Category: Recipe

So…sometimes I get creative when I’m in the kitchen.  More so these days, as I now receive a big bin of fruits and veggies every Friday from my local CSA.  And I love it.  But, especially when I’m not always at home to work my way through them…I lose some of them to age.  Which I hate.  But I was determined not to let that happen this time around with the goodies I received this past week.

I did what anyone would do with another delivery lurking and a plethora of veggies still in the crisper drawer.  That’s right…I made soup.  But I decided to get a little more creative with the soup.  Put some work into it.  Not just throw a bunch of vegetables into a pot with vegetable broth and call it soup…nope.  I wanted to go a little further than that.

And that’s what this recipe is all about:

Recipe: Vegan Creamy Roasted Vegetable Soup

Servings: 6
Time: Prep 20 minutes; Cook 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 4 large celery stalks, chopped
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 4 ears of corn, grilled, then kernels sliced from the cob
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 pound red potatoes, quartered
• 1 yellow squash
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk substitute)
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Slice the yellow squash and place on a baking sheet.  Spray with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Place the green bell pepper, whole, onto the baking sheet as well and place in the oven.  Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the bell pepper.  Continue to bake for another 15 minutes before removing and allowing to cool.

Heat your outdoor grill or indoor grill pan.  Shuck your ears of corn, spray with olive oil and place on the grill.  Grill the corn, turning every few minutes until kernels begin to lightly brown.  Remove from grill pan and slice away from the cob.

While the vegetables roast in the oven, begin to chop your onion, celery, potatoes and garlic.

Place a stock pot over medium-high heat on the stove and add the olive oil.  Place the onion and celery in the pot and begin to sautee, until soft.  Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.  Toss in the roasted squash and stir.  Add the vegetable broth and bring up to a simmer.

After adding the broth begin to remove the skin from the roasted bell pepper.  Remove the seeds and chip the roasted pepper and add to the simmering soup.  Stir in.  Add the corn.  Then drop in the sliced potatoes.  Then season with the red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, tarragon, and fresh parsley.  Then add the bay leaf.  Stir well.

Turn the heat down to low and partially cover the pot.  Allow to cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the bay leaf.

Remove from heat and add 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk.  Stir.

Using an immersion blender, or doing a couple batches in a regular blender, puree the soup until it is smooth and creamy.  Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Serve.

~*~*~

This was a fun soup to make up, using the vegetables I had remaining in my fridge from my last CSA drop.  It almost tastes like a curry…it’s a fantastic flavor.  By roasting the vegetables before adding them to the soup, the flavor really popped.  The same went for grilling the corn.  It just really brought out all the sweetness and flavors in the vegetables.

Huge fan of this soup.  Not bad for just making something up on the fly.  I should do it more often…

It’s the simple things in life that bring me the most joy.  And that happened this past Friday with the delivery of my CSA bin to my front door.  Inside was a blast from my past.  English peas.  Let me tell you, my mom used to buy these from a local market where I grew up in Upstate New York and we would be out on the front porch shelling them…my sister, brother and I eating more of the peas than we put in the bowl for dinner.

Those were the days.

And when these arrived…that’s immediately what I thought of.  I love a good bit of nostalgia and one of the best providers of that is…you guessed it…food!  I won’t lie…I texted a picture of the peas to my sister and asked if she’d like to help shell them.  She replied that she’d like to help eat more than she shelled.  See…food brings back memories.  Flavors can ignite passions, memories, and the past.  And that is what cooking is all about.

So…what does one do with a pound of English peas?  Well…there are so many options…but I wanted to go with one of my favorite things to make these days: Risotto.

The base of this recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis…because always trust an Italian to know risotto.  I did add some bits and bobs to it…but, that’s what cooking is all about.

Recipe: Red Wine Risotto with English Peas

Servings: 4
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used Smart Balance)
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup English peas, shelled
• 2-3 fresh chopped shitaki mushrooms
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus additional for garnish
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Cover the broth and keep it warm over very low heat.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.  Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes until the rice is toasted.

Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 1 minute.  Add 3/4 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 6 minutes.  Repeat, adding 3/4 cup of hot broth 3 more times, stirring often, about 18 minutes longer.

Add the remaining broth and simmer until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer.

Stir in the peas, mushrooms and parsley.

Add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan.

Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Spoon the risotto into bowls.  Sprinkle additional cheese over and serve.

