Red Kuri & Butternut Squash Soup

Making soup from scratch is an impressive feat that most people seem to be convinced is akin to magic. A soup like this, is a solid fall treat (or addition to your Thanksgiving table) that is hard to mess up. I certainly don't have master chef skills and am pretty impatient with following directions. This soup leaves room for creativity - and going off script. 

Red Kuri & Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• butternut squash
• red kuri squash
• soup stock (veggie or chicken)
• can of coconut milk
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 onion (or one whole shallot)
• spices, etc.: salt, pepper, olive oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, fresh sage

Bake the squash until soft. Scoop out the "meat" and set aside to cool. Chop and saute onion over medium heat. Using a blender, combine ingredients (except the coconut milk*) equally and in batches depending on the size of the blender container. Transfer blended soup into a pot and continuously stir over low-medium heat. Stir in salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon. garnish with fresh chopped sage.

*I've found that it's less messy, and a bit easier, to empty the can of coconut milk directly into a pot on the stove top. Then, add the rest of the (blended) ingredients to that ... 

Health stuff:

Because of all the squash packed in here, this soup is particularly high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and has loads more potassium than a banana. Will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. Would recommend freezing the extra :)

Roasted Pumpkin w/ Rosemary

Hold the pumpkin spice latte -- make this instead! 

Roasted pumpkin is high in vitamin A, B6, and potassium.

Recipe: slice the pumpkin (thinner slices cook faster). Rub with olive oil and lightly season with sea salt and pepper. Bake at 375F for 30+ minutes. Garnish with rosemary. 

Zucchini noodles & chicken w/ citrus dressing

I generally don’t make dishes that call for 1,638 ingredients as I can only remember the list of 3-6 things I need from the grocery store/market. Here’s one of those simple/not-too-many-ingredients dishes. It’s #gluten free #paleo and perfect for #summerdining

Ingredients:

• zucchini
• purple cabbage
• cilantro
• garlic
• lime
• organic chicken
• olive oil + sea salt and pepper

Recipe:

Use a spiral slicer (I have a $10 handheld vegetable slicer that works wonders) and spiralize 1 zucchini per dish into “zoodles”. Add thinly sliced cabbage and cilantro to the zucchini noodles. For the dressing, juice 1 lime into a small bowl. Add finely chopped garlic and 2 tbsp olive oil. Whisk together. Let the dressing sit for 20-30 minutes so the flavors settle in.

For the chicken – grill it or use a cast iron skillet. Lightly season with salt and pepper. When cooked, cut into bite-size pieces and add to the “pasta dish” you created.

Picnic Style Quinoa Salad

No need to turn the oven on with this dish. The only step of this recipe that requires heat is the quinoa. Cook a big batch (of quinoa) one evening, store in the refrigerators, and use the grains up during the week to make things like this.

To the cooked (and cooled) quinoa, add the following:

• thinly sliced raw zucchini
• raw sweet corn
• cherry tomatoes
• freshly chopped basil
• sliced kalamata olives

Dressing = olive oil + freshly squeezed lemon juice. No salt needed since the olives add enough salt.

Toss all the ingredients together and add the dressing.

Note on the corn: if possible, buy organic, non-GMO corn. Non-GMO corn is not automatically organic … admittedly, it’s a little annoying to have to remember to ask all these questions, but alas – our food system is wonky and our health is at stake … so here we are.

(Dish is gluten free + vegan)

No-Cook Zucchini Pasta

Here’s one for those hot summer days when turing the oven on is not an option. It’s for the days when you don’t feel like being in the kitchen, but still want to eat something fresh and healthy (and maybe pair it with a chilled glass of white wine?).

It’s an easy dish to make for 1 – or to double the ingredients and make for a few people. It’s also a perfect dish for a summer dinner party, and takes 5 minutes to make.

