Saturday, 3 May 2014
Wednesday, 12 March 2014
kale and quinoa soup
Once you have a good broth, you only need a few ingredients to make a delicious soup. Sometimes the best soups are just made with whatever you have on hand at the time. Here's one of those I made that turned out well. Serves 5-6
Ingredients
1/2 tin great northern beans, drained and rinsed (or equal amt cooked beans)
2- 3 cups kale
3-4 small carrots, chopped small
1 leek (if tolerated - maybe add something else with a strong flavor if not using)
about 1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa
fresh thyme and sage
6 cups veggie broth
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
2 bay leaves
If using leek, chop just the white/light green part and saute in olive oil in a frying pan or cast iron skillet for a few minutes, until softened. Add carrots and saute a couple more minutes.
Add garlic and herbs, saute another minute or so.
Bring 6 cups veggie broth plus bay leaves to a boil in a large pot then reduce heat to simmer. Add the contents of the frying pan to the pot.
In the meantime wash, de-stem, and roughly chop kale. Add kale and beans to the pot. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add quinoa towards the end.
You can serve it right away, or turn off the heat and let it sit for a little while so that the flavors can mingle.
Ingredients
1/2 tin great northern beans, drained and rinsed (or equal amt cooked beans)
2- 3 cups kale
3-4 small carrots, chopped small
1 leek (if tolerated - maybe add something else with a strong flavor if not using)
about 1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa
fresh thyme and sage
6 cups veggie broth
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
2 bay leaves
If using leek, chop just the white/light green part and saute in olive oil in a frying pan or cast iron skillet for a few minutes, until softened. Add carrots and saute a couple more minutes.
Add garlic and herbs, saute another minute or so.
Bring 6 cups veggie broth plus bay leaves to a boil in a large pot then reduce heat to simmer. Add the contents of the frying pan to the pot.
In the meantime wash, de-stem, and roughly chop kale. Add kale and beans to the pot. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add quinoa towards the end.
You can serve it right away, or turn off the heat and let it sit for a little while so that the flavors can mingle.
Friday, 24 January 2014
sesame garlic dressing
1 T toasted sesame oil
1 T pear juice
1/2 t tahini paste (if tolerated)
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of salt and fresh pepper
Stir ingredients together in a bowl until well mixed. Great with spinach salad or a green salad.
1 T pear juice
1/2 t tahini paste (if tolerated)
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of salt and fresh pepper
Stir ingredients together in a bowl until well mixed. Great with spinach salad or a green salad.
Saturday, 18 January 2014
vanilla almond granola
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (no preservatives)
3/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 t organic pure vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
Preheat oven to 300. Spread the oats, coconut, and almonds on a baking sheet. In a bowl, mix together the maple syrup and vanilla. Pour maple syrup over oats, etc. and add a sprinkle of salt. Stir with a flipper until everything is well coated.
Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes, stirring with a flipper about every 5 -10 minutes. When it's all looking lightly browned, you're done!
Remove from oven and transfer to a pyrex pan or glass container to cool, stirring once in a while. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.
Serve with unsweetened nut, rice or organic milk (or plain yogurt, if tolerated). Add berries if you wish :).
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (no preservatives)
3/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 t organic pure vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
Preheat oven to 300. Spread the oats, coconut, and almonds on a baking sheet. In a bowl, mix together the maple syrup and vanilla. Pour maple syrup over oats, etc. and add a sprinkle of salt. Stir with a flipper until everything is well coated.
Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes, stirring with a flipper about every 5 -10 minutes. When it's all looking lightly browned, you're done!
Remove from oven and transfer to a pyrex pan or glass container to cool, stirring once in a while. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.
Serve with unsweetened nut, rice or organic milk (or plain yogurt, if tolerated). Add berries if you wish :).
