Quinoa Chili from Nettie Cronish

Posted on December 16, 2015 by admin

Use organic diced tomatoes for best flavour. The crunch from celery compliments sautéed thinly sliced purple eggplant. Great cabbage roll filling. Delicious hot or cold.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
¼ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced or sweet mini peppers
2 Japanese eggplant, chopped (about 2 cups) OR 2 c. regular eggplant
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tbsp. chili powder & dried oregano
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. salt & pepper
2 x 28 fl.oz. diced tomatoes USE 1 can rotel and 1 can crushed
2 green onions, sliced

In a skillet over medium heat, roast the rinsed quinoa for 5 minutes or until fragrant and the quinoa begins to pop. In a small pot bring 2 cups water and salt to boil. Add roasted quinoa . Cover and simmer over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes, until water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, stir and let stand covered 5 minutes.
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic 5 minutes or until softened Stir in green pepper, eggplant, celery, chili,oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the quinoa and green onions. Serves: 6

Italian orzo tomato spinach soup from littlespicejar.com

Posted on November 14, 2015 by admin

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.

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

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.
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

Posted on November 14, 2015 by admin

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

fat flush soup from skinnyms.com

Posted on November 4, 2015 by admin

12065603_10153231590538111_2931130283495035989_n The 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.

7 Layer Fiesta Dip

Posted on October 11, 2015 by admin

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1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
1 container (16 ounces) sour cream
1 package taco Seasoning Mix
1 package (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese, (2 cups)
1 cup prepared guacamole
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup sliced black olives
Tortilla chips

Spread refried beans in shallow serving dish.
Mix sour cream and Seasoning Mix in small bowl until well blended. Spread over refried beans.
Top with layers of cheese, guacamole, tomatoes, onions and olives. Serve with tortilla chips.

Makes 8 cups or 64 (2-tablespoon) servings.

Dal Tadka from fatfreevegan.com

Posted on September 18, 2015 by admin

1/2 cup yellow moong dal (split mung beans) OR yellow split peas OR additional red lentils
1/2 cup split red lentils (masoor dal)
3 cups water
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped (set aside other half)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger root, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt (if desired)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala plus more to taste (see my recipe)
1/2 large onion, sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)

Instructions

Put the lentils, water, and next 7 ingredients (through salt) into a pressure cooker(see Notes below for regular stovetop cooking). Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes and allow pressure to drop naturally for 10 minutes. Open lid carefully and check to make sure lentils are tender. If not, continue to cook without pressure until lentils are fully cooked. Add garam masala and stir vigorously to make the lentils creamy. It should be a medium consistency, so add a little water if it’s too thick. Keep warm.
While the lentils are cooking, heat a small non-stick skillet. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they begin to brown. Add the red pepper flakes and cook until onions are softened and touched with brown.
Check the seasoning of the lentils and add additional salt and garam masala to taste. Serve over rice and top each serving with the browned onions.

Notes

If cooking without a pressure cooker, bring ingredients to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook until lentils are soft, stirring often and adding water if they start to get too dry. Different types of dal take different amounts of time, so allow at least 30 minutes.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

Shrimp With Thai Basil from Chinatown Kitchen: From Noodles to Nuoc Cham.

Posted on September 2, 2015 by admin

2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch ground white pepper
4 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or peanut oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green or red chili pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut crosswise into thick rings
1 small white onion, cut into thin half-moons
1/2 cup packed sugar snap peas or snow peas, cut in half
10 peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
2 small ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters
Small handful Thai basil leaves (see headnote; may substitute a hefty handful of Genovese basil)
Juice from 1/2 lime, for serving

Whisk together the fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, white pepper and 1 tablespoon of the water in a liquid measuring cup.

Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, swirl to coat, then add the garlic. Stir-fry gently for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the chili pepper and stir to combine. Stir in the onion; increase the heat to high and stir-fry for 1 minute, until the peppers have softened a bit, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn.

Add the sugar snap peas or snow peas and the remaining 3 tablespoons of water; stir-fry until the water has evaporated. Add the shrimp; stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the fish sauce mixture, the tomatoes and basil; stir-fry, shaking the wok once or twice, just until the shrimp have become opaque and the tomatoes have barely wilted.

Remove from the heat; add the lime juice. Serve right away. 2 servings

Charred Tomato Vinaigrette from the bittenword.com

Posted on August 18, 2015 by admin

6a00e55015ee52883301b7c7c0f901970b-650wi 1/2 pound tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped parsley, cilantro or basil
Kosher salt
Pepper

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan to medium-high. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Grill, turning, until blistered and lightly charred, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool slightly.

In a food processor, combine the grilled tomatoes with the vinegar, lemon juice and mustard and pulse to blend. With the machine on, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil. Transfer the vinaigrette to a medium bowl, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Total Time: 20 minutes
Makes 1 1/4 cups

Best Tomato Soup Ever from Ree Drumond

Posted on August 3, 2015 by admin

1 medium white or yellow onion
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
One 46-ounce bottle or can tomato juice
3 to 6 tablespoons sugar
1 or 2 tablespoons veggie base
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sherry, optional
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

To begin, dice the onion. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Throw in the onion and cook until translucent.

Now dump in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the tomato juice.

Next – and this is important – in order to combat the acidity of the tomatoes add 3 to 6 tablespoons of sugar. Now, you’ll want to start on the low side, then taste and add more as needed. Some tomatoes and juice have more of an acidic bite than others. (For what it’s worth, and I realize it’s not worth much, I use 6 tablespoons of sugar.)

Next, add 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base to the pot. I added 3, and it wound up being a little too much.

Now you can add lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, then heat almost to a boil. Then turn off the heat.

Add in the sherry if desired. Stir in the cream. Add the basil and parsley and stir.

Serve the soup warm!

Merry Tomatoes from Charleston Junior League cookbook