Recipes

Raw foods increase our vitality and can help battle that dreaded afternoon slump! Tahini is sesame seed paste and is a good source of calcium, plus it makes things creamy and delicious. Miso is a fermented bean paste that contains beneficial enzymes, aiding in digestion.

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch kale, stems removed and thinly sliced
sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup tahini
1 tablespoon miso (preferably non-soy)
½ cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 plum tomatoes, diced (optional)
3 scallions, sliced
1 cup cooked brown rice or any desired grain

DIRECTIONS
1. Place kale in a bowl, sprinkle with a little sea salt and “massage” for 3 minutes until kale starts to break down.
2. In a bowl with a whisk or food processor, mix together garlic, tahini, miso, water, and lemon juice. Stir tahini sauce into kale and add tomato, if using, green onion, and cooked rice. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

INGREDIENTS
1 cups dried black beans, soaked overnight, or 3 14-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed well
2 quarts water (if cooking the beans)
4“ piece of kombu seaweed (kelp found at health food stores, optional)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2½ cups chopped onions
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 small butternut or delicata squash, peeled and diced into ½ inch pieces (2 – 3 cups)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2½ cups chicken or vegetable broth, or water
1 14-ounce can tomatoes or 1½ – 2 cups fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 bunch chard or other greens, stems removed, washed well and chopped
¼ – ½ cup fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. Drain the black beans, place in a medium to large saucepan cover with 2 quarts water, kombu, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, partially cover and cook until the beans are tender, 30 – 45 minutes (bean cooking time can vary widely depending how fresh the beans are). Check them at 30 minutes and then every 5 minutes or so until the beans are completely cooked through and are very tender.
2. In another large saucepan, heat the olive and then add the onions. Sauté occasionally, until the onions are golden, about 8 minutes.
3. Add the diced squash and garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the chili powder and cumin and sauté for 30 seconds.
4. When your beans are tender, drain, reserving the bean cooking liquid if you want to use it in your chili.
5. Add the beans, 2½ cups of the bean cooking liquid, broth, and the diced tomatoes to the onion mixture. Bring everything to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes.
6. Stir in the greens and cook for about 5 minutes or until the greens are tender.
7. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. If desired, stir in cilantro. If you like tour chili spicier, add a bit of pureed chipotle chilies or a dash of cayenne pepper.

Makes about 2 ½ quarts

This high fiber pate is delicious! The kelp flakes are a great way to get more of the mineral iodine, which is essential for keeping the thyroid running properly.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight
½ coarsely chopped red onion
2 stalks celery, minced
½ cup tahini
2 whole carrots, grated
½ cup minced cilantro
¼ cup minced scallion
¼ cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons kelp granules

DIRECTIONS
1. Soak almonds, drain and rinse, removing any skins that may have come off.
2. Put the almonds and onions in a food processor and pulse until well blended. Add celery, carrots, cilantro, scallions, lemon juice, and kelp.  Puree thoroughly then remove to a bowl. Keeps several days, covered, in the refrigerator.
Makes a little over 1 cup

This is delicious over brown rice, especially brown basmati rice.

INGREDIENTS
12 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced into quarters
1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil or mustard oil
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions, chopped, include 2-inches of green ends
1 small onion, quartered and thinly sliced
½ cup toasted cashews
sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Steam the Brussels sprouts until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Rinse and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok or skillet, add the cumin seeds and fry until they are aromatic and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and, as soon as it begins to color, add the scallions and onion. Stir-fry until the onion is translucent, about 3 – 4 minutes. Lower the heat and add the Brussels sprouts and cashews. Cook, uncovered for 1 minute or so, until heated through. Remove from heat and season with lime juice and salt to taste.
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds broccolini
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 – 1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

DIRECTIONS

1. Steam the broccolini in a pot with a steamer basket or bamboo steamer, until crisp-tender, about 3 – 5 minutes. Drain immediately and put in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Remove and drain on a towel.
2. Heat oil in a skillet, add butter and melt. Whisk in lemon juice. Add the broccolini and sauté for 3 – 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Add the pine nuts in the last few minutes of cooking and toss with the broccolini, combining well to heat the nuts through. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

This is such a versatile soup that goes well with so many different seasonings, textures, and/or greens. It just gets better and better each day!  While the soup is piping hot, I add a few handfuls of stemmed kale or spinach, stir it in well to wilt the greens, and serve it.  If you don’t have white beans you could certainly use black beans or any bean of your choice. Hope you enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 – 2 small butternut squash
2 medium yellow onions, sliced thinly or medium dice
1 – 2 leeks, cleaned and cut into half-moons
2 – 4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 carrots, cut into half-moons
2 stalks celery, chopped
½ orange or yellow bell pepper (optional), chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder (optional) or other herbs or spices of choice to season (sometimes I just use salt and pepper and add other seasonings as I heat my bowl of soup)
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups of cooked cannellini beans or 1 15-ounce can
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil to sauté

