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Here's a recipe that will be on my Thanksgiving table this year. It's from the cookbook, New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant. It's a nice addition to your meal if there's a vegetarian in your family. Also, great main course when you want to eat a little lighter, a little healthier.  
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 There is something magical about roasting vegetables. It’s an easy way to get great flavor and create a dish that can be a whole meal. You can serve this with couscous or brown rice. I use minimal dairy in my recipes, but this is good with the completely optional sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese.
Enjoy! Ingredients: -1 large head cauliflower, trim core and cut into bite-sized florets -1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil -1/2 tsp salt -1 large clove garlic, minced or finely grated -1/3 c olives, pitted and chopped (Trader Joe’s has pitted kalamata olives) -1 ½ TBS fresh lemon juice -1/8 tsp red-pepper flakes -3/4 tsp caraway seeds -1/4 c chopped fresh parsley or mint; or both Steps: 1) Roast cauliflower -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees -Chop the cauliflower and place on a baking sheet -Toss with ¼ c olive oil and ½ tsp salt -Roast for 30 minutes 2) Prepare dressing -Mix pitted olives, garlic, lemon juice and red-pepper flakes together -Whisk in ¼ c olive oil 3) Mix dressing with cauliflower -Remove cauliflower from oven and toss in dressing -Sprinkle with caraway seeds 4) Continue roasting for 20-30 minutes -Cauliflower should be soft and browned on the outside 5) Serve -Sprinkle with parsley &/or mint -Serve over brown rice or couscous  Chicken Soup -- It's homemade
Ingredients: -3 to 4 lbs. chicken pieces and/or bones -1 cup roughly chopped onions -1 cup roughly chopped carrots -2 parsnips, chopped -2-3 TBSP roughly chopped parsley -2-3 TBSP chopped fresh dill -1-2 pinches ground turmeric -1 tsp salt -ground black pepper -16 cups water or high-quality chicken stock or a combination Steps: 1) Put all the ingredients into a large stock pot 2) Bring almost to a boil, then lower to simmer with the pot partially covered 3) Cook 2-3 hours until meat falls off the bone 4) Remove chicken and bones from the soup, squeezing out as much liquid as possible 5) Cool and then refrigerate 6) Remove top layer of fat from soup 7) Reheat, serve and enjoy.  This recipe comes from Simply Ming: One Pot Meals, one of my favorite cookbooks. If can also be made with chopped turkey. For a complete meal, I serve this with steamed broccoli.
This serves 4 and takes about 45 minutes to prepare. Ingredients: -1 lb penne -Extra virgin olive oil -2 shallots -2-3 cloves garlic -1/2 c panko -1 lb ground chicken -2 eggs -1 bunch scallions -32 oz jar tomato sauce -20 basil leaves Steps: 1) Prepare pasta -Boil water in large pot with salt added -Add penne -Cook about 10 minutes or as directed on package -Drain in cold water -Drizzle with olive oil 2) Steam Broccoli -Cut broccoli into spears -Add to medium saucepan with steamer -Bring water to boil and steam for about 15 minutes 2) Make meatballs -While penne is cooking, mince shallots and mince or grate garlic -Thinly slice scallions -Heat 2 TBS olive oil in large skillet -Saute onions & garlic until softened and lightly browned -Mix together panko, chicken and eggs -Add onion & garlic mixture -Season with salt and pepper -Heat 2 TBS olive oil in skillet over medium high heat -Wet hand and form meat mixture into meatballs -- size of golf balls -Add meatballs, working in batches -Saute meatballs until all sides are brown, 4-5 minutes -Add scallions, tomato sauce and basil to pot -Add all meatballs to pot, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes 3) Serve -Mix pasta and meatball with sauce together in large bowl -Serve pasta and steamed broccoli Enjoy!  This recipe is from the cookbook "Levana's Table." So easy, so good. I pair it with sauted greens and rice. Her secrets to having this come out fabulous are these. Use a wide skillet that the fish will fit snugly in one layer. Don't cook the fish any longer than instructed.
