Sweet Potato and Pear Soup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sweet Potatoes, Olive Oil

Wash and cut in half lengthwise about 4 sweet potatoes. Lightly season a baking sheet with extra virgin olive oil. Lay potato halves cut size down onto seasoned baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree pre-heated oven until soft, about 20-30 minutes depending on size of sweet potatoes.

Red Onion, Garlic

While potatoes bake, add about one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil to a medium-sized stock pot and saute one small or one-half medium red onion, sliced. When tender, add about 4-6 medium/large garlic cloves, smashed, and saute a few minutes until cooked through. 

Vegetable Stock, Pears, Soy Sauce, Red Pepper Flakes

After sweet potatoes are done and cooled down a little, scoop out meat and add to pot with onions and garlic. Add 1 quart homemade or low-sodium vegetable stock (add water as needed to adjust thickness/flavor), 1 teaspoon low-sodium gluten-free soy sauce, two peeled then sliced and coarsely chopped soft ripe pears, a pinch of red pepper flakes (or more to taste), freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste. 

Cook all ingredients on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and puree with an emersion blender. 

Chives, or Parsley, Toast

Reheat soup when ready to eat and serve with chopped chives or parsley depending on what you have on hand or in your garden, rub toast with a garlic clove. 

Organic as much as possible. 

Blueberry Vinaigrette ~ A Versatile Dressing

Try this over a spinach and strawberry salad. Delicious!

Blueberry Vinaigrette

Process 1 1/4 cup blueberries in a blender until pureed with:
3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
salt and pepper to taste


That's it! Enjoy

This Easter salad topped with the blueberry vinaigrette contained baby spinach, red onions, radishes, strawberries, mushrooms, walnuts and beets that were boiled in water then mixed with apple cider vinegar, and a deviled egg - a favorite of mine because it reminds me of my childhood holidays.

Organic as much as possible. 

Lactose Free Spinach Artichoke Dip / Spread

This spinach and artichoke dip or spread is light and flavorful. As a dip, enjoy with crackers like the whole wheat Yehuda Matzos in the photo or with cut up veggies.

In a food processor, process:

~Artichokes from a 9.9 oz jar until finely chopped. I used artichokes in water, drained

~2 cups packed fresh spinach until finely chopped

~About 2 tablespoons caramelized onions and 1 clove of garlic. I had leftover caramelized onions but a small shallot would be a good substitute 

Mix above ingredients with: 

~1/4 cup mayonnaise of your choice

~1 6 oz. container plain coconut yogurt. That's what I had on hand. Plain almond yogurt would probably be good. Use less or more mayo/yogurt depending on consistency you want 

~About 1/4 cup of chopped almonds. I happened to have these leftover from a meal and were a nice addition

~1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (taste with 1/2 teas then add more if needed)

~A generous pinch, about a 1/2 teaspoon, of nutritional yeast to give it a salty cheese flavor (more or less to taste - be careful not to use too much!)

Let the mixture sit about 15 to 30 minutes to blend the flavors before serving. 

Organic as much as possible. 

Easy Tasty Breakfast Sandwich | Healthful

I love breakfast sandwiches but they're usually greasy and fatty. Here's a great breakfast sandwich, or lunch, idea that's very tasty and healthful. No need for cheese because the avocado gives it a cheesy flavor and creaminess.

Cook one pound of low fat ground beef (I used local meat) in a skillet with a little vegetable broth or water for moisture, mix in about one teaspoon of Italian seasoning, a touch of salt and pepper.  Add more seasonings to taste. The Italian seasoning will make the ground beef taste like sausage without all the fat. Drain well in a colander.

While ground beef is draining, peel and chop one avocado, chop one plum tomato, stir in about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, a pinch of salt and pepper. Note: they'll be more egg/ground beef mixture than the avocado topping so if you need more topping, make it with two avocados and two tomatoes, etc.

Return the drained ground beef to the skillet and stir in six local eggs. Cook until the eggs are done. There was plenty leftover for the two of us to freeze or use another day, so depending on how many people you're feeding you may have leftovers for another meal also. 

Put it all together on a whole wheat wrap with some baby spinach and enjoy! 

Make it ahead and make mornings easy! The lemon juice will help keep the avocado topping from browning if stored in a tightly sealed container for a couple of days. Just assemble the sandwich and heat in a microwave for about 30 seconds.

Instead of making the avocado topping, this would be a good way to use up leftover guacamole. 

Also, it's a good way to use up any leftover scrambled eggs. Just add cooked ground beef separately and assemble the sandwich with the other ingredients and you're good to go.

