Kale Chips

What a yummy way to eat kale!  Be certain to put them on the baking sheet in a single layer, otherwise they will not get crisp.  You can get creative with your seasonings — Old Bay, Tabasco, garlic salt, whatever you like.

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale, washed, de-stemmed, and leaves cut into 3″ or so sections

olive oil

seasonings (I used coarse sea salt last week)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Dry the kale using paper towels or a salad spinner.  Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil (you will only need about 3 TBSP).  Sprinkle with 1 tsp or so of salt (or whatever seasoning you like).  Toss well to coat evenly.

Place the kale on large baking sheets (you might want to lightly coat the baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray or mist with olive oil or use parchment paper to prevent your chips from sticking).  The kale must be in a single layer.

Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes.  Check to make sure it doesn’t burn.  The kale chips should get nicely crisped.

White Bean Dip

This is another super-quick and easy to make dish you could serve to your guests at holiday parties this year.  The recipe (and the version I made last week) is simple.  You can spice it up with whatever you like — garlic, hot pepper flakes, herbs.  Serve with gluten-free crackers, or use with vegetable crudite.

Ingredients

1 15 1/2  ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or, cook your own from dried, see the recipe for White Bean and Kale soup two weeks ago for instructions).  I used 2 cups of beans I had cooked myself.

3 TBSP olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste (or whatever other seasonings you like)

Place beans, olive oil and lemon juice into the bowl of a food processor (or blender; I used my Vitamix).  Process until smooth.

Season to taste and serve!

A light and bright soup for a dreary fall or winter day, this soup is full of “super foods”:  garlic, ginger, kale, beans, shitake mushrooms.  A boost to the spirit and to the immune system.

Ingredients:

6 dried shitake mushrooms

6 cups water

2 Tbsp peanut oil (unrefined)

1 large yellow onion, finely diced

3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced

1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger root

3 carrots, diced

4 cups chopped kale or collard greens (I used Lacinato kale in today’s soup)

2 cups cooked cannellini beans (most economical is to use dried, see instructions below; canned are OK too — please drain and rinse well)

1/4 cup mirin (rice wine)

Tamari

Apple cider vinegar

Toasted sesame oil

Instructions:

1.  Place dried mushrooms in a medium pot with the 6 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, and simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes.

2.  Strain through a fine mesh sieve and cheesecloth, reserving liquid.  Remove reconstituted mushrooms, squeezing out the excess liquid into the broth, and cut them into thin slices, removing and tough stems.

3.  In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm the oil, then saute the onion, garlic and ginger for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft.  Do not let it burn or brown.

4.  Add the carrots and cook for 3 or 4 more minutes.

5.  Add the greens, and mix well.  If you are using collard greens, you will want to cook them for at least 8 minutes here, until they turn bright green and begin to soften.  The kale will only take 3 to 5 minutes.

6.  Add the beans and mirin rice wine.  Stir to incorporate.

7.  Pour broth over your vegetables, add mushrooms, add a Tbsp of tamari and a Tbsp of apple cider vinegar and bring to a gentle simmer.  Cook for 10 minutes.

Season to taste with tamari/soy/Bragg’s and toasted sesame oil.  Enjoy!

Butternut squash can be difficult to peel and chop, but it is well worth it — beautiful bright orange flesh and a delicious sweetness reward your efforts.  Lentils are certainly one of my favorite foods — high in protein and fiber, rich in minerals, low fat, inexpensive and super fast to cook.  The two go very nicely together in this dish that can be served as a salad or a side dish.  As always, it is Vegan and Gluten-Free.  There is no salt added in my version beyond what is in the dijon mustard.  Enjoy warm or at room temperature.  We have coarse sea salt to sprinkle over it today.  If you eat dairy, I think this would be delicious with crumbled feta cheese on it.

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, about 1 pound

1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and picked over (be certain to discard any pebbles or discolored bits)

1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp dijon mustard

3 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for roasting the squash

Freshly ground pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.  Peel, seed and chop butternut squash into 1″ cubes.  Drizzle with olive oil and mix to coat the cubes evenly.  Place in a shallow baking dish, cover with foil and bake until just tender (you don’t want them to be too soft), about 30 minutes.

3.  Place lentils in a heavy pot and cover with water to 1 1/2″ above lentils.  Heat on medium, covered, until boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer until just tender, about 25 minutes.

4.  Drain lentils and squash.  Place in a large serving bowl.

5.  Whisk together apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and mustard.  Mix in olive oil and whisk until emulsified.  Add fresh pepper to taste.