This meal takes about 30 minutes to prepare and serves 4 people. Ingredients: Poached Salmon -1/2 c dry white wine -2 TBS olive oil -juice of 1/2 lemon -1 TBS green bottled peppercorns -1/2 c packed basil leaves -1 c canned crushed tomatoes -1/2 TBS bottled hot sauce -1 1/2 lbs salmon fillet Rice -1 bag parboiled brown rice Sauteed Greens -1 bunch kale or swiss chard -2-3 cloves garlic -2 TBS olive oil -1/4 or 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper Steps: 1) Prepare rice & prep vegetables -Submerge package of rice in 1 quart of water in microwave-safe bowl -Microwave for 10 minutes -Note: you can also put bag of rice in 1 quart of boiling water for 10 minutes -Slice garlic -Wash greens 2) Prepare fish -Place wine, salt, olive oil, lemon juice, basil, tomatoes and bottled hot sauce in a wide skillet and bring to a boil -Add the salmon to the skillet and bring sauce to a boil again -Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 20 minutes 3) Prepare greens -Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat -Slice garlic -Add garlic to pan & saute 2-3 minutes -Add greens and crushed red pepper -Saute uncovered for 5 minutes -Cover pan and continue sauteing until greens soften and brown 4) Finish preparing fish -Transfer salmon to a platter using 2 slotted spatulas -Reduce liquid in skillet to about 1/2 c -Cut fish into individual servings 5) Serve -Put individual serving of rice on plate -Put piece of salmon on this -Pour tomato-basil sauce on fish -Add greens Enjoy!  I got this fish recipe from the cookbook Jerusalem. It is a beautiful book that intertwines food and recipes from the many different cultures that inhabit this ancient city. I pair the fish cakes with a Quinoa Tabouli, a regular dish in my kitchen.
This meal takes about an hour and 15 minutes to prepare. Ingredients: Fish Cakes -14 oz cod or haddock fillets -1/2 cup bread crumbs or panko or gluten-free panko -1/2 large egg -2 ½ TBS capers -1 TBS dill -2 green onions -grated zest of 1 lemon -1 TBS fresh squeezed lemon juice -3/4 tsp ground cumin -1/2 tsp turmeric -1/2 tsp salt -1/4 tsp pepper, preferable white pepper -3 TBS extra virgin olive oil for sautéing Sauce -2-3 TBS mayonnaise -1 TBS ketchup -4 TBS prepared horseradish or to taste Note: Honestly, I don’t really measure when I make the sauce. Just mix the ingredients together & taste to get the right ratio. Quinoa Tabouli -1/2 c red quinoa -2 TBS extra virgin olive oil -1 1/2 TBS lemon juice -1 clove of garlic -1/2 tsp cumin -1 c chopped parsley -3/4 c chopped tomatoes -2 scallions -1/4 c chopped olives (I like Kalamata olives) -salt and pepper to taste Steps: 1) Prep -Start by preparing the quinoa -Rinse ½ c dry quinoa -Add to saucepan with 1 c of water or chicken or veggie broth -Bring to a boil -Cover and simmer for ~15 minutes until liquid is absorbed -While quinoa is cooking, prep fish cakes -Cut fish into 1/16 inch thin slices -Dice slices into tiny pieces -Chop green onions -Chop capers -Zest lemon -Chop dill -Mix together well -- fish, bread crumbs, egg, capers, dill, green onions, lemon zest, lemon juice, cumin, turmeric, salt & pepper -Dampen hands and make 12 patties out of fish mixture -Arrange on plate, cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes 2) Make sauce for fish cakes & dressing for the quinoa -Mix together mayo, ketchup and horseradish in small bowl -Refrigerate until serving -Add olive oil and lemon juice to a large bowl -Grate or mince 1 clove of garlic and add to bowl -Add cumin to bowl -Add cooked quinoa to bowl and mix -Let cool for 30 minutes 3) Prep rest of tabouli salad -Chop parsley, tomatoes, scallions & olives 4) Saute Fish Cakes -heat olive oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat -cook fish cakes in batches 5-6 to a batch until browned on both sides & cooked through -this should take 5-8 minutes for each batch -drain on plate with paper towel 5) Mix tabouli ingredients together -mix quinoa with parsley, tomatoes, scallions, olives 6) Serve Fish Cakes & Tabouli -plate fish cakes -put horseradish sauce on top -add tabouli on the side Enjoy!  Who knew? Farro is one the world’s oldest grains. With 5 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein it’s also healthy. And it’s so easy to add to this recipe. You can make this in one pot and keep it in the refrigerator for several days.
