July 2011 <<< Return to Newsletter Home Page Printer Friendly PDF Volume 10 Issue 7


Featured Recipes

McDougall Sauce

This is quite a spicy salad dressing that was prepared for our group during the July 2010 Costa Rica trip. It was again a favorite during the July 2011 trip and was served at almost every meal as a salad dressing and as a topping for small whole cooked potatoes. John and I enjoyed it so much that we spooned some of it on almost everything we ate (except for the desserts). To make this a bit less spicy, remove the seeds from the jalapeno pepper.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Resting Time: 1 day
Servings: variable

1  7 to 8 ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 ounces rice vinegar
1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped(seeded for less heat)
1 ½ cups water

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan and slowly bring to a simmer. Pour ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Pour into a covered container and let rest for 1 day.
 

Fennel with Broccoli, Zucchini and Peppers

This was one of my favorite vegetable combinations during the July 2011 Costa Rica Adventure and I immediately asked for the recipe.  I don’t often cook with fennel so this was an interesting and delicious change for me.  I made this myself a few days ago and it was just as wonderful as I remembered it!  This will be a regular on our rotating meal plan.

Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Cooking Time:  20 minutes
Servings:  4

2 cups sliced fresh fennel (see hints below)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup sliced zucchini
½ cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the vegetables and 1 cup of the broth in a large non-stick sauté pan.  Grind some fresh black pepper over the vegetables.  Cover and steam for 5 minutes, then remove the cover and continue to cook, stirring frequently until most of the broth is absorbed and the vegetables are beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan.  Add another ½ cup of the broth and a few more twists of pepper.  Continue to cook and stir, uncovered, until broth is again absorbed and vegetables begin to stick again.  Add the remaining broth and more black pepper.  Continue to cook until broth is absorbed again.  Taste and add more black pepper if desired before serving.

Hints:  Fresh fennel is sometimes sold labeled anise, and with several inches of fine leafy fronds attached.  Cut the fronds off at the top of the bulb, trim the root end, cut the entire bulb in half lengthwise and then slice thinly.  2 medium sized bulbs should yield about 2 cups sliced. If you have a bit more than 2 cups, just use the extra amount in this recipe. Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and then slice thinly.  1 zucchini should yield about 1 cup. 1/2 of a red bell pepper should yield about ½ cup of ½ inch size pieces.

 

Mashed Potato with Carrots

This was another favorite request from the July 2011 Costa Rica Adventure.  I used peeled russet potatoes in this recipe, but other kinds of potatoes could also be used; even sweet potatoes would work well.

Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Cooking Time:  30 minutes
Servings:  6

8 medium russet potatoes, cut into large chunks
2 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/8 cup honey
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

Place the potatoes and carrots in water to cover in a stainless steel pot, bring to a boil, cover and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain.  Add soy milk to the pot and mash well using a hand potato/bean masher.  Stir in the honey and jalapeno pepper.  Mix well. Return to heat and cook until heated through before serving.

Hints:  Potatoes and carrots may be peeled before using in this recipe, or just scrub them well and proceed as directed above.  This is a slightly sweet dish, even more so if you use sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes.  Agave nectar may be used instead of the honey, if desired.  I usually just serve this plain, with vegetables on the side, but it may be spiced up with a bit of Sriracha hot sauce, or another sauce or gravy.

 

Potato Soup with Oatmeal

Don’t skip over this recipe until you’ve tried it.  I know it sounds rather strange, but it was one of the most requested recipes on the July 2011 Costa Rica Adventure trip.  The oatmeal adds a smooth texture to the soup when blended with the potatoes.

Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Cooking Time:  25 minutes
Servings:  6-8

8 medium potatoes, peeled and chunked
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups unsweetened soy milk
1/3 cup uncooked oatmeal (not instant)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Sea salt (optional)

Place potatoes, vegetable broth, soy milk and oatmeal in a large pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.  Transfer to a food processor or blender and process until very smooth.  Add freshly ground pepper, and optional salt, if using, to taste before serving.

 

Chilled Melon Soup

This simple, refreshing soup was enjoyed at several meals during our recent Costa Rica Adventure, always made with a different kind of melon.  Cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon were favorites of mine. 

Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Chilling Time:  1 hour
Servings:  4-6

2 melons, peeled, chopped and seeded
2 ¼ cups water
1/8 cup fresh minced ginger
2/3 cup ice

Place all the ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender and process until very smooth.  Refrigerate to allow flavors to blend.

Hints:  If using watermelon, you may need a bit less water.  Start with about 1 cup less, and adjust to taste.  This works best in a high speed blender, such as a Vitamix.

 

Fresh Chilled Tomato Soup

This is a very refreshing soup that was served for lunch during the July 2011 Costa Rica Adventure trip.  Try this at home on those hot summer days when you don’t feel like cooking and have way too many tomatoes growing in your garden!!

Preparation Time:  20 minutes
Chilling Time:  2 hours
Servings:  8

4 ½ pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes
4 ¼ cups water
¾ cup unsweetened soy milk
Tabasco sauce to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Sea salt (optional)

Put a large pot of water on to boil.

Wash and core the tomatoes. Make a shallow x on the bottom of each tomato and plunge into boiling water for 30 seconds.  Remove with tongs and set on a dry paper towel to drain and cool.  Peel the skin off with your fingers, starting at the x on the bottom of the tomato. (Also see hints below.)  Coarsely chop the tomatoes and place in a high speed blender or food processor with a small amount of the water.  Process until smooth. Place in a large container and add the rest of the water and the soy milk.  Mix well. Season with Tabasco and pepper to taste.  Add a bit of sea salt, if desired.  Chill for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to develop fully in the chilled soup.

