Featured Recipes

Oriental Pasta Salad

This salad is a favorite with my grandsons, Jaysen and Ben.

Preparation Time:  20 minutes
Cooking Time:  15 minutes

Chilling Time:  2 hours
Servings:  4

½ pound buckwheat soba noodles
½ cup water
¼ cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cups broccoli florets
2 carrots, sliced
½ pound mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed in 2 tablespoons cold water

Prepare the soba noodles according to package directions.  Drain.  Toss with 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and set aside.

Meanwhile, place the water, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes in a wok or large sauté pan.  Bring to a boil, add the broccoli and carrots, and cook stirring frequently for 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and green onions and continue to cook, stirring frequently for about 7 minutes, until broccoli is tender.  Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook and stir until thickened.  Pour over the soba noodles and toss to mix well.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours for best flavor.  Serve cold.

Baked Eggplant Casserole

Preparation Time:  30 minutes
Cooking Time:  60 minutes
Servings:  8

3 round eggplants
½ cup cornmeal
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 large onion, sliced into rings and separated
1 large bell pepper, sliced into rings
1  4 ounce jar chopped pimiento
6 cups tomato sauce
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/8 cup ParmaZaan Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice eggplant into ½ inch thick slices.  Mix cornmeal and garlic powder and place in a shallow dish.  Dip eggplant slices into the cornmeal mixture until both sides are well coated.  Place on a non-stick baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile combine the tomato sauce with the basil and oregano and set aside.

Pour about 1 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x12 inch baking dish.  Arrange the baked eggplant slices over the sauce, overlapping slices as necessary.  Lay onion and pepper rings over the eggplant and scatter the pimiento over all of this.  Pour the remaining sauce over the vegetables and sprinkle the ParmaZaan over the top.  Cover and bake for 60 minutes.

Hints:  ParmaZaan Sprinkles are made by the Vegetarian Express.  You can find information on this product online at www.thevegetarianexpress.com.  They also make some delicious seasoning mixtures for the Roasted Potatoes in this newsletter.

Roasted Potatoes

I have so many potatoes from our garden this year that these simple roasted potato chunks have been a staple on our dinner table many nights of the week. 

Preparation Time:  5 minutes
Cooking Time:  30-40 minutes
Servings:  variable

Waxy red or yellow potatoes of your choice

Seasonings of your choice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Scrub the potatoes and cut them into wedges or chunks, depending on their size.  Toss with seasonings of your choice (I like various no-salt seasoning mixtures) and place in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet (or one lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner).  Bake for 30-40 minutes until potatoes are tender.

Hints:  Try these with nutritional yeast or ParmaZaan Sprinkles (see recipe hints under Baked Eggplant Casserole).

Curried Cauliflower Soup

This is one of my favorite creamy fall soups.

Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Cooking Time:  20 minutes
Servings:  6

4 ¼ cups water
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon curry powder
Dash cayenne pepper
2 cups chopped cauliflower
1 cup silken tofu
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro

Place ¼ cup of the water in a large soup pot.  Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.  Stir in the soy sauce, cumin, coriander, curry powder and cayenne.  Add the remaining water, the cauliflower and the tofu.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes until cauliflower is tender.  Puree in batches in a blender and return to a pan.  Add lemon juice and cilantro.  Heat through and serve.

Szechwan Eggplant

My garden is also overflowing with eggplant this year and although eggplant is not one of John’s favorite foods, I did find a few simple ways to prepare it that he would eat.  This is one of the best.

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Cooking Time:  30-40 minutes
Servings:  6

2 medium eggplants
1 ¾ cups water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 green onions, chopped
¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice eggplant into ½ inch slices.  Place on a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside.  Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and clears.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the eggplant in a 9x12 inch baking dish, overlapping slices as necessary.  Pour the sauce over the eggplant and bake for 20-30 minutes until eggplant is very tender.

Fat-Free Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette
By Diane Barnett

Many of you have talked to me about how salad dressings are one of those things you just can’t seem to get right; you can’t find a healthy one that you like, they take to much time to make, they don’t taste good, etc.  You know what I mean.  Well, give this dressing a try and you may just find a new favorite!  Diane shared this recipe with me during our summer 2008 trip to Costa Rica.  This is a delicious dressing that really sticks to the lettuce leaves.  This keeps in the refrigerator for several weeks, if it lasts that long.

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Chilling Time:  2 hours
Servings:  makes 2 ½ cups

1 cup water
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
3-4 gloves garlic
¼ cup low-sugar organic ketchup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1-2 tablespoons Agave nectar
½ teaspoon Xanthan Gum

Place all ingredients in a blender jar and process until very smooth and emulsified.  Taste for sweetness and add more Agave to taste if necessary.  Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.  Dressing will thicken as it chills.

Hints:  Use the best quality vinegars you can find for the best flavored dressing.  Xanthan gum is an excellent thickener for oil-free salad dressings because it thickens without heat as the dressing chills in the refrigerator.

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