Warm Lentil Salad

This lentil salad has almost become a staple in our house. The only problem is that we rarely have much left over so it's usually gone the second day. Maybe next time I should double the recipe...

Lentils are great as a side dish with fish or chicken, or you can have them as more of a main dish, with a side salad or roasted vegetables. These little legumes are quite versatile, and they're packed full of nutrients!

Lentils contain: Fiber, Folate, Magnesium, B-Vitamins, Iron, Potassium and Protein.
Plus, they help to stabilize blood sugar - so no afternoon crash if you eat these guys for lunch!


Warm Lentil Salad (serves 4-6 as a side dish)
Ingredients:
2T plus 1/4C Olive Oil
2 Leeks, sliced 1/4" thick
2 Carrots, diced
1t Garlic, minced
1C Dried Lentils, rinsed. Sprouted lentils are great!
4C Broth (I like to use homemade veggie or duck broth)
3t Dijon Mustard
2T Red Wine Vinegar
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
- Rinse the lentils, and pick out any stones or discolored lentils.
- Cook the lentils: Bring broth to a boil, then add lentils and lower the heat. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until lentils are soft.
- While lentils are cooking, heat the olive oil in a saute pan. Add the leeks and carrots, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. When soft, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Set aside.
- When lentil are done, drain (reserve the broth to drink if you want) and put lentils in a mixing bowl with the veggies.
- For the dressing, combine the remaining olive oil with the mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. I like to do this in a small jar with a screw-top lid, and give it a good shake to combine the ingredients. Pour the dressing over the lentils and stir.
- Allow the lentils to cool slightly, about 10 minutes, and serve warm. They also can be put in the fridge and eaten cold or room temperature later.

Green Potato Salad - no mayo required!

The other weekend, my future mother-in-law asked us to house sit for one night while she went out of town. The main reason she asked is that her two dogs and the kitty need food and attention - we were happy to house sit. In addition to playing with the furry guys, we were excited because she has an amazing vegetable garden - from which we could harvest whatever we wanted!

You might recognize this photo from my Facebook page.

This time of year, as we get into late summer, there are so many delicious treats in the garden. Everything is organic (she even makes her own compost), and while rummaging around the raised beds we found eggplant, corn, lettuces, herbs, and so many tomatoes! She had harvested some potatoes for us as well, and even though she hasn't planted any in a few years there are still some "volunteers" in the dirt. I took the potatoes home with us, and a few days later I made a delicious Green Potato Salad. I have to give a shout-out, as this recipe came from my friend Jamie Greenwood, the fabulous woman behind Jamie|Living. I first had it when my mom and I attended Jamie's mother/daughter cooking class a few years ago. You might remember my excitement from that day, we had a great time and I learned how to make a frittata!

I've made this potato salad a few times since that Mother's Day event, but this is the first time it's been on Zwick's Picks. I love it for so many reasons. First of all, it's super tasty and delicious! Second, there is no mayo in it, just a light sprinkle of olive oil and vinegar! Third, I get to eat greens IN the potato salad, it's like the best of both worlds. You could even add more greens to this if you wanted to. Read on for the recipe...

Jamie's Green Potato Salad - yum!!

Green Potato Salad (serves 4)
Ingredients:
2.5 lbs Organic Potatoes, washed and cut into large chunks
1 Organic Red Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/3C Capers
1/4C Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped
3T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1.4T Red Wine Vinegar
2 Handfuls of Organic Arugula
Sea Salt and Fresh Pepper

Directions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potato chunks and a pinch of salt. Return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender. Usually about 15 minutes, depending on the size. Drain the potatoes in a metal colander.
- Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl (the larger it is, the easier it'll be to stir everything together). Combine the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and mix together.
- Serve either warm or cold.

Bean and Kale Soup

Who knew that February 4th was National Homemade Soup Day? I had this recipe ready to go, and it turned out to be perfect timing!

Delicious!

