Fresh Sage - A Delicious Twist

OK.  There is a good reason I named this blog 'The Healthy NUT.'  I am just a little crazy and this post may prove it.   I have had almost no desire to cook much lately, relying on easy summery recipes that require a minimum of time in the kitchen.  We eat lots of salads and fresh veggies, chicken and fish.

Recently a friend e-mailed me asking for some recipe ideas for a bumper crop of sage.   I suddenly had a burning desire to make something I could garnish with fried sage. Usually I make  vegetarian cassoulet or bean soup in the fall and  both recipes are enhanced by the frizzled sage on top.    But who wants to make a meal like that in August.

Today while in the market, I spotted a butternut squash  -already peeled and cubed.  A recipe was forming in my (crazy) brain.  I added a package of crumbled gorgonzola to the basket and I knew what we were having for dinner.
Perhaps it was the 13 inches of rain that fell on us in 24 hours that gave me a yen for comfort food, but this is what I cooked up tonight.

Quinoa Risotto With Butternut Squash and Fried Sage Leaves and Gorgonzola

Olive Oil

4 cloves ofGarlic

1 Onion

A handful of fresh sage

1 cup tricolor quinoa

2&1/2 cups of water or broth

salt

pepper

2 cups of cubed winter squash 

1 cup of gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Coat the squash with olive oil and bake in 400 oven for about 30 minutes.

Heat a generous amount of olive oil  and fry the sage leaves quickly.  Remove from the heat when they are crispy and drain on a paper towel. 

In the same pan, heat more oil (a tablespoon) cook the onion for 3-4 minutes add garlic and  quinoa.  cook for 3-4 minutes until quinoa starts to jump around in the pan. Slowly add water or broth, 1/4 cup at a time and stir as you would risotto.  Keep stirring and adding the water. This will take about 25-30 minutes for the quinoa to cook.  

Add salt and pepper to taste.  Turn off the heat and fold in the gorgonzola and the roasted squash.  Garnish with the sage. 

I served this with a straight- from- the- garden -yellow- tomato- and -basil - salad and a simple dressing. Drizzle with olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Anyone who has read my recipes before knows that I like a recipe that can be changed up with whatever is on hand.  I can envision this working with asparagus and goat cheese or sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese.  

Today's Take-away 

               Sage - It's not just for Thanksgiving anymore!

Delicious Ratatouille

*****

My interest in cooking has returned with the cooler weather but lucky for me, there are still plenty of summer veggies left for me to make one of my all time favorite recipes - ratatouille. My CSA box contained all the ingredients I needed for this wonderful eggplant dish.

 I've adapted a Molly Katzen recipe from my dog-eared copy of "The Moosewood Cookbook.'  My latest version involves grilling the veggies and boy, am I glad I tried this! Even The Admiral, who is not a huge fan of eggplant, loved this version!  

Here is my recipe:

* Dice a good sized eggplant and 2 zucchinis, coat with olive oil  and grill on a cookie sheet in the oven on 400 for about 20 minutes.

* While the veggies are grilling, saute an onion, several cloves of garlic and a few dark red peppers in olive oil for a few minutes.  Add 2  chopped tomatoes, a bay leaf, some oregano and marjoram, a dash of rosemary, 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste and a few splashes of red wine (1/4 to 1/2 cup) Cook for a few minutes.  

*Add the roasted veggies, salt and pepper to taste and cook for about 15-20 minutes.

* Just before serving, stir in a handful of parsley and some chopped black olives. Pass the grated Romano cheese.

I served this with small baked  fingerling potatoes and some wild salmon. 

It is also good on polenta or over rice. The leftovers can be served cold with a splash of vinegar.  Enjoy!

Ratatouille

Delicious!

You may also enjoy :What Time Is It? It's Soup Time!
    

                               Chili For a Crowd                             

*****

Grains as Salad

    On the dinner tables of my childhood, the starch was almost always potatoes!  That was pretty much it for us.  The variety came only in how the potatoes were prepared.

    My mother  mashed them,  boiled them, roasted them,  baked  them with the skins on, fried them  and occasionally,  scalloped them with milk and onions.  On rare occasions we had white rice instead of potatoes or a large bowl of spaghetti with Italian bread.

  I don't remember ever being bored with dinner as a child, but I was delighted, when, as a newlywed, I discovered  couscous, wild rice, tabbouleh,  quinoa and other grains.

