Food Recipes

Fun With Food by Carolyn Hasenfratz
Recipes from Various Sources, Some by Me

I don't know if I'm a really GOOD cook, but I do have a reputation for having an adventurous palate and a desire to serve up things at gatherings that are - well, let's just say I usually don't have to worry about anyone else bringing the same thing. I grow a lot of my own herbs, which encourages me to find interesting ways to use them in cooking. I do get asked for recipes sometimes, so I'll share some of my favorites here.

Contents:

Lavender Cookies

Tarragon Wafers

Soft Tacos With Tofu

Broccoli and Rice Soup

Pimp My Chocolate Pudding

Beef, Turkey, and Sausage Burgers

Greek Seasoning

Greek Shrimp Salad

Greek Potatoes

Spinach Appetizers with Caraway and Basil

Lemony Sandwich Spread or Veggie Dip

Orange Poppyseed Salad Dressing

Prickly Pear Fruit Salad Dressing

Prickly Pear and Citrus Shower Gel

Tofu, Celery, and Kim Chi Salad

Thanksgiving Stuffins

Orange-Braised Fennel

Sunflower Seed and Olive Cracker Spread

Beet Salad With Feta Cheese and Arugula

Scrambled Eggs With Fish Sauce

Morning Rampage

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

Tortilla Pinwheels with Spinach and Ham

Health Nut Banana Muffins

Acorn Squash Soup

Sausage and Kale Soup

Blueberry and Ricotta Cheese Muffins

Hot Black Bean Dip

Quinoa and Cucumber Salad

Baked Eggplant with Peanut Sauce

Tomato-Tomatillo Salad

Veggie Pie

Lentil Soup With Ham and Greens

Lavender Cookies

Ingredients

5/8 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 T. lavender flowers
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Stir in beaten egg and vanilla. Mix in lavender flowers and flour. Drop by spoonful onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until golden.

This recipe is from the Webster Groves Herb Society cookbook. I altered it slightly.

If you need a source of culinary lavender, Penzy's Spices in Maplewood has it, and so does Cost Plus World Market in Brentwood, MO.

Tarragon Wafers

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted
1 1/2 tsp. crushed dried tarragon
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in egg. Stir in sesame seeds, pecans, and tarragon. Sift dry ingredients together and add to mixture. Mix well. Drop by teaspoonful on greased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

This recipe is from the Webster Groves Herb Society cookbook. The only thing I changed was ungreased cookie sheet to greased since I had problems with mine sticking a little. They really spread out, so don't put them too close to the edge or to each other. They look a little weird but taste fantastic!

Soft Tacos with Tofu

My Mom gave me a package of Tofu Mate Texas Taco Seasoning Mix that she had laying around thinking that I could think of something good to make with it. Well she was right, it turned out so good I have to share it.

Ingredients

1 package firm tofu
1 package Tofu Mate Texas Taco Seasoning Mix
Olive Oil
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1 garlic clove
1 package frozen Tex-Mex style vegetables - I used a mix which has onions, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, black beans, and corn. Other frozen vegetable mixes that have similar ingredients would be fine, make sure it includes black beans and corn.
1 anaheim chili pepper, seeded and chopped
whole wheat tortillas warmed by your favorite warming method
Shredded lettuce - I used Romaine
Shredded cheese - I used sharp cheddar

Directions

Let the tofu chunks drain in a colander while you chop and prepare the other ingredients. Heat some olive oil in a wok or big saucepan. Crumble the tofu into the oil and saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the chopped onions and and put the garlic clove through a garlic press and add it also. When the mix is cooked enough so that the onions are tender, add the Tofu Mate seasoning according to the directions on the package. Mix until the color is even then remove the mixture from the pan and put it in a serving dish with a lid so it stays warm.

Add more oil to the pan if needed and saute the frozen vegetable mix and the anaheim chili until they are cooked to your preference. Put the veggie mix in the tortillas, put some tofu mix on top, garnish with lettuce and cheese, wrap and eat. Yum! If you want to reduce fat, you can leave out the cheese, it's good without it too because the whole wheat tortillas and black beans give it a rich taste. I didn't add any spices other than what's in the spice mix, and the result to me was mild. If it's not hot enough for you add some cayenne pepper.

