PassiFlora magazine

Introducing PassiFlora - an online magazine dedicated to eco-friendly living, vegetarian and vegan food, as well as green arts and crafts. PassiFlora is envisioned as a magazine created for you and by you. If you are interested in submitting material for the next issue (coming out in the beggining of February) please email passifloramag (at) gmail (dot) com We are very excited to hear from you!

And here is one of the recipes featured in the first issue:

Creamy winter soup.

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut in big cubes
3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
6-8 cup of vegetable broth
1 can of white beans, rinsed
4 tablespoon minced fresh dill, divided. More for serving
½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
½ cup vegan cheese (optional) could be substituted with soy milk and 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast.
2 tablespoon simulated bacon bits (optional) for serving

blender
soup pot

• In a big soup pot heat oil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add onions, and caramelize until rich copper-brown, mixing to avoid burning.
• Add celery and parsnips and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add potatoes and 6 cups of broth; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes. Add beans and 2 tablespoons of dill and simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
• Add the remaining dill and puree soup in batches in the blender or food processor. The secret to this soup is to blend it thoroughly into smooth creamy mix.
• Transfer the soup back to the pot, add liquid smoke, and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust for seasoning and add more broth if desired. Reheat the soup, mix in grated cheese before turning of the heat.
• Serve decorated with dill springs and sprinkle with simulated bacon bits.
  

Gazpacho

I have been fascinated by the idea of a cold soup for a while, however every time the mercury rises I loose my appetite completely and a mare thought of a soup (cold or hot for that matter) makes me ..... let just say not very happy.

Yesterday was not too hot and after overeating during my trip to Toronto I decided to cook something fast, simple, and light. I browsed several recipe sites to get an idea of what I can put in my gazpacho. I have to admit that I have never had gazpacho before. Probably there are rules and regulations on what you can put and what you can not but I just went with my appetite and taste to make this:



GAZPACHO

6 medium-size tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
2 small cucumbers (they are sold here as Lebanese). If you don't have small cucumbers use the regular ones
2 garlic cloves
2 purple shallots (I know those are rare to find. Do not hesitate to use either purple onion (1/2 or even 1/4 should be enough) or regular shallots)
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 ripe avocado
3 cups of vegetable juice (I used V8)
1 tsp sherry vinegar (you can use lemon juice instead or even white balsamic vinegar)
5-7 springs of cilantro
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper

Peel tomatoes. To do so, make an x-shaped cut on the bottom of each tomato. Put them in a sauce-pan and cover with boiling hot water. Wait for 2-3 minutes. You will notice that the skin next to the cut is peeling off and all you have to do is remove tomatoes (careful not to burn yourself) and peel off the rest of the skin.


Coarsely chop the pepper, cucumbers, onions, and garlic. Combine them with tomatoes in a big soup pot.
Using hand-held blender, blend vegetables until smooth. You can also use a regular blender for this purpose.
Add cumin, vinegar, sugar, cilantro, and avocado. Blend until smooth.
Add V8. I would recommend adding it slowly and mixing throughout to give the soup required consistency. Also try the soup to adjust for seasoning.

Feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices. You might want to check out this website for some unsual Gazpachos, such as Oriental or White Gazpachos.


P.S. The picture of purple shallots comes from the Muffintop blog

Soup and Salads

Monday was my sister’s belated birthday celebration. I guess, “celebration” is too big of a word for a family gathering of 3 over some soup, salad, and cake, but it felt like a celebration to me, partially because I finally cooked. I did not cook anything for last 2 months. I am not sure why that was happening – my appetite was absent (blame the heat) and those rare moments when I would be hungry I would crave unhealthy junk food.

But Monday was different: Monday I went to the grocery store, picked up a lot of veggies, brought 4 huge grocery bags full of goodies home, and started chopping.

My sister wanted something light and cool for the hot summer evening. After checking out my extensive recipe collection I decided to make salads and soup (my dad loves soup and even if he would not like the Asian flavor of edamame salad he would definitely enjoy my green pea soup).

First on the list was a tried and true veganized recipe of a “Greek Dinner Salad” (do not confuse with The Greek Salad, they are completely different). The recipe comes from a 2005 issue of Eating Well magazine.

