Chilled Raspberry Beet Soup with Mint

I am obsessed with beets!  I pretty much eat them in some form almost every day.  So today when I felt like making a chilled soup, but wanted something a little out of the ordinary...the beets in my fridge came to mind.  I always cook off about 12 of them at the beginning of the week, so I have them on hand when I want them.  But I wanted this soup to be a bit different than borscht, so I decided to make a raspberry beet soup.  I decided that a bit of red wine would be incorporated into my soup, since I had a bit leftover, and I thought it would compliment the berries.  I added plenty of citrus as well as some wine and mint...and it turned out to be a very refreshing combination.  It was a beautiful deep red soup! It reminded me of a sangria in a soup form...but of course more substantial and soup like!  If you are in need of refreshment you should whip up a batch!  This soup is wonderful served as a first course as a light starter!

Chilled Raspberry Beet Soup with Mint

Serves 2

1 cup cooked beets, diced

24 oz fresh organic raspberries
3/4 cup fresh orange juice (about 2 large oranges)
2 Tbsp orange zest
juice of one lemon
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup fresh mint, packed
3/4 cup red wine (good red wine, choose your favorite!)
1/4 cup POM juice, or other pomagranate (plus more as needed)
sea salt to taste

freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Add more POM if a thinner consistency is desired.  Chill well and serve!

Raspberry Lemonade with Fresh Basil

Nothing beats fresh lemonade in the summer!  Ok, I lied...fresh lemonade with raspberries and basil does!  I had a large bouquet of basil in a glass sitting on my counter...so I thought what would be a better way to use it than in a drink...lemonade!  And how about some raspberries thrown in as well, for a lovely red color...and an interesting flavor!  I love berries and basil together, so I thought it would be a perfect addition to my lemonade!  When I make lemonade, I like to use agave syrup instead of sugar, because it dissolves well, and is kinder on the blood sugar...I use less than most people, because I like my lemonade  very tart, but if you are making this you can choose to use a little or a lot depending on how sweet you like it.  This drink is refreshing...sweet, tart, herby, and fruity...not your Grandma's lemonade!  Try it out while raspberries and basil are abundant!

Raspberry Lemonade with Fresh Basil
Serves 1
3/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
1 cup cold water
1-3 Tbsp agave nectar
Ice cubes
about 6 fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh raspberries

In a large glass, place the basil, raspberries and a few  of the ice cubes.  Use the end part of a wooden spoon to muddle, or crush the berries and basil up a bit.  Top off with a bit more ice.  In another glass, stir together the lemon juice, water and agave (1 Tbsp if you like it tart, 3 if you like it sweet).  Pour the lemon mixture over the ice in the other glass, and enjoy!

Nachos with Black Beans and Nectarine Salsa

When I was young, nachos meant a big pile of greasy tortilla chips with fake oozy cheese that probably came from a bag...and I actually liked when they served them for lunch in Elementary school!  But now that I am not into fake food, and I try and eat healthfully (but tastefully), I decided that I would like a delicious version of nachos that I can feel good about eating!  It had to contain some protein as well as some produce though in addition to the cheese, or it would not be a meal in my opinion!  So, I came up with a bean mixture to top my chips with that contained spiced black beans as well as a bit of fresh ingredients such as cilantro and lime.  I also made a home made salsa using nectarines, since I did not have any tomatoes in my kitchen...plus I enjoy fruit salsas more than tomato based ones.  I do not have any chips in my house, but I do have sprouted grain corn tortillas!  So, I made my own chips in the oven, which turned out to be very tasty!  But if you were making this and you had chips on hand by all means you could use them!  I used chihuahua cheese for my melting cheese, because I happened to have some in my cheese drawer...and was it delicious!  Ooey gooey...a far cry from the nasty bagged nacho cheese of my childhood, which I couldn't be happier about!  I topped off the mound of nachos with a bit of low fat sour cream and some cilantro, and voila!  Nachos fit for a queen!  If you are a fan of nachos, but you want to feel good about eating them as well as enjoy them...try these for a quick dinner!  I know they are nothing like the ones you ate in Elementry school lunch, but trust me, these are way better!

