Sweet Potato, Lentil and Kale Burgers

For me, 2014 is the Year of Change. I'm in the midst of moving from the shores of Washington's Puget Sound, where fresh seafood is abundant and shellfish is easily harvested, back to a place in Oregon that is beautifully situated between the Cascade Mountain Range and a city where a river runs through it.

I'm also starting off this new year transitioning towards more of a plant-based diet, eliminating the fish and shellfish that have been a part of my pescetarian diet for the past number of years.

I've tried this before and failed, but now I have the support and encouragement of family who are also discovering and enjoying the benefits of vegetarian and vegan cuisine, which makes it easier for me to stick with my resolution to eliminate seafood and more. I haven't entirely eliminated eggs and the occasional sheep and goat cheeses, yet.

Ever wondered what to call yourself while you are transitioning to a plant-based diet?

• A vegan is one who does not eat meat, eggs or dairy of any kind. Some vegans avoid such foods as gelatin, honey... or eating or buying anything that has some form of animal-based ingredient used in the process of making the product.
• A flexitarian is one who has a mostly vegetarian diet, but sometimes eats meat. 
• One who is a vegetarian but also eats eggs is called an ovo-vegetarian. 
• One who is a vegetarian but also eats dairy is a lacto-vegetarian. 
• One who is a vegetarian but also eats dairy and eggs is called a lacto-ovo vegetarian. 

This past weekend,  I attended a vegetarian/vegan potluck. Everyone brought something for the "Burrito Bar" - tortillas, beans, corn, tempeh, tofu, homegrown sprouts, salsa, spices and condiments. One brought black bean brownies and another black bean pudding for dessert.

The theme of our discussion was beans. I tossed out the idea of having a bean burger "bake-off" with a prize for the best bean burger recipe. I am not posting my bean burger "bake-off" entry recipe until after this event happens, IF it happens.

Although this is not a bean burger, here is one our family's favorite ovo-vegetarian burgers. There are only a few changes to the original recipe, which is on page 79 of Luke Volger's cookbook "Veggie Burgers Every Which Way."

 This recipe will make six 4-inch burgers, so we recommend doubling or tripling the recipe, cooking and freezing what you don't eat right away to reheat for later meals. Remember to never double or triple the salt when making more than one batch of anything with salt as an ingredient; increase salt to taste.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup French Lentils (small, green)
1 bunch Kale (remove tough stems)
1 medium Sweet Potato (approx. 8 ounces), peeled and chopped into 1" pieces
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 medium Onion, diced
1-1/2 teaspoons Garam Masala
1-1/2 teaspoons Curry Powder
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon ground Coriander
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Squeeze of fresh Lemon Juice

3/4 cup Oatmeal (gluten-free), lightly ground

1/4 cup Almonds, ground to a meal-like consistency (using spice grinder with slivered Almonds)

Sort through the lentils and rinse. Bring lentils to a boil in a small sauce pan in 3 cups water. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. When tender, drain and transfer to a large bowl. Coarsely mash lentils with a potato masher.

Steam the kale, by what ever method you prefer, for 5-8 minutes. Remove and cool, then wrap in a clean kitchen cloth towel and squeeze out any excess liquid. Finely chop and set aside.

Steam the sweet potato for 8-10 minutes, or bake until tender. Add the sweet potato to the lentils, mashing and blending with a potato masher or fork.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a saute pan on medium heat. Add the onion, garam masala, curry powder and cayenne pepper. Cook until the onion is translucent, 8-10 minutes. Then add the chopped kale and minced garlic. Cook and toss to combine for 2 minutes. Note: If a crust forms on the base of the pan, add 2 tablespoons water and scrape up the browned mixture with a wooden spoon.

Combine the kale-onion and lentil mixtures together. Stir in the eggs, coriander, salt and lemon juice. Blend in the ground oatmeal and almonds. Adjust seasoning according to your taste. Shape into 6 burger patties.

In an oven-safe skillet or non-stick saute pan, heat another 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the patties and cook until browned on both sides, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until firm to the touch and cooked through.

Serve hot on a toasted bun, or room temperature in a lettuce wrap, with your favorite condiments. Freeze and reheat leftovers.

Recipe adaptation, meal preparations, and photos by Effie.

Moving Day Soup

Taking a break to tell you about my day, then back to it....

