Recipes

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
2 tablespoon Chinese chili sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 teaspoons sweetener
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon soy sauce, or more to taste
¼ cup grape seed or peanut oil
6 ounces angel hair pasta
2 oranges, peeled, sectioned and removed from membranes
½ cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Directions:

1. Put on a large pot of water to boil.
2. Combine the chili sauce, garlic, orange zest, sweetener, salt, vinegar, and ½ teaspoon soy sauce in a large bowl. Whisk to blend, then keep whisking and drizzle in the olive oil until it is completely incorporated. Set aside.
3. Slice off and discard the larger kale stems, then make a uniform pile of the leaves and roll them tightly into a kale cigar. Make thin slices crosswise with a sharp knife. Transfer to a colander in the sink. Rinse and drain the kale, then leave the leave the colander in the sink to await the hot noodles.
4. Add the pasta to the boiling water, keeping the heat high. Cook for the amount recommended on the package, tasting the pasta toward the end of the suggested time to be sure it is not getting over cooked. When it is just tender enough to bite into comfortably, dump the pasta plus all its water into the kale in the colander. Shake hard a few times to drain, then transfer the pasta and kale, still hot, directly into the dressing.
5. Use a fork or tongs to mix together all the ingredients lifting from the bottom of the bowl to distribute evenly. Let cool to room temperature and taste to adjust the seasonings, if necessary.
6. If not serving immediately, cover tightly and let stand at room temperature, or in the refrigerator if your kitchen is too hot or you prefer a chilled salad. Serve within 2 hours, ideally in individual bowls, gently mixing in the orange sections and most of the almonds and sprinkling the remainder of almonds on top.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 large sweet peppers, chopped
2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 cups vegetable stock
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup cooked brown rice

Directions:

1. In a soup pot, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until the onion is translucent, 5-10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, pepper, tomatoes and spices. Saute for another 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add the stock, wine, and rice and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2 pounds delicata squash
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
2 cups unfiltered apple cider
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
organic apple cider vinegar, to taste

Directions:

1. Slice the delicata in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds with a spoon then slice into half-rounds.
2. Melt the butter in a wide skillet and add the rosemary. Cook over medium heat to flavor the butter. After 3 minutes, add the squash and cider plus enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Add ½ teaspoon sea salt and simmer until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes, by which time the juice will have reduced enough to provide a glaze. If not, raise the heat to reduce it quickly. Sprinkle on a teaspoon of vinegar and taste for salt. Add additional vinegar if you need to balance the sweetness, then season with pepper.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 leeks
1 teaspoon sesame oil
pinch of sea salt
splash of sake or white wine
3½ cups stock of choice (I use mushroom)
3 tablespoons miso

Directions:

1. Trim the leeks, cutting the green tips off the white portion. Cut the white portion into very thin slices on the diagonal. Rinse the slices briefly in ice-cold water to rid them of any soil, then drain.
2. Cut the green tops into very thin slices on the diagonal. Don’t be concerned if a slippery substance appears. This enzyme, known as allicin, is responsible for the distinctive aroma associated with onions and garlic, and it will help suspend the miso in the stock, thickening the soup.
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the green slices to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes, or until wilted and aromatic. Then add the white slices and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes, or until wilted and aromatic. Sprinkle with the salt, then add the sake and jiggle the pan to deglaze any brown bits. Add the stock and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the leeks are very tender. Skim away any large clouds of froth with a fine-mesh strainer.
4. Place the miso in a small bowl and ladle in some of the hot stock from the pan. Stir in the miso to dissolve then add the mixture to the pan.       Do not allow the soup to boil once the miso has been added. This traditional wisdom should be heeded for two reasons: boiling the soup diminishes the nutritional value of the miso and compromises its aroma.
5. Divide the soup among bowls and serve piping hot.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
sea salt
1 tablespoon chopped basil, or ½ teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 large red onion, cut into sixths, and thinly sliced crosswise
generous pinch of saffron threads (optional)
2 medium-sized sweet peppers, chopped into small squares
3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
5 cups water
sugar
1/3 cup white rice
freshly ground pepper
chopped basil or parsley for garnish
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Pound the garlic in mortar and pestle until it has broken down into a paste, then gradually add the basil, parsley, thyme, paprika, and tomato paste. Work until well combined.
2. Gently warm olive oil in a soup pot, add the garlic-herb paste and mix together. As soon as the oil is hot, add the bay leaves and onion. Sprinkle the saffron directly over the onion, stir everything together, and cook for several minutes or until the onion begins to soften.
3. When the onion is soft, add the sweet pepper, tomatoes, and water. Bring to a boil; then immediately lower the heat and cook over very low heat for 25 minutes. Taste after about 15 minutes; if the soup is tart, add sugar as needed to balance the acidity.
4. While the soup is cooking, bring a few cups of water to a boil; add salt to taste and the rice. Boil until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes, then drain. Stir in the rice to the finished soup, season to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish with fresh herbs and parmesan cheese, and serve.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale, stemmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 medium cucumber, quartered lengthwise, seeds cut away (optional), and sliced
1 cup grated carrot
¼-½ cup minced fresh parsley
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Avocado-tahini dressing (recipe follows)
Sea salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add a pinch of salt to the kale and massage gently with your hands until the kale starts to break down and the color changes to a brighter green. Once it starts to soften, stop massaging – it will get mushy if you massage too much.
2. Combine the kale with the remaining ingredients in the serving bowl. Toss together and serve.