You’ll need:

• 1 zucchini
• handful of cherry tomatoes
• 1  ripe avocado
• a few fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• olive oil, sea salt, black pepper

Spiralize 1/2 – 1 full zucchini to create noodles. Toss with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, black pepper. (I have a really simple, hand-held spiralizer that I bought for $10 and it works beautifully)

Separately, cut the avocado into bite size pieces, halve the tomatoes, and chop the basil. Mix together.

Set the tomato mixture on top of the zucchini “pasta” and enjoy.

(Serving suggestion — pictured above, I added a side of falafel and hummus for some added protein and substance) 

Simple. Spring. Fennel Salad.

Fennel is my jam these days. I didn’t know what to do with it until a few weeks ago when I asked a farmer at the market how she recommended preparing it. She gave what I thought was an over simplified answer – “Oh, I usually just slice it and throw it into a salad, toss with a bit of olive oil …”

Given what I knew of the strong licorice flavor, I was hesitant that the fennel process could be that simple or turn out so enjoyable. Once I made this salad though, I realized that it actually is that simple to eat raw fennel and enjoy it. There’s something about preparing this salad with a dressing of citrus, olive oil, and sea salt that cuts the strength of the licorice flavor.

Instead, you’re left with a really refreshing salad that’s packed with a bunch of nutrients. Vitamin C plays a big role in fennel and helps to reduce inflammation and may decrease the risk of cancer. Potassium and folate are also prominent and the dietary fiber in fennel inhibits cholesterol build up.

To make this salad:

• thinly slice the fennel bulb
• add a few pieces of fresh orange
• coarsely chop mint leaves
• mix in raw cashews
• toss in a mixing bowl with:
  • juice from an orange
  • olive oil
  • dash of sea salt
  • and a bit of pepper

Spring Lentil Salad (5 main ingredients)

Spring is not the time for heavy dishes. This one is filling and nourishing, but light and fresh.

It’s a great salad to make in a big batch and use through the week as it keeps pretty well for a few days. The salad is tasty on its own or as a side dish. It’s a nice addition to a bed of lettuce/greens or as a topping for a cold pasta dish.

The list of ingredients in this dish is pretty short, but each vegetable carries with it an impressive stack of vitamins and minerals. 

Ingredients:

• Green Lentils: Lovely source of iron and protein
• Carrots: High in antioxidants and linked to cancer prevention as they reduce free radicals in the body
• Cucumber: Chill, hydrates the body and flushes out unnecessary toxins
• Purple Cabbage: Lowers cholesterol and contains an impressive line up of vitamins, minerals, and fiber
• Scallions: Good source of antioxidants and vitamins A, C, and K
  
  Rinse the lentils in fresh water. Bring water (3 cups of liquid to 1 cup of dry lentils) to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender. 

Separately, chop the carrots, cucumber, purple cabbage, and scallions. 

The dressing is tried and true:
Juice one lemon, whisk with dijon mustard and a generous pour of olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Whisk away.

Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing. Share with friends.

Herb Roasted Chickpeas

Here's a simple recipe with immediate benefits. You can snack on these right after baking, or store for a few days and use as a salad topping. 

To make this dish well, it’s best to use fresh herbs, and a generous pour of salt, pepper, and dried herbs too. This can be a meditative exercise: try to stay present and acknowledge the space you’re in. 

• Wash the chickpeas under cool water
• Pat the chickpeas dry with a clean towel and let them sit for a few minutes to air dry
• Add the chickpeas to a mixing bowl and cover with olive oil
• Squeeze 1/2 of a fresh lemon into the bowl
• Generously add any combination of spices you desire – the recipe pictured here includes: red pepper flakes, paprika, sea salt, black pepper, thyme, rosemary, and fresh basil. And it was delicious
• In a single layer, add the spiced chickpeas on a baking sheet with parchment paper
• Bake in the oven (@ 350F) until crispy and well cooked

Garbanzo beans are one of the most affordable ways you can prioritize your health today. They lower cholesterol and promote digestive health, as chickpeas are high in both soluble and insoluble fiber. With high levels of folate and magnesium, chickpeas are heart healthy. These beige little guys stabilize blog sugar and help to control weight as well. What’s not to love?

