Spiced Pumpkin, Carrot, and Tomato Soup (2 ways)

This is one of those dishes that while I was eating it for the first time, I just could NOT stop saying "oh my gosh, this is SOOOO good." It is SO good! But, my kids still groan a little bit when I say that we are having soup for dinner. So the second time I made it, I add some raviolis to appease the masses. 

1st version - Spiced Pumpkin, Carrot, and Tomato Soup with Carrot Coins
Heat olive oil in your soup pot over low heat.
Prepare Veggies:

• Chop 1/2 onion (more if you love onions - it's soup which means you can always put more or less of what you like.)

• Peel and slice 4 carrots into thin "coins"

Drop veggies in your warm oil, turn up the heat, and cook for several minutes until they begin to caramelize.
While they are cooking add:

• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Tumeric (tasty and great to boost immunity and healing function)
• 32 oz. Organic Veggie Stock (you could do all stock or all water - or a combo of both to save money)

*** if you want to make the "saucier" variation of this skip ahead to Version 2. If you are sticking with the all veg version, hang in here.

Once the carrots are tender, add:

• 1 - 15 oz. can Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie filling;-)
• 1 - 6 oz. can Tomato Paste
• 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. Chili Powder (apparently 1 tsp. is too much for my 4-year old)
• 1/2 tsp. Cumin

Cook until warmed through and enjoy.

2nd Version - Pureed Pumpkin, Carrot, and Tomato Soup with Ravioli 

While the carrots are cooking, cook a package of Ravioli (or Tortellini of choice) according to the package directions.

Bring the carrots, onion, spices, and stock to a boil. Once it boils turn down heat and cook under the carrots are soft enough to blend. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or let it cool a bit and then blend in your traditional blender. It is dangerous to blend hot liquid in a blender with the lid on it. There is a little trick to blending hot liquid in which you take that little cap out of the top of the blender and cover the opening with a dish towel to make it safer.

Put the puree soup back into the soup pot and then head on up there to the list of ingredients above which include: pumpkin, tomato puree, and the spices. 

Ladle cooked Ravioli into a bowl, top with a ladle-full of the saucy soup, and enjoy.

Cabbage with Spaghetti and Asiago Cream Sauce

When I first heard about his combination I wasn't sure how it would go, but cabbage and spaghetti turned out to be a refreshing combination. This recipe is cheap, easy, and yummy. The cream sauce is reminiscent of Fettucinne Alfredo but of course healthier than the classic white sauce. Today's recipe is a remake of one of my older recipes, Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Cabbage and Walnuts. Cabbage is seasonal during fall and winter and this recipe is a great alternative to the traditional cabbage soup recipes you'll see floating around at this time of year. 

Prepare the Cabbage:

My family is good about eating their veggies so I go light on the spaghetti and heavy on the veg. You could switch it up if you know your folks will be looking for more pasta. Make a whole package of spaghetti and then just use a half a head of cabbage.

• Slice 1 small head of cabbage into thin ribbons

Prepare pasta:

• Cook (1/2 - 1) box spaghetti according to the package

Make the veggie saute: 

• Warm 1 Tb. olive oil  in a large skillet
• Season with a little salt and pepper
• Saute until the cabbage begins to soften 
• Add 1 Tb. apple cider or white balsamic vinegar and 1/2 cup of water to help steam the cabbage
• optional to add 1/2 - 1 tsp of fennel seeds
• Saute until the cabbage is tender

When the spaghetti and cabbage are cooked, combine them and keep them warm while you prepare the sauce. 

Prepare the cream sauce:

• In a large skillet melt 1 Tb. butter
• When the butter is melted, add 1 Tb. flour and stir the flour into the melted butter
• Add 1 cup of milk and 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• After several moments the sauce will thicken and you can grate 1/2 cup Asiago (or other hard cheese like parmesan) into the sauce

To serve:

• Combine pasta, cabbage and sauce
• Top with grated cheese, chopped walnuts, and/or a drizzle of fresh squeezed lemon juice

Holiday Cranberry Tea Muffins

This recipe is my absolute favorite breakfast item during the holiday season that spans Thanksgiving through New Years when you can easily snag some fresh cranberries. I adapted this recipe from a Martha Stewart Cranberry Tea Bread which is posted below. With my busy mornings I love having a hand-held breakfast ready for me as I pack lunches and brush teeth:-) Usually I like to make mini-muffins because I just don't eat that much first thing in the morning. But, these muffins are chunky so you need to use the regular tins. 

A note about the cranberries... being cooked in the muffins mellows them a bit but they are tart. I like them for the pick-up they give me. Dried cranberries are sweeter and would be a fine substitute.

This recipe makes 12 muffins

Preheat Oven to 350°

Coat muffin tins with oil, butter, or cooking spray so the muffins don't stick.