Greek Dinner Salad

Dressing:
3 tbsp soy yogurt
3 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp agave nectar
½ tsp salt

Salad:
1 medium zucchini, finely diced (2 cups)
1 large bell pepper, finely diced (1 ½ cups)
1 bunch radishes, finely diced (1/2 cup)
1 15-oz can of chickpeas, drained
Boston lettuce leaves for serving

1. To make the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients until creamy
2. Toss all the ingredients (apart from lettuce leaves) in a large bowl. Pour over the vegetables, toss gently. Spoon into lettuce leaves for cups and serve.

To counterbalance the sweetness of the Greek dinner salad I prepared the Edamame salad with sesame dressing. This is a slightly modified version of this salad from the Vegetarian Times magazine.

Edamame and Greens with Sesame Dressing

Dressing:
3 tbsp roasted sesame oil
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce

Salad:
1 ½ cups edamame

4 cups salad spring mix
1 cucumber, sliced
8-oz baked teriyaki tofu, cubed
1 green onion sliced
toasted sesame seeds

1. To make the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients until creamy.

2. To make salad: cook edamame according to the package instructions (boil for 2-4 minutes). Rinse under cold water to cool. Drain well.

3. Divide spring mix among 4 plates.

4. In a medium bowl combine edamame, greens, cucumber, tofu, and green onions. Pour over 1/4 of the Sesame Dressing and mix well. Scoop the salad on top of the greens and drizzle with the reamaning dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

I could not find any baked seasoned tofu (usually I get Asian flavored one) so I decided to try the mock chicken breasts (I don’t remember the name of the company that makes them – I’ll update this post from home with the brand name andmaybe even a picture). I pan-fried them for couple of minutes, cut it in cubes and added to the salad. All in all the chicken breasts were very good. I would definitely use them again in salads or sandwiches. I also think they would be delicious under gravy or sauces with a side dish of rice/mashed potatoes.

If you are not sure where to find edamame, try any Asian stores. They usually have them in frozen section and they come shelled or not.

This is how both of the salad looked:

Pea and spinach soup with coconut milk was a big hit. My dad enjoyed it so much that he asked me to prepare it again. The original recipe, which comes from one of the special issues of “Fine Cooking” 2006 calls for fresh peas, I didn’t have any fresh ones so I used frozen but the result was great. One great thing about crème soups is that you don’t have to care about sizes of cut vegetables.

Pea and Spinach Soup with Coconut Milk

2 large leeks, white parts and pale green, quartered and sliced (try using spring onions if you don't have leeks)
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp basmati rice (use quick cooking rice if you want to speed up the cooking process)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups of peas
4 cups coarsely chopped spinach, any thick stems removed
1 cup coconut milk

1. In a soup pot, heat up oil and stir in rice. Add leeks, salt, curry powder, cilantro, and 1 cup of the stock

2. Cook over medium-low heat at a vigorous simmer for about 12 minutes (if you are suing quick-cooking rice, cook for 3-4 minutes).

3. Add the remaining 3 cups of broth, the peas, and the spinach and bring to boil.

4. Boil for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir I coconut milk.

5. In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth. Taste for salt, season with pepper and garnish with cilantro leaves.

If you prefer a soup with more texture, puree 1 cup and return it to the pot, season, garnish, and serve.

Easy Soup

Here is a soup recipe that my friend found in one of her cookbooks. It's very easy to make and full of flavour. Feel free to modify and adapt it to your taste:

Cilantro-Chickpeas Soup

The original recipe:
4-5 garlic clove, minced
1 big bunch of parsley, chopped
1 can of chickpeas
~5 cups of vegetable stock.
1-2 tsp of olive oil
Lemon juice to taste

In a big sauce pan heat oil.
Add garlic and parsley and sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
Add chickpeas and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Add broth, bring to boil, simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Serve hot and add some lemon juice to the plate.

I also made it with 2 small potatoes (I added them at the same time as chickpeas and simmered soup for a bit longer, until potatoes were cooked) and some frozen corn. Since I love cilantro I tend to use 1/2 bunch of parsley and 1/2 bunch of cilantro (coriander).

