Tomato Sauce

 

This recipe was written specifically for Roma tomatoes, because they are more meaty and less juicy than other tomatoes. But it can be a basic recipe for other varieties, too. You can roast your tomatoes prior to blending them into the sauce rather than boiling them. It adds flavor because the tomatoes caramelize and get a slightly smoky taste.

Tomato Sauce
5 lb. tomatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 clove minced garlic
¼ cup olive

Put tomato pieces, salt and pepper in a large pot and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 20 minutes. Add garlic and olive oil and stir. Use immersion blender on low, and blend to desired sauce thickness. Allow to cool.

You can store in the fridge for a few days or freeze in freezer bags for a couple of months. Add some dried herbs, if you like, i.e., basil, Italian seasoning, oregano, and thyme.

Recipe from brooklynfarmgirl.com

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Apple Chips

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Rinse off 2 apples (we recommend Honeycrisp) and dry. Cut in half crosswise and using a melon baller, scoop out the seeds and core. Using a mandolin on the second-to-thinnest setting, carefully slice apples into rounds, or cut very thin with a knife.

Place on cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Flip over and bake an additional 30 minutes or until apple slices are dried out but not brown. Let cool and enjoy!

We thank thissillygirlskitchen.com for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Mellow Yellow Sunchoke Pickle

sunchokes handful

1½ lbs sunchokes (a.k.a. Jerusalem artichokes), thoroughly scrubbed and cut into ½-inch dice
1 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
1 ounces garlic (about 8 cloves), chopped
½ ounce fresh ginger, minced (about 1 ½ tablespoons)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons pickling salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1½ cups water

Toss together sunchokes, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and cumin. Pack the mixture into a jar with a capacity of at least 6 cups. Dissolve salt and sugar in the water. Pour brine over sunchoke mixture; it will not cover them at first. Add a brine bag (a gallon freezer-weight plastic bag containing 1 tablespoon salt dissolved in 3 cups water) or another suitable weight.

The next day the brine should cover the sunchokes. If it doesn’t, add more brine mixed in the same proportions.

Wait several days before tasting the pickle. After a week, the brine will be still sour, and the Jerusalem artichokes pleasantly, mildly spicy and still crunchy.

When the pickle has fermented enough to suit your taste, store the jar in the refrigerator. Keep sunchokes weighted and under the brine so they won’t take on a grayish cast.

We thank agardenerstable.com for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Healthy Collards

A bunch of collard greens

1 bunch fresh collards
1 tsp. olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 smoked turkey wing or leg, or 1 tsp. liquid smoke, or 1 whole dried chipotle or ancho chili
1/2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1.5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar (optional)

Remove stems from collards and wash leaves thoroughly. Stack leaves and cut across into about 1-inch sized ribbons.

In large pot over medium-high heat, add oil and onions. Saute until softened and translucent. Add garlic and saute quickly until golden and fragrant. Add turkey wing/liquid smoke/chili, stock, greens, salt and pepper and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, until the greens are tender.

Remove turkey wing or chili from liquid. If you used turkey, remove meat from bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Remove the chilies and discard if they were used. Add meat back to liquid. Stir vinegar into greens.

Serve with cornbread, corn muffins, or other biscuits to dip into broth, as is traditional.

We thank skinnyms.com for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Chicken Parsnip Soup

Parsnips on a bed of kale

8 cups chicken bone broth
4 cups diced cooked chicken
3 cups parsnips, peeled and diced (can sub in potatoes)
2 cups sliced carrots
2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. garlic powder (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a pot, bring to a low boil, reduce heat, and simmer for at least 30 minutes, more if you can, for flavors to combine. Serves 4-6.

We thank WholeNourishedLife.com for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Carrot Chickpea Dip

Carrots4-5 medium carrots, scrubbed & trimmed, cut lengthwise into quarters
1/4 cup + 2 tsp olive oil, divided
Salt & pepper
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground caraway
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled & chopped rough
½ rough-diced fresh chili, to taste, seeds removed (optional)
Zest and juice of half a lemon
1 tsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. tahini

Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment. Toss carrots with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and some salt and pepper to taste and spread on baking sheet. Roast until tender and lightly browned on all sides, flipping over at least once. Allow to cool.

In a food processor, put chickpeas, cumin, coriander, caraway, garlic, diced chili, lemon zest, lemon juice, tomato paste, tahini, salt, and pepper. Chop carrots into smaller pieces and add. Pulse mixture a few times. Put food processor on “high” and drizzle remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil into bowl via feed tube, until smooth.

Check for seasoning and adjust. Top the dip with garnishes, such as pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts, crispy Brussels sprout leaves, chopped flat leaf parsley, and extra drizzles of olive oil. Serve with crackers, endive leaves, rough cut veggies, etc.

