fat flush soup from skinnyms.com

12065603_10153231590538111_2931130283495035989_nThe soup is packed with nutritional powerhouses such as sweet potato, spinach, garlic, carrots, and tomatoes, this soup truly flushes the fat away by restoring acid-alkaline and sodium-potassium balance to the body’s organs and glands. It is a warming and deliciously comforting treat that has the added bonus of detoxing your body and adding much needed nutrients.

The superfoods in this soup are packed with antioxidants and fiber and aid with flushing toxins and, subsequently, fat from the body.

 

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of Kosher or sea salt, more or less to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp marjoram
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed (optional, navy beans)
6 cups vegetable broth
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes (no salt added), *this is an optional ingredient
4 cups baby spinach or kale, loosely packed or use kale

Stovetop Method: prep veggies add to large pot, cover, and simmer until veggies are tender, approximately 45 min – 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes to prevent sticking. Add spinach or kale at the end of cooking time, remove from heat, cover and allow spinach to wilt before serving. If using kale cook for 10 min more or until tender.  I waited 20 to add potatoes as I didn’t want them to be mushy.

Cheese pimento bisque from Sundays at Moosewood Cookbook

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2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
2 Tbspns vegetable oil
1 medium sweet potato, diced (about 2 cups)
1 medium white potato, diced (about 2 cups)
4 cups vegetable stock, or water
1 cup extra sharp grated or chopped cheddar cheese
3 oz cream cheese, cubed
4 oz jar pimiento, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Saute celery and onions in vegetable oil, about 10 minutes.
Add potatoes and stock. Simmer until vegies are soft, about 20
minutes.

Remove soup from heat, add cheddar and cream cheeses, allow to sit
to soften cheese. In a blender, puree the soup with half the pimientos.
add salt and pepper.

If soup is too thick, thin with milk, water or vegetable stock. Stir in
remaining pimientos. Reheat, but do not boil.
Serves 4-6

Cheesy Kale Sweet Potato Tart from the woks of life

IMG_2491For the pastry:
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cold water
For the filling:
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup finely chopped leeks
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 small sweet potato
2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup shredded cheese (gruyere, aged cheddar, or manchego work great for this)

 NOTE: very good baked in pie plate without crust

Start by making the crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk together the egg yolk and water, and add it to the flour mixture. Mix everything together with a fork until the dough comes together. Flatten into a disk, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour. Take out of the refrigerator about a few minutes before you’re ready to roll it out.

Roll out the dough and fit it to your tart pan. You may have to patch it up a bit, but don’t worry, it’ll turn out great. Pierce the dough all over with a fork and place the tart shell in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the kale, crushed red pepper flakes, and a couple drizzles of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another couple minutes, just until the kale is wilted. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (210 degrees C). Blind bake the tart shell for 10 minutes, and remove from the oven. If you see it starting to puff up at all, poke the dough with a fork again!

Prep your potato by peeling it and slicing it paper-thin. A mandolin helps, but a sharp knife will do the job. Add the thyme and ricotta to the kale mixture. Place a layer of sweet potato slices in the bottom of the tart shell. Spread the kale and cheese mixture evenly over that, and top with another layer of sweet potato slices. Brush the top thoroughly with olive oil and sprinkle the cheese over the tart. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Apple Rutabaga Soup from Patrick O’Connell

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1 stick (1/4 pound) butter
1 cup onion, roughly chopped
1 cup Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
1 cup rutabaga, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup butternut squash, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1 cup carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
1 quart good chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup maple syrup
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, apple, rutabaga, squash, carrots and sweet potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until all of the vegetables are cooked through and tender.

Puree the vegetables in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into the same pot you used to cook the vegetables. Add the cream, maple syrup, salt and cayenne pepper.

Return the pot to the stove, bring the soup to a simmer, and serve.

Roasted Beet, Sweet Potato & Kale Salad With Horseradish Dressing

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  • 1 large sweet potato, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 4 beets (red, golden or a combination), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 head of kale (either curly or lacinato), chopped
  • 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed (or buy the pre-rinsed quinoa)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dice sweet potato into 1/2-inch cubes. Peel fresh beets (can use red, golden or a combination — please be careful with red beets because their color bleeds) and dice into 1/2 inch cubes.

Toss on a baking sheet with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, tossing occasionally until the vegetables are soft.

While the vegetables are cooking, blanch the kale to reduce bitterness and soften the greens. To blanch, stir the chopped kale leaves into boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain, then run under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Rinse 1/2 cup of quinoa (skip this step if you bought pre-rinsed quinoa), put the rinsed quinoa and 1 cup of water in a pot, and bring to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, turn the flame down to a low heat, cover the pot, and let the quinoa simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

Ingredients for horseradish dressing

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. horseradish
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. low sodium vegetable stock

Put all ingredients in a container, put the lid on, and shake vigorously to combine. You can also use a blender, if preferred.

Combine the cooked vegetables and quinoa with the horseradish dressing. Can be served warm, room temperature or cold.  Serves 4

Ottolenghi’s ‘Very Full Tart’ From Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Timimi

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1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
about 6 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cut into 2-inch dice
salt and black pepper
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
11 oz pie crust dough
8 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1/3 cup ricotta
4 1/4 oz feta
7 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 medium eggs
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Use a small serrated knife to cut around the stem of the peppers and lift it out along with the seeds. Shake the peppers to remove all the remaining seeds; discard the stems and seeds. Place the two peppers in a small ovenproof dish, drizzle with a little oil and put on the top shelf in the oven.

Mix the eggplant in a bowl with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Spread in a large baking pan and place in the oven on the shelf beneath the peppers.

After 12 minutes add the sweet potato dice to the eggplant pan and stir gently. Return to the oven to roast for another 12 minutes. Then add the zucchini to the pan, stir and roast for a further 10 to 12 minutes. At this point the peppers should be brown and the rest of the vegetables cooked. Remove all from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Cover the peppers with foil and cool, then peel and tear roughly into strips.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Saute the onions with the bay leaves and some salt for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn brown, soft and sweet. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaves and set aside.

Lightly grease a 9-inch loose-bottomed tart pan. Roll out the pie crust dough to a circle roughly 1/8 inch thick and large enough to line the pan, plus extra to hang over the rim. Carefully line the pan with the dough, pressing it into the corners and leaving the excess hanging over the top edge. Line the dough with a large sheet of parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the paper with the weights, then bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until it turns golden brown. Remove and allow to cool a little.

Scatter the cooked onion over the bottom of the crust and top with the roasted vegetables, arranging them evenly. Scatter half the thyme leaves over. Next, dot the veg with small chunks of both cheeses and then with the tomato halves, cut-side up.

Whisk the eggs and cream in a small bowl with some salt and pepper. Carefully pour this mix into the tart; the top layer of tomatoes and cheese should remain exposed. Scatter the remaining thyme over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the filling sets and turns golden. Remove and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before releasing the tart from the pan and serving. Serves 4-6