Carrot and Ginger Soup

This soup is surprisingly sweet and the ginger makes it tangy also. It’s inexpensive, simple, and warms you up on a cold winter night. Made with carrots fresh from the garden, it’s heaven.

Ingredients

4 large carrots or equivalent for approximately 3-4 cups of chopped carrots
2 tsp. chopped ginger or 1 tsp. ginger powder
6 c. water or soup stock (add more if necessary for desired consistency)
¼ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. coriander (optional)
Salt to taste

Directions

Wash the carrots. You can get away with not scraping the carrots if you scrub them and if the skin is not too tough. Carrot skin has good nutrients in it and is worth keeping in the soup. Since you will put this soup through the blender, you can usually get away with leaving the skin on. It’s your call. Chop the ginger into tiny pieces. Be careful not to put too much ginger into this soup. It can be surprisingly strong. If you want more ginger, you can always carefully add incremental amounts of powdered ginger to taste.

Boil the carrots and ginger in the water until the carrots are soft. Then add the pepper and coriander and put the mixture in the blender. Blend at high speed to smooth consistency. Add salt to taste. Return the soup to the pot and warm over low heat until piping hot.

I usually don’t put salt in soup because it can always be added later to suit the salt taste of each person individually.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Ron’s Exceptional Sweet Potato Pie

My husband Ron taught me how to make a sweet potato pie. I had never tasted one before I met him. You can’t find anything that qualifies more as Soul Food than a sweet potato pie. And Ron’s is the best. Note that what I call “sweet potato” is actually, technically a garnet yam. This pie can be made with any of the yam family roots, but my very favorite is the garnet yam.

Ingredients

4 medium-sized sweet potatoes or garnet yams (to make approximately 4 c. when cooked and mashed)
3 tbsp. butter
1/3 c. milk
1 egg (beaten)
1/3 c. honey
2 tbsp. molasses
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. allspice
Pinch of mace
1 pie shell (either make from scratch or purchase ready-made)

Directions

Peel and slice the sweet potato and boil the slices until they are soft. Boiling time varies depending on how thin you slice the sweet potato. It usually takes about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350˚.

When the sweet potato is soft, drain out the water and melt in the butter. Mash the sweet potato. Beat the egg and add that as well as the other wet ingredients. Add in the spices. Blend well until the mixture is smooth and has no lumps. Use an electric mixer if necessary. The pie filling should have an even consistency.

Put the filling into the pie shell. If you buy a ready-made pie shell, then you will likely have enough filling for two since they are small. Bake at 350˚ for 50 minutes or until the filling is set and crust browns.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Winter Bean and Vegetable Soup

Here is a basic soup recipe that you can play with (improvise) for a rich and warming winter soup. It’s sort of a “stone soup” because you can combine whatever you have in the refrigerator and cupboard that looks good to you on any given day. Served with a slab of homemade bread and butter, you have a complete Tolstoyan style peasant meal.

Ingredients

14 c. water
¼ c. split peas
1/3 c. brown lentils
1/3 c. adzuki beans
1 chopped potato
2 chopped carrots
2 chopped celery stalks
6 oz. stewed tomatoes
¼ c. chopped onion (or 1 tsp. onion powder)
2 crushed garlic cloves (or 1 tsp. garlic powder)
½ c. grated cabbage
2 shredded collard leaves
1 tbsp. olive oil
1½ tsp. dill weed (or use fresh dill, if you have some handy, for a real treat)
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp. coriander
salt to taste

Directions

Put the water into a large stew pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the split peas, brown lentils, and adzuki beans and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot. Set a timer for one hour.

Chop the potato into cubes no more than ½-inch in size, slice the carrots, chop the celery, and chop the onion. Add these vegetables to the pot and also add the stewed tomatoes and the olive oil. Crush the garlic cloves and add them to the pot. Grate the cabbage and add that to the pot. Add the herbs. Go light on the salt. (Salt can always be added later by individuals as per their own taste.) Remove the central vein from the collard leaves. Roll the collards into a tube and slice cross-wise into thin shreds. Add the collard shreds to the pot. Now be patient. Cook the soup for one hour from when you put in the dried legumes, or until they are soft. The other vegetables will soften before the legumes.

You may wish to add some water to the pot as the soup cooks, depending on how thick you want your soup. Serve this soup hot with bread and butter. Yum! Warm and tasty for a winter night.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Marinated Baked Tofu

Give this tofu time to sit in the marinade for a couple of hours before you bake it. Tofu soaks up the flavor you give to it and this is a good one. These tofu pieces are handy to have around as a snack or to throw into other dishes. Bake up a batch and keep it in the fridge for later use. A little bag of these hits the spot for the children to get a protein boost before the soccer game.

Ingredients

10-12 oz. nigari or firm tofu
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. sesame oil
½ c. water
2 tbsp. soy or tamari sauce (use wheat-free for a no-gluten meal)
1 tbsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

Cut the tofu into 1-inch squares about ¼ inch thick. Combine the oil, soy sauce, and water in a square baking dish. Lay the tofu squares out on a cutting board or cookie sheet and sprinkle them with the ginger, onion, and garlic powders. Place one layer of tofu into the baking dish, then put another layer on top of that, and another if necessary (depending on the size of the baking dish). For those of you who like spicy hot food, try sprinkling a bit of Mongolian Fire Oil (sesame oil with chili) on the tofu when you place it in the dish to marinate. Be sure that all the tofu is covered by the marinade. Let it sit for a couple of hours.

