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Cauliflower Soup

Here’s the Skinny:

I know you’ve heard it over and over: “Eat your vegetables, they are good for you.” Still, some folks, try as they might, can’t seem to get past the basic salad or a couple of broccoli stems before calling it quits. I’m here today to ask you to take another look at Cauliflower. Perhaps after reading this you’ll have a new perspective on this deliciously healthy sweetheart of the veggie world.

Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower Soup

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head cauliflower, cored and roughly chopped (about 2 pounds)
  • 1 Stick butter- Cut in half
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
  • 1 ½-2 teaspoons My Sage Gourmet Herbes de Provence blend or Sea Salt
  • 3 medium carrots, finely diced
  • 2 celery stalks, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
  • 3 Cups filtered water
  • 3 teaspoons “Better than Bouillon” organic (chicken or vegetarian) or bouillon cubes
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)
  • 3/4 Cup flour
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Dash freshly grated or ground nutmeg
  • OPTIONAL:
  • heavy cream, sour cream, cheese, croutons

Instructions

  1. In a large heavy pot over medium heat, melt ½ stick of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
  2. Add onions, My Sage Gourmet Herbes de provence (or sea salt) and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add the carrots and celery and cook for a 5-10 minutes or until tender.
  4. Add the cauliflower, stir to coat, cover and cook over very low heat for 5 minutes.
  5. Add the parsley, water and bouillon then simmer for 10 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.
  6. Do not drain..
Allow to cool a few minutes, ladle into a blender or food processor, cover and blend until uniform creamy consistency.-DO NOT OVERFILL BLENDER!!!
  7. In the same large heavy pot, heat remaining ½ stick of butter over medium heat until melted. Once the butter is hot enough that a pinch of flour sprinkled into it will slowly start to bubble, proceed to the next step
  8. Whisk 1-3/4 cups of flour into the butter until a thick, rough paste forms. Whisk constantly while it bubbles over medium heat. As it cooks, the roux will become smooth and begin to thin.
  9. Slowly add the cauliflower mixture back to the pot, stirring continually
  10. Add black pepper & nutmeg.
  11. Stir gently to combine, and then serve immediately with warm rolls and an appetite for something wonderful.

ADD ONS:

Tastes great with a little lemon peel grated on top if you like a really lemon flavor and scent as I do.

Feeling a little decadent? If so, you may wish to add one of the following:

A bit of heavy cream; heated but not boiled.

A dollop of sour cream or some grated cheese or croutons on top.

Notes

I use an immersion blender right in the pot, the only difference is you would then need to use the second pot from the next step and reverse which gets poured into which. No big deal but a thought to consider.
Simmer an additional 10 minutes after pureeing if you go this route.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 239Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 469mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 4g

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© Carol Takakura
Cuisine: Healthy / Category: Soup

 

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Tzatziki

 

Tzatziki

Tzatziki

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound English or Persian cucumbers
  • 2 cups Greek yoghurt (strained cow's milk yoghurt, 10% fat)
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • I tablespoon fresh lemon juice or more to taste
  • I tablespoon fresh lemon juice or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh mint or dill, chopped. (your preference)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh mint or dill, chopped. (your preference)
  • 5 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 5 Tablespoons of olive oil
  • Sea Salt and Ground black pepper to taste
  • Sea Salt and Ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Peel the cucumber, halve it and scoop out the seeds. Chop or grate the cucumber, salt it, and let it sit for approximately 10 minutes. Afterwards, strain the liquid.
Pulse the cucumbers in the food processor or hand chop to desired texture. I like them chopped small, but not minced. Bigger chunks will result in chunkier tzatziki. It’s a matter of preference.
  2. Cut out an 18-inch rectangle of cheesecloth and fold into two layers. Place chopped cucumbers in the center of the double-layered cloth. Gather up the cheesecloth and twist at the top to form a bundle. Squeeze the bundle several times over the sink, twisting the bundle tightly to get rid of as much liquid as possible. If you don't have cheesecloth, use a thin dishtowel instead.
  3. Place strained yogurt in a medium mixing bowl.
  4. Add the drained cucumber pieces from the cheesecloth to the bowl along with the olive oil, chopped fresh mint or dill, crushed garlic, lemon juice, and salt.
  5. Use a fork or whisk to blend the ingredients together.
  6. Taste the Tzatziki; add more garlic, lemon juice, or salt to taste if desired.
  7. Serve cold. Store in the refrigerator.

Notes

It is important to use a good quality thick Greek yoghurt with a 4-10 % fat content (10% is best - a low-fat yogurt just does not taste good in this recipe!)

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 246Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 232mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 7g

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© Carol Takakura
Cuisine: Greek / Category: Sides

 

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Quinoa Cakes

I love using Quinoa. I know tons of recipes for it but sometimes it’s finding that perfect little add in that gives it all you need. So, I played and played and finally found what I think are the perfect combination of flavors making this an easy, tasty, healthy dish that you will cook once, then eat a few more times through your busy week.

