Sweet Potato Power

Sweet potatoes do not have the high starch content of regular potatoes. What they do have is fiber—more than a serving of oatmeal. They also have anti-inflammatory properties, have high amounts of the powerful antioxidant, vitamin E and of bioavailable beta carotene. Not only that, but they actually rank higher in nutritional value than either spinach or broccoli!

They are also rich in potassium—342 mgs in just one!

Sweet Potato Hash

 Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 medium sweet potato or yam, diced into small cubes
1/2 chopped green pepper (optional)
1 tbsp water fresh ground pepper

Directions

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and bell peppers and 1 tbsp of water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Toss often to prevent burning. Serve, sprinkling with fresh ground pepper.

 

Sweet Potato Coconut Soup (a simple variation on the above recipe) The above recipe can easily be made into a delicious coconut/curry soup. Instead of olive oil, I use coconut oil. Once the potatoes are softened, I add a can of coconut milk with about 1/2 tsp of curry powder, or to taste. Let simmer for 10 minutes and thicken with a little coconut flour made into a paste. Or, simply sprinkle in about a half tsp of Xanthum Gum or other thickener of your choice. It’s an alkalizing, nutritious, and very filling soup!
“The Paleo Solution”

Alkaline Eats – Hearty Root Soup

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a great warming soup that only uses low acid and low alkaline root vegetables that are really great for you.

This is a great winter or spring soup!!

Hearty Root Soup

Ingredients

1 large celery root or celeriac cut into chunks
3 medium turnips cut into chunks
1 medium rutabaga (swede) cut into chunks
1 large onion cut into chunks
3 cloves of garlic crushed
Large handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
Celtic Sea Salt
4 cups vegetable broth – I make my own. You can also use a vegan brand or any other brand that does not have mushrooms in it. (Stay away from fungus!)

How to Make

In a heavy saucepan, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil, on a low heat, until soft.
Add the celery root, rutabaga and turnips and sauté for one minute.
Add the vegetable broth, place the lid on the saucepan and leave to steam for 8 minutes or until the veggies are soft but with a bit still nice and firm. We don’t want to over cook them.

Pour the mixture into a blender and blend the soup until well pureed. Add the chopped parsley. Pulse the blender twice to get the parsley mixed but not pureed so you still have a white soup but it will now be dotted with green parsley.

Pour into bowls and sprinkle with some Celtic Salt, olive oil and any left over parsley you may have.

** You can add more broth or even some almond milk for a creamier heavier soup.**

Brown Butter and Dill Brussels Sprouts

I love Brussels sprouts and usually just have them with butter…boring, but this recipe for Brussels sprouts is really going to “jazzy” up my Kraft Dinner meal tonight   😀 😀 !!

When you brown butter, as in this recipe, the flavor intensifies so adding just a little to Brussels sprouts still makes a big impact.

Makes: 4 servings, 3/4 cup each

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted (see Tip)
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

• Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add Brussels sprouts, cover and steam until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook, swirling often, until the butter turns a nutty brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Stir in oil and scrape into a large bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the Brussels sprouts, almonds, vinegar, dill, salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Tip: To toast slivered almonds, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

www.eatingwell.com

Related articles

• Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts (rooftoprecipes.wordpress.com)
• Brussels Sprouts with Bourbon, Apple & Fennel (gastography.com)
• Recipe: Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts (lifehardcore.wordpress.com)
• Last-Minute Thanksgiving Side Dish: Maple Syrup Roasted Brussels Sprouts (blogher.com)

Caprese Salad

This is one of those meals that looks really fancy but actually requires no brainpower. You need three things: fresh basil leaves, fresh tomatoes, and fresh (soft) mozzarella cheese. Slice the tomatoes and cheese and stack (tomatoes first, cheese on top) with one or two basil leaves. Arrange like patties on a plate (3 or 4 per person) and sprinkle with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Delicious. Fast. Cheap.

http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2008/10/28/14-quick-vegetarian-recipes-for-the-hopeless-cook/

Spanakopita

 

Spanakopita

Serves 9

            Layers of phyllo make a crisp double crust for this classic Greek spinach pie.

• 3 lb. frozen spinach, thawed
• 2 Tbs. plus ⅓ cup olive oil or melted butter, divided
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 8 green onions, sliced
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 large eggs
• 8 oz. low-fat feta cheese, crumbled
• 12 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed (one-third 16-oz. pkg.)

1. Squeeze spinach dry with hands, and place in bowl. (You should have 4 cups.)

2. Heat 2 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions, and sauté 10 minutes, or until browned. Add spinach, green onions, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook 5 minutes, or until mixture is dry. Remove from heat; stir in parsley. Cool.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk eggs in small bowl. Stir eggs into spinach mixture, then fold in feta.

4. Place remaining 1/3 cup oil in bowl, and brush bottom and sides of 9-inch square baking pan with oil. Unroll phyllo, and keep under damp towel to retain moisture. Place 1 phyllo sheet in prepared pan, letting excess hang over short sides of pan. Brush phyllo sheet with oil. Place second phyllo sheet across first on pan, so excess hangs over long sides of pan; brush sheet with oil. Repeat crisscross layering with 4 more phyllo sheets.

