Fall Salad of Apple and Walnuts

No matter what time of year it is we need to eat salads with regularity.  Most people enjoy salad during the hot summer months only but if you think about what is in season, and taylor your salad around those ingredients, you can create a seasonal salad. 

This one has green apples, walnuts, and cheddar cheese in it. The apples are a nod to Fall.  Using reduced apple juice and apple cider vinegar in the dressing also speak of fall.  The minute you taste it you realize it even says Fall.

Ingredients:
1 cup apple juice
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup Walnuts
4 to 5 cups baby salad greens
1 green apple
1 oz chuck of cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes 

Place apple juice in small saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced to 3 tablespoons.  Allow to cool.

Toast walnuts in a skillet over medium high heat. Move them around in the pan every few seconds to prevent burning.  Toast until you smell them and they start to turn slightly brown.  Cool. Chop coarsely.

Make the dressing by combining the reduced apple juice, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk all in small bowl.

Core the apple then lay on side and slice thinly.

Assemble the salad by placing greens in a large bowl, add the walnuts and apple, and toss with dressing.  (You may not need all the dressing.)  Plate, then place cheese over top.
  
Serves 2

Quinoa Cereal

Quinoa.....breakfast of champions.  You either love it, or you hate it.

I've had a difficult time with quinoa.  I want to like it, but I don't.  I've tried several recipes for quinoa as an entree, or part of a meal, and I am never thrilled with the results.  But I want to like it because it is so good for you.  It is a grain that contains all the amino acids that make it a complete protein. That's hard to find and we should all be eating it on a regular basis to up our nutrient quotient.

The other day I was reading yet another cooking magazine and I saw, for the second time, a recipe for quinoa cereal for breakfast or as part of a brunch. I was curious about it, wondering if I might actually like it when made like oatmeal.  I do love my oatmeal so I decided I would give it a try.

I was lucky because I picked a rainy day, when it's wet and cold outside and you don't want to leave the house, you just want comfort food and your jamies. The result was fantastic, and I loved it!  Yes I said love!  It is delicious, she says surprised.  I feel so much better because now I know I can eat it with regularity and get the health benefits of it.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup quinoa
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup fresh berries
1 banana, sliced
Walnuts, small handful, chopped fine 

Rinse the quinoa and drain.  Heat the milk in a small saucepan, add the quinoa, bring to a boil then cover and reduce to a low simmer for about 15 minutes. Most of the milk will be gone, with just enough left to eat as cereal.  Remove from the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Eat straight away!

This recipe is so flexible you can add anything you want.  Other items to add would be:  almonds, pecans, dried cranberries, raisins, diced apple.  Fresh fruit is great but you could also add frozen fruit.  If you have issues with sugar use stevia, or another sweetner like agave.  

You can also use any type of milk you like, from full fat to skim, or almond or soy milk.  Use what you like.  Of course the more fat in the milk the better the end product but if you shy away from full fat milk use whatever you have.

I hope you will give it try.  You just might be surprised too.

This recipe serves 2.

Butternut Squash Soup

As usual, when Fall has arrived I start wanting soup.  Lots of soup. I love it for dinner. It is warm and comforting and can be very nutritious. 

I usually buy butternut squash soup but this year I decided to try and make my own.  I looked at several recipes and then took what I liked and made up my own.

This recipe makes 8 servings which is a lot. The nice thing is that you can have it for a dinner party if you are having several people over as it is a great first course.  Or simply keep it in the fridge for a few days for dinner and lunch.  A cup for lunch with a grilled cheese sandwich is not bad.  Doesn't that remind you of your childhood?   

Ingredients:
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 celery ribs-diced small
2 carrots-diced small
1 medium onion-diced small 
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 pound potato-peeled and coarsely chopped
2 medium granny smith apples-peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 pound butternut squash - peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 cups water
Optional garnishes:  bacon bits, sour cream, green apple slices

Cook celery, carrot, onion in oil until softened but not brown. 

Add cinnamon and stir for 1 minute.

Add squash, potato, apple, stock, water, salt, and pepper.  Simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree all in batches in blender.
Put back in pot to rewarm as needed.
If it is too thick simply add more stock or water.
Serve hot with desired garnish.