~*~*~

Creamy, rich, and awesome…are the three words that come to mind after I tasted this risotto.  The combination of the peas with the rice works so well.  And the red wine was the kicker.  It totally added this hint of sweetness to the entire dish.  Pair that with the salty Parmesan and it was a match made in culinary heaven.  Would I make this again?  In a heartbeat.

Risotto can be time consuming…and it can be tricky.  But with a little patience and a strong arm to keep stirring…you can throw together a masterpiece with some rice, seasoning, and whatever vegetables you have laying around the kitchen.

If there is one thing that I hate…it’s having fresh fruits and vegetables go to waste.  I try to use them up as soon as possible so that they don’t wilt or go bad before I can get used to them.  And that’s what this dinner was all about.  I had some organic tofu in the fridge and some fresh vegetables from the CSA delivery that I wanted to make sure didn’t get wasted.

I went ahead and sliced up the tofu into chunks and placed it in a plastic bag with some orange sauce to marinade overnight.  While I was at it, I cooked up some white rice the night before as well so that when I got home from work I’d only have to chop the vegetables (I got my roommate to help with the prep on this to make it go faster) and then get everything going in the wok.

So, this is a recipe of my own devising and creation…all because I won’t let things go bad in my crisper drawer.  I think vegetables are a gift…and should be used in their prime and not allowed to waste.

If you are feeling adventurous and the thought of tofu doesn’t scare you off…give my recipe a shot.  My roommate devoured it…and that’s saying something!

Recipe: Orange Tofu and Rice Stir-Fry with Asian Vegetables

Servings: 2 – 4
Time: Prep 20 minutes; Cook 15 minutes

Ingredients:

6 ounces organic tofu (I used Twin Oaks)
1/2 cup rice
1/3 cup San-J Sauce
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup bok choy
1/2 large cucumber, julienned
1/4 cup matchstick carrots
splash of hot chili oil
splash of sesame oil
salt (to taste)
dry roasted peanuts (optional)

Directions:

The night before, slice up 6 ounces of organic tofu into squares and place in a plastic bag.  Add 3-4 tablespoons of San-J Orange Sauce to the bag, seal, shake to coat tofu and leave in the fridge overnight.  In the morning, shake the bag again, and flip over to the other side.  Leave until ready to add to the wok.

Prepare the rice according to package directions.  I made 1/2 cup of white jasmine rice the night before, and pulled it out of the fridge just as it needed to be added to the wok.

Chop up the vegetables into bite size pieces.

Heat a wok on medium heat and add a splash of wok oil.

Add the yellow onion and begin to cook until the onion is translucent (about 2-3 minutes).

Add in the marinated tofu and stir in the wok.  Continue to move the onion and tofu around in the wok, allowing it to cook and sear.  When the tofu begins to brown, add the rice and the rest of the San-J Orange Sauce to the wok and begin to move the contents around so that the rice heats through.  As it cooks, add a splash of hot chili oil and sesame oil, to taste.  In addition, if needed, add a dash of salt to the stir-fry, to taste.

Once the rice is heated through, add the bok choy and cabbage and cook for 1-2 minutes more.  Then add in the cucumbers and carrots.  Cook for 1 more minute, then remove the wok from the heat.  If using peanuts, add to the wok and give the contents a good stir.

Place the stir-fry in bowls and enjoy!

~*~*~

The addition of the peanuts, I admit, was a last-minute decision.  I thought it would bring a nice texture to the dish…and I was right.  Naturally, those with peanut allergies will want to omit them, but they are optional after all.  I was actually very pleased with how this meal came out.  I haven’t used my wok very often…but this was a good experiment with doing a stir-fry and it worked out in the end.  Everything was seasoned well; nothing was overcooked.  And the flavor…was spot-on.  Not too heavy on the orange…because every flavor shined with each bite.  It never tasted the same.

Let me tell you…for a recipe I conceived half of the night before and the rest of while I was in the kitchen slicing up vegetables I was pulling out of my crisper…I was so incredibly happy with the results.

Feeling adventurous?  Go get some vegetables, grab some tofu…and use some San-J Orange Sauce…and get out your chopsticks.  This is one stir-fry I intend to make again!  And soon.  Like…this weekend…

The first time I ever tasted tzatziki was…exactly last year.  I was in St. Louis at my roommate’s aunt’s house and she had made up some.  Being the good hostess that she always is, she wanted to make sure we had some dinner in our bellies before we got some sleep.  For me, she had some grilled veggies to enjoy and then she pulled out this bowl of tzatziki.  And I was hooked.  I would find something, anything, to dip into it or put it on top of.  Delicious!

