Minestrone Soup

Since everyone is still on their new year resolution diets I figured the first official recipe post of 2013 should at least be something healthy, right? I LOVE making a big batch of minestrone and having plenty to bring in for lunch for the week or freeze for a later occasion. This version has been healthified and lightened up by using veggie pasta over regular pasta. I think the original recipe might’ve come from Martha Stewart, but I’ve been making it for years now. Feel free to experiment, use the veggies you have on hand, fresh or frozen. You really can’t screw this soup up!

Minestrone Soup

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, hand crushed
• 4 cups low-sodium, low-fat chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarians)
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup fresh or frozen chopped zucchini, green pepper, yellow squash mix (I used frozen, leftover from my farmshare)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon crush red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1 15-ounce can low-sodium cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup Eden Organic small vegetable shells
• 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (omit for vegans)

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth and water. Stir in the green beans and vegetable medley, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans, pasta and baby spinach. Cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan cheese.

Southwestern Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is a great, healthy alternative to pasta if you’re trying to limit your carbs. Why you’d ever want to do that I have no idea, but if you are, this dish is so good you won’t even miss them! If you’re running short on time, cook the squash a day or two before and heat up when ready to serve. If you’re going for a vegetarian and low carb meal (that’s just crazy talk!) you can omit the ham and use vegetable broth instead. Although I think the ham adds a really nice smokiness to the dish and makes it a bit more of a hearty meal for the winter.

Southwestern Spaghetti Squash
adapted from here

• 1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halfed
• 1/4 cup frozen vegetable medley of corn, carrots and green beans
• 1/2 cup diced ham
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon Penzey’s Adobo seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
• juice of 1/2 fresh lime
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise (this will take some serious muscle) and discard the seeds. Coat the flesh in olive oil, salt and pepper. On a baking sheet lined with foil, roast squash flesh side down for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium high heat, add remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. When the squash has cooled, use a fork to scrape up the flesh. Top the ‘spaghetti’ with the bean mixture and serve warm.

Cook-off Chili

I’ve got a lot of secret ingredients that make this chili out of this world, but my biggest secret is tasting it along the way. If it’s getting too spicy, I add more sugar. If it’s too sweet, I add more heat. It’s all about finding the right balance of ingredients and the only way to really do that is to taste it. I’m also notorious for just using whatever I have of hand. Leftover taco beef? Sure, throw it in the pot! Only have frozen peppers or canned tomatoes? Totally okay! Use what ya got! This is my basic chili recipe and then some of the substitutions I used this time are in parenthesis.

Cook-off Chili

• 1 pound ground beef
  (I added 2 hot chicken sausage links, casings removed)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 to 8 peppers, chopped
  (I used a combination of bell, banana, jalepeno and poblano)
• 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
  (I used 4 fresh diced tomatoes and 1 can of crushed)
• 1 to 3 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons hot Mexican chili powder
• 1-1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 1-1/2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon parsely
• 1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  (I used 1 teaspoon Apple Pie Seasoning)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup red wine
• salt and pepper to taste

Notes: If you use lean beef or turkey be sure to add 1 tablespoon of olive oil when browning. If you like it spicy, but don’t have any hot peppers, add up to 3 tablespoons of hot sauce (I use Frank’s) to give your chili heat.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, cook the beef and sausage until browned. Add the onions, garlic and peppers and cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the remaining ingredients and cover. Simmer over medium low heat for 1 hour. After 1 hour, taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.

Roasted Cabbage

Our farm share provided us with our first (of many) heads of cabbage this past weekend. Last year, I got so sick of it that I started leaving it behind at the pickup location. I just had no idea what to do with it and they kept getting bigger each week. We got sick of coleslaw really fast and I tried making soups with it, but it just wasn’t hitting the spot. This roasted cabbage is pretty tasty when served with pierogi and kielbasa and would delicious on a cold day. I’m going to try my hardest not to let any go to waste this year so I’d love to hear your recipes and suggestions.

Roasted Cabbage

• 1 large head of green cabbage
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice cabbage into 8 wedges, making sure to keep a part of the core intact with each wedge and place on a cookie sheet lined with tinfoil. In a small dish or mason jar, mix together the remaining ingredients. Use a pastry brush to brush the both sides of the cabbage with the olive oil mixture and season generously with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Roast for 15 minutes on each side.

Raw Kale Salad

Kale showed up in our farm share for the first time this summer and I was actually pretty excited about it. (I know. I’m lame.) I was excited because I tried this amazing raw kale salad at a restaurant a few months ago and have been patiently waiting to make it when it was in season. I really never thought I could like kale this much because our relationship has always been a little love-hate. I think it was because I never really knew what to do with it. That is, until I discovered this salad.

Raw Kale Salad

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive or canola oil
• 1 finely diced green onion, white part only
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 bunch of kale, washed, stems removed and chopped
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 green pepper, seeded and diced
• 2-3 stalks of celery, diced

In small bowl combine vinegar, oil, onion, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients and top with dressing. Mix by hand, sort of massaging the kale so it begins to break down. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. It will taste best if used within a day.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Oscar begging for a taste.

