Summer Gazpacho Soup
So refreshing on a warm summer evening!
3 Large ripe tomatoes, core and chop
(reserve 1-2 tsps and mince for topping)
1 Sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped
(reserve 1-2 tsps and mince for topping)
1 Medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 Shallot, peeled and chopped
3 Garlic cloves
1 Large cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
(reserve 1-2 tsps and mince for topping)
¼ Cup red wine vinegar
¼ Extra virgin olive oil
1 Cup tomato juice
Celtic sea salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Pinch of Cayenne
4 ice cubes
Optional - chopped chives, parsley and lime slices for additional topping
Place all ingredients, except toppings and ice cubes in a blender or food processor and puree. Prepare 2 serving bowls and place 2 ice cubes in each bowl. Add 1 cup of gazpacho mixture and top each bowl with mixture of toppings and enjoy! Serves 4.
Simple Spring Recipes : Artichokes and Asparagus
It's the season to start welcoming vegetables grown locally and also the time to really amp up the amount of time we spend enjoying outdoor activities!
What better way than to savor a couple of simple spring dishes. Save time in the kitchen and spend more time enjoying the great weather! We bring you two recipes using 5 ingredients or less from Sally Fallon's book, "Nourishing Traditions."* First up is a recipe featuring artichoke - a great helper in springtime liver cleansing.
Stuffed Artichokes
Serves 4
4 artichokes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or 1/2 cup melted butter
4 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
2 cups whole grain bread crumbs
sea salt and pepper
Cut the stems off the artichokes and place with leaves up in a vegetable steamer or in a large pot containing about 1 inch of filtered water. Steam, covered, until just barely tender. Mix olive oil with garlic and bread crumbs and season to taste. Pull artichoke leaves open a bit and use scissors to snip points off leaves. Press stuffing down between leaves. Return to steamer for another 5 - 10 minutes. These are messy to eat but delicious.
Asparagus with Sesame Seeds
Serves 6
2 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil or melted butter
2 tbs. shallots, minced
2 tbs. sesame seeds, lightly toasted
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt
Place oil and asparagus in a glass baking dish and toss so that the asparagus is completely coated with oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes, shaking the dish every two minutes or so. Sprinkle on the shallots and sesame seeds and bake for one minute more. Transfer to heated serving bowl and squeeze on lemon juice. Season to taste.
*Find more delicious traditional recipes in "Nourishing Traditions" available for sale in our office. A great primer for those interested in learning more about Whole Foods Nutrition.
Homemade Vinaigrette
As the weather begins to warm, we think more about lighter meals and the appeal of a terrific healthy salad comes to mind. These homemade vinaigrette recipes are simple to make and healthier for you than store bought salad dressings. Many salad dressings contain high amounts of processed poly-unsaturated oils like corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil and vegetable oil - which you should avoid at all costs.
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp raw honey
2 Tbsp Grey Poupon mustard
¼ lemon, juiced
Pinch of thyme, marjoram
½ tsp Celtic sea salt
¼ tsp cracked black pepper
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Mix ingredients with a whisk and slowly stir in olive oil. Shake well, store in the refrigerator up to one month. Use with new potatoes, roast chicken or strong flavored meats and vegetables.
Lemon Vinaigrette
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
½ lemon, juiced
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
¼ tsp white pepper
1 shallot, minced
8 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Mix ingredients with a whisk and slowly stir in olive oil.
If you don't have all of the ingredients above, simply use an empty mustard container, add in olive oil and vinegar, give a good shake and you've got yourself a healthy salad dressing.
Garlic Soup, Gratineed
Ingredients
2 cups beef stock (recipe below)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 large clove of garlic, minced
Pinch of Celtic sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Handful of well-toasted croutons from sprouted whole
wheat
bread (enough to cover the inside of the soup bowl)
Enough grated parmesan cheese to cover the inside of the
soup bowl
Enough raw milk cheese to cover inside of soup bowl
Bring first three ingredients to a boil. Season with Celtic sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Pour broth into ovenproof soup bowl. Drop one local farm egg into bowl. Cover with well-toasted croutons, grated parmesan and raw milk cheese. Broil in toaster oven or conventional oven for 3-5 minutes until cheese is crusty gold. Remove and serve!
Serves one
Beef Stock
Ingredients
5 lbs Beef Bones – from grass fed cows
½ bunch celery
2 lbs carrots
4 onions - 1 ½ to 2 lbs
(1” rough chop for the vegetables)
Place bones in a large roasting pan in a 400-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until brown. Add vegetables to pan and roast 15 more minutes. Do not add water.
