Cream of Spinach Soup GF DF

This recipe is adapted from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook using almond milk instead of milk and white rice flour instead of wheat flour.

1 carrot, peeled and cut into chunks

1 small onion, cut into chunks

1 glove garlic

1 potato, peeled and cut into chunks

1 pound spinach

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup white rice flour

2 cups almond milk

1 pinch nutmeg

½ teaspoon basil

1 pinch thyme

1 pinch parsley

Salt and pepper

• Cover carrot, onion, garlic and potato in water. Cook until tender. Puree and set aside.
• Steam spinach in 1 cup water until wilted. Puree. Leave in blender.
• Make a roux as follows. Melt butter. Add white rice flour. Cook a few minutes. Whisk in almond milk. Cook over low heat, stirring until thick.
• In a blender, add to the spinach: the roux, salt, pepper, nutmeg, basil, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
• Add the first mixture. Blend until smooth. 
• Correct seasoning and serve.

Carrot Charoset - Low FODMAP

Carrot Charoset on Lundberg Thin Stacker

• I adapted my Sephardic charoset recipe to make it a low-FODMAP recipe. Like it’s predecessor, the cayenne pepper gently sneaks up on you. 
• You can use ground cumin, or for extra flavor, toast whole cumin seeds as directed below.
• The directions use a food processor but a meat grinder will work equally well.

1 cup cashews or walnuts (as is or toasted)
½ pound finely-shredded carrots
2 navel oranges
½ pound red seedless grapes (weigh without stems)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cumin (For extra flavor, substitute whole cumin seeds as directed below.)
1/16 to ¼ teaspoon of cayenne (Start with 1/16 teaspoon. Add more if you wish.)

• This first step is optional. If you want to use ground cumin, skip this step. Put 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds in a dry skillet (no oil) for just a minute or two. Watch carefully so they do not burn. When the time is up, get the seeds out of the skillet or they will continue to cook and may burn. Grind the cumin seeds with a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
• Whirl the nuts in food processor (or through a meat grinder) until finely chopped. It will make approximately one cup or less. Place in large mixing bowl. Don't bother washing the food processor until you are all done. The fruit juices will "clean off" the nut powder. 
• Add the shredded carrots to the mixing bowl. 
• Wash and rinse the navel oranges very well. Remove the blossoms. Slice the orange (rind and all). Whirl it in the food processor to fully chop. Add to mixing bowl. 
• Whirl the grapes in food processor until very finely chopped. Add the cinnamon, cardamom and cumin. Add 1/16 teaspoon of cayenne. Whirl to mix. Add to mixing bowl. 
• Mix all the ingredients by hand until well blended. Check flavor. Add more cayenne if desired. 
• Place in a covered container and chill. 

Baked Chicken Wings

• See Wing Tips at the end of this recipe for flavor options, and ideas for serving and reheating.
• I prefer wings cut in half. They seem to have a better flavor. Shop around to find a place that sells the wings already cut in half.

¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons savory (or marjoram or basil or oregano or a mixture of dried herbs)
2 teaspoons sea salt
3-5 pounds chicken wings

• Use a large bowl or plastic bag to marinate the wings. A covered bowl works well and is good for the environment. 
• Mix together everything but the wings.
• Add the chicken wings and mix until all the wings are well coated with the marinade.
• Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Wings can marinate for 3 days or more as long as you do not exceed the butcher's expiration date.
• When you are ready to bake the wings:
  • Preheat oven to 425°.
  • Bake in a jelly roll pan.
  • Optional: For easy clean-up, cover the jelly roll pan with parchment paper. The paper should hang over the edges to prevent the juices from getting onto the pan.
  • Place the wings in the jelly roll pan. Leave some marinade on the wings.
  • I put most all of the marinade into the baking dish to build more flavor.
• After about 20 minutes, when the wings begin to turn golden, flip them over. Watch carefully! Sometimes the wings cook faster than expected! All together, they will cook 40-50 minutes. They seems to cook more slowly when there is more marinade on the wings. After another 15-20 minutes, flip them again. Check the wings every 5 minutes to be sure they do not overcook and they are golden brown on both sides.