We thank thefirstmess.com for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Thanksgiving Kale

Red Russian Kale2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons sugar
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
8-9 cups stemmed, torn, and rinsed kale
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds

Heat olive oil in a large pot or saute pan (that has a lid) over medium heat.

Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the mustard, sugar, vinegar, and chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Taste the sauce at this stage. If you like it sweeter, add more sugar. If you like it more sour, add more vinegar and or mustard.

Stir in the kale, cover and cook 5 minutes until wilted.

Stir in the dried cranberries, and continue boiling, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced by half, about 15 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with sliced almonds before serving.

Note: If you like your kale less wilted, reduce the sauce by half before you add the kale. Then add the kale and cover, stirring occasionally until kale has cooked to desired doneness.

We thank TheMerchantBaker for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Kale, Cabbage, and Brussels Sprout Chopped Salad

A superfood salad you can eat with a spoon — and a reason to get back on the chopped salad bandwagon.

Brussels Sprouts close-up

For the greens
1/2 pound lacinato kale (about one small bunch, or half of a larger bunch)
1/2 pound curly kale (about one small bunch, or half of a larger bunch)
1 pound Brussels sprouts
1 pound green cabbage (about half a medium head or a quarter of a large one)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the dressing
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon hazelnut oil, optional
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for assembly
2 tablespoons toasted pistachios, for assembly

Wash and spin dry the kale, and then cut it, plus the Brussels sprouts and the cabbage, in small squares, about 1/4-inch by 1/4 inch. For the kale, it works best to rib the leaves, roll them into fat cigars a few leaves at a time, then chiffonade them. Keeping the slices together and uniform, turn them 90° counter clockwise and make even slices lengthwise, about a 1/4-inch apart. (The same method works for the cabbage.)

Halve the Brussels sprouts lengthwise, cut each halve in half, and, with them lying cut-side down on the cutting board, slice them like you would an onion. Don’t stress about technique too much here — the important part is that everything is roughly the same size — if it’s easier for you to just chop and mince like you would a pile of herbs, go ahead and do that.

Place all chopped vegetables in a large bowl, add sugar and salt, and massage the greens slightly until they no longer feel raw. This salad will only improve if you do this a few hours ahead of time, but it’s not necessary. (At this point, the salad can sit for up to 2 or 3 days. It will lose water, so be sure to drain before continuing on.)

To make the dressing, combine the vinegar, mustard, salt, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce in a blender, and blend until the color lightens and everything is combined. (You can also use a whisk and a strong arm for this.) Slowly stream in the olive oil, and then the hazelnut oil, if using — you’re looking for everything to be thick and emulsified. (This dressing will last for 2 weeks in the fridge.)

Add dressing to greens, a few spoonfuls at a time — you want a well-dressed salad but not a soggy one. (Keep in mind you will have leftover dressing, so no need to use it all.) Fold in the sesame seeds and pistachios, and serve.

Credit to Bounty from the Box.

Recipe from Food52.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Moroccan Raw Carrot Salad

Carrots1 pound carrots, coarsely grated (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
2 to 4 cloves garlic, mashed or minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin or 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Pinch of salt
About 1/2 teaspoon harissa (Northwest African chili paste), 1 tablespoon minced green chilies, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days to allow the flavors to meld and permeate the carrots. Served chilled or at room temperature.

We thank epicurious.com for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Fudgy Vegan Double Chocolate Beet Muffins

Sliced beetsPrep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes

Servings: 12

2 flax eggs (2T flax meal + 5T water), or sub Nash’s chicken eggs
1 cup beet purée
1/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar (sub honey if not vegan)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1.5 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup melted coconut oil or vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups Nash’s soft white wheat flour
1/3 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips + more for topping

Roast the beets. Otherwise, you could sub another fruit puree, such as butternut squash or applesauce.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line 12 muffins with paper liners, or lightly grease.

Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.

Add beet puree, melted oil, maple syrup or agave, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and whisk for 45 seconds.

Stir in the almond milk and whisk once more.

Add cocoa powder and flours and stir with a spoon or spatula until just combined, being careful not to over-mix. If the batter appears too thick, add a touch more almond milk. But it should be quite thick and NOT pourable – rather, scoopable.

Lastly, stir in chocolate chips. Then divide batter evenly between muffin tins (should be enough for between 11-12) and sprinkle with a few more chocolate chips (optional but recommended).

Bake for 17-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, remove from tins and let cool on a cooling rack. Will keep covered for several days. Freeze for longer-term storage.

We thank the Minimalist Baker for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!