Winter Squash and Wild Rice Platter

This is a winter squash-lover’s delight. It is a simple dish but the flavor is wonderfully complex because of the variety of ingredients.

Ingredients

 

½ c. uncooked wild/exotic rice (a blend of black japonica, red, and wild rice is my favorite)

1 c. water

1 good-size butternut or kabocha squash (or 2 acorn squash)

8 oz. sundried tomatoes marinated in oil (julienne cut)

6 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350˚.

Bring the water to a boil, add the rice, cover tightly, and cook on a very low temperature until all the water is absorbed (about 50 minutes). Fluff with a fork and allow to sit for 5 minutes covered.

While the rice is cooking, cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Put the halves upside down on a cookie sheet with a little water in it (up to about ¼ of an inch). Bake at 350˚ for about 40 minutes or until the squash is clearly soft when pierced with a fork. Check frequently after 30 minutes in the oven so as not to overcook. Once the squash has cooled enough to handle, scoop out the squash meat and mash it until smooth.

Grate the cheese.

When the rice is cooked and the squash is baked and mashed, then you are ready to assemble the ingredients in layers. In a pie plate or on a platter, spread the squash as the bottom layer. Spread the cooked rice across the squash as the next layer. The third layer is the sundried tomatoes. Spread the tomatoes evenly and drizzle the oil marinade from the jar evenly. Finally, spread the grated cheese across the top.

Place the dish in the oven at 350˚ for 10 minutes to melt the cheese and warm the sundried tomatoes or, alternatively, microwave the entire dish for 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Greens, Asian Pear, Pecan Salad

This variation on my kale salad has a gourmet kind of twist to it. Enjoy this terrific combination of flavors, including sweet Asian pears, sesame oil, and kale. 

Ingredients

½ bunch of kale chopped coarsely

½ bunch of chard chopped coarsely (red chard makes for a pretty presentation)

1 c. shredded romaine lettuce

1 Asian pear

¼ c. pecan halves (or more if you like)

2 tbsp. sesame oil

2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp. maple syrup

½ tsp. onion granules

Directions

Remove the stems from the kale and chard and then chop it. Shred the lettuce. Chop the Asian pear. Combine the greens in a bowl. Add the oil, vinegar, maple syrup, and onion granules, and toss the salad until the greens are fully coated with the dressing. Add the chopped Asian pear pieces and fold them into the top of the salad gently. Sprinkle the pecans over the top.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Kale Salad

This is, without a doubt, the prettiest salad. Make it with a combination of purple kale and green kale for even greater beauty. It not only looks gorgeous but it tastes delicious, and what could support better health than a plate of kale, cabbage, and carrots?

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale chopped coarsely

1-1/2 c. loosely packed shredded red cabbage

2 large carrots grated

3 tbsp. sesame oil

2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. onion granules or 1/3 c. chopped onions (see below about onions)

Directions 

Remove the stems from the kale and then chop it. Shred the cabbage and grate the carrot. Combine the vegetables in a bowl. Add the dressing ingredients and toss the salad until the kale is fully coated with the dressing. I prefer not to overpower the taste of this beautiful salad with the flavor of onion, so I simply dust it with finely ground onion granules (or powder). If you love onions, you might wish to add more onion flavor by chopping onions and including them in the salad. Add onions or onion powder to suit your taste. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds for an added treat.

Serve this dish right away for the best texture; however, it will keep fairly well in the refrigerator for up to 20 hours or thereabouts without becoming too soggy to still enjoy.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Chard and Dill Pesto

I had a crazy dill plant going wild in my garden and heaps of five-color chard, hence this recipe was born. This is a light, refreshing pesto. Spread it on crackers, use it for the base on a pizza, or just toss it with pasta as usual.

Ingredients

3 cups packed fresh chard, cleaned and de-stemmed (see below for details)

3 tbsp. packed fresh dill or 1 tbsp. dried dill

1/3 c. raw almonds

1 clove of garlic (sliced)

¼ -½  c. grapeseed oil (see how it goes)

4 oz. Romano cheese (chopped or sliced)

Directions

This recipe is the very best with fresh garden baby chard and fresh dill. If you go with store-bought chard, then use about one-and-a-half bunches and remove the heavy stems. As for the dill, I love it and so I use a lot but you might want to start with less than the recipe calls for and see how it tastes to you before adding more.

