Spanish Influenced Meal with Red Peppers and Mushrooms

Last night I had a hard time sleeping, for some unknown reason I was still awake at 1:49am. *ugh* When the alarm went off at 6am for the farmers’ market it was tough to drag myself out of bed. Of course I went but I wasn’t in the most chipper mood. ;-) As usual we did a quick lap around the market to see what the farmers had and to get our blood pumping. It seemed to help a little.

When we got to one of our favorite organic farmers he was just setting up. We gave him a hand unloading the truck and had everything out and on the tables in a few minutes. Doesn’t it always change your mood when you help another person? No matter how tired I am when I leave the house I always know I will feel better once we get to the market.

Once we got back from the market I realized I had forgotten a few things (including my list, duh). Dan and I walked over to the grocery store for another 5 pounds of organic carrots and a bag of apples (both for juice of course).

As tired as I was this morning the idea of making food was not the slightest bit appealing, though we needed to eat and my parents were expecting me to cook a late mid-day meal which has become traditional. I had barley mushroom risotto in mind but there was no way I felt like that much stirring. That is where the idea of soup came from; it was definitely much easier and just as tasty.

Since I was in the mood for Spanish food I decided to flavor the soup as if it were a tapas dish I order often. Knowing that I was going for a Spanish influence on the soup I decided to make my healthy version of another dish I order at our local tapas restaurant for our appetizer. It is very simple and takes only a few minutes to prepare if you are using jarred peppers. Here is what I made:

Slightly Sweet and Sour Roasted Peppers with Almonds and Capers
Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 peppers, roasted and skin removed, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon agave
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely minced
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
dulse granules, to taste (or flaked sea salt)
1/2 tablespoon capers, drained – optional but recommended

Directions:

Drain the roasted red peppers thoroughly and place in the container with a tight seal.  Or roast your own, directions here.


Water sauté the garlic for a few minutes until the water has evaporated. Combine the garlic, sherry vinegar and agave and pour over the peppers and refrigerate until needed.  Toss the peppers periodically to make sure they all absorb the flavor of the marinade.

To serve, bring the peppers to room temperature (to maximize the flavor). Top the peppers with almonds, capers, parsley and freshly cracked pepper. Add dulse or salt if desired. With the capers I didn’t think it needed any additional saltiness.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 44.79
Calories From Fat (25%) - 10.98

Total Fat - 1.34g
Saturated Fat - 0.11g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 36.07mg
Potassium - 204.69mg
Total Carbohydrates - 8.13g
Fiber - 2.78g
Sugar - 0.28g
Protein - 1.47g

Comments:

The appetizer was definitely the star of the meal. Everyone remarked that it was so good and there was not a drop of oil. *pats self on back, LOL* Dan, who does not like peppers but eats them anyway, said “this was the best pepper dish I have made in a long time” and that he would be happy to eat this again. Seriously for Dan to mention this means it was home run. I really hope you try this. It is lightly sweet from the agave, a little tart from the sherry vinegar. There are salty pops from the capers, freshness from the parsley and crunch from the almonds. Can you tell I liked it? ;-) LOL

Mushroom and Barley Soup with Spanish Flavors

The poor soup almost didn’t stand a chance with the popularity of the appetizer. But I think it held its own. ;-) If you like mushrooms, lemon and smoked paprika you will enjoy this. The cashew crème fraiche added a little richness to the otherwise fat free soup. Here is what I did:

Spanish Flavored Wild Mushroom and Barley Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cups dried wild mushrooms
4 cups water
2 carrots
3 stalks celery
½ red onion
6 cloves garlic, peeled
4 cups water
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon cumin seed, ground
1 cup barley, uncooked
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons freshly parsley, finely minced
1 lemon zested and juiced
4 tablespoons cashew crème fraiche
smoked paprika to top cashew crème

Directions:

Combine the dried mushrooms and 4 cups of water in a microwave safe container. Heat until hot and allow the mushrooms to soak for 30 minutes. When the mushrooms are tender cut them into pieces that will fit on a spoon and strain the mushroom soaking liquid to add to the soup.

While the mushrooms are soaking cut the carrot and onion into rough chunks and put in your food processor. Chop the celery finely and add it to the food processor as well. The processor blade alone doesn’t do a great job on the “strings” in the celery. Toss in the garlic and process until everything is finely ground. You want the smallest pieces possible as you were making a Bolognese sauce. The mixture will almost be the consistency of mush.

Place this mixture in a larger heavy pot and add the other 4 cups of water. Add the mushrooms, soaking liquid and the remaining ingredients except (parsley, cashew crème and smoked paprika for garnish). Simmer (with the lid slightly ajar) until the barley is tender. This will take about an hour depending on the power of your burner. Be sure to simmer so the liquid doesn’t evaporate and stir every 10 to 15 minutes so you know it is sticking. Add more water if necessary.

To serve, remove the bay leaf, top the soup with a dollop of cashew crème fraiche and a pinch of smoked paprika

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 321.98
Calories From Fat (8%) - 27.14

Total Fat - 3.28g
Saturated Fat - 0.61g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 126.45mg
Potassium - 798.67mg
Total Carbohydrates - 70.25g
Fiber - 14.66g
Sugar - 4.26g
Protein - 9.8g

Comments:

This is definitely not your traditional mushroom barley soup but we really enjoyed it. I like the lemon aspect as well as the smoked paprika. Of course I love any opportunity to get the antiproliferative properties of mushrooms into us. I will definitely make this again. All four bowls were empty at the end of the meal so I think everyone liked it.

Last night:

Dan and I decided to kick back and relax after the late mid-day meal with my parents yesterday. While I cleaned up the kitchen Dan watched a little sci fi he had DVR’d. Then we decided to watch a movie. While I don’t always mention movies this one was much better than we both expected so I wanted to share. We finally got around to watching “It’s Complicated”. Neither of us are huge Alec Baldwin fans but we both like Meryl Streep so we expected her to do a good job. I have to admit Alec Baldwin was much better than we expected. Parts of the movie had us both laughing out loud it was so funny. If you haven’t seen it I would recommend it if you need a “funny movie night”.

We ended up skipping dinner and having popcorn with the movie. Dan had his usual strawberry banana soft serve after the movie. I swear he could eat that stuff every night.

This morning:

After the market today and our unexpected trip to the grocery store for the things I forget we were a little hungry. I wonder why since we skipped dinner? For breakfast this morning we split a cantaloupe. I really love fresh local melons. They are so flavorful and juicy when they are in season.

Then we had a quick bowl of oatmeal topped with an equal amount of frozen wild blueberries, and a spirnkle of cinnamon and ginger and a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds for omega 3's.

Dinner tonight:

At the moment dinner is completely up in the air. We may have something simple like a big salad with lentil and walnut pate. But I actually have no idea. Also being so full from lunch doesn’t give me any desire to think about dinner at the moment.

Unrelated Note:

I think Dan wants to watch another movie this evening. If we choose something worth watching I will let you know about it later tonight or tomorrow.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Talk to you again soon.