Mix These Dry Ingredients in a large bowl:

• 2 cups flour (I'm using Namaste Foods Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend)
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom (cinnamon or nutmeg would be good substitutes)
• 3/4 cup Fresh Cranberries - cut in half
• 1/2 cup Walnuts - chopped
• 1/4 cup Crystalized Ginger - chopped fine

In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients:

• 2 eggs (vegans can use 1/4 cup applesauce, pumpkin puree, smashed banana etc.)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (or other sweetener of choice)
• 1/4 cup melted butter or mild oil (I love using nut oils in my muffin mixes)
• 3/4 cup milk of choice (cow, rice, soy - all will do based on your diet needs)

Make a "well" in the middle of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet mix and stir to combine. Scoop into prepared muffin tins. Bake in 350° oven for 10 - 12 minutes. Keep your eye on them. You'll know they are done when you insert a fork and it comes out dry.

http://www.wholeliving.com/132996/cranberry-tea-bread

Enjoy!

So after I posted this, I wondered, "is this really family food." Well hubby came home from work and had one and replied "that didn't really look that great but it was delicious." Then my 8-year old came home and scarfed down two of them. I had to smile when she asked for the second one. So yes, these are family-friendly. 

Chai Spiced Chocolate Chip Muffins

With a warm green chai latte, this is my favorite "breakfast"! 
(Really it kind of feels like dessert.)


I made 24 mini muffins with this recipe.
Preheat Oven to 350°
Coat muffin tins with oil, butter, or cooking spray so the muffins don't stick.


Mix These Dry Ingredients in a large bowl:

• 2 cups flour (I'm using Namaste Foods Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend)
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom 
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients:

• 2 eggs (vegans can use 1/4 cup applesauce, pumpkin puree, smashed banana etc.)
• 1/2 cup sweetener of choice (sugar, honey, agave, maple syrup)
• 1/4 cup melted butter or mild oil (I love using nut oils in my muffin mixes)
• 3/4 cup milk of choice (cow, rice, soy - all will do based on your diet needs)

Make a "well" in the middle of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet mix and stir to combine. I use a large tablespoon of batter in each mini muffin cup. If you are using regular size muffin tins, fill the cup about 3/4 full. The muffins will pouf a bit.

The mini-muffins cook in about 8 minutes. Regular muffins will cook in about 10 - 12. Keep your eye on them. You'll know they are done when you insert a fork and it comes out dry.

Enjoy!

Better Than Chicken Soup

This soup is a sure-fire pick me up when you are feeling down. It's quick and easy to make with simple ingredients. With a base of packaged vegetable stock and hearty root vegetables, you can keep the ingredients on hand so that even if you don't feel well enough to go to the store, you'll have everything you need to treat yourself to a healing and nourishing soup.

Ingredients to have on hand:

1 box of vegetable stock - I prefer organic and low sodium

1 small onion

4 carrots

3 stalks of celery

2 large potatoes or about 6 medium new potatoes

Seasoning

• Put your soup pot on the stove and drizzle in a thin coating of olive oil 
• Finely dice 1 small onion, place the onion in the pot and turn the heat up to medium to soften the onion
• As the onion softens in the pot, peel and cut 4 carrots into coin-shaped slices and add to the pot
• Add 1 cup vegetable stock (water will work if you don't have stock) this will keep the veggies from sticking but will also allow them to get some direct heat to bring out their flavor
• Slice the celery stalks into half moon slices and add to the pot
• Chop potatoes into a dice that is similar in size to your carrot and celery slices
• Add to the pot and add the remaining stock
• Add seasoning* 
• For this soup, I used 1 tsp. celtic sea salt, 1/2 tsp. turmeric, and 1/2 tsp. cumin

*Different spices and herbs can have a different effect on each individual and in different situations. I'm guided by Ayurveda in many of my seasoning choices. Check out this link for an intro article on Ayurveda http://www.yogajournal.com/health/1722 and then maybe join them for their 7 day Ayurveda cleanse starting September 12 http://falldetox.yogajournal.com/. My daughter has a fever so I'm going a calm, cooling soup. Tumeric is a little heating but it's anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and antiseptic are so powerful that I use it a bit. Read more about turmeric here http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=78

Catching Up

Here it is, taking a holiday for me to catch up. Life has been very full since my last post. I enjoyed an end of summer vacation with my family, got the kids back to school, had to revamp my computer system, and ramped up my work schedule. There have been lots of yummy meals over the last month. There just hasn't been much time to edit and post the recipes. A few of the highlights were:

Have a Tea Party for Dinner
No-Cook Buffalo Artichoke Dip - definitely my new favorite healthy snack
Cabbage Wraps with Black Bean Sauce
Simple Tomato Gazpacho and Easy Cheesy Quesadillas

Buffalo-style Artichoke Dip (No Cook)

