Island Popcorn

This one is unique in that it isn't quite sweet and definitely not buttery or salty.  My cousins who hail from Hawaii showed me how to make this special treat.

Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a pan and add 1/4 cup popcorn. Place the lid on the pan and shake it while it pops. Once that stops, pour it into a bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Toss to blend. Guilt-free, simple, and a great snack for kids.

- Kim Fielding

Savory Popcorn

Popcorn is fun.  We used to eat it in the movies, when we were at amusement parks, and on weekend nights when we stayed in and played games or watched something on the television.  Popcorn, at least for me, is associated with something involving family and friends.

We started making popcorn when the boys were growing up and we would stay in to watch a movie.  Granted, I always had to drag the vacuum out afterwards to swoop up the mess on the floors, but I think of it as a guilt-free snack.

Over the years we have devised several recipes for popcorn which are a deviation from the norm.  With two vegans and a lactose-sensitive individual in the house, we don't use butter or cheese.

Last night's offering was popcorn made the old-fashioned way with basic vegetable oil, in a saucepan with a lid, popped, and then tossed into a bowl.  The seasoning is what makes it something special.

Let's just say truffle salt is an awesome addition.  Then, sprinkle with a little Nutritional Yeast to make it feel buttery without adding anything else.  We made two batches and it is all gone.

Serves: at least four
Prep and cook time:  maybe 10 minutes

Start with a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a pan that has a lid.  Add a half-cup of raw popcorn and let it explode!  Dump it into a larger bowl and toss with seasoning.

Other option include herbs such as dried thyme and lemon pepper.  If you like southwest flavors, sprinkle with dash of chile powder, salt, and maybe a hint of cumin.  I know someone who adds taco seasoning to her popcorn.  Oh, and boy #3 simply sprinkles garlic powder on his.

Popcorn is a blank palette.  Add whatever flavors rock your boat.

Or NOT...  Sometimes people like popcorn just plain.  Set some aside for the purists in the group.

- Kim Fielding

Carrot Ginger Soup

Our "Loyola Cookies", aka members of our own Loyola Cooking Club, have done it once again.  The host of our recent club lunch has a friend whose daughter is a food blogger.   The Loyola group is loyal to friends and we always want to support those kids who are venturing into projects that they love.  Like this blog.

Pink Brandywine is the name of a tomato.  Our blogger was treated to this little gem and fell in love with the taste, the smell, and the experience of something that she found divine and which inspired this blog.  If we think back through our lives, we have all experienced an "aha"! moment with a food or recipe.  Taste is innate and special taste experiences stay with you and form how you feel about cooking and eating.

The pinkbrandywine.tumblr.com blog has tons of recipes.  Dishes presented yesterday featured Kale Winter Super Salad, Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Garlic Tahini Sauce, Beets with Almond Mint Pesto and Goat Cheese, Spicy Balsamic Honey Mustard Chicken, Cauliflower Alfredo and Zucchini Noodles, and Creamy (creamless) Carrot Ginger Soup.

Every recipe prepared was really, really good.  Some took a little license with the recipes (like me), and some altered how the recipes were presented. For example, the beet salad on the blog shows the beets cut into cubes and served, whereas our beets were sliced and layed out in a line on a narrow plate.  The pesto was drizzled over in a line and the goat cheese sprinkled around.  Very pretty.  (I can't seem to remember to take pictures when we are wowing over all this food!)

My Carrot Ginger soup recipe was super simple to prepare.  I doubled it thinking it would serve six small cups at lunch and four men at dinner.  Next time I will triple the recipe because that soup pan was scraped bare.  That is a testament to how good it is.  Since there is no dairy in the soup, it should freeze nicely.

Since the soup will be pureed, there is no need to fuss about chopping everything just so.