Smoky Red Peppers Stuffed with Tofu Ricotta, Spinach and Pine Nuts

This dish came about because I had a little bit of leftover filling from making the stuffed eggplant this weekend and didn’t know what to do with it. When I saw the peppers in the refrigerator I knew they would be the perfect vessel to hold the filling. I used the smoker because I didn’t put it away from making the smoked mushrooms yesterday. You could just as easily bake this in a 350-degree oven. I included wilted spinach and golden raisins to give this dish a touch of southern Italy.

Smoky Red Peppers Stuffed with Tofu Ricotta, Spinach and Pine Nuts
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2 cup wood chips
2 medium red peppers (I used 1 purple and 1 red)
6 cups of baby spinach, raw
2 tablespoons of golden raisins
4 tablespoons of tofu, firm
½ tablespoon of raw cashews
½ garlic clove
1 tablespoon of pine nuts
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Soak your wood chips for at least an hour so that they are thoroughly saturated when you begin smoking.

Cut the peppers in half top to bottom. Remove the seeds and veins. If the peppers won’t sit upright make a tin foil snake to cradle the peppers in while they are being smoked.

Rough chop the baby spinach and sauté until it is wilted. Rough chop the golden raisins. You want each raisin to be cut once. Add the raisins to the spinach and move everything to wire sieve. Press down on the spinach and raisin mixture to remove as much water as possible. You can also squeeze it dry in your hands.

To make the filling, put the tofu, cashews and garlic into the food processor and process until it is smooth. Put the tofu mixture into a bowl. Add the pine nuts, and spinach and stir to thoroughly combine.

Place the filling evenly into the peppers.

Drain the wood chips and place them in the bottom of your smoker. Put the peppers (in the smoker tray on the rack) on top of the wood chips. Close the smoker and turn the heat on high for 5 minutes. After five minutes reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 20 minutes. Then you want to check the filling to see if it has firmed up a little (like a frittata). It will still be a soft (like a cheese) but will have become a cohesive mass.

Your peppers will give off a little liquid while cooking. Use your finger to keep the filling in the pepper and pour off the liquid while the peppers are still hot. I found they were cool enough to pick up in about five minutes. Cool the peppers to room temperature and refrigerate until you are ready to eat.

I served these cold on top of greens dressed with lemon. They would also be good warm or hot, but I wanted them to top a salad.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 297.95
Calories From Fat (42%) - 125.96

Total Fat - 15.05g
Saturated Fat - 1.43g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 234.12mg
Potassium - 1159.75mg
Total Carbohydrates - 24.38g
Fiber - 6.45g
Sugar - 13g
Protein - 23.27g

Comments:

This recipe turned out well. It was lightly smoky and flavorful. Golden raisins added a little sweetness in random bites. The cooking method kept the pepper crisp. The filling was rich and creamy and very much like cheese. Overall I am very pleased with this dish. I had it today for lunch on top of lettuce that was dressed with a little lemon juice and that acid helped to cut through the fat of the filling.

Potato Hash with Merguez and Roasted Red Pepper

Obviously I wanted to make something with the new seitan sausage and this is what I choose today. This dish is hearty and filling due to the potatoes and seitan. A subtle sweetness comes from the roasted red peppers and onions. I added the roasted red peppers, paprika and oregano to mimic what was in the seitan sausage.

This dish has a nice amount of potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C. We try to consume about 60 grams of protein every day, and this meal contains about a third of our daily target. The fiber count is a little lower than I would like so I added a few veggies on the side.

Potato Hash with Merguez and Roasted Red Pepper
Serves 2

Ingredients:

10 ounces of Yukon gold potato (2 large potatoes)
½ tablespoon of canola oil
1 red onion, sliced
1 merguez flavored seitan sausage, cut into bite sized pieces
1 roasted red pepper, cut into bite size pieces
¼ teaspoon of sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon of oregano, dried
¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Pierce the potatoes and microwave them until tender (about 3 minutes). Cool until you can handle and then cut into bite sized pieces.

Sauté the red onion in the canola oil. When the onions have softened add the remaining ingredients and heat through.

Serve hot.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 299.02
Calories From Fat (18%) - 52.67

Total Fat - 5.98g
Saturated Fat - 0.5g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 320.28mg
Potassium - 1120.55mg
Total Carbohydrates - 45.97g
Fiber - 5.26g
Sugar - 0.21g
Protein - 18.32g

Comments:

A good description of this meal would be warm, filling and comforting. If you are looking for a dish that is familiar but with flavor that is not the usual this is good recipe. The flavor is a little sweet (from the onions, roasted red peppers and paprika) but also savory. Add a nice salad and you have a complete meal with good nutrition.

Merguez Flavored Seitan Sausages

Somehow we ran out of prepared seitan in both the refrigerator and freezer. I wanted to make something unusual today, and decided to try my hand at making a Merguez flavored seitan sausage. If you are unfamiliar with merguez it is a North African spicy lamb sausage that is also popular in French cooking. The traditional sausages are very “lamby” and a bright red color. They are also juicy from the fat and red pepper.

Obviously mimicking lamb was going to be a problem but I knew I get the spice blend right. I used the spice combination from cookbook Charcuterie. I added the oil and whole wheat bread crumbs to try to mimic the juiciness of the original.

Merguez Flavored Seitan Sausages
Makes 8 sausages

Ingredients:

1 roasted red pepper
1 ¼ cup of water
½ tablespoon of agave
¼ teaspoon of hot pepper flakes
3 cloves of garlic
½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of sweet paprika
1 tablespoon of oregano
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
2 tablespoons of canola oil
½ cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
10 ounce box of vital wheat gluten

Directions:

Combine the roasted red pepper, water, agave, pepper flakes, garlic, black pepper, paprika, oregano, salt and canola oil in your blender. Puree until everything is completely combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into a large powder and add the whole wheat bread crumbs. Add the vital gluten to the wet ingredients and combine with your hands. Continue to smush and knead until dough forms.

Remove 8 pieces of aluminum foil from the roll that are about 12 inches length each.

Remove the seitan dough from the bowl and move it to a cutting board. Form the dough into a big log shape. Cut the dough into 8 roughly even pieces. One piece at a time roll the dough into a snake (like you did in kindergarten). The seitan snakes should be about 6 inches in length. Put the seitan snake into the aluminum and roll them into the foil like you are covering a candy. Twist the ends to close the sausages. .

Put water in the bottom of your pressure cooker until it reaches the bottom of your removal steamer basket. Place the seitan sausages in the cooker and lock the lid.

Cook the sausages under pressure for 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally.

Remove the sausages from the pressure cooker and allow to cool a little so that you can remove the foil without burning your fingers. This should take about 10 minutes.

Put the sausages in a container with a lid and refrigerate until needed. If you are going to eat them in a 4 days wrap them completely in plastic cling wrap and place them in a zippered freezer bag. I have kept these in the freezer for months and they were fine when defrosted.