Tomato Soup and Vegetable Tian

More Martha Stewart recipes:


Spiced Chickpea and Tomato Soup

3 garlic cloves, minced
3 dried hot red chilies, chopped or 1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp coarse salt
1/8 tsp caraway seeds
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 can (15oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups crushed canned tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup drained jarred roasted peppers, rinsed
3 1/2 cup vegetable stock
Parsley for garnish

1 Using the mortar and pestle crush garlic, chilies, coriander, salt, and caraway to form a paste
2 Heat oil in a saucepan; add garlic mixture and cook until just softened, for about 3 minutes
3 Stir in chickpeas, tomatoes, roasted peppers, and stock. Simmer, stirring often for 15 minutes.
4 Pure soup, rewarm if necessary. Serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream and spring of parsley.

Makes 6 cups.
Picture from Cookinglight


Vegetable Tian

6 tbspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, quartered lengthwise, rinsed, and cut into 1/4 inch slices (1 1/2 cups)
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small Italian eggplant, unpeeled, very thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 zucchini, unpeeled, very thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 yellow zucchini, unpeeled, very thinly sliced (1 cup)
2 plum tomatoes, very thinly sliced (1 cup)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the center. Coat the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil. (You can also use round 9-inch baking dish)
2 Heat oil in a large skillet, add leek and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft, for about 4 minutes.
3 Spread the leek mixture on a baking dish. Arrange the vegetables in leek in slightly overlapping rows, alternating eggplant, zucchinis, and tomato.
4 Top with wine, 1 tbsp of oil, oregano, salt, and pepper.
5 Bake 30 minutes, drizzle the remaining oil, and bake, until the vegetables are tender, 30 minutes more.

Martha Stewart

Here is a recipe of a lentli stew from Martha Stewart. Do not be scared by the long list of ingredients, the soup os very easy to make. It is a very unusual combination of salty, sweet, and flavourful. The smell made me almost think of homemade apple-spice pie.

The recipe is slightly modified from its original.

Golden Lentil Stew

This slightly sweet Moroccan chickpea and lentil stew, known as harira, is brightened by spices and lemon.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed
8 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought vegetable stock
4 cups water
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped
3 teaspoons coarse salt
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup yellow lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
5 ounces orzo or vermicelli (or any other small pasta), broken into pieces
1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus whole leaves for garnish
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 5 minutes. Add chickpeas, stock, and water, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.
Mash garlic, finely chopped cilantro, and salt into a paste. Add garlic paste, celery, tomatoes, lentils, tomato paste, lemon juice, and spices to pot. Simmer until lentils are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
Add pasta and dates, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Stir in coarsely chopped cilantro and parsley. Garnish with parsley leaves, and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 6-8.

Yellow Pepper Soup with Wild Mushroom Croutons

I have a big collection of recipes and there are SO many I would like to try that it's very rare that I cook something twice. This weekend was an exception. I wanted soup .... something light and filling ..... I remembered the pepper soup I made hmmmmmm couple of years ago ;). It was very good and it had also those wonderful mushroom croutons with it. The more I thought about the soup the more I wanted it, so I headed off to the market and got 6 yellow peppers. The cashier was very surprised and even warned me that it would coast me 8$ ;)

Half an hour later we were enjoying the Yellow Pepper Soup with Wild Mushroom Croutons. And let me tell you those croutons are too die for!!!!

Bean soup with a new twist

I checked out “The Artful Vegan” from the library and my new passion is unusual combination of tastes. I am yet to try any of the recipes from the book (I am definitely making their chocolate cake and if it will be successful I will make it for Christmas) but the images and the descriptions are stunning!!!!

Yesterday on the way home I decided to come up with something unusual. I was craving a thick, hearty soup (it was very chilly and wintery outside) so the white beans and potatoes came to my mind. But that is very ordinary soup with rather “straight” taste. I would need something acid to go with it, and something fresh ……. lemon …… peas …… coriander. And now I have to top it with something ….. mushrooms ......

Smoky Bean Soup with Lemon-Pea Coulis and Sesame Flavored Shiitake Mushrooms.

I did not measure the ingredients as I was adding them, so please rely on your taste buds when making coulis.
I have to mention that the “Imagine” organic vegetable broth is my new favorite. Pleasant sweet taste, not too salty, and no chemical ingredients at all!