Either cover bones and vegetables with water in the roasting pan or transfer contents to a stainless steel stockpot and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar. When water starts to simmer, skim off gray scum that floats to the top. Repeat this skimming 2-3x over 20 minutes. Then add:
2-3 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp peppercorns
1 bunch parsley stems
Simmer uncovered for 12 hours, refilling the pot to cover the bones once or twice. Makes 1 gallon of beef stock. Let cool and place in the refrigerator. Will form very gelatinous beef stock overnight. Will keep 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or may be frozen.
Holiday Custard
Do you think the term "healthy dessert" is an oxymoron? Not so with our Holiday Custard that contains healthy whole fat ingredients from our traditional kitchen. Give this healthy indulgence a try. We think you and your guests will love it!
Ingredients
1 cup whole milk (preferably raw)
1 cup heavy cream (preferably raw)
1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Warm milk and cream gently over a low flame. Meanwhile, beat honey or maple syrup with egg yolks. Slowly add milk and cream mixture to eggs, beating constantly. Blend in vanilla and pour into individual custard cups. Place in a pan of hot water and bake at 325 degrees for about an hour, or until a knife inserted into the custard comes out clean. Chill well. Top with a drizzle of maple syrup, a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle of freshly ground nutmeg before serving. Serves 5-6.
Autumn Supper
We served this Autumn Supper at our recent 1st Anniversary Celebration to rave reviews.
Roast Chicken
Ingredients
3 ½ - 4 lb pasture fed chicken
3 Yellow onions
½ c Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp dry or 2 Tbsp fresh Thyme
½ bunch of chopped parsley
4 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp Sea Salt
Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil
3 Organic Granny Smith apples
3 Organic Anjou organic pears
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix mustard, parsley, thyme, garlic and form a paste. Rub under the skin of the chicken. Coat the outer skin with coconut oil. Slice the onions and make a thick bed in a roasting pan. Place the chicken breast side down and add the cored apples and pears alongside. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour, turn the chicken breast up and roast for 30 minutes more. Remove and let stand for 30 minutes. Remove breast meat, legs and thighs and arrange on a serving platter, with roasted onions beneath. Save the apples and pears for dessert.
Roast Pumpkin, Butternut Squash, and Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
½ lb Pumpkin
½ lb Butternut Squash
½ lb Brussels sprouts
Sea Salt to taste
Unrefined, Virgin Coconut Oil
6 Tbsp Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Ghee or melted butter (clarify butter if possible)
3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp Maple syrup
½ Tsp Thyme
½ Tsp Sage
1/8 Tsp Nutmeg
Pumpkin seed*
Peel pumpkin and squash and cut into 1" planks, ½" thick. Toss in coconut oil, ghee, nutmeg, thyme, sage and drizzle with maple syrup. For the Brussels sprouts, cut off the stems, cut in ½ lengthwise, parboil for 5 minutes, then add to pumpkin and squash. Place in a shallow roasting pan and bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove and place in a serving bowl, and splash with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Top with pumpkin seeds. Serve warm.
* Soak pumpkin seeds in filtered water over night. Dry, then dust with sea salt. Place in a 150 - 200 degree oven or dehydrator for 12 - 24 hours until crisp.
Apple and Pear Compote
Ingredients
3 apples and 3 pears from Roast Chicken recipe
1-2 Tbsp Maple syrup
2 Tsp Cinnamon
1 cup Walnuts, soaked and dried (same as pumpkin seed procedure)
Splash of lemon
Pinch of salt
1 cup Quark* (cream cheese or sour cream works well also)
1 cup reduced to 2 Tbsp Apple Cider
2 Tbsp Pastured butter (from grass-fed cows)
Pinch of allspice
Roughly chop apples and pears and place in a bowl. Add maple syrup, walnuts, cinnamon, splash of lemon and a pinch salt. Fill soufflé cup with fruit and walnut mixture. Top off soufflé with ½ inch of quark and chill for 30 minutes. Reduce 1 cup of apple cider to 2 Tbsp and add 2 Tbsp of butter to the cider, with a pinch of allspice. Turn soufflé cup over on desert plate and pour cider sauce over the top.
*Quark is the solid by-product that is left when making whey from yogurt. Place yogurt in cheesecloth and let drain at least ½ hour for a small amount or overnight in the refrigerator for the larger quantity required in this recipe. The fluid is whey and the solid left in the cheesecloth is quark. Quark is similar to cream cheese and sour cream - which may be substituted.
Bon Appetit!
Scallops & Sweet Corn in Vinaigrette
Take advantage of the late summer bounty from the Farmers Market or your local farm stand and tantalize your taste buds!
