Go get a copy of Kris Carr’s “Crazy, Sexy Kitchen” and learn about some amazing new ways to combine flavors and celebrate fruits and vegetables!  This recipe consists of two parts, the salad and the dressing, each prepared separately as follows:

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The Salad:

1 bunch kale, rinsed

1 1/2 large carrots, washed

3/4 cup hemp seeds

1/4 cup scallions, sliced thinly

1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced and packed tightly

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced and packed tightly

1/4 cup fresh mint, minced and packed tightly

1/4 cup raisins

The Dressing:

1/4 cup almond butter

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup water

1 garlic clove

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cardamom powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

#1 Run the washed kale (including the spine) through a food processor with the slicing disk.  Then run the carrots through with the shredder blade to process the carrots.  Mix the kale, carrots and all other salad ingredients in a large bowl.  

#2 Blend all the ingredients for the dressing until they are smooth.  Then add 3/4 cup of the dressing to the salad mixture, and massage (or mix) in the dressing until everything is exceedingly well coated.

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Here’s something perfect for a cold snowy day.  Thank you to Angela Liddon at Oh She Glows for this simple and glorious winter soup recipe.

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• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large white onion (Vidalia), diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 1 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. smoked sweet paprika
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp. each sea salt and pepper
• 2 large handfuls kale or spinach, torn in pieces

1. Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil for about 5-6 minutes in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the celery and sauté 3 minutes more.

2. Stir in all the spices (cumin, chili, coriander, paprika, cayenne). 

3. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, and lentils. Boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes until lentils are tender and splitting.

4. Stir in kale or spinach, and serve.

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On New Year’s Eve we sat down with old friends to a dinner of avocado-mango salad with shallot vinaigrette, Persian rice (with lentils, raisins and dates), an exotic roasted cauliflower dish (from the food network), and grilled salmon, marinated in mango juice and served with a guava-and-lime barbecue sauce. Chocolate cake with Kahlua for dessert. It was a very special meal, as much fun to make as it was to eat. Here is the recipe for the cauliflower, which I think may have been my favorite of the bunch. I’m planning to make and eat! this cauliflower recipe again as soon as possible.

If you’ve never visited “Your Health is on Your Plate” before, visit Lets Start at the Very Beginning to get a jumpstart protecting the health and well-being of the ones you love!! Then check out “A Milestone Celebration — Your Favorite Posts” and “The Most Popular Blog Posts of All” for more great ideas and recipes! Wondering why I capitalize the “f” in Food? See Food with a Capital F.

1 medium cauliflower, cut or torn into florets (about 8 cups)
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 medium clove garlic, minced
scant 1/2 cup pitted Medjool dates, chopped coarsely

Preheat oven to 425 F. Spread cauliflower evenly on a large baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown at the edges, about 20 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a small skillet on medium heat, add pine nuts and stir frequently for approx. 5 min. until the pine nuts begin turning golden. Add the garlic and dates, and continue cooking 2-3 min. more until they soften.  Season with salt. 

Transfer the cooked cauliflower to a serving bowl, add the pine nut/date mixture, and toss to combine.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  

Cheers to a happy and healthy new year!

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Had enough holiday excitement for a bit?  Put this together tomorrow morning, and you’ll be very happy tomorrow night.  

My friend Mira is an amazing cook.  No, it’s more than that really.  She OWNS any kitchen she inhabits.  And she’s a great baker, too, which you don’t see too often.  I’ve seen her operate in commercial as well as private kitchens, and it’s the same wherever she is.  And her food is, well, sensational.  Last weekend she made a fish stew whose flavor was exquisite, so I asked her how to make it.  Here’s what she said:

Once again, Toby comes through with another great recipe.  If you have a dehydrator for step 4 below, that’s great, but if you don’t you can still make this recipe by setting your oven at the lowest possible setting.  Just keep the door cracked open a bit to let the excess moisture evaporate.  

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Here’s a very special recipe for the very special celebrations that tend to crop up at this very special time of the year.  It makes a spectacular addition to a brunch, by the way.

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4 eggs
1 one-pound can of pumpkin
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 tiny pinch of powdered cloves
1 cup whole milk, organic preferred

Break the eggs into a large bowl, and beat very well with a fork. Add the pumpkin, milk, molasses, and spices, and stir well.
 
Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish or a large beautiful pottery bowl.  Bake at 350º for 1 hour until the pudding is firm in the middle and a cake tester comes out clean. Serve hot, warm, or cold, with or without whipped cream.  Doesn’t much matter; there won’t be any left.

