|
| Cream of Roasted Fennel Soup 1 large fennel bulb 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 2 tsp. olive oil ½ tsp. salt 1 large potato, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes 4 cups vegetable broth 1 cup fat free half-and-half ¾ tsp. ground cumin 2 tbsp. grapefruit juice ground pepper Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Trim away tough stalks and bottom stem from fennel bulb; reserve leafy tops. Cut the bulb and tender stalks into ½ inch thick slices. Arrange fennel and onion in a 13x9 inch baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast in a preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender but not brown. Transfer roasted fennel and onion to a large saucepan. Add potatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Cool slightly. Place one-third of the fennel mixture in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Repeat with remaining fennel mixture. Return all to the saucepan. Stir in the half-and-half, cumin, and grapefruit juice; heat through and season to taste with pepper. Crunch Bok Choy Slaw From Eating Well ¼ cup rice vinegar 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil 2 tsp. sugar 2 tsp. Dijon mustard ¼ tsp. salt 6 cups very thinly sliced baby bok choy (about 1 pound) 2 medium carrots, shredded 2 scallions, thinly sliced Whisk together the vinegar, oil, sugar, mustard and salt in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add the bok choy, carrots, and scallions; toss to coat with the dressing. Beet Salad From Eating Well 5-6 medium beets ¼ cup olive oil 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar ½ tsp. Dijon mustard ½ tsp. honey salt and pepper to taste 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 1 large shallot, finely chopped Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide beets between 2 pieces of foil; bring edges together and crimp to make packets. Roast until the beets are just tender, about 1 ¼ hours. Unwrap the beets and let cool. Meanwhile, whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl to make the dressing. When the beets are cool enough, slip off the skins; cut into ½ inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Add the celery, shallots, and the dressing; toss to coat well. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Braised Fennel with Tomatoes and Potatoes From Eating Well 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced 1 tsp. fennel seeds salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 2 large tomatoes, diced 1 lb. Yukon potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes ½-3/4 cup vegetable broth or water Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat; add the fennel and cook, stirring often, until it starts to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with the fennel seeds, salt, and pepper; then add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook until the tomato juices are slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Add potatoes, ½ cup broth or water; cover the pan tightly and simmer over medium-low heat, checking every 10 minutes to make sure the pan juices don’t run dry. If necessary, add more broth or water, 2 tablespoons at a time, to prevent scorching. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Broccoli Pesto with pasta 1 large head broccoli, chopped 1 garlic clove, chopped ¼ cup olive oil ½ cup ricotta cheese ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese ½ cup walnuts red pepper flakes to taste Using a steamer basket over boiling water, steam broccoli until crisp-tender and bright green, 5 to 7 minutes. In a food processor or blender, combine the broccoli, garlic, olive oil, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, walnuts, and red pepper flakes. Meanwhile, cook 1 pound of your favorite pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup cooking liquid; add the cooking liquid to the pesto in the blender or food processor and pulse to combine. Place pasta in a serving bowl and top with pesto. Stir thoroughly and serve hot. Pear Bread 2 cups oil 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. ground cinnamon ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg ½ cup oil 2 eggs ¼ cup plain yogurt 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup finely chopped, peeled ripe pears Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the oil and mix with a fork to form coarse crumbs. In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until jut moistened. Fold in the pears. Spoon into 3 mini loaf pans (5x2 ½ inches); bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until tests done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Kabocha Squash Pancakes 1 cup pancake mix 1 cup white flour 1 ½ tsp. baking powder 1 tbsp. brown sugar 2 eggs 1 cup baked Kabocha squash 3 tbsp. oil 2 cups milk 1 tsp. cinnamon ½ tsp. allspice ½ tsp. five spice ½ tsp. cloves Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients (including the squash) separately; then fold them together. Let sit for 15 minutes so the flour could re-hydrate from the liquid ingredients (they don’t spread so much that way) and brush the non-stick frying pan with olive oil. |