Ingredients:
2 bunches kale
1 cup water, divided
2 large heads broccoli, trimmed and cut into florets
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more for garnish
¾ teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
1. Remove tough ribs and stems from the kale leaves; coarsely chop the greens. Cook the kale in ½ cup water in a large skillet over medium-high heat, covered, until barely tender, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a colander. Cook broccoli the same way with the remaining ½ cup water. Transfer kale to a large bowl; drain the broccoli in the colander. Wipe the pan dry.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the kale and cook, stirring often until tender and browned in spots, 4-6 minutes. Transfer to the bowl. Heat remaining oil in the pan, add the broccoli and cook, stirring often, until tender and browned in spots, 4-6 minutes. Transfer to the bowl.
3. Heat butter, garlic, and crushed red pepper in the pan over medium heat until the butter is melted. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is light brown, 1-2 minutes. Drizzle the butter over the vegetables and sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon salt; gently toss to combine.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
2 pounds butternut squash
¼-½ cup warm water
2-4 tablespoons Moroccan Butter (recipe follows)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the squash by halving them and removing the seeds and fibers.
2. Pour the water into a baking dish and set the squash on top. Spread 1-2 teaspoons Moroccan Butter over each piece and sprinkle with salt. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until tender.
3. Remove squash from the oven, spread the melted butter around with a brush, and poke a few holes into the squash so the butter can seep in. If the squash isn’t done, return it to the oven until it is. Serve with a little more butter over the top.
Makes 4 servings
Spicy Moroccan Butter
Ingredients:
½ bunch scallions, white part only, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
¼-½ teaspoon Mexican ground chili
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons parsley
1 teaspoon chopped mint leaves
1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
Directions:
1. Pound the herbs, garlic, spices, and salt in a mortar to form a smooth paste. Work in the butter a little at a time until well blended. Taste and add more chili powder, if desired.
To store, roll the butter into cylinders in plastic wrap and freeze until needed.
Makes ½ cup
Ingredients:
1 medium head of cauliflower
3-5 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium-sized garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
sea salt
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons strong red wine or sherry vinegar
Directions:
1. Cut the cauliflower into small pieces; the size you will want to serve. Steam over boiling water in a steaming basket, covered, until they are fairly tender, but not completely cooked, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and tilt the cover of the pan to release steam. When cool, place the cauliflower on a serving platter, reserving cooking water.
2. While the cauliflower is steaming, heat the oil with the garlic in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. When the garlic is light brown, turn off the heat and put the garlic cloves in a mortar. Pound the garlic with half the parsley and several pinches of salt, forming a rough paste.
3. Return the pan to low heat and add the paprika, vinegar, ¼ cup cooking water from the cauliflower, and parsley-garlic mixture. Stir rapidly; then pour the sauce over the cauliflower and garnish with the remaining parsley. Serve right away.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 large yellow onions, cut into thin slices
2 cups dry red wine
3 apples (about 4 cups), cut into thin slices (peeling optional)
¼ cup minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sweetener
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup dark miso
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup cooked rice of choice
sea salt to taste
Directions:
1. In a soup pot, combine onions and red wine. Cover and cook over medium heat until the onions soften, about 15 minutes. Add the apples, ginger, sweetener, tarragon, thyme, and pepper. Cook another 5 minutes then add the vegetable stock. Cover and bring to a boil then turn off the heat.
2. Whisk in the miso, the balsamic vinegar and rice. Add salt, if needed. Serve each bowl of soup topped with 1 tablespoon of Apple Sesame Ginger Relish.
Makes 6 servings
This relish is a great garnish for Onion Apple Soup.
Ingredients:
1 apple, chopped into small pieces
2 scallions, chopped into small pieces
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Directions:
Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes to soften apples and scallions.
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients:
1 head radicchio, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
1 head butter lettuce, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
2-3 apples of choice, cored, cut into thin slices
8 whole walnuts
3 ounces blue cheese such as Gorgonzola, Danish blue, Maytag, or Roquefort
10 parsley sprigs, stems removed
freshly ground black pepper to taste
The Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons walnut oil
sea salt
Directions:
1. Make the Vinaigrette: combine the vinegar and salt to dissolve the salt, then whisk in the oils. Taste and add more vinegar or salt if necessary.
2. Crack the walnuts into pieces. Toast them for 5 minutes on a baking sheet in a preheated 375 degree oven.
3. In a large bowl, dress the leaves with about half the dressing. Lay them on salad plates.
4. In a small bowl, dress the apples with the remaining vinaigrette, turning them gently with your fingers to coat completely. Settle the apples on top of the leaves. Scatter the walnuts over the salad along with the cheese broken into pieces. Garnish with parsley leaves and season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Makes 4-6 servings
This recipe comes from a delightful children’s book, Thunder Cake. It’s really yummy, and fun to make with kids!
