Some people like to have their massage treatments in silence and some like to talk. I've noticed over the years that when there is conversation during a massage treatment, the subject frequently turns to food. Restaurants are critiqued, the seasonal harvests are discussed and recipes are exchanged and memorized. Frequently after a treatment, I end up scribbling down a recipe on paper for myself or for a client. So I thought I'd post a few of my favorites. These are all recipes I've made a number of times and love.
CALDO VERDE
This is really easy to make. Delicious & energizing! Cooking time - 1 hour, 30 minutes. 4-6 servings.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
9 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 pound kale or collard greens or any kind of greens, really...
1/4 cup chopped parsley (optional)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped mint (optional)
Salt and pepper
Directions
In a large soup pot, heat olive oil and saute onion and garlic until vegetables are wilted, about 4 minutes. Add potatoes, stock, and minced crushed red pepper. and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until potatoes fall apart, about 1 hour. To speed up this process, the potatoes can be mashed with a potato masher.
While the soup is cooking, roll the kale leaves and chop into fine slivers, or shred in a food processor. Set aside.
When the soup is thick and the potatoes have broken up, whisk to break up the remaining potato pieces. Stir in the shredded kale and simmer until the leaves are softened but still slightly crunchy and flavors have melded, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley, cilantro, mint, and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
- modified from Emeril Lagasse.
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS
My new favorite. My daughter says 'So... are you making these every day now, Mom?"
1/2 cup margerine (I use 1/3 cup butter, I don't like margerine.)
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 dry sweetener
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup soy milk
1/4 chopped nuts (I guess these go on top, but I haven't used them yet.)
12 cupcake paper liners
In a small saucepan on a medium heat, melt the margerine. Once liquified, stir in the peanut butter, graham crumbs and sweetner. Spoon about two tablespoons of peanut butter mixture into muffin tins lined with paper liners (important!). In a different small saucepan on medium heat, melt the chocolate and soymilk together, stirring often. Spoon over top of the peanut butter cups. Set in fridge for six hours before serving. (Ha ha ha! Like I can wait that long! An hour in the freezer does the trick.)
From 'How It All Vegan' - Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer (Parenthesis - mine)
BASIL PESTO
The measurements aren't really important - you can't really go wrong with any ratio of these ingredients. Pesto is great on pasta, hot or cold. You can use it for sandwiches or just on toast or you can toss vegetables with it.
Makes about 1 1/3 cups.
3 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, coarsely grated (2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups loosely packed fresh basil
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
With food processor running, drop in garlic and finely chop. Stop motor and add nuts, cheese, salt, pepper, and basil, then process until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil, blending until incorporated.
Note: • Pesto keeps, its surface covered with plastic wrap, chilled, 1 week
Great Ocean Kamut Salad
2 cups dry kamut kernels
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup tamari
1/3 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup whole walnuts
2 medium carrots, julienne fine
1/2 English cucumber, julienne fine
Cook kamut kernels until tender. Toss ingredients together.
Six Minute Chocolate Cake
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup cold water or brewed coffee
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vinegar
GLAZE
1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup hot water, milk or half & half
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
Mix oil, water (or coffee) and vanilla.
Add wet ingr. To dry ingr. When batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. There will be pale swirls in the batter where the baking soda and vinegar are reacting. Stir just until the vinegar is evenly distributed throughout the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Reset the oven to 300 degrees. For the glaze, melt the chocolate in an ovenproof bowl or skillet in the oven for 15 minutes. Stir the hot liquid and vanilla into the chocolate until smooth. Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
For cupcakes, follow the same recipe, pour batter into cupcake pan lined with paper baking cups. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
- From the cookbook "Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home"
Muffin Madness
I use this recipe all the time. I experiment with different flours - spelt, corn, kamut, etc. It's a great, light recipe for frequent use because it doesn't call for butter, but a few spoonfulls melted adds a great flavour.
WET INGREDIENTS
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4-1 cup brown sugar
1/2 pure vanilla extract
DRY INGREDIENTS
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
The basic wet & dry ingredients are not intended to be a recipe for plain muffins. Always choose one of the variations.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix eggs, oil, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir in fruit or vegetable of your choice and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt (and any spices your variation calls for.). Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix the batter. Fold in the additional ingredients called for in your variation. Spoon the batter into oiled muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown
VARIATIONS
APPLE: Add 2 cups of grated tart apples and 1 teaspoon of freshly grated lemon peel to the wet ingredients. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry ingredients. If you like, fold 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter.
BANANA: Add 1 1/2 cups of mashed ripe bananas to the wet ingredients. If you like, fold 1 cup of chopped nuts and/or 1/2 cup of chocolate chips into the batter.
BLUBERRY - LEMON: Add 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries and I tablespoon of freshly grated lemon peel to the wet ingredients.
ZUCCHINI: Add 2 cups of grated zucchini to the wet ingredients, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom to the dry ingredients. Fold 1/2 cup raisins or currents, and 3/4 cup of chopped nuts in you like, into the batter.
- From the cookbook "Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home"
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THE BEST GRANOLA IN THE WORLD
INGREDIENTS
3 cups of oats
1/4 cup butter or margarine or vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
OPTIONAL - any or all of the following:
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
Melt the butter in a large iron frying pan (Or just pour the oil in the unheated pan). Stir in the honey or maple syrup. Take the pan off the burner. Add the rest of the ingredients except the raisins. Stir. Bake in the frying pan at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Let the granola cool, add raisins and store in an airtight container.
