Almond-Garlic Beets

Ingredients:

3 beets, ends cut and roasted (GBFood)
1 head of garlic, roasted (GBFood)
1 Tablespoon of olive oil plus some for basting
3/4 cup whole almonds, toasted
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon water

1. Set oven to 425 degrees. Line a jelly-roll pan with nonstick foil.

2. Chop the top 1/3 of garlic head and remove as much of the papery outside as possible. Over another piece of aluminum foil, baste the garlic with olive oil. Wrap the garlic up loosley, so that steam can ecscape from the top. Place the head of garlic and the beets on the jelly-roll pan and roast for about 45 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and let cool. Turn oven to 350 degrees, and toast almonds for 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool.

2. In a food processor, blend almonds until they make a powder. Remove 5-7 (depending on how much you like garlic) cloves from their paper and add to the processor. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne, blending until combined. While food processor is running add the lemon juce, vinegar, and water through the top. This will make a dough ball inside the machine, just make sure to stir it around some so that everything is combined evenly.

When beets are cool enough to handle, peel skin from them and coarsely chop. Mix the almond-garic paste with the beets and serve warm.

Suggestion: Use the left-over roasted garlic as a spread on some fresh bread, or use as an ingredient to make dip.


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Daikon Stir-fry & Jasmine Rice

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon peanut oil

2 heads of broccoli, trimmed with stems, and chopped into bite-size pieces (GBFood)

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 Tablespoon shaved fresh ginger root

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal (GBFood)

3 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sesame seed oil

2 celery stalks, trimmed and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 head of red cabbage, thinly sliced

1 cup daikon radish, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks, plus some for garnish (GBFood)

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup Jasmine rice

1. In a 1.5-quart saucepan combine rice and water, stirring until water is cloudy. Let stand 5 minutes. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes or until water has evaporated. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir to fluff.

2. Make sure that all of your ingredients are chopped and ready to cook before you begin. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil into one bowl.

3. Meanwhile heat large wok over medium heat until entire wok is hot. Add peanut oil and coat pan. Add broccoli and sauté for 1 minute. Add garlic, sauté 1 minute. Add ginger and carrot, sauté for 5 minutes. Add soy-vinegar-oil mixture, celery, and cabbage, sautéing for 2 minutes. Add daikon radish and sauté 1 more minute. Remove from heat and season with sesame oil and dash of soy sauce. Serve over hot Jasmine rice. Garnish with raw daikon radish.

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Mustard Greens with Cauliflower

Ingredients:

1/2 head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into smaller pieces (GBFood)

1 large bunch of mustard lettuce, thicker stems trimmed and coarsely chopped (GBFood)

1 Tablespoon butter

2 small red onions, sliced and coarsely chopped (GBFood)

2 teaspoons of green curry paste

1. In a large pot with a steamer, steam cauliflower, with lid on for 3 minutes (if you like it crunchier, steam for 1 minute). Add mustard to same pot and steam for another 3 minutes.

2. Meanwhile in a large frying pan or wok, melt butter. Add onions cooking for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add curry paste stirring well to make a mixture. Add greens and cauliflower to wok and cook another 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Suggestions: Serve over Israeli couscous.

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Caponata with Quinoa

1 eggplant, ends trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (GBFood)

1/4 cup plus 3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

4 roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped (GBFood)

1 cup Kalamata olives, chopped

3 Tablespoons capers

3 Tablespoons raisins

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

4 celery stalks with leaves, thinly sliced

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 cup chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

1 cup quinoa

1 3/4 cups of water

3/4 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large bowl combine 1/4 cup of olive oil, eggplant, and salt, tossing well to coat. Line a jelly-roll pan with non-stick foil and arrange eggplant evenly on pan. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, stir, and continue roasting until browned, about 10 minutes more.

2. In a 5-quart Dutch oven heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, raisins, garlic, and pepper. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, rinse quinoa in a sieve with cold water. In a 2-quart saucepan combine quinoa, water, and salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed.

3. Add eggplant and celery to the Dutch oven and cook over medium heat, stirring until celery is just tender, anywhere from 8 - 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar and sugar and cook for 1 more minute. Serve over quinoa and top with chopped parsley if desired.

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Curried Cabbage

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 Tablespoons of ginger root, minced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 head of green cabbage, cored, quartered, thinly sliced, and rinsed (GBFood)

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven melt butter with oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender for 5 minutes Add ginger and garlic; stirring for 30 seconds. Add celery, salt, and curry, and cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Add half of cabbage and stir to mix all of the ingredients, then add the rest of the cabbage.

2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage has wilted, about 5 minutes. Add water and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes, until all or most of the water has evaporated.

3. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl so that the cabbage doesn't continue to cook. The cabbage should be tender, but not mushy with a mild curry flavor.

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Apple & Butternut Squash Soup

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, chopped (GBFood)

2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾ inch pieces (GBFood)

3 Braeburn apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped (GBFood)

1 ¾ cups of organic vegetable broth

1 ½ cups of water

2 medium sprigs of thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup organic half-and-half

1. In 5-quart Dutch oven , heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in squash, apples, broth, water, thyme, salt, and pepper; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer, stirring often, until squash is very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Spoon part of the mixture into a blender or food processor, making sure to open the lid to let steam out while pureeing. Transfer puree to a different pot. Repeat with remaining mixture

3. Add half-and-half to the soup; stirring to incorporate and heat through making sure not to boil.

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Spinach, Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

Ingredients:

4 oz. spinach, steamed and finely chopped (GBFood)

1 head of broccoli, chopped (GBFood)

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon sherry

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 cup cheddar, shredded (I use Vermont Cabot Extra Sharp)

4 eggs

2 cups 1/2 & 1/2

1/8 teaspoon pepper

pinch of nutmeg

For Crust: (Will need to be refrigerated 30 minutes or up to overnight.)