Serves:  6
Prep and Cook time:  One hour of which 40 minutes is just simmering

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 small onion, chopped
A knob of ginger root, grated or chopped
4 large carrots, chopped (just less than 3 cups)
Better than Boullion vegetable base broth
Salt and pepper
Fresh mint, chopped, for garnish

Saute the onion and ginger in the oil until softened.  Add the carrots and just enough broth to cover the carrot mixture.  Cover pan and simmer about 40 minutes or until the carrots are thoroughly softened.

Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.  Blend the soup with a hand-held device or in a regular blender.  Be careful of hot soup splashes.

To serve, top with a sprinkle of fresh mint.

My family enjoyed this soup as a starter for dinner that included grilled salmon, rice pilaf, greens salad with avocado and a light vinaigrette, and steamed cauliflower with lemon.

Calories per serving of soup is approximately 60 with 8.5 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram protein, and about 2.5 grams mostly monounsaturated fat.  Two-thirds of your vitamin A requirement for the day is met with just one serving of this yummy soup.

- Kim Fielding

http://pinkbrandywine.tumblr.com/

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

Fresh Pesto

Fresh basil from the garden.

Pesto is super easy to make and freeze.  I feel a tremendous joy in clipping off the stems and leaves of basil as it smells sooo good! These stalks were gleaned from those that were "bolting" which means sending up flower stalks and going to seed.

After rinsing the leaves in the sink, I let them dry on the counter then picked the leaves off and placed them in a blender.

Traditional pesto is made with olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, basil (of course), and Parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper (or even hot red pepper flakes) may be added as desired.

For freezing purposes, I leave out the Parmesan cheese and add it in later after the basic pesto sauce has defrosted and we are ready to use the pesto.  You can also leave the cheese out entirely for a vegan sauce and it is just as good.

One of the things I love about pesto, or any of the fresh herb pastes we make for recipes, is the ability to swap out ingredients, in this case nuts.

If you would prefer to use walnuts instead of pine nuts, go for it. Walnut basil pesto is delicious. Another fun thing to add more depth to your pesto is to lightly roast your nuts first to enhance their contribution to the sauce.

2 C. fresh basil leaves
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/3 C. pine nuts
1/4 - 1/2 C. olive oil
1/2 C. Parmesan cheese

Place the basil leaves, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and puree for a few seconds. Add the olive oil slowly while the processor (or blender) is running and until you get the consistency that you like. Note that you may not add all the oil called for.

If you prefer to freeze your emerald sauce, then stop now before adding the Parmesan and divvy it up into containers or zip-locks and stock it away for a future meal.  If you wish to use the sauce right away, stir in the Parmesan and enjoy.  (Or no Parmesan if going vegan.)

Experiment with consistency and enjoy.

- Kim Fielding

Chile Rellenos - Vegan Style

Cooked chiles stuffed with cashew
cream cheese, herbs, veggies, and spices.

Chile rellenos, traditional style, have always been a rare indulgence. With the time it takes to make them, all the fat and frying involved, and the guilt afterwards for eating way too much of this fatty yet yummy food, my family doesn't go there very often.

Along comes Kris Carr with one of her most recent cookbooks "Crazy Sexy Kitchen".  When we saw the picture of her Chile Rellenos with Red and Green Sauces, we just had to try it.  However, as I have said before, I have trouble following a recipe so I adapted a little here and there.  My past experience though tells me that all of her recipes are PERFECT just the way they are printed.

Chiles are abundant in our garden as end of season crops.  We have serranos, habaneros, cayenne, jalapenos, and poblanos.  That isn't counting the gentle black and red peppers which we will be stuffing this week.  This chile relleno recipe works well with poblanos or anaheims.

Serves: 6
Prep and cook time:  about an hour

6 poblano or Anaheim chiles
2 tsp. olive oil

Cashew-Jalapeno Cheese filling:
2 C. raw cashews, soaked in water about 30 minutes to soften
3 Tblsp. lime juice
3/4 C. water
2+ Tblsp, nutritional yeast
1/2 yellow onion, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/2 C. finely diced yellow, orange, or red bell pepper (or a mix)
1/2 C. finely chopped cilantro
2 shallots, minced
1-1/2 Tblsp cumin powder
1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
salt to taste

Sauce:
Kris Carr uses two sauces in her beautiful book version.  An ancho pepper puree and a cilantro mint puree. Both are divine.  The cookbook will give you those recipes.  I chose to use one of my own salsa verdes which I had prepared with tomatillos from the garden.

