Really Easy Home Made Lentil Soup

This is probably the easiest lentil soup you can make. It's bursting with the flavour of fresh vegetables, red lentils, spicy curry powder and ginger root. You can make this soup in less than an hour from start to finish, and enjoy it with crispy rolls or crackers for a nourishing, warm lunch on a cold December day.

You'll need: 

For the Soup:
1 onion; 1 clove garlic; 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger root; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 sweet red pepper; 1 small hot red pepper; 1 large carrot; 3 large mushrooms; 2 teaspoons hot curry powder; 1/2 teaspoon turmeric; 1 cup red lentils; 1 tablespoon tamari; 5 cups water.To Garnish: 1 tablespoon hemp hearts.

 Method:
Chop the onion, garlic and ginger. Put olive oil and onion in a large soup pot, and cook gently over a medium heat until onions begin to soft. Turn heat up to medium and add garlic and ginger root, sauteing until fragrant.

While the onions are softening, wipe and thinly slice the mushrooms, dice sweet and hot red peppers, and cut carrots into circles or half moons. Add  vegetables to the pot in this order: mushroom, peppers, and carrots. Mix in each vegetable gently, until coated with oil, and lightly stir fry before adding next vegetable.

Fill the kettle with 5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, add the curry powder and ground turmeric to the soup pot, stirring to blend into vegetable mixture. Add in lentils and mix well. Stir in the tamari.

Add 1 cup of boiling water to the soup pot. Stir well, loosening any bits of vegetable stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add remaining 4 cups of water, and combine with vegetables. Heat just to boiling point, and let cook uncovered for 2 minutes. Stir again, reduce heat to a slow simmer, and put lid on soup pot. Cook until lentils and vegetables are softened and well-integrated. Garnish with hemp hearts, and serve hot.

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Roasted Baby Beets with Pasta

Mmmmm....

Once you taste this mouthwatering pasta dish made with sweet onion, basil, and  oven-roasted beets, you'll be amazed. And you'll understand why this particular combination of foods has been popular since Roman times. Beets have a subtle earthiness about them, and their bright red colour is a cheerful addition to any recipe. These humble little globes are a veritable storehouse of good nutrition, and are an excellent source of potassium, iron, calcium and Vitamin A.  Try this recipe, and you'll be surprised at the depth of flavour from such simple ingredients. Last time I served this dish to a friend, he had thirds! 

You'll Need: 12 small baby beets; 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soak, sprouted and air dried; 1 large sweet onion; 2 tablespoons almond cream or cream; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1 cup small brown rice pasta tubes; 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon + 1 drizzle olive oil; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 1/8 teaspoon sea salt; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, salt to taste; 2 tablespoons hemp hearts; 2 tablespoons crumble goat milk or vegan seed feta cheese; 1 teaspoon dried thyme/oregano/summer savory blend.

Method: Remove tails and tops, and lightly scrub the beets with a vegetable brush. Place in a ovenproof dish, cover and bake in a slow oven, (325 degrees) until beets are soft. When cool enough to handle, slip off skins and set aside.  

Put sunflower seeds in a dry pan. Roast slowly over a low heat, stirring often, until seeds are lightly toasted, and very fragrant. Set aside.

Cut onion into small pieces. Put the olive oil in a small frying pan, add onion, and cook gently over medium heat until onions are soft and very sweet, almost beginning to caramelize. Stir Dijon mustard into almond cream and pour into pan stirring to form a thick sauce. Remove from heat.

Wash basil, and place in blender with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and salt. Pulse into a smooth pesto. Set aside.

Cook pasta, drain, rinse in cool water, and put into a casserole dish. Cut beets into quarters, length-wise, and add to pasta. Pour onion mixture over beets and pasta, and mix thoroughly. Gently stir in sunflower seeds. Dot basil pesto over top of dish, and fold in. Sprinkle with cayenne and ground cloves. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and cover.

Bake in a moderate oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove lid, sprinkle with hemp hearts, crumbled cheese and dried thyme/oregano/savory blend. Return to oven for 2-3 minutes until cheese is warm. Serve and enjoy.

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Baked Acorn Squash with Red Hot Apple Sauce

Another marvelous taste of autumn--crisp flavourful apples and succulent soft-fleshed squash. A dark green acorn squash is split, and baked with garlic. It is filled with a spicy caramelized garlic and hot pepper maple applesauce. This recipe is an excellent side dish, and also makes a satisfying light lunch.

