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Featured Seasonal Recipe
This page will feature 1-2 new seasonal vegan and/or vegetarian recipes a month using fresh ingredients that are often harvested during this month.
Join a local Community Supported Agriculture group (CSA) or buy from your local Farmer’s Markets. For more information on ways to find these resources in your area, check out the following website:
http://www.localharvest.org
These two soup recipes have been some recent fall favorites at our home. I hope you enjoy them this winter!
Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup
From Ann Gentry's, The Real Food Daily Cookbook
8 cups vegetable stock or water
2 cups yellow split peas, rinsed and picked through
1 bay leaf
1 piece kombu (2-3 inches)
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
1 large parsnip, finely chopped
1 cup seeded peeled butternut squash (have made this without the squash and it is still delicious)
1 Tbsp curry powder
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
1. Combine the stock, split peas, bay leaf and kombu in a pot. Bring to a simmer over high heat and skim off the foam that is on top.
2. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until the split peas are tender and falling apart (about 45 minutes)
3. Add the onion, celery, carrots, parsnip, squash, curry, salt and cumin and simmer again.
4. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, until the vegetables are tender and the soup is thick, about 40 minutes.
5. Serve with mint sprinkled on top.
Serves: 6-8
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 1/2 hours (mostly simmering and unattended time)
Turkish Lentil Soup
Adapted from Ann Gentry's, The Real Food Daily Cookbook
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped (for kids or breastfeeding moms, 1 onion)
6 cloves garlic (for kids or breastfeeding moms, equivalent to 3 or less)
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary (or 1 Tbsp dried)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp cayenne (or 1/4 for kids and breastfeeding moms)
1/2 cup quinoa
1 (14 1/2 oz can) whole tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste
10 cups vegetable stock or water
1 3/4 cups dried lentils (french or brown lentils), picked through and rinsed
4 cups lightly packed fresh spinach leaves (or add frozen if in a hurry)
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper (or omit for kids and breastfeeding moms)
1. Heat the olive oil and add the onions to saute until translucent.
2. Stir in the garlic, rosemary, bay leaf, cayenne and then the quinoa and saute until the onions brown a bit.
3. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste adn then stock and lentils. Bring it to a simmer over high heat then decrease it to medium high heat to remain simmering until lentils are tender, about 25 minutes.
4. Add spinach until just tender and add parsley, salt and pepper (if using). Discard the bay leaf and ENJOY!
Serves: 6-8
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25-40 minutes
This recipe has been on the site for the fall. I am keeping it here for your winter enjoyment too. It smells so nice to come into the house when it is "brewing." I usually add some orange peels and make it without the black tea and just the herbs and spices. My son Solomon helps me put the herbs in and "count" them out too. Fun and Yum!
Homemade Yogi Tea
3 quarts filtered water
24 whole black peppercorns
24 whole green cardamom pods
18 whole cloves
5 cinnamon sticks
about 2 1/2 inchs of peeled and sliced ginger root
6 whole stars of star anise (can also use 1 level Tbsp fenugreek seeds)
1 1/2 tsp black tea (can use decaf)
1 quart rice or hemp milk (if desired)
liquid stevia to taste
1. Bring the water to a boil and add all of the above ingredients except for the tea, milk and stevia.
2. Allow the mixture to simmer for 30 minutes then turn off heat, add the tea and let it steep for 10 minutes. Don't steep it longer than that or it could get a bitter taste to it. If you prefer to be able to reheat, make the "tea" without actually using tea; it is flavorful and yummy like tea and makes the house smell nice while heating without the cover.
3. Enjoy by ladling cupfuls out of the pot or strain the mixture, add the rice or hemp milk and stevia as desired. Can serve this warm or cold (in summer).
This pate is one we have served and had around often. For those meat eaters, they love it because it tastes like real pate, for those not eating meat, they love it because it tastes yummy! We have made it without toasting the nuts and without the tofu sour cream and it is delicious. It often doesn't get refrigerated for 4 hours either since we love it so much.
Lentil Walnut Pate
Adapted from Ann Gentry's, The Real Food Daily Cookbook
3/4 cup dried green or french green lentils
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped (less for breastfeeding moms and/or kids; can also use equivalent of store-bought, pre-chopped garlic)
1 Tbsp mirin
1 1/4 cups walnuts, toasted (pecans work well too; toasting is helpful but to save time, also fine to omit the toasting part)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, or 1 1/2 tsp dried
3 Tbsp yellow miso
1 1/2 Tbsp umeboshi paste
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 1/2 tsp dried
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (or less for breastfeeding moms or kids)
basil and/or thyme sprigs for garnish
wheat free rice and sesame crackers or ones you enjoy!
1. Combine the lentil and 3 cups of water in a heavy saucepan. Add the bay leaf and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium low, then cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are very tender. Drain, remove the bay leaf, and cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium low heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 8 minutes, or until the onion is golden brown. Stir in the mirin. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
3. Chop the walnuts in a food processor until a paste forms, scraping down the sides of the blender occasionally. Add the cooled lentils and onion mixture, and process until smooth. blend in the basil, miso, umeboshi paste, thyme, and pepper. Once all mixed, cover and refridgerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. Another option that Ann Gentry suggests is to line a 3 cup bowl or mold with plastic wrap, packing it in firmly, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Fold the overhanging plastic wrap over the pate, cover and refrigerate that way until cold, also at least 4 hours, or up to 2 days.
4. Uncover the pate and invert it onto a plate or small platter. Remove the plastic wrap. Drizzle a tofu sour cream (this is in her book too) over the pate decoratively and garnish with the basil and thyme sprigs. Surround the pate with crackers and serve. Yum!
Serves 8-12 (depending upon which serving size) Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Serving Size: 1/4 - 1/2 cup Cooking time: 20 minutes for lentils and onions
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