You can use these as you would any other sausage. I tend to put them into dishes cut into chunks, but you can serve them on a bun with sautéed peppers and onions if you like.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 180.94
Calories From Fat (22%) - 39.55

Total Fat - 4.48g
Saturated Fat - 0.42g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 146.47mg
Potassium - 102.11mg
Total Carbohydrates - 8.59g
Fiber - 1.43g
Sugar - 0.35g
Protein - 27.47g

Comments:

The flavor of these sausage is good and the texture is softer than my usual sausages. Since I added fat and bread crumbs I don't know which item made the largest difference in texture. I will continue to experiment with this in the coming weeks. I can't wait to use these sausages tomorrow.

Muhammara

(pictured: Muhamarra on cucumber rounds)

If you like hummus and baba ghanoush I think you will like muhammara. This dip is sweet, a little spicy (if you add the harissa) and tart from the pomegranate molasses. There is a bit of smokiness in the background from the cumin. The walnuts make the dip rich and satisfying and add omega 3 fats and have been linked to a reduction in cancer, cardiovascular disease and cholesterol.

Traditionally muhammara is used with kabobs or as a bread dip, like hummus. I find that it also makes a nice dip for veggies, or as a sauce for wrap sandwiches.

Muhammara - my lower fat version
Makes 12 generous servings

Ingredients:

3 roasted red peppers, seeded
½ cup of walnut pieces, toasted
½ cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses
½ teaspoon of cumin seeds, toasted and ground
½ teaspoon of harissa – optional but good
¼ cup of pomegranate juice, or enough to make a smooth consistency

Directions:

Put everything but the pomegranate juice in the food processor or blender and process until smooth. If the muhammara is too thick add pomegranate juice, a little at a time, to thin it out.

Pour into a container with a lid and refrigerate until needed. This has more flavor at room temperature.

Traditionally this sauce is emulsified with olive oil. I didn’t want to add that much fat but you could eliminate the pomegranate juice and substitute olive oil for a traditional variation.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 71.96
Calories From Fat (41%) - 29.78

Total Fat - 3.39g
Saturated Fat - 0.33g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 13.03mg
Potassium - 118.12mg
Total Carbohydrates - 9.66g
Fiber - 1.26g
Sugar - 5.52g
Protein - 1.42g

Comments:

I find this to be a nice change from hummus. Even my husband, who isn't crazy about bell peppers, likes this dip. If you are looking for something that is a little unusual this is a nice change.

Easy Roasted Red Peppers

Do you get carried away buying peppers and wonder how you are going to use them? I do things like this all the time.

Roasted Red Peppers are so easy to make you will wonder why you ever bought them in a jar or off the salad bar. They don’t take any skill and there are only a few tricks that make it easier. I have a pepper roaster that sits on top the stove grate but you don’t need one.

In the picture above you can still see red on the peppers, that is not the way you want them to look, but it is prettier. You want the peppers to be a close to evenly black as you can you get them. The first time I made them I thought they were too burnt, but that is perfect.

Red bell peppers are full of nutrition and contain more vitamin C than citrus fruit. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that is linked to a reduction in many common western diseases.

Easy Roasted Red Peppers
Makes 4 peppers

Ingredients:

4 roasted red peppers
water to cover
¼ teaspoon of ascorbic acid powder

Directions:

Clean your peppers well before roasting.

Roast the peppers over a grill or the grate of your stove set to medium high heat. I have also used a cake cooling rack on top my stove and that worked well too. Cook the peppers until they are evenly black. I found this took about 2 minutes per side or 10 minutes overall. By charring all the skin it will easily slip off the pepper after it steams.

Move the cooked peppers to a large bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to stand in the bowl for at least 10 minutes so that they steam and soften. The skins should easily slide off when you pinch the pepper. Cut off the top of the pepper and remove the seeds. Don’t wash the pepper to get out the seeds, use your hands. You don’t want to rinse off the remaining char it has a lot of good flavor.

Put the peppers in a jar with a lid and cover with water and the ascorbic acid. The peppers will keep in your refrigerator for at least a week. I use them so frequently they are gone before they have gotten any older.

If you don’t have powdered ascorbic acid you can also freeze the peppers for longer storage. I have purchased the ascorbic acid at my local health food store as well as the canning section of my grocery store.

Nutritional Information (per pepper):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 45.14
Calories From Fat (9%) - 3.95

Total Fat - 0.44g
Saturated Fat - 0.04g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 7.59mg
Potassium - 307.19mg
Total Carbohydrates - 8.79g
Fiber - 3.05g
Sugar - 6.13g
Protein - 1.44g

Comments:

These are so quick and easy to make. I like to combine the red, orange and yellow peppers and of course I buy organic peppers since they are one of the dirty dozen.

Succotash

When there are organic fresh lima beans at the farmers’ market there is probably going to be succotash at our house. I love fresh lima beans but I really dislike shelling the beans. Two quarts of lima beans in their pods yielded a whopping two cups of beans and took almost 90 minutes to peel. Like I said, I love fresh limas but they are a bit of work.

The rosemary and cayenne were last minute additions. Since the succotash was a little sweet I added the cayenne to balance the flavors. Rosemary was included for no reason other than I love it and it is easy to grab from the garden. This is the first time I added rosemary to succotash, but it won’t be the last. We really liked the corn and rosemary combination.

Succotash
Serves 6

Ingredients:

½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
½ red onion, finely minced
4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
¾ cup of almond milk
2 cups of fresh lima beans
5 ears of corn, kernels removed (I used silver queen)
1 roasted red pepper, finely minced
1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, finely minced
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Sauté the red onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion is translucent. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 219.63
Calories From Fat (14%) - 30.24

Total Fat - 3.45g
Saturated Fat - 0.41g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 579.93mg
Potassium - 644.57mg
Total Carbohydrates - 41.8g
Fiber - 9.16g
Sugar - 5.93g
Protein - 9.08g

Comments:

Succotash is something that I like to make when I have fresh lima beans and corn. By sautéing the onion, adding the roasted red pepper, increasing the corn and using almond milk this succotash is sweeter than most. I added the cayenne and rosemary to add a little depth of flavor. This is a nice combination that everyone enjoyed this evening (including the carnivores).

Zucchini, Tomato, Okra and Seitan Sausage Over Polenta

All is right with the world again because my sweetie is home safely from Oklahoma. I get is such a funk when we are apart. Ok, enough of that, back to cooking. Since I wanted to get a lot of veggies into my husband, I made a vegetable medley to serve over polenta for a late lunch today.

In order to keep the fat down, since I wasn’t certain how much fat he had on the road, I used only a teaspoon of oil to sauté the onion, and no fat in the polenta. Normally I would use a little more fat but I wanted to try to get the fat percentage a little lower than normal to bring the two day average down.

I used what I had in the house that I knew would go together. The okra was included for its ability to lower cholesterol. Okra isn’t my husband’s favorite (he complains about the “slime factor”). However, I have found if okra is a component of a larger dish he will eat it without much complaint. At least without any serious complaints (only his joking complaints), so that works for me. The zucchini was added for bulk. Zucchini is great to use as a vegetable filler. The red bell pepper adds a lot of vitamin C (more than an orange). Onions, garlic and tomatoes are cancer fighters, but also provide great flavor and are the foundation for many of my dishes. I included a seitan sausage to add a little more protein to the dish. I served this over polenta because I wanted to increase the calories without adding fat.