Hints:  Tomatoes may also be peeled with a serrated vegetable peeler, saving the step of the boiling water plunge.  Serrated peelers can be found online or at cookware stores.

 

Pineapple Pudding

The official name for this in Costa Rica was Pineapple Compote, but to me it seems more like a pudding.  This can easily be varied by using different kinds of juices.  My favorite by far was the one made with pineapple juice, although I made it at home using orange juice and it was equally delicious.  If you have a high speed blender, such as a Vitamix, this is much easier to prepare.  Serve this in individual dessert bowls topped with fresh berries.

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Cooking Time:  10 minutes
Chilling Time:  2 hours
Servings:  8-10

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
4 cups fresh fruit juice (pineapple, orange, apricot, etc.)
2 cups water
Zest of 1 orange or lemon
¾ cup cornstarch

Place the pineapple and juice in a high speed blender (or place pineapple and 2 cups of the juice in a food processor).  Process until very smooth.  Transfer to a large saucepan and add remaining ingredients, mixing very well with a whisk.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with the whisk.  Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens.  Pour into a large bowl, cool slightly and cover with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly on the surface of the pudding.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to cool before serving. Scoop out into individual bowls for serving.

 

Crunchy Quinoa Salad

We were in Michigan this June of 2011 taking care of some office issues with Carol, who manages the telecommunications part of the McDougall business.  Many of you know that Carol is my sister, and she loves to cook as much as I do, so of course we had to try some new recipes while we were together.  This salad was put together using produce from her neighbor, Dave’s, garden.  Feel free to change the vegetables according to what you have in your garden or have found at the farmer’s market.

Preparation Time:  30 minutes
Chilling Time:  1-2 hours
Servings:  6

1 cup uncooked quinoa, well rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth
3  2 inch strips of lemon zest
1 ½ cups asparagus, sliced into ½ inch pieces
1 cup snow peas, cut in half
½ cup kohlrabi, peeled and sliced into thin strips
1/3 cup radishes, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
Freshly ground pepper
Dash sea salt

Place quinoa in a pot with the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, stir in the pieces of lemon zest, cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir, remove pieces of lemon zest (discard) and let quinoa cool slightly.

Meanwhile, put a large pot of water on to boil, drop in asparagus and snow peas and cook for 2-3 minutes until crisp-tender.  Remove from pot with tongs and drop into a bowl of ice water.  Drain.

Combine quinoa, asparagus, snow peas, kohlrabi and radishes in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Season with freshly ground pepper and sea salt, if desired.  Chill for 1 to 2 hours before serving to allow flavors to mingle.

Hints:  Wash the lemon and then peel with a vegetable peeler, yielding very thin strips.  Use the remaining lemon for the juice in this recipe.  Kohlrabi may be unfamiliar to you, but I highly recommend it in this recipe. Look for it in farmer’s markets or in large supermarkets or natural food stores. If you can’t find it, you may just omit it, or use fresh zucchini or cucumber instead.

 

Fresh Fruit Crisp

I make many variations of this recipe during the summer months, changing the fruit as necessary when it comes in season.  The crisp topping is pretty much the only part of the recipe that stays the same. My sister, Carol, and I made this last month with fresh strawberries from her neighbor, Dave’s, garden.  It served 5 of us, with no leftovers for the next day!

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time:  30-45 minutes
Servings:  6-8

Topping:
½ cup quick cooking oats
2 tablespoons cornmeal
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:
4-5 cups sliced fresh fruit (see hints below)
1/3 – ½ cup fruit preserves
2-3 teaspoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
3 tablespoons white whole wheat flour

Prepare the topping by combining the oats and cornmeal in a bowl.  Mix the syrup or nectar with the vanilla and pour over the oat mixture.  Mix well to combine, using your fingers, if necessary.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place the fruit in a large bowl.  Combine the preserves, lemon juice and nutmeg (if using) in another bowl.  Spoon over the fruit and mix gently.  Sprinkle with flour and mix again.  Place in a shallow square baking dish or pie plate.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on fruit used. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Crumble the oat mixture over the fruit and return to oven.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.  Scoop out with a large spoon to serve.

Hints:  This is wonderful with almost any kind of fresh fruit.  To make with fresh strawberries, use strawberry preserves and bake for 20 minutes before adding the topping.  To make with fresh peaches or nectarines, use apricot preserves and bake for 30 minutes before adding the topping.  Or try this with a combination of peaches and rhubarb for a delicious variation.  This may also be made with fresh berries, such as blackberries or blueberries.  Use about ¼ cup of sugar instead of the preserves to combine with the fruit and bake for 20 minutes before adding the topping.  (These are also fun baked in individual ramekins.  Total baking time will only be about 20 minutes in this case; 10 minutes without topping and 10 minutes with topping.)  Experiment with your own combinations of fresh fruit, using whatever is in season.  Try this with plums or apples and vary the kind of preserves used to suit your taste.  Serve with rice or soy ice cream for a special treat on a hot summer night!

2011 John McDougall All Rights Reserved
Dr. McDougall's Health and Medical Center
P.O. Box 14039, Santa Rosa, CA 95402

https://www.drmcdougall.com