Tomato Sauce

This is a very savory and easy to make sauce.

What you need:

1 medium sized yellow bell pepper
4 garlic cloves
4 spring onions

Cook in a large sauce pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of Celtic Sea salt on Medium heat for seven minutes.

Add two pounds of tomatoes (any variety) and cook on Medium heat for another 10 minutes.  When the tomatoes start to soften and char, adjust the heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for one hour.

Stir every ten minutes.

At the end of one hour, your sauce will be ready.  If you want a consistent texture, use an immersion blender.

Add salt and pepper according to your tastes.

Enjoy!

Southwest Summer Salad (no lettuce)

This is a great side dish to bring to a party or to have with any meal.  This can easily be made ahead of time.  There's one step that has to be done the night before, but it is totally worth it.

Here's what you'll need:


1 bag of Trader Joe's Fire Roasted Corn (found in the freezer aisle)
2 ripe Roma tomatoes finely diced (you must use FRESH tomatoes for this recipe)
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro (stems and leaves)
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 Haas avocado (not too ripe)
1 fresh lime sliced in half (you just need the lime juice)
1/4 teaspoon fine Celtic sea salt
2 Persian cucumbers (diced - do not peel the cucumbers)

1 shallot (finely sliced)
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive
1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar


The night before preparing this salad, finely slice the shallot and soak it in the olive oil with a pinch of salt.  I know, this part is annoying but you'll be glad you took the time to do this.  The shallot infuses the oil and the results are amazing.

Thaw the entire bag of frozen corn.  You can do this by soaking the corn kernels in room temperature water for about 30 minutes.  If you're in a hurry, you can microwave the corn, but be careful not to overcook the corn.  If you absolutely must use the microwave, zap for 30 SECONDS at a time and check in on your golden, roasted flavor morsels.  My favorite method of thawing is by letting the corn thaw slowly, covered with a kitchen towel, on the kitchen counter.  However you decide to thaw, just make sure to do it.  You don't want to bite into a frozen piece of corn.

Once the corn has thawed, combine the first eight (8) ingredients in a large bowl.  Next, pour all of the olive oil and shallots into the bowl.  Squeeze one half of the lime juice into the mixture, and drizzle the aged balsamic vinegar over the salad.  Toss until everything is evenly coated.  Taste the salad.  If the salad is to your liking, congratulations!  You are ready to serve your Southwest Summer Salad.  If it needs more acidity, squeeze the other half of the lime into the bowl, toss again, and serve.

Enjoy!

Added bonus: This is VEGAN and gluten-free!!!

Plant Based Fire Roasted Corn Chowder

I didn't feel like cooking, but also wanted something quick and warm for dinner.  I looked in our fridge and freezer and came up with a healthy, hearty, and delicious dish.  Here's what you'll need:


1 cup of frozen Trader Joe's Fire Roasted corn
2 cups of water
2 cloves of garlic
1 whole ripe Roma tomato
a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt
Blender
A medium sized sauce pot

Optional garnish:
Fresh cilantro
diced avocado
vegan cream cheese (for additional body)


Preparation:

Place garlic cloves, whole tomato, and water in the blender.  Blend until the tomato has liquefied.  Add 1/2 cup of corn to the mixture.  Blend for roughly 30 seconds.

Pour the smoothie looking mixture into the sauce pan, add salt, and the remaining corn.  Cook on high heat, with a lid on, for roughly three minutes.  Reduce the heat to simmer for 5 minutes.  Turn off the stove, separate the chowder into two bowls and enjoy.

Chopped Southwest Salad

Ingredients

1 large head of Romaine lettuce - chopped into small pieces
1 cup of fresh tomatoes - diced
1 cup of thawed corn kernels
1/2 cup of canned black beans - rinsed and drained
1/3 cup of lightly salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 celery stalk - thinly sliced
1 green onion (only the white and light green parts) - thinly sliced

If you plan to make this salad ahead of time, layer the ingredients in a bowl and store with a moist paper towel on top of the lettuce.