Packing to move, boxes of all sizes stacked everywhere... and I'm getting hungry. I have some food in the refrigerator from which I could rustle us up some homemade soup in a hurry, but I have no idea which box has our cooking utensils. Husband saves the day calling to say he's going to stop by and pick up a gluten-free pizza. He calls back and says they're closed for the day. Our kitchen counter is cluttered with everything I pulled out of the cupboards, boxes and bubble wrap, along with today's mail. So, I push what I can aside and work quickly to be able to say "Soup's on!" thirty minutes later when DZ walks through the door with my empty suitcase to fill with clothes that are folded neatly in the landlord's dresser drawer.

I love soup and figure that we must have enough produce to make a Moving Day vegetable soup using whatever hasn't been packed up. So let's take a quick look and get busy... for ingredients, we have:

fresh picked, local assortment of green beans

several vine ripened tomatoes

a couple of large white potatoes

yellow and green bell peppers

a couple of yellow crooked-neck squash

a bunch of celery and part of a zucchini

a part of an onion sliced and half of another onion

a couple of fresh mushrooms and a can of sliced mushrooms

a can of corn and a part of a jar of vegetable stock base

I found my soup pot, but I can't find my knives. The landlord's collection, which I just unpacked and put back in the drawer...all as dull as butter knives. This is the time to  be very, very careful not to cut myself. Dull is dangerous. I hack at the vegetables more than cut them, then furiously tossed them into the pot filled part way with water, two tablespoons of vegetable stock base and two large pinches of sea salt.  

My nifty, red rubber tube to remove garlic skin is lost to a box somewhere, so I use my hand towel to loosen the peel, rolling it around four plump cloves of garlic and rolling furiously back and forth with the palms of my hands. My garlic press is probably buried with the roller, so I slivered the garlic rather than attempt to mince them with a dull blade and blended them into the mix of fresh ingredients with one of three wooden spoons that will remain in our loft apartment kitchen. I could have mashed them, I suppose.

I pinched in some cayenne and tossed a liberal amount of the Italian herb blend sitting on the counter by the sea salt. All the other spices were... of course... packed.

Having replaced our personal dishes, bowls, glasses and flatware with that of the landlord's assortment, we enjoyed a fine lunch on the deck with the simplicity of a bowl, a soup spoon and a glass of water... all because DZ scrounged around until he found the soup ladle!

I don't know when I will have to pack and move again. I hope not any time soon. But when I do, I need to remind myself to withhold just a few more basic items and provisions during the exodus with which we can cook and feed ourselves with for a few days.

Despite the lack of kitchen equipment, gadgets, cookware, food and spice selection, the soup turned out great - though simple, has wonderful flavor... proving yet again that more doesn't necessarily mean better. And we have enough soup left in the pot to last us for the next couple of lunches during our move.

Now back to packing.

Bon Appetit!

Christmas Eve Mediterranean Feast

Preparation for our Christmas Eve Mediterranean feast began several days in advance with culling though our cookbooks, selecting recipes, making a shopping list and checking it twice, deciding where to shop for best values for which items, doing the shopping, putting away the groceries, and cooking up what we could the day before. All in all, it was an enjoyable process with my husband just as enthusiastic and willing to do whatever it took to help me shop and cook.

Although dinner was intended to feed four adults and a child - the two of us, our daughter and son-in-law, our two year old granddaughter, with the addition of our week-old grandson - ...

Baby Leif fast asleep in Nana's arms.

...we made so much food, we had leftovers for all of us for three more meals, including Christmas day!

~ Our Mediterranean Menu ~

• Vegetarian Lentil Soup - Arabia - TLOB*, pg. 19
  
• "Start the Party" Hummus & Pita Bread - Arabia - TLOB*, pg 125
  
• Orange, Red Onion, Black Olive Salad (Munkaczina) - Arabia -
  
• Subsistence Tabbouleh - Arabia - TLOB*, pg. 143, also see quinoa tabouleh, gluten-free
  
• Dolmathes - Greece - GCIAAK*, pg. 122, also see stuffed grape leaves - vegetarian dolmades
  
• Garlic Green Beans with Mizithra Cheese - Greece - PA*, pg. 89 (with asparagus)
  
• Special Rice with Cinnamon - Arabia - TLOB*, pg. 29
  
• Mo Kadeem's Roasted Fish in Tahini Sauce - Arabia, TLOB*, pg.315
  
• Mrs. Manarelli's Civilized Panna Cotta - Italy, TLOB*, pg. 86
  

Cookbooks:

1. *TLOB - The Language of Baklava by Diana Abu-Jaber (a culinary memoir)
   
2. *GCIAAK - Greek Cooking in an American Kitchen (1983) by St. Demetrios Church Cookbook Committee
   
