Piquant Radish Soup with Creme Fraiche

I found this article in the May issue of Vegetarian Times.
I loved the pink color and also the flexibility of using a radish for something different than just raw on my salad!

1) The Recipe:

2) The Ingredients:

Notes: 

1) I ended up buying 5 bunches of easter egg radishes because they were on sale at the local health food market.  I wonder if I had just purchased red or watermelon radishes if the soup would have been pinker.

2) I also ended up purchasing Creme Fraiche which is simular to sour cream.  You can easily make your own with cream and buttermilk.  Sour cream would probably work fine, or just cream.

Creme Fraiche:  2 cups cream, 1- 2 Tbls. Buttermilk.  Mix and leave at room temperature for 8-24 hours or until thickened.  Stir and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Here are the radishes after being washed:

After cooking the onions in butter or oil (if you want it to be vegan), I then added the potatoes and radish and simmered them in onions and water (but stock is also great) for around 30 minutes.  (until they became soft.)  Notice the how in the second photo the water has turned pink.

I then blended the soup and added horseradish and creme fraiche.  Some creme fraiche can also be saved for the side.  You can serve either hot or chilled.

Final notes:  I would double the amount of white pepper, and horseradish (try to purchase horseradish without lots of preservatives and additives).  I would also add the horseradish and creme fraiche right at the end.  Salt to taste.

Divine Homemade Chai

This will be my first posting of this year, 2013!  I was inspired by a note from someone at the place I work:

I have loosely based this recipe on my workplace recipe, which I guess brought someone to full enlightenment.  :)  I hope my own recipe will do the same for everyone who tries it!  Good luck and enjoy. Please feel free to make comments, suggestions, additions or subtractions.  

This was my first try, but I liked it a lot.

Here is the recipe:

2 cinnamon sticks 

2 whole star anise

2 tsp. whole cloves

1 tsp. whole black pepper corns

2 Tbl. whole cardamon pods

4 freshly sliced ginger coins

4 cups water

2 cups milk or milk alternative: soy, hemp, rice etc. milks (I used unsweetened almond milk).  If you use a milk alternative and it is sweetened, please adjust your amount of sweetener at the end.

1/4 cup loose black tea or 4 bags of black tea

1/4 cup brown sugar, or sweetener of your choice (feel free to use less)

I bought a lot of my spices at a local Indian market.  It was great because I could get a bulk amount for a low price:

Directions: 

1) Place the first 6 ingredients and 4 cups of cold water in a pot or sauce pan.

2) Bring to a boil.

3) Reduce to a simmer for 20-40 minutes.

4) Remove from heat and add loose black tea.

5) Let sit for 4-5 minutes.  

NOTE: IF YOU LEAVE THE TEA IN TOO LONG IT WILL GET BITTER

6) Warm milk or milk alternative in a separate pot.

7) Strain water and spices into a bowl.

8) Add milk or milk alternative to strained spice water.

9) Whisk in sweetener and adjust to desired sweetness.

9) Enjoy!

Pan-Fried Quinoa Cakes

This is a recipe from Diane Morgan that my friend Kirsten shared with me.  Check out Kirsten here: http://www.youtube.com/user/richerexperiences

The pictures were also taken by Kirsten and I've yet to tried the recipe, but it looks like it came out perfect and very healthy. Serve with greek yogurt plain or with dill, lemon juice and salt. Yum. Enjoy.

Cumin & Lime Sweet Potatoes

This recipe was submitted by Jennifer Plantenberg to the September 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times.  It is a very easy recipe and very tasty.  I made it with actual sweet potatoes, but think that it would be better with yams.  All you need to do is chop of the sweet potatoes and onion(s).  Toss with oil, salt, cumin and paprika.  (I happened to have a smoked paprika, which gave an amazing flavor).  Squeeze half of the lime juice and roast 45 minutes to an hour (check at 30 mins and stir, toss and rotate) at 425 degrees.  When then are done roasting, just squeeze the other half of lime on them, adjust seasoning and garnish with cilantro. Yum!

Enjoy!

-Max

Kefir Okroshka (Russian Cold Vegetable Soup)

I got this recipe from the July/Aug Vegetarian Times Issue.  Credit to Amy Albert.  It is great for the summertime heat.-Enjoy, Max

Got all my ingredients together and then mixed the green onions and dill in with the Kefir.  I added quite a bit of salt.

Steamed up the potatoes and carrots: cooked yet firm.

Pealed, seeded and diced the cucumbers.

And there's your cold soup!

Quinoa Pilaf with Carrots

Here is another recipe that was given to me by Denis Lambert.