Broccoli and Rice Soup

Do you ever make something with fresh broccoli florets and you're not sure what to do with the leftover stems? I made some into a soup which turned out MORE than just pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Ingredients

Brocoli stem pieces cut into 1/2" chunks
Olive Oil
4 cups chicken stock
1 cube Knorr Extra Large Ham Flavor Bouillon
1 cup Trader Joes Basmati Rice Medley
1 TBSP chopped frozen Oregano leaves

Directions

Heat some olive oil in a cooking pot big enough for soup. Saute the broccoli pieces until they are just starting to get a little browned. Add the chicken stock and ham bouillon cube and bring to a boil. Add the rice medley and oregano, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

I know not everybody has frozen oregano laying around! I grew the stuff I used and it is on the old side so if yours is fresher you might want to use less. If it's dried you'll want to use a LOT less - I've found out the hard way that if you overuse Oregano your whole dish can taste like truck tires, and that would be a shame!

Pimp My Chocolate Pudding

Plain old instant chocolate pudding mix is pretty tasty, but if you're in the mood for something a little extra intense and satisfying for your dessert, try this.

Ingredients

1 box sugar free instant chocolate pudding mix
Milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp stevia powder (the white kind used as a sugar substitute)
1 tsp unsweetened baking cocoa powder

Directions

Prepare the instant pudding according to the directions on the package. Add cinnamon, stevia, and cocoa powder, mix thoroughly, pour into serving dishes and chill. Great after a spicy Mexican meal!

Variation - try almond extract instead of the cinnamon - mmmm!

Beef, Turkey, and Sausage Burgers

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped andouille sausage
3 cloves garlic, mashed through garlic press
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
pinch of salt
olive oil

Directions

Mix all ingredients except olive oil together in a large bowl. Place a piece of plastic food wrap on the bottom surface of a tortilla press. Place a small handful of meat mixture on top of that, another piece of food wrap over that, then press all to make a thin patty. When you start to see it squish out a bit, rotate and press a little more to make the patty even in thickness. Fry the patties with olive oil until cooked through and browned on each side. Serve on your favorite bread or bun with tomato, lettuce, and your favorite condiments.

If you end up with more meat mixture than you have need for burger patties at the time, you can roll the extra meat mixture into balls, and bake them in a glass baking dish in the oven for approx. 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Cover with foil for the first 30 minutes, remove foil for the last 15 minutes of baking. Drain on paper towels, then freeze them and you'll have delicious meatballs for the next time you want spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Yum!

Greek Seasoning

I was looking through the Penzy's Spices catalog and I saw some recipes I wanted to make that used their Greek Seasoning. I didn't happen to have any, but I figured I had enough ingredients to make my own, so I used items from my cupboard to make a similar blend.

Ingredients

Eight packets True Lemon crystallized lemon substitute
2 TBSP Lemon Basil
2 TBSP Oregano
2 TBSP Sweet Marjoram
2 TBSP Garlic Powder
1 TBSP Ground Pepper
1 TBSP Salt

Directions

Grind coarsely in spice grinder, or crumble leaves with fingers and mix. Store in a jar and use whenever you want a Mediterranean flavor. Lemon Basil, Oregano, and Sweet Marjoram are ridiculously easy to grow yourself - try it, it's fun!

Greek Shrimp Salad

I more or less used the recipe from the Penzy's Spices catalog, with the addition of two extra ingredients.

Ingredients

1/2 pound shrimp
1 small bag salad greens mix
Amounts that you like of the following veggies: tomato, onion, bell pepper (yellow for color contrast is good), and cucumber
Feta cheese
1 cup plain yogurt
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP honey
Greek Seasoning

Directions

Cook and peel shrimp. To make the dressing, mix 1 TBSP Greek Seasoning with water, let stand a minute, then add yogurt, balsamic vinegar, and honey.

Put the salad greens in a large bowl, then cut up the tomato, onion, bell pepper, and cucumber, and toss all together.

To serve salad, put veggies on plate and arrange shrimp on top, crumble some feta cheese over it, and drizzle with the yogurt dressing. The original recipe says that the dressing will keep for a week in the fridge, but once people get a taste of this, I doubt it will last more than a day!

Greek Potatoes

Ingredients

Yukon Gold potatoes
Greek Seasoning
Olive oil

Directions

Wash potatoes, chop into approximately 1 1/2" chunks, and place the pieces into a glass baking dish. Drizzle some olive oil over the pieces, and sprinkle with Greek Seasoning. Toss to cover all the pieces. Cover dish loosely with foil, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Spinach Appetizers with Caraway and Basil

I frequently make an appetizer recipe that I got from the Dierbergs Everybody Cooks magazine. The recipe uses canned crescent roll dough, pesto, and minced roasted red bell peppers. It is quick to make, easy to serve and eat at a party, and always gets gobbled up. You know a recipe is really good if I make it more than one time, because normally I have no interest in making the same thing more than once, it takes the fun out of it if I know ahead of time exactly how it will turn out! I decided to try a version with something other than pesto, since I didn't have any and didn't feel like going to the store, and it turned out great with frozen spinach. By the way, the Everybody Cooks magazine has fantastic recipes! They seem to always turn out delicious.