3. *PA - Papas' Art of Traditional Greek Cooking by George and Chrisoula Papas
   

cinnamon rice, quinoa tabouleh and munkaczina with feta cheese

vegetarian dolmades in tomato sauce, roasted red snapper in tahini sauce with roasted pinenuts, garlic green beans with mizithra cheese

vegetarian lentil soup with cumin, green beans with
olive oil, roasted garlic and mizithra cheese, pita bread,
roasted fish and dolmades

panna cotta with chocolate sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream, less 2 tablespoons to dissolve in gelatin
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons gelatin (1/2 packet)
4 to 8 tablespoons of chocolate sauce, fruit puree or sweetened fruit

Directions:

1. Heat two cups (less two tablespoons) of the heavy cream and sugar in a sauce pan.
2. Simmer for 15 minutes.
3. In a very small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining two tablespoons of cream.
4. Remove the simmered cream from the stove and add the gelatin-cream mixture.
5. Stir to dissolve.
6. Pour 1/2 cup of the hot cream liquid into 4 lightly-oiled metal molds or ramekins*.
7. Refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours until set.
8. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
   
9. Dip the molds in hot water and run the edge of a knife around the molds to loosen.
10. Invert molds onto serving plates and drizzle your choice of sauce over top.
11. *Option: Serve panna cotta in ramekins without removing and serve with sauce.
    

Serves 4

Home-Baked Pizza with UDI'S Gluten-Free Crust

Yesterday was a busy day out and about with our granddaughter. We even fit in a late afternoon movie. By the time we were heading home, our thoughts were to either eat out or eat simple. Hungry, yet opting for the latter, we made a quick stop at the grocery store for toppings to go on the 9-inch UDI'S gluten-free pizza crusts we had in our freezer back home. We hadn't tried UDI'S pizza crust yet, so this was the perfect opportunity to load those crusts up with savory items and sink our teeth into them.


We weren't disappointed; the pizza was easy to cut with a pizza wheel and tasted great! The crust was crisp on the outside, yet chewy and flexible so we could pick up individual slices loaded with sauce, cheeses, fresh veggies and tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and olives... bending, and folding to wrap our mouths around them to take big bites!

The directions are to cook the pizza at 375-degrees for 5-7 minutes, if defrosted. Our crusts were frozen, so I let them cook for 10 minutes. I could have left the pizza in the oven for another minute or so, but I opted to microwave for 30-seconds on high instead. I said I was hungry! So, depending on the type of oven you have and how well it heats, the temperature of the crust, as well as how much you load up your crust, you will want to experiment on the time so your pizza is thoroughly cooked through from the crusty bottom to the juicy top.

Not only is UDI"S pizza crust gluten-free, it also dairy, soy and nut free. Each packages comes with two 9-inch uncooked crusts. The main ingredients are: tapioca, potato and corn starches, brown rice flour, canola or sunflower oil, evaporated cane juice xanthan gum, salt and yeast.

Note: I already have a couple posts about homemade gluten-free pizza and recently posted about trying gluten-free take-out pizza from Papa's Pizza. Next, I'll try making gluten-free pizza crust dough from a variety of dry mixes.

Curry Tempeh - A Laptop Meal

A laptop meal is especially great for those recovering from an illness, injury or surgery. My definition of a "Laptop Meal" - - nutrient-rich, no cutting required, easy to chew and digest, and not too brothy (avoids spillage).


My husband prepared this nutritious Curry Tempeh laptop meal for me the other night, so we could enjoy dinner with a movie, while keeping my leg elevated and iced at the same time.

Ingredients:

2 bunches green onions
1- 14 ounce can light coconut milk
1/4 cup gluten-free soy sauce, divided
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons chile paste
1 pound tempeh or tofu, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (browned to crisp in a little oil)
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
4 cups bok choy, chopped
salt to taste

brown rice, steamed

Directions:

1. Chop green onions: white part, finely chop; green part, chop into 2-inches pieces.
2. In a large heavy skillet or wok over medium heat, mix coconut milk, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, brown sugar, curry powder, ginger and chile paste. Bring to a boil.
3. Stir in tomatoes, yellow pepper, mushrooms, and finely chopped whites of the green onions.
4. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
5. Mix in the browned tempeh or tofu, basil and bok choy.
6. Season with salt and remaining soy sauce.
7. Continue to cook covered or uncovered depending on how much broth you prefer, until vegetables are tender but crisp - - about 5 minutes.
8. Garnish with remaining green onion.
9. Serve over rice.