You can serve this on its own or with a salad and a good whole grain or pumpernickel bread. YUM! This takes about 45 minutes to prepare start to finish and serves 4 people. Ingredients: -1 -2 TBS olive oil -4 links or 10oz of chicken sausage (we get these at Trader Joe’s, pick your favorite flavor) -1 onion -2 cloves garlic, minced -1 tsp fennel seeds -1 bunch of kale -1 28oz. can of tomatoes (whole or diced) -32 oz. low-sodium chicken broth -1 cup of dry farro Steps: 1) Prep -dice the chicken sausage into small pieces (cut lengthwise twice & then slice widthwise) -dice onions and garlic -rinse and chop kale -rinse farro 2) Sauté -add olive oil to Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat -brown sausage for about 10 minutes -add onions, lower heat and sauté till softened, about 5 minutes -add fennel and garlic, stir fry for 1 minute -add tomatoes (if whole, break these with your hand into smaller pieces) -add chicken broth -add kale and farro -bring to a boil -cover and reduce heat to medium-low -simmer for 20-25 minutes Enjoy!  This is an easy and quick meal to prepare. You can have dinner ready in under ½ hour. It’s light and tasty. The meatballs can be frozen and reheated.
This takes about 30 minutes to prepare start to finish and serves 4 people. Ingredients: -1 TBS sunflower oil -1lb ground chicken or turkey -1/3 c minced scallions -3 TBS peeled, minced fresh ginger -1 egg -2 cloves garlic, minced -2 tsp toasted sesame oil -2 tsp soy sauce -1/4 tsp salt -1c or 1 bag of instant brown rice -1 bunch of broccoli -few large leaves of bibb lettuce Steps: 1) Prep -preheat oven to 450 degrees and brush baking sheet with sunflower oil -wash several leaves of bibb lettuce -mince scallions, ginger, garlic and mix together with chicken, egg, salt, sesame oil and soy sauce -make 1 ½ inch meatballs from mixture -put meatballs on baking sheet and brush with sunflower oil 2) Cook meatballs, rice and broccoli -bake meatballs for about 13 minutes or until browned and fully cooked -bring large saucepan of water to a boil -add bag of rice or follow directions on package -put a few inches of water into saucepan with steamer -bring to a boil -cut broccoli into individual pieces with stems -add broccoli to steamer, cover, and steam for 10-15 minutes 2) Serve -serve meatballs on bibb lettuce with Asian chili sauce along with brown rice and broccoli Enjoy! The easiest way to cook YUMMY HEALTHY FOODS is to have a well-stocked pantry. Here are items that I always have in my kitchen. When I run out of any of them, I add them to my weekly grocery list.
