Autumn Stew
1 butternut squash or other winter squash of choice (about 4 cups)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 or more cups chopped kale
3 cups water or veggie broth
1 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes
1/2 of a 6 oz can tomato paste (or more)
1 T chili powder
2 t cumin powder
1 t onion powder
1/4 t black pepper
3 cups cooked kidney beans
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
Salt to taste
Place squash on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour. (There is no need to poke it with a knife or cut it. It’s much to dangerous to cut winter squash before they are cooked:-)Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into cubes.
Sauté onion in a dry skillet on medium high heat until it starts to brown. Add garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Add 1 cup water, bell pepper, mushrooms, and kale. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and cook until kale is tender. Add tomatoes, seasoning, beans, corn, and squash and cook 5 – 10 minutes. Add more liquid if needed, salt to taste, adjust seasonings and serve.
Roasted Zucchini Mexican Salad
3 medium zucchini
2 ears corn
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained well
1 cup cooked brown rice (optional)
2 cups fresh diced tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (or use canned green chilies)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado, diced
Zest of one lime
Juice of 2 limes
Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Cut each half lengthwise again. Then cut in 1/2 – 3/4 inch chunks. Place in a large bowl and sprinkle with Mrs. Dash Chipotle seasoning or other no-salt seasoning of choice. Mix thoroughly with your hands until each piece is lightly coated. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper making sure no pieces are over-lapping. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes until they start to brown. Let cool before adding to salad.
Cut corn off ears and place in the bowl you used for the zucchini. Add remaining ingredients. When zucchini has cooled, add to salad. Mix well. Add more lime or lemon juice and salt to taste if desired.
This salad is also delicious using raw zucchini. I only use 2 zucchini and I use the dice blade of the Vidalia Chop Wizard. Cut the whole zucchini in 3 sections then lay each section on the chopper screen and chop. This makes a fun perfect shape for the salad. Mix in all remaining ingredients as above.
Kale Tacos
1 bunch of kale
2 button mushrooms, finely chopped (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and minced
1 – 2 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
2 cups cooked black beans
1 avocado, mashed
Organic corn tortillas
Add kale, mushrooms, garlic, and chili to a medium sauce pan, along with 3/4 cup water. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium, and cook 3 – 5 minutes. Add spices and cook until kale is tender. Keep an eye on the water so it doesn’t burn. Add a little more water if needed. Add the black beans and heat through.
Take off the burner and stir in mashed avocado. Salt to taste.
Stuff them in a warmed corn tortilla. Makes 8 – 10 tacos.
April’s note: I love this mixture rolled up in a corn tortilla just the way it is, with no toppings, but they are also wonderful with shredded cabbage or lettuce and fresh vine-ripe tomatoes.
Sesame Kale Salad
This kale salad is not necessarily good by itself but is a delicious addition to a hummus wrap, stuffed pita, sandwich, or quinoa, pasta or other grain based salad.
Mediterranean Kale Salad
Humus Wrap
1 large bunch of fresh kale
1 – 2 T tahini (sesame seed paste)
Chic Pea Patty Stack
Juice of one lemon
1/2 T brown sesame seeds
Sea Salt
Finely chop kale and place in a large salad bowl. (Strip kale off stalks if preferred. If the stalks are young and tender, I like to keep them.)
Starting with 1 tablespoon of tahini, add to the kale along with lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Message kale with your hand until bright green and tender. Add more tahini if more oil is needed.
Sprinkle on sesame seeds and mix through out. Salt more to taste if needed.
Alternatively you can message 1/4 of an avocado into the kale if you are going to use it in a Mexican type salad or chop 1/2 can of olives and message them into the kale like I do in the Mediterranean Kale Salad pictured above.
April’s note: This salad travels well! I made this ahead for my 4 day trip to California to visit my brother. Not only did I use it in my humus wraps but one day for lunch we went to an Indian café where I bought a side of tabouli salad, a side of humus, and I mixed both into my kale salad. It was delicious!
Black Bean Patty
Enjoy these delicious patties as a burger or a “stack,” topped with a spread of avocado and topped with Simple Kale Salad, Simple Quinoa Salad and garden fresh tomatoes.
2 ½ cups cooked black bean
1 cup oats
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped button mushrooms
1/4 cup bottled or canned green chilies
1 1/2 t chili powder
1 t cumin powder
1 t onion powder
1/2 t oregano
1/4 t smoked paprika
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 t Sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a pastry cutter, mash all ingredients together until the mixture is sticky enough to hold together in a patty. Form into patties and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 25 minutes, flip and cook an additional 5 – 10 minutes. Serve on a bun with your favorite toppings or in a “stack.”
