Roast Chicken with Potatoes & Red Onion

2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
12 chicken thighs (bone in, with skin)
1-¼ pounds baby potatoes, halved
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt & black pepper
Zest from 1 orange

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Put the oil in the bottom of a large roasting pan.  Rub the skin of the chicken in the oil and then turn the skin side up. Place the baby potatoes and chopped red onion around the chicken.  Sprinkle with oregano and salt & pepper. Grate the orange zest over the top.

Bake for 1 hour, but after 30 minutes baste the contents with the juices from the bottom of the pan.  Transfer the chicken mixture to a large serving platter and serve. 

Optional:  Make this a more Spanish-flavored dish by adding 1 ¾ pounds chorizo sausages cut into 1 ½-inch chunks to the dish before baking. 

Recipe adapted from Nigella Kitchen by Nigella Lawson, http://www.foodnetwork.com/

Ratatouille

Sauté in a large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat until the vegetables are golden and just tender, 10 to 12 minutes:
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1-pound zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes

Remove the vegetables and reduce the heat to medium-high.   In the same pan, cook until the onions are slightly softened (about 5 mintues):
2-tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ cups sliced onions

Add and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender but not browned, 8 to 12 minutes:
2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch squares
3 cloves garlic, chopped

Season with:
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Add:
1 ½ cups chopped seeded, peeled fresh tomatoes
2 to 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf

Reduce the heat to  low, cover and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the eggplant and zucchini and cook until everything is tender about 20 minutes more. Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Stir in: ¼ cup chopped fresh basil.

Serve over cooked rice or quinoa.  Optional:  add a splash of lemon or herbed vinegar. This dish tastes even better the second day!

Recipe from The Joy of Cooking

Quinoa with Peas and Herbs

½ cup quinoa, rinsed
½ teaspoon and pinch of salt
2/3 cup water
¼ cup and 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup yellow onion, diced
¾ cup snap or snow peas, halved crosswise on the bias
¾ cup shelled peas, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons sour cream
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup fresh mint, torn
¼ cup parsley, chopped

Place quinoa in a small saucepan with a pinch of salt. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until tender, about 18 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff grains. Leave lid ajar, and let cool.

While quinoa cooks, set a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Swirl in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in snap peas and shelled peas. Sauté for 2 minutes, or until peas turn bright green. Remove from heat.

Mix sour cream, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and ½ teaspoon salt together. Whisk in ¼ cup olive oil.

Stir quinoa into the pea mixture and set pan back over medium heat. Cook until just warmed through and add the dressing. Remove from heat.

Stir in mint and parsley. Adjust seasonings with lemon juice and salt, if needed.

Recipe from Naomi Pomeroy, Chef, Beast in Portland, Oregon.  Recipe appeared in the April 23-24, 2011 Wall Street Journal.

Quinoa and Edamame with Poached Egg

Makes 1 serving

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or coconut oil)
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 cups chopped kale
½ cup thawed & shelled edamame beans
Coarse salt
¾ cup cooked quinoa (or brown rice)
¼ cup shredded red cabbage
1 large egg

In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds (be careful not to burn the garlic!). Add 2 cups of chopped kale and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add ½ cup thawed frozen edamame beans and cook until heated through. Season with coarse salt. Transfer to a bowl with ¾ cup cooked quinoa or brown rice and top with ¼ cup shredded red cabbage.

In a small pot, bring 2 inches of water to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Crack 1 large egg into a teacup and gently slide into the water. Cook until the white is just set but the yolk is still loose, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve over the quinoa and vegetables. Season with salt and red pepper flakes.

Recipe adapted from Whole Living magazine, January/February, 2013 issue, 21-Day, Whole-Body Detox, pages 40-52. More recipes at Whole Living.

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Serves 2, with extra filling (amount of filling will depend on the size of your squash)

1 small acorn squash cut in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy center
1-2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling (could use butter or coconut oil instead)
¼ cup finely, chopped red onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup chopped uncooked kale (or greens of choice)
Splash of balsamic vinegar
1 cup cooked quinoa
Drizzle of honey
¼ cup chopped scallions
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese, plus extra for garnish
¼ cup dried currants (or raisins, cranberries, cherries)
½ cup cilantro, chopped a few pinches of red pepper flakes
¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle acorn squash halves with oil or butter, salt & pepper. Place cut side down and roast for approximately 25 minutes. Flip them over, cook cut side up for approximately 10-20 more minutes or until the flesh is tender (test it with a fork), and the outer edges are golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat a few tablespoons of oil or butter. Add the chopped onion, a bit of salt and pepper, and cook for a few minutes until it starts to become translucent.  Add garlic, cumin and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not burning. Mix in greens and cook for a few minutes until it wilts down. Turn off the heat, add a splash of balsamic vinegar, the cooked quinoa, and a drizzle of honey and toss. Next, mix in scallions, cilantro, dried fruit, feta and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Scoop filling into the cooked acorn squash halves, and top with toasted pumpkin seeds, more feta, and a drizzle of olive oil and another drizzle of honey.