Tuesday, 14 January 2014
Monday, 6 January 2014
veggie shepherd's pie
A hearty meal for the cold weather that smells lovely baking in the oven. When I make this, I usually do a double batch on the weekend to eat later in the week. Serves 6
Ingredients
1/4 - 1/2 cup soup broth
4 - 5 medium red potatoes
1 small sweet potato
1 14 oz tin of brown lentils, drained and rinsed (or equal amt cooked lentils)
1/4 cup cooking onion (optional - if tolerated)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 carrot
1- 2 cups kale
1 head of broccoli
red pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn
Fresh thyme and sage
Salt and fresh pepper (to taste)
Olive oil (small amount)
1 pyrex pan
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Wash and cut up the sweet potato and potatoes, removing any gnarly bits or rotten spots. You can leave the skins on if they're organic. Add them to the pot and reduce heat.
Heat up a little olive oil in a frying pan. If using onions, dice them and add to the pan. Cook for a few minutes, until translucent.
Wash and chop the veggies and add them to the pan. Saute for a few minutes, stirring often.
Smash and chop the garlic, add it to the pan and cook for a couple more minutes.
When potatoes are cooked (test them with a fork), drain the water. Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup veggie broth and a bit of salt and pepper. Mash with a fork or potato masher.
Add herbs to the pan and saute for another minute or so.
Preheat oven to 350
When veggies are somewhat cooked, transfer them to a pyrex pan. Add the lentils and mix them together. Add the mashed potatoes on top, making a relatively even top layer.
Put it in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
1/4 - 1/2 cup soup broth
4 - 5 medium red potatoes
1 small sweet potato
1 14 oz tin of brown lentils, drained and rinsed (or equal amt cooked lentils)
1/4 cup cooking onion (optional - if tolerated)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 carrot
1- 2 cups kale
1 head of broccoli
red pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn
Fresh thyme and sage
Salt and fresh pepper (to taste)
Olive oil (small amount)
1 pyrex pan
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Wash and cut up the sweet potato and potatoes, removing any gnarly bits or rotten spots. You can leave the skins on if they're organic. Add them to the pot and reduce heat.
Heat up a little olive oil in a frying pan. If using onions, dice them and add to the pan. Cook for a few minutes, until translucent.
Wash and chop the veggies and add them to the pan. Saute for a few minutes, stirring often.
Smash and chop the garlic, add it to the pan and cook for a couple more minutes.
When potatoes are cooked (test them with a fork), drain the water. Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup veggie broth and a bit of salt and pepper. Mash with a fork or potato masher.
Add herbs to the pan and saute for another minute or so.
Preheat oven to 350
When veggies are somewhat cooked, transfer them to a pyrex pan. Add the lentils and mix them together. Add the mashed potatoes on top, making a relatively even top layer.
Put it in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.
Additional notes: For a less potato-y crust, feel free to substitute one head of cauliflower for two potatoes.
Tuesday, 24 December 2013
Sunday, 15 December 2013
parsley pesto
This pesto was my mom's inspiration, since fresh basil isn't usually available this time of year where we live. I was skeptical of a pesto sauce without basil, but I think the experiment was a success! You can use this sauce in or on anything you like. It's absolutely delicious as a sauce on pizza (pictured below). Serves 2-3
Ingredients
1 cup cashews (soaked beforehand if necessary)
1 cup parsley, washed and chopped
1/2 cup veggie broth
1 clove garlic
half of an avocado (optional)
salt and fresh pepper (to taste)
Blend ingredients in a blender or food processor. Either flat or curly leaf parsley works for this and it keeps a little longer than basil (for my basil pesto recipe, see "cashew pesto").
Ingredients
1 cup cashews (soaked beforehand if necessary)
1 cup parsley, washed and chopped
1/2 cup veggie broth
1 clove garlic
half of an avocado (optional)
salt and fresh pepper (to taste)
Blend ingredients in a blender or food processor. Either flat or curly leaf parsley works for this and it keeps a little longer than basil (for my basil pesto recipe, see "cashew pesto").