   I added this recipe called Asian Rice Salad to my repertoire early on and have found it very useful and delicious.

   In winter, it satisfies my husband's craving for salad and my craving for a change of pace.  It is also a great dish to serve to  vegetarians since it is high in protein.  I have made this without all of the ingredients on hand, using whatever I had but I usually don't tinker with the dressing!

Asian Rice Salad                                         

2 cups of cooked, cooled  brown rice
1/2 c raisins
chopped scallions
1 red pepper chopped
1-2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 c sliced water chestnuts
1/2 c bean sprouts
1/2 c raw snow peas
1/2 c pineapple chunks
1/4 c cashews
1/4 c toasted sesame seeds
1/4 c toasted (unsweetened) shredded coconut
chopped  fresh parsley

Dressing:
1/2 c orange juice
1/2 c canola oil
1-2 Tbs sesame oil
3-4 Tbs soy sauce
juice of 1 lemon
2-3 TBS dry sherry
minced fresh garlic
minced fresh ginger root
salt and pepper to taste

  Combine all ingredients and serve over greens.

This is delicious  served at room temperature with broiled boneless chicken breasts that have been marinated in soy sauce and lemon juice for an hour or two.

The next time I make this, I think I'll try using quinoa instead of the rice.

For 33 Shades of Green 'Tasty Tuesdays' where you can find loads of delicious recipes every week!!

I Need a Little Comfort (Food)

         Exactly what does the expression 'comfort food' mean?  For me, it means the feeling of warmth and kindness of loving arms surrounding me in times of pain and stress.  Often that feeling is associated with childhood and a loving parent who nurtured and nourished.

         When I need a bit of TLC,  I make soup!  And cold weather is a clarion call to my maternal instincts that it is time to pull out the cook books and the soup pot.

         One of our long time favorites is Lentil Soup.  I have a number of good recipes but always return to my dog-eared copy of 'Moosewood Cookbook' for Mollie Katzen's original recipe.  My cookbook is falling apart at this point but it has my notes in the margins and many years of cooking splatters on it representing a lifetime of cooking from scratch for my family.

     Here's the recipe with some modifications I've made over the years.  It's a tried and true winner!

          Lentil Soup

Simmer 3 cups of dried lentils in 7 cups of water or stock for 3-4 hours.  Add salt to taste. (1-2 tsp).  Saute the following in olive oil:  2-3 cloves of garlic,1 cup of minced onions, 1 cup of chopped celery and 1 cup of chopped carrots.  Add the vegetables to the lentils after they have simmered for 3-4 hours.  Add 1 large can of chopped tomatoes in puree (28 oz),  a splash or two of dry red wine, 2 Tbs of lemon juice, 2 Tbs of molasses or brown sugar and a splash of red wine vinegar. Sometimes I add a few potatoes or pasta although it is delicious without the starch too.  

Add thyme and oregano OR basil and lots of crushed black pepper.  Continue cooking for 15 to 30 minutes. (If adding pasta, don't add the pasta too soon - follow package directions for timing)  Taste to adjust seasonings.

  

Garnish with chopped scallions and sprinkle with more vinegar before serving.

 I prefer the  vegetarian version of this recipe but  occasionally add some chopped Canadian bacon or leftover ham if the carnivore is restless. 

Today's Take-away -  Some 'comfort food" is both nutritious AND self-soothing.

What Time Is It ? It's Soup Time!

    I love soup!  I make it at least once a week from the first cool day in autumn until it gets hot and sticky in June!  I always make enough to freeze a few servings. 

    Nothing spells  fall quite like the first taste of Squash Soup. To me it  is the ultimate comfort food. I have several recipes, all wonderful,  using either pumpkin or butternut squash but I'm always open to new recipes.   

    I discovered a wonderful food blog a few months ago and love visiting Susan at The Spice Garden. Her recipes and photos are enough to send me to the kitchen to cook.  Her recipe for Coconut Curry Squash Soup jump started my autumn cooking spree.

  Since I usually fiddle around with any recipe I try, and since I wanted to use the vegetables I got in my CSA box, I made some changes to the recipe. (Besides, it's against my religion to follow a recipe exactly as written!

  Here's my tweaked version:

Coconut Curry Squash Soup

          *** Roast  3 squashes (1 butternut and 2 acorn)  I cut them in half, scoop out the seeds and coat with olive oil then place on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 oven for about 30 to 45 minutes until nice and soft. Cool slightly and remove skins.