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut squash in half lengthwise and de-seed.  Rub cut side with a little olive or coconut oil and roast for 30 – 40 minutes, or until very tender.  Set aside to cool.
2. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the onions. Cook the onions, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the onions caramelize, about 10 minutes total. If the onions begin to stick, de-glaze with a little of the stock and stir the onions to get any pieces off the bottom.
3. Once the onions are caramelized, add the leeks and continue stirring to incorporate. Sauté for a few more minutes, until the leeks start to turn bright green and fragrant.
4. Add the curry powder and a few pinches of freshly ground black pepper, if using, and mix together with onions and leeks. Adding the curry now brings out the optimal flavor. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more.
5. Add the carrots, celery, and bell peppers, stirring in to mix well.  Let this cook for about 5 minutes or so, so that the vegetables will start to sweat and combine flavors.  Stir frequently to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
6. Scoop out the squash and mix into the vegetables, then add the stock and stir briefly. Cover and cook for 5 – 10 minutes on a gentle simmer to incorporate all the flavors, making sure the vegetables are tender.
7. Add the beans and mix together well. Let the soup cook, covered, for another 5 – 10 minutes, until the soup is hot. You may want to add more stock if you like a thinner soup. I like to keep this particular soup thick, more like a stew.
8. Season with sea salt and more pepper to taste. You can serve the soup like this or you can puree it for a silky, creamy texture.

Serves 8

You can also cook apples with celeriac and mash together for a sweet tasting variant. You can also omit the potato and just use the celeriac.

INGREDIENTS

Juice of ½ lemon
1 celeriac, trimmed and peeled
1 potato, cut into cubes
1 cup milk or stock
1 tablespoon butter
1 sprig fresh thyme (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Put 2 cups cold water in a large bowl and add the lemon juice. Chop the celeriac into cubes the same size as the potato, then put in the lemon water until ready to use.
2. Put the potato and celeriac in a saucepan with the milk or stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reducing the heat to medium-high and cook for 15 minutes, or until potatoes and celeriac are tender. Mash together with the milk or stock. Season with sea salt and pepper, then stir in butter (or olive oil) and serve.

Serves 4

Not a true root, celeriac is a special variety of celery that is cultivated for its swollen stem base rather than its upper branches. The flavor is much like a combination of celery and parsley, only stronger and with a smoky flavor. It is one of the few vegetables that must be peeled before using, and the innermost woody section may be too fibrous to use. You can do anything with celeriac that you can do with turnips, and more. Once peeled, it can be eaten raw in salads, blanched, steamed, boiled, pureed, and stir-fried. Cut into matchsticks, its chewy crunch and assertive flavor are easy crowd pleasers. Cooked celeriac mixed with an equal quantity of potato makes a delicately flavored puree. The stalks and leaves are not eaten.

As a celery-related plant, celeriac has been known for its diuretic qualities, and is useful to those with kidney stones and arthritic conditions. Celeriac is beneficial to the lymphatic, nervous, and urinary systems.

INGREDIENTS

2 medium celeriac roots
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil (or walnut oil)
1 teaspoon wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon sweetener
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a little chopped parsley and spring onion

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel and trim the celeriac, then slice them across in ¼ inch chunks. Slice these down into large chip size.
2. Steam for 5 minutes.
3. In the meantime, make the vinaigrette by mixing all the rest of the ingredients.
4. Toss the warm celeriac pieces into the vinaigrette and serve immediately, either as first course on a bed of mixed greens, or as a salad after the main course.

This is a simple warm and rich-flavored soup that can be a whole meal in itself. Served with hot crusty bread and butter.

I add kale with the chard for extra texture, flavor and nutrition.  If you don’t want to use cheese, a nice alternative is Brewer’s yeast. Sprinkle in about 1/4 cup instead of the cheese and stir well to combine.  Brewer’s yeast is an excellent source of high–quality protein that includes all the essential amino acids. It provides is an excellent source of all the B vitamins. It helps to lower bad cholesterol and raise the good! It can help control blood sugar and protect against liver cancer.

INGREDIENTS

2 bunch chard
¼ cup butter
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
6 – 8 cups chicken stock
¾ cups brown Basmati or short-grain brown rice
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Garnish – additional Parmesan

DIRECTIONS
1.  Wash the chard well and cut into ½-inch pieces, both leaves and stalks. In a 4 – 5 quart pot, melt the butter. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the chard and stir to coat with the butter. Cover the pot and heat for 4 – 5 minutes to wilt the chard.
3. Add 6 cups of stock, bring to a boil and add the rice. Cover and reduce heat to medium and cook until the rice is done, about 20 minutes. If the soup becomes too thick, add more stock.
4.  When the rice is done, add the fresh parsley or cilantro and Parmesan. Taste for seasoning. Serve piping hot sprinkled with more cheese.

Serves 6 – 8

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch kale
½ cup peanuts
¼ cup coconut flakes
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 small shallot, minced
1 jalapeno, small diced
juice of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup olive oil
¼ – ½ cup water
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash kale.  Place the kale a large pot of boiling water, and cook for about 1 minute, until the kale turns bright green, then remove and place in a bowl of ice water (blanch and shock).  Chop kale into 2-inch pieces.
2. Place peanuts, coconut, and garlic in a food processor. Process until incorporated and ground finely.
3. Add kale, shallot, jalapeno, lemon, and salt. Process until a thick paste is formed.
4. With the processor running, slowly add oil and water, adding water to desired consistency. Taste and adjust flavors with lemon juice and or red pepper flakes.

Yields 2 cups