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and whirl until creamy smooth. Be careful with the oil, don’t add too much. Start out with about ¼ cup and add more if needed to get the consistency right. It should be a creamy green paste, not too wet.

You can freeze this pesto in a Ziploc bag for use at a later time.

 Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Green Bean and Cilantro Pesto

This recipe is a great way to use those garden green beans when they are growing faster than you can eat them. It’s an excellent dip for chips or crackers, can be spread on bread, or serve it as a side dish for a Mexican-themed dinner.


Ingredients

3 cups “snapped” green beans

1/3-1/2 c. fresh cilantro (loosely packed – equivalent of a little more than half a “bunch”)

2 hard-boiled eggs

¼ c. mayonnaise

1-1/2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. oil (olive oil or grape seed oil)

1 tsp. onion powder or one thin slice of raw onion

salt to taste

Directions 

Hard boil the eggs. “Snap” the green beans (trim the ends and remove all strings if they have a tough vein). Steam the green beans until just tender.

Combine the hard-boiled eggs, steamed green beans, cilantro, oil, and lemon juice in a food processor and whirl until coarsely chopped. Then add all other ingredients and whirl again briefly.

 Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Heavenly Chocolate Chip Cookies without Flour or Grains

These cookies are gluten-free and in fact have no flour or grain in them at all, so they are even kosher for Passover. You will be surprised at how tasty and satisfying they are.

Ingredients

1½ c. raw walnuts
1½ c. raw almonds
2 eggs
½ c. honey
¼ c. maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. dried orange peel
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 c. dark chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Put the walnuts, almonds, cinnamon, and salt into a food processor and process these ingredients until they are a uniform finely ground meal. In a separate bowl beat two eggs and then add the maple syrup, honey, and vanilla.

Add the nut meal to the egg mixture and blend thoroughly. Then add the orange peel and the dark chocolate chips so that they too are evenly blended.

Drop the batter onto a greased cookie sheet by the tablespoon and bake for approximately 8 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden brown.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Dark Chocolate and Nut Dessert Delight

Made with nuts combined with dark chocolate chips and placed in the freezer, this dessert will knock your socks off. These treats are gluten-free, lactose-free, and depending on what you use for the chocolate chips they can also be vegan. Some chocolate products have milk in them and others do not. A good rule for eating chocolate is to avoid any variety with milk in it. Dark chocolate is a must. The nuts in this make it a good protein energizer snack.

Ingredients

1 c. raw walnuts and/or pecans
1 c. raw almonds
½ c. rolled oats
½ tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
½ c. dark chocolate chips

Directions

Put the nuts, oats, cinnamon, chocolate chips, and salt into a food processor and process these ingredients until they are a uniform finely ground meal (for about one minute or a little more). Do not over-process or they will become too oily. Add the maple syrup and vanilla and process these into the meal until everything is well-blended. Lay a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet. Form the nut and chocolate chip mixture into balls about an inch across and put them on the cookie sheet. Place them in the freezer for at least an hour before serving. Leftovers should be kept stored in the freezer. If you make these to take to a party, make a lot! They are so wonderful that they disappear in a blink.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Butternut Cheesecake

This autumn harvest cheesecake can be made gluten-free or not. Either way it's deliciously creamy.

Ingredients

2 c. butternut squash purée (see below for squash preparation)
¾ c. honey
4 eggs (beaten)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened and room temperature
½ c. yogurt
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon peel
1 pie shell (see below for options)

Directions

Cut a butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the innards (like a pumpkin). Put the halves upside down on a cookie sheet with a little water in it (up to about ¼ of an inch). Bake at 350˚ for about 45 minutes or until the squash is clearly soft when pierced with a fork. Do not overcook as the squash will turn brown on the bottom and discolor your pie. Check frequently after 30 minutes in the oven. Once the squash has cooled enough to handle, scoop out the squash meat.

Combine all the cheesecake filling ingredients in a blender or food processor and whirl until creamy smooth.

Whether or not this cheesecake is gluten-free depends on what type of crust you choose to use. A traditional graham cracker crumb crust will work well. For a gluten-free version, I recommend using Pamela’s brand gluten-free ginger snaps. To make a crust out of the ginger snaps, put them into a plastic bag and hammer them into crumbs. Melt one stick of butter. Combine the crumbs and the butter and press them together into a pie pan. The same crust preparation method would work for making a graham cracker crumb crust from scratch. A ready-made crust can also be used.