Oh My Gosh! This is a new favorite food. To keep up my cooking inspiration, I'm signed up to get a few food email newsletters. Martha Stewart has a few that drop daily recipes into your mailbox. This recipe was inspired by one of those and as usual, I worked to make the recipe more convenient for me. What I came up with was genius (if I do say so myself:-)

Combine the following ingredients and whirl up in a food processor:

• 4 oz. jarred artichoke hearts
• 1/4 cup of feta cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (feel free to use a garlic clove instead - I'm just a little bit garlic shy)
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomato pesto (My local grocery store sells the  Bella Sun Luci brand in the produce section. It's located near the jarred minced garlic. It is my favorite ready made condiment.)
• 1 - 2 teaspoons Buffalo-style Tobasco Sauce

This dip is excellent with everything! I had actually planned to serve it on toast for our Tea Party Dinner but my husband was the one who left the table to go get the celery dippers. The flavors are reminiscent of buffalo wings (without the meat of course). As I'm typing this, I'm thinking next time I'll try blue cheese instead of the feta. Hope you have a delicious day!

Have a Tea Party for Dinner

It's quick, easy, and super fun to have a tea party for dinner! I have a 7-year old daughter and this is probably her favorite meal. You can make a tea party out of anything. Just prepare some small bread slices and lay it out on a tray with your favorite sandwich ingredients. The kids love to make their own sandwiches which means less time in the kitchen for mom or dad.



This is our basic tea party...
Toasted Baguette
Slice the baguette, brush on olive oil, sprinkle on a tiny bit of sea salt, and grill until nice and toasty. You can get most of it done in one batch on the outdoor grill.

Cucumber and Goat Cheese Sandwiches
Cucumbers are my four year olds favorite veggie so it's easy to get him to eat them. Highlight your child's favorite veggie. Make it a big deal that the veggie is the star of the show. Party picks make the sandwiches more fun too. 

• Spread a thin layer of goat cheese on the toasted baguette, top with a cucumber slice, basil leaf, and spear an olive on top with a fun party pick. 

Celery Sticks with Dip
(click here for my favorite Buffalo-style Artichoke dip)

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches 
- pretty self explanatory there

Honey Tea
I am a tea fanatic(!) and have lots of flavors but I keep it really simple for the kids. Sometimes I'll share some white tea with the kids but I prefer not to give them caffeine. Most tea is mildly (or powerfully) medicinal so usually I'll just make them what I call Honey Tea. 

• Warm some water up in the kettle so it looks professional and then add a teaspoon of honey which melts right into the warm water. If the "tea" is too hot just cool it off with some room temp water or an ice cube if your kids are old enough for ice.

Last Day of Summer Break Simple Supper - Simple Tomato Gazpacho and Easy Cheesy Quesadillas

I spent most of this day soaking up quality time with my soon-to-be second grader. Like most parents, I'm ready for my kids to get back to school but the change is so drastic it makes me a little sad. We'll go from spending almost every waking moment together to just having a couple of hours between school, work, activities and bedtime. As the kids get ready for school and my hay-fever allergy starts to settle in, I also am acutely aware that summer is waning. It's time to really savor the signature flavors of summer. Looking for a quick, easy and summery menu I thought of tomato gazpacho and an easy side.

I had always resisted gazpacho, thinking, "soup should be warm and comforting. Well one year a friend made the most delicious gazpacho while we were vacationing at the beach and my mind was changed forever. It's a simple recipe filled with loving care and crisp, bright flavor. His recipe and many other gazpacho recipes call for worcestershire sauce but this isn't an ingredient I usually use so I've modified the recipe with ingredients from my pantry and backyard garden. I've got more common ingredients in parenthesis next to my sauce ingredients which are more normal to me but probably more exotic to most.

I knew quesadillas would be a hit at the table but I had no idea everyone would love the soup. There were arguments at the dinner table. Not about disliking the food but about who was more right about the soup being "delicious" or "good."

Simple Tomato Gazpacho
Prepare the Veggies
The loving care in this recipe comes from dicing these veggies super small. It takes some time but it's worth it! The soup flavors meld and deepen with time so feel free to make it a day ahead.

Dice these veggies super small and add to a bowl:

• peel, seed and chop 2 tomatoes 
• peel, seed and dice 1 cucumber
• seed and chop 1 bell pepper (I use yellow just to round out the colors but feel free to use your favorite)
• 1 shallot (or small onion)
• (opt. hot chili pepper)
• 2 Tb. basil chopped

Dress the veggies:
In a small bowl whisk up this simple dressing and then pour over the veggies you've prepared above.