Local and organic. 

Roasted Local Lamb Chops with Herbs and Walnuts

These French cut lamb chops are from a local vendor that was at the winter farmers' market at the Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket a few weeks ago. I can't remember the name of the vendor but these local chops were fresh, tender, moist and delicious.

I simply seasoned the chops with Herbs de Provence, a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I then sprinkled some extra virgin olive oil over a baking sheet and laid out the chops. After pre-heating the oven at 400 degrees, I roasted the chops for about 8-10 minutes (check half way through cooking for desired doneness). 

After tasting the chops I felt they needed something more so I processed about a cup plus of walnuts, a large clove of garlic, about one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, what was left of the fresh parsley I had in the fridge from another meal, and a little salt and pepper. I had just enough of this walnut parsley pesto to top each chop with about one teaspoon full.

These chops made a nice addition to our Easter feast but would be easy to make anytime of the week for your family.

Cod Puttanesca

This is an easy family meal to make. And there is plenty of left over sauce to save for a pasta meal another day or freeze, which makes our cooking-at-home lives much easier!

Ingredients for the sauce:
3 cups of your own pasta sauce, or 1 25 oz jar of organic marinara
1 28 oz can of organic Italian whole peeled plum tomatoes
    (I like the texture these add. Just squish them up with your hands before adding to the pot.)
1 12 oz jar pitted Kalamata olives, drained
2 tablespoons nonpareil capers
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (Dark or light. I used light.)
About 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped parsley and basil, mixed. This is fresh cooking so
    it really doesn't matter -- it can be all parsley or all basil. Whatever is on hand. Whatever you like.
1 large shallot
2-3 cloves garlic, depending on size and how garlicky you want the sauce to taste
1/2 teaspoon or so of red pepper flakes, to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (The olives, capers, and canned/jarred tomatoes, if not
   low-sodium, could already add enough salt.)

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Add everything to the pot, bring to a boil, stir around then simmer while preparing the fish.

For our meal, I used four large fillets of fresh local cod that I cut in half. There is a lot of sauce for more fish. If using less fish, freeze the leftover sauce for other meals. 

I sprinkled a little extra virgin olive oil on the bottom of the casserole dish, added the fish, ladled the sauce over the top of the fish in amount that looked good and baked at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until the fish looked done.

This cod puttanesca tastes great with simple oven roasted potatoes or crusty bread. I love roasting potatoes with an Italian herb mix and rosemary.

Organic and local as much as possible. 

Brussels Sprouts Roasted With Maple Syrup

As simple as can be. Sweet and savory.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice your cleaned brussels sprouts in half. Spread them out on a lined baking sheet for easy clean up because the sugar in the maple syrup will stick to the pan. Toss brussels sprouts with a little extra virgin olive oil to coat, a few sprinkles of white balsamic vinegar (or regular balsamic), a generous tablespoon of real maple syrup, salt and pepper to taste. Roast for about 5-7 minutes or until you start smelling the aroma and they look tender. Check for doneness and once you plate them you won't be able to stop eating them!

See, I didn't use parchment paper or foil and the maple sugar stuck to the pan. 

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Pork Tenderloin in Apple Cider Reduction with Apples | Spinach

This was delicious!

The recipe for this delicious seasonal meal last night was found here at the Food Network website: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aida-mollenkamp/pork-tenderloin-with-apple-cider-reduction-recipe.html. 

The only thing I did differently was that I added apple slices (from one Gala apple and one Granny Smith apple because it's what I had) to the reduction during the last few minutes, just enough to soften the apple slices a little. They were a nice touch! 

Baby spinach made a nice side dish. The sauce in the recipe turned out thin but it made a nice dressing for the baby spinach. I served the pork and apples over the spinach and the heat from the pork, apples, and sauce wilted some leaves a little, some stayed crunchy. Just perfect. Although, I didn't think there was enough sauce for three of us. Next time, I'd reduce the sauce less (or make more?) so there'd be more sauce to dress the spinach and pork. 

Haricot Verts With Walnuts And Caramelized Onions

Great idea for the holidays or anytime! 

Fresh and easy!

Roast haricot verts (usually available around Thanksgiving) or green beans that have been coated with a little extra virgin olive oil at 400 degrees for a few minutes, until they start turning brown on the ends. While they roast, warm about two cups of chopped walnuts (or almonds) in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Remove from pan and then start caramelizing the onions (in the same pan to save dishes) that have been thinly sliced. Caramelizing onions takes time, about 20 minutes, but is easy to make. Patience is required and I find it easier when I'm in the kitchen doing other tasks anyway. For a pack of haricot verts, I used two large sweet onions. Cooking directions for roasting, heating nuts, and caramelizing can be found on the internet.

