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Featured Recipes
Falafel Wraps
In the past I have
always made baked falafel in pita bread, and
added all the toppings separately, similar to
how you would layer the toppings on a burger.
My daughter, Heather, recently experimented with
combining all the ingredients together in a
bowl, and then wrapping it all up in a large
tortilla. This is so delicious that I’m sure we
will never go back to our old way of eating
falafel. This combination works well either
stuffed into pita or wrapped up in a tortilla.
This is a richer food because of the tahini
sauce. However, this may also be made with
hummus instead of tahini, which would be much
lower in fat content, but still delicious!
Preparation
Time: 30 minutes (need baked falafel)
Cooking Time: none
Servings: 6-8
Tahini Sauce:
1 cup roasted tahini
¾ cup water
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (optional)
dash sea salt
Combine all
ingredients listed above in a food processor and
process until smooth. Place in a bowl.
Add:
1 tomato, chopped
1 cup cucumber, chopped
3 chopped green onions
1 cup chopped lettuce
3 cups chunked baked falafel (see hints below)
Mix the vegetables
and falafel into the tahini sauce. Stuff into
pita halves, or place a line of the mixture down
the center of a tortilla, roll up and eat.
Hints: The
easiest way to make the baked falafel is to
purchase the falafel mix sold in the bulk
section of most natural food stores and also in
packages in some supermarkets. The dry powder
is mixed with water, allowed to rest for about
10 minutes, then formed into patties that
resemble burgers. The directions tell you to
fry in oil, but the falafel should be placed on
a dry non-stick griddle and cooked about 5
minutes on each side, until browned. They may
also be baked in a 375 degree oven for about 10
minutes on each side, until browned. To reduce
the fat content of the tahini slightly, be sure
to pour off all the oil from the top of the jar
before using. Other vegetables may be added to
the sauce as desired. A chopped avocado is one
nice addition.
Thai Green
Curry Rice
This rice dish is
made with a Thai green curry paste that is sold
in Asian markets, natural food stores and some
supermarkets. To vary this recipe, try making
it with red curry paste instead of the green
curry paste.
Preparation Time:
20 minutes (cooked rice needed)
Cooking Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 4
1/3 cup vegetable
broth
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons green curry paste
2 cups chopped Napa cabbage
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup snap peas
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 cups cooked long grain brown rice
1 tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Thai basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup almond milk or rice milk mixed with 1
teaspoon coconut extract
Place the broth in
a large pot along with the onion, bell peppers
and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5
minutes. Stir in the curry paste. Add the
cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, peas and soy
sauce. Mix well, cover and cook for about 5
minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add the
remaining ingredients, mix well and cook until
heated through, about 2-3 minutes.
Hint: Curry
pastes are quite spicy so you may want to start
out with the smaller amount and add more to
taste. If you can’t find fresh Thai basil, just
use the fresh basil found in the produce
department of your supermarket. For a very
colorful variation, use cooked Thai purple rice
in place of the cooked brown rice. Coconut
extract in rice or almond milk makes a wonderful
substitution for coconut milk in recipes.
No-Bake
Strawberry Pie with Chocolate Chunks
By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Colleen prepared
and served this fantastic dessert during our
latest Celebrity Chef weekend.
This delicious,
easy-to-prepare pie calls for the sweetest
strawberries you can find. It is also best when
served within an hour or two of preparing it,
since it is at its most fresh then, but it holds
up just fine in the fridge.
Preparation Time:
20 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8-12
Crust:
2 cups raw almonds or pecans
¾ cup pitted dates, preferably Medjool
Filling:
5 cups sliced ripe strawberries
5 pitted dates, soaked 10 minutes in warm water
and drained
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Dark chocolate chunks, preferably from a good,
organic, fair-trade bar (optional)
Place the nuts in
a food processor and grind until they’re a
coarse meal. Add the ¾ cup of dates (for the
crust) and process until thoroughly combined.
Press the mixture into a non-stick or very
lightly oiled pie plate or spring form pan.
Arrange 4 cups of
the sliced strawberries on top of the crust and
set aside.
In a food
processor or blender, combine the remaining 1
cup of strawberries with the 5 soaked dates and
lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Pour the sauce
mixture over strawberries.
Arrange the
chocolate chunks on the top of the sauce
(optional), and refrigerate the pie for 1 hour
before serving. This will help the pie set and
will be perfect for slicing.
Serving
Suggestions and Variations: This is a perfect
summer pie when strawberries are at their most
ripe.
Tomatillo and Avocado Salsa
By John Ash
John Ash was one of the chefs
during our Celebrity Chef weekend. He prepared
a variety of delicious sauces to serve over
simple foods, such as grilled vegetables, pasta
or grains. This salsa keeps its bright green
color even when prepared ahead of time because
of the tomatillos.
Often tomatillos
are cooked when they are used in recipes.
Cooking tones down their natural acidity and
astringency. Here, however, it is used raw
where it’s a perfect foil for the buttery
avocado. This is delicious on grilled
vegetables, bean and vegetable salads or bean
burritos. Feel free to add drops of lime juice
if you like more acidity and chopped cilantro
too.
Preparation Time:
15 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour (optional)
Servings: Makes 1 ½ cups
2 medium fresh
tomatillos, husks removed, washed and coarsely
chopped
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon seeded and chopped fresh serrano
chile, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped scallion
2 large ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
In a food
processor add the tomatillos, garlic, chile and
scallions and pulse to finely chop. Coarsely
chop the avocado, add to the processor and pulse
until just blended. Salsa should still have
some texture. Season to taste with salt and
pepper. Store covered and refrigerated for up
to 2 days.
Chu Visits the
Southwest Soup
This variation on
Chu’s Corn Chowder was sent to me by Linda
Vallin. It is a delicious and hearty soup,
perfect for the summer months.
Preparation Time:
10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2-3
1 16-oz. bag
frozen corn
1/2 cup water
1 cup vegetable broth
1 4-oz. can roasted green chilies
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped fine
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
(optional)
2 green onions, chopped
Cilantro, for garnish
Bring the corn and
water to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 5
minutes. Let the corn cool a bit, then puree in
a blender with the broth. Return the mixture to
the saucepan. (I like to strain it at this
point because I prefer the texture, but this
step is entirely optional). Add the chilies,
the bell pepper and the beans (if using). If it
seems too thick for your taste, add a bit more
water or broth. Simmer until heated
through, 7-10 minutes. Stir in the green
onions. Garnish with cilantro.
Hint: Makes a good
"first course" soup without the beans, a "main
dish" soup with them.
The following 2
salad dressings were developed by Richard
Whipple, executive chef at the Flamingo Resort
Hotel, for the McDougall program.
Yellow Bell
Pepper Vinaigrette
Preparation Time:
5 minutes
Chilling Time: 2 hours
Servings: makes 3 cups
2 12 ounce jars
roasted yellow bell peppers
2 tablespoons diced green chilies
1 cup water
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
Pinch of salt and pepper
Combine all
ingredients in blender, and blend until smooth.
Green Chili
Orange Dressing
Preparation Time:
5 minutes
Chilling Time: 2 hours
Servings: makes 2 cups
1 cup diced green
chilies
1 cup orange juice
4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Pinch of black pepper
Combine all
ingredients in blender, and blend until smooth. |
