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Celebrate the new season: Spring Pesto Soup

March 23, 2011 in Appetizers, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Vegetarian Entrees

Spring vegetables with the rich flavor of pesto

This tastes like the essence of early spring, fresh and bright yet somehow also rich, with the nuttiness of the freshest pesto melded in. It was inspired directly by one of my favorite cookbooks of recent years, “Cooking for Isaiah” by Silvana Nardone. I present it here with some variations in the vegetables, the addition of pine nuts and some optional Parmesan, with a different cooking technique, but the essence is her inspiration, reminding me of the lovely Provencal soupe al pistou.

I already have no doubt that this is an immediate staple dish, to be replicated this time every year, as often as possible. It’s also a great phase one recipe for low carbers, and is easily vegan; the original had no dairy anyway, I just threw a bit in since I like my pesto this way -  it is just as delicious without. Read the rest of this entry →

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First Gazpacho of the Summer!

June 24, 2009 in Appetizers, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Entrees

I look forward to this every year. I’ve been eating this since I was a kid – my mom (the wonderful adoptive mom who raised me, not the equally wonderful birth mom with whom I share this very blog, for those of you who know the whole story) used to make it religiously. We called it “liquid salad”, and though that makes it sound a bit less appetizing than it actually is, it’s a fair description of the raw veggie content. I can’t think of a more healthy recipe, for the life of me, and it’s one that can be dressed up with any number of garnishes. Also? EASY. This is my own definitive version, having tweaked it for literally decades now.

GAZPACHO

6 cups tomato juice, divided
2 tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 medium onion, quartered
1/2 green and 1/2 red bell peppers (or just one of either)
1/2 cup cilantro
2 cloves garlic, chopped
juice and zest of 1 lime
dash or two (or three) hot pepper sauce (to taste)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine about 2 cups of the juice in the food processor with all the vegetables and the cilantro. Blitz until smooth! You could do this in the blender, and indeed I have, but I actually like it to have a bit of ‘texture’. Don’t get me wrong – it should not be chunky or anything even near it, but I like being able to see and feel a bit of the fiber, if that makes sense. Anyway, pour contents into a large bowl, and add remaining juice and the rest of the ingredients. Stir well, making sure oil has been well-incorporated. Chill for at least 2-3 hours, if not more.

Then it’s ALL about the garnishes. I prefer a combination of finely diced cucumbers, peppers, and carrots, but many other things are great. Scallions, chives, more cilantro leaves, additional diced tomato  or halved grape tomatoes – all fabulous and still uberhealthy. We always used to add croutons when I was a kid, also an option. And in recent years I’ve been adding carefully diced avocado, too, which adds a wonderful creaminess

All in all, a cooling yet zesty addition to any summer grillfest, picnic, or ordinary dinner.

– posted by Anne

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Spring Cleaning Soup

May 31, 2009 in Healthy Fare, Vegetarian Entrees

Every once in awhile, the vegetable drawer in my fridge fills up and things start to get a little wilty looking. You know the sight:  the middle stalks of celery that you always thought you would use, the leftover mushrooms that are getting shriveled, the bits of herbs that are left because you only needed a pinch out of the whole bunch for the last recipe.

When this epidemic hits my veggie bin, I bust out the stockpot and make a “Clean out the Fridge Soup.” When my kids were little, one of our favorite bedtime stories was “Stone Soup,” so I let them each choose a veggie out of the bin and “help” (hahahahahaha)  me prep it and then I let them add it to the pot. The kids loved to tell all their friends we were having “Stone Soup” for dinner!

SPRING CLEANING SOUP, a.k.a. CLEAN  OUT THE FRIDGE SOUP, a.k.a. STONE SOUP

12 cups diced vegetables
2 tablespoons butter or oil
Water to cover vegetables in pot (about 8 cups)
A few bouillon cubes, to taste
One 6 ounce can tomato paste*
Herbs to taste
A little Worcestershire sauce or cayenne pepper sauce, if desired
Garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

Saute the vegetables that will need the most cooking (i.e. potatoes, celery root, etc.) first in the oil for a few minutes. Add in onions, garlic and any other aromatics. Saute until everything is slightly softened.

Add in rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer until all veggies are softened. (I usually simmer for about an hour.)

*You can substitute leftover marinara sauce here, if you have some left in your fridge, about 1 cup.

– posted by Donna

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