2 Handfuls Baby Mixed Greens
1 lb. Sliced Beefsteak Tomatoes
4 Small ears same day sweet corn, the smaller the
kernels the better
½ lb. Sea Scallops
Juice from ½ Fresh lemon
1/4 c + 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
4 Tbsp. Virgin Organic Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Virgin Coconut Oil
Splash of Balsamic Vinegar
Cornmeal and Black Sesame Seeds for dusting scallops
Nori Seaweed, julienned. Optional (a great source of iodine)
Slice tomatoes into ¼ inch thick pieces. Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Blanch corn for 2 minutes - yes, only 2 minutes! Slice kernels off the husk. Remove adductor muscle from scallops, dust scallops in cornmeal and black sesame seeds. Sauté scallops in 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp coconut 2 minutes on each side. Season with sea salt, cracked pepper, fresh lemon and ¼ c chives.
Add corn kernels during the last few seconds of the sauté. Arrange baby greens and sliced tomatoes on a plate. Add scallop and corn sauté. Top with rough julienne of nori seaweed.
Finish vinaigrette in scallop sauté pan, deglazing pan with a splash of balsamic vinegar and remaining 2Tbsp. olive oil Add 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives, salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over the salad and Enjoy!
PS: Avoid Genetically Modified corn and cornmeal. Ask your
farmer if the corn is non GMO.
Dr. Dan's Spicy Shrimp
1 ½ lbs. shrimp in shell - 15-20 count/lb.
4 Tbsps. virgin olive oil
2 Tbsps. virgin coconut oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
½ tsp. marjoram
¼ tsp. thyme
½ tsp. chipolte chili powder
½ tsp. ancho powder
Juice of ½ lemon
Juice of ½ lime
¼ c chopped parsley or cilantro
¼ c chopped scallions
Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Heat a large sauté pan on high heat. Add olive oil and coconut oil. When almost smoking, add shrimp in one flat layer in the pan. Then add in order minced garlic, marjoram, thyme, chipolte chili powder, ancho powder, lemon and lime juice, parsley or cilantro, scallions and sea salt and pepper.
Turn or toss shrimp to cook on both sides. Should take 6 minutes total.
Serve the shrimp in shell with a salad of sweet potato, yellow pepper, frisèe, radicchio, oil and vinegar vinaigrette with drippings deglazed from shrimp sauté pan.
Cucumber Yogurt Salad
4 cucumbers (1½ lb. in total)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
3 Tbsps. virgin olive oil (Greek works well, but any high
quality virgin olive oil will do.)
2 cups whole yogurt (Stonyfield Farm Organic Whole
Milk)
½ cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
2 Tbsps. chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped scallions
Sea salt and white pepper to taste
Peel and seed cucumbers. Cut into ¼" thick slices. Place in colander and liberally sprinkle with sea salt. Let sit for 20 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and enjoy.
Curried Chicken Salad (Serves 6)
(courtesy of our favorite Cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, Ph.D)
Meat from 1 whole chicken
1 red pepper, sliced
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
3-4 celery stalks, diced
½ cup almond slivers, toasted
2 cups curried mayonnaise*
2 tomatoes, sliced for garnish
1 avocado, peeled and sliced, for garnish
Cut chicken up finely across the grain. Mix with chopped vegetables and toasted almond slivers. Mix well with curried mayonnaise. Serve with tomato slices and avocado wedges for garnish.
* Making home made mayonnaise is easier than you think:
Mayonnaise (Makes 1 ½ cups)
1 whole egg, at room temperature
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon Dijon-type mustard
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon whey, optional
¾ - 1 cup extra virgin olive oil or expeller-expressed sunflower oil or a combination
Generous pinch sea salt
Homemade mayonnaise imparts valuable enzymes, particularly lipase, to sandwiches, tuna salad, chicken salads and many other dishes and is very easy to make in a food processor. The addition of whey will help your mayonnaise last longer, adds enzymes and increases nutrient content. Use sunflower oil if you find that olive oil gives too strong a taste. Homemade mayonnaise will be slightly more liquid than store-bought versions.
In your food processor, place egg, egg yolk, mustard, salt and lemon juice and optional whey. Process until well blended, about 30 seconds. Using the attachment that allows you to add liquids drop by drop, add olive oil and/or sunflower oil with the motor running. Taste and check seasoning. You may want to add more salt and lemon juice. If you have added whey, let the mayonnaise sit at room temperature, well covered, for 7 hours before refrigerating. With whey added, mayonnaise will keep several months and will become firmer with time. Without whey, mayonnaise will keep for about 2 weeks.
And, for curried mayonnaise:
Curried Mayonnaise (Makes 2 cups)
1 cup mayonnaise (above or store bought) ½ cup crème fraiche (or sour crème) 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons raw vinegar 3 tablespoons curry powder
Blend all ingredients with a whisk. Use in curried chicken salad.
Absolutely delicious, especially on a hot summer day!
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