• 2 Tb. olive oil
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp. salt

While the veggies soak up their marinade,
Prepare the soup base:
In a large bowl, combine:

• 1 cup tomato juice (I love that I have a juicer now and can make my own! V-8 works too.)
• 1 Tb. balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tb. Organic Shoyu (soy sauce)
• 1 Tb. Umeboshi Plum Wine Vinegar (red wine vinegar/worcestershire sauce)
• 1 tsp. jalepeno pepper sauce
• 1 tsp. chili powder

Add the veggies to the soup base and let it rest until ready to serve. Most recipes will suggest you let the soup sit for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before serving but I don't have time for that. I let it sit while I made the quesadillas. No one noticed that I didn't "follow the rules."

Easiest Cheesey Quesadillas
So simple!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
On a baking sheet, sandwich grated cheese between two 8" tortillas. Cook for about 8 minutes until cheese is melted and tortillas are slightly golden.
That's it... enjoy.

Cabbage Wraps with Black Bean Sauce

Prepare the Sauce

Place a saucepan over med-high heat and add:

• 1 can of organic* black beans
• 1 Tb. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. orange zest
• few dashes of hot pepper sauce

When the sauce bubbles, turn down heat and simmer to thicken for about 20 minutes. As the sauce thickens prepare the rest of the ingredients which you can then serve family style at the table so everyone can feel the privilege of making their own food. 

Prepare Cabbage Leaf Wraps

1. You will begin by removing the outer leaves one small cabbage to use as the wraps. 
2. Wash and dry your cabbage so that it is not slippery when you work with it. 
3. Take a small paring knife and carefully cut through the base of the stem to begin to separate the leaf from the head. The cabbage leaves tear pretty easily so you'll want to move patiently as you then peel the leaf away from the head. 
4. I usually pull back the edges all around the perimeter of each leaf working my way into the center. Continue trimming the base of each leaf and pulling them back. 
5. Stack the cabbage leaves into a pile. In our family the kids eat one wrap and the adults usually go for two. 
6. After you've pulled back enough leaves, cut the cabbage in half. You'll use one half of the interior of the cabbage for the filling for the wraps and you can reserve the other half for another day.

Prepare the Filling
This recipe has two fillings. One with mushrooms and one without. Mushrooms are the one thing that my son detests and I let him get away without even tasting. We should all have at least a little control over what we eat, right?

The Family Friendly Filling 
... only different in that there are no mushrooms or herbs. Although I often do include herbs in many of our family meals, fresh herbs are potent, powerful and medicinal so I take it easy if I'm making something specific for the kiddos.


In a large bowl combine:

• 1/2 of the interior of a small cabbage cut into thin ribbons
• 2 grated carrots
• 6 oz. snow peas cut into thin ribbons

Adult Filling

Divide the family friendly mixture in half so you can add adult ingredients:

• 3 shitake mushrooms cut into thin ribbons
• about 20 thai basil leaves cut into ribbons (chopped cilantro would be excellent as well)

Assemble wraps

1. Choose your wrap - (flour tortillas may be more kid-friendly.) 
2. Into your cabbage leaf cup or tortilla, scoop your veggie filling and top with black bean sauce.
3. Wrap up and enjoy! So yummy  - I scraped the black bean sauce bowl clean!

Here is what else was on the menu today and where I got the inspiration for the wraps. 

Breakfast - green go juice

Lunch - backyard garden salad

Dinner Inspiration = vegetarian times article and wanting alternative protein source = black bean sauce?

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/asian-black-bean-sauce-10000000665258/

Friday Night Alfresco

Friday is a day I have a little more time to prepare; and more importantly, to actually savor dinner before rushing off to work or practices. I'm always appreciative when I have a little time peruse my plethora of cookbooks and food magazines to find something new, healthy,  and delicious. I had come across a recipe for cucumber gazpacho that I wanted to try and  was looking for something special to go with the simple cold soup. I came across two meal plans (links below) and, as usual, pulled from a few places to come up with a meal that fit my family's tastes and needs. I ended up making:

• Gazpacho of Cucumber and Green Tomato (better known as Pickle Soup)
• Sweet and Spicy Pepper Relish
• Balsamic Glazed Roma Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostini

Click the links above for my recipes and keep in mind the photo of the crostini does not do it justice. This is one of the tastiest bites I've had in a long time. It is on a classic white french baguette but the ingredients would be just as good on a gluten-free cracker or rice bread toast if you are looking for healthier alternatives.