6.  Add dressing to the lentils and squash mixture and stir gently to incorporate.

Enjoy!

This vegan, gluten-free soup is delicious on a chilly autumn or winter day.  It is a beautiful bright orange color!  Loaded with antioxidants and fiber, pumpkin is a “super food” — that is, if it isn’t weighed down with sugar and fat (but a small slice of pumpkin pie after Thanksgiving dinner is OK!).  This soup is easy to make and has a bright snappy taste thanks to the addition of fresh ginger.  The apples give it a nice sweetness without needing to add any sugar.  Hope you try it for yourself.

Note, this recipe does contain soy.  If you are allergic or want to avoid soy, simply omit the tofu.  The soup will still be delicious and creamy.  You could add a bit of almond, hazelnut, rice, oat or hemp milk to adjust the texture at the end.  The silken tofu gives it a velvety texture that is quite pleasant.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 – 2 apples, coarsely chopped — I used Fuji apples because that is what I had at home.  I like the sweetness they provide.  You could certainly use Granny Smith, or whatever variety of apple you prefer.

3 shallots, finely chopped

1 can organic pumpkin puree — NOT pumpkin pie blend.  You can, of course, use fresh pumpkin as well.  That would be 2 cups of fresh pumpkin puree.  Instructions for preparing that are at the end of this recipe.

1 Tbsp curry powder

2 c vegetable stock

1/2 c freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 pkg silken tofu (optional, see note in introduction)

1 tsp freshly grated ginger root, more to taste

sea salt and fresh pepper, to taste

Instructions:

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add the shallots and cook until shallots are soft and translucent.

Add the chopped apples and cook for five minutes.

Add orange juice, pumpkin puree, curry powder, silken tofu (if using).  Stir to mix.

Add vegetable stock and fresh ginger.

Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer for 15 minutes.

Puree (use a regular blender, Vitamix, or stick blender) – being careful not to burn yourself with the very hot soup — then season to taste with salt and pepper.  You might want to add more fresh ginger as well.

Garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds (if they are salted, take that into account when you are seasoning the soup) and fresh cilantro.

Preparing fresh pumpkin (and roasting your own seeds!)

Choose a small pie pumpkin.  Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds, reserving them for roasting.

Place the pumpkin, cut side down onto a foil or parchment paper-ed baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F until the flesh is soft when pierced with a fork.  This will take up to 40 minutes.  Check it at 20 minutes.

Wrap the baked pumpkin in foil and the steam will allow the flesh to fall away from the rind.  Alternatively you can scoop out the flesh after it has been baked.

To roast the seeds, rinse them and pat dry.  Spread on a parchment-covered baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F until they puff up a bit and begin to brown slightly.  Once roasted you can toss with sea salt, pepper, or tamari to taste.

Vegan, gluten-free, and delicious!  Lentils are so wonderful — like their legume cousins, they are low in fat, high in fiber and protein — and they cook very quickly.  There is no need to soak them overnight or do any extra cooking to get them recipe-ready.  We will be having lentils in another dish next week as well, so stay tuned for that.

In the meantime, this is a delicious, easy and inexpensive soup.  You don’t have to buy lentil soup in a can!  Make a big pot of this soup over the weekend, and you will have easy lunches or dinners ready for reheating during the week.

The spices in this soup are great for warming the stomach, and reducing inflammation in the body.  It is a wonderful soup for a chilly fall or winter day.  You will like the kick the lemon juice gives it too.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 cup celery, finely chopped (reserve leaves for garnish)

1 cup carrots, finely chopped

1 tsp dried, ground  turmeric

1 tsp dried, ground ginger (you could grate fresh ginger into the soup if you like, but use a little less as it is quite pungent)

1 tsp dried, ground cumin

4 to 6 cups of water or vegetable broth (I used Imagine brand “No-Chickn Broth” in today’s soup)

1 1/4 cups green or brown lentils (the flat variety), well washed and picked over (beware of little pebbles mixed in!)

Sea salt to taste

For garnish — chopped fresh celery leaves, cilantro, mint and parsley.  I recommend making a mixture of these to sprinkle over your soup before serving.  Also, serve this soup with lemon wedges.

As always, I recommend doing all of your chopping ahead of time.  Set all of the ingredients out in bowls so that you are ready to add each item into your soup pot as directed.  I also like to wash my lentils ahead of time so they are ready to go as well, but you can do that while the veggies are cooking.