Looking for a hearty cold-weather soup to make, one that will last you a few days? Do you have beans? Kale? Stock (chicken or vegetable)? Then you can make this soup! You can easily make this soup vegetarian or even vegan by simply using vegetable stock and omitting the sausage, or satisfy the meat eaters by using those ingredients. As with most soups, it's easy to alter the recipe to suit your taste buds.

Bean and Kale Soup (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

2T Olive Oil or Butter

2 Celery Ribs, cut to 1/4"

2 Carrots, cut to 1/4"

1 Onion, Shallot, or Leek, finely minced

1 Bay Leaf

1-2t Fresh Thyme (use half this amount if using dried)

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

6C Stock

1/2lb Dried Beans, soaked overnight and rinsed OR 2 Cans of Beans (I suggest white beans, but you can use whatever suits your fancy)

3 Smoked Organic Sausage, or 1 Smoked Ham Hock

1 Bunch Kale, juilenned

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

- Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium heat.

- Add onions, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Saute for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until carrots are soft.

- Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, til fragrant.

- Add stock, drained beans and meat, if using.

- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until beans are tender, about 2 hours.

- When beans are soft, remove bay leaf. If using ham hock, chop up the meat.

- Add the kale, and simmer until tender, about 2 minutes. Kale should remind bright green.

- Taste, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garlic Mushroom Miso Soup

Fresh, hot miso soup - yum!

The cold weather means that I eat a lot of warm soups for lunch and dinner, and on a recent night my stomach was also feeling a bit queasy (perhaps from the bagel I ate for brunch - ugh!). I still wanted something for my evening meal, however, and decided that a light soup would be just perfect.

I recently bought a container of Brown Rice Miso, and decided that a Miso Soup was just what the doctor ordered! As fresh shitake mushrooms can be pricey, especially when organic, look for dehydrated mushrooms. They're much less expensive, take only 10 minutes to rehydrate, and the leftover water makes a delicious broth base you can use in your soup instead of plain water! While I added garlic, seaweed and mushrooms, those things are all optional, as are green onions or tofu. Like many recipes I love, it's all about what you have on hand in the kitchen! The garlic will be strong, but it's also a great immune system strengthener - great for cold and flu season!

This is a super simple and quick recipe that can be made as a light meal, a hearty meal (with lots of additions), or as a side dish to a meal. Use the base recipe and make it your own!

Miso Soup (serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a side)
Base Broth Ingredients:
5C of Water (use water from the mushrooms if you re-hydrated some)
1/4C of Miso Paste (any variety)
1T Tamari

Optional Additions:
1T Toasted Sesame Oil
1/2 Block of Organic Tofu, cubed
3 Green Onions, sliced thin
3 Cloves of Garlic, pressed
1/2C Shitake Mushrooms, sliced
Anything else you desire!


Directions:
- Heat water (or mushroom broth) in a pot over low/medium heat. You want the water to get hot, but not boil. Boiling destroys the beneficial microorganisms and probiotics in the miso, which your body needs!
- Stir in the miso paste until it is well dispersed.
- Add the garlic, seaweed, and any other optional ingredients. Continue to stir occasionally, and do not allow the mixture to boil!
- Heat through, and serve immediately.

Kale and Sweet Potato Soup

A steaming bowl of deliciousness!

Despite my best efforts, a few weeks ago I came down with a cold. It was going around, a few of my friends had it, and I thought my healthy diet and lifestyle would protect me from the virus, but it happened. It started with the tickle in the back of my throat, and within a couple of days I had the stuffed sinuses and runny nose as well. It wasn't horrible, nothing to keep me from doing most of my daily tasks, but it was still obnoxious and I wanted to get rid of it and get back to being healthy!

I met a friend for a cup of tea one afternoon, and she told me about the soup she loves to make when she or her husband have a cold. She got the recipe from a friend who also has a blog, and she sent me the recipe. As I read through it, I realized I had all the ingredients at home! No shopping required. So after our tea, I came straight home and started cooking dinner. I had a big bowl of the soup that night (see the above photo), and ate it again for lunch and dinner the next couple of days. I swear I felt better the morning after that first bowl! Besides all the healthy vegetables in the soup, it also has curry which is known for it's immune strengthening qualities, and miso has probiotics that help the immune system as well, so who knows what it was that helped me. I think it was the whole combination.