Inspiration for my Friday Night Alfresco Meal Plan

Natalia Rose's Cucumber Gazpacho in Detox 4 Women

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_554109_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/cook/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,COOK_41503_468966_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html#

As I'm typing this I'm watching Kelsey's Essentials on The Cooking Channel. She's making this pomegranate glaze for steak. It looks amazing! I'm going to have to try to come up with something to go with it.
Pomegranate Glaze
??? Pom juice
1 Tb Dijion Mustard
3 Tb. Balsamic
1 t. Cornstarch
1/4 brown sugar

I also came across this cocktail recipe to try:
http://www.marthastewart.com/318052/pineapple-and-mango-rum-cocktails

Balsamic Glazed Tomatoes and Goat Cheese Crostini and Al Fresco Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for the Kids

Oh my gosh! These are so good! I used a classic french baguette for the crostini but the tomatoes would be delicious with most anything. For the kids I often keep the flavors more simple so I just grilled the bread on the outdoor grill and added cheese and tomato slices with a piece of romaine lettuce. We call romaine "crunchy lettuce" which seems to make it so much more appealing.

Balsamic Glazed Roma Tomatoes
To prepare the glaze, combine the following ingredients in a small bowl:

• 3 ounces balsamic vinegar
• 3 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 chopped shallot (or garlic)
• 2 sprigs fresh basil
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the tomatoes:

• Cut 4 Roma tomatoes lengthwise into slices 1/4 inch slices
• Place the tomatoes in a large skillet and pour the glaze over the tomatoes
• Simmer for about 5 minutes then flip and continue to cook the second side for another minute or two
• Keep the tomatoes warm until ready to prepare the crostini

Prepare bread for Balsamic Glazed Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostini
Really any way you like to make toast would work just fine. For this dish I brushed cut slices of baguette with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. I then toasted the bread on our outdoor grill for about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Smooth goat cheese on warm crostini and top with a tomato and basil leaf to finish.

Green Gazpacho

This is a very easy cold soup perfect for a hot summer day. Because I tell my kids that cucumbers are pickles, this soup has the nickname of pickle soup.


Marinate your green veggies:
Prepare veggies and place in a long shallow dish:

• 1 english cucumber sliced thin
• 2 green tomatoes (if you can't get green tomatoes, use another cucumber)
• 1 shallot, chopped (garlic is a fine replacement)
• 1 jalepeno pepper, chopped - discard the seeds and ribs if you want a more mild soup
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 t. ground coriander
• 1 cup of water

Marinate veggies for at least an hour and up to 24 hours.

When it's supper time, simply blend your soup.

Here I've topped it with Spicy Sweet Pepper Relish and Served it with Balsamic Glazed Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostini.

Spicy Sweet Pepper Relish

Green Gazpacho with Spicy Sweet Pepper Relish

In a large bowl, prepare the veggie marinade:

• 2 Tb. white balsamic vinegar (you could also use citrus juice, rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Prepare veggies by chopping into a small dice and add to your marinade:

• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 english cucumber
• 1 small jalepeno pepper
• 1 shallot
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1/2 cup pickled banana peppers

Where's the Beef? A Week of Veggie Burgers, Corn Cakes and Potato Pancakes

With my fairly recent shift back toward vegetarianism, I've been a little surprised that I don't really miss eating meat at all. (Then again I never really loved it like many people do.) That is with one exception ~ a good old juicy cheeseburger! Now in the height of backyard barbeque season I find myself craving one every now and then. Thanks to Alicia Silverstone's compelling book The Kind Diet, as soon as I think about eating one, I also have visions of the cow giving up his life for my fleeting pleasure. I may not really miss eating meat but I really do miss the convenience of it all. It was just so easy to take a piece of meat, season it up, and half the meal was done. Even though it's more work eating this way, I am having more fun and feel better than ever.

Looking for some form of "burger replacement", I ran the gamut this week with Black Bean Veggie Burgers, Power Packed Corn Cakes with Zucchini and Chick Peas, and what I'm calling French Fried Potato and Carrot Pancakes. I always skew the names of the dishes to make them more appealing to the kids and never, ever say the word Zucchini out loud if I can avoid it;-)

I ABSOLUTELY love the corn cakes and carrot cakes. I make extra batter so I can make a quick patty for a snack. We had the carrot cakes last night and Bela gave the kiddie approval by saying, "These are soooo good! I need another one." The black bean burgers still need a little work so if you've got a fabulous recipe for them or something like this, please, please share! Click on the links above for the requested but still in the works Corn Cake recipe and the yummy potato and carrot cakes.

Power Packed Corn Cakes with Zucchini and Chick Peas

These little cakes are adorable and delicious. They still need a little work to pass the "kids love them test" but my husband and I  can't get enough of them. They are my new favorite snack in fact. I started with another published recipe and wanted to give them a little more nutrition so I took out some of the wheat flour and added chickpeas instead. I'll be playing with the quantities in the next batches so watch out for a refined version of these coming soon. I had a request for the recipe though, so I wanted to get them out there for you. Frying them in a cast iron skillet will make them especially crispy.