1.  In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium.  Add the onions and cook until they start to soften – about 5 minutes.  Do not let them get brown or burned.  You can turn the heat down a bit if they are cooking too fast.

2.  Add the celery and carrots, and cook for about 8 minutes.  The vegetables should be getting softer.

3.  Stir in your garlic, turmeric, ginger and cumin and cook for a minute more.

4.  Add the washed lentils and the water or stock.  Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until the lentils are cooked — about 20 minutes.

5.  Season to taste with salt, and serve with chopped herb garnish and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

This is vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free.  It does contain nuts (almond flour and walnut pieces), so adjust accordingly if you have a nut allergy.

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour

1 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup almond meal/flour (you could substitute millet or amaranth or oat flour here)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp xantham gum

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

3/4  cup “Just Like Sugar”

1 cup applesauce

1/8 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1 -2 Tbsp freshly grated orange zest

1/3 cup canola oil

Energ-G egg replacer for 1 egg (to equal about 1/8 cup of liquid)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup fresh cranberries (see notes below), chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare a loaf pan — it is best to use a glass or ceramic pan, because a metal pan will cause the outside of the bread to get overdone, while the inside will not be cooked enough.  The easiest way to prepare the pan is to line it with a large sheet of parchment paper.  Leave some extra hanging over the edges so that when the bread is done, you can grab onto the edges and simply lift the bread up out of the loaf pan to cool on a wire rack.  It works really well, and there is no need to oil the pan or worry about sticking.

Mix together dry ingredients – through the “Just Like Sugar”.  I like to do this in a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, and mix on a low speed to combine and to get rid of any lumps.

Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well.  You can also combine the cranberries and walnuts in a separate bowl to have them ready to mix in.

With the mixer on a low speed, add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until you get a smooth batter.  If it is too dry, add a splash of orange juice or apple cider.

Fold in the cranberries and walnuts.  For those with nut allergies, just leave out the walnuts.  It still tastes great without them.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top.

Bake for 55- 70 minutes.  The baking time depends on the type of pan you use and how hot your oven is.  I start checking mine at 45 minutes, but find that it usually takes 65 minutes to get truly done.  Done-ness is determined by sticking in a wooden skewer and having it come out clean.  Once done, remove the pan from the oven and lift your loaf out of the pan to let it cool on a wire rack.  The parchment paper will slip right off.

A note on cranberries:  the first time I made this bread, I used dried cranberries (“Craisins”) and didn’t add any sugar.  It turned out fantastically well.  The loaf was thoroughly cooked through and had a nice crumb.  You would hardly know it was a gluten-free product!  Today I used fresh cranberries, roughly chopped, and the loaf is much denser and moister than last time.  I would not recommend using frozen cranberries in this recipe unless you have thawed them and they are at room temperature when you mix them into your batter.  If they are cold, they will cause your loaf to take a much longer time to bake.

If you attended this event and would like to comment on your experience, OR if you make one of these recipes and want to share how it was for you, please do so.  We’d love to hear from you!

We had a three-course dinner with flowers and candle light while we talked about the flavors of fall and ate our delicious vegan, gluten-free dinner.  Hope you can join us for the winter class…..

This soup uses just a few basic ingredients to showcase a star vegetable.  Make this soup as garlicky and spicy as you like!

6 servings

1 large head of cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cored and separated into florets

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

4 to 8  garlic cloves, minced

¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

¼ cup olive oil

4 cups hot vegetable broth

Coarse sea salt

1/3 cup freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Trim the stems from the cauliflower florets and cut them into ½-inch pieces, then break the florets into ½-inch pieces.  Fill a large bowl with 2 quarts of cold water and stir in the vinegar.  Add the cauliflower pieces and stir to clean thoroughly.  Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Drop the cauliflower into the boiling water, return to a boil and cook over moderately high heat until just tender, about 4 minutes.  Drain the cauliflower thoroughly.

1. In a large saucepan (I use the same one I just cooked the cauliflower in – be careful, it will be quite hot and you can easily burn your garlic!) cook the garlic and hot red pepper in the olive oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden.  This only takes a minute or two.  Add cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent it from browning.  Stir in the hot vegetable broth.

1. Using a stick blender, puree the soup until smooth – OR puree part and leave some pieces of cauliflower in it for texture.  Taste for salt (especially if your vegetable broth is already salted or if it is no-salt-added; either way, the soup may need seasoning beyond the dash of salt you will use right before serving).

1. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and sprinkle on some coarse sea salt and parsley just before serving.

You will use this recipe to marinate your tofu and then dress the roasted vegetables just before serving.

