Kale and Avocado

This is a kale recipe for the masses... Kale needed FAT to be good!! :)

1 bunch of kale, stems removed and cut into 3" of so pieces
1/2 avocado, cut into small cubes or mashed
1/2 of a lemon, juiced
sea salt
1 TBSP olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced

In an 12" sauce pan sautee over low/medium heat the olive oil and garlic for about a minute, add the kale until it softens some. Season with sea salt and lemon juice and toss together. Next, add the avocado and toss around until the avocado almost melts and is evenly distributes. Taste one more time for salt and dig in!

Butternut Squash, Roasted Garlic, and Apple Soup

I told you that I have been really into soups lately.. Here is another one that you can't really go wrong with. I mean...come on...all these things are absolutely delicious! I tend to not specify the exact amount of spices, because that is something that I feel like you 'taste' out. I kept tinkering and got something filling and scrumptious!! Serve this with homemade whole wheat bread for an absolute crowd pleaser! Bring on the cold nights and the need for comfort food!!

1 butternut squash
4 + garlic cloves
2 green apples peeled and chopped
salt and pepper

cayenne pepper

cinnamon

ground cloves

nutmeg
olive oil
3 cups of vegetable stock

Directions:

Heat a little olive oil and add the garlic cloves (just peel them and press them so they are a little crushed and let flavor easier). Fry them in medium heat until they are golden and you can smell it. Add the chopped and peeled apple and squash. Add salt and pepper and stir some more. After 2 or 3 minutes add the veggie stock and let simmer until the squash is done.

Blend everything and serve with good bread. You can add a little lemon before eating. Enjoy!

Curried Couscous Salad with Dried Sweet Cranberries

1 box instant cous cous

3/4 cup sweetened. dried cranberries

1 TBSP curry powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 orange, juiced

2-3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

3-4 green onions

2 TBSP chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1/2 lemon, juiced

3/4 cup chopped and toasted walnuts

fresh ground pepper

Dump the cous cous into a heatproof bowl. Add the appropriate amount of boiling water to the cous cous (according to package directions). Add the orange juice. Give it a big stir, cover the bowl tightly with saran wrap and let it stand until the water is absorbed and the cous cous is tender, about 5 minutes.

Fluff the cous cous with a fork. Add the olive oil, scallions, parsley, lemon juice, and walnuts. Stir around until everything is well distributed evenly throughout the cous cous. Make at least 2 hours ahead of time and keep at room temperature until you're ready to serve. Check the seasonings right before you serve and add salt and pepper to taste.

Corn and Zucchini Sautee

This is just another delicious way to serve vegetables... How could ANY kid ever suggest they hate veggies when they are cooked like this...

2 TBSP Olive Oil

1/2 cup chopped green onions

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

4 ears of FRESH corn, cut off the cob

1 lb zucchini , quartered lengthwise, then cut into about 1/4" pieces

1/2 tsp ground cumin

salt and fresh pepper

1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Heat the il in a 12" heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Cook green onions, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic and cook and additional 1 minute. Add the corn, zucchini, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir until the zucchini is tender. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper.

Throw 'em for a Loop Spring Greens Soup

I have been really into soups lately, and something about this idea really sparked my interest... Honestly, I think that I was more curious than anything when I saw an adaptation of this recipe! I generally don't serve soups where one of the main ingredients are greens, so against my better judgement I tried... And I am so glad that I did!

1 medium onion, halved and sliced

2 cloves minced garlic

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cups veggie broth

freshly ground black pepper

Salt

12oz Yukon potato, cubed

3 cups sliced mushrooms

1 Tbsp Earth Balance or other vegan butter

3 cups fresh spinach

3 cups fresh arugula

2 cups fresh flat leaf parsley leaves and tender stems

Garnish: sauteed mushrooms and fresh arugula

1. Sautee down onion in olive oil for about 3 minutes, add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add broth, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes and return to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer covered for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the mushrooms in vegan butter over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes until tender and the liquid is evaporated. Set aside.

3. Once the potato mixture has completed simmering, add the mushrooms and remove from heat. Use the immersion blender to blend the new mixture until almost smooth. Season again.

4. Add the spinach, arugula, and parsley. Return to heat and bring to a boil. Again remove from heat.

5. Use immersion blender to again blend the soup until only flecks of green remain. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately topped with sauteed mushrooms and fresh arugula.

Lentil Soup

I must admit that this soup is a bit of an adaptation from that 'so cute you almost hate her' petite, Italian lady Giada de Laurentis.  Her lentil soup recipe isn't too far off from vegan, and is a simple, filling, and healthy dish that just gets better as a leftover.  

2 TBSP olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 14oz can of diced tomatoes

1 lb lentils

11 cups veggie broth

4 to 6 sprigs of thyme

2/3 cup dried elbow pasta

1 cup shredded vegan parm (optional)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, and saute down the onions, carrots, and celery until translucent.  Add garlic and cook for another minute.  Add the can of tomatoes with their juices and simmer until the juices break down and the tomatoes break down a little, about 8 minutes.  Add the lentils and mix to coat.  Add the broth and stir.  Add the thyme sprigs.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.   Stir in the pasta, and simmer until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.  Season and take off the heat.  Serve up in bowls, and add parmesean is desired.   

Vegan Hollandaise

Which kind of sounds 'non-appetizing'... I will be the first to admit that there is no sex appeal in the sound of this one.  At the same time, desperate times calls for creativity.  We have a long standing tradition in my family of eggs benedict and lots of mimosas on Christmas morning.  Whereas the mimosas require no adaptation, I wanted to be able to toast baby Jesus with both the drink and our traditional food this year.  By golly, I think that it WILL be done! The plan: english muffin, grilled portobello mushroom, grilled asparagus - or possibly grilled green onion - all drizzled with this.....

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

2 TBSP flour

1 cup water

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp Dijon mustard

juice from 1/2 to 1 whole lemon

Whisk all the ingredients together - except the mustard - in a sauce pan over medium heat.  This sauce is prone to burning, so make sure and stir frequently.  Once it becomes noticeably thicker, add the mustard and simmer on low for a few minutes.   Enjoy!