          *** While the squash is roasting, saute 3 or 4  leeks and 2-3 cloves of garlic  in olive oil until soft and lightly browned.  Add  1 tablespoon of curry powder (recipe below) more or less to taste, 1 inch piece of minced ginger, a teaspoon of ground cumin, a teaspoon of garam masala,  salt and pepper and a pinch or two  of cayenne pepper and cook for a few minutes.

         ***Add  2 cans of coconut milk  and the squash and puree.  Add  1 cup of plain yogurt and  soy milk,  between 1 and 2 cups,   depending on the consistency you want. 

       ***Reheat when ready to serve.  Garnish with a teaspoon of cream swirled into the soup or a pinch of  Roasted Spicy Pepitos. (see below)

Comfort food

Homemade Curry Powder

                                 1 teaspoon of each of the following:

                                            turmeric

                                            ground cumin seed

                                            red pepper

                                            ground fenugreek seeds

                                            ground coriander seed

                                            

                                  1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and  dry mustard 

                                  3 ground  cloves             

Mix well, label and store.  Feel free experiment with this as there are as many recipes for curry powder as there are cooks in India!

Roasted Pepitos

Toss 1/2 cup  hulled pumpkin seeds with 1 teaspoon of canola oil, 1 teaspoon of mild or hot chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin and salt.  Toast in a 350 oven for 10 to 20 minutes, turning frequently. Use as a garnish for  Squash or Pumpkin Soup.

  If you want to see the original recipe, follow the link to The Spice Garden While you are there, check out some of Susan's other lovely recipes!

Today's Take-Away - When the weather cools off, make soup!


Linked to TASTY TUESDAYS at 33 Shades of Green.  Check out the link for some great recipes!

                          

                                         

First Taste of Autumn

     The Golden Earthworm CSA box was filled with an assortment of winter  squash this week.  Last night I made a delicious side dish out of a lovely acorn squash and lucky for me, there was enough left over for lunch today.  Sorry, there is  no picture of the cooked squash, I was so hungry I ate first and wrote later!

    Here's the recipe:  Wash and cut the squash in half.  Scoop out the seeds and coat with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Place on a cookie sheet in a 375 oven and bake for about 30 minutes.  While the squash bakes,  cook 1/2 cup of brown rice in 1 cup of salted water or broth with a teaspoon of olive oil.  When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and add 1/2 cup of muenster(or cheddar) cheese,  salt and pepper to taste, re-cover  the pot until cheese melts.   Spoon rice mixture into the squash "cups" and bake another 10 minutes.

    I served this with pesto- coated salmon and steamed broccoli  for dinner last night.

   This morning  I was alternatively absorbed in paying some bills  and  meditating on my latest haiku effort. Suddenly I noticed  ravenous hunger!  Lunch time had slipped by and my stomach was protesting.     I heated the leftover squash in the microwave and had autumn comfort food for  lunch!!


Thought for today:  New season!  New flavors!

Black Bean Salad Tweaked! And A Dessert to Placate the Carnivore

Black Bean  Quinoa Salad with Tomato Salsa

                                                                  THE MAIN EVENT

  I had a delicious Black Bean Salad recently, made by The Teacher (AKA the Third Daughter.).  It had corn in it, a vegetable I love, but which does not return my affection.  I decided to tweak the recipe and turn it into a main course, to eat on  a hot August evening.  I wanted  to use some of the wildly juicy and delicious tomatoes, some sweet onion and green peppers I am getting in my CSA box every week. We  also have a bumper crop of jalapeno peppers in the  herb garden this year and there was even  handful of cilantro ready to be picked.   Perfect!

Here's my recipe, adapted from the Teacher's recipe.  (Quinoa, an ancient nut-like grain, added to  black beans becomes a complete protein.)

*Cook  3/4 cup of quinoa, letting it cool completely.

*Mix 2 cans of drained black beans with 2 tbs of red wine vinegar, some chopped onion, chopped jalapenos (I used 2)  and 3 chopped green peppers.

* Add cooled quinoa.  Mix in the following dressing:  1/3 c olive oil and the juice of 2 limes, 1 tsp. of ground cumin,  salt and  pepper to taste. Chill.