Make the Veggie Base
In a food processor combine:

• 1 zucchini diced
  
• Chick peas - I used 1 cup for this recipe but will reduce this amount next time so not sure how it will affect the texture.
• 1 small shallot cut into chunks for easy processing (or onion and garlic if you prefer)
• 2 - 4 Tbs. water to make the puree smooth but not runny

Mix Your Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl combine:

• 1 cup of cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Make the Batter

• Add 1 beaten egg to the veggie base and mix well
• Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and pour the veggie base into the dry ingredients
• Add about 3/4 cup corn kernels (1 large or 2 small ears of corn worth if using fresh)
• Combine and add about 2 Tablespoons milk of your choice - any will work. I had buttermilk left over which is notorious for helping to make things a little fluffier and soft. Your mixture should stick together although it will feel just slightly crumbly. The egg will bind it as it cooks.

Make the Cakes

• Heat 1-2 Tbs. olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for each new batch
• Use an ice-cream scoop to dollop the batter into the plan
• Gently flatten the scoops and fry until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes each side on my stove)
• Keep the cakes warm in the oven until it's time to serve them

Serving
My favorite way to enjoy these is with my Summer Salsa Verde and a little Green Jalapeno Pepper Sauce, which is by the way, my new favorite condiment. Red salsa is also a good complement.

French Fried Potato and Carrot Pancakes

Don't let the name fool you these little cakes are delicious AND healthy. Like my four-year old, it might take a little practice for your kids to enjoy the form of the food but they taste yummy. My seven year old ate her first one and then said, "These are sooo good - I NEED another one." The inspiration for these came from a recipe I made awhile back from Mark Bittman. He had a recipe for carrot cakes as a suggestion for breakfast. The recipe was little more than grated carrot, eggs, salt, and a dash of cornmeal. After recently falling in love with corn cakes and watching the zucchini grow in the garden, I thought they would combine well. Then my new Vegetarian Times Magazine came in the mail. In a glossy centerfold was a stack of Potato, Carrot, Zucchini Pancakes. I love synchronicity like this. I modified their recipe and decided to use the chick pea flour for protein instead of the cornmeal I had used in my previous carrot cakes and a star was born in these crunchy, savory pancakes. Writing about them now, I feel excited to have not only a yummy dinner option but I think they will be fantastic for brunch and maybe combined into a nice casserole when it comes time for buffet season this fall.

Prepare the Veggies

• Saute 1 large shallot* in a cast iron skillet (any other skillet is fine but the cast iron will give your cakes more crispness) 

In a large bowl grate:

• 1 medium potato (I used an Idaho potato but I think a sweet potato would be great too!)
• 2 large carrots
• 1 small zucchini
• Wrap the veggies in a kitchen towel and squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can over the sink

Prepare the Batter
In a separate small bowl mix:

• 1/4 cup flour - I used chick pea flour for added protein and to make it gluten-free but any type will work fine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

In the large bowl that once held your veggies (which are now wrapped in a towel in your sink;-)

• Whisk 2 eggs
• Add the sauteed shallot*
• Add the veggies
• Dust with your seasoned flour and mix well - Your batter will look a little like the texture of coleslaw and you might wonder will this work? As the eggs cook around the veggies it will bind the cake.

Making Cake

• Coat your skillet with a thin layer of olive oil for each new batch
• Use an ice-cream scoop to dollop the batter into the pan
• Gently flatten and shape your cakes
• Cook over med-high heat until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes per side)
• Keep the cakes warm in the oven until ready to serve

Serving
I'm going to work on some type of creamy sauce for these the next time. In the meantime, the adults ate them with green jalapeno sauce and the kids used, what else, ketchup! Vegetarian Times served them with a tomato corn relish.


* I prefer shallots but a little chopped onion and garlic work in the same way as the shallot

No Chips Needed for this Salsa Verde Salad

Salsa Verde with Corn Cakes and Sweet Potato Chips

This Salsa Verde is my favorite thing to make in summer. I love to add it avocado for guacamole and use it as a healthy and yummy sauce on anything! Today I used it as my salad dressing and it was worth writing about.

Salsa Verde
In a mini food chopper or blender, combine:

• 4-6 husked, rinsed and quartered tomatillos (no need to cook them)
• 1 large or two small shallots
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 handfuls of cilantro leaves (depending on your taste)
• juice of one lime
• a little heat by way of some jalepeno or pepper sauce would be a nice addition if you like it spicy

That's all there is to it. You could add it to some mashed avocado for guacamole; or make the....

No Chips Needed Salsa Verde Salad

• Prepare the Salsa Verde Salad dressing
• In a large bowl, mash one avocado and add 1/4 cup Salsa Verde
• Stir to combine
• Prepare your veggies
• There is so much flavor and healthy goodness in this dressing that I keep the salad really simple. It's just:
• 1/2 head or romaine lettuce
• 1 diced cucumber
• Mix it up and enjoy

The salad recipe makes one large salad and you'll have some leftover salsa for snacking on later.