From bottom to top:
tomatoes
black beans
corn
celery stalk
green onions
lettuce
add pepitas right before serving

For the dressing:

In a blender, combine:
1/2 cup of full fat Greek yogurt
(To make this recipe vegan, use a non-dairy alternative such as cashew cream)

2 cloves of garlic
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup of loosely packed cilantro leaves

Blend on a medium speed until the dressing looks smooth.

Once the dressing is uniformly green, slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil.
(This makes enough dressing for plenty of salad.  Store this in the fridge for up to one week)

When you are ready to serve the salad, add two tablespoons of the dressing, the juice of half a lime, and toss well.  Add pepitas and serve with plenty of tortilla chips.  Add some roasted chicken for additional protein (for omnivores).

Enjoy!

Thick Yellow Curry (Vegan)

Ingredients:

2 - tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 - tablespoons of curry powder
1 - tablespoon of turmeric
2 - smashed and peeled garlic cloves
1/2 - sliced yellow onion
1 - teaspoon fresh chopped cilantro (stems and leaves)

You will also need a saucepan with a lid.

Set your stove on a low setting.  Use a heavy saucepan and heat the oil (in the pan, of course).  Once the oil is ready add curry powder and turmeric.  Stir constantly for five minutes.  Add cilantro, onion, and garlic.

More ingredients:

1 - 16 ounce can of full fat coconut milk (do not get this confused with coconut cream or the coconut milk in a carton)

3 - small fresh tomatoes (of any variety) or 1 medium sized Roma tomato.

5 - Baby dutch Yellow potatoes (sliced - no need to peel these little guys)

Add the coconut milk, tomatoes, potatoes, and a little bit of salt.  Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Cover the pot.  Allow this to simmer for 30 minutes.  Once the potatoes are tender - use an immersion blender to blend this mixture until it reaches a smooth and creamy consistency.

At this point, add your vegetables of choice and allow to cook for five minutes.

Serve over rice and enjoy.

Sweet and Salty salad

Ingredients:

1 small head of Radicchio, sliced into ribbons
1 small head Bibb lettuce torn into bite sized pieces
1 stalk of Romaine lettuce, sliced into ribbons

Wash and dry the three ingredients above.

1 rib of celery sliced thinly
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
1 Bosch pear, peeled and sliced into cubes
1/4 cup of Gorgonzola cheese

1 tablespoon high quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste


Combine all of the ingredients and enjoy.

Green Super Soup

This is one of my favorite soups, ever!!!

There are quite a few steps involved, but it is totally worth it!

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
3 Medium zucchinis
1 small tomato
1 shallot
1 medium diced carrot
2 cups of frozen peas
2 large white button mushrooms (sliced)

Tools necessary:
Oven
Blender or Immersion blender
Large soup pot
Non-Stick skillet

Process:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Slice 2 zucchinis into medallions and toss with a pinch of salt, dried oregano, and 2 teaspoons of olive oil.  Arrange zucchini in a single layer on a baking sheet and allow to bake for 30 minutes.  Then, set the oven on a low broil, and allow the zucchini to get slightly charred.  Turn off the oven and set the zucchini rounds aside.  If you're hungry at this point, feel free to snack on some of these delicious appetizers.

In a non-stick skillet -
heat 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
Brown the mushrooms
Allow each mushroom plenty of space.  You want to brown them, not steam them.
Set mushrooms aside

In a pot -
Combine:
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
the third zucchini diced
carrot diced
tomato
shallot
peas
salt to taste
toss and saute for five minutes
add enough water to cover the ingredients an cover

Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes.

Add the roasted zucchinni and the browned mushrooms to the soup.

Insert the immersion blender and blend on high speed until you get the desired consistency.  If it is too thick, add more water.

(If you are using a blender, allow the soup to cool before blending)


Enjoy.
(For Karen)
Please let me know if any of this is unclear.

Photos to follow