Monday, 9 December 2013
vegetable soup broth
Many of my recipes call for vegetable soup broth, so I thought it would be good to include a method for making your own broth. Not all of us live near a health food store or can find soup broth without problem ingredients. If you have the time, making your own soup stock is a good option.
With our dietary restrictions, this skill can be quite useful as there will be no preservatives and you can include only ingredients which you know to be bladder friendly for you. I've found it's easy to do once you get the hang of it. It's fun to experiment with and it has a richer flavor (and less salt) than store bought.
The following is just a basic method rather than a specific recipe. The ingredients will depend on what you have on hand and what's available where you live. If you haven't made your own stock before, there is a lot of information on the internet or in cookbooks that you can browse for more tips before you start.
You can use any combination of vegetables, fresh herbs, and clean, edible vegetable scraps (broccoli stems or carrot tops, for instance) that you desire.
For a classic base, saute carrots, celery, and onions together for a few minutes. If you avoid onions you can just use carrots and celery, plus garlic (whole cloves) if you wish. Transfer to a large pot and add the rest of your ingredients.
Add enough water to just cover the vegetables. Add salt (to taste - I usually use 1-2 teaspoons).
Bring to a boil and then simmer. Length of time is up to you - I usually simmer for about 45 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow it to cool for a little while with the vegetables in the pot. Then strain all the vegetables out by pouring it through a strainer or colander into another pot or a large bowl. Discard vegetables in the compost.
The liquid broth is now ready for use in soups and sauces. It will keep for a few days in the fridge or longer in the freezer.
Good in stock (examples): sweet potato, rutabaga, parsley (including stems), lovage, bay leaf, zucchini, turnip, fresh thyme including stems (in a loose leaf tea bag), celery (including heart and leaves), carrots (including clean peels or leaves).
With our dietary restrictions, this skill can be quite useful as there will be no preservatives and you can include only ingredients which you know to be bladder friendly for you. I've found it's easy to do once you get the hang of it. It's fun to experiment with and it has a richer flavor (and less salt) than store bought.
The following is just a basic method rather than a specific recipe. The ingredients will depend on what you have on hand and what's available where you live. If you haven't made your own stock before, there is a lot of information on the internet or in cookbooks that you can browse for more tips before you start.
You can use any combination of vegetables, fresh herbs, and clean, edible vegetable scraps (broccoli stems or carrot tops, for instance) that you desire.
For a classic base, saute carrots, celery, and onions together for a few minutes. If you avoid onions you can just use carrots and celery, plus garlic (whole cloves) if you wish. Transfer to a large pot and add the rest of your ingredients.
Add enough water to just cover the vegetables. Add salt (to taste - I usually use 1-2 teaspoons).
Bring to a boil and then simmer. Length of time is up to you - I usually simmer for about 45 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow it to cool for a little while with the vegetables in the pot. Then strain all the vegetables out by pouring it through a strainer or colander into another pot or a large bowl. Discard vegetables in the compost.
The liquid broth is now ready for use in soups and sauces. It will keep for a few days in the fridge or longer in the freezer.
Good in stock (examples): sweet potato, rutabaga, parsley (including stems), lovage, bay leaf, zucchini, turnip, fresh thyme including stems (in a loose leaf tea bag), celery (including heart and leaves), carrots (including clean peels or leaves).
Monday, 18 November 2013
chickpea dip
This is a nice dip if tahini is ok for you.
Ingredients
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup soup broth
1 clove of garlic
2-3 T tahini paste
a generous amount of fresh dill
salt and fresh pepper (to taste)
Blend ingredients in a blender or food processor until desired consistency is reached. If you want it thicker, add more tahini. If you want it thinner, add more soup broth. Serve with ic friendly crackers or vegetables.
Ingredients
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup soup broth
1 clove of garlic
2-3 T tahini paste
a generous amount of fresh dill
salt and fresh pepper (to taste)
Blend ingredients in a blender or food processor until desired consistency is reached. If you want it thicker, add more tahini. If you want it thinner, add more soup broth. Serve with ic friendly crackers or vegetables.
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