I know that the next time I feel a cold coming on, this is what I'll be having!

Kale and Sweet Potato Soup (makes 6-8 good sized bowls)
Ingredients:
2T Olive Oil
1 Onion, finely chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
3 Sweet Potatoes, rinsed and chopped
2T Tomato Paste
8C Filtered Water
2T Miso Paste
1t Ground Cumin
1t Curry Powder
4C Kale, rinsed and finely chopped
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Note: The original recipe has you add the miso much earlier, but heating will destroy the miso's healing probiotics and living organisms. Add miso toward the end of any recipe, after you've turned off the heat, to ensure you're getting the benefits!
- In a large pot, over medium heat, pour in the oil.
- Saute the onion, garlic and carrot until soft and fragrant.
- Add the spices, sweet potatoes, and tomato paste. Saute a few minutes.
- Add the water.
- Bring to a boil and simmer 30-60 minutes.
- Add the kale during the last 20 minutes.
- Just before serving, after heat is off, add the miso paste and stir to combine.
- Pour into bowls and serve. Pour leftovers into glass containers to refrigerate or freeze.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa

With the return of fall weather recently, I've noticed that I'm craving less raw salads and more hearty meals. And the other night was no exception. As the seasons change, have you noticed a change in the foods your body craves?

Acorn Squash - those seeds are tasty too!

Because I've taken the October Unprocessed pledge, I took a look in my kitchen and tried to come up with something to make that would not require me to buy anything or go to a restaurant. I saw an Acorn Squash I bought recently, and decided to turn it into a complete meal. How to do that, you ask? Enter quinoa! I always have quinoa in my kitchen, in fact I have three kinds of it: white, red and black. Each ones tastes subtly different, so depending on what I'm making I'll choose a different type. To go with the squash, I decided to go with the blend, as it seems to go well with savory dishes.

To start, I roasted the squash in my oven. As that was baking, I cooked the quinoa in a pot on the stove. And miraculously, everything was done at about the same time!

A delicious meal! Yum!

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa (serves 2)
Ingredients:
- 1 Acorn Squash
- 1/2C Quinoa
- 1C Water
- 1/3C Minced Onion
- 1/8C Your choice: Raisins, Currants, Cherries, or Cranberries
- 1/8C Pecans
- 1T Olive Oil
- 1T Balsamic Vinegar
- Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Rinse and dry squash, then slice lengthwise down the middle.
- Remove and save the seeds for roasting.
- Put the squash face-down on a foil-lined baking pan. Bake about 30 minutes, or until soft.
- While squash is baking, prepare the quinoa.
- Rinse the quinoa to remove the natural saponins that give it a bitter taste. When water runs clear, put quinoa in a pot with water (ratio is same as for rice - 1:2).
- Bring water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer quinoa until water has been absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. In the last few minutes, add the onion.
- When water is absorbed, remove quinoa from heat and add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine, and let sit until the squash is done.
- Spoon the quinoa into the squash, and serve.

Great Grains! Mom's Breakfast Porridge

Okay, I realize this may not be the most appetizing photo...but I promise it tastes divine!

I spent the night at my mom's house recently, and before going to sleep for the night, she asked me what I wanted for breakfast. Oh, the joys of having someone else prepare food for you! :-) She's eaten healthy for as long as I can remember, so I simply told her, "I'll have whatever you're having."

The next morning, I walked into the kitchen to the delicious smell of grains cooking on the stove. I thought it was oatmeal, but it turned out to be something much more delicious. And much healthier too! All sorts of whole grains, cooking in almond milk and spices. I couldn't wait to dig in! She spooned some into a bowl for me, and I added in toppings from the assorted jars she'd placed on the counter: coconut, nuts, cinnamon, chia, flax, and maple syrup.