Zucchini, Tomato, Okra and Seitan Sausage Over Polenta
Serves 2

Polenta Ingredients:

1 cup of dry polenta
3 cups of cold water
1 teaspoon of salt

Vegetable Medley Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of canola oil
1 red onion, finely minced
1 red bell pepper, minced
1 cup of zucchini, minced
1 cup of okra, minced
15 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 clove of garlic, grated or minced
½ teaspoon of dried oregano
½ teaspoon of dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 Mexican spiced seitan sausage, sliced thinly

Directions:

Add the polenta, water and salt and stir to incorporate the three. Taste the water to see if it tastes salty enough for you. Polenta is like rice, you can’t salt it later, it just won’t ever have enough salt if you do. Turn the heat on lower and periodically stir the polenta. When it starts to tighten up and bubble like lava turn off the heat and put a lid on the pan. You can hold the polenta for 10 – 15 minutes before it begins to firm. If necessary you can leave the heat on low and add a little water to keep it from getting too tight.

When you start the polenta you should also begin the vegetable medley so that they are both finished at the same time.

Sauté the onion in the olive oil until soft. When the onion has softened add all the remaining ingredients and simmer until the polenta is ready. The cooking process should take about 15 minutes.

Serve the vegetable medley over the polenta. If you have fresh parsley, that would be a good garnish on top of the vegetables.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 463.63
Calories From Fat (11%) - 51.97

Total Fat - 6.05g
Saturated Fat - 0.71g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 1393.27mg
Potassium - 1316.03mg
Total Carbohydrates - 82.85g
Fiber - 13.88g
Sugar - 5.31g
Protein - 26.51g

Comments:

Lunch today was very filling. I don’t think we will be having a heavy dinner tonight. The flavor was mild, but complex. There were no complaints about the okra (thankfully).

Overall, I think we both liked this meal. My husband did comment that the texture of the sausages was good. It appears we both prefer the pressure cooked seitan sausage methodology. This meal was all about comfort food to me. The creaminess from the polenta makes it very comforting, in my opinion.

Corn Chowder

(pictured: corn chowder with imitation bacon bits and chives)

One of the recipes from cooking class this past week was Maryland corn chowder. The recipe we learned had all the traditional elements (milk, butter, bacon........ugh). I decided to make a recipe that we could enjoy without the guilt, or the negative health impact. I also decided to take the flavor in a slightly different direction.

This soup differs from the original by the inclusion of the poblano, saffron and oregano and the elimination of a number of animal products. The texture of this soup is somehow richer than the original, which I can’t quite explain since the original used butter and whole milk. I like the complexity that the saffron adds to the dish. I also used a variety of potatoes (Yukon Gold, Red Bliss and Peruvian Purple) for additional interest. This soup was well received at dinner tonight by vegans and omnivores alike.

Corn Chowder
Serves 4 as a main dish

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of canola oil
1 red onion, finely minced
1 red bell pepper, finely minced
1 poblano, finely minced
6 cups of almond milk, unsweetened
5 ears of corn, kernels removed (cobs reserved for the stock)
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon of oregano, dried
1 pinch of saffron threads, crumbled
1 pound of potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces (I used a variety of potatoes)
1 tablespoon of vegan bacon bits - optional
2 tablespoons of fresh minced herbs (parsley, cilantro, chive or thyme) - optional

Directions:

Sauté the onion, bell pepper and poblano pepper in the canola oil until soft. Add the almond milk, broken corncobs, bay leaves, oregano and saffron to the pot and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Add the potatoes 15 minutes before you want to serve the soup. Add the reserved corn kernels a few minutes before serving so that they can warm through. Remove the corncobs and bay leaves just before serving.

Serve hot with vegan bacon bits and fresh minced herbs on top.

Nutritional Information (without the optional ingredients):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 276.75
Calories From Fat (22%) - 60.81

Total Fat - 6.73g
Saturated Fat - 0.24g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 238.01mg
Potassium - 1234.58mg
Total Carbohydrates - 50.51g
Fiber - 7.29g
Sugar - 2.11g
Protein - 7.87g

Comments:

This soup tastes much richer than what we are accustomed to eating. If you are looking for a special occasion soup this one is good enough for company. My omnivore parents volunteered that I could make this for a weekend dinner again soon. I think that just about says everything. Even the meat and potato eaters liked this vegan soup. Will wonders never cease?

The only change I would make if you want to take this soup over the top would be a little drizzle of unfiltered extra virgin olive oil when you serve.

Bok Choy, Red Bell Pepper, Red Onion, and Straw Mushroom Stir Fry with Cashews

Sunday is farmers’ market day at our house. We go to our local farmers’ market downtown early each Sunday morning to pick up our weekly allocation from the organic CSA we belong to. Frequently that means we are eating a very veggie breakfast so that there are fewer veggies to store in the refrigerator.

Today I wanted to make a mild flavor stir fry without rice. We had a bit of a starch overload yesterday with the waffles so we decided not to have rice this morning. I used bok choy because it is part of the cruciferous vegetable family and I love to add those cancer fighters whenever I can. The red bell pepper is high in vitamin C, as well and lovely color and crunch. I use red onion mostly because it is an Italian thing. However, I did read years ago that red and yellow onions have more nutrition than white onions. If I can find the specifics on that I will post it later. The canned straw mushrooms were added because I wanted a little brown color and soft texture. Cashews were included for vitamin E and healthy fat.

Bok Choy, Red Bell Pepper, Red Onion, and Straw Mushroom Stir Fry with Cashews
Serves 2

Ingredients:

½ tablespoon canola oil
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, and sliced
1 head of bok choy, sliced
1 tablespoon of liquid aminos, or to taste
14 ounce can of straw mushrooms, drained
1 tablespoon of cashews

Directions:

Sauté the onion in the canola oil until it begins to soften. Then add the bell pepper strips and bok choy. Add the liquid aminos so that the sodium will help the vegetables release there liquid. Add the straw mushrooms so they will warm through. The total cooking time was less than 5 minutes on high heat.

Plate the vegetables and top with a few cashews and serve hot.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 182.72
Calories From Fat (34%) - 62.58

Total Fat - 7.27g
Saturated Fat - 0.88g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 1107.7mg
Potassium - 1306.78mg
Total Carbohydrates - 23.9g
Fiber - 9.11g
Sugar - 8.22g
Protein - 11.79g

Comments:

This stir-fry has a very mild flavor because we had it for breakfast this morning. If you want more flavor add a little sriracha and agave to the liquid aminos to make a hot and sweet sauce.

My husband liked the combination of flavors and textures and commented that it was a nice light breakfast. He has commented on the amount of chewing that was required this morning (but he does like to playfully complain). If you plan to serve this with rice I would make a more flavorful sauce since the rice is so bland.