I did try it at home with just plain Quinoa and it turned out quite well.  Pictures below.

-Max

Carrot and Quinoa Pilaf (6 servings)

Chef's notes: This brightly colored and vibrant dish is perfect for this time of year. It is extremely versatile, you can personalize it by adding julienned broccoli stems, peeled. cored and diced cucumbers, dried cranberries or cherries, etc, etc, etc... If you wish to make a meal of it, add a cup or so of cooked garbanzo beans that have been drained, rinsed and marinated in a bit of olive oil and lemon juice. Don't be tempted to use bottled lemon juice with this dish.

1/2 cup White Quinoa 1/2 cup red quinoa 1/2 cup black quinoa 8 oz Carrots, finely julienned 6 Tbs slivered almonds, toasted 1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley 1/4 bunch cilantro 1 ea lemons, zested then juiced 3/4 cup olive oil Salt & Pepper to taste

1 Combine the three quinoas in a large bowl and rinse THOROUGHLY until the rinse water runs clear. Add to a 4 qt. sauce pan. 2 Add two cups of water and bring to a boil over med-high heat. Lower heat to a bare simmer and cook, covered, until most of the water has been absorbed and the quinoa still has a hint of bite left (about 15-18 minutes). 3 Remove from the heat and let steam, covered, for another 5-8 minutes. Transfer back to the large bowl and cool uncovered to room temp. 4 Add the carrots, slivered almonds, lemon zest, parsley, cilantro and toss to combine. 5 Add the lemon juice and olive oil. Toss once again and season to taste with salt and pepper. 6 Chill until ready to serve. Serve on a bed of raw spinach.

Servings: 6

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 469 calories, 300 calories from fat, 34.1g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 24.8mg sodium, 537.1mg potassium, 35.9g carbohydrates, 4.8g fiber, <1g sugar, 8g protein.

Source Author: Denis Lambert --------------------------------------------------- Below is a picture of the one he made which was quite colorful and good: This is not an add for Trader Joes, but I was able to find all the ingredients that I needed there: I cooked only 1 cup of regular Quinoa in the rice cooker with two cups of water, some salt and canola oil so that the Quinoa wouldn't stick: I have some special ingredients like Himalayan Pink Salt and Merula Olive Oil, which is very green and fruity.  This helped to give it a rich flavor with the brightness of the lemon and lemon zest: I cut the carrots in more of a large julienne, but I like that.  It came out really nice!  But the picture got a little corrupted or something...

Strawberry Rhubarb Galette

Here is another recipe from the great Denis Lambert, the Monday Night Head Chef at Spirit Rock Meditation Center.  I wish that I had some pictures.  I will add if I get some.

It is perfect for the season!

Happy Cooking!

-Max

For the Dough:

11 1/2 oz (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour

2 Tbs. sugar

1/2 tsp salt

6 Tbs. cold unsalted butter cut into 1/2" pieces

10 Tbs. cold organic vegetable shortening (I like Spectrum)

2/3 cup ice water

For the filling:

3 cups Fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced

3 cups Rhubarb, cut 1/2 inch pieces

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. Lemon juice

1 Tbs. Orange zest

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

4 Tbs. Instant cooking tapioca pearls

1/2 cup finely crushed amaretti or almond biscotti

1 Egg, beaten well with 1 tsp water

Oven Temperature: 400∞F

For the Dough:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the chilled butter and vegetable shortening until evenly distributed but in still visible pieces.

2. Add the ice water all at once and mix until the dough just comes together.

3. Gather the dough with your hands and shape into two disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (2-3 would be better).

For the filling:

1. Toss fruit with sugar, lemon juice and orange zest, vanilla extract, and tapioca; let stand for 15 minutes.

Assembling the galette:

1. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Remove one of the dough disks from the refrigerator.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the galette  dough into a 12-inch round.

4. Sprinkle half of the crushed amaretti over the dough evenly leaving a 2-inch border without crumbs.

5. Distribute half of the fruit mixture evenly over the crumbs.

6. Lift the edges of the dough and fold them inward over the filling, pleating as you go to create a folded over border.

7. Brush  the border with the whisked egg and sprinkle with a little sugar.

8. Repeat with the second disk of dough. Move the disks to the prepared cookie sheet.

9. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, until the crust is nicely browned and the fruit has completely wilted.

10. Turn off the oven leaving the door open a few inches and allow the galette to sit in the cooling oven for another 15 minutes or so until the bottom of the crust is nicely browned.

11. Set on a cooling rack and cool until just barely warm.

12. Serve with a scoop of Three Twins Madagascar Vanilla ice cream.

Servings: 12

Yield: 2 Galettes