Sweet Potato Hummus

 

1 small Sweet Potato

5 Garlic Cloves

1 can Garbanzo Beans

1/4 cup Tahini Paste

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus 1 tablespoon

1 tablespoon Champagne Vinegar

Few dashes Hot Sauce

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.  Peel potato and cut into large pieces.  Make a pocket out of foil.  Add potatoes and garlic.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Seal it tight.  Bake for about 50-55 minutes.

Drain the beans reserving 2 tablespoon of liquid.

Add all of the ingredients into a food processor.  Process until smooth.

Enjoy with pita bread and veggies.

Blackened Salmon with Tomato-Bean Ragu and Crispy Shallots

Blackened Salmon

 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

1 teaspoon Ancho Powder

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Onion Powder

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1 teaspoon Cumin Powder

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

One pound Salmon, cut into four pieces

Olive Oil Spray, for grilling

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for final drizzle

Lemon Zest

In a small bowl, mix first nine ingredients.  Season salmon with the rub, on both sides.

Preheat a grill to 500 degrees F.  Spray with cooking spray.

Grill salmon for about 8-10 minutes, flipping once, depending on a thickness of the salmon. 

Move onto a plate.

Mean while prepare the Ragu

Tomato-White Bean Ragu 

2 cups Marinara Sauce, recipe to follow

1 14oz can White Beans

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Pinch of Chili Flakes

Preheat a skillet to medium heat.  Add all of the ingredients and cook for about 8-10 down, reducing the sauce.  Add Blackened Salmon into the Ragu, and cook for another 8-10 minutes.

Crispy Shallots

2 Shallots, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons Corn Meal

2 tablespoons Flour

Salt, Pepper

1/4 cup Canola Oil

Preheat a skillet to medium heat, add the oil.  

In a small bowl, add corn meal, flour, and fresh black pepper.  Add sliced shallots and toss in corn-flour mixture.  Fry shallots in two batches, about 4-5 minutes per batch.  Move onto a plate, lined with paper towel.  Season with a pinch of salt while shallots still hot. 

To serve, scoop some Ragu and top it with a  piece of salmon.  Grate some lemon zest and drizzle good olive oil over the top.


Serves 4

Marinara  Sauce

8 Tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 Sweet Onion, cut in large pieces

5-6 Garlic Cloves

1 Serrano Chili

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

6-7 Basil Leaves

Salt, Pepper, to taste

 

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F.  Drizzle veggies with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, toss to coat.  Roast for 25 minutes.  Cool off for 10 minutes.  Blend in the food processor.  Add a pinch of salt and fresh basil and process for another 30 seconds, or until basil is all chopped.  Store in an air-tight container up to seven days in a refrigerator. 

Makes about 3 cups.

Black Bean Fiesta Salad

1 14 oz can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half

1 small Cucumber, thinly sliced

1 Avocado, seed removed and cubed

1 small Chili Pepper, diced

4 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped

1 Garlic Clove, grated

1 1/2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, add all the vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle vinegar and oil.  Toss all together and serve.

Serves 3-4

*Remove the seeds from the chili if you like less spice in your salad.

*Fast and delicious...perfect with steak, albacore tuna, or shrimp...

Wild Mushroom Soup

3 cups Dried Mushroom Blend

5 cups Vegetable Stock

2 Leeks, white part only, sliced

2 15 oz cans White Beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon Fresh Oregano, chopped

1 teaspoon Fresh Rosemary, chopped

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Butter

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Salt, Pepper to taste

Soak mushrooms in 2 cups of hot water until soft, for about 10 minutes.  Squeeze out excess liquid and reserve it for later.

Preheat a large pot over medium-high heat, and melt butter and oil.  Add mushrooms and saute for about five minutes, until mushrooms start to brown.  Add chopped leeks, oregano, rosemary, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes.  Add white beans, and season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Add the reserved mushroom liquid and vegetable stock, and bring it to a boil, uncovered.  Turn the heat to low, cover with the lid and cook for another 20-25 minutes.

Add soy sauce and stir...

Serves 4-5

*Dried mushrooms after they have been soak are so rich and flavorful!!!!

They make the broth light and earthy...

*To make homemade stock: saute 2 celery stocks, 2 carrots, 1 small onion, and ten bottom mushrooms.  Add 6 cups of water, and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Makes a huge difference when making soups.

Quinoa Salad with Garlic Champagne Vinaigrette

1 cup uncooked Quinoa

1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1 Corn on the cob

1/2 cup chopped Cillantro

1 Garlic Clove, minced very finely

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

2 tablespoons Champagne Vinegar

Juice of one Lemon

1/4 teaspoon Chili Flakes

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper to taste

Cook quinoa according to directions on the box and let it cool for about 10-15 minutes. Cut the corn off the cob, add the remaining vegetables to the large bowl. Season to your taste with salt and pepper.

To prepare the dressing; in a separate dish add the minced garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Slowly add the oil while whisking it at the same time.

Add cooled off quinoa to the vegetables. Pour dressing right over all the ingredients, mix, and serve at room temperature.

Serves 4-6

*This salad is perfect for summer outdoor fun, because of the oil based dressing.

Speedy Chili

1 can Black Beans, 15 oz

1 can White Beans, 15 oz

1 can Kidney Beans, 15 oz

 One pound Ground Beef (85/15)

1 can Marinara

1 1/4 cup Red Wine ($2.99 special from Trader Joe's)

2 cups Stock (Beef or Vegetable or Water)

1 small Onion, diced

Salt, Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil for frying

Dry Spices

2 Tbs Paprika

1 Tbs Cumin

1 Tbs Garlic Powder

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Add ground beef and season with the Dry Spices, salt and pepper to taste. Cook 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse the beans.

Pour red wine, stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the flavors to blend together. Let it simmer on low for 3-5 minutes, so the alcohol cooks out.

Add marinara, stock (or water), and beans. Season again with a little salt and pepper.

Bring it to a boil uncovered. Turn it to low heat, cover up, and cook for about 30 minutes.

Top it with Avocado Sour Cream and Chives

Serves 6-8

*Find recipe for Avocado Sour Cream under "Recipe Book"





Roasted Garlic Hummus

1 can Garbanzo Beans

1/4 cup Tahini Sauce

2 Tablespoon Roasted Garlic

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Juice of one Lemon

8 dashes Hot Sauce

Salt, pepper to taste

Drain the beans reserving 2 tablespoon of liquid. Blend ingredients in a food processor. Ready to eat!!!!

*Peel one head of garlic (or get garlic that's already peeled). Pour one cup olive oil over it and bake covered in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes until garlic is golden color. Perfect for salad dressing.