Simple Spinach and White Bean Soup

How has everyone been holding up during these past few frigid days?  Here in NY we have been working with single digit temperature and negative wind chills (which, with our couple of past warm winters, has been a real shock!)  During this chilly month I have been eating tons and tons of soup.  Nothing warms the soul better than a nice bowl of soup on a cold winter day.

Ingredients:

1 14oz can of cannelloni beans (or you can use a cup of dry beans)
8 oz of spinach (washed and chopped)
4 cups of vegetable broth
1/2 small onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by heating the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add chopped onion and cook for 3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for two more minutes.  Drain beans and add them to the saucepan.  Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, lower heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and then add chopped spinach.  Remove from heat and enjoy!

Breakfast Macro Bowl: Scramble, Fruit, Kale, Tempeh, Hash

Yikes! How did a month go by without a post?  Well, wait no longer, it's time for more breakfast goodies!

As much as I love my pancakes, I felt it was high time to step away and make a more well rounded breakfast this week.  I love the concept of macro bowls, with their delicious portions of veggies, grains, beans, and starches.  Translating this concept to breakfast is always fun (even if it's not a traditional macro bowl) and the other day I came up with this fun combo that will certainly satisfy all your cravings and leave you feeling ready to start your day.

Ingredients:
10 oz of extra firm tofu
1 bunch of kale
1 large grapefruit
2 small russet potatoes (yukon gold work great as well)
7 oz of tempeh
Handful of porcini mushrooms (optional)
Liquid Aminos
Liquid Smoke
Nutritional Yeast
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by dicing your potatoes and then boiling them in salted water for about five minutes.  You want them to begin to become tender in the center but not fall apart easily.  In the meantime, thinly slice your tempeh and sear them on a cast iron skillet until golden and crispy on both sides.  A minute before removing them from the pan add a tablespoon of liquid aminos and teaspoon of liquid smoke (or more of both to taste).  Set aside in oven (heated at 300 F) to stay warm.

At this point your potatoes should be ready, so drain them and then fry them in the same cast iron skillet.  I like to use just a bit of non-stick spray on the pan so they get a golden exterior without an excess amount of oil.  Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes or so on medium heat, stirring every few minutes so all sides of the potatoes are cooked evenly.  Season with salt and pepper.

While the potatoes cook, crumble your tofu and cook in a small frying pan on medium to medium-high heat.  Spread your tofu evenly on the pan and cook without stirring for a few minutes.  By doing this the tofu will get that 'well done scrambled egg' effect and become golden throughout.  After a couple of minutes flip the tofu over and repeat.  Break the tofu apart as needed in between flips as it will tend to stick together.  Cook for several minutes until browned throughout.  Season with pink sea salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast.

All of your components should be just about ready so, lastly, prepare your kale.  Chop, clean and steam your kale.  No seasoning necessary for this delicious green vegetable.

Serve your well rounded breakfast with a half grapefruit or, if you're like me, serve with a nice handful of sauteed porcini mushrooms.  Enjoy!

Romantic Ravioli: Raw Beet Ravioli with Cashew Cheese

It's that time of the year!  All my fellow food-bloggers and chefs are embracing all red and pink ingredients to try to create some fun romantic and Valentine's day meals.  As always, I love any holiday for the excuse to make themed food.  Today's recipe is raw and gluten-free and perfect treat for your loved one or yourself!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of cashews, soaked
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
3 tablespoons of water (or soymilk)
1 teaspoon of agave
2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 teaspoon of dried basil
1/4 teaspoon of dried parsley

1 large beet
1/2 cup of sprouts
1/4 red onion, sliced thinly
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

First you'll want to make your cashew cheese filling.  Soak your cashews overnight if you can but if not soak them for at least four hours.  The longer you soak the cashews the smoother the filling will be.  Drain cashews and place in blender with all ingredients from lemon juice to dried parsley.  Blend for several minutes until mixture is smooth.  Set aside in fridge and allow flavors to blend for an hour or so.

Peel beet and slice into 1/4 inch pieces.  You can keep them in their slightly rounded, natural shape (perhaps cutting them in half for size purposes) or you can carve them into heart shapes like I did.  You could also trim the edges to neaten them into squares for a more clean look.

Mix together balsamic vinegar with salt and pepper to taste.  I recommend a flavored balsamic vinegar if you have it otherwise plain will work just fine.  I used a fig infused vinegar.  Heat vinegar on medium heat for five minutes or so constantly stirring and never allowing the mixture to truly boil (only simmer).  Set aside and let it cool (it will thicken as it cools).

Now you can set up your garnish.  I just laid some sprouts on a plate with thinly sliced red onion.  Arrange your ravioli by spreading some of the cashew mixture on one of the ravioli pieces and placed the other on top.  Finish it by drizzling the balsamic reduction over the ravioli.

And that's it! Pretty simply gluten-free and raw snack, appetizer or even meal for a romantic meal at home.  Enjoy!

Delightful Dips: Four Different Dips For Your Super Bowl Party

Whether you are serving hors d'oeuvres at a party, snacks for the super bowl, or just a light healthy dinner with many options for yourself, these dips will satisfy your needs!  With just a handy food processor, a sauce pan, and a few cans of beans you are already mostly on your way to completely these simple dips.  Feel free to play around with the ingredients as you will, they are quite easy to modify to your specific tastes.

Spinach Artichoke White Bean Dip

Ingredients:
2 cups of chopped spinach
1 14oz can of artichoke hearts
1/2 15oz can of white beans
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 cup of soymilk
Salt and pepper to taste

Blend white beans in food processor until smooth and creamy. Remove and place in  ligtly oiled saucepan. Pulse artichokes and spinach together in processor until combined well but still a bit chunky. (You can pulse until much smoother depending on your preference but I believe this dip tastes best with a bit of texture.)  Add garlic, soymilk, salt and pepper to sauce pan and cook on medium heat for a few minutes until througly heated.


Roasted Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:
1 12oz jar of roasted peppers
1 15oz can of chickpeas
2 tablespoons of tahini
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Blend chickpeas and roasted peppers in a food processor until fully combined and smooth.  Add garlic, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and blend until fully incorporated.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Balsamic Baba Ganoush 

Ingredients:
1/2 eggplant sliced into 1" rounds (you can peel off the skin first but I like the added texture)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of tahini
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Place eggplant on baking sheet in oven and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Bake for 20 minutes at 425 until eggplant rounds are soft and roasted.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Once cooled, combine eggplant, garlic, tahini, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar in processor and blend until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Roasted Tomato and Garlic Bean Dip

Ingredients:
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 15oz can of white beans
1 tablespoon of dried basil leaves
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Dice tomatoes and place in lightly oiled baking pan with whole, unpeeled garlic cloves and top with dried basil leaves.  Roast for 15-20 minutes at 425.  Set aside to cool.  Once cooled, combine tomatoes, garlic, white beans, and lemon juice until fully combined and smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with fresh, raw veggies and toasted pita bread.

And that's it! Four small recipes in one large post.  Hope you all enjoy these dips!