Warm Camembert with Wild Mushroom Fricassee, foodandwine.com

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  • 1/2 cup walnut pieces
  • One 8-ounce wheel of ripe Camembert in its wooden box, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon walnut oil
  • 3/4 pound wild mushrooms, trimmed, caps thinly sliced
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 large sage leaves, minced
  • Sourdough toasts, for serving
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the walnut pieces on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 7 minutes, until lightly browned. Lower the oven temperature to 300°.
  2. Remove the Camembert from the box and unwrap it. Put the cheese back in the bottom half of the box and set it on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, until soft.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the walnut oil. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 3 minutes longer. Add the shallot and cook until softened, 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and sage; season with salt and pepper.
  4. Invert the Camembert onto a platter. Stir the walnuts into the mushrooms and spoon over the cheese. Serve with the toasts.

Mushroom and Fontina Crostini, foodandwine.com

  • HD-201003-r-crostiniFour 1/2-inch-thick slices of peasant bread, halved diagonally
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds white mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 pound Fontina cheese, coarsely shredded (about 1 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Toast for 12 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges. Turn the broiler on. 
  2. Meanwhile, thinly slice the mushrooms. In a large skillet, cook the butter over high heat until lightly browned, 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the mushrooms and cook undisturbed until the mushrooms are browned on the bottom, 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 10 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic and thyme, lower the heat to moderate and cook until the shallots are tender, 5 minutes. Add the water and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then cook for 3 minutes longer. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. 
  3. Spoon the mushroom mixture on the toasts and sprinkle the cheese on top. Broil for 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Transfer the crostini to a platter, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Italian orzo tomato spinach soup from littlespicejar.com

This soup is loaded with classic Italian flavors and it’s simple to make! Orzo tomato spinach soup is completely vegetarian friendly and it’s so warm and comforting! The perfect soup so serve on a chilly day.
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  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1//2 cups chopped onions
  • 1¼ cup carrots, sliced into ½ inch rounds
  • 1 cup celery
  • 6 cloves of roasted garlic (see notes)
  • 6½ cups of vegetable stock
  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1½ tablespoons pesto
  • 1½ cups orzo (whole wheat or regular)
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • 3 cups baby spinach, packed
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  1. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté them for 4-5 minutes until they get soft. Add the carrots, celery, and roasted garlic and continue to sauté for an additional 3 minutes. Add the stock, along with the tomatoes, pesto, orzo, thyme, Italian seasoning, and oregano, stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and let the orzo pasta cook to al-dente, about 10 minutes, stir occasionally.
  2. Just before serving, add the baby spinach and continue to cook for 1 minutes or until the spinach gets nice and bright green and wilts down. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
To roast your own garlic: Heat an oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Peel off most of the paper from the garlic, leaving the head intact with the cloves attached. Trim the top off the head of garlic by ¼ inch. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the exposed surface, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and bake for 40 minutes. Check the garlic, it is done when the center clove is completely soft with pierced with a paring knife. Continue roasting for an additional 5 -10 minutes to help deepen the golden color and caramelize further. Exact roasting time may vary due to size. Garlic can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks and frozen for up to 3 months.

Ottolenghi’s Very Full Roasted Vegetable Tart

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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

Nekisia Davis’ Olive Oil and Maple Granola

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NOTE I did not use anything raw except pumpkin seeds

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut chips or regular
1 1/4 cup raw pecans, left whole or coarsely chopped (use a variety of nuts)
3/4 cup pure maple syrup (use less)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (use less)
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar(use less)
coarse salt
Add oat bran

Heat oven to 300° F.

Place oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, pecans, syrup, olive oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Spread granola mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, until granola is toasted, about 45 minutes.

Remove granola from oven and season with more salt to taste. Let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Makes about 7 cups

Lentil Soup with Coriander and Cumin by fatfreevegan.com

  • 2 cups brown or green lentils, uncooked
  • 8 cups water or vegetable broth
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, thickly sliced
  • 1 rib celery, chopped
  • 2 large gold or red potatoes, cut into large cubes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 vegetable bouillon cubes (use if water is used instead of broth)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Additional seasonings: 1/4 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 2 cloves minced garlic
  • salt, to taste
  • 4 ounces fresh spinach (chopped if large leaves)
  • 2 teaspoons Red wine vinegar or lemon juice
  • chopped parsley
Instructions
  1. Pick over the lentils and rinse well.
  2. Start the water or broth heating in the pressure cooker while you chop the vegetables. Add all ingredients except the additional seasonings, salt, spinach, and vinegar into the pan and bring to a boil.
  3. Add more water if it seems too thick. Remove the bay leaves, and add the additional seasonings, salt, and spinach. Check the seasonings, adding more cumin and coriander as needed. Cook for just a few minutes to wilt the spinach. Stir in the vinegar or lemon juice and serve. Serves: 8

Winter Squash Agrodolce by Chris Morocco

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1 2-pound kabocha squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into 1-inch wedges
2 delicata or dumpling squashes, seeds removed, cut into 1-inch wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 Fresno chiles, thinly sliced
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons golden raisins, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400°. Place kabocha and delicata squash on separate large rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until squashes are golden brown and tender, 30–35 minutes for kabocha and 20–25 minutes for delicata.

Meanwhile, bring chiles, vinegar, honey, raisins, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer until syrupy, 8–10 minutes.

Brush half of warm agrodolce over warm squash. Transfer to a platter.

Just before serving, reheat remaining agrodolce, adding a splash of water if needed to loosen. Spoon over squash.
  Servings: 8

Do Ahead: Dish can be made 3 hours ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

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.

Ginger Vegetable Congee

  • congee1 cup raw long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 7 cups vegetable stock
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, plus more for seasoning
  • Two-inch knob of ginger, peeled and sliced thin
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 1/2 cup diced carrots
  • Sliced green onion, for garnish
  1. In large pot add stock, rice, salt and ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Stir occasionally so that the rice doesn’t clump or stick at the bottom.
  2. While the congee is simmering prep the celery, broccoli and carrots: peeling, cutting, and dicing, as needed.
  3. Simmer the congee for about 30 minutes then add the celery, broccoli and carrots.
  4. Continue to simmer until the congee is thickened and creamy and the vegetables are tender and soft. Add salt to taste. Garnish with the sliced green onion and serve hot.

NOTES

As the congee cools, it will become thicker. Add additional stock or water if necessary to make the congee to your desired thickness.