Curried Winter Squash Soup

-Mince up 3 cloves of garlic and 3 TBS fresh ginger.

-Cut 1 winter squash in half, then peel and de-seed it.

-Cut it into 1 inch chunks.

-Heat 3 TBS butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.

-Add the chopped garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.

-Add 4 bay leaves and ½ TBS crushed red pepper flakes; continue cooking for 1 minute more.

-Stir in the squash along with 1 tsp curry powder and ½ tsp sea salt, cook for 10 minutes.

-Raise the heat to medium-high, and add 2 cups low-salt chicken stock.

-Cover and bring to a boil. Immediately lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring and mashing every 5 minutes.

-Add a 1-inch chunk of palm sugar or a TBS of honey and cook for 5 minutes.

-Add 1 fifteen-ounce can coconut milk and continue cooking for 10 minutes.

-Remove bay leaves from soup.

-Using an immersion blender or in batches using a blender, puree until smooth.

 

Curried Tofu Scramble with Snow Peas From Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson

-Drain 1 pound of extra firm tofu by putting it between 2 paper towels or cloth towels and then pressing down on it with a small cutting board or plate.

-Crumble the drained tofu into small pieces.

-Chop up 4 cloves of garlic.

-Take the strings off of 3 big handfuls of snow peas.

-Chop the peas in half the short way.

-Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.

-Add tofu and sauté for 4-5 minutes, then add a big pinch of salt and the garlic.

-Sprinkle with about 1 tsp curry powder to taste and cook for another 4-5 minutes.

-Add the chopped snow peas and cook until just wilted, about 4-5 minutes more.

-Taste for salt and serve with a sprinkle of chopped herbs (parsley, basil, dill or cilantro).

Curried Lentil and Vegetable Soup

-Dice up 2 green peppers or 1 bulb of fennel.

-Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large heavy soup pot, when hot add the diced vegetables.

-Chop 1 bunch of kale or 1 bunch of spinach into thin slivers.

-Take the kernels off of 2 ears of corn.

-Add the greens and corn to the peppers/fennel.

-Sauté for 5 minutes and add 2 TBS curry powder and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional) and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

-Husk 1 pound of tomatillos, wash them and chop them into 4ths.

-Chop up 3 cloves of garlic.

-Stir into the veggies and let cook for 5-7 minutes.

-Add 8 cups of low-salt broth (either chicken or veggie) and 2 cups rinsed and drained lentils.

-Cover pot and simmer until lentils are very tender, about 45 minutes. 
-Season to taste with salt and pepper.

-In a mortar and pestle or in a blender combine the following…

-1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, 2 TBS chopped cilantro, 1 to 2 cloves of garlic and a pinch of salt.

-Add the rind and juice of 1 lime.

-Grind up or process. Serve with the soup.

 

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

-Mince up 3 cloves of garlic and 3 TBS fresh ginger.

-Cut 1 butternut squash in half, then peel and de-seed it.

-Cut it into 1 inch chunks.

-Heat 3 TBS butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.

-Add the chopped garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.

-Add the following:

4 bay leaves

½ TBS crushed red pepper flakes

-Continue cooking for 1 minute more.

-Stir in the butternut squash along with the following:

1 tsp curry powder

½ tsp sea salt

-Cook for 10 minutes.

-Raise the heat to medium-high and add 2 cups chicken broth.

-Cover and bring to a boil. Immediately lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring and mashing every 5 minutes.

-Add a 1-inch chunk of palm sugar or a TBS of honey and cook for 5 minutes.

-Add 1 fifteen-ounce can coconut milk and continue cooking for 10 minutes.

-Remove bay leaves from soup.

-Using an immersion blender or in batches using a blender, puree until smooth.

Cucumber Salad with Smashed Garlic and Ginger from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

-Whisk together the following:

3 TBS rice wine vinegar

2 tsp honey

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

-Place 1 heaping TBS peeled and sliced ginger and 1 tsp sea salt in a mortar and pound well with the pestle.

-Add 2 large garlic cloves and continue to pound until well crushed and broken into pieces. (You can roughly chop these instead if you do not have a mortar and pestle.)

-Use a spatula to scrape the ginger and garlic into the bowl with the onion and dressing. Stir together.

-Cut 4 peeled cucumbers lengthways in half, the cut each half on an angle in very thin slices.

-Add the cucumber to the bowl, followed by 1TBS toasted sesame seeds and 3 TBS chopped cilantro (optional).

-Stir well and leave to sit for 10 minutes.

-Before serving, stir the salad again, tip out some of the liquid that had accumulated at the bottom of the bowl and adjust the seasoning.

 

 

Cucumber Salad with Chiles and Roasted Peanuts

-Halve 2-3 cucumbers or the equivalent amount of lemon cucumbers or pickles and then scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon.

-Slice then and put them in a glass bowl.

-Cut 1 jalapeno pepper in half, scrape out the seeds and finely dice it. (We suggest wearing gloves to chop hot peppers!)

-Add the pepper to the cucumbers along with 3-4 TBS finely chopped cilantro.