1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds

2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds

1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

2 fresh garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons minced fresh basil

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

8 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch squares

1.  Combine cumin, coriander, and crushed red pepper in heavy small skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Shake skillet gently until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute, then Transfer to a bowl.
3. Add garlic, orange peel, and oil and stir to combine. Mix in basil, and cilantro.
4. Gently stir in tofu.
5. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 day. (Can be made up to 1 week ahead.  Keep refrigerated.  I made the one we had at the cooking class three days in advance)
6. If you want the tofu to be saltier, you could add some brine-cured olives to this mixture, and/or some coarse sea salt.  Of course, you can also fry the tofu before putting it into the marinade.

This combination of sweet vegetables and quinoa is delicious and so good for you.

Serves 6

1 pound winter squash, peeled and cut in 1 ½-inch chunks (I used Delicata)

½ pound carrots, peeled, quartered and cut in 2-inch lengths

½ pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half through the stem

½ pound turnips, peeled and cut in wedges

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup quinoa (red, black or brown variety)

3 cups vegetable stock

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Oil one or two sheet pans or baking dishes large enough to fit all of the vegetables in a single layer.  Place the vegetables in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil.  Do not salt your vegetables before roasting because the salt with dehydrate them as they bake.  You want these vegetables to be nice and moist!  Spread the vegetables in an even layer on the prepared pan.  Place in the top third of the oven and bake 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Turn the heat down to 375 degrees and continue to bake until the vegetables are lightly browned and tender all the way through when pierced with a knife, 10 to 20 minutes more.

1. While the vegetables are in the oven, cook the quinoa.  Rinse thoroughly with cold water.  Bring 3 cups of stock to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add the very well-rinsed quinoa.  Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and translucent, and each grain displays a little thread.  Cover the pan with a clean dish towel, replace the lid and allow the quinoa to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes or longer.

1. Using a slotted spoon, scoop tofu out of the marinade and set aside.

1. When the vegetables are tender, remove from the heat and transfer back to the bowl.  Add the marinade while the vegetables are hot and toss together.  Taste for salt.  Serve over quinoa with the marinated tofu on the side or mixed in.

Advance preparation:  the vegetables can hold for a few hours once roasted, but don’t toss with the marinade until you reheat them in a medium oven.  The quinoa will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator and can be reheated in the oven, on top of the stove, or in the microwave.

Kale Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale (I used red kale for our class; you can also use Tuscan kale or just ‘plain’ green kale)

1 lemon

¼ c good olive oil

Handful of pumpkin seeds (I used raw, sea-salted seeds for the class; you can use toasted seeds if you like)

1.  Wash kale thoroughly and break or cut the leaves away from the stem (discard stem).  Chop leaves into small pieces.
2. Juice the lemon and mix well with olive oil.
3. Pour the lemon juice-olive oil mixture over the kale and “massage” it into the kale.  Don’t worry, kale is hearty and can take some mixing.  Make sure your dressing really gets all over the leaves
4. Allow salad to sit for 30 to 45 minutes before serving.
5. Before serving, toss with pumpkin seeds.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.

Unlike salads made with lettuce, this salad will stay crisp and fresh as a leftover in a sealed bag or container in your fridge.

Tofu Pumpkin custard (makes 8 servings)

Ingredients:

1package silken tofu

1 cup cooked pumpkin (canned or fresh)

¼ to ½ cup maple syrup (I used ¼ c)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ginger

Dash of nutmeg

Dash of cloves

Dash of sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth.

Pour into ramekins, and place ramekins into a rectangular glass casserole dish.  Pour water into the casserole to the level of 2/3 of the height of the ramekins.

Bake 45 minutes, or until set and pumpkin starts coming away from the sides of the ramekins.

Serve warm or chilled.

You can also add non-dairy whipped topping when serving.

This simple tea freshens and enlivens the mouth.  It is best drunk after a meal as an aid to digestion.  A few teaspoons of this tea can also be given to babies to relieve colic.  From “Recipes for Self-Healing” by Daverick Leggett.

Preparation time:  5 mins

Makes 3 cups

1 teaspoon aniseed

1 teaspoon caraway

1 teaspoon fennel

Simply put the seeds in a teapot and pour on boiling water.  If you like it a little stronger, simmer the seeds in a pot for about 5 minutes.

These spices are warming and really promote work well for those who are prone to sluggish digestion, loose stools, overweight and fatigue.  Because they are warming, they are not necessarily good for someone who is sweaty, red-faced and who gets acid indigestion or heartburn after eating.