It was a delicious start to my day, and was very filling! I didn't feel stuffed at all, but it kept me going until lunch time, and I didn't even need my usual mid-morning snack. Thanks Mom for sharing the recipe with me!

Mom's Breakfast Porridge (serves 2)
Ingredients:
3/4C any combination of steel cut oats, quinoa (rinsed), millet, teff, amaranth
2C Water
1/4C Almond Milk (or your milk of choice)
Dash of salt, nutmeg, and cloves
Splash of Vanilla Extract
Ginger (about 1t fresh, or 1/2t dried)

Toppings: (any combination you desire, to add after cooking)
Chia Seeds
Ground Flax Seeds
Shredded Coconut
Cacao Nibs
Gogi Berries
Nuts (such as almonds, walnuts, pecans)
Cinnamon
Fruit (such as berries or banana)
Honey or Maple Syrup to sweeten

Directions:
- Be sure to rinse the quinoa well if you're using it. The grain naturally contains a coating called saponin that makes it taste bitter (and has a laxative effect).
- Put your desired grains into a pot with the milk/water mixture, and heat on the stove.
- Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.
- Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes (keep an eye on it so you don't almost burn it like I did!).
- Let it stand about 5 minutes, this will thicken the mixture.
- Spoon into bowls and mix in your favorite toppings! If it has gotten too thick, add some more milk and stir.

Butternut Squash, Chard and Leek Risotto

It was a dark and stormy night...the perfect weather for a warm, hearty meal! Okay, so it wasn't actually stormy, but it was dark and it was cold outside. In deciding what to make for dinner, I looked in my fridge and around my kitchen and thanks to my CSA I had squash, chard and leeks (among other things). After scouring the internet for inspiration on how to use these three ingredients, I came across some ideas for dinner, and ended up with this risotto. With a few minor tweaks, it could easily be made vegetarian or even vegan. It can be a stand-alone dish, or you could serve it with a side salad. Like most risotto recipes, this makes a LOT of food, and we all know I'm a huge fan of leftovers!

A hearty serving of risotto.

Besides being delicious, this recipe provides you with a lot of helpful vitamins and nutrients too! Check it out:
Butternut Squash: Low in calories, high in fiber, has TONS of Vitamin A (used by the body to repair skin and mucus membranes, and essential for good vision), Vitaminc C, is rich in many B-complex vitamins (folate, riboflavin, niacin, thiamine, and pantothenic acid), and it contains essential minerals. It's a bonus if you eat the seeds, as these have vitamins and minerals too, as well as the essential amino acid Tryptophan (this converts to GABA in the brain, which can help to stabilize moods).
Chard: A dark leafy green high in anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, Vitamin K (needed for calcium absorption), calcium, and may help regulate blood sugar.
Leeks: An Allium vegetable (like it's cousins garlic and onion), supports our cardiovascular system, folate, manganese, iron, flavonoids, and antioxidant polyphenols.
Butter: Yes, butter is actually good for you if it comes from organic, pasture-raised cows. It contains the fat-soluble vitamins A, E, K and D, and also selenium and iodine (needed by our thyroid). It contains fatty acids that boost our immune system and are easily broken down for energy and not stored as fat. Butter does have cholesterol, but did you know our bodies require cholesterol for intestinal, brain and nervous systems?

But anyway, on to the recipe...

Butternut Squash, Chard and Leek Risotto (serves 4-8)
Ingredients:
1 Butternut Squash - peeled, seeded and diced
3T Olive Oil
2 Leeks - sliced thin
2 Cloves Garlic - chopped
1 Bunch of Chard - remove stems
4C Chicken or Vegetable Broth, plus 1C Water
4T Organic Butter
2C Arborio Rice - rinsed
1 1/2C Dry White Wine
3/4C Parmesan Cheese - freshly grated
1/4t Nutmeg
2T Fresh Sage - minced
Toasted Pine Nuts as garnish