Roast the chiles.  Preheat oven to broil.  Rub the chiles with the oil and place on a metal baking sheet. Broil for one minute on each side. Watch carefully!  You want the skin to soften and bubble but not burn. Remove the chiles from the oven and set aside.

While the chiles are cooling, prepare the filling.  In a blender, add the drained cashews, lime juice, and water.  Blend on high until completely smooth.  Pour mix into a bowl and add the nutritional yeast, minced onion, jalapeno, peppers, cilantro, shallots, cumin, oregano, and salt.  Mix together gently with your hands until blended.

Back to the chiles...

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Make a slice down the length of the roasted chiles and gently open up a pouch. Spoon the Cashew-Jalapeno filling into each of the chiles using up all of the filling.

These chiles weren't roasted first.  We decided we liked
them roasted after making this batch.  But hey, you
can skip this step if you like or want to save time.

Cook in an oiled baking sheet for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven.

The smell of these cooking is really nice.  Place a spoonful of sauce
on the plate and place a stuffed chile on top.

We made a salad with chopped greens and yellow tomatoes from the garden.

 Dress the salad with a light vinaigrette and place a portion over the plated chile with sauce.

The finished meal.

Serve with your choice of side dishes.  This meal features fresh melon and home-made bread.

This was devoured by my men who all loved this.  Even my carnivore husband ate every last bite.

Calories and nutrition for one large vegan chile relleno with 2 tablespoons tomatillo sauce and 1/2 cup dressed salad is approximately 600 calories.  This serving includes 8 g fiber, 21 g protein, and almost 43 g fat, most of which is mono- and poly-unsaturated with only 7 g being saturated.  Then there is a full compliment of vitamin C, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, and selenium. Oh, and lots of other minerals and vitamins too.

Don't be put off by the fat calories in this recipe.  A traditional chile relleno would be stuffed with cheese, breaded and fried, and paired with beans and rice.  There would be more fat calories, most of which would be saturated from the cheeses, not to mention the frying.  Beans and rice pile on the starches of which you honestly only need one serving.

Explore and enjoy.

- Kim Fielding

Garden Chards Stuffed with Risotto

Oh my, this was good.  Chards, collards, or any large leafy green
are great wraps for any filling.  

Many years ago, dear Dr. Mariam mentioned something to me that made such simple sense, I couldn't believe that I hadn't thought of it myself.  We were enjoying someone's home-made dolmas.  They were soooo good.  I was marveling at the precision of the grape leaf wound around the filling when she said "...you know, you can use any leaf to wrap around a filling."  Or something like that.   Oh wow.  This opened up a whole new way to think about the chards, kales, collards, and even lighter lettuces in our garden.

Fast forward, I now use dark leafy greens in place of pasta for such dishes as caneloni or lasagna. For an elegant touch, I poach butter lettuce leaves briefly then wrap them around tender morsels of fresh salmon and bake.  Lettuces and dark leafy greens are prolific growers and we used to see them "bolt" before we had a chance to use them all up.  Thankfully we have found another way to use them. And, just like with regular pasta, if I am using these greens in an Italian-style dish, I double the recipe and freeze in portions for future use.

One basic thing though when using any lettuces as a wrap is to remove the tough spine.  Since chards and collards are large leafed, I run my knife along the edge of the spine and end up with two halves which means two wraps.  Same with the butter lettuce except that this lettuce leaf is smaller so I carefully cut around the thickest part of the spine but leave the rest of the leaf intact. After a brief dunk in simmering water, the whole leaf is softened and usable and we manage to gently wrap our parcels so no holes are left to let precious juices leak out.