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons cold butter, sliced

2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening

3-5 Tablespoons of ice water

1. To make crust, in a large bowl combine flour, salt, butter and shortening. With a pastry blender, mix ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.

2. With a fork stir mixture while adding 1 tablespoon of ice water at a time, until dough is just moist enough to hold together.

3. Shape dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to overnight. If chilling overnight, be sure let dough stand for 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling.

4. Meanwhile fill large pot with 1/2 inch of water, bring to boil over high heat. Add spinach to pot and steam, covered for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and rinse immediately with cold water. Wring out as much moisture as possible from the spinach and chop.

5. In a large pan melt butter over medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook stirring for 1 minute. Add broccoli and sherry stirring for 3 minutes. Add spinach and 1/4 teaspoon salt cooking for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside.

6. On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, slowly roll out a 12-inch round. Place into a 9-inch pie plate leaving enough overhang to fold over edges. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes and turn the oven to 425 degrees F.

7. Crack eggs into a medium-size bowl. With a fork gently scramble them. Add 1/2 & 1/2, other 1/4 teaspoon of salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.

8. Place foil in crust and fill with pie weights or dry beans and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil with weights and bake until golden, about 10 minutes longer. Take crust out of the oven and put on a wire rack to cool.

9. Turn oven control to 350 degrees.

10. Layer a thin amount of shredded cheddar on the bottom of quiche crust, then add spinach/broccoli mixture, spreading evenly. Layer the rest of the cheddar and then slowly pour the egg mixture over that. Fill crust without overflowing.

11. Place quiche in oven and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until knife comes out clean when inserted into the center. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

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Fruit Compote

4 tangerines (GBFood)

1 lemon, zest & juice (GBFood)

2 cups of water

1 cup of sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 cinnamon stick

2 fugi apples, with skin, thinly sliced (GBFood)

1 d'anjou pear, with skin, thinly sliced (GBFood)

2 grapefruit (GBFood)

1. Take one of the tangerines and cut peel off in a corkscrew fashion about an inch wide. Save the inside of this tangerine for step 5.

2. In a 2-quart saucepan, bring water, sugar, brown sugar, tangerine peel, lemon juice & zest, to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove lid and scrape bits of lemon zest back into mixture, and let simmer for 5 more minutes.

3. Slice apples and pear, spreading them in a 5-quart dutch oven (or large pot). When step 2 is finished pour the mixture over the apple and pear, and let sit over no heat for 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile cut both ends from remaining 3 tangerines. Cut off the rinds and all of the pith from each tangerine by slicing from top to bottom, following the contour of the fruit. Repeat for the grapefruit.

5. With a large bowl underneath, slice the tangerines cutting between the membrane, and let each piece with any juice fall into the bowl. When finished slicing, squeeze the remaining juice from the membranes into the bowl. Repeat for grapefruit. If the pieces between the membranes of the grapefruit are really large, just cut two slices from them.

6. Combine all ingredients in the large bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. Remember to remove tangerine peel and cinnamon stick before serving. This dish is a fantastic addition to any holiday table. Make the night before and enjoy at breakfast!

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Fingerling Potato Gnocchi in Mushroom Cream Sauce

Ingredients for Gnocchi:

¾ lb. Fingerling potatoes (GBFood)

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup all-purpose flour

Ingredients for Mushroom Cream Sauce:

8 oz package of baby bella mushrooms, quartered (GBFood)

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

4 Tablespoons of butter, divided

1 Tablespoon of all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups heavy cream

½ teaspoon salt, plus one pinch

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 fresh sprig of thyme

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, bring potatoes to a boil on high heat with enough water to cover, plus 2 inches. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until potatoes are soft (about 10 minutes.)

2. Drain the potatoes and let cool enough to handle. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and again crosswise. Put a few pieces at a time into a food mill and press the potatoes. Some skins are okay but try to keep the majority out.

3. With a large spoon, stir in salt and flour until dough forms. Not all of it will come together, but when you gather and press it with your hands it should.

4. On a lightly floured surface kneed the dough until it is smooth. (About 3 minutes.) Then roll the dough into a ball and cut in half, then cut each half into 3 equal pieces. Roll out 6 long tubes, which are ¾ inch thick.

5. Cut each tube into ¾ inch pieces.

6. (This step is not absolutely necessary, but I find it fun.) With the backside of a dinner fork, slide and roll the pieces from base to tip while pressing with your thumb, letting it roll over the edge of the fork a bit forming a rounded barrel shape.

7. Set up an oversized pot to bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. If water comes to a boil before Mushroom Cream Sauce is finished, turn the heat down and wait to cook the gnocchi.

8. Meanwhile in a large frying pan, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook stirring for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook stirring for 3 minutes. Add pinch of salt and cook until moisture releases and mushrooms brown (about 5 minutes.) Transfer mushrooms to a plate and set aside.

9. Return pan to stove and turn heat to medium-low. Melt remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter. Whisk in flour, whisking constantly for 1 minute. While whisking slowly pour in heavy cream. Cook for 5 minutes stirring steadily. Add thyme sprig, salt, and pepper. Let simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally until sauce thickens. Remove thyme sprig and return mushrooms to pan, heat through.

10. Drop gnocchi in boiling water. After it floats to the top, cook for 30 seconds. Remove as quickly as possible with a large slotted spoon into a bowl. Pour cream sauce over gnocchi and serve.

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