Raspberry Vinegar

Great for gifts or just to have in the pantry, raspberry vinegar adds something special to vinaigrettes and marinades. We love raspberries and this is a great way to enjoy a hint of them anytime of the year.

The raspberries start to look bleached after a few days and the vinegar turns
a brilliant red.  The smell is divine.

There are several recipes for making raspberry vinegar.  A most basic recipe is one pint of raspberries to 1 cup white wine vinegar.   In a large jar, place your rinsed and dried raspberries in the container and add the white wine vinegar.  Let sit for a minimum of two weeks.  When you are ready to bottle the vinegar, first strain the mixture into a bowl to remove the berries and extra particulate matter.  Use a funnel to fill your bottles and enjoy.

Tonight's salad dressing featured raspberry vinegar, sunflower oil,
salt, and pepper.  That's it!  Toss with butter lettuce, pecans, and sliced
scallions.  Boy #3 loved this one.

The following website has some fun raspberry vinegar recipe ideas;
http://www.theyummylife.com/raspberry_salad_dressings

- Kim Fielding

I found these glass jars at Cost Plus.  I hear you can get them
on Amazon too.

Potato Leek Soup - Vegan Style

Guilt-free comfort soup.

Potato Leek soup is one of those classic winter dishes that warms your tummy during cold winter months.  Traditionally made with cream and including lots of calories, this one bypasses the dairy fat and tastes delicious.

Serves: 6 - 8
Prep and cook time:  about 35 minutes

3 leeks
1 Tblsp. olive oil
3 potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 C. vegetable broth
1-2 C. water, if needed for thinning
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped chives or green onion for topping
Olive oil, optional drizzle for topping

Trim the tough dark green tops and root bottoms off of the leeks. Slice lengthwise and rinse under cold water to remove any dirt and sediment.  Thinly slice.

Heat the oil in a stockpot and add the sliced leeks.  Cook until softened, about three minutes.

Add in the potatoes and garlic.  Stir together then add the vegetable broth.  Bring to a simmer and cook for about 18 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until creamy.  If you need to add a little more water, do so now and heat through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  A regular blender may also be used, but let the soup cool a little first as it may slurp out and burn you.

Each serving provides approximately 180 calories, 2.5 g fat (most of which is monounsaturated), 4.5 g protein, over 3 g fiber, about 1/3 your daily requirement of vitamin B6 and copper, and no cholesterol.

- Kim Fielding

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash topped with fresh marinara.

Spaghetti squash is one our favorite foods.  The boys love the flavor and I like its versatility and low calories.  We serve it with spaghetti sauce, mixed with a little butter or olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper, tossed together with other veggies, or whatever we feel like.  As a main dish or side, spaghetti squash can easily accommodate different types of sauces and flavors.

There are two ways to cook this vegetable.  Cut the squash in half and scrape out the seeds before cooking, or, after baking.

Spaghetti squash is hard-skinned (a typical winter squash) and is usually a couple of pounds. To start, rinse the squash.  Use a very sharp knife and and cut the squash in half length-wise.

Scrape the seeds out and remove excess strings.

Place the squash flesh-side down on a baking sheet.  I usually put a little water on the pan.  Cook at 350 degrees for about an hour or until the squash feels soft to the touch.

Use a fork and gently pull the strings of squash away from the sides.

Go around the entire squash and remove the vegetable "noodles" into a bowl.  Discard the shells. Sometimes the squash feels a little too watery.  When that happens, I place a towel in the bottom of the bowl I am transferring the squash to, and that helps with excess moisture.

One cup of plain spaghetti squash offers approximately 75 calories and over 2 grams of fiber.

- Kim Fielding