Wing Tips

• If you have a big crowd, the wings will go further if you cut whole wings in half. Kitchen shears are helpful for this task. It's easiest to cut up the wings after they are cooked.
• Other seasonings to add to the basic marinade (alone or all at once). (*If you are going for a gut-friendly recipe skip the tamari, soy sauce and honey.)
  • Soy sauce* or tamari* 
  • Grated gingerroot
  • Black pepper or cayenne
  • Minced jalapeno
  • ¼ cup honey*
• Serving options – serve your wings as is, or with one or more of these:
• Chopped cilantro
• Chopped scallions
• White or black sesame seeds
• Pesto sauce
• Before reheating the wings in the microwave, smear them with pesto sauce.

Sephardic Charoset #2

Sephardic Charoset #2 in a tiny bowl (1.75" diameter)

• Recipe updated April 2, 2015.
• Recipes for Sephardic charoset number in the dozens . . . probably the hundreds. I put together this combo after looking at many other recipes. I especially like the way the cayenne pepper gently sneaks up on you.
• You can use ground cumin. For extra flavor, toast whole cumin seeds using directions below.
• This recipe can be doubled, although the mixture may be too much for your food processor when you get to the last mixing step. Just do that last mixing by hand.

Spicy Maple Walnuts

• Candied nuts are a nice addition to salads. Try them on top of a salad made with greens and beets. They are also great on ice cream or with a piece of fruit or just by themselves.
• This recipe has no butter and less maple syrup per nut compared with other recipes.
• I wanted a recipe that used maple syrup and the oven (not a skillet). I also wanted to make a big batch (one pound of walnuts -- that's about 6 cups). For most recipes that meant using a cup or more of maple syrup which would be quite expensive.
• Walnut halves make a great presentation but these are so yummy no one will complain it you use chopped nuts.
• I'm pretty sure this recipe could also be made with pecans or mixed nuts.
• I've made this recipe twice and I'm still playing with the flavorings. Have fun experimenting with you favorite flavors.

Fish Chowder

Fish chowder is a simple New England dish -- a cross between a soup and a stew.

Sephardic Charoset #1

• Charoset is one of the foods on the Passover sedar plate. This is the simplest form of Sephardic charoset. 
• It also makes a great spread for bread any time of the year!
• I prefer medjool dates, but any type will do. I avoid dates coated in sugar because some people have food sensitivities or allergies to sugar. Dates are plenty sweet without sugar.
• Steps #1 and #4 make 2 cups date puree. If you want to buy date puree already made, you can skip those steps.
• The toasted and ground almonds (steps #2 and #3) can be made as much as a week in advance and stored in a jar.

3 cups chopped dates
3 ounces almonds
1½ teaspoons cinnamon

• To make the date puree, put the 3 cups of dates in a saucepan with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer until the dates are tender. If a lot of the water cooks off, add more.
• To toast the almonds, use one of the methods found here. This can be done as much as a week in advance or while the dates are cooking. I like to preheat my oven to 400°, line a jelly roll pan with foil, spread out the almonds, and toast them for about 10-15 minutes. Every 5 minutes, I turn them with a spatula so they are toasted on all sides. Watch them carefully as they brown quickly. 
• Whirl the toasted almonds in the food processor until they are pretty fine. Take the nuts out of the processor. If it is a week ahead, store the nuts in a jar.
• Put the dates and any leftover cooking water in the food processor and whirl until the puree is smooth. Add more water, if needed.
• Add the cinnamon to the date puree and whirl again.
• Add the nuts and whirl again..
• Store in the fridge.

Watermelon Gazpacho

• Since it requires no cooking, gazpacho is perfect for a hot summer day. Chilled gazpacho is refreshing. The complex flavor is a delight.
• Some will find the olive oil too oily, so start with the smaller amount and decide how much you like. 