Base
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large carrot, cubed
1 celery stalk, cubed
4-5 cups of vegetable stock
1 15oz can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 medium size potatoes, cubed
½ tsp ground oregano
½ tsp herbes de Provence (a “fine herbes” mix would work as well)
¼ tsp ground terragon
¼ tsp ground marjoram
½ tsp ground parsley
2-3 drops of liquid smoke (optional)
Salt

Coulis
1 cup of water
1 ½ cups of green peas (fresh or frozen)
3 tbsp of lemon juice
1 tbsp of chopped fennel (optional)
1 tbsp of chopped fresh coriander
Splash of tamari sauce

Sesame Mushrooms
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp of fresh ginger, minced
8oz of shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced
Splash of Tamari sauce

To garnish
Shallots, coriander, and sunflower sprouts, chopped
Coriander springs.

In a deep saucepan heat the oil. Add onions and 4 garlic cloves, lightly sauté until soft.
Add carrot and celery and fry at medium heat for 2 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, potatoes, beans, salt, and spices. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until all the vegetables are tender (~ 15 minutes).

Meanwhile, put the peas in cold water. Bring to boil and boil for 1 minute, drain.
Pure green peas, coriander, and fennel with a food processor. Add lemon juice and a splash of Tamari sauce. Add water if the mixture is too thick (I had to add about 2 tbsp).

In the skillet, heat up the olive oil (med. temperature). Add the sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and mushrooms. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

Mash the base with the potato-masher until thick, but chunky. Add the liquid smoke and adjust for saltiness.

To serve, lade the soup in the plate. Put some mushrooms in the middle of the soup and pour the coulis around. Sprinkle with chopped shallots, sprouts, and coriander.

Squash and Soup

One of the reasons I like Fall is that I can start making delicious hot soups. The Brocolli rabe soup has a very delicate taste - it makes me think of spring for some reason.
If you are not sure what brocolli rabe is check out Cook's Thesaurus:
broccoli raab aka broccolirab aka broccoli de rape aka rape aka raab aka rapini aka cima di rapa aka choy sum aka Chinese flowering cabbage - this slightly bitter cooking green has long been popular in Italy and is now catching on in America. It's best to just eat the florets and leaves; the stems are quite bitter.


The peanut butter squash soup is my all time favorite. It's only due to my love for weird food combinations that I decided to make it for the first time (I was not a big fan of either squash or peanut butter back then, but 2 minuses are usually equal to 1 plus, right?) and was it ever yummmy. I think I will never have enough of this one...... I should make it for supper today!!!!!



Broccoli Rabe, Butternut Squash, and White Bean Soup

2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
8 ounces broccoli rabe (rapini), trimmed
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450°.
Arrange squash in a single layer on a jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; toss well to coat. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside.
Cut the broccoli rabe crosswise into thirds. Cook broccoli rabe in boiling water 5 minutes; drain. Set aside.
Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add squash, stock, and beans; cook 10 minutes. Place 1 1/2 cups vegetable mixture in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Return puréed mixture to pan; stir in broccoli rabe and salt. Cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)



Peanut and Squash Soup

Hailing from Senegal, this mildly spicy, slightly sweet soup would be well complemented by a side of stewed collard greens or Swiss chard.

1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil
4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (I've put the whole spoon and added more once the soup was ready)
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander (I've put the whole spoon and added more once the soup was ready)
4 cups vegetable stock
3/4 cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add squash and next 5 ingredients (through coriander); sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add broth, peanut butter, tomato paste, and pepper, stirring well to combine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes or until the squash is tender. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Both recipes are from "Cooking Light"

Red Lentil Soup, Portobello Burgers, Sweet Potato-Orange Salad, and Maple Baked Apples.

