Jean’s Killer Gazpacho (a.k.a. Brilliant Cold Soup)

Group 1: 1 fennel bulb (use the whole bulb and discard the top and stem) 4 celery stalks 1 bunch scallions (use green + tender green) 1 medium sweet onion 3 small cloves garlic 3 red bell peppers Group 2: 2 large tomatoes, diced or one 14½-oz can diced tomatoes ¼ cup olive oil 1 Tbl sea salt 4 cups tomato juice (32 oz) or use a V-8 juice for more tangy taste fresh juice from 3 lemons (about 1/3 cup) In a food processor, pulse all the ingredients in Group 1 until minced. Put into large bowl/pot and stir ingredients from Group 2 until combined. Chill in fridge for one hour, but longer is great. The more this soup sits, the tastier it is! Makes 8-12 servings, though it’s so good they won’t last long. =) Courtesy of Emily Duval at http://emilytrains.wordpress.com/
From Donate Your Weight

Cherry Almond Salad

Use several kinds of cherries for flavor, color and texture contrast; a slightly bitter frisée or escarole and wedge of cheese nicely sets off summer’s first stone fruit. ½ head escarole or 2 heads frisée (kinds of lettuce) ½ cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped 1 ½ cups (about ½ pound) mixed cherries, such as Bing, Rainier, Brooks, Garnets, and sour Montmorency cherries if you can find them, pitted and halved ¼ cup dried cherries 1 Eureka lemon 2 Tbl grapeseed or almond oil Kosher or sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 4 oz blue cheese or aged goat cheese, such as Redwood Hill Crottin or Boucheret If using escarole, cut the leaves crosswise into thin ribbons. You’ll have 3 to 4 cups. If using frisée, use the tender, light-colored hearts and tear them into bite-size pieces. Toss together the cherries, almonds, and escarole or frisée in a salad bowl. Use a zester to peel the yellow skin of the lemon directly onto the salad. Add the oil, a squeeze of lemon, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide salad among 4 plates. Cut cheese into 4 wedges or slices and place a slice on each salad. Makes 4 servings Adapted from The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook: Seasonal Foods, Simple Recipes, and Stories from the Market and Farm by Amelia Saltsman. Courtesy of Emily Duval at http://emilytrains.wordpress.com/

Avocado Corn Relish

(serve as an appetizer, or a great topping to grilled chicken or fish) 8-oz frozen sweet yellow corn 3 medium avocados, diced 1 diced red bell pepper ½ c. diced red or white onion red wine or balsamic vinegar (or sometimes both!) olive oil salt and pepper to taste (optional) Combine avocados, pepper, corn and onion. In a separate bowl, combine a few teaspoons of the olive oil with about twice as much vinegar, and add salt & pepper if you like. Stir into the vegetable mixture, only adding enough to wet, not to saturate. (Note: if you leave the whole avocado pits in the mixture as well, the avocados won’t go brown as fast.) Serves 4. From the healthy kitchen of Emily Duval. Courtesy of Emily Duval at http://emilytrains.wordpress.com/
From Donate Your Weight

Pasta-free Eggplant Lasagna

2 large eggplants, cut into ¼ in. slices and steamed until tender but not too soft (about 5 min) 16-oz. pkge pre-cooked spicy Italian chicken or veggie sausage (try Trader Joe’s/Wild Oats), cut into ¼ in. pieces 16-oz. frozen spinach, thawed (be sure to squeeze all the water out) 1 ½ jars organic pasta sauce (I prefer Trader Joe’s roasted red pepper marinara) 6 cloves garlic, minced 7 ½-oz. fresh ricotta 2 Tbl. grated/shredded parmesan cheese Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a 9x12” baking dish with half the eggplant slices (cool them slightly after steaming so they can be handled), overlapping them to avoid gaps. Evenly layer half the sausage slices, then all of the spinach, then all the garlic. Add the ricotta, spreading thinly over the previous layers. Pour half the sauce over the layers, spreading evenly with a knife. Add the rest of the eggplant slices, sausage, and sauce (in that order). Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top and bake for approx 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Allow 5 minutes to cool a few minutes before serving. Serves 8. Note: Feel free to replace the marinara sauce in this recipe with another organic, preservative-free sauce, or your own homemade sauce, and try a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for an added kick. You can also replace the spinach with your favorite veggies. Nutrition info per serving: 245cal, 10.4g fat (3.3g sat, 0g trans), 49mg cholesterol, 868mg sodium, 19g carbs (8g fiber, 7g sugar), 18.3g protein. From the healthy kitchens of Gina Hicks and Emily Duval. Courtesy of Emily DuVal at http://emilytrains.wordpress.com/
From Donate Your Weight