Leftover Idea
A few days after Thanksgiving, I used the leftover haricot verts and shrimp we had had as an appetizer in this pasta dish. So simple! While linguine or fettuccine cooks, reheat haricot verts (or green beans) in about two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (depending on how much is leftover!) and some chopped garlic. Add about 1/4 cup white wine and 1/4 cup leftover turkey stock (I had made turkey stock from the bones) and keep warm on low heat until the pasta is done. Mix with the pasta then add the shrimp (I removed the tails to make it easy to eat), and add a ladle full of the pasta water. The shrimp has already been cooked so it only needs to be warmed from the heat in the mixture. Top with freshly ground pepper and a little salt if needed. I would have added chopped fresh parsley if I had some. Maybe next time!

Quick Zucchini Relish

We are still harvesting zucchini from our garden and the plants look strong! They usually look pretty tired by September. Bored with the usual zucchini dishes and baked goods, I decided to make a relish. I'll shred and freeze the rest of the zucchini for baking in the future.

Quick Zucchini Relish

Shred one large zucchini (the kind you find hiding under zucchini leaves in your garden that grew and grew and grew!) and mince one large shallot and place in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon celery seed, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (or cider vinegar), one tablespoon honey, salt and pepper to taste. Place mixture in a covered container in the fridge for about one hour to let the flavor develop before eating. Store in the fridge for about one week. Add the relish to anything you think will taste good with it!

On Labor Day, we enjoyed the zucchini relish with organic grilled hot dogs, whole wheat buns, garden salad, and potato salad.

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For the potato salad, I baked chopped potatoes in the oven at 400 degrees, instead of boiling them, with extra virgin olive oil, Herbs de Provence (I just love these herbs on potatoes), some fresh rosemary from our garden, and a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper. After the potatoes cooled, I removed the rosemary stems, pulled off some leaves and broke them up, sprinkling pieces of rosemary over the potatoes. I added a little more extra virgin olive oil and then a little white balsamic vinegar to taste.

Breakfast Tomatoes: Toast, Egg Sandwich

Garden tomato with extra virgin olive oil on toasted rosemary bread.

Garden tomato, extra virgin olive oil, toasted multigrain gluten-free bread, fresh ground pepper.

Garden tomato on toast with local mozzarella balls and freshly ground pepper.

Egg, garden tomato, and ham sandwich.

A day's harvest.

Garden Fresh Relish

This relish, made from some of my garden tomatoes, zucchinis, and parsley, was easy to make and delicious.

For this fresh summer garden relish, I diced two small tomatoes, two small zucchinis, and one orange bell pepper. The vegetables were tossed with a little extra virgin olive oil, a few sprinkles of white balsamic vinegar, juice from half a lemon, a pinch of sea salt, a little freshly ground pepper, and some chopped Italian parsley. The vinegar and seasonings were all added to taste. 

The relish was great on top of an open faced grilled local* beef burger on a grilled portabella mushroom.

Oh, and this book, Second Nature, by Michael Pollan, is very good reading. Especially by the garden!

For another meal, organic hot dogs, I freshened up the relish a bit with two small diced shallots and one diced celery stalk. We added some spicy ground mustard after I took this photo and that finished off these dogs with a zing!

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*The local beef is from Matthieu's Custom Cuttings, Vermont.

Ratatouille

More zucchini magic!

Ratatouille

Here's an easy busy week day family style way of making this classic French dish without loosing the bold flavors.

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion (your choice), roughly chopped

2 red bell peppers, or 1 red and 1 yellow for color

2-3 garlic cloves, depending on size and flavor you want, minced

2 medium zucchinis or 1 large, cubed 

1 regular box of medium sized mushrooms, halved 

1 medium eggplant, cubed the same size as the zucchini (peeling the eggplant is optional) 

1 25 oz. jar of organic marinara sauce (I prefer to use jarred sauces over canned tomatoes 

     when possible)

1 cup low-sodium organic vegetable stock (or organic low-sodium chicken stock)

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon marjoram, dried (or fresh if you have some)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 cup red wine

Method:

Peel and cut eggplant (peeling is optional), cube, and lightly salt. Place eggplant in a paper towel lined colander to draw bitters. Heat a stock pot over medium heat (I used a heavy cast iron pot for this recipe) and sprinkle in a little extra virgin olive oil to lightly coat the bottom and sauté onions and bell peppers a few minutes until onions are tender and peppers are just starting to soften. Add zucchini, mushrooms, and garlic and sauté just a few more minutes (not allowing the zucchini to get mushy). Pat down the eggplant and add to the pot. Add the marinara sauce and remaining ingredients. Simmer about 30 minutes, uncovered, or until the eggplant is slightly tender but, again, not mushy. Remove bay leaves before serving.