Notes:  You could also fill the squashes with stuffing halfway through their roasting time and top them with grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (instead of the feta) and bake them until the cheese is bubbling. The filling can be made up to a day in advance. Store refrigerated in an airtight container. Keep the pumpkin seeds separate so they stay crunchy. When you are ready to serve, reheat the filling in a warm skillet with a little more oil or butter. Top with the garnishes in Step 3.

Recipe found on Love and Lemons. Original recipe from Camille Styles.

Rebecca's Quiche


Custard:

1 – 8 oz container of crème fraiche (or 1 cup of sour cream, heavy cream or whole milk)3 – Extra large eggs (or 4 smaller eggs)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley (or other herb)
Salt & pepper

Whisk cream and eggs together thoroughly.  Add seasonings.  Set aside.


Filling Suggestions:

Chopped onion sautéed in a small amount of butter.  Add chopped, cooked broccoli.
Finely minced minced cooked salmon and chopped fresh dill.
Chopped leftover ham.  Add 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard to the custard recipe.
Mushrooms sautéed in butter and dried thyme.
Thinly sliced red pepper sautéed in butter.
Thinly sliced fresh tomatoes and goat cheese.
Or your favorite filling!

1 cup of shredded cheese (Cheddar, Goat cheese, Gruyere, or any thing you like….)


Putting It Together:

Place a layer of cheese in the bottom of a 9” pie shell.  You can make your own or use a Wholly Wholesome Organic Pie Shells (they come in whole wheat or spelt) that you can purchase at My Organic Market or Whole Foods.

Add your filling on top of the cheese.

Pour the custard mixture on top of the filling.

Sprinkle top with paprika.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until custard is firm.  Let cook for 10 minutes before cutting.

Portobello Mushrooms with Spinach and Goat Cheese
Serves 4

2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
4 large portobello mushrooms stem and grill removed
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
3 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled (1/4 cup)
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 F. Brush mushrooms with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or aluminum foil and set aside.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add spinach and sauté just until all the liquid has evaporated.  Add herbs and red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat. Gently stir in the goat cheese until combined.

Divide filling among mushrooms and stuff generously. Sprinkle with Parmesan and a few red pepper flakes. Bake until mushrooms soften and filling is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe from Mariel’s Kitchen: Simple Ingredients for a Delicious and Satisfying Life by Mariel Hemingway, 2008.

Potato Salad with Chickpeas and Green Beans

5 medium yellow-fleshed potatoes (about 1 pound)
6 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 ½ cups)
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper

Place the potatoes in large saucepan. Cover them with cold water and set over high heat. When water boils, reduce heat and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with tip of knife, about 20 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, peel, cut into 1-inch chunks, and place in large bowl.

While potatoes are cooking, bring several cups of water to boil in another saucepan. Add green beans and boil until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and turn beans into bowl of ice water. When chilled, drain beans and pat dry.

Add beans to bowl with potatoes along with chickpeas, shallots, mayo, mustard, oil, and salt and pepper to taste. With wooden spoon, mix everything together until potatoes are well coated with dressing.

Polenta with Grilled Vegetables, Micro Greens and Tomato Vinaigrette


Tomato Vinaigrette

1 garlic clove, chopped
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
½ cup packed combined herbs (parsley, sage & tarragon)
½ cup chopped fresh tomato
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Polenta

4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup polenta
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Vegetables

2 red peppers
4 Portobello mushrooms
1 medium sweet onion
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cups micro greens: arugula, broccoli (or baby spinach or mesclun mix)

Preparing Vinaigrette:
Place garlic, balsamic vinegar and herbs in a blender, add tomato and process until smooth.  With blender running, add olive oil in a steady stream until all ingredients are incorporated.  Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.  Set aside.

Preparing Polenta:
Bring stock to a boil and whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to medium and whisk for 1-2 minutes or until polenta is thick and starts to pull away from the side of the pan.  Note: you may need to cook longer depending on the polenta you use. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover and remove from heat until ready to serve.  Note: you could add a pat of butter or some Parmesan cheese to the polenta for extra creaminess and flavor.

Preparing Vegetables:
slice the vegetables and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Prepare the grill and cook the vegetables until fork tender.

To Serve:
Scoop the polenta into the center of each dish, top with the grilled vegetables, then add the micro greens and drizzle the tomato vinaigrette over the top.    

Recipe adapted from Clean Start Inspiring You to Eat Clean and Live Well by Terry Walters, author of Clean Food.  http://terrywalters.net/

Pakistani Kima (Beef Curry)

2 tablespoons coconut oil (or butter)
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1lb ground beef
1 ½ tablespoon curry powder
2 ¼ teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups peas (fresh or frozen)

Melt oil in a large pan.  Add onion and garlic and cook until the onion softens and garlic begins to brown (about 7 minutes).  Add meat and cook thoroughly.  Add curry, salt and other spices. Stir well.  Add the potatoes, tomatoes and peas.  Bring to a simmering boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, or until potatoes are done.

Serve over brown rice (or another grain) with a dollop of creme fraiche or a drizzle of coconut milk.

Notes:  If using frozen peas, add them at the end of the cooking time.  You can substitute any type of meat you’d like such as ground chicken or lamb.  You could replace the peas with green beans.  Add more or less curry based on how spicy you like it.

Recipe slightly adapted from: wholenewmom.com