*  Make this  salsa just before serving:  Chop fresh red and yellow tomatoes, garlic, some onion, a jalapeno pepper, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.  Squeeze on lots of lime juice and mix well.  Serve black bean salad topped with salsa.



                                                            AND FOR DESSERT

Peach Cobbler

               What do you do with 3 pounds of peaches all ripening on the same day?   Make Peach Cobbler, of course!

**Melt 1 stick of butter in a 9x13 oven pan.

** Combine 1 cup of flour(I use 1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat flour) with 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1 cup of brown sugar  and a pinch of salt. Add 1 cup of milk (I use soy milk) and stir until moistened. Add to the melted butter in the 9x13 pan but do not stir.

** Slice 4-6 large peaches and place in a sauce pan with 1/2 to 3/4 cup of  agave and a squeeze or two of lemon juice.  Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes.

** Pour peach mixture onto batter, without stirring.  Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and bake in a 375 oven for 40 -50 minutes. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

  I am experimenting with using agave as a substitute for some of the sugar in recipes.  It is purported to be lower glycemic than sugar and since it is sweeter, you can use less.  If you don't have it you can use 1 cup of sugar instead.


THOUGHT FOR TODAY:  AUGUST BRINGS A BOUNTY OF FRESH FOODS TO ENJOY









  

Farm Fresh Treats for Breakfast

  Today, it's all about the goodness and bounty from the August garden, both my own small plot and the Golden Earthworm  offerings in my CSA box this week.  I get my vegetables from the Golden Earthworm Organic Farm in Jamesport . My fruit share comes from Briermere Farms.

   I have breakfast on my mind ! I'm allergic to eggs so  it's easy to become bored with breakfast.  When I need a change from cereal and fruit, I turn to these two recipes to mix it up a bit in the morning.

   Since I've been craving mint  all summer  and I discovered a patch of it in a dark corner of my yard, probably planted there by the garden fairies when we weren't looking, I've been harvesting and drying( and using )  it like crazy, adding it to everything.

  Here are two alternatives to eggs or cereal for breakfast.

                                Minted Peach  Smoothie

                 6 oz. to 8 oz. of  plain yogurt

                 1 juicy ripe peach

                 2 tbs. nuts (pecans are good)

                 4-6 ice cubes

                 fresh mint leaves to taste (5 or 6)

                 cinnamon

                 stevia as needed

                                      Blend together until smooth. Garnish with more

cinnamon and a sprig of mint.  Drink.

       

                                      Tofu Tomato Scrambler

     

        olive oil

        1 14 0z package of extra firm organic tofu

        1 large tomato, chopped

        1 onion

        2 jalapeno peppers

        1 red or green pepper

        2 tsp ground cumin

        1-2 tsp turmeric

        1 handful of fresh basil, chopped
OR a handful of mint leaves, chopped.

       lower sodium soy sauce

        3 0z. extra sharp cheddar cheese, cubed

        black pepper

Saute the onion, jalapenos, sweet pepper, cumin and turmeric in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes.

  Squeeze the water out of the tofu, crumble it and add to the pan with about 2 teaspoons of soy sauce.  Cook for a minute or two,  mixing ingredients thoroughly. 

    Add tomatoes, cheese and basil or mint.  Cover pan and cook for another minute or two until the cheese is melted and bubbly. 

 Add crushed black pepper to taste. This recipe makes enough for about 4-5 servings.  It keeps well and is easy to reheat.

        

Great for lunch too!

Variations on a theme:

      * Use celery or fennel instead of the pepper

      * Omit the jalapeno  and basil, add oregano and cayenne powder

      * Use feta instead of cheddar and add baby spinach with the basil

  In other words, experiment!

Thought for Today -  The harvest is indeed a gift from God and it's not necessary to wait until Thanksgiving to say 'thank you.'
       





                                       
               

Did Someone Say Zucchini?

    Here comes the zucchini!  Last week I received 5 good sized zucchini squashes in my Golden Earthworm CSA box and two days later, my generous neighbor left 4 equally healthy looking zucchinis on my stoop.

It's an embarrassment of green squash. A plethora of zucca.  The quintessential mid-summer glut. And I just picked up this  week's share  a few minutes ago.  Guess what?  More zucchini!

But what is the point of all these veggies, if not to eat them when they are just off the vine. So I set out to find ways to slip those little green  devils into my recipes.