Chipotle Patties/Burgers
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup chopped mushrooms, baby bella or button
2 cups cooked kidney beans
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 t Mrs. Dash Chipotle Seasoning
3 T tomato paste
2 T salsa
1 t oregano
1 t t thyme
1 t cumin
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mash all ingredients with a pastry cutter until the mixture becomes sticky and hold together. Measure out 1/2 cup portions and drop on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Shape into patties and bake for 25 minutes. Flip and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve on a bun with your favorite burger toppings. Makes 7 – 8 patties.
April’s note: I love to top the patties with steamed kale or collard greens with ground up pumpkin or sunflower seeds, or mashed avocado mixed in. I grind about 2 – 4 T of seeds to one bunch of kale or collards. A southwest quinoa salad is also great served on top of the patties.
Cauliflower Chic Pea Curry
1 head cauliflower
1 t fennel seeds
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T minced ginger
1 T coriander
1 T cumin
1/4 t red chili flakes (more if you like more heat)
1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 t garam masala
Sea salt to taste
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 cup cilantro
Break cauliflower into small florets and set aside. Heat a medium sauce pan over medium high heat. Add fennel seeds and toast until fragrant, 2 – 3 minutes, stirring to keep from burning. Add onion and sauté until it starts to brown. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin and red pepper flakes. Stir for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and cauliflower florets. Cook until cauliflower is tender adding more water if needed. Add tomatoes, garam masala, and pepper. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro before serving or serve on top of individual portions as garnish. Serve over sweet potato, brown rice or other whole grain.
Cauliflower Tacos
The only vegetable in the fridge was a head of cauliflower and I really wanted Mexican food. So I did a recipe search for cauliflower tacos, came up with a few selections and created a recipe of my own. These were very delicious and quick and easy to make.
1/2 cup dry green lentils
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small head cauliflower, finely chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 T chili powder
2 t cumin
1 t smoked paprika
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
Juice from 1 lime
Salt to taste
Boil 1 cup water. Add lentils, cover, and cook until tender. Add more water if needed.
Saute onion in a dry medium sauce pan over medium high heat until they start to brown. Add garlic and cauliflower and a tablespoon or two of water and continue to saute for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and spices and cook until cauliflower is tender. Drain off excess water from lentils then add cooked lentils to cauliflower. Mix well. Soften corn tortillas by steaming them in a double boiler for 15 – 20 seconds. Fill with cauliflower taco meat, top with shredded cabbage, tomato, guacamole, and salsa.
Can’t “Beet” it Chocolate Cake
Revised From Whole Food American Favorites
1 cup raisins soaked in 1/2 cup water
1 cup canned shredded beets
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
10 small pitted dates
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 cups rolled oats ground to flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
Soak raisins in the water for about an hour to soften. Blend raisins and soak water with beets, dates, seeds, and vanilla until smooth. Whisk dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix well, but don’t over mix. Pour into 9” round cake pan. Bake at 350 for 20 – 25 minutes. If desired, spread with Chocolate Frosting.
Chocolate Frosting
22 small pitted dates
1/3 cup walnuts or pecans, raw
1 1/4 cup water
3 T cocoa powder
Soak dates in 1 cup water for a few hours for easier blending. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
African Yam Stew
1/2 cup black rice
1 onion, chopped
2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 T fresh minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 4 oz can diced green chilis
1 small bunch of kale, finely chopped
2 pounds sweet potato, cut in 1/4 inch cubes
5 cups water or broth
1 T cumin powder
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground coriander
1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
3 cups cooked garbanzo beans
1/2 cup no salt natural peanut butter
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Boil 1 cup water, add rice, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until tender, 25 – 30 minutes.
Saute onion in a large soup pot until it starts to brown. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add green chilies, 2 cups water, kale and sweet potato.* Cook until kale and sweet potato are tender. Add spices, tomato products and beans. Cook until heated though. Stir in peanut butter (cashew butter can be substituted), cilantro and cooked rice.
*Since sweet potato takes longer to cook than kale, I like to cook it ahead of time and add it at the end of cooking. I often keep sweet potatoes on hand in the refrigerator to have for a snack. They are one of the highest nutrient foods and most economical.
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