Buy a few cans, keep them in a cupboard, and cut down on time at the grocery store. 

Raw Vegan Lettuce Wraps

This is an example of one of my favorite ways of “cooking” or “preparing” food. It’s simply an exercise in assembling and arranging a bunch of beautiful colors that also turn out to provide a ton of nutrients and check all the right boxes for providing energy and nourishment.

Healthy fats? Check. Essential vitamins? Check. Protein? Not a ton, but yes … check.

Everything pictured here (minus that plate – a thrift store find, and that dreamy linen table cloth) is from a local farmer’s market. Living in California provides a lot of opportunity to get the freshest ingredients: picked the day before and then displayed on a table in the fresh air and sunshine the next day. I feel very lucky each week when I go to the farmer’s market. I certainly don’t take this direct exposure to farm fresh produce for granted.

Lettuce wraps are a flavorful and easy summer lunch. It’s an opportunity to use seasonal produce and doesn’t require cooking or much time in the kitchen at all.

Raw Vegan Lettuce Wraps:

• Lettuce – recommend using butter lettuce (Boston, bibb), Romaine, green leaf, little gem
• Cherry tomatoes
• Sliced purple cabbage
• Guacamole
• Raw walnut pieces

Spread guacamole on the lettuce, layer with freshly sliced produce, top with some crunch and roll up.

Additional topping ideas for a bit more protein and/or good fats include: raw hemp seeds, cashew paste or sliced cashews, sliced almonds, flax seed powder …

Warm Lentil Salad with Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 small jewel yams (or 1 large sweet potato)
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1/2 large red onion
• ¼ cup chopped pistachios
• 1/2 cup lentils
• 1 handful of micro greens/baby greens
• 1 handful of fresh arugula

Dressing:

• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp raw, local honey *See my note on honey below.
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 clove of garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A bit of olive oil

Bring a pot of water to boil on the stove top. Add the lentils and cook for 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them and be careful not to overcook. Remove them from the stove right before they start to split open, so that they maintain firmness and are not mushy.

At the same time, slice the jewel yams into matchstick slices. Chop half of the onion and sauté over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

Dressing: Finely chop the clove of garlic and combine it with the apple cider vinegar in a small bowl. Mix for a few seconds before adding the raw honey, Dijon mustard, and a bit of olive oil. The dressing should be the consistency of a vinaigrette.

Wash the micro greens and arugula and set aside. Chop the celery into bite size pieces and roughly chop the pistachios.

When the lentils are cooked, drain and pour into a mixing bowl. Add the yam/sweet potato and onion mixture.  Add freshly cracked pepper and a bit of salt. Add the pistachio pieces and celery. Top with the dressing and mix well.

Arrange the micro greens and arugula onto a plate and top with this lentil mixture. It’s best if served slightly warm, but also keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of days if stored in an airtight container and makes for a quick and easy packed lunch.
 

*Note on Honey: 
There’s really no point in consuming honey that’s not raw, local, and organic. Although the cute little bear containers are adorable, mass produced honey has been stripped of all nutrition and is basically just liquid sugar that happens to be the color of honey. It’s also usually a combination of honey from a couple of countries – Mexico, the U.S., and India seem to the ones I regularly see on honey labels in grocery stores – which is an odd visual to me. Picture those shipments of honey all combining into a big vat in some warehouse. A couple of years ago, a Food Safety News investigation found that 1/3 of the honey sold in the U.S. is imported from China. It’s the same honey that fails to pass safety standards in Europe and elsewhere as it may contain illegal antibiotics and heavy metals.

Mass produced honey makes tracking food safety, the quality of the honey, and the working conditions for the workers in all of those countries VERY difficult to care about, let alone enforce. Buy from a local farm or beekeeper when you can! It makes life easier and is healthier for all involved – including you, the consumer and your local economy!