Serves 3-4

The extra serving was great reheated for lunch the next day.

Polenta Stuffed Peppers with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I love stuffed peppers. Our family recipe was my grandmother's, but this is not my grandmother's stuffed bell peppers. This vegetarian recipe is just as good, but meatless, takes less time to prepare and takes only 30 minutes to bake. I doubled the recipe for 4 large bell peppers and had only a cup of the creamy polenta mixture left over, which I can easily incorporate into another meal.

The recipe comes from my cooking course challenge cookbook The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen by Donna Klein, on page114.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup marinated sun-dried tomatoes, 1/2 tablespoon marinate reserved, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup polenta
1-3/4 cups (14-ounce) can of low-sodium vegetable broth, gluten-free
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, gluten-free
4 large bell peppers (about 8-ounces each), with the tops cut off, seeds and membranes removed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees
2. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet on medium heat and saute the onion until soft.
3. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, then stir in the sun-dried tomatoes.
4. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. I added Mount Rose Herbs Mexican Seasoning to taste.
5. In a medium stockpot, bring the broth and water to a boil over high heat.
6. Slowly stir in the polenta with a long-handled wooden spoon.
7. Reduce heat to low and stir in the tomato mixture.
8. Cover and cook until the polenta is tender (about 15-minutes).
9. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
10. Pack the bell peppers with the polenta mixture.
11. Place in a shallow glass baking dish and add enough water to the dish to measure 1/2 inch.
12. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until set.
13. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese the last five minutes of cooking or when ready to serve.

Serves 4

Next time I make this dish, I think I will add browned, sliced mushrooms and corn kernels (or adjust the liquids to add creamed corn).

Spiced Basmatic Rice Pilaf

Where did the day go? I looked up from my computer and it was pitch black outside. I planned on making this dish tonight, but I wanted to whip up something quick.

My solution for "quick" was to streamline the cooking time of this recipe by using the two cups of cooked rice I had in the refrigerator, albeit brown rice. I cut the spice quantities in half and added only enough vegetable stock to rehydrate the rice. While I was sauteing the onion, garlic and red pepper (extra ingredient) in my wok and was mixing in the other ingredients, cauliflower was cooking in my vegetable steamer and served on the side (an option would be to toss bite-size pieces of the steamed cauliflower with the rice). We ate in about 20-minutes. Simple, tasty, satisfying and nutritious!

This recipes comes from my challenge cookbook The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen by Donna Klein on page 120.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil ( I used olive oil)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
1-1/2 cups basmati rice (I used brown rice and it was very good)
2 teaspoons cumin seed (I used cumin powder)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon chili powder, gluten-free
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, gluten-free
1-1/2 cups frozen peas

Directions:

1. In a deep-sided non-stick skillet (or wok) with a lid, heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onions and stir for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
3. Add the rice, cumin, turmeric and chili powder, stirring for 1 minute.
4. Add the broth, peas, salt and pepper. ( I prefer adding the peas just before serving so they are warmed through and green).
   
5. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to simmer and cover for 15 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the liquid.
6. Fluff the rice and serve hot.

Serves 4-8

Egg-Free, Gluten-Free Zucchini Lasagna

My poor husband arrived home early from work, sick with a miserable cold. I made him a warm cup of apple cider vinegar and honey for his cold, and just served him up a plate of homemade zucchini lasagna for his tummy. That ought to make him feel a little better.

The recipe is from my challenge cookbook The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Cook by Donna Klein, on page 130.

If you are hoping to drop a few pounds this winter, as I am, then recipes that are satisfying, nutritious and lower in calories are the ticket. Klein's lasagna recipe is egg, gluten and pasta free!

Reserve 4 large zucchini from your garden or when shopping at your local produce stand or market, pick up four (4) 7-8 ounce organic zucchinis. If you have the time to make your own spaghetti sauce, all the better.

Because there are neither eggs nor pasta to thicken this dish, the lasagna has more of a soupy consistency, but also more flavor. I recommending serving it up in individual pasta bowls.