Spinach, Crunchy Chickpea, And Hazelnut Ragout

This tasty dish is inspired by a tradition Spanish dish of spinach with raisins and pine nuts, and the baked chickpeas add a meaty crunch and lots of protein. 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained ¼ c. whole hazelnuts 2 Tbl. raisins 1 Tbl. extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 bunch spinach, rinsed and stemmed 3 plum tomatoes, cut into ½ in. cubes (optional) 2 Tbl. capers, with a bit of the brine A squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste couscous or steamed brown rice (½ c. per person) Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the chickpeas in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until crunchy, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Meanwhile, spread the hazelnuts on a second rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden in the center (you’ll have to cut into one to see). While the nuts are still hot, pour them into a clean dishtowel, form a sack, then rub the nuts in the towel to remove the skins. Don’t worry about removing every last bit of skin. Open the towel and transfer the nuts only to a cutting board, coarsely chop them, and set aside. Step 2: In a small bowl, pour ½ c. boiling water over the raisins. Let stand for at least 10 minutes, or until plump. Set aside. Step 3: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute; do not let it brown. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in the spinach, tomatoes, and capers with their brine, and raisins with about 1 Tbl. of their soaking liquid. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach is completely wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the roasted chickpeas and hazelnuts and heat through. Season to taste with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve immediately over the couscous or rice. Serves 2-3. From Entertaining for a Veggie Planet by Didi Emmons Courtesy of Emily DuVal at http://emilytrains.wordpress.com/
From Donate Your Weight

Curried Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a MEGA-food, and with dried apricots, raisins and curry powder, this unusual recipe is irresistible! 4 ½ pounds sweet potatoes (8 or 9 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste 1 cup dried apricots (3 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch slivers ½ cup raisins 1 cup boiling water 1 Tbl canola oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 tsp curry powder Freshly ground pepper to taste Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Add 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until tender but not mushy, 8 to 12 minutes. Drain well. Meanwhile, combine apricots, raisins and boiling water in a small bowl; let sit until plumped, about 10 minutes. Heat oil in a large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked sweet potatoes, apricots, raisins and the fruit-soaking liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Stir gently over medium-low heat until warmed through. Nutrition info per serving: 287 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 65 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 8 g fiber; 262 mg sodium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (840% daily value), Vitamin C (80% dv), Potassium (34% dv), Fiber (31% dv). TIP: The sweet potatoes will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days if you want to make them ahead. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. Courtesy of Emily DuVal at http://emilytrains.wordpress.com/
From Donate Your Weight

Roasted Broccoli With Garlic & Ginger

1 ½ pounds broccoli, cut into long spears 2 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tbl minced garlic 1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger ½ tsp kosher salt ½ tsp crushed red pepper Lemon wedges, for serving Preheat the oven to 450°. In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with the olive oil, garlic, ginger, salt and crushed red pepper. Spread the broccoli on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the upper third of the oven for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender and browned in spots. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4. Nutritional Info per serving: 109 calories, 7.6 g total fat (1.1 g saturated), 9 g carb. From the healthy kitchen of Joanna Caywood. Courtesy of Emily DuVal at http://emilytrains.wordpress.com/
From Donate Your Weight

Gina’s Super-charged Cereal

This recipe comes from her mother, who got it from Dr. J. Andrew Rife, Naturopathic Physician. There’s no better way to start your day! 4 cups rolled organic grains such as oats, barley, rye, etc. 2 cups oat bran 1 cup chopped dried fruit (cranberries or your favorite) 1 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds 1 cup raw unsalted nuts, chopped (your choice) 1 cup lecithin granules 1 cup ground flaxseeds (grind them yourselves for freshness) ½ cup ground milk thistle seeds (grind them yourselves for freshness) Seeds can be ground in a coffee grinder or blender. Mix all the ingredients well and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For each serving, soak ½ cup dry mixture in non-fat milk, soy milk, rice milk, nut milk, diluted fruit juice or water at least 30 minutes (overnight is okay). To increase the protein value, eat with yogurt or tofu. In the winter months, try heating your soaking liquid first for a warm cereal. This will decrease the soaking time to about 20 minutes. Cover the bowl after you’ve added the liquid to keep the heat in. From the healthy kitchen of Gina Caywood. Courtesy of Emily DuVal at http://emilytrains.wordpress.com/
From Donate Your Weight