Sunday I was craving burgers. Earlier that week the market across the street from my place received a nice selection of huge Portobello mushrooms, so I searched through my extensive recipe collection and found the recipe for Portobello Mushroom Burgers. That made me almost happy. Almost, because I also felt like a salad with my burger…something with fruits…..oranges…… something different from the usual Green Salad with sesame dressing I make.
Flipping through the pages of the recipe-binders I saw a picture of the Sweet Potato and Orange Salad! That was exactly what I had in my mind…. But wait a second, this Red Lentil Soup looks so yummy……coconut milk….. cumin….. hmmmmmm….. can we eat burger, salad, and the soup? Why not!
Having all of this figured out I thought of desert. Something fruity and not too complicated would be great. Apple-pecan cookies? Poached pears? Baked apples?! Yeah, Baked Apples with maple syrup, raisins, and nuts.
After couple of hours of cooking we’ve enjoyed:


Red Lentil Mulligatawny with Apple-Celery Salsa

The recipe comes from the Cooking Light magazine. I “veganised” it by replacing the chicken stock with the vegetable broth.
This rich, creamy soup will thicken as it cools. Thin with hot water, a tablespoon at a time, to the desired consistency.

Salsa:
2/3 cup finely chopped Granny Smith apple
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Soup:
3 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dried small red lentils
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups light coconut milk
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To prepare salsa, combine the first 4 ingredients; cover and chill.

To prepare soup, combine broth, lentils, and onion in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until lentils are tender.
Pour half of lentil mixture in a blender; let stand 5 minutes. Process until smooth. Pour pureed lentil mixture into a bowl. Pour remaining lentil mixture into blender; process until smooth.
Add coconut milk, tomato paste, ginger, cumin, and turmeric; process until smooth.
Return coconut milk mixture and remaining pureed lentil mixture to pan. Cover and simmer over medium heat 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1 teaspoon juice, salt, and pepper.
Ladle about 1 cup soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with 1/4 cup salsa.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup soup and 1/4 cup salsa)



Grilled Portobello Burgers

Yet another recipe from the Cooking Light magazine. I did not have any honey mustard, so I simply added some honey to mustard. I used the vegan Cheddar cheese (Earth Island), Boston lettuce instead of the Bibb, added tomatoes and black olives. For a vegan version replace Worcestershire with the vegetarian version of the sauce and omit the honey (or replace it with Agave nectar/Corn syrup). Replacing the Worcestershire with Tamari sauce might work as well.

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons honey mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 large Portobello mushroom caps
1 red bell pepper, cut into 4 wedges
Cooking spray
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices onion
8 (1/2-ounce) slices reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns
4 Bibb lettuce leaves
8 sandwich-cut bread-and-butter pickles

Prepare grill.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; brush both sides of mushroom caps with sauce mixture.
Place bell pepper on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill for 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel.
Place mushroom caps, top sides down, and onion on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until tender. Place 2 cheese slices on top of each mushroom cap; cover and grill 1 minute or until cheese melts.
Spread 1 tablespoon ketchup and 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard over top half of each bun. Place mushroom caps on bottom halves of hamburger buns. Separate onion into rings; arrange onion slices evenly over mushrooms. Top each serving with 1 lettuce leaf, 2 pickles, and top half of bun.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burger)



Roasted Sweet Potato and Orange Salad

The smell of the sweet potatoes roasting with rosemary and garlic is mouthwatering!!!

Salad:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed
1 1/2 pounds peeled sweet potato, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3 cups orange sections (about 6 oranges)
1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 (6-ounce) bag prewashed baby spinach

Dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare salad, combine first 4 ingredients, tossing well. Place potato mixture on a jelly-roll pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven; cool. Discard garlic. Combine potato mixture, orange sections, onion, pine nuts, and spinach in a large bowl.

To prepare dressing, combine orange juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 cup)



Maple Baked Apples.

This recipe comes from the Real Simple magazine.

Gala and Rome Beauty apples are ideal for baking because they retain their shape.

4 large apples
1/4 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) walnut pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Ice cream (optional)

Heat oven to 400° F.

Using a paring knife, remove the cores and trim about a 1/2-inch slice from the bottom of each apple, so they sit flat. Place the apples in an ovenproof skillet or 8- to 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with the syrup.
Divide the walnuts and raisins among the apples, filling the cavities, and place any extra in the dish. Dot the apples with the butter. Bake until tender, 40 to 50 minutes. If using a baking dish, pour the liquid from the dish into a skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until it thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the warm apples and serve with the ice cream, if desired.

Yield: Makes 4 servings