5. Spread spinach mixture in phyllo crust.

6. Spread 1 phyllo sheet on work surface; brush with oil. Top with another phyllo sheet. Repeat brushing and layering with remaining 4 phyllo sheets. Place phyllo stack on top of spinach mixture. Trim edges with scissors so no more than 1 inch of phyllo hangs over edges. Discard excess. Roll edges over pie to seal. Brush top with oil, and score decorative diamond pattern over top with knife. Bake 1 hour, or until top is flaky and golden-brown. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

www.vegetariantimes.com

Simple Summer Spaghetti

Simple Summer Spaghetti

12 oz. packaged spaghetti

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

5 cloves garlic, coarsley chopped

Pinch of crushed red pepper, or to taste

2 cups cut-up grilled zucchini and/or summer squash

2 cups red and/or yellow cherry tomatoes, quatered

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or Italian parsley

1.Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in spaghetti. Cook 9-10 minutes, just until tender. Strain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

2.Meanwhile, in extra-large skillet combine olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook over medium heat about 3 minutes, until garlic begins to soften. Do not let garlic brown. Stir in zucchini, squash, tomatoes and torn basil. Season with salt & pepper.

3.Reduce heat to low; stir pasta liquid and spaghetti into vegetables in skillet or large pot. Heat thoroughly. Sprinkle with Parmesan.  Transfer to large serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped fresh basil or parsley. Makes 4-8 servings.

rikkisnyder.com

No name Salad

Stuff I tell my sister had this recipe posted on her Facebook page, I have made this to go with dinner tonight…if it lasts that long!!

This salad had no name associated with it so I’ll just call it

Delicious

😀

2 cucumbers cut up
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (about 30)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 cup fresh mozzarella (I like to use the little balls)—— (Angie used Feta :D)
1 avocado
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste.

Related articles

• Summer Salad: Spinach, Strawberries and Mozzarella (formaggiokitchen.com)
• Eating like a Mediterranean ? (jovinacooksitalian.com)
• Grilled Vegetable and Mozzarella Sandwiches (livingtoolarge.wordpress.com)

Stuffed Grape Leaves with Rice and Herbs – Dolmathakia

I tried these for the first time last night and WOW!!!  Loved them!!!

The use of grape leaves to wrap food dates back to the days of Alexander the Great. Stuffed with rice, pine nuts, and fresh herbs, dolmathakia (dol-mah-THAH-kya) take a little bit of time to prepare, but they are worth the effort.

They can be served cold or at room temperature and are a classic Greek appetizer or meze.

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Yield: About 50 pieces

Ingredients:

• 50-60 fresh grape leaves or 1 jar (16 oz.) brined grape leaves
• 1-cup olive oil (divided into 1/2 cups)
• 6 large onions, minced
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
• 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 2 tbsp. dried mint
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of two lemons

Preparation:

Note: Brined grape leaves are packed by weight so the quantity will vary from jar to jar.

Rinse the leaves well to remove brine. Place the leaves in boiling water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes to soften them and make them more pliable. Remove from water and set aside.

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, heat 1/2 cup olive oil. Sauté the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, parsley, dill, pine nuts, mint, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Allow the filling to cool.

Line the bottom of a heavy saucepan with 2 or three grape leaves (I use the broken or torn ones for this.)

You can also see How to Roll Grape Leaves, step by step with photos.

Roll the Dolmathakia:

Place a leaf with the stem towards you on a flat surface. The underside of the leaf should be face up. (The veins of the leaf are raised on the underside.) Using the point of a sharp paring knife cut out the stem of the leaf. Overlap the bottom two sections of the leaf toward the center.

Place a tablespoon of filling in the bottom center of the leaf, just above the stem. Fold the bottom section up to cover the filling. Fold the sides in towards the center.

Continue rolling the packet up towards the top point of the leaf.

Place the rolls in layers in the saucepan. Be sure to place the packets with the seam on the bottom.

Pour remaining 1/2 cup olive oil over the dolmathakia and enough water to cover them by about an inch. Place an inverted heatproof plate on top of the rolls to keep them submerged in the water. Cover the saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour or until the leaves are tender and the rice filling is cooked through.

www.greekfood.about.com

Related articles

• Grape Leaves (arlieneyrosas.wordpress.com)
• Dolmas – Greek stuffed grapevine leaves (ckenb.blogspot.com)

Vegetarian Spanish Stew

Vegetarian Spanish stew recipe

Ingredients (for 8 people):

•15ml olive oil

•125g white onions, diced

•10g garlic, chopped

•125g courgette, diced

•50g celery, diced (1/2 cooked)

•375g potato, diced (cooked)

•125g swede, diced (cooked)

•50g celeriac, diced (1/2 cooked)

•25g spinach, roughly chopped

•50g red pepper, diced

•375g canned chick peas

•250g canned chopped tomatoes

•250g canned tomato sauce (passata style)

•375ml vegetable stock

•50ml white wine

•15g chopped parsley

•10g chopped oregano

•5g dried red chilli flakes

•5g cinnamon

•Pinch salt

•Pinch milled black pepper

•80g Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino Romano made with vegetable rennet), grated to serve on top

Method

1.Heat the olive oil in a large pan, sauté the onions and garlic until they soften.

2.Add all the (non-canned) vegetables and cook for a further five minutes.

3.Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.

4.Add seasoning to taste.

5.To serve, sprinkle grated Parmesan or Pecorino on the top.

www.edenproject.com

Morrocan Carrot and Chickpea Salad

Morrocan Carrot and Chickpea Salad

Dressing:

1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/3 cup / 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
10 ounces carrots, shredded on a box grater or sliced whisper thin on a mandolin
2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one 15- ounce can, drained and rinsed)
2/3 cup / 100 g  dried pluots, plums, or dates cut into chickpea-sized pieces
1/3 cup / 30 g fresh mint, torn

For serving: lots of toasted almond slices, dried or fresh rose petals – all optional (but great additions!)

To make the dressing, first toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant and lightly browned, a minute or two. Let cool, and grind to a powder with a mortar and pestle.

In a bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, ground cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the carrots, chickpeas, dried pluots, mint, and almonds, and rose petals (if you’re including those as well.) Gently toss until everything is evenly coated. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (You can toss this salad, minus the almonds, hours in advance. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.)

Serves 6.

www.101cookbooks.com