What on Earth Were You Leeking!?!?!?

Why, Hello my fellow foodies!  Boy, oh boy, do I have a treat for you!  Now, we all love potato and leek soup, correct!?  Who doesn't?  And, why wouldn't they considering that it usually is dripping with bacon (and the grease) and cream?  Now, what if I told you that I had a recipe that was just as delicious and completely meat and dairy free?  You'd be stoked, right?  Well, if not, you should be!  This means that it has all of the nutritional benefits without any artery clogging, cancer-causing, zit-bearing, mood-altering ingredients.  Just nutritious and wholesome goodness in each bowl!  And, I'll even give you a radish, asparagus and broccolini salad to boot!  So, now that I am in the giving mood, here we go!

Leek & Potato Soup

3 large or 5 small leeks, dark green parts cut off and cut into quarter moons

1 lb. red potatoes, quartered and roughly diced

4 ribs of celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

4 cloves garlic, smashed

6 c. vegetable stock ( to make an amazing vegetable stock just put into a pot; the green tops of the leeks that you just cut off, 1 bunch of green onion, one bunch of parsley, one red onion cut in half, four cloves garlic, one lemon cut in half or one apple cut in half, 2 sprigs of thyme, 2 sprigs of rosemary and 2 bay leaves and let simmer for at least 2 hours)

salt and pepper to taste

Now, the most amazing thing about this soup is that it is the easiest thing in the entire world to make!  All you do, literally, is through all of the ingredients into a soup pot, except for the stock, with a bit of grape seed oil and saute until the veggies are translucent, the leek begin to get creamy and the potatoes start to cook through.  Then, add the stock and bring to a boil.  Turn down to a simmer, cover, and cook for 45 minutes to an hour. Take your hand held blender and cream the soup.  Serve and eat up right away.  IN fact, this soup was gobbled up before I could even take a final photo, so you know it is damn good!  

Next on our list today is our Radish, Asparagus and Broccolini Salad.

12 spears of asparagus cut on a slant into 1 1/1 in. pieces

8 sprigs of broccolini, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces

grapeseed oil

salt

4 red radishes, halved and thinly sliced

zest of 1 lemon

juice of one lemon

4 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbs. red pepper flake

1/4 c. pine nuts

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 red onion, minced

2 pinches of salt

pepper to taste

Cut up the asparagus and broccolini and set aside.  Then cut up the radishes and zest the lemon and set aside in a small bowl.  Then, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, red pepper flake, red onion, garlic, pine nuts, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk together, set aside.

In a frying pan, heat up 2 tbsp. of grape seed oil over med/high heat.  Once heated, add the asparagus and broccolini.  Stir to coat and then cook, covered, for 1-2 minutes.  Lift the lid and toss. If needed cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. but just enough to blanch and change the color of the veggies to a bright green.  Once this is achieved, remove from heat and add the radishes and lemon zest, toss.  Now, add the dressing and toss again. Serve immediately.  

This salad is absolutely delicious, but one thing for everyone making it to keep in mind is that it does not save super well.  The flavor does change and the veggies do get a bit soggier.  You may want to adjust the portions to what you think you might eat that night.  This recipe should yield about 4 servings.

Alright, my friends, I hope you enjoy eating these tasty dishes as much as I enjoyed making them!

Colonel Mustard...In the Potato...With the Soup Pot!

Well "Hello!" there friends!  You are in for a fiber-filled treat today!  One of the things that I think you can't mess up, soup-wise at least, are lentils.  No matter what you mix them with they just always manage to take on the right flavor and fill you up while tasting great.  And what would be the perfect side-dish for some light and smooth soup???  You guessed it...some crispy roasted root vegetables with a mustard sauce that would rival a sour cream topping any day.

To begin we will start with the Lentil and Kabocha Squash Soup.

1 kabocha squash, cooked and cut into cubes

1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt
1 cup green lentils, rinsed
5 coins ginger, 1/8-inch thick
1 whole star anise
6 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, medium dice
1 leek, sliced into 1/4 moons
1 fennel bulb, medium dice


red pepper flake

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Cut the squash in half and remove all of the seeds with a spoon. Roast on a baking rack with the cut side down and the 1/2 c. of water poured into the pan for 35-45 minutes.  Once cool enough, scoop out the squash in small cubes and set aside. 

In a medium sauce pan combine the lentils, star anise, ginger and 6 c. water over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and turn down to simmer for 30 minutes.

In a large stock pot heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the leeks, onion and fennel. Cook until the vegetables soften and become iridescent in color.

Remove the ginger and star anise from the saucepan and add the lentils and lentil broth to the vegetables.  Bring to a simmer and add the salt, squash and red pepper flake.  Cook for about 15 minutes and then serve.

Now it is time for our Roasted Root Vegetables with Mustard Sauce.

1 1/2 lbs. waxy potatoes, quartered   
1/2 lb. baby carrots, halved
1/2 lb. parsnips, halved
6 shallots, peeled
1/4 c. olive oil
2 large pinches of salt
2 bunches of green onions


Dressing:
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
3 tbsp. dijon mustard
1/2 c. olive oil
pinch of salt
1-2 tbsp. soy creamer


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the dressing ingredients.  Toss.  Spread on a large baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes.  Remove green onions after 20 minutes and set aside.


Combine all dressing ingredients except for the olive oil and creamer.  Mix well.  Gradually whisk in the olive oil.  Add creamer and mix well.

In a large bowl combine the veggies with the dressing and serve.    


There we have it!  A good way to get your week's worth of fiber in one meal.  Also, sweet potatoes would be a great addition to the roasted vegetable recipe!  And, the lentil soup tastes 10 times more amazing the next day.                                  

Tostada Tuesdays!

