Vegetable Yaki Soba

Vegetable Yaki-Soba
Reprinted from Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair (Sasquatch Books, 2008).

This traditional Japanese dish is one of my favorite dishes. My daughter has loved yaki-soba from kindergarten to college. I like to pan-fry the tofu cubes before adding them but the dish is equally good if the tofu is added raw. Soba is a hearty noodle made from buckwheat and wheat flour. Watch our video about soba.

1 package soba noodles
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
I onion, cut in thin half moons
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
5 shitake mushrooms, cut into bite-size pieces
4 cups water
1/3 cup tamari or shoyu
½ pound firm tofu, cut into ½” cubes or fried tofu cubes (I used chicken breast)
1 tablespoon freshly grated gingerroot
2 cups chopped bok choy
2 scallions, cut into thin slices

Prepare soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a 4-quart soup pot. Add onion and garlic; sauté over medium heat until onion begins to soften. Add carrot and mushroom pieces; sauté a few minutes more. Add water, tamari, tofu and gingerroot. Bring heat up until mixture begins to simmer. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add bok choy and simmer until leaves are bright green. Serve this dish by placing a handful of noodles in each serving dish. Ladle broth and vegetables over the noodles. Garnish with scallions.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings

Navy Bean Soup with sour cream and dill

this recipe was created by Janette Turner who plans the What's for dinner recipes at the wedge. we sampled this at the wedge coop last week and my kids gobbled it up. serve with bread, salad, chips, or ham sandwiches!

2T butter
1 1/2 cups navy beans, soaked 12-24 hours
6 cups water
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 1/2 tsp dill , i used a couple fresh Tablespoons
1/4tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
1-2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream

1. warm butter in a soup pot. add onions and celery
2. add beans and water, bring to a boil. skim off foam.
3. add dill, bay leaf and pepper. cook one hour, stirring
4. add salt and sour cream. stir well and adjust for salt.

Squash Enchiladas with Spicy Peanut sauce!

we found this recipe in the Wedge newsletter back in 2006. something made me try it and i am so glad we did!! the crazy combination of textures and flavors just works. most people question it, until they try it! we have found it to be a wonderful vegetarian, and gluten-free, and very satisfying dinner for the cooler months!

FILLING:
1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound)
1 med carrot, peeled and diced
1/4lb fresh mushrooms, diced (about 1 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup diced onion
2T oil
1/2 cup diced jicama
1 small apple, peeled and diced
1/4cup shelled sunflower seeds, toasted
1T white vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt
2T cilantro, minced

SAUCE:
2 cups veg broth
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
2 canned chipotle chilis, chopped
3T chili powder
1T canola oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1T onion, minced
1 T flour (i'm trying almond flour)
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
8-10 corn tortillas
4 oz cheddar cheese, grated
4 oz monterey jack cheese, grated

1) cut the squash in half and scoop out seeds.
place cut side down in a baking pan with a small amount of water, bake in 400 oven until tender, about 1 hour. when cool enough to handle, scoop cooked squash out of shell and set aside.
2) in a large skillet, saute carrot, mushrooms, and onion in the oil until the carrot is tender-crisp. add the squash, jicama, apple, sunflower seeds, vinegar, salt and cilantro. mix well land remove from heat.
3) to make the sauce, combine broth, salt, cumin, garlic, chilis, and chili powder in a medium saucepan. bring to a boil.
4) meanwhile in a small saute pan, saute the oregano and onion in oil. add flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
5) add onion mixture to chili mixture. bring to a boil again; remove from heat and strain through sieve. a dd peanut butter and stir until well combined.
6) heat a small amount of oil in a shallow skillet. dip each tortilla in the oil for a few seconds to soften. lay softened tortillas on paper towels to drain.
7) preheat oven to 350. place a spoonful of the squash mixture down the center of each tortilla. roll up and place seam side down in a lightly oiled 9x13 pan. pour spicy peanut sauce over rolled tortillas and sprinkle with cheeses. bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and enchiladas are hot in the center.

crazy delish!