Baba Ghanoush

Hand-chopped baba ghanoush

• How do you like your baba ghanoush? Pureed or hand-chopped? This recipe has directions for both.
• Once you roast the eggplant, this is a quick recipe -- especially if you use your food processor; hand chopping will take a little longer.
• Baba ghanoush can be used as an appetizer or a sandwich filling. 
• For more flavor, start with whole cumin seeds. Toast them in a dry skillet, and then grind them in a mortar and pestle.

Pumpkin Pudding

• It's pumpkin pie minus the fuss and calories of the crust!
• This is an amalgam of several recipes.
• This recipe calls for a can of pumpkin puree but you can easily substitute yams, sweet potatoes, or some other winter squash. You can use store-bought puree or make your own.

Apple Sauce

Chunky pink applesauce

My father had a Jonathan apple tree in the backyard. (See below.) I remember sitting outside with my dad peeling apples with the juice running down our arms and the flies buzzing around. We would try to peel it in one continuous strip . . . just to say that we did!

We gave away bags and bags of apples, but we still had lots for us. Every fall, the whole family would pitch in and make applesauce. This went on for days . . . maybe weeks. My mom would can dozens of jars of applesauce. And, through the winter, we would eat it all! By the time I was in junior high school, I could peel and slice apples blindfolded.

I make applesauce different ways. Different apple varieties give different results. Sometimes I peel the apples, other times not. Sometimes I use only white sugar, other times I use brown, or a mix of the two, or honey or maple syrup. I've even made applesauce without cinnamon. See the Slicing Details below for tips on how to vary the texture (and color!) of your applesauce.

Applesauce can be eaten hot, lukewarm, or cold. It's great as a snack or as dessert. I love to pile hot steamed Macintosh apples over waffles and top them with a shake of cinnamon and a splash of maple syrup!

Turkey Mushroom Barley Soup

• Turkey soup can be a meal in itself. 
• Start with the Turkey Broth recipe. That includes the carrots, turkey meat, and bay leaves reserved from that recipe.
• Adjust the amount of potatoes depending on how much stock you have, and how much barley you use.
• Barley has gluten in it. To make this recipe gluten free, leave out the barley and use rice, wild rice, millet, or quinoa instead.

Turkey Broth

Thanksgiving 1957

• I adapted this recipe from my brother's recipe for turkey barley and lima bean soup.
• This is a great recipe for the day after Thanksgiving. Certainly, the amount of meat left on the bones will vary but either way this makes a rich turkey stock that can easily be turned into a tasty turkey soup. 

1 turkey carcass
2 large onions, cut in half
6 peeled carrots
6 stalks of celery
Salt
Peppercorns
2 bay leaves

• Preheat oven to 350°. 
• Place the carcass on a jellyroll pan with the onions, carrots, and celery. Do not grease the pan. Do not line the pan with foil or parchment paper. The turkey will render some drippings that will brown on the bottom of the pan and you want to use these later. That's easier to do with a bare pan.
• From time to time, turn the bones and vegetables as they brown. When I made this it took 1½ hours.
• Transfer the bones and vegetables to a stock pot, breaking the rib cage if it doesn’t fit in your stock pot. 
• Usually, drippings from the turkey and vegetables will gather and brown on the bottom of the pan. This will add a lot of flavor and color to your turkey stock. To retrieve it, soak a little water in the pan for a while and then you can scrape all of it into the stock pot.
• Add just enough water to cover the bones and vegetables. 
• Add salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves. 
• Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for at least an hour. 
• When the stock tastes good, remove the bones and vegetables to a colander. Reserve the carrots for a soup or other use. Discard the other vegetables.
• Pour the stock through a fine strainer. 
• Pick the meat from the bones and reserve. Discard the bones.