Bake the cheesecake at 350˚ for 45 minutes or until the center is set. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature and then refrigerate it for at least two hours before serving.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Potato and Cheese Frittata

This combination of potato and eggs is as satisfying for dinner as it is for breakfast. Try this recipe instead of cooking your breakfast eggs and potatoes separately. Or prepare the frittata for dinner and serve with soup or salad.

Ingredients

5 eggs
3-4 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes
3-4 tbsp. olive oil or butter
1 large clove of garlic (crushed)
¾ c. grated mozzarella cheese
¼ c. grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Dusting of paprika for the top

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Slice the potatoes (about ¼-inch thick or thinner) and then cut into pieces of no more than about 1 inch across. Heat approximately 2 tbsp. of oil until hot in an oven-safe, large, cast iron skillet. Put the potatoes into the skillet and turn the heat down to medium. Coat the potatoes with the oil (add more oil if necessary) then sautée them, turning them frequently so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. If they begin to stick, put 2-3 tablespoons of water into the skillet to help prevent sticking. Add black pepper to your liking (about ¼ tsp.). Crush the garlic clove into the potatoes and sautée the garlic with the potatoes. Cook the potatoes until they are just soft (but not mushy) and slightly brown. (Alternatively you can roast the potatoes in advance on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350° for 40 minutes.)

While the potatoes and garlic are cooking in the skillet, beat the eggs in a bowl. Grate the cheeses together but do not mix them into the eggs.

When the potatoes and garlic are cooked to tenderness, remove them from the skillet and wash out the skillet. Place the skillet back on the burner and heat approximately 1 tbsp. of oil in the skillet over high heat (use enough oil to coat the bottom and sides of the skillet generously). When the oil is hot, turn the heat down to low and pour in the beaten eggs.

Cook the eggs for 2 minutes over low heat, then spread the potatoes evenly over/into the eggs. Cook the eggs for another 2 minutes over low heat then turn the heat off. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the egg/potato mixture and dust the top with paprika.

Place the frittata, uncovered, in the preheated oven and continue to cook it for 5 minutes or until the center is firm. Salt can be added at the table according to each person’s taste.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Banana Walnut Bread

This is my classic, standard banana bread recipe. For years I made this every time I had some overripe bananas. My children would devour the whole banana bread straight out of the oven. Here is the original whole wheat version and then instructions for a gluten-free variation (provided at the end). You can use this recipe for making banana muffins too, just note the reduced baking time.

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas
½ c. oil (for a richer bread use part or all melted butter)
½ c. honey
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1¾ c. whole wheat flour
1½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 c. chopped walnuts (can be made without walnuts of course if desired)

Directions

Combine the wet ingredients (banana, oil, honey, eggs, vanilla) in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer to mash the banana completely and blend with the other ingredients. Combine the dry ingredients (sift the flour if you are so inclined). Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat with an electric mixer for a minute (not much more than that because you don’t want the batter to get tough). Bake the banana bread in one 8-inch square baking dish or a loaf pan (needs to bake a bit longer in the loaf pan) for 40-50 minutes at 350°. Bake muffins for 25 minutes at 350°. Bread or muffins are done when a knife inserted comes out clean. For a fun variation include 1 c. chocolate chips.

To make a gluten-free version of this banana bread, substitute the whole wheat flour with 1 c. brown rice flour and ¾ c. teff flour. It may require that you bake it a little longer, keep testing with a knife until it comes out clean to determine when the bread is done.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Spicy Peanut Sauce

Make up a batch of this sauce and store it in your refrigerator. It works splendidly on noodles, rice, or vegetables. My favorite way to use this sauce is to pour it over a vegetable-and-tofu stir-fry on a bed of rice, then top it with some peanuts.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. peanut butter
1 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce (for those avoiding gluten, use the wheat-free version)
3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. hot red pepper oil
1 tsp. crushed hot red peppers
3 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. maple syrup
2 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. white wine
1 tsp. dry mustard (hot mustard gives it a nice kick, but is not necessary)
1 c. hot water

Directions

This one couldn’t be more simple. Combine all the ingredients in a jar. Just be sure that the water is hot so that it helps to dissolve the peanut butter into the other ingredients. Stir well until smooth and creamy.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!