Category Archives: Vegetarian

Curried Zucchini & Leek Soup

It’s winter again and that means it is soup season. It has been kind of warm in San Francisco, but that hasn’t stopped me from whipping out the pots and cooking it up anyway. Any excuse to make soup, is what I always say. Soups are easy, tasty and last for more than one meal.
This soup is based on a curried zucchini & leek soup from the book, “for the love of SOUP” by, Jeanelle Mitchell. Her soups always start out pretty good, but I feel that they lack flavor. The vegetable combinations work very well together and then I add some extra seasoning.

Ingredients:Soup
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 Large leeks, white parts only. Cut lengthwise then thinly sliced.
1 tsp. curry paste (I like Patak’s hot curry paste)
2 Cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp. ginger minced
1 Large Russet potato peeled and cubed
2 Large or 4 small zucchini halved and cut in to 1/2″ pieces
4 Cups stock or broth (I use chicken broth or homemade stock)
1 tsp. salt

1) In a medium size pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute for 6 minutes. Add garlic and ginger cook for 2 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook for another 2 minutes.

2) Add zucchini, potatoes and broth or stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Let soup cool.

3) When cool puree soup in pot with immersion blender, or transfer to blender or food processor in batches and blend until smooth. Once soup is blended return to the pot, add salt, and simmer until heated.

Serves 4-6

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Filed under Recipes, Soup, Vegetarian

Creamy Vegetable Tofu Dip

My best friend has food in her refrigerator I would never have in mine. I’m not saying that this food isn’t tasty food, I’m saying it isn’t stuff I would have imagined would be tasty, so I wouldn’t have purchased it myself. I am introduced to a new food item that is healthy and delicious on every visit. One such item is a vegetable tofu spread. This delicious spread can only be purchased from Garden of Eden, a small food chain in New York and in some of the surrounding areas. During the week I spent in NYC I ate no less than three containers.

Coming home and being unable to find anything similar I decided to experiment and come up with a veggie spread or dip of my own. This delicious recipe is so easy to make and cuts down on the fat and calories usually found in dips. If you want to make it even lower in fat buy low-fat cream cheese.

Creamy Vegetable Tofu Dip
Yields 1 Cup

Ingredients:

4 ounces softened cream cheese
4 ounces silken tofu
1 tbsp. finely diced carrot
1 tbsp. finely diced red pepper
1 tsp. minced shallot
2 green onions thinly sliced, white part only
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
Cracked black pepper to taste
Garnish with chopped Italian parsley

Directions:

In a microwave safe bowl microwave softened cream cheese for 20 seconds. Put warmed cream cheese and tofu in mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer and the whisk beaters on the lowest setting and mix together tofu and cream cheese. Once the consistency is very creamy, like yogurt, stir in the remaining ingredients. Taste and season with pepper and re-season with salt, depending on saltiness of cream cheese. Chill for 2 hours.

Can be served as a dip with veggies and chips or as a breakfast spread.

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Filed under H'ordeuvres/Snacks, Recipes, Vegetarian

Basil & Parsley Pesto Over Gnocchi Then Tossed With Tomato and Mozzarella

For the first time “Meatless Monday” was a success. In part, I think this is due to it being unintentional. The harder I try to make my Mondays Meatless, the worse the meal is. This decision came about organically, my cravings got the best of me. After a Sunday afternoon snack of a Caprese Salad I still had a considerable amount of basil left in my refrigerator. Basil was my inspiration for the pesto and the new gnocchi I had purchased at Mariposa was the rest.

I have made pesto many times, and it usually leaves a strong taste of garlic in my mouth that sticks around for quite a few hours. This recipe has a lot of flavor, but by using a little less garlic and incorporating parsley in to the pesto you achieve the same results, you’re just left with less of a garlic finish.

Pesto gnocchi tossed with tomatoes & mozzarella

Basil & Parsley Pesto With gnocchi Tossed in a Tomato & Mozzarella mixture

Basil and Parsley Pesto
Yields 1/2 Cup

Ingredients:

2 C. Fresh basil
1/2 C. Italian parsley
1/4 C. Toasted pine nuts (See author’s notes at bottom)
2 Cloves garlic- Rough chop
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. Freshly ground pepper
1/2 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1/2 C. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 C. Freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Directions:

Combine basil, parsley, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper in to food processor. Pulse until blended. Turn on processor and slowly pour in olive oil. Scrape mixture in to bowl and stir in the cheese.

*Toasted Pine nuts- Put pine nuts in small saute pan on medium-low heat. Toss them around in pan periodically until they are lightly browned. Do not leave them unattended, they burn quickly and will become bitter.

Tomato & Mozzarella Mixture (Serves 2)- This mixture adds additional richness to the dish

Ingredients:

1 Roma tomato- 1/2 inch chop
1/2 Mozzarella ovalini- 1/2 inch chop
2 Tbsp. EVOO
Salt/Pepper to season

Directions:

Toss all of the above together and season to taste.

Remove gnocchi with slotted spoon and add directly to tomato and mozzarella. Mix until combined. Add 2 Tbsp. of the pesto to gnocchi. Mix and serve immediately.

*10 oz. Frozen Gnocchi (Serves 2)
I bought my Gnocchi from Mariposa Baking Co. (Click to see full review of Mariposa) They were very tasty and I will buy them again.
Please note: the directions say cook 8-10 min. or until they float. Go for when they float. Mine were floating at 5 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they do not over cook. Mine were perfect!

Arugula and Fennel Salad
Serves 4

1/2 Bag triple washed arugula
1/2 Bulb fennel- Thinly sliced
1/4 C. Shaved Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 Tbsp. Freshly squeeze lemon
1 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to season

Toss arugula and fennel together in a bowl. Add 1/2 of the shaved Parmesan and toss. Toss the salad with the EVOO, lemon and vinegar, season with salt and pepper and top with remaining cheese. Serve along side gnocchi.

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Filed under Pasta, Recipes, Vegetarian

Caprese Salad

There is nothing I love more in the summer than eating beautiful ripe tomatoes, and there is nothing more perfect on a hot summer Sunday afternoon than a salad. What brought me to make this salad was quite simple, the ingredients themselves. Yesterday while shopping at Rainbow Grocery I saw some beautiful early girl tomatoes, a glorious bunch of basil, and decided I had to make a tomato, basil, mozzarella salad. The recipe is easy and quick, just be sure your ingredients are the best you can find and the salad will be divine. It’s about highlighting the good ingredients through simple means.

Caprese Salad
Serves 2 as an afternoon snack

Ingredients:

2 medium size Early Girl tomatoes- 1/8 in. slices
1/4 lb. fresh mozzarella- 1/4 in. slices
2 tblp. basil- torn or cut in to strips
3 tblp. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).
Pinch sea salt or kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 C. Whole black olives

Directions:

Lay the sliced tomatoes around the outside of the plate leaving an opening in the center. Place the sliced mozzarella in the center of the tomatoes and the olives to its side. Sprinkle basil over top, season with & pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Buon appitito

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Filed under Food shopping, Recipes, Salad, Vegetarian