Here are three fast and easy ways to use zucchini.  As the summer wears on I plan to hunt up an old pickle recipe that is buried in my recipe box.  As I recall, it was easy and worked for zucchini and cukes.  For now, this is what we are eating:

Greek Potato Zucchini Bake

This recipe is strictly seat-of-the -pants peasant food.  I made it up as I went along.  I scrubbed and sliced 2 good sized potatoes , 2 zucchini  and  an onion. Doused them with olive oil then layered them in my favorite souffle pan. Potatoes, squash,  onions.  Sprinkle with fresh basil, hot pepper flakes, and lots of  feta cheese.   Then do it again.  Top with  chopped tomato, lots of fresh basil, and kalamata olives, pitted.

Bake in the oven on 350 for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Cool slightly and serve in wedges.  (We ate the leftovers cold for breakfast the next day.)

Add a salad and call it dinner!

Italian Style Zucchini Side Dish

Ingredients :

     Olive oil

     Zucchini

           Tomatoes

      Garlic

       Onions

         Oregano

                                 Salt and pepper to taste

                                 Romano Cheese, grated

Toss all ingredients into the foil, seal and put on the grill for about 15 minutes.

Put this on the grill with  chicken and baked potatoes - no pots to clean!

Pasta With Green Squash, White Beans and Fried Sage

Quickly saute the sliced zucchini with lots of garlic, onions and hot pepper flakes to taste in olive oil.  Add a can of white or cannellini beans and cook for another minute.  Go out to the garden and pick about 20 large sage leaves or buy them fresh in the market.  (Do not use dried)  

Cook pasta al dente and add it to the pan with the zucchini. Add some white wine. Mix well and reheat.  

Fry the sage leaves in a separate pan in olive oil until crispy.  Crumble over the pasta.

Frying the  sage gives  a very different flavor to this dish, not at all like the familiar Thanksgiving stuffing flavor. It can also be used to garnish soups and just about anything else.   Try it!   

We had lots of leftovers for a lunch the next day

Garden Sage

Experiment with new ways to use up all that zucchini!  Do you have a  favorite recipe for this ubiquitous summer veggie?  If so, I invite you to share it in the comments section  below.  Thank you!

Spring Pasta Primavera

Beet greens and chopped aspargus

It's a challenge to incorporate all those spring greens in the CSA box into recipes, especially if you didn't grow up eating them.    Last week I made this wonderful  (and easy) pasta dish using beet greens, asparagus and garlic scapes.

Garlic Scapes

Other  greens like escarole, collards, kale, broccoli rabe  and spinach can be used with or in place of the beet greens.

Quick saute in olive oil

Cook paste as directed on the box.  While pasta cooks, chop asparagus into 1 inch pieces.  Clean and chop beet greens. Cut up garlic scapes or use garlic if you don't have any scapes.  Saute asparagus and garlic or scapes for 2 minutes and add beet greens. Cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes until wilted.  Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of pesto (I make pesto every year in September and freeze it in ice cube trays, then bag it for use all winter.)  Alternatively, use store bought pesto.  Add pepper and salt to taste.  Add a tablespoon or two of pasta water.
Drain pasta and add to the pan with the veggies and mix well.

Angel Hair  Primavera with Beet Greens and Asparagus

 Garnish with fresh basil leaves and  serve with grated Romano or Parmesean cheese.  Both the asparagus and the beet greens were very mild flavored, as are the garlic scapes.  The dish was soothing and quite satisfying.

Delicious can be nutritious too!

Kale- Glamour Green of the Year.

Everybody is talking  about kale.  It's good for you and it has become  the darling veggie of chi-chi chefs and nutrition gurus.  And it arrives in the CSA box regularly.   So what do you do with kale?

  Here's a recipe I adapted from one I found  on the Golden Earthworm website.  I didn't have pecorino cheese so I used feta. The results were satisfying and I got the thumbs up from my husband.

 "This was good, you can make it again," he said after having seconds.

   I liked the red kale better than it's  ruffle-leafed cousin. It's milder and not as chewy, if you know what I mean.

                                          Tuscan Red  Kale Salad

1 bunch red kale, cleaned and stems removed
2 slices pumpernickel bread toasted
1 clove garlic
 kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 cup feta cheese (or  pecorino)
3 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
red  pepper flakes

Chop kale  into thin ribbons.  Toast bread  and crumble into crumbs.  Crush garlic with salt until pulverized into a paste.  In a small bowl mix the garlic, oil, cheese, pepper flakes and black pepper to taste and lemon juice and pour over kale, mixing well.  Serve topped with bread crumbs.