Ingredients

1 10 oz package frozen spinach
2 cans crescent roll dough
Butter flavored cooking spray
1/2 TBSP basil
1/2 TBSP caraway seeds
1/4 TBSP salt
1 TBSP olive oil

Directions

Thaw and drain spinach, squeezing out the liquid as much as you can. Place spinach in a small mixing bowl, and mix with the basil, caraway seeds, olive oil, and salt.

Using one-half of the contents of a can of crescent roll dough at a time, place the dough on a work surface and press the perforated edges that normally divide the dough together. Sprinkle 1/4 of the spinach mixture on top, then roll the dough up into a spiral tube.

Spray a cookie sheet with butter-flavored spray. Slice the spinach/dough roll, and put the slices on their side on the sheet. Make another roll with the second dough half, and fill the rest of the cookie sheet with slices. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees, and remove from oven when the dough is light golden on top and medium golden brown on the bottom.

Repeat the process for the second can of dough and the remainder of the spinach mixture. This recipe makes enough so that you can stuff a few in your mouth before the party, and you'll want to do that, believe me.

Lemony Sandwich Spread or Veggie Dip

I made this as a spread for a chicken sandwich, then tried it as a veggie dip. Both ways were delicious!

Ingredients

Mayonnaise
Plain Yogurt
One packet True Lemon crystallized lemon substitute
Dried Lemon Basil leaves
Dried Lemon Balm leaves
Ground Annatto for color (optional)

Directions

In a small bowl, mix equal parts mayonnaise and plain yogurt. Add in the contents of a packet of lemon substitute, and crumble in some Lemon Basil and Lemon Balm leaves. If you want to, add a pinch of Annatto for color.

Orange Poppyseed Salad Dressing

1/4 can of frozen orange juice, thawed
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP crushed dried Lemon Basil
3 cloves garlic mashed through garlic press
1 tsp poppy seeds
Pinch of Salt

Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl, pour over salad.

Variation - try using Pomegranate sauce instead of the orange juice.

Prickly Pear Fruit Salad Dressing

A long time ago I was on a hike at Saguaro National Monument in Arizona and I observed an iguana eating prickly pear fruits. The big lizard looked funny with its face all purple from juice. I always meant to try eating the fruit myself but never did exept in cactus candy that I bought, until recently when I saw some prickly pear fruits for sale at Sappington Farmer's Market on old Route 66 in South St. Louis County. There is a radio show I like called Food Talk with the Kelly Twins on 550 KTRS, and during one of their shows they advised buying something you've never cooked with before each time you go shopping, and make something with it. That's a good way to learn to cook, they said. It's probably something I would do anyway since I like to try new things all the time, but it's good advice for everybody. Here is one of my prickly pear fruit experiments. Unusual, but plate-lickin' good!

2 prickly pear fruits
favorite salad oil (olive, grapeseed, etc.)
white balsamic vinegar
fresh cilantro leaves
fresh or dried lemon balm leaves
fresh or dried lemon basil leaves
lemon juice
lime juice
pepper
salt

Rinse prickly pear fruits and peel off skin. Chop into chunks and press through fine-holed strainer over a bowl to catch juice. You will not be able to remove all the juice at once since the pulp is very mucilaginous, but press out as much as you can.

You will end up with a couple of small handfuls of seeds and pulp. Put seeds and pulp into a small mixing bowl and pour enough salad oil over it to cover. With an electric beater, beat the mixture thouroughly. The idea is to separate as much pulp and juice from the seeds as you can while leaving the seeds intact (who knows I might plant some!). Press this mixture through the strainer into the bowl already containing juice.

There will still be some pulp clinging to the seeds. Return pulp and seeds to mixing bowl, cover with white balsamic vinegar, and beat again. Press mixture through strainer again into the bowl already containing juice and pulp/oil mixture.

Discard remaining pulp and seeds (or maybe not - see below!). Season remaining juice/pulp/oil/vinegar mixture to taste with the herbs, lemon and lime juice, pepper and salt, and pour on a salad and enjoy. The finished dressing is a bright pinkish purple color, so it would look festive on a colorful salad. For example, mandarin oranges and spinach - mmm!