If there is one thing that I look forward to after a long day at work when all I want to do is get off my feet and the last thing that I want to do is cook, it is Tostada Tuesdays.  Don't let the name fool you!  We make these babies any day of the week when we get home and just barely have enough energy to chew.  They are fast, delicious, and, almost mess free!  On a lazy day these are the perfect comfort food that will fill you up and give you much more nutritional value than caving in and getting that McRib sandwich.  Plus, you also won't want to die and go into McFood induced coma afterward either.

First things first.  To start off you have to prepare the Guacamole.

4 ripe avocados, diced

1/2 small red onion, diced as finely as humanly possible

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

4 cloves of garlic, also diced as finely as humanly possible

zest of 1 lime, juice of 1/2 the same lime

pinch of cayenne

1/2 tbsp. cumin

pinch of salt

some fresh cracked pepper to taste

a drizzle of olive oil

chopped cilantro

Plop all of the ingredients into a bowl and mash up with a fork.  I like to leave some larger chucks in mine, but you can get it to whatever consistency is best for your taste buds! Adjust any spices or ingredients to your liking, also.

Now that the guacamole is done we can move on to the main dish...our beautiful Tostadas.

4 corn tortillas

2 tbsp. canola oil

1 can of Trader Joe's Fat Free Refried Beans

1 tbsp. earth balance

1/4 small head of red cabbage, shredded

1 large tomato, diced

4 green onions, sliced

cilantro

one batch of guacamole

Begin by slicing, shredding and chopping all of the vegetables.  Feel free to omit or add any to your liking. Set the toppings aside and lets get to the good stuff!  In a small frying pan heat the canola oil over medium heat.  You will know that the oil is hot enough when you flick a little water on it and it makes a popping noise.  While the oil is heating we will start getting the beans ready.  In a small pot add the can of beans with the earth balance.  Heat is through very slowly on low heat.  Stir occasionally to mix.  Once the oil is ready get the tortillas out and fry one at a time.  Fry on each side for about 3-4 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Once the tortilla is done, transfer it to a paper towel and cover both sides to soak up any extra oil. After you are done frying it is time to layer!  I always start with a generous layer of beans and then decorate the top with the sides.  However, these are your little bits of edible art work and you can design any way that you wish.  Have fun and enjoy your tostadas!!!!!

Doyle's Detox Dinner

After an evening filled with friends, food, fun, and, unfortunately for Doyle, half of a bottle of Bulleit Rye you might not feel like you are bringing your "A" game!?  In fact, you might just feel like downright poop!  After a day of headaches and misery I decided to try to cure this hungover lad with some vitamins and delicious food.


I started off my slicing endeavors with a Dilled Fennel and Arugula Salad.  


1 zucchini, sliced paper thin
1 medium fennel bulb, also sliced paper thin
1/2 c. chopped dill
1/3 c. lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. honey
salt
sliced almonds, garnish
a few solid handfuls of arugula


Start off by slicing the zucchini and fennel bulbs very thinly!

Mine definitely aren't as thin as paper, but you catch my drift.  Throw the zucchini and fennel in a bowl with the dill, olive oil and lemon juice.  Let it sit for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure everything is marinating equally.

After 20-60 minutes add the honey and salt to the fennel mixture. Fill salad bowls with arugula and drape the fennel mixture on top. I spoon a little extra of the dressing onto arugula as well.  Then top off with some sliced almonds.

Next on our list of bourbon fighting foods is some Garlic Roasted Kale.  This stuff is great as a side dish at dinner or even a late night snack!


1 bunch of dinosaur kale (or any type for that matter!)
olive oil
salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
Cracked black pepper


Dice up the kale into thick chunks and discard the stems.  Throw into a bowl with the garlic, salt and olive oil to your liking and toss to evenly coat the kale leaves.  Place onto a baking sheet and bake in an oven pre-heated to 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

I also wanted to make him some booze-absorbing soup! What better way to do that than with some lentils, split peas and some spices to get that stuff out of his system!?  


For the main course we have some Coconut Curried Red Lentil Soup. This soup was inspired by the blog 101 Cookbooks.  So far, every recipe that I have tried from that blog has been nutritious and delicious!


1 c. yellow split peas
1 c. red lentils
7 c. water
1 carrot, diced
2 tbsp. minced ginger
2 tbsp. curry powder
8 scallions
1/3 c. raisins
1/3 c. tomato paste
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. earth balance or olive oil
cilantro to garnish


Rinse the split peas and lentils and bring to a boil in a soup pot with the 7 cups of water.  Once boiling add 1/2 the ginger and the diced carrot.  Let simmer covered for 30 minutes.  

Meanwhile, lightly toast the curry powder in a frying pan over low heat.  Set aside.  In another pan saute the diced scallions with the butter.  Add the rest of the ginger and raisins.  Saute for a few minutes, then add the tomato paste.  Saute an additional few minutes until well mixed together.  Remove from heat and mix in the curry powder.  Add this to the soup along with the coconut milk and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes.  Serve with some diced cilantro and cracked pepper.

This soup has to be one of my absolute favorite new recipes!  It has a wonderful flavor and the cilantro brings out the coconut and  the curry brilliantly!


Now, what detox dinner wouldn't be complete without a delicious beverage?  So, here we have a fun and refreshing take on water...add stuff to it!!!!  I added a few torn mint leaves and a lemon wedge with the juice.  Makes drinking much more tasty and fun than that same old plain, boring water you always drink!  Especially when you are probably going to need to take in double just to get your body to stop hating you!

Here it is folks, a dinner that will rival Mr. Daniels any day of the week! Plenty of vitamins, minerals and wonderful things to re-hydrate your dried up and neglected cells.  Good news: Doyle with live to fight another day!