Eating the Rainbow

I try to add as much color to my cooking as possible, hoping to maximize the nutritional value through the variety of antioxidents and phytochemicals that come in different colored fruits and vegetables. Last evening's salad was an example. I just used what was at hand, to create a colorful, healthy main dish salad.

It included:

• Cooked red beans


• Slivers of aspargus


• Bits of red onion


• Shredded carrots


• Homemade tomato salsa


• Red Peppers


• Baby Spinach


• and Ribbons of Romaine Lettuce

Haiku made a lemon juice and oil dressing, infused with garlic and herbs which we drizzled liberally over our salads. Some steamed aspargus and baked potatoes with chives rounded out the meal for the vegetarians. The omnivores added a little something from the BBQ, and everyone was happy!

photo by Haiku, April 22, 2007

In my pantry: IZZE

Several months ago Haiku and I stumbled across a new-to-us product that we were eager to try: IZZE Sparkling Clementine. The beverage was crisp and refreshing; we were not disappointed. Since that time we have tried many of the available flavors and have enjoyed them all. I believe my two favorites are the Sparkling Blackberry and the Sparkling Pomegranate. Their website is fun to peruse: IZZE

I am eager to learn more about their involvement Project Reach which is briefly referred to on the product packaging. This project, in coordination with Global Education Fund, provides education based development for the farm workers and their families in the regions which provide the fruit for the IZZE products. Read more about this project here: IZZE & Project Reach.

I like what the manufacturer says about their product, right on the glass bottle: "We stay true to the fruit. IZZE is naturally sweet. No refined sugar. No caffeine. No artificial anything. Ever. It's just natural fruit juice with a splash of sparkling water. Naturally delightful. Refreshingly different."

It's nice to have an alternative to my usual water, coffee or tea, that I don't have to feel guilty about! *grin*

photos by Haiku, April 17, 2007

Easy Red Lentil Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

• 16 oz Red Lentils
  2 quarts vegetable broth (or water and appropriate amount of buillion)
• 1 medium red onion
• 6 cloves garlic
• 16 oz frozen mixed veggies
• 1/2 to 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 to 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 to 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 to 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
  

Directions:

Rinse lentils well and place in soup pot with 2 quarts vegetable broth. Add chopped onion and garlic. Bring to boil. Add seasonings. Cover with lid and simmer 1/2 hour. Add 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables. Simmer 10 more minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. A squeeze of lemon may be added to the pot as well. Serve with chapatis or other flat bread.



Aisling's Notes: I used a frozen stir-fry vegetable mix for this, which included broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, red pepper, water chestnut and celery.

photos by Aisling, April 15, 2007

Stuffed Zucchini

This is more of a "how to" than an actual recipe, because I just made these up as I went along and didn't really measure. They turned out really well though, so next time I will pay more attention to myself as I make them. *grin*

Ingredients:
3 large zucchini
1/2 of a medium onion
5 or 6 cloves garlic
8 to 10 baby bella mushrooms
1/3 block extra firm silken tofu, chopped in small bits or crumbled
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon oregano and/or thyme
black pepper to taste
seasoned bread crumbs *

Directions:
Half the zucchini and pare bottoms if necessary so that the "boats" are stable. Cut a cavity into each zucchini and score with a knife. Scoop cut bits of zucchini out with a spoon; reserve. Saute tofu in 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil. When brown, add mushrooms, onion and garlic. Season to taste with herbs and pepper. When mushrooms are golden on both sides, splash in the wine and soy sauce. Then add the chopped reserved zucchini and cook for just a couple more moments until the wine and soy sauce cook down by about 1/2. Spoon this mixture into the zucchini "boats." Sprinkle with seasoned bread crumbs.

Bake in a 400 degree F. until bread crumbs are browned and zucchini edges are a bit golden in spots (about 15 to 30 minutes.)

Note: I made my own bread crumbs, though of course store bought would work well too. Mine were from homemade wheat bread, seasoned with anything that Haiku thought smelled good from the spice drawer! That included oregano, dry mustard, and cayenne pepper. Very yummy!

photo by Haiku, April 8, 2007

In my pantry...

I love to keep certain items on hand in my pantry. I don't buy a whole lot of prepared foods, preferring to make things from scratch and know exactly what is in the food I am feeding my family. Despite that, there are a few favorite items I always have on hand, and a few "luxury" items that I wish I could always have on hand. From time to time I will feature one of those items here, so that the products I enjoy will benefit from positive word-of-mouth advertising.