Prickly Pear and Citrus Shower Gel

After making the salad dressing above and noticing the mucilaginous nature of the prickly pear fruit and the way my hands felt nice and smooth after making it, I wondered if the discarded pulp and skin could be used in making shower gel. I have ingredients for making it on hand since I like to make a lot of my own bath products. It was my assumption that the vinegar and oil that was likely to be clinging to the discarded pulp/seed mixture would do no harm and might help, since those are often used in home skin-care preparations anyway. I looked up uses for prickly pear on the internet and found that it has some qualities in common with Aloe vera. Why not try it then?

So I did the following:

The results - successful if you ask me, since I keep opening the bottle to smell it and it makes my skin feel great. Wonderful lather too. If you want to read more about my adventures in soap making, click here.

Tofu, Celery, and Kim Chi Salad

1 pkg firm tofu
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1/2 cup Kim Chi
2 TBSP fresh chopped chives
2 TBSP sesame oil
2 TBSP tamari
sesame snack sticks for topping

Unwrap the tofu and let it drain in a colander while you chop the celery, Kim Chi, and chives and put them into a bowl. Chop the tofu into small chunks, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch across. Add to bowl, then toss all with sesame oil and tamari. When ready to serve, top with crumbled sesame snack sticks.

Another good combination to try with the tofu, sesame oil and tamari, is red onion, fresh sprouts and sesame seeds.

Thanksgiving Stuffins
I'm not sure where this recipe originally came from, but my Mom has been making it for years. This year it's my turn to make it so my Mom sent me the recipe. I'll try not to mess with it too much, since it's always one of the highlights of the meal.

4 TBSP light butter, melted
1 cup liquid fat-free egg substitute
1 cup fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
1 loaf (16 oz.) day old bread (16 slices) cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup minced scallions or onions
1/2 cup minced celery
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp poultry seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat 16 muffin cups with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine butter, egg substitute, and broth. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Set aside 15 min.

Pinch bread; if dry, add 1/4 cup warm water. Toss. Mixture should be soft and spongy, but not mushy. With an ice cream scoop, spoon into muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serves 8.

Orange-Braised Fennel
This is what I brought to Thanksgiving dinner last year. The recipe came from Martha Stewart Living magazine, and I changed it only slightly, I used frozen orange juice instead of fresh, normal salt instead of coarse, pre-ground pepper instead of fresh ground, and regular olive oil instead of extra virgin because I've heard that the flavor in extra-virgin olive oil is wasted if you cook it, so I use regular for recipes that involve cooking the oil, and extra-virgin when it's not cooked. This is another recipe I liked enough to make more than once.

2 bulbs fennel, trimmed
1 TBSP unsalted butter
1 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 cups orange juice
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine

Cut each fennel bulb into four slices. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat butter and oil until sizzling. Lay fennel slices in skillet; cook, turning once, until browned, about five minutes per side.

Pour orange juice over fennel; season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until fennel is tender, about 15 minutes. Add wine, and continue cooking until fennel is very tender and sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm.

Sunflower Seed and Olive Cracker Spread
This one came about because I had a lot of sunflower seeds that I had bought to put on top of salads, and after I ran out of salad, I was afraid I was going to eat the rest in one sitting if I didn't figure out something to make them into.

3/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1 pkg fat-free cream cheese
1/2 can green olives, chopped - the olives I used were from a health food store, and were not as salty as I'm accustomed to. If your olives have the usual amount of salt in them, you might want to try making this with one half the amount of olives to start, then taste it to see if you risk making it too salty by adding more olives.
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp dried onion
1 tsp garlic powder
Black pepper to taste

Put the cream cheese into a small sturdy bowl to soften. Chop the sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor or nut grinder until the pieces are like a coarse grind of coffee. Add to bowl. Chop the olives and add to bowl. Add seasonings, and mash all together with a fork until thoroughly mixed. Serve with your favorite party crackers.

Beet Salad With Feta Cheese and Arugula
This is a simplified version of a recipe from Gourmet magazine. Probably the best salad I've ever eaten. And very easy.

1 can of sliced beets
1 small bag baby arugula greens
1 large Belgian endive
Feta cheese
Red wine vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

There are so few ingredients that you might as well keep most of them separated until you're ready to eat, for maximum taste and fresh appearance. Put greens into a salad bowl. Slice the endive and add to bowl. Cover salad and keep in refrigerator until ready to eat. Slice the beets into strips and keep in a separate container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Crumble the feta cheese, and store. When you're ready to serve the salad, put some greens and endive into a bowl or onto a plate, top with beets and feta cheese, and season with red wine vinegar, olive oil, and a touch of salt, if needed. The feta cheese might be salty enough for you already.