You'll Need: 

For the Squash: 

1 acorn squash; 2 cloves garlic; 1/4 teaspoon olive oil; salt and pepper.

For the Red Hot Applesauce: 

1 apple (I used a Cortland); 1 tablespoon maple syrup; hot red pepper, to taste; cinnamon powder; drizzle of maple syrup

Wash squash and pat dry. Cut in half and remove pulp and seeds. Pour 1/2 the olive oil into each squash section, and spread over flesh with fingertips. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 1 garlic clove in skin under each squash half. Bake in moderate oven until squash flesh is soft, and the garlic caramelized. Turn squash slices upright, setting garlic cloves aside to cool slightly.

Wash and core apple, leaving skin on. Cut into large sections and place in blender. When cool enough to handle, cut the end off each garlic clove, and squeeze caramelized garlic on top of apple pieces. Chop hot pepper and add to blender. Drizzle with maple syrup.

Pulse fruit, maple syrup and garlic for a few seconds. Blend until apple is smooth, but red pepper is slightly chunky.

Add apple sauce to squash halves, and sprinkle with cinnamon. return squash to oven and heat until apple sauce is warm but not cooked. Place on serving dish, and drizzle with a little more maple syrup and a light dusting of cinnamon.

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Pomegranate-4 Berry Pudding with Lime-Avocado Cream

This delicious dessert pudding is sure to please any palate, combining the rich tangy-tart taste of pomegranate with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. The fruit mixture is folded into a lime-avocado cream which is lightly sweetened with maple syrup.

The crunch of the pomegranate seeds, that sparkle like little jewels on the spoon, make this dish fun to eat. Children, especially, like its unusual texture and robust taste. This recipe is rich in anti-oxidants as well as flavour, and has an impressive nutritional profile all-round.

You'll Need:

For the Pudding: 1 large pomegranate; 1 cup mixed berries, fresh or frozen (I used frozen 4-Berry Mix--raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries) 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom. 

For Lime-Avocado Cream: 1 large avocado; 1 lime; 2 tablespoons almond milk; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 2 teaspoons fruity olive oil; few grains sea salt.

For Garnish: 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds; lime zest.

Method: 

The Pudding: 

Wash or thaw berries, and place in a large bowl. Peel pomegranate and remove seeds, reserving 1 tablespoon for garnish. Add to berries, stirring in carefully to avoid breaking fruit. Sprinkle with ground cardamom and set aside.

The Lime-Avocado Cream:

Wash lime, and pat dry. Using a citrus zester, remove long thin strips of peel, and set aside for garnish. Remove remainder of peel and pith. Cut lime into quarters, and remove any seeds. Place in blender. Peel and pit avocado and cut fruit into chunks. Put in blender, and add almond milk, maple syrup, salt, and olive oil. Blend on slow speed until smooth.

 Pour lime-avocado cream over pomegranate-berry mix and fold fruit in gently.

Garnish with reserved pomegranate seeds and lime zest.

With its bright red and green colours, this dessert has great possibilities for festive holiday fare!

Autumn Cauliflower-Radish Bake with Gingered Millet

This tasty autumn fare pairs crunchy cauliflower and crisp sliced radishes in a mild-flavoured, gently baked dish. The cauliflower/radish combination is complimented with sweet and hot red peppers, cherry tomatoes, ginger root and green onions. A dash of tamari adds a savory taste without much salt. This dish is simple to make, and satisfying to eat--on its own or served over a hearty grain, like millet. It is an interesting seasonal side dish to a more elaborate meal, and a definite hit at a fall garden pot luck.

You'll need: 

For the Vegetables: 1 cauliflower; 6 - 8 crisp radishes; 6 green onions, 2 medium carrots; 1 red sweet pepper; 1 small hot red pepper; 1 teaspoon tamari; 1 teaspoon water; 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

For the Millet:1 part millet; 2 parts water; 2 tablespoon finely sliced chives; 1 tablespoon diced ginger root; 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder; 1/4 teaspoon sea salt; 1 tablespoon coconut butter; dried caledula blossoms (optional)

Method: Wash cauliflower, and pat dry. Break into florets and cut into small slices. Wash radishes, and slice into thick pieces. Dice sweet and hot red pepper, and quarter cherry tomatoes. Slice onions, using both white and green parts. Chop carrots into small, thin pieces. Mix vegetables together and place in a baking dish. Combine tamari, olive oil, and water and pour over vegetables.  Cover dish and bake in a moderate oven until cauliflower is tender-crisp - about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover and place under grill for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are lightly browned on top.