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1¾ cups sweetener of choice (I use coconut palm sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs separated
1 cup cold water
1/3 cup pureed fresh tomatoes (use the food processor to puree)
2½ cups flour of choice
½ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
Fresh seasonal fruit for topping
Directions:
1. Combine egg yolks, butter, sweetener and vanilla in a mixing bowl and blend with a spoon or whisk into a cream mixture.
2. Whip egg whites until stiff then gently fold into wet mixture to get nice fluffy cakes.
3. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Pour batter into two greased and floured 8½ inch round cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes. Cake is done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
4. Frost with chocolate butter frosting and decorate with slices of fresh seasonal fruit. Can be served garnished with fruit, too.
Serves about 6
Ingredients:
6-7 cups water
1 large cauliflower
2-3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown rice flour
1 can coconut milk
½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or your favorite spices
1 medium red or green pepper, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
¾ cup roasted sunflower seeds or chopped nuts of choice
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Directions:
1. Bring 6-7 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.
2. Meanwhile wash the cauliflower and cut out the core and discard.
3. Break cauliflower into florets about 2 inches in diameter, and toss into the water. Water should just cover the florets.
4. Bring back to a boil then turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Florets should remain firm, so don’t overcook.
5. Drain water and set cauliflower aside to cool.
6. Heat oven to 350 degrees and oil a baking dish.
7. To make the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan on low heat. Add flour and stir until well combined. Pour in coconut milk and raise heat to medium-high, stirring constantly until well combined. Add salt and spices and simmer on low heat, 6-8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Set aside.
8. Arrange the florets with stem sides down in the prepared dish. Sprinkle with chopped peppers and seeds or nuts over the florets.
9. Spoon sauce over the top, moving the florets to allow sauce to seep down and around into the dish.
10. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and a little golden and the florets are just tender. You can sprinkle the top with toasted breadcrumbs if desired before serving, and garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil, divided
2 small kabocha squash, halved and seeded
3-4 delicata squash, halved and seeded
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 apple of choice, cored and chopped
1 large Asian pear, (peeling optional), cored and chopped
6 cups vegetable stock, or more if needed
lemon juice to taste, if needed
½ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted, for garnish
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the allspice, cinnamon, salt, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Brush the inside flesh of the squash with the spiced oil mixture, reserving any remaining. Arrange the squash cut side down on the sheet pan. Roast for 30 minutes or until very soft. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
3. While the squash is roasting, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the reserved spice mixture in an 8-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, and cook until the onions turn a light golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add the shallots, sauté for a few minutes then add the ginger, pears, and apples. Continue to sauté for another 3-5 minutes, or until the fruit softens and turns golden brown. As the mixture starts to stick to the bottom, deglaze with 1 cup of the broth. Add 3 more cups of broth and simmer gently.
4. When the squash has cool slightly, scoop out the flesh into the onion-fruit mixture. Mash the mixture with the back of a wooden spoon and add 4 more cups of broth. Gently simmer another 15 minutes. Ladle the soup into the blender in small batches and puree until smooth. Taste and balance with lemon and salt, if needed. Add more broth if necessary to thin the soup. Serve garnished with pumpkin seeds.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
2 leeks, white and light green part only, washed and cut into 1/3-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, finely diced
3 celery stalks, minced finely (if stalks are small, use 5-6)
¼ cup dry sherry or non-alcoholic wine
1 pound mushrooms of choice
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon dried sage
½ cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cup cooked wild rice
6 ounces smoked tofu, finely diced (optional)
1 large head cabbage (green or Savoy)
½ cup vegetable stock
Directions:
To make the filling:
In a large saucepan, cook the leeks, garlic, carrots, celery, and sherry over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms, thyme, tarragon, and sage, followed by the stock. Simmer until most of the stock has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add the tamari, pepper, rice, and tofu. Mix together and remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature.
To prepare the cabbage:
Separate the leaves from the head to yield 24 large leaves. Blanch the leaves in salted boiling water for 4-6 minutes. Drain and let cool.
To assemble and cook:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a work surface, lay 2 cabbage leaves side by side and overlapping by ½ inch. Place ½ cup filling in the center. Fold the sides of the leaves in then roll into a cylinder. Continue filling and rolling cabbage leaves until all the filling is used up.
2. Add the stock to a 12-inch baking dish. Add the cabbage rolls and bake 25-20 minutes, or until the cabbage rolls are heated through and slightly dry.
Serve 2 per person on top of ½ cup sauce of choice – the fresh Simple Tomato Sauce is a nice compliment with the rolls.
Makes 6 servings