Basic Pantry Items Grains Whole wheat pasta Brown Rice (Can buy quick-cooking rice in a bag) Whole wheat couscous Barley Bulgur Quinoa Amaranth Falafel Mix Instant oatmeal Rolled oats Buckwheat Canned, Bottled and Boxed Items Canned artichokes Canned jalapeno peppers Canned tomatoes Pasta sauce Tomato paste Salsa Olives (bottled, kalamata & green) Pickles Sun-dried tomatoes Capers Ketchup Mustard – Dijon, spicy… Fish sauce Low-sodium soy sauce Low-sodium chicken broth, veggie broth, fish broth Sherry Wine Unsweetened soymilk Variety of teas including herbal teas Seltzer Unsweetened cocoa Extra Virgin Olive oil Organic Virgin Coconut oil Avocado oil Sesame oil Balsamic vinegar Red wine vinegar Apple cider vinegar Canned sardines, anchovies Molasses Maple Syrup Honey Refrigerated Items Eggs Tofu Tempeh Soy cheese slices Shredded soy cheese Hummus Almond Butter Garlic Ginger Scallions Shallots Onions Unsweetened soymilk Variety of teas including herbal teas Seltzer Unsweetened cocoa Extra Virgin Olive oil Organic Virgin Coconut oil Avocado oil Sesame oil Balsamic vinegar Red wine vinegar Apple cider vinegar Canned sardines, anchovies Molasses Maple Syrup Honey Refrigerated Items Eggs Tofu Tempeh Soy cheese slices Shredded soy cheese Hummus Almond Butter Garlic Ginger Scallions Shallots Onions Unsweetened soymilk Variety of teas including herbal teas Seltzer Unsweetened cocoa Extra Virgin Olive oil Organic Virgin Coconut oil Avocado oil Sesame oil Balsamic vinegar Red wine vinegar Apple cider vinegar Canned sardines, anchovies Molasses Maple Syrup Honey Refrigerated Items Eggs Tofu Tempeh Soy cheese slices Shredded soy cheese Hummus Almond Butter Garlic Ginger Scallions Shallots Onions Freezer Items Boneless chicken thighs Whole chicken Fish Chicken sausage Chopped turkey Tahini Almonds Walnuts Cashews Peanuts Herbs and Spices Allspice Basil Bay Leaves Caraway Seed Cayenne Cinnamon Chili Powder Cumin Coriander Chili Pepper Flakes Curry Powder Dill Fennel Seed Nutmeg Old Bay Seasoning Rosemary Saffron Sage Turmeric Vanilla I love to start grilling at this time of year. This dish mixes together grilled meat and asparagus with an amazing marinade. If you don't eat red meat, you can substitute chicken or other grilled vegetables.
This takes about 35 minutes to prepare and serves 4 people. It tastes best if you let the dish sit at room temperature for 1/2 hour. If you don't have time, it's fine to serve it right away. Ingredients: -2 lb London Broil -1lb asparagus -1c uncooked brown rice -olive oil to grease grill -1/2 c cashews Marinade -4 scallions -2 large garlic cloves -2 TBS cilantro -1 inch piece fresh ginger -3 TBS toasted sesame oil -1/3 c dry sherry or mirin -3 TBS low-sodium soy sauce -2 TBS bottled hot sauce Steps: 1) Prep -Preheat a gas grill by turning half the burners to high. Cover grill for 5-10 minutes -Remove meat from package and season with salt and pepper on both sides -Wash asparagus and trim ends -Place asparagus in grill basket -Brush asparagus with olive oil and lemon or lime juice - Clean and oil the cooking grate of the grill 2) Prepare Marinade -Thinly slice scallions -Mince garlic -Chop cilantro -Mince ginger -Mix all marinade ingredients together 3) Prepare Brown Rice and Cashews -Make pre-boiled brown rice in microwave or in boiling water following instructions on package -Toast cashews for about 4-5 minutes in toaster oven or stove (careful they don't burn) 4) Grill meat and asparagus -Cook meat, uncovered on hot side of grill, until lightly charred on both sides and the center of the thickest part is pink when cut into, 5-10 minutes total, flipping once halfway through -Let meat cool for 10 minutes -Cook asparagus, uncovered on hot side of grill, until lightly charred on both sides -- about 5 minutes on each side 5) Mix everything together -Cut meat into very thin slices -Combine meat, asparagus, cashews and marinade -Let this sit at room temperature to enhance the flavor for 1/2 hour |