Vegetable Lasagna

Serves 6-8

basil

Delicious!

 Ingredients:

• Fat free ricotta cheese (Miceli's brand is amazing!)
• 2 tubs of (3 cheese blend parmesan - 365 brand Whole Foods)
• 1-2 jars of pasta sauce (Rao's homemade brand is my favorite)
• 1 yellow squash, diced
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 2 cups Cremini mushrooms, sliced
• lasagna pasta sheets (fresh)
• extra virgin olive oil
• basil (hand-torn)

Method:

1. Use your biggest pot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the sweet onion, zucchini and yellow squash for 4-5 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften.
2. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a bowl, mix the fat free ricotta cheese with the parmesan.  Save a handful of parmesan for later, as topping.
4. Layer in pyrex pan as follows:  pasta sauce, fresh pasta sheet, cheese blend, cooked vegetables.  Repeat 2 to 3 times as ingredients allow.  On the final layer, place hand torn basil on top of the cheese blend before putting down final layer of vegetables and sheet pasta.
5. Bake in Oven for 40 minutes.  Then take out of the oven and sprinkle a handful of parmesan cheese on top and bake for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Enjoy with homemade garlic bread!

Garlic Bread

1. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top of any fresh bread (we like french baguette).
2. Bake for 350 degrees F for 3-4 minutes.
3. Using a fresh peeled garlic clove, rub onto bread.  Then spread some vegan butter on top and enjoy!

Greens, Herbs, and Roasted Radishes

(adapted from Happyolks)
serves 4-6

endive

butter lettuce

romaine

Ingredients:

• 3 bunches of radishes
• 1 head butter lettuce
• 1 head romaine
• 4 endives
• 2 avocados 
• juice of 2 lemons (meyer lemons)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/4 cup shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoon dill, minced
• 2 tablespoon mint, minced
• sea salt & ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Rinse and remove greens from radishes.  Halve or quarter (depends on the variety*) and coat with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper on a baking sheet.  Roast for 20-25 minutes until blistered but not totally browned.  Set aside to cool.
3. Combine chopped butter lettuce, romaine, and endive (cores removed) in a large bowl. 
4. Slice and dice avocado into cubes over the bowl.  Then add cooled radishes.
5. For the dressing: Whisk together olive oil, shallots, dill and mint with the lemon juice in a bowl.  Pour over the salad, add some sea salt and fresh pepper, and toss with your hands or tongs.

*I like using french radishes, but this variety is hard to find at the grocery store.  I have found them sold at the local farmers market.

Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts

adapted from 2010, Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That

Chipotle powder from Spice Merchants, A2 Michigan.

Delicious!

Ingredients:

• Vegetable Oil (Canola)
• 3 cups whole roasted unsalted Almonds*
• 2 cups whole walnut halves
• 2 cups whole pecan halves
• 1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (365 brand Whole Foods - Light Amber)
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 teaspoons ground chipotle powder
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, divided
• 1-2 teaspoons sea salt

*the original recipe called for cashews, but we decided to use almonds since my wife isn't too fond of cashews :)  I'm certain any variety you decide to use will be as delicious!

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Brush a sheet pan (Pyrex Pan works better) generously with vegetable oil.  Combine the almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder on the sheet pan.
3. Toss to coat the nuts evenly.  Add 2 tablespoons of the rosemary and 1 teaspoon sea salt and toss again.
4. Spread the nuts in one layer.  Roast the nuts for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary.
5. Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool.  Taste for seasoning.  Serve warm or cool completely and store in airtight containers at room temperature.  Enjoy!

Bok Choy Noodle Bowl

Adapted from Rachael Ray
serves 4
This recipe was my attempt at duplicating my favorite vietnamese soup "Pho."  Although it was unsuccessful, the soup that resulted from my inspiration turned out to be delicious!  The "fresh" taste comes from cilantro, scallions, and bok choy.  The savory notes are from the stock and shiitake mushrooms.  It is both hot (spicy) and sour.  Since my "first attempt," I have made this soup twice more.  Perhaps one day I will try to re-create the Pho soup (again)...

Shiitake and Cremini

Cilantro and Scallions

Ingredients:

• 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (preferably Canola Oil)
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 inches ginger root, peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks or grated
• 1/2 to 1 pound shiitake mushroom caps, sliced (you can also use baby bella or cremini)
• 2-3 medium bok choy, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
• sea salt and black pepper
• 1 quart chicken broth (I like to use 365 brand from Whole Foods, organic and low sodium)
• 1 cup seafood stock** or 1 cup clam juice
• 100 % buckwheat noodles, vermicelli, or thin spaghetti (optional)
• 4 scallions, cut into 3 inch pieces, then shredded lengthwise into thin sticks
• juice of 1 lime
• bunch of fresh cilantro

**Note: To me, the best tasting seafood stock (comes frozen) - Golden Harbour Wild caught fish stock, all natural, no preservatives or additives.  I buy mine at Whole Foods in the frozen seafood section, Net Wt. 1 lb (454g).  After thawing this out, I use the whole package for the soup.  