For the Millet: Rinse grain, and place in pot with water, ginger root, salt, and tumeric. Bring to boil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn heat to simmer, and gently steam millet until soft (about 10-15 minutes) When the grain is cooked, stir in chives, calendula blossoms, and coconut butter. 

Serve Gingered Millet with Cauliflower-Radish Bake for a hearty harvest-time lunch.

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Gingered Broccoli in Curried Squash Sauce

This delicious oven-baked autumn recipe marries the flavours of ripe yellow grape tomatoes, fresh ginger root, green onions and broccoli in a spicy curried butternut squash sauce. Pair it with sultana-brown rice for a nutritious lunch, or serve as a tasty side-dish with a larger meal, or buffet.

You'll Need: 

For the Vegetables: 1 head of broccoli; 2 green onions; 2 tablespoons chopped ginger roots; 1/2 cup yellow grape tomatoes; 1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper; 1/2 cup cooked butternut squash; 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water; 1 tablespoon hot curry powder; 1/4 cup hemp hearts; sea salt

For the Rice: 1 cup brown rice; 1/2 teaspoon turmeric; 1/4 teaspoon allspice powder; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder; 12-14 sultana raisins; 1 tablespoon coconut butter; salt

Method: Wash broccoli, cut off stem, separate into florets, and coarsely chop. Place in a baking pan and sprinkle with few grains of sea salt. Chop ginger root into very small pieces, and thinly slice green onions. Quarter grape tomatoes, and chop dice sweet red pepper. Add chopped ingredients to broccoli in baking pan and mix together.

Puree baked butternut squash with vegetable stock. Stir in curry powder. Pour squash sauce over vegetables. Cover dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.Bake uncover for last 5 minutes.

Put Gingered Broccoli in Curried Squash Sauce in a serving dish and garnish with hemp hearts. To make Sultana-Brown Rice, put rice and water in rice cooker. Add turmeric and cayenne. 10 minutes before rice is ready to serve stir in allspice powder and sultanas and finish steaming. Before serving, stir in 1 tablespoon of coconut butter, and sprinkle with a few grains of salt.

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An October Blueberry-Spinach Salad

Spinach-Blueberry Salad

This salad makes full use of the early autumn harvest. The cooler weather produces wonderful fall greens, like  October baby spinach. This weekend the local farmer's market offered a lush selection of berries, and I've chosen to add the taste of late fall blueberries to this recipe. The spinach is marinaded in a tamari-ginger dressing which has been flavoured with cayenne and Asian 5-spice powder. Soaked sunflower seeds, plump blueberries, a generous amount of hemp hearts and a sprinkling of black sesame seeds finish this protein-rich dish to perfection.

Market-Fresh  Baby Fall Spinach Plants

You'll need:

For the salad: 
2 cups fresh spinach; 1 cup blueberries; 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked; 2 tablespoon hemp hearts; 1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds.

For the dressing: 
1 tablespoon tamari; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger root; 1/2 teaspoon brown rice vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon Asian 5-spice powder; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder.

Tamari, Ginger Brown and Rice Vinegar Dressing

Method: 

Soak sunflower seeds in fresh water for 2 hours. Drain.

Marinade/dressing: 

In a large bowl, whisk tamari, brown rice vinegar, cayenne and 5-spice powder together. Chop ginger root into fine pieces and add to marinade.

For the Salad:   
Wash spinach and pat dry. Coarsely chop. Add spinach to marinade one handful at a time. Tenderize the spinach by massaging the marinade into it. Using your hands, squeeze spinach into marinade, coating it well to soften leaves. (You can do this with a large spoon, pressing marinade into spinach with the back of the spoon) Cover and marinade for at least 1 hour.

Flavourful Seeds Makes A Protein-Rich Salad

Wash blueberries and pat dry. Add blueberries, hemp hearts and soaked sunflower seeds to spinach mixture and gently combine ingredients. Place salad in serving dish. Sprinkle with a generous amount of black sesame seeds.

A Perfect Nutritious October Lunch

To Serve: 
Serve with chilled herb-rice, or crusty rolls for a delicious autumn lunch. Serve as a side-kick to a more elaborate supper. This recipe also makes an interesting dish for a holiday buffet

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