The recipe works well with regular kale too.  If using regular kale, try using both hands to "soften" the leaves.  After cutting them to ribbons, add the dressing, except for the cheese, then get your (clean) hands messy by 'kneading' the mixture for a while.  Mix in the cheese when you add the bread crumbs.

Today's  Take-Away -  If my three-year old grandson can eat kale with gusto, I can too.

Chili For a Crowd

  Although I'm not  a vegetarian, I like to eat several meatless dinners a week.  This adds  variety to our meals and seems like a healthy approach. Chili for a crowd is one favorite in our house.

  I make a batch and freeze some for a night when I'm not in the mood to cook or I lingered too long in the garden.  This recipe, adapted over the years by  a cook who can't bear to follow a recipe as it was written (me) came from the original Moosewood Cookbook  written back in the '70's by  Mollie Katzen when vegetarian cookbooks were hard to find.  She was a real pioneer credited with bringing vegetarian cooking out of the commune and into the mainstream.

                                       Chili for a Crowd

  *Cook 1/2 cup of quinoa in 1 cup of tomato juice and set aside. (The original recipe called for bulgar but I like the quinoa better)

  *Saute 1 &1/2 cups of chopped onions, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 cup of chopped celery, 1 cup of chopped carrots and 1 red and 1 green pepper and 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers in olive oil.

  * Add 1-2 tsp of ground cumin, 1/2 tsp of coriander,  1-2 tsp of basil, chili powder to taste, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a few more minutes.

  *  Add  3 cans of beans, drained.  I usually use 2 cans of black beans and 1 can of red kidney beans.

  * Add quinoa,  1 can of crushed tomatoes, juice of 1/2 lemon, some red wine and  a dash or two of cayenne pepper and cook gently in a dutch oven on the stove or bake covered in the oven. (If you can find it, add some epazote- a Mexican herb that eliminates the  negative side effect of eating beans!(Think Blazing Saddles.)

  *Before serving, stir in chopped  sharp cheddar cheese and heat until melted.

  * Serve in soup bowls  topped with fresh cilantro and sour cream or yogurt.

Thought for Today -  There are a hundred ways to make chili.  Try meatless for a change.  

Mom Was Right- Veggies ARE Good!

   Left to his own devices, my spouse, aka 'The Admiral' would probably eat mostly white foods.  You know - pasta, cheese,  potatoes, pork, pretzels, bread, eggs, beer, pizza  and corn.  If I wasn't around to offer other options, he would  round out his diet with cold cuts, and goodies from the bakery.    Ugh!  It's not that he doesn't like vegetables and fruit, it just that he reverts to the college diet of his youth whenever no one is looking.  Comfort food I guess.

   Luckily, he will eat pretty much whatever I prepare, so I've found ways to sneak a few extra servings of veggies and fruits into his diet (and mine too.)
 
No question about it, vegetables ARE good for you and the more you eat them, the better.    They provide lots of vitamins, antioxidants and of course, fiber. AND they are low in calories.   As good as these reasons are for eating fruits and vegetables, I have other motives.

 They taste good!

AND  they can replace  the prepared foods that I've come to think of as poisonous.  Foods that make me feel lousy because they are peppered with salt(waaaay too much salt) and other chemicals that are unpronounceable, what I call  plastic food.

 Plastic food is easy to identify and is usually found in the middle aisles at the supermarket, generally presented in colorful  cans and boxes and bearing little resemblance to the food from which it originated. In addition to the salt and chemicals, the other major ingredient tends to be sugar or it's mean step-sister, corn syrup.

  Here are some of my tricks for adding more color to the "white diet."

Breakfast :
  The Admiral  loves breakfast  so I make a scrambled egg breakfast two or three times a week, adding a half cup of red pepper and onions to the mix.  Voila - one serving of veggies.

  We do oatmeal fairly often and I like to add a handful of dried apricots to the pot while the oatmeal is cooking.  Cut-up apple works well too.

  He enjoys a pear, cut in half, sprinkled with cinnamon and microwaved for 1-2 minutes as part of breakfast.  It works well with apple too.  In the summer, it's berries, berries, berries! Blueberry pancakes or French Toast topped with strawberries are both winners.