Ingredients:

4 zucchini, unpeeled, trimmed and cut into 1/8 inch lengthwise slices
1 cup non-fat ricotta cheese, gluten-free
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese, gluten-free
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
26-ounce jar of pasta sauce (preferably tomato basil)
8 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella, gluten-free
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, gluten-free

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
2. Fill stock pot with water and bring to a boil.
3. Lightly oil a 13x9 baking dish.
4. Add zucchini to the boiling water and cook 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside on paper towels to dry.
5. In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta and cottage cheeses, parsley, salt and pepper.
6. In another bowl mix together the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
   
7. Make layers in the baking dish in this order: 1/3 of the zucchini, half of the pasta sauce, 1/3 of the zucchini, all of the ricotta and cottage cheese mixture, half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese mixture, the remaining 1/3 zucchini, the remaining pasta sauce, and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan mixture.
   
8. Cover with a lid or an oiled piece of foil (use wax paper first, if the cover will touch the top of the lasagna).
9. Bake covered for 35-minutes and uncovered for an additional 7-10 minutes.
10. I recommend finish the cooking time by leaving the lasagna under the broiler for 3 minutes.
    
11. Let rest 10-minutes, before cutting and serving in pasta bowls.

Serves 6

Note: Klein's recipe is ideal for serving during summer zucchini harvest time. She says you can prepare this dish 24 hours in advance and refrigerate. If you do, add 15 more minutes to the cooking time.

Focaccia-Pizza Crust, Gluten-Free

My friend Gina shared a recipe with me last week for Bette Hagman's gluten-free crust for either focaccia or pizza. Bette Hagman authored The Gluten-Free Gourmet: Living Well without Wheat.

Ingredients:

First, mix together in a bowl and set aside:
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup of lukewarm water
1 packet of 2-1/4 teaspoons yeast

Next, whisk together the following dry ingredients, and set aside:
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1-1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 tablespoon minced onion (use dehydrated for more flavor)
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1-3 tablespoons olive oil, divided (1 for the dough, two more for the top of a focaccia)

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, blend the egg, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the yeast-water.
2. Add the flour mixture and beat on high for 2 minutes. The mixture with be frothy.
   
3. Spoon and spread the thin dough into whatever disk or rectangular shape that works best for you on a lightly-oiled baking sheet or a silicone baking mat (my preference).
4. For making focaccia, drizzle the dough with the remaining oil, plus a dash of onion salt. Add more Parmesan cheese, if desired.
5. For pizza crust, leave plain and cover with greased plastic and let rise for 20-25 minutes, if cooking with rapid-rising yeast; 45 minutes for regular yeast.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 12-25 minutes or until the crust is firm and lightly brown.
7. At this point, you can either freeze the crust or add toppings and put the pizza back into the oven to heat through and melt the cheese.

Here is the list of the toppings I put on our pizza this evening, in order of layers:

1. I slathered the freshly-made pesto, which I purchased from Marche Provisions, over the top of the hot crust.
2. Scattered 1-1/2 cups of a shredded cheese (mozzarella and/or cheddar) over the pesto.
   
3. Ladled over the cheese a medley of vegetables I had sauteed in a little olive oil: mushrooms, fresh red bell pepper, home-dehydrated green bell peppers and zucchinis, sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced white onion, marinated artichoke hearts cut into bite-size pieces with a teaspoon of Caribbean seasoning by Mountain Rose Herbs.
4. Heated through until the cheese melted and the edges of the crust were crispy, and served with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and red chili pepper (optional).

Thank you Gina! And my husband thanks you, too. We decide that this was the best pizza we've ever eaten.

Pan-Roasted Turnips

Eat your vegetables. Eat a variety of vegetables! Splendid Table on NPR featured this delicious Italian pan-roasted turnip dish. It will change your mind about some of the under-appreciated vegetables you pass by at the market. Follow this recipe and add a variety of other root vegetables like rutabagas and parsnips for a colorful and flavorful medley.

 Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds turnips, scrubbed and quartered
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Directions:

1. In a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat until it melts and begins to brown. Add the turnips, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat well. Add the poppy seeds and sauté until the turnips are light golden brown, 8 to 9 minutes.
2. Add the paprika, tossing to coat. Add the vinegar, bring to a boil, and cook until it has evaporated. Serve hot.
   
   Excerpted from Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home. © 2005 by Mario Batali. Published by Ecco Press.
   
   Makes 4 servings

Ribollita - Tuscan Soup

Delicious! This twice-cooked Tuscan soup recipe can be made with leftovers. The name Ribollita is Italian for "reboiled".