I served the ratatouille with gluten-free pappardelle, for some of us. And for the others who like bread, some nice rustic whole grain . . . 

Rogue Island, Flavors of Rhode Island

Rogue Island

Located in downtown Providence in the historic and architecturally interesting Arcade.

Lots of great local food and drinks. 

We shared appetizers. 

The Charcuterie Board and the Berkshire Bourbon Pork Sliders were excellent. 

And the Warm House Made Pretzel Bits with Mustard Dip, well, wow!

My daughter loved the flavorful House Made Pappardelle with Clams.

She also loved the Shirley Temple made with local Yacht Club ginger ale.

And craft beer.

Casual, rustic atmosphere. 

We were there early in the evening and it was quiet until we left.

Can't wait to go again!

For another virtual visit of the Rogue Island, click here: http://rogueislandgroup.com. 

But I strongly suggest you visit in person!

Fresh Summer Zucchini Frittata

This is a lovely frittata with a beautiful presentation. 

These open zucchini flowers that I cut from my garden this morning were used in the frittata.

After washing the flowers, I gently shook off the water, pinched out the stamen, split the petals, and laid them on a towel to dry while preparing the other ingredients.

After mixing eggs with whole milk, extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese, a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper, I sautéed two small diced zucchinis for a few minutes (in a non-stick pan) with a small minced shallot in a little extra virgin olive oil.

I gently poured the egg mixture into the pan with the sautéed zucchini and shallot, trying not to disturb them, and topped the mixture with the pretty zucchini flower petals.

I covered the pan with foil, finished cooking on medium/low-medium heat until done (firm in the middle), and slid the finished frittata onto a glass serving plate. We enjoyed the frittata with some Vermont bacon. Or some nice crusty toast rubbed with a garlic bulb and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil would be a nice side.

I followed the recipe in my Extra Virgin cookbook, but it can also be found here: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/debi-mazar-and-gabriele-corcos/frittata-with-zucchini.html

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For a lactose-free and milk protein-free version for me: I used organic vanilla soy milk (I think soy milk with vanilla tastes more like milk) in place of whole milk and Go Veggie casein- and lactose-free (and non-GMO) Grated Parmesan Style Topping. As much as I dislike using processed food, this is one of only a few cheese substitutes I'll use. When using Go Veggie, I use a little less than the portion called for since the flavor can be overwhelming. And, of course, the frittata would taste fine without cheese or cheese substitute.

Baked Beet Chips With Guacamole

Here's a great snack idea from the Extra Virgin cookbook or show. I first saw this on their cooking show, also called Extra Virgin, and it sounded so good and easy I wanted to make it for my family. Plus, I was impressed that they made this for their daughter's birthday party -- beet chips for kids!

I chose yellow beets because I thought they'd look more like potato chips, which would make my family more open to trying them. Plus I think their flavor is more mild (less "dirt" like as they say!) and sweeter than red beets.

I used three beets, rather than the amount called for in the recipe, because it was just the four of us. I adjusted the extra virgin olive oil amount accordingly. After the first batch, I found that there was too much extra virgin olive oil to achieve full crispness so I wiped some off the beets before cooking the next batch. Next time, I'd use only enough oil to lightly coat the beets. It also took some adjustments in oven temp and cooking time to get the right amount of crispness (everyone's oven is different!), but worth it. Their were some burnt spots, but tasted fine. They are tricky to make, but now that I know what I'm doing I'll be more successful. I have to say, though, the beets honestly tasted really good raw!

The recipe for this delicious healthful beet snack can be found in their Extra Virgin cookbook or here: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/debi-mazar-and-gabriele-corcos/guacamole-and-baked-beet-chips.html

Guacamole

I used my own guacamole recipe, which is simple. I vary my recipe often, but this time I made it with two avocados smashed with one small garlic clove, minced, and one small shallot, minced, a pinch of sea salt and a little freshly ground pepper. 

Sometimes I add cilantro or parsley to my guacamole. I like to use only a small amount of garlic so it doesn't overwhelm the avocado flavor. Sometimes I don't use garlic. And sometimes I like to add a few chopped organic grape tomatoes. I love to use a small shallot because it's mild and, again, it doesn't overwhelm the avocado flavor.