Corn, White Bean, Poblano and Zucchini Enchiladas with Pumpkin Seed Salsa

We were in a Mexican food mood tonight. Well, to be more specific I was in a Mexican food mood tonight, since it is difficult to get my husband to express any opinion on what he wants for dinner. He did choose white beans over black beans today but that was the extent of his involvement. Initially I was going to make empanadas tonight, but then I got lazy and dinner turned into enchiladas (sorry about that). Since I have not posted a healthy whole-wheat empanada yet I will do that soon.

I used corn tonight because it is in season and local. The beans were added for fiber and protein. The poblano pepper was a much heat as I thought my elderly parents could tolerate (my husband and I would have liked much more). The zucchini was included to add bulk to the enchilada without a lot of calories. Pumpkin seeds are such a traditional Mexican item they seemed appropriate tonight. You can’t have Mexican food without cilantro … so it went it too. The chia seeds were used for their omega 3 content and because they are a great fat replacer in dressing type applications. Not to mention they are high in omega 3’s which fight inflammation and cancer.

None of the reasons I added items sounds very technical, and it shouldn’t. I cook completely by instinct. I have had many friends ask me why I combine different things or add things and the answer is normally “I have no idea I just wanted to use it”. I think this is what happens when you have cooked for 30 years as I have. I almost always make recipes up as I go along. After years of friends asking me for recipes I decided it made sense to start a blog. It is much easier than emailing recipes to people everyday. My husband was thrilled when I started the blog because he can see what he is having for dinner from work, and it reminds him of things that he really liked so he can ask me to make it again. I hope what you are getting from this is that cooking is more art than science. Once you learn what foods go together and how different things react (like chia seeds, agar, etc.) under various conditions (hot or cold temperatures) the rest of cooking is just playing in the kitchen.

I have one food book that I love and use every week. That book is Culinary Artistry. It is a wonderful book that outlines which foods combine well in terms of flavor. If you don’t have a copy pick it up the next time you are at the bookstore or library and see what it is all about. I have found it to be the most useful book in my kitchen and given the hundreds of books on food and cooking that I have, that is saying something.

Corn, White Bean, Poblano and Zucchini Enchiladas with Pumpkin Seed Salsa
Serves 4 hearty appetites

Enchilada Ingredients:

½ tablespoon of canola oil
1 poblano pepper, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cups of zucchini, finely chopped
2 ears of corn, kernels removed
1 roasted red pepper, finely chopped
2 cups of white beans, drained
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon of ancho chili powder
½ teaspoon of oregano, dried
4 whole-wheat roll ups (or tortillas)

Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:

15 ounce can of tomato sauce
½ teaspoon of ancho chili powder, or to taste
1 clove of garlic, grated – optional
½ teaspoon of cumin seed, toasted and ground - optional

Pumpkin Seed and Cilantro Salsa Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of white chia seeds, finely ground
1/4 cup of water, filtered
1 clove of garlic, grated
¼ teaspoon of cumin seed, toasted and ground
1/3 cup of fresh cilantro
juice for ½ lime, or to taste

Cucumber Salad Ingredients:

3 cucumbers, quartered and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite size strips
½ cup of fresh tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces
4 tablespoons of acid (lime juice, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, or red wine vinegar), or to taste
oregano, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup of fresh cilantro, minced

Directions:

In a heavy bottomed skillet (preferably cast iron) cook the peppers and onions in the canola oil until the pepper skin is blistered and the onion is softened. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the vegetables have given up their liquid. Allow the mixture to cool so that you can fill the enchiladas without getting burned.

To fill the enchiladas I place the tortilla (or whatever thin flat bread you are using) in the pan I am going to bake in. Next place ¼ of the filling in the flat bread and gently roll the flat bread around the filling with the seam ending on the bottom. Continue until all four flat breads are filled.

Open the can of tomato sauce and add the chili powder and grated garlic (if using) to the can and stir to thoroughly combine. Top the filling enchiladas with the sauce. Sprinkle the top of the sauce with the cumin (if using). Place the baking dish in the oven at 350 for at least 30 minutes. If the to is beginning to brown and the edges of the flat bread are starting to crisp the enchiladas are ready to come out of the oven. If you aren’t certain you can use a thermometer to check the internal temperature (you want at least 180 degrees on the inside).

To make the salsa, add chia seeds to the water in a measuring cup and stir to thoroughly combine. It will take 15 minutes or so for the seeds to absorb all the water and the mixture to get thick. Process the pumpkin seeds in the your food processor until they are completely ground. Add the chia seeds, garlic, cilantro and cumin to the food processor and pulse until everything is homogeneous. Place the pumpkin seed salsa in the refrigerator in the covered dish until needed.

For the cucumber salad, toss the cucumber, tomato and bell pepper with the acid, to taste. Add oregano, salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until needed. Add the fresh cilantro just before serving.

Place the enchilada on the plate, top with the pumpkin seed salsa and serve the cucumber salad along side.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 477.46
Calories From Fat (13%) - 63.54

Total Fat - 7.9g
Saturated Fat - 1.22g
Cholesterol- 0mg
Sodium - 1231.21mg
Potassium - 1964.91mg
Total Carbohydrates - 88.67g
Fiber - 21.59g
Sugar - 13.31g
Protein - 27.95g

Comments:

I know this isn’t going to sound right …. but did you see those nutritional stats? I was so psyched by the numbers (that is my finance geekiness coming out a little I fear). The fat percentage was perfect for the Life Over Cancer book (happy dance occurring at my house). Add to that over 21 grams of fiber and almost 28 grams of protein. I am one happy girl let me tell you. How can you not love a meal with those statistics that also tastes great? I know we loved it. Even my opinionated 80year old omnivore parents enjoyed it. We didn’t have any leftovers (not one bite).

Now you all know my favorite kitchen book what is yours? Do you have a favorite cookbook? I would love to know what it is and why you like it.

Country Style Breakfast: Crispy Seitan Cutlets, Potato Hash and Raw Zucchini Salad

This morning I wanted a big hearty breakfast. I don’t know why I was so hungry this morning, but whatever the reason a big “country style" breakfast was in order. I decided to crisp a couple of seitan cutlets this morning and serve it with potato hash and raw zucchini salad. It sounds like a lot of work but I had breakfast ready in about 15 minutes.

First I sliced the zucchini and onion thinly and moved it to a big bowl and topped with sherry vinegar, oil, oregano, salt and pepper to marinate while I made the hot dishes.

The hot portion of the breakfast was made this morning in my cast iron skillet. When I put the skillet on the heat to warm up I also set my onion to 200 degrees to keep the cutlets warm while I made the hash.

For the cutlets I crisped them quickly in the cast iron skillet in a touch of canola oil. This took just a couple of minutes per side and then moved them to a baking sheet in the oven.

While the cutlets were crisping I had the potatoes in the microwave getting soft.

Next I placed the sliced onions and poblano pepper in the skillet and quickly cooked them in the skillet until the onions soften and the peppers blister. I then added the potatoes and cooked them until they began to get a little crunchy on the outside. It is important not to move the potatoes around often so that they will form a little crust. Add the sliced roasted red pepper for a couple a minutes and then plate the potatoes. I moved the seitan back to the skillet briefly to make certain that it was warm enough and then moved it to the plate. Add the raw zucchini salad and you are ready for breakfast.