Preheat the oven to 350˚. Lay the tofu squares out on a well-greased cookie sheet in one layer. Bake them for 15-20 minutes, until they become a bit tough and chewy.

These baked tofu squares will keep in the refrigerator for a week or more.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Apple Banana Custard Bake

Fruit lover? This recipe will hit the spot. It is versatile and can be made with many different fruit combos. Below is the version for apples and bananas. Read all the way to the end of the recipe for some other fruit combo ideas that work with this recipe. The basic recipe is gluten-free. This is a sinfully satisfying treat for diabetics and people with gluten sensitivity.

Ingredients

2 c. peeled and sliced apples and bananas (about 2 large apples and 2 bananas)
4 eggs
1 c. yogurt
¾ c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
Dusting of nutmeg for the top

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375˚. Peel and slice the fruit. (Slice the apples thin.) Set the fruit aside. Combine all the other ingredients, except for the nutmeg. You can substitute maple syrup for the honey if you like. Use an electric mixer to blend the yogurt smoothly into the mixture (beat on high for a minute or two). Combine the fruit with the custard and mix together well.

Grease a flat baking dish or glass pie pan. Pour the fruit and custard into the baking dish and dust the top with nutmeg. Bake at 375˚ for 45 minutes or until the custard is firm when jiggled. Delicious warm or chilled.

This basic recipe works for many combinations of fruit. Try making it with pears, or peaches, or a berry mixture. Pears and pineapple pieces: yum! If you like nuts, put some pecans or chopped walnuts on top.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Polenta Pizza with Feta, Sundried Tomato, and Pesto

Polenta provides a terrific base on which to build a gluten-free pizza. For this recipe you will need pesto, which is always best when made fresh. Refer to my pesto recipe. You can also make this recipe with tomato sauce instead of pesto. The point is that the polenta is used instead of a pizza crust.

Ingredients

2 c. cold water
1½ c. yellow cornmeal
4½ c. boiling water
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. honey
2 tbsp. butter
¾ c. pesto (or, alternatively, tomato sauce)
¾ c. sundried tomatoes chopped
½ c. crumbled feta cheese
1 c. grated cheddar cheese (or combination cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan)
1 tbsp. oregano
Optional other additions to the topping are listed below

Directions

If you are going to use a fresh pesto, made from scratch, then prepare that before you begin this recipe. Refer to my pesto recipe.

Put the cold water and salt into a pot. Gradually add the cornmeal, whisking it into the water with a wire whisk. Then add the boiling water and blend it with the cornmeal with a wire whisk. Heat the mixture to boiling. Then turn the heat down to low and cook covered (it “pops” and sputters) until the cornmeal turns to a thick polenta, about 25 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent sticking to the pot. When the polenta is nice and thick, remove it from the heat, stir in the butter (be sure it melts all the way in) and the agave nectar. Then spread the polenta in a greased Pyrex pie pan or a greased quiche baking dish (low, flat, round). Allow the polenta to sit for approximately 20 minutes for it to firm up.

Preheat the oven to 350˚. Chop the sundried tomatoes. I usually use julienne-cut sundried tomatoes marinated in oil. Grate the cheddar cheese (or combination cheeses). Crumble the feta.

When the polenta is firm, spread the pesto (or tomato sauce) generously across the top evenly. Sprinkle the cup of cheddar (or combination of cheeses) evenly across the top. Next put a layer of sprinkled crumbled feta. Then put a layer of the sundried tomatoes. Sprinkle the oregano.

Feeling creative? Here are some other toppings that you might wish to add: marinated artichoke hearts, chopped olives, sliced fire-roasted red peppers, pineapple pieces. And my favorite addition is jalapeňo peppers (if you like spicy food, the peppers are awesome). I like to sprinkle some onion powder on top. If you are an onion-lover (or likewise garlic) then fry up some onions (and/or garlic) to scatter on top as well.

When you have your polenta pizza assembled, put it in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the goodies on top are thoroughly heated. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then slice and serve as you would a traditional pizza.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Pan-Fried Sweet Potatoes (Garnet Yams)

I always forget that what I refer to as sweet potatoes are technically called “garnet yams.” I prefer the garnet yams, but this recipe works with yams or sweet potatoes just as well. You can even do a combination of the two. I find that the garnet yams are sweeter and I love the bright orange color. This recipe is simple, but requires patience since you have to stir the yams frequently while they’re cooking to prevent them from burning.

Ingredients

2-3 sweet potatoes or garnet yams
3-4 tbsp. or more olive oil
Optional herbs: ground rosemary, tarragon, black pepper
Optional: ½ c. walnuts or pecans

Directions

I usually leave the skin on the yams, but it can be tough, depending on the batch of yams. If you think you would prefer not to deal with the skin on the finished product, then scrape it off. Slice the yams into rounds about 1/8-inch thick. Put 3 tbsp. of olive oil into a large skillet and turn the heat on high. When the oil begins to smoke slightly (is very hot), turn the heat down to medium and put the sweet potatoes into the pan. Fry the sweet potatoes, turning them frequently, for 15-20 minutes. Add more olive oil if necessary to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If you want to use any of the optional herbs listed, add them when you put the yams in to cook. If you wish to include the nuts, put them in at the start as well. Do not put a lid on the pan or the sweet potatoes will steam down and get mushy quickly. You can turn the heat up a bit on them if you watch them very carefully and keep turning them frequently. You don’t want them to burn. The thinner they are sliced, the faster they will cook. To see if they are done, take out one of the thickest slices and bite into it. Be patient and keep tending them until they are done.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!