Directions:
- In a large skillet or heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat 2T oil over medium heat. Add Squash and cook until soft, about ten minutes.
- In a separate saucepan, bring the Broth to a simmer, then keep warm over very low heat.
- When Squash is done, put it in a bowl and set aside for now.
- In the same (hot) pan over medium heat, add 1T Oil and coat the bottom. Add the Chard and cover. Let the chard steam for a couple of minutes, then uncover and continue to cook until the chard is wilted. When done, put chard into a strainer.
- After removing the chard, into the same pan put 3T of butter. Melt completely, then add the Leeks and Garlic. Also add some Salt and Pepper to taste. Saute, stirring frequently, until leeks are softened.
- Add the Arborio Rice to the pan, and stir until rice is translucent. This should only be a few minutes.
- Add the Wine, and continue to stir until all liquid has been absorbed.
- When all wine has been absorbed, add 3C of Broth and the squash and stir to combine.
- Let the mixture simmer, and stir every few minutes. When the bottom begins to get sticky, add more broth a half cup at a time, stir and simmer. Continue like this until the rice is al dente.
- When the rice is done, turn off the heat and add: 1T Butter, Parmesan, Nutmeg and Sage. Stir to combine.
- Squeeze any excess liquid out of the chard, and roughly chop. Add to the rice and stir.
- Taste the risotto, and adjust any spices, if necessary.
- Plate the risotto in shallow bowls, and top with freshly toasted Pine Nuts.

"Everyone Loves It!" Kale Salad

The yummy Kale Salad

I've been seeing a lot of people eating kale salads recently. And in the winter, it's a great way to get all those vitamins from your leafy greens! I've bought some pre-made kale salads from the market before, and while some were tasty, others weren't so good, and either way, they were expensive and didn't last more than one meal! I'd been looking around for a good one to make at home, and then one day my Dad told me about this kale salad that my Stepmom makes. His main selling point was that "everyone loves it!" For a family that includes some people who aren't usually kale lovers, that statement was what made me want to give it a try!

This recipe has a lot of ingredients, but most are probably already in your kitchen. You can also play with it, leaving out things your don't like or don't have, and adding in other things that sound good to you. Be warned, it does take some advance planning to make this, as both the kale and the onions need to "marinate" for a few hours before you mix everything together and you'll need to cook the orzo or quinoa (if you're using them) in advance. But when everything is said and done, you'll have enough salad to serve 4-6 people as a main course, or more if it's a side. We enjoyed eating it the night I made it for dinner, and also very much enjoyed the leftovers a few days later. The great thing about this salad is that the longer it sits, the more the flavors blend together. I hope you love it as much as we all do!

"Everyone loves it!" Kale Salad

Ingredients:

5C Kale (any variety is fine), chopped into thin slices

4T Fresh Lemon Juice

¼ Red Onion, thin/small slices

3T Balsamic Vinegar

1-2 Carrot, sliced into matchsticks

1-2 Celery, sliced into matchsticks

4T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2t Cumin

2t Turmeric

Pinch Cayenne

1/4C Sunflower Seeds

1/4C Hemp Seeds

1/2C Toasted Almonds (or other nut of choice)
1C Dried Cherries/Currants/Cranberries

1/2C Sun-Dried Tomatoes, sliced into strips

2T Toasted Sesame Seeds

1T Toasted Sesame Oil

2C Cooked Orzo (or Quinoa), cooled to room temperature

1/2C Feta Cheese, crumbled

Salt, Soy Sauce, Honey to taste

Directions:

2-4 Hours Ahead – Slice the kale, massage with lemon juice, let sit in fridge

1 Hour Ahead – Marinate onions in vinegar, discard any leftover liquid

- In large bowl, combine kale, onion (minus the extra vinegar), carrot, celery, olive oil, cumin, turmeric, cayenne. Toss to combine. Be careful of the turmeric getting on your hands, fabrics, or other surfaces, it will stain!

- Add seeds, nuts, fruit, sesame oil, grain. Toss to combine.

- Add feta, gently toss.

- Add salt or soy if desired. If the onion is too strong, add some honey to counter it.
- Serve and enjoy!