Base vegetable soup recipe

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion -or- 3 medium shallots -or- 1 medium leek (white and light green parts only), chopped
  • 2 tbsp white wine
  • 1 1/2 pounds vegetable, sliced thin or cubed small
  • 2 c. broth
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1-1.5 c. milk

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add white wine and vegetable; stir constantly and cook until wine evaporates, about 30 seconds.

  2. Add broth, salt, pepper to taste, to saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

  3. Ladle soup mixture into blender. Add 1 cup milk; blend until very smooth. Return soup to saucepan; cook over low heat until warmed through. If soup is too thick, stir in additional milk to thin consistency. Adjust seasonings. (Soup can be refrigerated for 3 days and reheated just before serving.)

Cardamom & meyer lemon zucchini bread

  • 2 c. shredded zucchini (about 2-3 medium zucchini or 1 jumbo zucchini)
  • 2 ½ c. white whole wheat flour
  • 1 c. packed light brown sugar
  • ½ c. ground flaxseed or 4 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 2-½ tsp ground cardamom
  • ¾ tsp fine sea salt
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup plain, fat free or lowfat yogurt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2-½ tbsp finely grated Meyer lemon zest (or regular lemon zest)
  • ½ c. chopped toasted walnuts
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5-loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, flour sides.
  2. Squeeze zucchini until dry in a kitchen towel.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, flaxseed, baking powder, cardamom, salt, and baking soda.
  4. In a medium bowl whisk the yogurt, eggs, oil, and lemon zest; stir in zucchini.
  5. Add zucchini mixture and walnuts to flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 55-60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
  6. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; place on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf, 16 servings.

Spiralized Chow Mein

For noodles:

  • 1 kohlrabi
  • 1 large zucchini
  • ½ onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 small or 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 large handful bunch bok choy, sliced and separated into greens and stems
  1. Sautee vegetables
  2. Add kohlrabi to sautee 6-8 mins
  3. Add zucchini to sautee 2-3 mins
  4. Drain in colander

For sauce:

  • 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
  • ¾ tsp sugar
  • ¾ tsp Chinese dark soy sauce
  1. Heat up sauce in empty skillet
  2. Add 1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water to thicken sauce
  3. Add veggies and noodles back in to stir well

Add ons:

  • Meat, thinly sliced and marinated in cornstarch
  • 1 box tofu, baked, Asian flavor

Kabocha curry soup

  • 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
  • ½ small kabocha squash (1 pound)—peeled, seeded and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces (4 cups)
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • ½ cup mixed chopped herbs, such as cilantro and basil

In a large saucepan, heat oil. Add the curry paste and squash and cook over high heat, stirring, until lightly caramelized, 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in lime juice and herbs and season with salt and pepper.

Butternut Squash Chili

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 red bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 small butternut squash (1½ pounds or less), peeled and chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tbsp chopped chipotle pepper in adobo -OR- 1 tsp smoked paprika + ½ tsp cayenne powder (or spicy powder of any kind)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, including the liquid
  • 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • cilantro (optional, for garnish)
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. In a 4 to 6 quart stockpot, sautée the chopped vegetables (onion, bell pepper, butternut squash, garlic) in one to two tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat. You’ll need to stir the ingredients every few minutes so they can cook evenly.
  2. Once the onions start turning translucent, turn the heat down to medium-low. Add all of the spices and canned ingredients, and stir. Cover and simmer for about one hour, stirring occasionally.
  3. When your chili is done, the butternut squash should be tender and the liquid should have reduced a bit.
  4. Serve with tortilla chips, diced avocado, and/or cilantro would be nice as well.

Lean Lasagna Sauce

  • 3 cups whole mushrooms, mix of cremini and button, washed and sliced thin
  • ½ onion, sliced thin
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Italian dried herbs
  • Black pepper
  • ½ lb. ground beef
  • ¼ c. red wine
  • Tomato sauce
  • 8 oz. cottage cheese, pureed smooth
  1. Sautee onions over medium high heat, add a pinch of salt to sweat
  2. Add mushrooms and sautee until browned
  3. Add dried herbs and pepper flakes to taste
  4. Add garlic and tomato paste, sautee until fragrant
  5. Add ground beef and black pepper, break up and sautee until brown
  6. Deglaze with red wine
  7. Add tomato sauce, simmer covered on low 5-10 minutes
  8. Spoon pureed cottage cheese on top and simmer another minute until warm

Serve on top of spaghetti squash or pasta

WW 7 points

Frog Leg

  • 4 parts Rye
  • 1 part  Cynar
  • ¾-1 part Aperol
  • 1 part dry vermouth
  • Stir and serve up
  • Float 3 to 4 dashes of Scrappy’s lime bitters on top of the drink

Satin Doll

  • 2 oz Bulleit Rye Whiskey
  • ½ oz Aperol
  • ½ oz fresh lemon juice
  • ½ oz grenadine
  • 6-8  mint leaves
  • 3 drops of Peychaud’s Bitters for garnish
  • 1 mint sprig for garnish