I love the fresh flavors of lemon and parsley, and together they are an unbeatable combination to brighten any savory dish. Gremolata is a combination of lemon zest, garlic, parsley, and olive oil. Traditionally it is great as a garnish. It’s best made an hour or so before serving for the flavors to meld. Prep Time: 5 minutes Continue reading →

Photo Steve Buissinne

This is my favorite First Of The Fall soup, brought on by the first cold snap of the season.

Take a large pot add 2 tbsp oil oil and begin to heat.
Dice and throw into the pot:
7 cloves of garlic
one large white onion, chopped
2 big carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 sweet potato, chopped into cubes
1 small acorn squash, chopped into cubes Continue reading →

1 tablespoon olive oil (do not cook with extra virgin)
1 medium onion (approx 8 oz, 1 cup) chopped
2 teaspoons garam masala
4 medium potatoes, with skins still on, chopped small
2 large carrots, chopped small
5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
2 pints vegetable stock
2 springs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Continue reading →

1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 pounds yellow onions, sliced into wedges 1/4 inch thick
3/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Fresh ground white pepper

In large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onions until translucent (approx. 5-6 minutes). Add the vinegars and a pinch of white pepper. Lower heat, add the sugar and cook until the liquid is almost completely reduced and the onions have melted into a jam (this will take 20-25 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in the fresh thyme leaves

I love a meaty flavor to soups, stews and gravies, what in cooking is called the taste of umami.  To cut down on fats, I’ve eliminated most meats from my diet.  Now I can have the best of both worlds. I asked Pam Partridge Jacobs for the recipe for her savory veggie stock and here it is.  She says, “You can grind two or three dried porcini mushrooms to get the amount of mushroom powder you need to use in this stock…gives it great flavor!” Continue reading →

I’ve got to call myself on it when I do it! Tonight’s dinner was a tater tot sandwich on a toasted white bread onion roll with mixed greens. And yesterday I ate half a Zero bar. See? I don’t always eat healthy stuff. “Half a Zero bar?” a pal asked. Yes, I took a few bites of the Zero bar, then had a friend hide it in their freezer. Then I nabbed it when they weren’t looking and had more bites. Then I gave them custody of it overnight and that was the last I saw of it… Now that’s a true friend.

The other day I made hummus and roasted a bunch of vegetables in my new convection oven. Now they are stored in the fridge, so today’s brunch will be easy.  Cooked with oil and highly spiced, we’re talking massive flavor.  Today, I’ll take a large corn or flour tortilla and heat it in a pan a few moments on each side to soften it, so it doesn’t break when I fold it. Then I’ll spoon down a stripe of parsley garlic hummus and top it with a 3″ stripe of roasted veggies.  Another day I’ll add rice and cheese. I like to also add 1 teaspoon of fruit jam and a tiny stripe of Sriracha Sauce, then top with romaine and fresh tomato slices. Then I fold the tortilla over the filling to make a nice envelope. Place in a heated nonstick pan and toast until golden on each side.

I love an acorn squash and sweet potato soup.  I like it highly flavored, sometimes chunky, sometimes blended with a hand mixer to make a creamed soup. Here it’s chunky and I’ve added fresh thyme, rosemary and sage to give it a smoky flavor.  Made with vegetable broth, it’s vegan!  Continue reading →

3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten, or egg substitute
4 oz low fat mozzarella cheese or vegan cheese
1/4 cup parmesean cheese
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds crushed
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 cup flour
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
Sea salt and coarse ground black pepper
1 large head cauliflower, cored, broken into 1-inch florets

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Chop the raw cauliflower small and steam for about 15 minutes or until soft.

IMPORTANT: After steaming the cauliflower, strain in a colander and then pour onto a clean tea towel and allow to cool 15 minutes. Then wrap it up in the dish towel and squeeze out as much water as possible.  If you don’t do this, your crust will be chewy, not crispy.

Place it into a food processor and blend until it’s the texture of mashed potatoes. In a bowl, stir together cauliflower, eggs, cheese, flour and spices.  Lightly spray a baking pan with olive oil and cover with a sheet of parchment paper. Press the mixture down into the paper until it’s about 1/4 inch thick. I used a rolling pin to make it very thin and yet leave no gaps.

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes until the top browns.

Let cool, cut and enjoy.
I may grate some oven baked tostones (green plantain chips) into the batter next time.

Cheesey Cauliflower Pizza Crust