• I am not a real fan of seaweed but have found this salad to taste quite good.  Using ginger and garlic as seasoning is a big help.  I have been told arame, the type of seaweed used in this recipe, is good to use as an introduction to seaweed used in cooking.  I hope you enjoy this recipe like I do.  It would be an easy recipe to prepare for a carry-in or when having company over for dinner.

Seaweed Sesame Salad – serves 6

2 cups dry arame

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

2 carrots, sliced in matchstick pieces

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoon tamari

4 scallions, shredded

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/2 cup daikon radish, sliced in matchstick pieces

1/2 cup red bell pepper, sliced in matchstick pieces

Boston or romaine lettuce Continue Reading »

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• Not sure why but I keep finding these recipes that have full-flavor with a great combination of spices.  This stew is just another one of those great tasting recipes.  The stew was full of hearty seasoning.  I enjoyed the combination of vegetables, beans, and pasta.  This recipe will fill your house with a flavorful aroma.

Eggplant and Tomato Stew Recipe

1/2 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin preferred)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium red, yellow, or green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

14.5-ounce can no-salt added diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions, undrained

8 ounces eggplant, peeled and diced (about 1 small)

8 ounces whole button mushrooms, quartered

1/2 cup red wine (regular or nonalcoholic) or water

1 1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

15-ounce can no-salt added dark kidney beans, rinsed and drained

4 ounces dried rotini

1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin preferred)

1/2 teaspoon salt Continue Reading »

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• It is winter time, and for most people a nice warm soup sounds good for lunch or dinner.  I suggest you try this recipe if you are one of those that likes to have soup on a cold winters day.  This soup has a unique taste that has the sweet and spicy flavors really popping.   I enjoyed the warmth from the ginger, so if ginger is your thing you might want to give this bisque a try.

Sweet and Spicy Carrot Bisque

1 Tbs. canola oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced (1 cup)

1 tsp. plus 1 pinch salt

2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger

1 Tbs. curry powder

1 pinch cayenne pepper

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds (4 cups)

1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced

1 13.5-oz. can light coconut milk, divided

2 1/2 Tbs. lime juice Continue Reading »

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• I found this recipe in a book I used during my studies from Clayton College of Natural Health.  The cookie is a little healthier  using ingredients that are good alternatives.

Almond Power Cookie Recipe

1 cup barley flour or oat flour

1 1/2 cups oak flakes or oatmeal

1 tsp baking soda or 2 egg whites

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup brown rice syrup

1 tsp almond extract

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup almond butter

1 banana, mashed (pureed prunes or raisins may be substituted) Continue Reading »

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• I have mentioned before how much I like to throw soups together.  The other day I was in the mood to make a potato soup but I decided to make one with a twist.  A friend had given me some ground elk, so I thought “why not put that in the soup” that I had decided to make.  I have never had meat in a potato soup, but who says it can’t be done?  To be honest it made the soup that much more special.  The flavor was much appreciated. Not sure if putting beef in the soup would have the same flavor.  I don’t eat beef and usually don’t eat meat period.  This elk came from the mountains of New Mexico and I felt pretty safe eating it.  I have chosen to avoid meats for health reasons but decided it wasn’t the end of the world to have once in awhile (if it is organic or free range).

• This recipe only requires the chopping of onion and the potatoes which is why it is so quick.  The chopping, and simmering the soup until the potatoes are cooked, is all that is needed for preparation.

Recipe for Potato Soup:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 TBS olive oil or water
2 cups vegetable broth
1 clove of chopped garlic or 1 tsp granulated garlic
1 cup rice milk
1 cup organic cream top milk
1 cup water
4 potatoes, chopped in 1-1 1/2” cubes
white pepper to taste
1lb. elk meat or ground beef – optional

Add the oil or water along with the onions and cook on med-high heat until onions are transparent. If you use meat, add it at this time and simmer until cooked all the way thru (red color gone).  Add remaining ingredients and simmer until potatoes are cooked to the desired consistency approximately 20 minutes.

Yields about 4 servings

• To make this an easy recipe use the boxed vegetable broth.  White pepper is optional, if you don’t have any use regular ground pepper.  We use rice milk and cream top milk for everything but you can be flexible and use whatever milk you have on hand. I hope when you use regular milk you would consider organic for a healthier choice.  You could add some variations to this recipe with adding celery and/or carrots.  Have fun making the recipe to the way you like potato soup.

• This recipe would be good for a cold winters night.  Serve with some salad and you have a nice healthy meal.

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Photo by:  VirtualErn

When I am feeling the need for a warm quick soup, I usually start preparing vegetable soup.  Probably what I enjoy the most when making this soup is what I think of as “cleaning out the refrigerator.”  I pull out refrigerated and frozen vegetables that need used up.  This is why it is always good to have a few varieties of frozen vegetables on hand.  I don’t have a recipe for making this soup because I just use what I have available at the time.  I always use onion, celery, and carrots.

• The last batch of vegetable soup I made included the following:

1 chopped onion
2 chopped carrots
3 stalks chopped celery
Frozen Peas
Frozen Green Beans
Frozen Chopped Spinach
1 diced potato
2 small diced sweet potatoes
8 sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small can whole tomatoes
1 small can diced tomatoes
16 oz. of vegetable broth in a box
About 3 cups water
Spices
Continue Reading »

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Photo by:  Muffet

Don’t let the name of this recipe turn you off.  The recipe has an Eastern Indian taste due to the ginger and garlic that is used, and is quite yummy.  It does have a bite and can be spicy.  I suppose you could use less ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper if you don’t like real spicy food.  I appreciated a cranberry dish that was not so tart, with a completely different flavor, unlike any cranberry dish I have ever had. Continue Reading »

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• This picture may not look very appetizing but trust me this dish has so much flavor that it will warm your heart!
• If you are interested in a tasty recipe with an Eastern Indian flair I highly recommend trying this easy to prepare recipe.  I was quite surprised with the flavor, especially when using coconut and tart apples together in a recipe.  I had never prepared a dish with this combination before. Continue Reading »

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• This dessert took less than 30 minutes to whip together.  The recipe would make a great quick dessert for last minute dinner plans.  It only requires 2 ingredients too.  If you like chocolate this dessert would be for you.

Chocolate Mousse

1 1/4 lbs silken tofu

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted.

Preparation

In a blender, puree the tofu until smooth.  Add the melted chocolate and blend thoroughly.

Pour into 6 individual dessert bowls and chill.

Optional: Dust with powdered sugar or top with a strawberry or other berries.

NOTE:

• I used a food processor to blend the recipe, which worked fine.
• I also used dark chocolate chips which may be too much chocolate for some people.  The dessert was a little too rich for my enjoyment of chocolate.

Reference:

www.vegcooking.com

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• This recipe uses applesauce instead of oil for the moisture content of the bars.  By doing so you cut down the amount of calories in the recipe.  I used about 3/4 cup sugar when the recipe called for 1 cup, which I really think I could of used even less…maybe 1/2 cup.  I also used whole wheat flour which worked fine for this recipe.  The applesauce I purchased had cinnamon mixed with it, and I found it not to be too much cinnamon.  The bars have a good cinnamon, raisin taste and were quite moist. Continue Reading »

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