Lunch:
 The Admiral has always preferred to brown bag it, so I sneak in a serving or two here too.  Lettuce and tomato on his cheese sandwich does the trick, or perhaps leftover chicken made into chicken salad with lots of celery and onion.
Another good addition to a sandwich is leftover roasted veggies especially red peppers.  Add a bowl of cut up melon or a juicy apple  and there's another 2 servings!

Dinner is easy:
   He will eat two vegetables and a side salad without complaint.  In winter, I often serve a bowl of vegetable soup as a starter and then I can leave out the salad.  He is also open to a meatless dinner on a regular basis and this lends itself to increased veggie servings.  Think lentil soup,  pasta primavera or vegetarian chili.

Today's Take-away -  I eat lots of fruits and vegetables, not to prevent some future breakdown of my body, but to feel good right now!  These are the foods that  are made in the womb of mother earth in wondrous variety and taste.  Gifts from the Creator.     I hope you enjoy them too!

PS  Yes, I do enjoy an occasional slice of pizza with a cold beer or a bowl of ice cream. 

It-Never-Tastes-the-Same-Twice Vegetable Soup

When the weather turned cool earlier in the week, I decided to cook up one last pot of soup before the hot weather  kicks in and all I can think about is salad and watermelon.  The chopping and peeling of veggies is soothing to me so I decided to make a pot of Vegetable Bean Soup or Minestrone.

Start with lots of veggies

 My Vegetable Soup has so many variations that my children called it the "It-  Never -Tastes -The -Same -Twice -Soup ."  I don't use stock or store -bought broth, so I need a few tricks to  make a rich flavorful soup that can be made in one hour.  I usually make a large pot and freeze half or, more recently, give half to my mother since she  doesn't cook anymore.

Here's how I do it.

Ready to roast the garlic

 Heat the oven to 400. Prepare about 5 cloves of garlic for roasting.  Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil.

Roast the veggies to bring out more flavor

Chop  about 4 carrots, 1-2 red peppers, and 1 or 2 onions , drizzle with olive oil and roast on a cookie sheet on 400 for about 15 -20 minutes. Roast the garlic at the same time.

Quickly saute the rest of the veggies

While those  veggies are roasting, quickly saute 1 zucchini, 1 potato, 1 onion,  2 or 3 stalks of celery, several cloves of garlic,  and a handful of string beans for about 3 minutes.  DO NOT OVERCOOK.

Adding the tomatoes

Turn the heat off and add  1 large can of (Red Pack) chopped tomatoes (28oz.) Add a can of water.(28oz.)
Add the roasted veggies which should just be finishing.  Add lots of oregano or basil ( not both) .
Take 1 or 2 cups of the partially cooked soup, 1 can of small white beans or cannellini beans drained, 1/4 cup of parsley,  the roasted garlic  and about 1 cup of water and blend into a puree in a blender.  Add to the soup pot along with 1 can of chickpeas(drained but not pureed) and some chopped cabbage and a dash or two of cayenne pepper flakes, bring to a boil,  lower the heat and cook for 5 or 6 minutes.
  Taste and season with salt, more black pepper and oregano or basil if needed.

Delicious!

Serve with grated romano cheese, parsley, a loaf of Italian bread and wine.


Secrets to getting lots of flavor without a soup stock or meat:
1)  Roasting some of the veggies especially carrots, onions, peppers and garlic adds flavor.
2)  Adding the pureed beans adds depth to the soup as does pureeing some of the veggies.
3)  Garlic, garlic, garlic!
4)  Make the soup early in the day so the flavors meld together.
5)  Don't overcook the vegetables.  Since you will be reheating it later, they will be cooked when the soup is served.

How to vary the flavor:

Vary the veggies:  I've used  eggplant, yellow summer  squash, peas, corn and spinach .   This soup can also  be called "Whatever -you -have in- the- vegetable -bin -soup!
Vary the herbs: oregano or basil or thyme and rosemary, or sometime I really shake it up and use Indian flavors like cumin, turmeric and cinnamon (leaving out the Italian cheese etc) I love using a tablespoon or two of pesto if I have it on hand to season this soup.
Use pasta instead of the potato.  Add cooked pasta just before serving.
Vary the type of beans used - Try kidney, chickpeas, black or cannellini or small white beans.
Use red or white wine in place of some of the water.


Today's Take-away -  Delicious, nutritious and made in one hour!  (and 5 minutes to load the dishwasher)