Yellow Split Pea, Kale and Italian Sausage Soup (from thenourishinggourmet.com)

2 cups of yellow split peas, soaked overnight and rinsed
1 onion, peeled and chopped into about 1/4 inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried basil
I bunch of lacinato kale, washed, tough stems cut off and coarsely chopped
2 large tomatoes, washed and chopped into large chunks
3/4 pound of mild Italian sausage, in ground form, or casings removed from link form.
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons sea salt
freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1-Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, When hot (though not smoking) add onion and cook until just starting to soften (make sure you stir during this process).

2-Add garlic and cook one minute. Then add the yellow split peas, 8 cups of water, and the dried basil and cumin. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for about 30-40 minutes, until the yellow split peas are soft (but not mushy).

3-Add the kale and tomatoes and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the kale is soft. Meanwhile, fry up your sausage in a saucepan over med-high heat, stirring the meat and breaking up clumps, until cooked all the way through. If there is any fat, drain away.

4-Add the sausage and vinegar and add about 2 teaspoons of sea salt and one teaspoon of pepper and adjust to taste. Enjoy!

Coconut, Shrimp, and Corn Chowder, from Real Simple

a family favorite, quick and filling!
the recipe calls for shrimp, and i often add scallops, but i really liked the pieces of talapia added this time and will continue to add some sort of white fish in the future.

1 TB olive oil or coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (peeled, if desired), cut into 1/2 inch dice
3 cups corn
1 13 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4tsp pepper
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. add the garlic, potatoes, and corn and stir to coat. add the coconut milk, broth, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. add the shrimp and simmer until pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes.
serve with bread.

Mushroom Casserole Recipe (from 101cookbooks.com)

Mushroom Casserole Recipe

Use any cooked grain you like. Feel free to use low-fat cottage cheese or sour cream if you prefer. (I added steamed broccoli and its juice, as well as some fried-up veal sausage and its juice.)

1/2 pound (8 ounces) brown mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1 large onion, well chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups cooked brown rice, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
a bit of fresh tarragon, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Rub a medium-large baking dish with a bit of olive oil or butter and set aside. The pan I use is slightly smaller than a classic 9x13 baking dish - just grab for something in this ballpark.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat saute the mushrooms in a glug of olive oil sprinkled with a couple pinches of salt. Stir every minute or so until the mushrooms have released their liquid and have browned a bit. Add the onions and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Stir in the garlic, cook for another minute and remove from heat. Add the rice to the skillet and stir until combined.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, and salt.

Combine the rice mixture and cottage cheese mixture in a large bowl, stir until well combined and then turn out into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 2/3 of the Parmesan cheese, cover with foil and place in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 or 30 minutes more or hot throughout and golden along the edges. Sprinkle with the chopped tarragon, and the remaining Parmesan and enjoy.

Serves about 8.

Potato and Leek Soup (from http://onebusymama-erica.blogspot.com)

Potato And Leek Soup

This is super yummy yummy, haha. It's equally as good if you use an onion instead of leeks. But there is something about using leeks that gives it a superior flavor.

You will need :)

3 Small Leeks, cleaned and sliced
4-6 Small Potato's, cut in chunks
Small amount of sliced Bacon (you can use more but this is for flavor and Bacon is expensive here, I use soups as budget stretchers, so making an expensive soup really kills that idea, eh?)
3ish Cups of Homemade Chicken Stock (I used about 3, maybe 3 1/2 cups, just depends on how big those potato's are!)
Salt, Pepper, and Parsley
Butter, of course.............
1 Cup Cream
1-2 TBS Flour

Slightly cook your bacon, then add in your leek and a TBS of butter and saute them together for a few minutes. In another pot; add your potato's, chicken stock, 1-2 TBS Butter, salt, and pepper together let them hang out behind your leeks and bacon in their own little pot.


Combine leeks and bacon into your stock and potato mixture. Let this simmer for and hour or so. I think mine stayed on the stove simmering at the lowest setting for close to two hours.

About 1/2 hour before serving..........Whisk in 2 TBS flour to 1 Cup of cream then add to your soup and simmer for another 1/2 hour or until it's at it's desired thickness. Add in some freshly chopped Parsley and serve with some nice toasted bread or in our case.......homemade grilled cheese on sprouted bread.