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Here’s another extraordinary Thanksgiving recipe adapted from Mark Bittman et al, a breathtaking way to elevate squash to its deservedly honored spot at the table:  

2.5-3 pound yellow/orange squash (peel, seed, and dice approx. 1/4-inch)

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

at least 1/2 teaspoon chile flakes

3 teaspoons coarse salt

1 yellow onion, medium (peel, slice thinly)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup maple syrup 

4 tablespoons mint (chopped)

If you’ve never visited “Your Health is on Your Plate” before, visit Lets Start at the Very Beginning to get a jumpstart protecting the health and well-being of the ones you love!! Then check out “A Milestone Celebration — Your Favorite Posts” and “The Most Popular Blog Posts of All” for more great ideas and recipes! Wondering why I capitalize the “f” in Food? See Food with a Capital F.

1) Heat oven to 450. Toss squash with 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp salt, and chile flakes. Spread on baking sheet. Cook approx. 15 min, stirring several times during the cooking. Remove from the oven once soft and slightly browning. 2) Heat 3 more tbsp. olive oil on medium-high. Add onions plus 1 tsp salt, stir frequently, and cook 15 min until onions are quite soft and brown. Add vinegar and maple syrup, stir, and continue to cook 15 min more until the onions begin to disintegrate. 3) Mix squash with onions in a bowl and smash together with a fork. 4) Sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt and a generous garnish of mint. (I highly recommend you not skip the mint.) Serves 4-6.

The cook says to eat it on a slice of thick rustic bread coated thinly with a soft cheese like ricotta, chevre, or mascarpone.  Alternatively, you may choose to eat it like I would, with a fork.

Happy thanksgiving to you and yours!  

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Three unusual and extraordinary Thanksgiving recipes for your dining pleasure, two for before and one for after. Try to make the onions in advance, because they taste even better the next day!

Stuffed Pumpkin
1 small-medium pumpkin
1 1/2 – 2 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 pound cheddar cheese cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried
1/3 cup coconut cream
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut a large cap from the top of the pumpkin at a 45-degree angle.  Remove the cap, and clear out the seeds and strings from the cap and inside the pumpkin.  Season the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper.  Place the pumpkin into either a frying pan with raised sides, or a Dutch oven that is slightly larger than the pumpkin.

Toss together the rice, cheese, garlic and herbs. Season with pepper and pack the mix into the pumpkin until it is almost completely filled.  Stir the coconut cream with nutmeg and a bit more salt and pepper, and pour it into the pumpkin. The ingredients should be very moist.  Replace the cap.

Bake the pumpkin for 90-120 min until the contents are bubbling and the flesh of the pumpkin is tender enough to be pierced easily with a knife tip.  Remove the cap 20 min before the end so the stuffing browns on top.  Serve in slices, like a pie.

If you’ve never visited “Your Health is on Your Plate” before, visit Lets Start at the Very Beginning to get a jumpstart protecting the health and well-being of the ones you love!! Then check out “A Milestone Celebration — Your Favorite Posts” and “The Most Popular Blog Posts of All” for more great ideas and recipes! Wondering why I capitalize the “f” inFood? See Food with a Capital F.

Glazed Braised Onions

1 1/2 lbs peeled yellow onions
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup white wine
1-2 cups water 
1 dry red chili pepper (optional)
salt

Place onions in a single layer in a large flat frying pan.  Cover the onions with the white wine, diluted with water.  Mix together the olive oil, salt, sugar, dry red chili pepper, vinegar and tomato paste in a separate bowl, and then add to the onions.  Cover and boil for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.  Continue to boil until the water is gone and the onions begin to glaze.  Stir from time to time to prevent burning or sticking.  Remember to discard the red chili before serving. 

Turkey Soup

2 lbs turkey, either chopped (thawed) or as small cubes of leftovers  

2 med onions, diced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced thickly

2 stalks celery, sliced thinly

4-6 medium-large tomatoes

3 potatoes, diced

4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole    

2 tablespoons prepared mustard

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 quart vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

Starting with the turkey, add each of these ingredients in order to a moderately large crockpot or soup pot.  Fill with stock, add extra water if necessary to just cover all the ingredients.  Set on high for 1 hr, and then turn down to low for 6-8 hrs more.  Soup pot inst
ructions: Place it in an oven at 200 degrees and come back at the end of the day.  

Happy Thanksgiving!!

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