Butternut Squash Soup

• This is a rich and hearty soup  – great for a cold winter night. 
• For the herbs, use one or a mixture of those suggested – basil, marjoram, thyme, or winter savory.
• Top with sour cream or Greek yogurt, a dash of cinnamon, and a sprinkle of Spicy Toasted Squash Seeds.
• This made a very thick soup -- too thick for my taste. By the time I added enough water to get the consistency right, the volume had nearly doubled, but the flavor was still wonderful.

Spicy Toasted Squash Seeds

• Toasted squash seeds make a nice snack or a topping for soup or salad.
• Any variety of winter squash seeds can be used for this recipe. I chose butternut squash. One large butternut squash has about ½ cup seeds.

Chalky Beans

• My mom used to make this hearty entrée in the winter. I loved the texture of the beans. In high school, I renamed it "Chalky Beans," and that's what my family has called it ever since.
• I modified the ratio of beans to meat so that it uses less meat. In fact, you could add even more beans.
• This recipe tastes even better the second day. Consider making it a day in advance.

Lhassi Pudding with Kiwi

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm posting yet another version of the Lhassi Pudding recipe. This time, I added kiwi and garnished it with black sesame seeds (to play off the black kiwi seeds).

Scrambled Egg with Snap Peas and Goat Cheese

• I love the fresh flavor and crunchy texture of chopped snap peas.
• This is more of an ingredient idea than a recipe, because everyone has their favorite way to make scrambled eggs. If you don't,  just search on YouTube.
• If you prefer to make plain scrambled eggs and serve the sugar snap peas on the side, I suggest doubling or tripling the amount of sugar snap peas. In fact, you could make a lot and save the leftovers for a snack!
• I rinse the mixing glass with water to keep the egg from sticking to the glass -- plus, the water keeps the egg tender.
• Fresh herbs are preferable, but I only had dried herbs. Try thyme, basil, or tarragon.
• This recipe is for one egg. If you add more eggs, you need more herbs but only a little more than what you'd use for one egg, so the herbs do not overpower the dish.

cooking oil or butter

½ cup chopped sugar snap peas (or less)

½ teaspoon fresh thyme, basil, or tarragon (or a pinch dried) (optional)
1 egg
pinch sea salt
pinch of black pepper
2 tablespoons goat cheese

• Rinse a glass with water. Do not dry it. Add the egg and beat it.
• Warm  a small skillet. Add cooking oil or butter. 
• Add the chopped sugar snap peas and thyme. Stir fry a few minutes.
• Be sure the pan is hot. If you use butter, it should be bubbling.
• Add the egg to the peas. Add the salt and black pepper.
• Use your favorite method to cook the egg.
• When the egg is almost done, remove it from the heat, add the goat cheese and stir.

Gypsy Soup

• I love this recipe from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook, and have been making it since forever, but this week, I was having a hard time following the directions. I decided to put the instructions in a format that works for me: listing the ingredients in the order used, and adding instructions for the tamari (which seem to be missing). I also upped the garlic, and used canned diced tomatoes.
• This is almost a stew rather than a soup because it's so loaded with veggies.
• The recipe makes about 4 servings depending on what else you are serving with it.
• Note: you want a mix of orange and green veggies -- consider trying the alternates listed in [brackets].

Lhassi Pudding

• My niece and I created this vegan dessert. The plan was to come up with a sorbet but, it was so good we never did freeze it.
• It's important for the mango pulp to be nearly (or completely) thawed. Otherwise, it will become a frozen mass that locks up the food processor.
• Silken tofu is different from regular tofu. To learn more, click on the link below. We used a lite silken tofu to reduce fat and calories.
• While this can be eaten immediately, the nuts take on a nice texture after they sit on top of the pudding (in the fridge) for a few hours. In fact, they were so good, I've doubled the amount.
• If you use pisatchios for the topping, their green color will be more intense if you remove the brown papers before you chop them.
• This recipes makes 5-6 servings -- depending on the portion size.

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From: Minka’s Kitchen
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