Scrambled Eggs with Fish Sauce

4 Eggs
2 TBSP Chopped Fresh Chives
2 TBSP Vegetable Oil
1 TBSP Thai Fish Sauce
1 TBSP Milk

Break four eggs into a bowl. Add the chives, fish sauce, and milk. Heat a skillet, add the oil, and scramble the eggs. You probably won't need to add any salt, since the fish sauce adds enough. Taste it first and see if you agree. I make this for breakfast usually, but it would probably be really good crumbled over fried rice. I'll have to try that sometime.

Morning Rampage
Spice up your morning coffee or tea by putting this blend in your brew.

2 parts whole coriander
2 parts anise seed
1 part whole cardamom (just the black part)
1 part whole cloves
1 part whole peppercorns

Grind small amounts of this mixture as needed and add to your coffee or pot of tea as it brews. Strain the resulting brew and add sweetener or milk if you want. Great for warming up on a cold day.

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins
This is a favorite recipe from the Dierbergs Everybody Cooks magazine that I have modified.

1 cup pure pumpkin
1 egg
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons flaxseed meal
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground Morning Rampage spice mix (see recipe above)
1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Grease muffin pan and fill cavities 2/3 full of muffin batter. Bake at 350 degrees until a pick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

Tortilla Pinwheels with Spinach and Ham
This appetizer was a hit at the latest Trivia Night (but it didn't help us win).

Tomato and basil tortillas
8 oz package of whipped cream cheese
Thinly sliced lunch meat ham
Fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 TBSP chopped fresh chives
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dill

Put cream cheese into a medium sturdy mixing bowl. Chop walnuts, chives, and parsley and add to bowl. Add onion powder and dill. Mix cream cheese, nuts, and seasonings together with fork. Spread a layer of mixture onto a tortilla, then overlay several spinach leaves, and then place a piece of ham on top. Roll the tortilla up, and slice into sections. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. Makes enough appetizers for approximately 8-10 people.

Health Nut Banana Muffins
Here is what I like to make when I buy bananas and forget to eat them all before they start to get mushy.

5 slightly past ripe bananas
3 cups all-purpose baking mix - use low fat or whole wheat for extra healthfulness
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 Omega 3 egg
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, (or 300 if you're using my oven). Spray muffin pan cavities with cooking spray. Put all ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Mash bananas together with other ingredients with a potato masher. Finish mixing ingredients together with large spoon. Fill muffin pan cavities 2/3 full of batter, and bake until pick inserted in the middle comes out clean (approximately 15 minutes). This recipe makes a large batch of batter so you'll probably have plenty left to freeze and bake later.

Acorn Squash Soup

1 acorn squash
2 cloves garlic
2 large vegetable bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried rosemary

Slice squash in half, scoop out seeds, and put halves into glass baking dish cut side down. Add about 1/2 inch of water and bake covered for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove squash from oven and let it cool. When it's cooled enough to handle, scrape pulp from one of the halves out of the skin and put pulp into a blender. Shake the blender jar slightly to level the pieces. If there is any water left in the baking pan, add that in. Add just enough additional water to blender jar to barely cover the squash pieces. Crumble one bouillon cube and one chopped up garlic clove into the blender jar. Puree the mixture until smooth, and pour into soup pot. Repeat with the other half of the squash and the other bouillon cube and garlic clove.

Bring soup to a boil, then turn down heat to simmer. Add sage and rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste. You might not need the salt if the bouillon is salty. Simmer covered for 20 minutes, then enjoy.

Sausage and Kale Soup
This recipe is altered slightly from one I found in Sauce Magazine.

1 bunch kale
1 cajun style andouille sausage link
1 can Great Northern Beans
5 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
pepper

Remove sausage from casing, and discard casing. Heat soup pot and swirl some olive oil in the bottom. Crumble sausage and add to soup pot, and cook while stirring until browned. Turn off heat. Cover a large plate with paper towels, and turn soup pot over onto plate to drain off excess oil.