If you are looking for a very filling country style breakfast, we thought this was a very nice breakfast this morning. This breakfast also contains a nice amount of protein (36 grams) and fiber (7 grams). The total fat was a little higher than I wanted (18%), but when that happens I lower the fat content in the remaining meals to get the total down for the day.



Raw Zucchini Salad
Serves 3

Ingredients:

3 cups of zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
a few thin slices of red onion
2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
dried oregano, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat. Allow the salad to sit for a few minutes before serving (longer is also good). You could add fresh parsley or capers to this salad.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 37.67
Calories From Fat (40%) - 14.92

Total Fat - 1.75g
Saturated Fat - 0.26g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 12.84mg
Potassium - 339.41mg
Total Carbohydrates - 5.48g
Fiber - 1.57g
Sugar - 2.15g
Protein - 1.61g



Crispy Seitan Cutlets
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 pressure cooked seitan cutlets – mild flavor
½ teaspoon of canola oil

Directions:

Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat and wipe the pan with a paper towel coated with a little canola oil. Cook the seitan for a couple of minutes per side. You want the cutlet to form a nice crust on the exterior. Move the seitan to a 200-degree oven to stay warm while you make the rest of the meal.

Nutritional Information:

Amount per Serving
Calories - 205.74
Calories From Fat (20%) - 41.32

Total Fat - 4.67g
Saturated Fat - 0.4g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 390.31mg
Potassium - 331.19mg
Total Carbohydrates - 11.62g
Fiber - 0.73g
Sugar - 0.65g
Protein - 29.8g



Potato, Poblano, Roasted Red Pepper and Red Onion Hash
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 large red potatoes (approximately 6 ounces each)
1 poblano pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 red onion, sliced
2 roasted red peppers, sliced
1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel that has a little canola oil. You won’t need any more fat than what is on the towel. It works well to use tongs to hold the towel.

Clean the potatoes and pierce them with the tip of a paring knife. Microwave the potatoes until they are just tender.

Add the poblano pepper strips and onion slices to the pan and cook until the pepper skin blisters and the onion has softened. Add the roasted red pepper strips and the sherry vinegar and cook until the red peppers have been heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 198.38
Calories From Fat (12%) - 23.2

Total Fat - 2.64g
Saturated Fat - 0.22g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 155.6mg
Potassium - 1049.43mg
Total Carbohydrates - 40.77g
Fiber - 5.02g
Sugar - 1.15g
Protein - 5.05g

Comments:

This is what I consider a vegan country style breakfast. My grandmother used to make big southern breakfasts when I was a small child. Potato hash was something she included in her weekend breakfast feasts. This breakfast was very quick but somehow felt like a weekend breakfast. Both my husband and I liked the mixture of hot and cold items. We are both fond of the acidity from sherry vinegar, which is why it appeared twice this morning. The seitan cutlets that are pressure-cooked have such a nice tender texture with a little crispiness on the exterior from the cast iron pan. We both enjoyed this weekend breakfast on a Friday before work. I hope you like it as much as we did.

Curried Seitan Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce wraps are one of my favorite things to eat in the summer time. I like that they are cold and portable. I use many dinner leftovers in lettuce wraps for lunch.

Indian food is another one of my favorite things. Turmeric is one of the primary ingredients in curry powder. Turmeric is known to be anti-inflammatory and protects cells from damage by free radicals. It is also theorized to destroy cancer. Needless to say anything that help fight cancer is okay in my book.

This lettuce wrap is packed with flavor and nutrition. If you like Indian food give it a try. I normally serve this with a green salad or grain salad on the side.

Curried Seitan Lettuce Wraps
Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of reduced fat almond mayonnaise
¼ - ½ teaspoon of curry powder (add until it tastes right to you)
1/3 of a seitan roast, sliced into long thin strips
¼ red bell pepper, thinly sliced (raw or lightly cooked)
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of pineapple, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons of sliced almonds
3 lettuce leaves, rinsed and spun dry

Directions:

Cook the red onion for a few minutes until it is tender crisp. If you want to cook the red bell pepper, add it to the pan with the onions. I prefer to cool my vegetables completely before adding them to the lettuce wrap. However you can use them hot or warm if you wish.

Thoroughly mix mayonnaise and curry powder. Toss the cold veggies, seitan, pineapple and almonds with the mayonnaise and thoroughly combine.

Place a mound of the filling on each lettuce leave. Wrap the leaf around the filling and enjoy.

Nutritional information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 341.7
Calories From Fat (40%) - 136.58

Total Fat - 15.93g
Saturated Fat - 1.37g
Cholesterol - 0.41mg
Sodium - 668.35mg
Potassium - 469.32mg
Total Carbohydrates - 26.47g
Fiber - 5.26g
Sugar - 8.67g
Protein - 26.45g

Comments:

I love curry powder and use any opportunity to add it to my food. These lettuce wraps are full of flavor from the curry and vegetables. The pineapple also adds a nice refreshing sweet taste to the wraps. The sliced almonds add a nice crunchy touch. The seitan add a “meaty” chewy to the wraps.

Whole Wheat Pizza with BBQ Seitan, Pineapple, Peppers and Onions

This is a very fast pizza since all I had to do was slice a few veggies, defrost a little seitan and preheat the oven. Both my husband and I love pizza so we don’t mind eating it a few times in a week. I love that pizza is a blank canvas for flavors and that it is so quick to put together when the crusts have been par cooked.

Tonight’s pizza was a BBQ version with pineapple, peppers and onions, with a little seitan thrown on for meaty texture. This pizza is a nice mix of sweet and hot flavors, varied textures from soft onions, to crunchy crust and chewy seitan and is beautiful to look at with its rainbow of colors. I considered adding a little cold arugula salad for a cold element to the hot pizza but decided not to since I did that yesterday. Other than adding a little salad of top, I couldn’t think of anything to add to the pizza. If you like BBQ pizza give this one a try.

Whole Wheat Pizza with BBQ Seitan, Pineapple, Peppers and Onions
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/5 of whole wheat pizza dough recipe, par cooked
1/3 of chicken style seitan roast, sliced into sticks
¼ cup of canned pineapple chunks, drained and cut into bite sized pieces
½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce
1 tablespoon of minced fresh cilantro
a pinch of hot crushed peppers (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven (with pizza stone) to 500 degrees. Allow stone to preheat at 500 for at least 15 minutes (30 minutes is better if you can wait that long).

Meanwhile thinly slice a couple of pieces of seitan cutlet into sticks that are about ½ inch thick. Warm the seitan in a skillet with a little of juice from the canned pineapple.

Slice the bell pepper and red onion and heat in a skillet until tender crisp.

Top the pizza crust with two tablespoons of BBQ sauce and spread it evenly to within an inch of the edge. Top the pizza with the seitan, pineapple, bell pepper and onion. Cook for 4 or 5 minutes to heat toppings and crust.