Ingredients:

2 cups cannellini (white beans (or any white bean, for that matter), cooked, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon each of fresh, chopped garlic and fresh chopped rosemary
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled (or not, my preference) and chopped
1 large Yukon Gold potato, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 bunch kale, coarsely chopped
1 cup canned or fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 slices day-old crusty white country-style bread (or gluten-free), broken into chunks
Salt & Pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:

1. Mash half (1 cup) of the white beans with the back of a fork in a bowl until smooth, then set aside.
2. In a soup pot, gently cook the garlic, rosemary, onion, celery, carrot and kale in the olive oil for 20 minutes.
3. Add both the whole and mashed beans, stock, potato and tomato.
4. Simmer gently for about an hour or so, then add the bread and continue to cook until the bread completely dissolved into the soup.
5. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
6. Drizzle olive oil over the soup and top with the grated cheese.
7. Tastes best the next day, so a great meal to make ahead!

Makes four large servings.

I came across this recipe in a runner's magazine. Marathoner, Matt Conors enjoys this nutrient-rich soup as a pre-race meal.

Vegetarian Chili

Fresh, delicious, and nutritious, this chili is a hearty and healthy alternative to the traditional chili con carne.

 

Ingredients:

Use as many fresh, organic and local products as you can when making this recipe.

2 Onions, chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
3 Celery Ribs, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and diced
8 ounces Mushrooms, sliced (wild, if you have them)
2 Zucchini, sliced
4 ounces Red Kidney Beans, home-cooked or canned, rinsed and drained
4 ounces Tomatoes, chopped (fresh or canned)
2/3 cup Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 tablespoons Ketchup
1 heaping teaspoon each: Chili Powder, Ground Cumin, and Ground Cilantro
Salt & Cracked Pepper to taste
Plain Yogurt, Cayenne Pepper and Fresh Cilantro to serve

Directions:

1. Put onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms and zucchini in a large pot; mix together.
2. Add kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and ketchup.
3. Add chili powder, cumin and coriander; season with salt and pepper and mix well.
4. Cover pot and bring the chili to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes longer.
5. Stir occasionally, cooking until the vegetables are tender.
6. Top with a dollop of plain yogurt and a sprig of fresh cilantro.
7. Serve with a rice medley (white basmati, yellow and brown jasmine), polenta or fresh artisan bread with a thick crust.

Serves 4-6 depending on serving size - cups or bowls.

Cooking Gluten-Free Vegetarian with Donna Klein

 Tonight, I began the “Challenge”, cooking out of The Gluten-Free Vegetarian by Donna Klein. While my husband tackled paper work he brought home from the office, I cranked up the propane stove-top, first slow-cooking the Curried Pumpkin Risotto on page 117. In-between stirring in more of the simmering broth ¼ cup at a time, I made the dressing for the Spinach Salad with Orange-Raisin Dressing and Sunflower Seeds on page 58. As I was putting the finishing touches on our dinner, Cliff took a break and helped me out, creating the Orange-Marinated Strawberries on page 197, which we later poured over vanilla ice cream for dessert.

I’d never cooked with Arborio rice before. It's a short, round grain rice with a creamy, chewy texture. I’m delighted to discover it, because I can use Arborio in all my recipes that call for orzo pasta, which is made from semolina or wheat.

For those that go light on spices, you’ll want to cook with a mild curry and perhaps cut down on the amount of cumin and pepper. I can’t eat black pepper, so I used a pinch of finely ground cayenne instead. We ate the Pumpkin Risotto as the main entrée, but it would be fantastic as a side dish, especially during the fall and winter months. Count on needing an hour to make your risotto; you are reducing over a quart of liquid and pumpkin puree as your rice cooks uncovered on the stove-top.

While I was adding and stirring ingredients to the pot, my mother called to share some good news about my Uncle Kenny, who is in the hospital recovering from a stroke. Trying to listen and talk  on speaker phone while ladling broth, I managed to burn my hand picking up the handle of the scorching hot saucepan, which in turn caused me to bang my head into the corner of the cabinetry encasing the overhead fan. My mother said it first, “I better go so you can get back to your cooking!”

The salad recipe I selected from the book worked quite well as a lightly-sweetened complement to the spicy curry dish. The sunflower seeds added the nutty flavor and crunch that I missed by forgetting about the toasted pine nuts set aside to sprinkle on top of the risotto.

Cliff said our dessert tasted like a Creamsicle, which is not a bad thing, because the Creamsicle remains one of our favorites from childhood. However, this is a far healthier version loaded with fresh strawberries and ample marinade to make a slurry of goodness to drink like a smoothie. You know, this recipe might work really well for a gluten-free waffle topping. You could cook and thicken the marinade with cornstarch, use whipping cream or gluten-free vanilla ice cream and top with fresh berries.