This soup is great for boosting immune health. It is high in vitamin C and other antioxidants.
Ingredients:
1½ tablespoons ghee or butter
1 cup chopped yellow onion
¾ pound carrots, scrubbed and chopped
2 cups vegetable stock
½ cup mandarin or tangerine juice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon mandarin/tangerine zest
1/8 cup finely chopped chives or green part from spring onions
Directions:
1. Melt ghee or butter in a medium stockpot. Add onions, cover, and cook over low heat until very tender and lightly colored, about 25 minutes.
2. Add carrots and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Pour soup through a strainer and transfer solids to a food processor. Add 1 cup of cooking liquid and process until smooth.
4. Return puree to pot and add the mandarin or tangerine juice and additional cooking liquid, 2-3 cups, until soup is desired consistency.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add zest and reheat gently.
6. Serve each portion with a sprinkle of chives or spring onion greens.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli, lower stems removed and reserved for another use
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon chili oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cloves green garlic, minced
½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
½ teaspoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon peanut butter
¼ cup hoisin sauce
½ cup unsalted peanuts, ground
1 red chili pepper, seeded and minced
Directions:
1. Steam the broccoli until just tender then drain it under cold water. Break it into stalks; arrange the stalks around the outer edge of a serving platter. Cover and chill.
2. To make the sauce: In a small saucepan, heat the oil. Add the chili paste, tomato paste, and garlic, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the stock, maple syrup, peanut butter, and hoisin sauce. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Add the peanuts and chili pepper. Let it cool and pour it into a small bowl, to be set in the middle of the broccoli plate.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
½ bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and stalks chopped separately
6¼ cups vegetable stock or water
5-6 plump green garlic bottoms (bulb part)
1 teaspoon vinegar
6 eggs
10 ounces day-old bread, torn into bite-size pieces
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
1. Place the cilantro stalks in a soup pot. Add the stock or water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Process the broth in a food processor or blender then press it through a sieve (strainer) back into the pot.
2. Crush the garlic with 1 teaspoon salt in a mortar and pestle or a bowl. Stir in ½ cup of the hot broth and then pour the mixture back into the pot.
3. Meanwhile poach the eggs: heat a large frying pan of water, with the vinegar, until boiling. Crack an egg into a cup. Reduce the heat so the water simmers, swirl the water and drop the egg into the middle of the swirl. Poach 3-4 minutes, until just set. Add the remaining eggs in the same way (cook them in 2 batches if the pan is too small). Use a draining spoon to remove the eggs from the pan and transfer to a warmed plate. Trim off any untidy bits with a knife or scissors.
4. Bring the broth back to a boil and add the seasoning. Stir in the chopped cilantro leaves and remove from heat.
5. Place the bread in soup bowls and drizzle olive oil over it. Ladle in the soup and stir. Add a poached egg to each portion and serve immediately, offering olive oil at the tale so that it can be drizzled over the soup to taste.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
4 small heads broccoli
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped marjoram or oregano
2-3 bulbs green garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped olives of choice (I love kalamata olives)
grated zest of ½ lemon
Directions:
1. Separate the stalks from the broccoli crowns. Peel, trim, and chop the stalks into ½-inch pieces. Peel the base of the broccoli crowns then separate them into florets.
2. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil; add salt then add the broccoli. Cook 5 minutes (even if the water barely comes to a boil), then scoop into a colander to drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Chop into pieces just smaller than bite-sized.
3. Warm the olive oil in a wide skillet, then add the onion, marjoram or oregano, and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until the onion is softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the chopped olives, add the broccoli and stir to coat well. Taste for salt, season with pepper, and the lemon zest. Add the reserved broccoli liquid and simmer gently until the broccoli is very tender, 15-20 minutes.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 pound carrots, cut into rings
Olive oil to coat
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
Juice and zest of ½ lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the carrot rings on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil to coat. Roast for about 10 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Stir once during roasting.
2. Remove from the pan and place in a medium size bowl. Add the cumin and pine nuts, lemon juice, zest, and salt and pepper, stirring well to combine.
3. Place carrots on a serving platter and sprinkle the chopped cilantro over the top. Serve hot.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 small can coconut milk (~7 ounces)
2 cloves green garlic, minced
1½ tablespoons each: white wine vinegar and soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 cups each: thinly shredded cabbage and chard leaves, stems removed and thinly sliced
½ cup thinly sliced spring onions, including greens
½ pound firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
Directions:
1. In a small pan, combine peanut butter, coconut milk, garlic, vinegar, and soy sauce. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until well combined, then continue cooking, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add ginger and cayenne.
2. Heat oil in a wide frying pan over medium hat. Add cabbage and chard and stems, and cook, stirring often, until greens are slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in onions, then add the tofu and peanut sauce; stir gently to mix well. Cover and cook just until heated through.
3. Serve over soba noodles or rice.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1½ cups dried red kidney beans, covered with water, soaked 4 hours or overnight
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon thyme leaves
sea salt
3 spring onions, finely diced
1 large bunch kale, stems removed
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to finish
¾ cup chopped cilantro
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Directions:
1. Drain the beans, cover them with plenty of cold water in a large pot, and bring to a boil. Remove any scum that rises to the surface, and then add the herbs, 1½ teaspoons salt, and all but ½ cup of the onion. Lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 1½ hours.
2. Slice the kale leaves from the stem with a knife. Chop coarsely into 1-2 inch pieces and rinse well. Bring a few quarts of water to a boil; add salt and the kale. Simmer until tender, 5-7 minutes, then pour into a colander to drain, reserving about 2 cups of the cooking liquid.
3. Heat the oil in a wide skillet. Add the remaining ½ cup onion and ½ cup of the cilantro. Cook over medium heat until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes, then add the kale and beans with enough cooking liquid so there’s plenty of sauce. Simmer together for at least 10 minutes, then serve garnished with the crumbled feta and the remaining cilantro.
Serves 4
This recipe is from a book filled with old-time recipes. It’s a healthy version of “jello” pudding – fun for the hot days we have been getting.
Ingredients:
1¾ pounds strawberries, washed
4 cups water
4 teaspoons agar powder
1¼ cups apple juice concentrate
Directions:
1. Remove any stems and cut the berries in half.
2. Place the water, agar powder, and apple juice concentrate in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until the agar powder is dissolved.
3. Turn up the heat and add the berries. Stir carefully. Bring to nearly a boil. The fruit will begin to bleed their colors into the liquid and just begin to break open. Do not overcook!
4. Remove from the heat and pour into a round pudding basin. Refrigerate until set.
5. Cut into wedges and serve.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
½ cup bulgur wheat
1 cup water
sea salt
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons apples cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sweetener
¼ teaspoon each – liquid hot pepper seasoning, dill weed, and Dijon mustard
½ cup thinly sliced green onion
1½ cups shredded cabbage
½ cup each thinly sliced celery and shredded carrot
Butter lettuce leaves
Directions:
1. In a 2-quart pan, combine bulgur, water, and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
2. Meanwhile, combine yogurt, vinegar, sweetener, hot pepper seasoning, dill weed, mustard, and onion. Mix well to combine. Add the dressing to the hot, cooked wheat and mix thoroughly. Cover and chill well. (Can be done the day before serving).
3. About 1 hour before serving, combine wheat mixture with cabbage, celery, and carrot. Season with salt to taste.
4. Spoon each mixture into butter lettuce leaves, cover and chill until serving time.
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups grated carrots
½ cup finely chopped spring onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
A bit of maple syrup, if needed
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Taste for seasoning. Add a few drops of maple syrup if you need it sweeter. Toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve as a salad.
2. I like to serve this in lettuce cups.
Serves 4