Lentil Soup With Spinach

Let the slow cooker work all day with a simple step at the end for a quick and delicious dinner, or cook overnight to fill those wide-mouth vacuum insulated bottles for lunch.

Wash and pick over 1 cup lentils, removing any stones or moldy lentils. Place in slow cooker insert.

Peel and mince 4 cloves garlic. Peel and dice 2 onions. Wash, peel (optional), and dice 1 1/2 lbs. potatoes or turnips (if mature, peel the turnip skin). Place vegetables in slow cooker insert.

Add 8 cups water, 1 TB fennel seed, 1 TB dried oregano, 1 tsp. dried thyme, and 1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper.

Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.

Add 2 tsp.-1 TB salt.

Wash and chop into bite-size pieces 1/2-3/4 lb. spinach or chard.

In a large frying pan over high heat, warm 1 TB olive oil. When the oil ripples, tilt pan to coat with oil and add spinach. Sauté 1-2 minutes until spinach wilts. Stir into soup with 1/2-1 TB balsamic vinegar. Adjust seasonings to taste. 

Enjoy!

Apple Filo Pockets

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Wash, core, and chop 3 apples. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the apples with 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey, 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. ground cloves.

Melt 6 TB dairy or non-dairy butter.

Roll out one tube of pastry from a box of thawed filo dough. Count the number of sheets and divide by four. Lift up one-fourth of the sheets and place on work surface. Brush with melted butter. Scoop one-fourth of apple mixture toward one side of pastry. Fold over and roll up edges. Place on prepared baking sheet. Brush with butter. Repeat three more times.

Sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

Bake 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Cut in half on diagonal. Enjoy plain or with whipped cream or ice cream!

8 servings (1/2 pocket)

Apple Stuffed Bread

Makes 2 loaves.

Freeze the second or share with a friend! This is a fun recipe on a day when you want to do other things around the house. There are three wait times in which you are free to do other things: about 75 minutes during the first rise, 30 minutes during the second rise, and 30 minutes during baking.

Scald 2 cups nondairy or dairy milk for 2 minutes in the microwave on high (or bring to a simmer for 2 minutes in a saucepan over medium heat). Stir in 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey and 2 TB dry yeast. 

In an extra-large mixing bowl, whisk together 3 cups bread flour, 4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup ground flaxseed meal, 1 1/2 TB ground cinnamon, and 2 tsp. salt. 

Mix in 1/3 cup applesauce, 1/3 cup safflower oil or melted butter, and the yeast-milk mixture. Knead 5 minutes, until smooth and stretchy. Cover with a towel and rest in a warm place to rise, about 90 minutes, until doubled in volume.

Meanwhile, wash, core, and dice (chop into small pieces about the size of 2 peas) 3 apples. In a medium frying pan, melt 1/4 cup dairy or non-dairy butter and sauté the apples over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add 3 TB maple syrup or honey, 1 TB ground cinnamon, and 1 tsp. ground nutmeg. Sauté 2 more minutes. Set aside until bread dough has finished the first rise.

Grease 2 loaf pans.

After the dough has risen once, punch down. If sticky, add 2 TB flour and knead briefly. Divide the dough in half.

With a rolling pin, roll the dough to an 11x8” rectangle. Spoon half the apple mixture over the rectangle. Then roll the dough into a long cylinder. As you lift the dough to transfer it to a loaf pan, fold under the ends to tuck it into the pan. Repeat for second loaf, using the second half of the apple mixture.

Cover loaves and allow bread to rise in a warm place about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F.

Melt 1 TB dairy or nondairy butter. Whisk in 1 TB maple syrup or honey. Brush over the top of the loaves.

Bake 30 minutes, or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Allow bread to cool 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool 5 more minutes on a rack. Slice and enjoy!

Apple & Pear Cobbler

Preheat oven to 400 deg. F.

Wash, core, and thinly slice 4 apples.

Wash, core, and thinly slice 3-4 Asian pears.

Toss apples, pears, 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries, 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey, 2 TB arrowroot or cornstarch, 3/4 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. ground allspice, 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom or allspice, and a pinch of salt. Transfer to a 9”x13” baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or gf flour blend + 1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum, or 3/4 cup sorghum flour, 1/2 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup amaranth flour + 1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum), 1/4 cup masa harina, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. salt.