Haiku and I spend most Saturday nights at a local coffee house for an open-mike night. Mostly we are observers, but we have each performed a time or two! Several weeks ago, I purchased a tea that became an instant favorite. The lovely brew, known as Throat Comfort, was produced by Yogi Tea. I had so much fun exploring their website the other day, and have a free sample of three different teas headed my way soon.

Throat Comfort Tea is a sweet soothing blend of organic herbs, including Licorice Root, Fennel Seed, Cherry and Cinnamon Bark, Orange Peel, Slippery Elm Bark, Cardamom, Ginger, Mullein Leaf, Black Pepper and Clove Bud.

photo by Haiku, April 6, 2007

Ginger Chickpea Stew

This fragrant stew was inspired by a recipe in one of my "heart smart" cookbooks. The original had chickpeas and tomatoes, broth and spices. I thought there wasn't enough going on for a filling meal, so I revamped the recipe based on my tastes and what I had on hand at the moment. The result was delicious, filling and very nutritious:

Put all of this in a big pot:

1 quart vegetable broth
2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 sixteen ounce can)
1 small red onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced or chopped
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
1 potato grated
1 potato cut in small cubes
1 sweet potato cut in small cubes
1 cup chopped spinach

Season with:

1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon coriander
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put the lid on and cook over medium heat until potato and sweet potato cubes are falling apart and shredded potato has thickened the broth; 30 to 40 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Note: You could sauté the onion and garlic in extra virgin olive oil before adding the broth and other ingredients. It’s so good without that though, that I prefer to skip the oil and keep things lower in fat. Also, this is a slightly sweet stew. For a change of pace Southwestern or Indian Spices would also be delicious. I'm going to try one of those options the next time I make this stew.

My omnivore husband loved this in his thermos for lunch the next day. He told a co-worker that he liked it even better than the beef stew I sent with him the day before.

photo by Haiku, February 2007

Banana Oat Scones

My original recipe for scones came from a book called The Joy of Snacks. I don't remember the book and may have to track it down sometime to refresh my memory. I think it was borrowed from the library.

I have modified the recipe so much over time, that it is quite different than the original (which contains egg and raisins, and does not use bananas.)

Ingredients:

(scant) 2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated (no trans-fats) margarine, melted
1/3 cup soy milk (plain or vanilla)

1 ripe mashed banana

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients; set aside. Blend mashed banana, melted margarine, and soy milk until fairly smooth. Add in dry ingredients and mix just until moistened. Shape dough to form ball; pat out on lightly flours surface to form 8 inch circle. Cut into 12 wedges (scones); bake on oiled baking sheet at 425 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve warm.

Note: I go "skimpy" on the flour at the start and reserve some to add at the end if needed. Not all banana's are created equal! I will (carefully) add more if the dough is too sticky to shape and cut.

photo by Aisling, February 19, 2007

Baby Bella & White Bean Stew

Here is warm filling stew that uses a few of my favorite ingredients: couscous, crimini or baby bella mushrooms, spinach and loads of garlic. Because I usually have these things on hand, this is often on my hearth. I originally created this recipe when I pulled out another recipe and found that I had all of the wrong ingredients on hand! Some of my favorite recipes were born that way!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

3/4 cups chopped onions (a combination of red and green, or just whatever you have on hand)

6 cloves garlic, (4 chopped roughly and 2 crushed)

2 cups sliced Baby Bella mushrooms

2 (16 oz) cans veggie broth

2 (16 oz) cans white beans

1 cup frozen chopped spinach

1/2 cup plain or whole wheat couscous

1/4 cup red white or balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 to 1/2 crushed red pepper

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil. Saute onions, garlic, mushrooms and spices until mushrooms are golden. Deglaze the pan by stirring in wine or vinegar. Add broth, white beans, and spinach. Cook on medium high until the broth comes to a soft boil. Add in couscous and turn off heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

This will really thicken up, so add more veggie broth if you want it more soupy. If you like things spicy, this is good garnished with crushed red pepper and/or a little shot of hot sauce.

This will make 4 to 6 generous servings.

photo by Aisling, February 5, 2007

Welcome to my Kitchen

I have enjoyed welcoming readers into my Quiet Country House over the last few months. I have decided to remodel just a bit, and add a Quiet Country Kitchen for my original vegetarian and vegan recipes. I will pull some of the recipes from the last few months and re-post them here, and will continue to add new recipes (hopefully at least one or two a week.) I'm hoping this separate blog will allow easier access to recipes, through the labels in the right sidebar, but please continue to visit me in the Quiet Country House as well!