Method:

1. Using your largest soup pot, over medium-high heat, add vegetable oil and crushed red pepper flakes.
2. Add garlic and ginger, saute for 1-2 minutes.  Then add the mushrooms.  Continue to cook for several minutes allowing the mushrooms to soften.
3. Season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
4. Add chicken broth and seafood stock (or clam juice).  Put a lid on the pot and bring soup to a boil.
5. As soon as the soup boils, add lime juice and bok choy**.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
6. When you are ready to serve, ladle soup into bowls.  You may serve the soup with or without the noodles*.  
7. Top the soup with fresh chopped cilantro and scallions.

*Note: Buckwheat noodles are easy to prepare.  Once the water boils, drop a handful of noodles into the pot.  Cooking time is 2-5 minutes.  Drain the noodles and add to the soup before serving.  We like to use the brand SHIRAKIKU - Japanese style- Zaru Soba with Yam, buckwheat noodles.  

**I decided to modify a step in the method by adding broth first then the bok choy. (In the pictures above, the broth was added after I had sautéed the bok choy).  I wanted the bok choy to have a "crunch," in contrast to the soup.

perfect roast chicken

Serves 4

organic free range chicken

 herbs and such

Ingredients:

• 1 (3 to 4 pound) roasting chicken
• sea salt 
• ground pepper
• a bunch of fresh thyme (10-15 sprigs)
• fresh rosemary (6-8 sprigs)
• 1 bulb of garlic, cut in half crosswise
• 1 lemon, whole, (use the zest of the lemon for the herb mixture) 
• extra virgin olive oil (I like the 365 brand from Whole Foods -100% Italian cold pressed) 4-6 Tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. 
2. Rinse the chicken inside and out.  Pat the outside dry. Remove any excess fat and giblets.
3. Bring the chicken to room temperature (30 minutes) prior to putting it in the oven. 
4. Place the chicken in a roasting pan 
5. Prepare the herb mixture: remove the "leaves" from the sprigs, roughly chop or mince rosemary and thyme - place herbs into a bowl and add olive oil, zest of 1 lemon, sea salt, and black pepper.
6. Using the tip of a sharp knife, carefully prick the lemon all over
7. Stuff the cavity with half of the herb mixture, half of the garlic bulb, and the whole lemon.
8. Rub the rest of the herb mixture under the skin of the chicken breast. Season the top of the chicken with a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper.  Coat the skin with 1 tablespoon of vegan butter - this produces a crispier skin.
9. Cover the chicken with aluminum foil (Turn oven down to 425 degrees F) and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until juices run clear between leg and thigh with temperatures at 165-175 degrees F.
10. Remove from oven and allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

Roasted Vegetables

organic carrots (farmer's market at Cobblestone farm - Ann Arbor, MI) and parsnips

organic butternut squash

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 2 parsnips
• 1 medium butternut squash
• carrots (optional)
• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• 1 -2 tablespoons, fresh sage (chopped)
• extra virgin olive oil  (drizzle over vegetables, 2 tbsp)

Method:

1. Cut the vegetables into pieces and place onto a baking sheet.  Then evenly coat with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt, ground black pepper, and sage.    
2. While the chicken is roasting (the last 30-40 minutes), put the baking sheet into the oven.  
3. To make sure the vegetables are cooked through, insert a fork - the fork should slide in without resistance, but still have some firmness to it. (of course, that depends on your preference, you may bake another 5-10 minutes for a softer texture.)
4. Enjoy these roasted vegetables alongside the roasted chicken or by itself.  It's wonderful either way.

Mushroom barley soup with rosemary oil

Adapted from The Yellow House
serves 4-6

shallots, baby bella and shittake

organic pearl barley

Delicious!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter ( I use Vegan Butter - earth balance original)
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1/2 - 1 pound of sliced baby bella and shittake mushrooms (the recipe from The Yellow House suggested 6 cups of sliced mushrooms, but I wanted a heartier soup.)
• 3/4 cup dry red wine 
• 10 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth or water)
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (optional)
• 4-5 sprigs of rosemary, leaves stripped from stems
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Use your biggest pot and heat the butter over medium heat.  When melted, add the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the mushrooms and stir to coat with butter.  Turn the heat to high, and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes or until mushrooms begin to soften.
3. Pour in the wine and stir.  Allow the wine to reduce by half.
4. Then, add the broth or water and bring the mixture to a boil.  Add the pearl barley and a pinch of salt (I chose not to use more than a pinch of salt because the vegetable broth already has added salt.)
5. Reduce to a rapid simmer.  Simmer 40 minutes to an hour or until barley is cooked through. (I pre-soak the barley in cold water for at least 2 hours - so that the cooking time is reduced.)
6. While the soup is simmering, mince the rosemary leaves and mix in with the olive oil or you can use a food processor to create a smoother mixture.
7. When the soup is finished, ladle into bowls and drizzle the rosemary oil on top.  Serve with bread. (we like pumpernickel).

This is one of our favorite soups.  I have made this twice now and it gets better each time.  Soups are great for fall/winter months and by adding more mushroom - it becomes a heartier dish.  As for the wine, since the recipe calls for a small amount, I like to use wine that I usually drink.  I used a 2008 cabernet sauvignon from Frank Family Vineyards, but I'm sure ANY red wine will work.  Next time I will try a zinfandel from Klinker Brick Winery (since it's about 20 dollars less than Frank's).

I hope you enjoy the soup as much as we do.