Top with fresh minced cilantro and hot crushed peppers (if desired). Slice and serve while still hot.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 409.76
Calories From Fat (14%) - 57.2

Total Fat - 8.04g
Saturated Fat - 0.58g
Cholesterol - 0.21mg
Sodium - 589.73mg
Potassium - 304.52mg
Total Carbohydrates - 76.5g
Fiber - 8.3g
Sugar - 11.21g
Protein - 19.5g

Comments:

If you like pineapple pizza this is a healthy whole wheat version. There are so many flavors in this pizza that you won’t miss the cheese. This pizza has a little bit of everything and I thoroughly enjoyed it tonight.

To quote my husband, “the pizza is good, and not even in a odd way”. My husband can be such a sweet talker; I try not to let his compliments regarding my cooking go to my head. And yes, that is his way of being funny. Something you learn after 20 years together.

Hummus with Roasted Red Pepper, Garlic and Paprika

(pictured: roasted red pepper, garlic and paprika hummus on a Wasa Crisp)

I have been making hummus without added fat for a few years now. Hummus made without additional fat is now what I expect. Sometimes when I buy hummus (yes it does happen occasionally), it tastes too fatty to me.

Adding a lot of flavor is critical if you are making hummus without olive oil or tahini. This hummus gets it flavor from the spices, roasted red peppers and garlic. If you typically add olive oil or tahini to your hummus start reducing the fat by half until you eliminate the fat. It is no different than changing from full fat to skim milk. As you get accustomed to the reduced fat or non fat version it becomes your “new normal”.

We use this hummus as the “glue” to hold grilled or raw vegetables onto wrap sandwiches. It is also good with pita chips or crackers. We also like to dip raw veggies into hummus.

Hummus with Roasted Red Pepper, Garlic and Paprika
Makes 4 cups – serving given in one tablespoon measures

Ingredients:

6 cups of cooked chickpeas
3 roasted red peppers
3 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of cumin seed
1 teaspoon of coriander seed
1 teaspoon of paprika (sweet)
1 teaspoon of kosher salt

Directions:

Toss everything in the food processor and puree until completely smooth. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator until needed.

Nutritional Information:

Calories - 28.39
Calories From Fat (8%) - 2.35

Total Fat - 0.28g
Saturated Fat - 0.03g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 96.83mg
Potassium - 48.24mg
Total Carbohydrates - 5.45g
Fiber - 1.11g
Sugar - 0.01g
Protein - 1.17g

Comments:

We eat a lot of hummus in our house. Hummus is one of our go to sources of protein. This hummus comes together quickly by using pressure cooked beans. If you are looking for a flavorful hummus that doesn’t rely on fat for flavor this is a good choice. You can also substitute smoked paprika for the regular sweet paprika for an interesting variation. I normally use smoked paprika but today I felt like I wanted something a little different.

Gazpacho with Olive Oil

It was late before we had dinner last night so I didn’t want to make something heavy. I wanted gazpacho, but we were out of avocados. I love my gazpacho with avocados but since we were out of them I made a more traditional version of this cold soup.

This version of gazpacho is lower in fat and calories than my avocado version. I still prefer my avocado version, but this is a good substitute. The soup is packed with flavor (I used the higher amount of hot crushed peppers) and nutrition. I like soups that are a complete meal. Cold soups are a particular favorite of mine because the only thing you need to clean is the blender.

The lycopene in the tomatoes, combined with the olive oil, is thought to protect men from prostate cancer. The fresh garlic helps to reduce your cholesterol and reduce the risk of cancer. Red bell peppers are packed with vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant. I added the carrots to this version of gazpacho to add a good source of beta-carotene to the soup. I wasn’t able to taste the carrots in the final soup. I will be continuing to add carrots to my gazpacho from now on.

If you need a quick dinner and want something cold this is a good option.

Gazpacho with Olive Oil
Makes 2 entrée sized servings

Ingredients:

28 ounces of diced tomatoes
3 carrots, cut into chunks
¼ of a red onion, peeled and cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 –2 tablespoons of hot crushed peppers (wet hots)
½ - 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
½ seedless cucumber, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine everything except the cucumber and bell pepper in the blender and process until it is completely smooth. Begin with the smaller amount of hot crushed peppers and salt and taste once the mixture is smooth. Add more if necessary.

Store the soup in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Chill bowls to serve the soup. Pour the soup into the chilled bowls and top with diced cucumber and bell pepper. I always add a little grind of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to the top of the soup before serving.

You can top the soup with fresh minced cilantro and/or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if you like.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 283.88
Calories From Fat (46%) - 131.98

Total Fat - 14.98g
Saturated Fat - 2.06g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 579.47mg
Potassium - 1615.91mg
Total Carbohydrates - 35.84g
Fiber - 10.69g
Sugar - 20.56g
Protein - 6.23g

Comments:

This makes a large amount of soup that is enough to be an entire meal. If you want a little more protein in the meal, you can include a little cooked and cooled edamame or a bean dip with raw vegetables to dip.

My husband and I both think this makes a nice dinner when the weather is warm. We do prefer our avocado version for its creaminess, but this one makes a great substitute and has fewer calories and fat grams.

If you are concerned about the fat in this version of gazpacho I would suggest you don't order it when you are out. Most traditional recipes for gazpacho use 3 or 4 times the amount of olive oil compared to my version. So that you have a comparison, each tablespoon of olive oil adds 14 grams of fat and 120 calories, which is most of the fat in this recipe.

Tofu, Roasted Red Pepper and Cashew Spread

I am always looking for new flavor combinations to try in my tofu and cashew spread. This version is mildly flavored and not particularly hot. I tend to like food that is fierier than this, but sometimes even I need a change.

The roasted red pepper and paprika add a nice amount of vitamin C to the spread. The tofu provides protein, and the cashews add heart healthy fat and body to the spread.

Tofu, Roasted Red Pepper and Cashew Spread
Makes 13 – 2 tablespoon servings

Ingredients:

7 ounces of extra firm tofu, drained and squeezed of water
½ cup of raw cashews
1 roasted red pepper, drained
5 sun dried tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1 garlic clove
¼ teaspoon of cumin seeds
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
¼ teaspoon of hot crushed peppers (wet hots)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Process all the ingredients in a food processor until it is uniformly smooth and creamy. Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to use.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 38.64
Calories From Fat (55%) - 21.3

Total Fat - 2.55g
Saturated Fat - 0.37g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 90.35mg
Potassium - 86.19mg
Total Carbohydrates - 2.41g
Fiber - 0.47g
Sugar - 0.59g
Protein - 2.38g

Comments:

This is a mild but flavorful tofu spread that makes a great sandwich spread (to hold your vegetables into your sandwich). It is also good on a bagel for breakfast. I also use it like hummus and dip raw vegetables into it. If you are a bit fan of garlic, you can add another clove to this spread. It would add flavor as well as natural antibiotics

Mexican Macaroni and "Cheese"

The weather was rainy and dreary much of the day. I wanted to make something that used a lot of vegetables and had a little heat. Spicy food brings to mind Sicilian or Mexican for me, and today I wanted something that was Mexican inspired.