While the sausage is draining, wash kale and chop into bite sized pieces. Place soup pot back onto the burner without washing to retain some of the browned sausage flavor. Add sausage back to soup pot, and add five cups of chicken broth. Turn up heat. Add kale. Press garlic gloves with garlic press and add to soup pot. After the soup has come to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or unitl the kale is soft enough for you. While it's simmering, rinse and drain beans. After 20 minutes of simmering, add beans to pot and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add pepper to taste.

Blueberry and Ricotta Cheese Muffins

2 cups all-purpose baking mix
1 cup blueberries
1 egg
8 oz light ricotta cheese
1 heaping TBSP brown sugar
1 heaping TBSP flaxseed meal
1 heaping TBSP wheat germ
1 1/4 cup milk

Combine ingredients in bowl and fill the cavities in a greased muffin pan 2/3 full with the mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until a pick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

Hot Black Bean Dip

1/2 cup refried black beans
1/2 cup light cream cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach
3 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried epazote
1/4 tsp salt
Press the garlic cloves through a garlic press and put the pulp in a small microwave safe mixing bowl. Add cream cheese and soften for a few minutes in the microwave. Add other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Taste and see if the seasoning is right, and add more if it isn't enough. Cook mixture in the microwave for about two minutes, stir, and cook for about another two minutes. Serve hot with veggies, crackers, or tortilla chips.

Quinoa and Cucumber Salad

1 cup quinoa
1 vegetable boullion cube
2 large cucumbers
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 TBSP white wine vinegar
2 TBSP recaito
1 TBSP dried lime balm leaves

Cook quinoa according to directions, adding the vegetable boullion cube along with the water. While it's cooking, chop the cucumbers into roughly 1" square pieces.

After quinoa has cooled, put it in a salad bowl, and add the cucumbers, onion, white wine vinegar, recaito, and lime balm. Mix all together and serve chilled.

Baked Eggplant with Peanut Sauce

2 eggplants
Olive oil cooking spray
Salt
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 TBSP red chili paste with garlic
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP lime juice
1 TBSP dried lime balm leaves, crumbled
1 TBSP fish sauce

Slice each eggplant lengthwise into 4-6 long pieces. Spray a glass cooking dish with olive oil cooking spray, and lay in the eggplant pieces. Sprinkle with a little salt. Cover dish with foil, and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees, until the eggplant is tender and a little browned around the edges.

While the eggplant is cooking, make the peanut sauce by combining the coconut milk, chili paste, peanut butter, brown sugar, lime juice, lime balm, fish sauce, and 1/2 tsp salt. Heat on the stovetop at a low setting, stirring until it's hot and well blended.

To serve, place eggplant on a plate and spoon some peanut sauce on top. The peanut sauce also makes a very good dipping sauce for chicken.

Tomato-Tomatillo Salad
I modified this salad from a recipe originally from Self magazine.

4 Roma tomatoes
3 tomatillos
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
2 TBSP lime juice
1 TBSP dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried lime balm flakes
salt to taste

Chop the tomatoes into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces. Remove husks from the tomatillos, and chop in a similar manner. Put pieces into a large salad bowl, add other ingredients, and toss together. Serve chilled.

Veggie Pie
This is a slightly altered and simplified version of a recipe from Sauce Magazine.

1 10-inch, whole grain flour tortilla
3 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium vidalia onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium-sized zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
5 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBSP dried parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Place the tortilla in the center of an ungreased 9-inch pie pan. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook spinach in the microwave just long enough to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and or wok. Add onion and garlic and and sauté over medium heat for three minutes. Add the zucchini and bell pepper and continue to stir until the mixture becomes tender and the onions start to turn golden, about five minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk well. Add the Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the spinach and vegetable mixture and mix again. Pour filling into the center of the pie pan, trying to keep the filling from seeping underneath the tortilla.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until center of pie is firm and lightly golden. Remove and allow to cool 10 to 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Lentil Soup With Ham and Greens

1/2 cup chopped Vidalia onion
olive oil
1/2 cup chopped ham
1 cup dried lentils
4 cups water
1 vegetable boullion cube
2 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh dandelion greens
2 cups fresh spinach
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a little olive oil in the bottom of a soup pot, and saute the onions for about two minutes. Add the ham, and continute to saute until the onions are clear and tender. Add the water, the boullion cube, and the pulp of two garlic cloves put through a garlic press. Bring contents to a boil, and add in the lentils. Simmer covered on low heat for 15 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, coarsely chop the spinach and dandelion greens. When the soup has simmered for 15 minutes, add the greens and simmer for five more minutes. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve.

Questions or comments?
Email Carolyn: carolyn_hasenfratz@sbcglobal.net

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