With a pastry cutter or two knives cutting in opposite directions, cut in 8 TB dairy or non-dairy butter until there are no pieces larger than a small pea. 

Mix in 1/4-1/3 cup hot water to make biscuit dough. If too crumbly, add more water 1 TB at a time. Drop clumps of dough in big spoonfuls over the top of the apples and pears.

Bake 40-45 minutes, until baked through and bubbly.

Sweet & Sour Slaw

Wash, core, and shred 1 medium cabbage or 1 large Napa cabbage. Wash, stem, seed, quarter, and thinly slice 2 bell peppers. Wash, core, and chop 2 apples. Peel and mince 4” piece of ginger root.

Whisk together: 1/3 cup + 1 TB apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 1/4 tsp. ground coriander, 1 tsp. salt, 3/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper and the prepared ginger root.

Toss cabbage, peppers, and apples with dressing. 

Enjoy!

Creamy Kohlrabi Soup with Smoked Almonds

Peel and chop 4-5 kohlrabi. Wash, peel if desired, and chop 1/2 lb. potatoes. Peel and chop 2 onions. Peel and chop 2-4 cloves garlic.

In a stockpot or large saucepan over high heat, warm 1 TB olive oil. When the oil ripples, tilt the pan to coat and add the onions. Sauté 5-7 minutes until golden. Add garlic and sauté 1 more minute. Add kohlrabi and potatoes and sauté 2 more minutes. Add 6 cups water, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. ground paprika, and 1/8-1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook 20-25 minutes, until vegetables are soft.

Meanwhile, in a small frying pan over medium heat, warm until fragrant 1/3 cup finely chopped smoked almonds.

When vegetables are soft, stir in 1 tsp. dried dill. Purée soup. Adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish with warm smoked almonds.

Enjoy!

Lodi Apple Panini

Slice 1 round of Pietree focaccia in half widthwise so you have 2 large rounds, a bottom and a top. Brush each cut side with olive or walnut oil. Spread 4 ounces cheddar cheese or 3 ounces hummus across the bottom half. Wash, peel, core, and thinly slice 2 Lodi apples. Spread those slices and the rings sliced from ¼ medium onion across the cheese or hummus. If using, sprinkle with 2 TB walnuts or pecans before putting the top half of the focaccia over the bottom.

On a hot grill, put the whole stuffed focaccia bottom side down, and grill until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Carefully holding sides together with tongs, turn over on grill and grill 1-2 more minutes for grill marks and heating sandwich through. Serves 2-3.

Radish Greens

Wait! Don’t compost those fresh greens! Radish greens are tangy, spicy, somewhat bitter, and oh so refreshingly delicious! Once you separate the greens and radishes, carefully wash those greens and try out one of these simple ways to enjoy them! 

Simple Sauté: Heat 1/2 TB olive oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add greens from 1 bunch of radishes and a dash of salt. Stirring regularly, cook until greens are wilted. Dress with a squeeze of lemon or a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Enjoy!

With Garlic: Peel and mince 1 clove garlic. Heat 1/2 TB olive oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add minced garlic and greens from 1 bunch of radishes and a dash of salt. Stirring regularly, cook until greens are wilted. Dress with a squeeze of lemon or a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Enjoy!

With Garlic & Hot Pepper Flakes: Peel and mince 1 clove garlic. Heat 1/2 TB olive oil and 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add minced garlic and greens from 1 bunch of radishes and a dash of salt. Stirring regularly, cook until greens are wilted. Dress with a squeeze of lemon or a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Enjoy!

Stir-Fried with Radishes: Wash and quarter the radishes from 1 bunch of radishes, removing any long trailing roots. Roughly chop the greens. Heat 1 TB toasted sesame oil in a wok or medium-large frying pan, adding 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes if you want it to be spicy. Once oil is hot, add quartered radishes and stir-fry until beginning to turn golden brown. Add greens, 1/2 TB tamari or soy sauce and 1/2 TB rice or apple cider vinegar. Cook until greens are wilted.

Enjoy!

Overnight Pickled Carrots

This speedy - but not quick - pickle is a refreshing change in the winter season from pickles put up over the summer.

Wash and cut into 1/2” wide sticks 6 carrots. Peel and mince 2 cloves garlic. Whisk together 1 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. coriander seeds, 3/4 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper, 1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional). Pour over carrots, cover, and refrigerate overnight or at least 12 hours.

Enjoy!