Avocado-tahini Dressing

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and diced
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
juice of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2-4 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions:
1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add ¼-½ cup water, as needed, to achieve a medium-thick consistency.
2. Stir ½-1 cup of the dressing into the greens once they are done. Transfer the rest to a covered container and refrigerate. Use within 3 days.

This is a zippy little recipe that will wake you up!

Ingredients:
2 cups ½-inch pieces, peeled horseradish root (about 12 ounces before peeling)
¾ cups distilled white vinegar
½ cup finely chopped peeled beet
1/3 cup sweetener
½ teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Using a food processor with shredder attachment, shred horseradish. Transfer to a medium bowl.
2. Fit processor with metal blade. Return horseradish to work bowl. Add the next three ingredients. Process until almost smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, about 5 minutes. Mix in salt.
3. Place horseradish in a glass jar. Cover tightly, chill at least 1 day, up to 10 days.

Makes about 2 cups

If you want a spicier slaw, add 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce to the mayonnaise.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon each: rice vinegar and honey
1-2 teaspoons wasabi powder
2 cups shredded red or Savoy cabbage
1 apple, shredded
¼ cup torn fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. Stir together mayonnaise, olive oil, rice vinegar, honey, and wasabi powder in a medium bowl.

2. Add cabbage, apples, and cilantro, and toss to coat.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, chopped plus 1 clove, halved
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1½ cups chopped tomatoes
3 cups water
1 piece parmesan cheese rind (approx. 2-by-3 inch), freshly grated
plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, divided
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup cooked chard, coarsely chopped
2 large slices (1-inch thick) country style bread, toasted
4 large eggs

Directions:

1. Put chopped garlic and crushed red pepper flakes in a 3-4 quart pot. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and stir to coat. Cook over medium heat until the garlic barely begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, water, cheese rind and salt; bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Discard the rind. Stir in chard.

2. Meanwhile, cut each slice of toasted bread in half and rub it with cut sides of the garlic halves. Divide the bread among 4 shallow soup bowls.

3. Crack each egg into its own small bowl taking care not to break the yolks. Make four depressions in the chard-tomato mixture and slip the eggs into them. Cook for 3-5 minutes for medium-set yolks, spooning a little broth over the top from time to time if the eggs are not completely submerged. Using a slotted spoon, transfer an egg to each piece of toast. Spoon tomato broth over eggs, sprinkle with grated Parmesan, and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Serve at once.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup short grain rice of choice
2 stalks broccoli
1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch
1 tablespoon peanut oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet pepper, cut into thin bite-size strips
8 ounces firm tofu, drained and cut into ½ inch cubes
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cashews

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions or per your own method.
2. Remove the florets from broccoli stalks and cut, as needed, into smaller florets. Peel the broccoli stems, cut crosswise into rounds. Set broccoli aside (you should have 4-4½ cups).
3. In a small bowl, combine the broth, tamari, sherry, ginger, and arrowroot or cornstarch. Set aside.
4. Put peanut oil into a large wok or skillet. Preheat over medium-high heat. Stir-fry garlic in hot oil for 30 seconds. Add broccoli and sweet pepper, stir-fry for 4-5 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Push vegetables to the side of the skillet. Stir broth mixture; add to the center of the skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Gently sit in tofu. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes more, or until heated through. Serve over rice, sprinkle with cashews.

Makes 4-5 servings