The weather has been feeling more and more fall-like the past few days and as autumn quickly approaches I get that craving for grilled cheese and tomato soup. This is my first attempt at making tomato soup and I believe it was a rather successful one, although next time I may try pureeing it so it’s not so chunky. Another important thing to note is that I used all organic ingredients! From the onions to the canned tomatoes, right on down to the heavy cream, everything was organic. In my mind, it makes everything taste better knowing that the ingredients are safe for me to eat.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• handful of fresh basil, julienned

In a large stock pot, saute garlic and onion in olive oil on medium low heat for about one minute or until onions have begun to sweat. Add in the can of crushed tomatoes. Then add the whole tomatoes one at a time, using kitchen scissors to cut into bite-size pieces. Add the juice from the whole tomatoes, as well. Add chicken stock, salt, pepper, sugar, red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese. Cover and cook on medium at a simmer for 25 minutes. Using an immersion blender or working with a regular blender in small batches, puree soup to desired consistency. To finish, reduce the heat to low and stir in the butter, heavy cream and basil.

Greek Stuffed Banana Peppers

First, let me start out by apologizing for no posts last week. I know my all of three followers are very upset (please excuse my sarcasm!). But seriously last week was a whirlwind of activity and I didn’t have the time to make a single home cooked meal. Needless to say my body hates me this week from all the crap I ate. In between running around and party-hopping on Saturday afternoon I somehow miraculously managed to squeeze in these stuffed banana peppers for a quick lunch. All of the ingredients I had on hand in my practically empty fridge. Given the time constraints and the lack of ingredients, this came out surprisingly well although, I’ll admit, I was expecting to be a little disappointed. Thankfully I proved myself wrong this time!

Greek Stuffed Banana Peppers

• 2 banana peppers, washed with seeds removed (if you like it spicy, keep a few seeds)
• 1/2 cup precooked brown rice
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried oregano
• 1/4 cup marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small dish combine rice, feta, garlic powder and oregano and mix. Divide the mixture between both peppers and stuff. In a small baking dish, add a layer of marinara sauce, then the peppers, then top with remaining marinara. Cover in foil and bake for 10 minutes.

Linguine with Garden Vegetable Marinara

A purple pepper kind of sounds like something mystical and made up, much like that of the Loch Ness Monster or Big Foot. I’m here to tell you that they do exist and they taste just like their green counterparts, only they’re way more fun to look at.

This simple garden marinara is a quick and easy way to use up all those veggies that are growing in abundance this time of year. I like mine to be more on the chunky side, but if you don’t then just chop your veggies into smaller bites.

Linguine with Garden Vegetable Marinara

• 1/2 box of linguine
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small green onion, minced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 medium yellow squash, diced
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1/2 purple pepper, diced (any color will also work)
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper
• handful of fresh torn basil

Cook linguine according to package directions or until al dente. In a large skillet, add all remaining ingredients and saute over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until veggies have begun breaking down. Toss with linguine and serve!

Fresh Melon, Feta and Basil Salad

At a party two weekends ago, I had tasted a delicious savory fruit salad made with watermelon and cantaloupe, loads of fresh ground pepper and basil. I have literally been thinking about this salad everyday for two weeks. Much to my surprise and delight, for the first time in two years, cantaloupe showed up in our farm share and all I could think about was recreating this delicious dish. The original didn’t have feta in it, but I thought it was a nice compliment to the typical sweetness of the fruit. I’ll definitely be making this again and probably again and again and again because it was that good.

Fresh Melon, Feta and Basil Salad

• 1 small cantaloupe
• 1 mini seedless watermelon
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
• handful of basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
• loads of fresh ground black pepper

Peel rinds away from cantaloupe and watermelon, then slice both in half. Seed cantaloupe and dice both melons into approximately 1-inch cubes. Stack basil leaves on top of one another, roll tightly into a small cylinder then slice thinly into strips. This technique is known as a chiffonade. Combine remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette

Whenever I think about beets I’m immediately brought back to the 90’s Nickelodeon cartoon, Doug. In the show, the Beets were a super-hip rock band from London that we’re loosely based on the Beetles. Doug, Skeeter and his dog, Porkchop, had a bit of an obsession with them and now I can see why. Roasting beets in the oven not only concentrates their natural sweetness, but makes them way easier peel. The vinaigrette really helps to bring it all together, making this the perfect rock and roll dish to serve on a hot evening.

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
adapted from http://www.onceuponachef.com/2011/03/roasted-beet-salad-with-goat-cheese-walnuts-honey-dijon-vinaigrette.html

• 1 bunch medium red and golden beets (about 3 of each)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1-1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced red onions
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• mixed greens
• goat cheese, crumbled

For the beets, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub beets clean then trim stems down to about 1-inch. Wrap beets in a large piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast directly in middle of oven rack until tender, about 1 hour. Test for doneness by piercing the largest beet with a knife. Unwrap beets and let sit until cool enough to handle. Wearing gloves, peel skin off, then julienne (cut into thin strips). Set aside.

For the vinaigrette, whisk together the honey, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, red onion, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place the mixed greens in a large bowl, drizzle with about half of the vinaigrette and toss to combine. In a separate bowl, toss the beets with the remaining vinaigrette. Divide the greens between plates, top each with beet mixture, goat cheese and fresh ground black pepper.