-In a small bowl combine the following:

The zest and juice of 1 lime

1 TBS soy sauce

1 TBS brown sugar

4 TBS roasted peanut oil

-Toss the dressing with the cucumbers and add 1/3 cup roasted peanuts.

-Toss again and serve.

 

Cucumber and Yogurt Salad

-Slice 2 cucumbers the long way.

-Remove the seeds with a teaspoon. Thinly slice onto half moons.

-Put 1 garlic clove through a garlic press and add to the cucumbers.

-Dress the cucumbers with the following:

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

1 TBS lemon juice

8 oz. plain yogurt

2 TBS of finely chopped herbs

A pinch of sea salt

-Toss and chill before serving.

 

 

Crushed New Potatoes with Cream and Fresh Garlic

-Clean 1-2 pounds of new potatoes and boil them whole in a pan of deep, lightly salted water for 15-20 minutes.

-While the potatoes are cooking, peel and lightly crush 3-6 garlic cloves.

-Pour 1 cup cream into a small saucepan and add 2 TBS of finely chopped parsley, (and/or a few sprigs crushed thyme, sage, rosemary, dill) the garlic, a little salt and black pepper.

-Simmer until this mixture is reduced by a third.

-Drain the potatoes, put them in a shallow dish and crush each one lightly with a fork. You want to break the skin and flatten the potato just enough to soak up some of the hot cream.

-Pour the cream and herbs over the crushed potatoes and eat while hot.

Crunchy Eggplant

-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

-Generously oil a baking tray with some extra virgin olive oil.

-Slice 2 eggplants into 1/4 inch thick slices.

-Beat 2 eggs in a wide mouthed bowl.

-Fill another bowl with 1/2 cup flour

-And yet another bowl with the following:

¼ cup finely grated Parmesan (the powdery kind)

¼ cup breadcrumbs

-Generously grease a cookie sheet with extra virgin olive oil and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

-First dip a slice of eggplant in the egg, then in the flour.

-Then dip in the egg again and then completely coat them with the breadcrumb mixture.

-Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes until nicely browned.

-There is a magical point at which the inside of the eggplant seems to melt and the outside is very crispy. Find this point!

 

 

Crunchy Ronde de Nice Summer Squash

-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

-Generously oil a baking tray with some extra virgin olive oil.

-Slice 2-3 Ronde de Nice squash into 1/4 inch thick slices.

-Beat 2 eggs in a wide mouthed bowl.

-Fill another bowl with 1/2 cup flour (gluten free works too)

-And yet another bowl with the following:

¼ cup finely grated Parmesan (the powdery kind)

¼ cup breadcrumbs

-Generously grease a cookie sheet with extra virgin olive oil.

-First dip a slice of summer squash in the egg, then in the flour.

-Then dip in the egg again and then completely coat them with the breadcrumb mixture.

-Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes until nicely browned.

-There is a magical point at which the inside of the squash seems to melt and the outside is very crispy. Find this point!

 

 

Crunchy Easy Yummy Eggplant

This recipe sounds weird but is seriously amazing!

-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

-Slice 1 large or 2 small eggplants into half-inch thick rounds.

-Spread both sides of each slice sparingly with mayo. (If that sounds too strange for you, you can also dip the eggplant slices in a beaten egg instead, before following the next step.)

-Dip each slice into a bowl containing ½ cup of powdery Parmesan cheese, evenly covering both sides.

-Arrange the slices on an oiled baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crunchy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.

 

Crispy White Beans and Greens

From Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson (who writes 101 Cookbooks).

-Carefully sort through ½ pound of dried cannellini beans (don’t use old beans as they will take forever to cook).

-Rinse, then cover with several inches of water and soak for 8-15 hours.

-Drain the soaked beans, discarding the water.

-Add 2 times the fresh water as you have beans.

-Chop 4 cloves of garlic and add to the beans.

-Bring the beans to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cook for 45-60 minutes until the beans are tender, being careful not to overcook them. Drain beans/fennel/scapes.

-Melt 3 TBS butter or ghee in the widest skillet you have.

-Add the beans to the hot pan in a single layer, saving extra beans that don’t fit.

-Stir to coat the beans evenly, then let them sit until long enough to brown on one side, about 3-4 minutes, then turn and brown the other side, about 3-4 minutes more.

-“The beans should be golden brown and a bit crunchy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside.”

-Chop up 1 bunch of kale or beet greens; cut the stems off and then chop the stems into thin pieces.

-Then stack the leaves and then roll them up tightly and thinly slice them.

-Stir the stems and leaves into the beans.

-Add a big pinch of sea salt, then add the following:

3 cloves of finely chopped garlic

2-3 TBS chopped rosemary or parsley

-Cook until kale starts to wilt.

-Remove from heat and season with more salt and pepper, and drizzle with some good extra virgin olive oil or truffle oil.

-Serve with a wedge of lemon and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Crispy Turnip Fries

-Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

-Lightly oil a baking sheet.

-Take the tops off of 1 bunch of turnips.

-Peel and then cut into French fry-sized sticks.

-Place into a large bowl and toss with 1-2 TBS olive oil to coat.