Quinoa Cakes

Quinoa Cakes

Yield: 4

(Adapted from Barefoot Kitchen and Whole Foods Market recipes)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh spinach, washed patted dry and thinly chopped
  • ½ tsp. garlic, inner stem removed, then minced
  • 1 cup cooked red or golden quinoa (rinsed)
  • 1 tsp. freshly minced curly parsley
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
  • Zest of 1 large lemon
  • 2 tsp My Sage Gourmet Aglio Olio E Peperoncino]
  • 1 tsp.freshly ground pepper (or to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon whole wheat Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese
  • Grape seed oil
  • TOPPING:
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • 1 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl mix together spinach, garlic, quinoa and red onion, lemon zest, Add salt and pepper (adjust salt as needed. Add Panko, beaten egg and goat cheese- mix well.
  2. Make Quinoa patties about 2″ across and a 1/2 inch thick.
  3. In a large skillet, over medium heat, add just enough grape seed oil to cover the skillet bottom.
  4. Test oil by dropping a tiny piece of quinoa into the oil, It should sizzle but not pop. Adjust heat as needed.
  5. Place patties in skillet, careful to leave a bit of space around all sides of each patty, allows even cooking.
  6. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip gently to hold shape and cook on the second side 3 minutes.
  7. Place finished patties on a cookie sheet covered with a layer of paper towels to bloat off excess oil.
  8. Stir together dill, yogurt and lemon juice in small bowl, then spoon over warm quinoa cakes.

(OPTIONAL)

CAN BE BAKED if you make the following adjustments:.

  1. Increases cooking time,reduces oil usage, great flavor all the same!
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F.

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS to use when baking:

  1. 1/3 cup grated carrots
  2. 1/3 cup seeded and grated yellow squash
  3. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  4. teaspoon baking powder
  5. NOTE: ELIMINATE THE PANKO BREADCRUMBS!!! The flour replaces it as a binder when baked!!

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a large bowl mix together the spinach, garlic, Quinoa and red onion, lemon zest, carrots, squash, flour, beaten egg and baking powder, omitting panko.
  2. Form mixture into eight (4- to 5-inch) patties and arrange on an oiled baking sheet.
  3. Bake, flipping halfway through, until lightly browned and just crisp, about 25 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 267Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 241mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 3gSugar: 10gProtein: 15g

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© Carol Takakura
Cuisine: Healthy / Category: Sides; Vegetarian

 

 

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Quick Pickled Slaw

Summers are a busy time. The last place you may want to spend your day is the hot kitchen.  This Quick Pickled Slaw makes an excellent accompaniment to a taco platter, on a grilled turkey burger, grilled fish or vegetarian avocado tacos.

Check out the recipe links below or create your own masterpiece.  It’s ok to show off to your guests every once in awhile, right?

 

Quick Pickled Slaw

Quick Pickled Slaw

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup very finely shredded purple and/or green cabbage
  • 2 radishes, shredded, quick pickled with 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Teaspoon of fine baking sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon cilantro or parsley finely chopped
  • Pinch of sea salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Mix 1 Cup very finely shredded purple and/or green cabbage, 2 radishes, shredded, quick pickled with 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 Teaspoon of fine baking sugar, 1 Tablespoon cilantro or parsley finely chopped, and pinch of sea salt and pepper)
  2. Let sit 5-15 minutes to infuse, the longer the better. Ok to make a day ahead if you have the time. Place in refrigerator 'til ready to use.

Notes

A flavorful addition to:

Panko-Crusted Fsh

Avocado Tacos

Tuscan Tuna Salad sandwiches

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© Carol Takakura
Cuisine: Healthy
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Kale Salad with Chia Lemon Dijon Dressing

 

 

Kale Salad with Chia Lemon Dijon Dressing

Kale Salad with Chia Lemon Dijon Dressing

Yield: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • Juice from 1 large lemon (about 5 Tablespoons)
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil (split up 2 tbsp. and 1 tbsp.)
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled. (remove center membrane if it is green, as it will taste bitter)
  • ½ medium shallot, peeled
  • 1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • ¼ Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
  • ½ Cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • ¼ Cup pomegranate seeds or dried dark red cherries
  • 1 pear, cored and diced or 1 apple, cored and diced. Choose whatever is in season and whichever type you prefer
  • 4-5 Cups Kale, center rib removed and roughly torn or chopped. I like Redbor Kale or Curly. Choose your favorite, they all work well.

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, puree -lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, garlic, shallot, Dijon, nutritional yeast and black pepper
  2. Next, add chia seeds, stir, and set aside: (chia seeds need at least 5 mins. to expand)
  3. While Chia is doing its thing, heat small sauté pan over medium high heat for one minute. Then drizzle remaining 1 Tbsp. of olive oil into pan, add pumpkin seeds and a pinch of salt. Toast, stirring frequently, until seeds are lightly browned, 2-3 mins. Watch them closely as they will burn quickly! Remove from heat, allow to cool a bit before handling.
In a large serving bowl,
  4. Toss together kale, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds (or cherries), and pear (or apple) and half of the chia dressing.
  5. Serve with remaining dressing on the side, to allow guests to add themselves if they wish for more.

AS A BONUS: I like to make a quick batch of fresh croutons. It takes just a few minutes and is always a welcome touch. Especially if they are still warm.


INGREDIENTS:

  1. Skinny Loaf of French bread or Baguette cut into bite size cubes
  2. Tablespoons Olive Oil
  3. Pinch of Sea Salt or even better My Sage Gourmet Garlic Herb or My Sage Gourmet Herbes de Provence.

HOW TO:

  1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees.
  2. On a cookie sheet or shallow baking dish, toss cubed bread with 1-2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  3. NOTE: You only need to lightly coat the cubed bread, no need to overdo it.
  4. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt
  5. Bake 5-6 minutes tops or until lightly brown and toasty. They should be crunchy but not so much so that they crack a tooth .
  6. Best if used right away.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 414.44Cholesterol: 37.42mgCarbohydrates: 35.44gFiber: 11.74gSugar: 8.24gProtein: 20.68g

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Cuisine: Healthy / Category: Salad
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