Creamy Potato Red Pepper Spinach Tart
This vegan, soy-free tart is quiche-like and very rich and perfect for a Spring luncheon or Summer evening meal. It can be varied with different vegetables to make it your own in every season. How about butternut squash and leeks for Autumn or tomatoes and peas for a change? While the ingredient list looks long, the recipe isn't complicated. It's just a matter of layering everything together.It's kid-friendly but also pairs well with a crisp white wine and of course, a big crunchy salad. ...
Pickles: Dead or Alive? Why Ferments Rule and 5 Tips for Success
Probably because of all the rain, our cucumbers decided to go nuts this year, so we ended up harvesting dozens every day or two. After a lot of green “de-tox” juicing plus numerous variations on cucumber salad (Asian-influenced with rice wine vinegar and sesame, Mexico-style with jalapenos and carrot, “old-fashioned” with dill and apple cider vinegar, etc.), the only rational approach was to catch the cukes before they grew too big and haul out the extra-large pickling crock....
Fresh Spring Pea, Fennel and Mint Salad
Peas have been a delicious food since ancient times and archaeologists have found them in Egyptian tombs. They probably dried them for the afterlife (and beyond). Today, only about 5 % of all peas grown are sold fresh. Peas are a good low calorie source of protein. A ¾ cup serving of peas (about 100-calories) contains more protein than a whole egg or a tablespoon of peanut butter and has less than one gram of fat and no cholesterol. So there.It's a fleeting pleasure to stumble ...
Creamy Mushroom Potato Leek Soup – Fast and Filling
Sometimes we just need creamy hot soup to warm us up, especially in the chill of Winter. This soup, which has no actual cream but is still smooth, thick and rich-tasting, hits the spot with its umami flavors derived from the mushrooms and sauteed leeks. Now that we've tried this, it will be hard to go back to simple potato leek as it seems to fall short in flavor.This recipe uses the pressure cooker, which means it can be prepared from start to finish in less than 15 minutes. Yes, really. ...
Got Flu? Try this Herbal Cough Syrup
I got the flu this year, first time in years. This was the hit-you-like-a-ton-of-bricks flu, body-slammed with fever, delirium, the whole works. My lungs and head filled up and a few weeks later I still had a deep, nagging cough. After staring at all the OTC products on the drugstore shelf, weighing the nasty side effects I read about on the packages and the Internet, I figured it was time to go homemade.Fortunately, I had on hand almost all the ingredients for a kick-ass cherry herbal ...
Whole Baked Kabocha Squash with Apples
This recipe could not be easier. It is so easy, in fact, that I don't even think it's legit to call it a recipe but cookbook authors have told me otherwise. After all, we have entire "recipe books" devoted to juice, which basically consists of 2-5 ingredients put through a juicer.Its flavor belies its simplicity. The squash and apple meld together with the roasty goodness and it makes an amazing hearty winter side dish. Kabocha squash is particularly "meaty" and flavorful, with a cream ...
Easiest Pickled Dandelion Capers
Dandelions are getting a makeover in the public eye. Sure, they're weeds marring the green lawn perfection. But the health benefits and culinary side of them have been getting increasing attention. Greens bursting with flavor and calcium, vitamins A and C, and iron, they are abundant and generally free. This recipe for naturally fermented (pickled) dandelion buds shouts gourmet but is the easiest way to preserve the ever-present weeds. No boiling, no vinegar, just easy. Bonus points ...
Healthy Hot Holiday Tamales
While some cultures definitely associate tamales with Christmas and holiday time, tamale-eating doesn't have to be limited to special times of year. In fact, we like them so much that it feels like a celebration every time we eat them.This version is vegan, natch, and they freeze well (assuming there are any left). The assembly process is easy though a bit time-consuming but well worth the trouble. Be creative on fillings - these are black bean and sweet potato but you can use virtually ...
Easy Seitan for Any Recipe
Seitan is one of those vegan foods you either love or hate. To the gluten-free among us, it's a real no-no. Personally, we think it sometimes gives the chewiness some recipes need. We've sliced for stir fries, chopped for "meaty" sauce and used on sandwiches.This basic version can easily be adapted depending upon your flavor preferences. Adding to Mexican food? Try cumin and chili powder. Indian? Add curry powder and coriander. Like a chicken-ish flavor? Use no-chicken seasoning. You get ...
Weeding out the Nutrition (in Your Yard)
By now, you might have heard that many plants we call weeds are actually great sources of nutrition. Dandelions are loaded with Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron. Chickweed has become the darling of farmer's markets, with its spinach-like flavor, and is also very high in nutrients. There are lots more everywhere we look.A wonderful and highly recommended book by Katrina Blair, The Wild Wisdom of Weeds, published in late 2014 describes in detail 13 "weeds" that grow around the ...