Lentils, Rice and Caramelized onions

A vegetarian friend of mine sent me this recipe because she knew I was looking for vegetarian meals that have some protein in them.  The original recipe came from Aarti Sequeira of the Food Network.  I made a few minor changes as I always do to incorporate more of my preferences.


This recipe provides good protein from lentils and I used brown rice for the whole grain carbohydrate.  The caramelized onions are a special surprise that is used both in the body of the dish and as a garnish.  This is a one pot meal, which I love, and it makes a good amount, so I had leftovers.  We, 2 of us, ate this for dinner and I still had enough for lunch for several days.  This recipe serves 6.

Ingredients:
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and sorted
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
3 large red onions, thinly sliced
Salt
3/4 cup brown rice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cinnamon stick

Garnish:  (all are optional)
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted or any nuts you have available 
Squeeze fresh lime juice
Greek yogurt
Cilantro

Put the lentils in a medium saucepan and cover with enough water by one inch.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until lentils are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile heat a large skillet, add the olive oil, then the cumin seeds and cracked pepper and cook for about 1 minute.

Add the onions, sprinkle with several pinches of salt, and cook on medium or low heat until they turn dark brown, stirring often. This will take 15 to 30 minutes to get good color on the onions. Do not rush this or they will burn.

Remove half the onions from the pan to use as garnish.

To the pan add the ground cumin, cayenne, and cinnamon stick and saute about one minute.  Add the rice and cook until grains start to turn slightly brown, this should take only a few minutes. Add the cooked lentils and 3 cups of water, and 1 1/2 tsp of salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for 35 minutes.  The water should be almost completely evaporated and the rice should be tender.  Allow the rice to steam with the lid on for 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick from the pan.

Meanwhile toast the nuts. 

To serve: mound rice into bowl, hit with a squeeze of lime, top with the caramelized onions, a dollop of yogurt and a bit of chopped cilantro.

Thai Beef with Snow Peas

This dish is somewhat new for me. I don't usually gravitate towards Asian inspired dishes. My feeling is that I would rather have it out at a restaurant that does it well, and that trying to replicate it at home is not worth it. I feel that way about sushi too. I can get some good sushi at the sushi bar, so making it at home is not going to happen. However, this dish seemed relatively easy and the idea of the chile's intrigued me. In addition I have never cooked with coconut milk, thinking it sounded too sweet and coconut is something I would rather have in a dessert. But I decided to gave it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. It did not taste like dessert at all.  The coconut milk gave the rice a a slightly tropical flavor which was delicious.  My husband must have liked it because he said I could make it again. That's guy speak for..... I like it. 

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups brown jasmine rice
1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 1/4 pounds organic ground beef
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 long hot peppers, seeded and sliced into matchsticks
1 can straw mushrooms
1 handful fresh snow peas
1/2 cup coarsely chopped basil
1 lime, cut into four pieces

Start by making the rice. When the rice is almost done, work on the beef.

In a medium saucepan combine the rice, coconut milk, water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook about 20 to 25 minutes. The liquid should absorbed but not dry. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving. 

In a small bowl combine the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Heat a skillet or wok, add the vegetable oil, then the beef. Saute until the beef is almost cooked through, working the beef into small pieces as it cooks. Add the garlic, cook for a few seconds, then add the chili's, the mushrooms, and snow peas. Cook until the snow peas are just starting to soften about 4 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture, cook an additional one minute. Remove from heat.

To serve place the rice in a bowl, add the beef over top, and serve with one lime wedge.

Chili's: Chili's can taste very different. I have used red jalapenos that have very little heat at all, but Thai chili's are hot. You must really taste the chili while it is raw to determine how much you want in the dish. Your love or tolerance for the heat is really what determines how much chili should go in to the dish. You can also cook the dish with the chili's to get some of the flavor and then remove them prior to serving. You don't have to eat them. Also, I use rubber gloves when cleaning chili's to keep the heat off my hands. I have made the mistake of touching my face after chopping chili's only one time. It only takes once. After that, I have been consistent in using the gloves.

Herbs: The use of basil in this dish is traditional but I think using cilantro would also work well.

Makes 2 servings.