Simply run your knife along the spine and remove it.  Voila!  Two usable halves.

The following recipe is inspired by Rosalind Creasy and her book the Edible Italian Garden.  She lives in our neighborhood and has conspired in the past with such notable chefs and growers as the Sebastianis and Paul Bertolli who was the chef at Chez Panisse restaurant for many years.

I followed a recipe for mushroom risotto (well not really because I always add my own inventions....) that was vegetarian.  Rosalind's recipe includes prosciutto and beef stock which I imagine is divine. This is the thing, once you are comfortable with preparing a filling and you have a vegetable wrap, you can create anything!

Serves:  6
Prep and Cook time: about an hour

Six or more large chard leaves, large stem removed
Risotto, recipe below
Tomato Sauce, I used organic canned from Costco with nothing else added
Cheese for topping, optional

Risotto:
2 Tblsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 portobello mushroom, finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
3 - 4 cups vegetable broth, or more (I use water if more moisture if needed)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, finely grated

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and saute the onion and mushrooms until they are tender, about 7- 9 minutes.  Add the rice and stir so that the rice is coated with the buttery onion and mushroom mix. Add the white wine and stir for a few minutes until most of the wine moisture is gone.  Enjoy the heady aroma!

Start adding the vegetable broth, one cup at a time, stirring to incorporate the moisture throughout the rice.  Some people say you have to stir the whole time while adding the broth.  I don't do that because I am distracted by getting my baking dish ready, simmering the chards, and opening my can of tomato sauce....ya di ya.  Anyway, make sure you stir it often enough and note when it is starting to look dry and need another cup or so of broth.  When it is "to the tooth" (slightly crunchy but close to being creamy) add the Parmesan cheese and stir thoroughly.  Remove from heat.

While the rice is cooking, bring a large skillet of water to a simmer.  Dip your halved chard leaves into the water to soften.  This takes a minute or so for each leaf.  Remove and set aside.  Your wraps are ready.

Prepare your baking dish by spooning tomato sauce over the bottom of the dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Start wrapping!  For each chard leaf, add about 2+ tablespoons mushroom risotto mixture on the leaf and roll up.  Fill your baking dish with the rolls, seam side down, and top with tomato sauce until each roll is covered. The last topping of cheese is your choice.  The original recipe recommends Gruyere, however, I just used a bit of leftover Parmesan and some left-over Swiss cheese.  The topping is not the most important part of the recipe.  Once you bake this and eat it, the nugget is what is inside.

Ready to cook.  We didn't really need to add the goopy cheese on top.  It
would have been fine without it.  Or possibly just a fine grating
of Parmesan.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Serve with a greens salad dressed with vinaigrette and, if you desire, a slice of rustic bread.  Hmmm.

Approximate calories per serving (considering about two roll-ups per person) is 285 calories.  Add in about 10 grams protein, 5 grams fiber, 10 grams fat of which the majority is vegetable based,   There are approximately 35 g carbs total for diabetics who need to watch those numbers.  A daily requirement of iron and vitamin A is included in this delightful bundle.

Vegan option:  replace the butter with preferred oil and eliminate the cheese.

Have fun with this recipe!

- Kim Fielding

Berry Coconut Smoothie

Fresh blueberries and strawberries were the inspiration for today's smoothie.

My super blender has a single serving option and I chose the smaller container to make this.  I filled it about 2/3 up to the max fill line with blueberries.  Then I added strawberries, 1 large spoonful of coconut oil, and 1/2 cup of applesauce.   Blended until smooth, this was yummy!

This became thicker the longer it sat so adding water might help keep it easier to drink.   No worries though if you like it thick because it makes a delicious pudding-style breakfast.

Son #3 helped himself - there is not much left!

1/2 batch of this berry smoothie offers about 140 calories and almost 1/2 your daily requirement for vitamin C.

- Kim Fielding