And while I always said I was going to make it myself…I never did.  But with an overabundance of cucumbers in my crisper drawer, my roommate made the suggestion herself.  Make tzatziki.

And so…that’s exactly what I did.

Recipe: Tzatziki

Servings: 16
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Mixing 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) tub of plain Greek yogurt (I used Chobani 0% Plain)
1 large English cucumber, seeds removed
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 of a red onion, finely minced
1 tsp kosher salt
lots of freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1-1/2 tsp dried dill
juice & zest of 1 small lemon

Directions:

Grate the cucumber and place it in a mesh strainer and position the strainer above a bowl.  Use a large spoon to press out all the water from the cucumber.  Sprinkle a bit of salt over top the cucumber to let the water out quicker or just wait it out.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, dill and spices together.  Add in the thick yogurt and stir well.

Stir in the cucumber and lemon zest.

Add in the juice of half of the lemon, stir and taste.  If it needs more tang, add more juice. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Dip and enjoy!

~*~*~

This version had a bit more heat behind it than I normally would think of tzatziki as having.  But it works.  And I felt the flavors balanced out beautifully.  Even the roomie, who isn’t a fan of cucumbers, said she loved it.  And she wasn’t just being nice.  She just helped me plan out tomorrow’s dinner around the taztziki.  And she even mentioned me making more of it.  So, I think the recipe is a win.

My roommate is finally coming around to the glorious, delicious, healthy wonders of the innocent and sometimes intimidating avocado.  It’s true.  She has eaten guacamole for the first time and enjoyed it.  And now…she even let me replace an Alfredo sauce over a pasta with something a little different and a little healthier…avocado.

Seriously.

And…to be honest, I once again have Pinterest to thank for this recipe turning up.  Not only is this version gluten-free, but it’s full of healthy fats and delicious flavors.  Better yet, it’s so versatile…you can dress it up however you want.  While the regular recipe called for toasted pine nuts (yeah…I can’t afford those), I instead crumbled up some blue corn tortilla chips as a garnish.  Voila.  Add whatever seasonings suit your fancy.  Get creative.  Just know…you are in for a decadent, creamy treat.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Creamy Avocado Pasta

Servings: 4
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 10 – 12 small Campari tomatoes, quartered
• 3 – 4 tbsp olive oil
• 4 servings of pasta noodles (I used Hodgson Mill Gluten-Free Penne)
• 2 ripe avocados, seed and skin removed
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 ºF.

Wash and quarter the tomatoes.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Drizzle with 1 – 2 tbsp olive oil, just enough to make the tomatoes glisten.  Bake for 1 hour in the oven.

Ten minutes before tomatoes are finished, fill a large pot with water and a sprinkle of salt.  Bring to a rapid boil.  Add the dry pasta to the water and cook until al dente.

While the pasta is boiling, add 2 tbsp olive oil, avocado, garlic, salt and lemon juice to a food processor.  Pulse until the ingredients are smooth and creamy.

Strain the pasta, and combine with the sauce in a large bowl, until all the pasta has been covered.

Add the roasted tomatoes, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Add some salt and black pepper to taste.

~*~*~

I never, ever would have thought to make a sauce out of avocado, but it works brilliantly.  I loved the green hue it coated the pasta in.  It was light and colorful.  You won’t miss the creamy, heavy Alfredo sauce because the avocado easily balances it out.  The roasted tomatoes give the dish a needed sweet and tart zing that helps level off that creaminess of the sauce.  And the saltiness of the Parmesan cheese is a great topper for seasoning it to perfection.

Avocados are a fantastic food.  They contain up to 30% healthy fats that are essential to your diet and your body.  They can help reduce the risk of heart disease, help reduce inflammation from arthritis or the onset of arthritis.  They are a natural belly flattener and can help your body actual absorb nutrients better when combined with other fat burning foods.  Avocados also reduce the signs of aging, regulate blood sugar and promote eye health.

What’s not to love?  So, go ahead…give this recipe a try.  I promise…you’ll never go back to that heavy, fattening Alfredo sauce.  This also veganizes the recipe.  Sweet!

Avocado was a surprise sauce for me…but in the end…I loved it.  Top it off and spice it up however you like.  The possibilities…are endless.