Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

It's not really a "summer" soup, but it sounded so good I had to try it. I love Isa Moskowitz's special secret butternut squash tip...I'll let you read the book (Vegan with a Vengeance). I have some special squash tips myself - I've always just cut up the squash and roasted, boiled or steamed squash with the skin on. I just scoop the cooked squash out of the skin, wearing rubber gloves if it's hot, before I eat the squash. Some people I know eat squash, skin and all. And, the seeds are good roasted and salted too. If the squash is difficult to cut in half, I poke a couple holes in it, pop it in the micro for a couple minutes until soft, and cut it in half (watch for hot spots).

Anyway, the soup turned out wonderful, even without the spicy chile. The roasted butternut squash is added to a puree of fresh ginger, garlic, and onions (one of my favorite kinds of soup). My toddler has added "soup" to his list of first words after this soup!

Beet & Carrot Slaw

A great recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food, "Great Food Fast" cookbook. A great way to eat fresh, fast food (raw). Just be prepared for beet stains...

Thick, Rich, Chocolate Sauce - Two Ingredient & No Cook!

I'm not kidding - two ingredients and you don't have to cook! No need to make a buttery, creamy hot fudge sauce! Just take some brown rice syrup & blend in cocoa powder to taste. I heated mine in the micro for about 10 seconds, just to make it a little smoother. Then I drizzled it over a big bowl of ice cream...or Rice Dream if you can't have dairy. If you're concerned about cocoa and caffeine, try blending in a little Carob powder.

I just love Brown Rice Syrup, you can bake with it or use it in place of honey (especially good in granola - see a previous post).

My husband's new favorite summer treat is Rice Dream with Carob & Almonds, topped with raspberries.

New Sauteed Vegetable Combinations

My husband and I have been loading up on our "superfoods" from the Genotype Diet. Between moving and having two preschool/toddlers around, our lives have been pretty stressful the last few years. I do think the Genotype Diet is helping to regain some balance/stability in our lives; even though sometimes I feel somewhat "superstitious." Psychologically, if I'm eating a "superfood" on my list, I automatically feel better!

We've come up with some new combinations on our "superfoods" list.

My husband's (Teacher) favorite is "Lentils & Leeks" and mine (Gatherer) is "Cannelloni Beans & Spinach."

"Lentils & Leeks"
(1) Simmer lentils for about 30 min. (follow the directions on the package, or buy canned)
(2) Slice leeks and wash well. Saute on med-high in ghee or olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add some oregano and sea salt, then add the lentils and cook until heated through.

"Cannelloni Beans & Spinach"
(1) Rinse beans in three cold-water baths, then soak overnight. I also rinse three times again after soaking, then put in the crockpot with water to cover + about 2 inches. I cook mine on setting #4 for about 4 hours, until desired tenderness.
(2) Saute chopped onions & garlic on med-high in olive oil or ghee for about 5 minutes. Add some spices; like sea salt & basil, and cook for a couple more minutes. Add chopped, washed, spinach and saute until wilted, then add cooked beans and heat through.

Move is over! Cabbage housewarming...

I haven't been posting lately, as we've been moving. We finally decided to buy a condo in Cambridge - and with three Whole Foods Markets and a Trader Joe's - I'm always close to the groceries I need. I love my new kitchen. It's small, but brand new and very functional. I used the Mrs. Meyer's Stainless Steel cleaner on my new appliances and it worked very well (even on kid handprints). It took a while to burn off the "new oven smell" but I love my new gas range, and as an added bonus now, all four burners work.

Some friends came over to see the new house, and they brought me an extra head of cabbage from their CSA. For me, it was the perfect housewarming gift (:

So I'm going to start my blog going again, with a couple of my favorite cabbage recipes:

Coleslaw (from the Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook by Cybele Pascal)
1 package of shredded coleslaw mix (or, I shred my own in my Cuisinart food processor, even though Cuisinart doesn't recommend it, it still works good enough)
1/2 c. shredded carrot
1 chopped apple
1/2 c. raisins
1 T. rice milk
3 T. white vinegar
2 T. orange juice
1 t. honey
1 T. lemon juice
6 T. olive oil

Make a salad dressing out of the last liquid ingredients and pour over the shredded/chopped vegetables. It's best if you let it sit a while in the refrigerator.

Braised Cabbage (From Martha Stewart Living, March 2005)
2 cans chicken broth (or you can use vegetable broth)
1 t. coarse salt
10 whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 small cabbage, cut into wedges
1 small leek, sliced

Bring broth and spices to a boil, add cabbage and leek and reduce heat - simmer for about 12-15 minutes until tender.

You can always just steam cabbage in a pan or stir fry it too, both of those options are good!