Emerald Green Vitality "Soup"

In keeping with my recent theme of cocktail inspired soups, this could be called Margarita Soup and I do think it's yummy enough to drink out of a glass. You just whiz it up in a blender and you are good to go. The color might be scary if you aren't used to eating the freshest of food so just think "I am eating (or drinking) pure vitality when I take this in."

Recipe is for one large serving or two smaller portions


Prepare the veggies:

• Chop 1/4 english cucumber* (reserve a little for garnish if you like)
• Halve an avocado **

Place the ingredients into your blender

• chopped cucumber
• half of an avocado
• a large handful of baby spinach
• juice of one lime
• small handful of cilantro leaves***
• 1/2 teaspoon good quality sea salt
• 1/4 cup water

Puree the soup in the blender and add water as needed to bring it to a pleasing consistency. Pour into you bowl or glass and enjoy. If using as a soup you might garnish with a bit of chopped cucumber and pine nuts.


*English Cucumbers have thin un-waxed skin and barely noticeable seeds so they require less prep work and no worry of eating wax. If you are using a conventional cucumber you should peel and seed it first)

**To preserve the other half of the avacado, keep the pit in one half. This is the side you will save the pit helps keep it fresher longer. Sprinkle a little citrus juice on the exposed portion of the reserved avacado. Place in an airtight container in the fridge. You should use the second half within a day or two. When you go to prepare the second half, remove the pit and scrape off the browned top layer. Everything underneath will still be nice and fresh.

***When using this as a drink, I leave out the cilantro.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Cabbage + Walnuts

Walnuts are good for your heart and your mood. 

Today's recipe is not kid tested but I think absolutely refreshing and delicious. This is a meal I made for myself on my family's "meat" night. The recipe made enough for my dinner and lunch the next day. Just double the recipe for a family meal.

Prepare pasta:

• Cook 1/2 box whole wheat spaghetti

Make the veggie saute:

• Warm 1 Tb. butter (or oil of choice) in a large skillet
  
• Slice 1/2 head celery cabbage or (savoy cabbage) into ribbons and add to the skillet
• Toss in a handful of walnuts (pine nuts or slivered almonds would also be good)

Prepare the dressing:
In a small bowl whisk together:

• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. djion mustard
• 1 tsp. sea salt

To serve:

• Combine pasta, cabbage and dressing
• Top with grated Parmasean cheese

Why I Never Cook the Same Thing Twice

The other day at dinner my daughter announced that she thought I should write my own cookbook. (That was part of the catalyst for me to start the blog.) My husband joked that it should be called "Never Eat the Same Thing Twice!" Me, not making the same thing twice, is partly due to my love of diversity but really more I just because I forget how I made what and if everyone liked it or not. You see, I start with a recipe but rarely follow it. Most of my dishes are inspired by a recipe (or three) and then I modify it to make it easier, healthier, more economical, or because I don't have on hand what the recipes called for. I'm excited to share my ideas on the blog but really I also think this is such a great place to keep track of everything so I don't have to be so "creative" at every meal!

Bloody Mary Soup (aka Cheesy Pizza Sauce Soup) and Power Packed Dippers

I've been enjoying perusing Jessica Seinfeld's "Double Delicious Cookbook". She hit the food scene with her cookbook "Deceptively Delicious." Today's post is inspired by her Tomato Soup and Protein-Packed Grilled Cheese. Jessica's "big thing" is hiding veggie puree in foods so that kids can barely even detect the added nutrition. I didn't have purees ready for the soup recipe so I made up my own and followed her Grilled Cheese recipe to the tee. Both were delicious.

If I had a "big thing" it might be using my creatively to make adult and kid versions of the same food. I try to make them enticing to both groups with the presentation, what I call the food, the associations I make with the food to things the kids enjoy, and with the accompaniments.

As I chopped the celery for the soup today, I started thinking about Bloody Mary's. Now, I'm not a Bloody Mary drinker per say but the combo of celery, tomatoes and a little spice was sounding really good. So I made the soup a Bloody Mary variation (minus the alcohol - but you could add it if you wanted to.) I know my kids wouldn't appreciate this version in the same way my hubby and I would so I decided to make a spicy relish to top our soup and would just leave it off for the kids. The soup has some ricotta cheese swirled in so it's no stretch for me to call it Cheesey Pizza Soup because basically that's what it was. Usually my son tells me he doesn't like soup but with a name like this he didn't refuse.

To save time on a busy weeknight make the soup and bean spread ahead of time and you'll have this yummy dinner ready in no time.

