoire. This recipe is really flexible so feel free to use whatever vegetables you’ve got on hand. The first time I made this it was to the letter, and the second time I added roasted yellow squash and pan-fried mushrooms. Delicious!
This feeds a crowd, so is great for parties, or freezing for a quick dinner. Don’t skimp on the sauce in terms of quantity… you’ll need every last drop. But it’s so good you could even double it to make extra. This uses a lot of pots/pans, so be prepared to clean up. But believe me, it’s SO worth it.
Check out the post for this recipe on her site, if only for her gorgeous pictures!
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: About 90 min
Serves: 9-12
3 Tbs Olive Oil
4-6 Cloves Garlic, minced (optional)
2 28 oz Cans Organic Tomatoes, blended
2 tsp Salt
4 tsp Dried Italian Herbs
Olive Oil, for drizzling
2-3 Medium Eggplants, peeled
8-10 Large Slices of Sourdough Bread
1 Cup Breadcrumbs (or 2 more pieces of bread for toasting and food processing)
1-2 Large, Ripe Tomatoes, fresh, for garnish
Basil, for garnish
In a very large skillet with high sides, or a sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Sweat the garlic for 1-2 minutes, then add tomatoes, salt, and herbs. Cook for 30 minutes (bubbling), stirring occasionally. Invert a mesh strainer over the top of the pan to prevent splatter, if desired.
Preheat oven to 400º F.
Meanwhile, prep two baking sheets with parchment paper. Peel the eggplants by slicing off the top and bottom and using the cut edge to start your vegetable peeler. Holding the eggplant vertically, cut the eggplants into 1/2 inch slices. Arrange in one layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle liberally with olive oil.
Bake eggplant for 30-40 minutes at 400º, turning once, until very, very soft and browned in some places.
Spray both sides of each slice of bread with spray oil and “grill” in a hot skillet until browned on both sides. You can also simply toast the bread, but I think you get more flavor with grilling.
In a large baking dish (a lasagna dish), spread 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce. Line the bottom of the dish with bread, filling as many as the gaps as possible without overlapping.
Place half of the eggplant on top of the bread, followed by another 1 to 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce. Add a second layer of bread. Add the second half of the eggplant, and all of the remaining sauce. Make sure that the bread is completely covered by sauce. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top. Place fresh tomato slices on the top of the lasagna, sprinkled with salt and pepper.
Bake for 40 minutes at 400º F. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before cutting.
Top with basil leaves and drizzle sweet and thick balsamic vinegar (or balsamic syrup) on the plate if desired. Enjoy!
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
While we try and stay hydrated this summer, it helps to have a few playful options. Water is great, but sometimes we want our water done up fancy! This cucumber water may seem unusual, but it’s light and so refreshing.
Prep Time: 2 min
Serves 2
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
Juice of 1 lime
sweetener to taste (agave works wonderfully here)
3 cups of water
1. Throw all ingredients into a blender and blend well.
2. Strain drink through a fine mesh strainer and serve over ice.
Couldn’t be easier!!
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
This couldn’t be easier to throw together, and the result is insanely delicious! I could go through gallons of this tea…
Large handful of mint leaves
a few slices of peeled fresh ginger
agave nectar
boiling water
Pour boiling water over the ginger and mint leaves, muddling the leaves a little help release their oils. Let cool, sweeten to taste and serve chilled with ice and a few mint leaves as garnish.
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