This is a variation of my nacho cheese sauce that includes pasta, vegetables and beans. Both my husband and I like this sauce. It has a decided Mexican flavor that is remotely “cheesy”.

The different colored vegetables make certain that you get a variety of vitamin and minerals from this dish. Consuming beans, tomatoes, garlic, onions and turmeric have all been linked to a reduction in various cancers.

The overall nutritional values of this recipe are quite good. The calories are reasonable for the portion size, and the fat is quite low and the potassium is high. I also like that the dish includes a good amount of protein.

Mexican Macaroni and “Cheese”
Serves 5

Ingredients:

1 cup of red kidney beans, soaked or quick soaked
4 cups of water

8 ounces of whole wheat pasta
4 quarts of water
1 tablespoon of kosher salt

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 zucchini, quartered length wise and sliced
1 cup of corn kernels
6 cloves of garlic, minced or grated (allow to stand off the heat 10 minutes to allow allicin to develop)
14 ounce can of diced tomatoes

½ cup of nutritional yeast flakes - to add a cheeselike umami
½ cup of whole wheat or sprouted whole wheat flour
2 cups of water
1 tablespoon of dried onion flakes
¼ teaspoon of turmeric
½ teaspoon of ancho chili powder
½ teaspoon of cumin seed
¾ teaspoon of kosher salt
1 tablespoon of hot crushed peppers (wet hots)

kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook the soaked kidney beans in four times the amount of water until soft. I cooked my beans for 30 minutes. Your cooking time will depend partly on the age of the dried beans.

Heat 4 quarts of water in a large pot until it boils. Add the kosher salt and cook the pasta until it is al dente.

Meanwhile cook the vegetables (olive oil through tomatoes) in the olive oil until tender. Be certain to use a large pan with a lid that is big enough to hold the sauce, vegetables and pasta. I used a 14-inch skillet with 3-inch sides that has a lid.

Place the sauce ingredients in a blender (nutritional yeast through hot crushed peppers) and puree until everything is combined.

Add the sauce ingredients to the vegetables and cook until the sauce thickens and the raw flour taste cooks out. This will happen in about 5 minutes.

When the pasta has cooked drain it and add it to the pan with the sauce and vegetables. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust to your taste.

Serve hot. You can add fresh chopped cilantro or parsely, if desired.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 414.69
Calories From Fat (11%) - 44.33

Total Fat - 5.07g
Saturated Fat - 0.53g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 1551.06mg
Potassium - 1374.51mg
Total Carbohydrates - 74.78g
Fiber - 12.94g
Sugar - 8.31g
Protein - 21.33g

Comments:

This is a mild sauce that is suitable for those that aren’t big fans of heat. If I were making this only for my family, I would double the hot crushed peppers and increase the ancho chili powder. The sauce is a nice combination of flavors that also has good depth of flavor from the various ingredients. I like that the dish has protein from the beans and whole grain pasta and that it includes plenty of vegetables.

This pasta reheats well in the microwave if you are looking for something to pack for lunch.

Bulgur and Vegetable Salad

I love a cold grain and vegetable salad. This one combines the benefits of whole grain with added nutrition from the raw vegetables. This salad is packed with vegetables and flavor. It has a little heat from the hot crushed peppers and flavor from the lemon juice and zest. The crunch of the cold vegetables add a nice textural counterpoint to the cooked grain.

Bulgur and Vegetable Salad
Serves 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups of bulgur, uncooked
4 cups of water
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
2 lemons, juice and zest
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of edamame, shelled
1 seedless cucumber, cut into quarters lengthwise and then sliced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 carrots, grated
2 tablespoons of hot crushed peppers
½ teaspoon of dulse granules
1 pound of raw asparagus, sliced fine
½ pound of sugar snap peas, sliced

Directions:

Cook bulgur in water with salt in a covered pan until water is absorbed (about 20 minutes on medium heat). Add lemon juice, lemon zest and olive oil to warm bulgur. When salad has cooled, add the prepared vegetables and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 205.31
Calories From Fat (14%) - 29.71

Total Fat - 3.46g
Saturated Fat - 0.49g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 148.35mg
Potassium - 589.13mg
Total Carbohydrates - 38.44g
Fiber - 10.82g
Sugar - 5.49g
Protein - 9.15g

Comments:

This salad has a little heat from the hot crushed peppers, and plenty of flavor. It travels well, and makes a great lunch with some raw baby spinach, broccoli sprouts and sunflower seeds. I added the spinach and broccoli sprouts for the additional cancer fighting benefits.

Basic Tomato Sauce

(pictured: close up of cooked tomato sauce)

Tomato sauce is something that every Italian makes. We don’t buy canned tomato sauce, ever! Tomato sauce and pasta are the personification of comfort food for anyone with Italian heritage. I can’t think of any other food that is so universally loved. When I have had a bad day and need a big food hug, this is my meal of choice.

I make many different version of tomato sauce depending on what noodle I want to use. This sauce is my version of a basic tomato sauce that is good with spaghetti or with baked ziti. I like to serve it with broccoli, zucchini, eggplant and/or crimini mushrooms.

This sauce is mostly southern Italian with the olives, fennel seed and crushed red peppers. Nero d'Avola would be the expected wine, since it is Sicilian. However, I don’t always have it in the house, and Amarone works well, too.

This is also a good sauce to add cannellini beans to if you have those in the house and aren’t planning on making bean balls. If you make the cannellini version add a tablespoon or two of fresh minced rosemary, which is classically used with bean dishes in Tuscany.

Cooked tomatoes contain lycopene, which has been associated with a reduction in most forms of cancer. Dr. Mehmet Oz recommended consuming the equivalent of 10 tablespoons of tomato sauce each week in his book, You the Owners Manual. That is not a problem if you like southern Italian cuisine like we do.

Basic Tomato Sauce (aka Tomato Gravy)
makes 9 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

45 ounces of canned diced tomatoes
15 ounces of canned tomato sauce
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 cups of red wine to clean tomato cans (I use Amarone or Nero d'Avola)
2 red onions, minced
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
½ teaspoon of fennel seed, toasted
¼ - ½ teaspoon of crushed red peppers (I use ½ a teaspoon but I like a spicy sauce)
12 kalamata olives, minced
¼ cup of red pepper, finely diced
12 roasted garlic cloves, minced

Directions:

Put everything in the slow cooker and cook on high for at least 4 hours or on low for at least 8 hours.

After the sauce has cooked check for seasonings and serve with pasta and bean balls if you have them.

Nutritional Information per ¾ cup serving:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 84.31
Calories From Fat (17%) - 14.5

Total Fat - 1.64g
Saturated Fat - 0.1g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 406.28mg
Potassium - 440.02mg
Total Carbohydrates - 10.11g
Fiber - 2.33g
Sugar - 4.7g
Protein - 1.89g

Comments:

If you like your sauce smooth, you can use your blender to puree the sauce before adding the additional vegetables. I prefer my sauce to have chunks. This sauce has a rich tomato flavor that is punctuated with heat from the peppers. There is a light fennel and olive flavor in the background.