Start the Soup

• Drizzle some olive oil in soup pot
• Chop 1 shallot or small onion (if you use onion feel free to add a little garlic too)
• Turn the heat to med or med-high to begin to saute your veggies - from here on just chop and drop them in the pot
• Small dice two carrots
• Small dice two celery stalks (save the leafy tops for the relish)
• Season with a little salt and saute until the veggies get soft and the shallot has just begun to caramelize
• Remove half of the veggie mix and reserve in a small bowl for the relish
• To the remaining veggies in the soup pot, add a 28oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes
• Add 1 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• Simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes

While the soup simmers, start the Protein-Packed Portion of the Grilled Cheese Dippers

You can find Jessica's recipe

Quick + Easy Bean Spread

• Drain and rinse 1 can of white beans. Add to a food processor along with:
• 2 teaspoons of lemon juice (I used my favorite white balsamic vinegar because I didn't have lemons)
• 1/4 part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 clove garlic roughly chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• puree until smooth and set aside

After the bean spread is prepped, take the soup off the heat so it can start to cool before you blend it. You should never put hot liquid in a blender with the lid on. 

While the soup cools, assemble the dippers.

• Warm the oven to 350 degrees.
• Spread 4 slices of bread with the bean spread
• Sprinkle on pizza cheese 
• Toast in oven for about 7 minutes - if you have a broiler turn in on for the last minute to brown the cheese

While the dippers are in the oven, prepare the relish.

• To the veggies you set aside earlier add:
• 1 chopped chile (your heat preference)
• diced celery leaves you set aside earlier
• juice of a half lime
• sprinkling of salt

Finish the Soup

• Stir 1/2 cup ricotta cheese into the cooling soup. 
• Pour the soup into blender and puree. (If the soup is still hot, you can take the center measuring cup out of the blender and cover with a towel while you blend it so that pressure won't build in the blender bowl or use an immersion blender.)

To serve

• Put the soup in a small bowl. 
• Top the adult versions with the relish and feel free to top the kids versions with a little extra cheese. 
• Slice the toasts into little dippers and serve along side the soup.

Leftovers:

I have enough soup leftovers to use this as a fresh nutrient pasta sauce for our next meal.

Enjoy and know your whole family is eating well with just a few little modifications for optimum pleasure!

Food! (My new blogs intro and a lunch salad recipe below.)

The inspiration for this blog is to share my insights, research, and attempts at feeding myself and my family in a way that helps us all Flourish. Flourish Unlimited is the name of my health and wellness company which is based on movement to encourage harmony and vitality in life. Food is an essential part of finding better balance and harmony for not only ourselves but also our planet. We all need to eat to live but getting all that we need to really flourish can be a challenge. I try to keep my food philosophy simple. It's important for me to eat food that nourishes me, energizes me, is enjoyable and fulfilling. My philosophy is one of moderation and respect for myself and the planet. Basically I just wanted a place to perhaps offer a little inspiration for you to feed yourself in a way that helps you, your family, and the world around you feel a little better.

I am by no means a food expert. I did learn to cook the basics when I was very young. My mom taught me to cook eggs and potatoes and a few other things. My dad who was born in Ireland liked very plain food and my mom likes things simple so there wasn't a lot of spice in my food as a child. The three meals I remember eating the most when I cooked for myself in college was Tuna Helper, Sausage with Potatoes and Green Beans, and Healthy Choice Ice Cream! I started to feel like " a cook" after spending hours watching The Food Network while nursing my first born child. I learned some techniques to make cooking easier and I was inspired by interesting flavor combinations. I'll likely reveal some more of my food history along the way but I just wanted to take a moment to point out that I'm not an expert and don't have food preparation training but I have come to a place where I am comfortable in the kitchen and feel good about the food I prepare for myself and my family. I hope this blog might offer a little motivation, support or inspiration to help you eat well.

OK that's enough of an intro for today... Today's Recipe is....
Actually first I'm going to say one more thing... almost everything I cook is an adaptation of a recipe I found somewhere. The library is chock full of amazing cookbooks and of course the supply is limitless on the internet.

Today's lunch was an adaptation of Natalia Rose's "Salad Gone Nuts"
Natalia Rose is the author of The Raw Food Detox Diet and her website is www.therawfooddetoxdiet.com

In a big bowl start your dressing...

• 1 Tb. Balsamic Vinegar
• Squirt of Honey
• 2 teaspoons Grapeseed Oil (or other light oil)
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (could also use a dash of powdered ginger or just skip)

Whisk ingredients and then add salad components.
(I try to use organic veggies - it's most important for the veggies with soft skins or if you consume the skin)

• Peel and grate 1 Carrot into the bowl
• 1 handful Grape Tomatoes
• 1/4 chopped English Cucumber (comes in plastic so there's no wax on the skin and you can keep it on) If you are using a regular cucumber you should peel it and scoop out the seeds if you like.
• Optional a handful of matchstick Daikon Radish (looks like a big white carrot - very purifying for body)
• Handful of Baby Spinach chopped
• Handful of Fresh Spring Salad Mix
• Small handful of Raw Walnuts

Mix up and enjoy!