-In another large bowl whisk together the following:

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp onion powder

A pinch of sea salt

-Put the oiled turnips into the bowl and toss to coat.

-Spread out on the prepared baking sheet.

-Bake until the outside is crispy and the inside is tender, about 20-25 minutes.

-Serve immediately.

 

 

Crispy Roasted Cauliflower

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

-Mix together ½ cup powdery Parmesan cheese and ½ cup breadcrumbs and set aside.

-Wash and dry 1 whole head of cauliflower.

-Leaving the head whole, slice it into 1/8 inch thick slices.

-Take 3-4 TBS mayonnaise and add 2 cloves of garlic put through a press. Stir together.

-Dip/rub the mayo onto the cauliflower slices and then dip them in to the bread crumb/parmesan mixture.

-Lay the slices on an oiled baking sheet.

-Bake until cauliflower is crispy and brown, about 35-45 minutes.

 

 

Crispy Ronde de Nice Squash

The best and easiest summer squash recipe ever! This recipe works well for all squash, if you have the time pre-salt the squash slices and let drain for 20-30 minutes, then pat dry before using.

-Slice 2 Ronde de Nice squashes into ¼ inch thick slices.

-Beat 1-2 eggs in a wide mouthed bowl. 

-Fill another bowl with 1/2 cup flour (gluten free works too).

-Fill another bowl with a combination of the following:

¼ cup finely grated Parmesan (the powdery kind)

¼ cup breadcrumbs (herbed ones are best, if plain add a tsp of finely chopped rosemary)

-Generously grease a cookie sheet with olive oil and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

-First dip the summer squash in the eggs, then in the flour.  

-Then dip them in the eggs again, and then completely coat them with the breadcrumb mixture.

-Place on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned. 

-Serve hot.

 

 

Crispy Parmesan Carrot Fries

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Oil a large baking pan.

-Peel 1 bunch of carrots and then cut into small fry-shaped pieces. 

-Coat with 2-3 TBS mayonnaise and 1 small clove garlic put through a garlic press, by tossing together in a large bowl until evenly covered.

-Put ¼ cup of dry breadcrumbs and ¼ cup powdery Parmesan cheese into another bowl and stir to combine.

-Take a few mayo covered carrots and toss them in the bread crumb/cheese mixture a few at a time until well coated. 

-Line up on the baking sheet and repeat until all carrots are done.

-Bake for 25-30 minutes until crispy and brown, un-sticking once or twice during cooking.

Crispy Oven Roasted Yukon Gem Potatoes

Coconut oil gets potatoes extra brown and crispy!

-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

-Gently clean 1.5 pounds Yukon Gem potatoes and dry them off. 

-Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes.

-Put 3 TBS coconut oil on a large rimmed baking pan and put it in the oven until the coconut oil is melted.

-Put the potatoes on the baking pan and toss until lightly coated.

-Spread the potatoes out evenly then bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

-Remove from oven, sprinkle with a generous amount of sea salt and stir.

-Return to oven and cook until brown and crispy, about 10-15 more minutes.

-Sprinkle again with sea salt and some chopped rosemary or parsley before serving.

 

Crispy Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

-Clean but don't peel 2 pounds of fingerling potatoes and dry them off. 

-Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices.

-Put 3 TBS coconut oil on a large rimmed baking pan and put it in the oven until the coconut oil is melted.

-Put the potatoes on the baking pan and toss until lightly coated.

-Spread the potatoes out evenly then bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

-Remove from oven, sprinkle with a generous amount of sea salt and stir.

-Return to oven and cook until brown and crispy, about 10 more minutes.

-Sprinkle again with sea salt and some chopped herbs (parsley, cilantro or chives) before serving.

 

Crispy Oven Fried Summer Squash with Garlic Aioli

If you don’t want to use wheat flour, you can skip the flour step and use tapioca or almond flour in place of the breadcrumbs.

-Preheat your oven to 400; adjust your oven rack so that it is just a notch or 2 away from the element on the bottom of the stove.

-Slice 2 pounds of summer squash into ¼ inch long lengths or rounds.

-Sprinkle slices with sea salt.

-Beat together 2 eggs.

-Fill a bowl with about 1/2 cup flour.

-Fill another bowl with a combination of 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs and 1/3 cup powdered Parmesan cheese and mix together.

-Put 3 TBS olive oil or ghee onto a baking tray.

-Dip the summer squash into the egg mixture and then into the bowl filled with flour.

-Dip the same piece back in the eggs, then into the breadcrumbs.

-Lay the squash on the oiled baking tray as you finish dipping them.

-Cook until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes, flipping once or twice.

-Watch them pretty carefully as they can burn being so close to bottom of the oven.

-Season to taste with sea salt and pepper and serve with fresh garlic aioli.

 

Garlic Aioli:

-Put 2 cloves of garlic into a blender.

-Blend until well chopped.

-Add the following and blend on high:

1 whole egg

a pinch of sea salt

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

-Add another ¾ cup olive oil in a light steady stream until all is incorporated.

-Then add 3 TBS fresh lemon juice and a pinch of sugar.