Nachos with Black Beans and Nectarine Salsa

Chips:

8 six inch tortillas, cut into 4 wedges each
coconut oil cooking spray (or other cooking spray)
sea salt
Beans:
1 Tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
1/2 cup red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

ground chipotle to taste

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans or 1 15 oz can black beans
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
juice of one lime
sea salt to taste
Salsa:
2 nectarines or peaches, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 scallions, sliced
juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 Tbsp honey

1 cup grated Chihuahua cheese
fresh cilantro (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with coconut oil spray.  scatter chips on sheet and spray with oil, then sprinkle with sea salt (on both sides).  Bake until crispy and golden, about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and increase oven heat to 500. Meanwhile, heat a medium non-stick skillet to medium heat, add 1 Tbsp coconut oil, and onions and saute until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and chipotle, and saute for ine minute until fragrant.  Add the beans, and cook until heated through, then add the cilantro, lime juice and sea salt to taste.  Set aside and keep warm.  To make salsa, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  To assemble, divide the chips evenly between 2 plates.  Top each with bean mixture, then the cheese.  Place in the oven, and bake until cheese is bubbling, about 2-3 minutes depending on your oven.  Keep an eye on it, because it could quickly burn at such a high heat.  Remove from oven, and top each with salsa, and a bit of cilantro and sour cream if desired. 

Cooling Cucumber Avocado Soup with Mint

Today was one of those days where you go outside for a walk and after just a few minutes you start sweating like mad.  Therefore, I did not want anything even remotely warm for dinner.  Instead I decided that a chilled soup and sandwiches were in order.  For my soup, which was to be the interesting part of the meal, I decided to use two of nature's natural coolers when it comes to summer produce...mint and cucumber!  They have a cooling effect on the body when eaten...which is just what I needed today.  I wanted a creamy soup, so I used an avocado and some soymilk instead of cream or yogurt because they were what I happened to have on hand.  I also threw in a bit of lemon juice and a clove of garlic to keep the flavors bright.  The soup was delicious on it's own, but I thought some mint oil would make a lovely garnish, so I whipped up a batch!  The lovely jade colored soup was just the thing for cooling me down on a hot day, and delicious as well!  There will be plenty of hot summer days to come, so try out this vegan soup and cool yourself off!  It is super simple, yet super satisfying!

Cooling Cucumber Avocado Soup with Mint


2 large cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 large avocado, diced
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
juice of one lemon
1 1/4 cups soymilk
1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
mint oil for garnish*
fresh mint leaves for garnish

Combine all soup ingredients in the blender, and process until smooth. Place in the fridge to chill until very cold. Ladle soup into bowls, and drizzle about a Tbsp mint oil onto each bowl, garnish with mint and serve!

*Mint oil:
1/2 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp fresh mint leaves

To make the mint oil, Puree the olive oil and the mint leaves in a food processor until smooth. Store in the fridge. Makes 3/4 cup

Sunrise Over India Granola

I love the flavors of the fruits and nuts that you would find in India...coconut, pistachios, dates, almonds...there is just something about these ingredients that I find simply heavenly!  The spices as well are very aromatic and pleasing to the senses...which is why I decided to make my granola with these ingredients this time around!  I know granola is not an Indian thing, but hey, who says I can't give it the flavors inspired by India!  So I gathered up pistachios, almonds, coconut, and dates and got started on my granola!  I added some honey for sweetness, coconut oil so it would get nice and crisp, and cinnamon nutmeg and cardamom to make it aromatic!  While it was baking it filled the house with a wonderful aroma...and it was a shame to have to wait to sample it!  But when it was cool enough to sample, it was delicious!  I decided it needed to be called Sunrise Over India Granola...because it is something that is often enjoyed in the morning!  If you start your morning out with this you will have a sunny attitude by the time you are done devouring it!  But I wouldn't avoid eating it in the afternoon for your snack, because it would be a good cure for the mid-afternoon tired grumpies...try it out and you will see what I mean! 

Sunrise over India Granola

Makes about 14+ cups of delicious granola

6 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups pistachios

1 1/2 cups sliced almonds

2 cups large flake coconut

3/4 cup coconut oil

3/4 cup honey

2 Tbsp maple sugar

1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp numeg
1 1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp almond extract
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups pitted halved dates

Line a large baking sheet with non-stick foil, and spray with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 and set rack at the medium position. In a large bowl, combine oats, pistachios, almonds, and coconut, and set aside. In another bowl, whisk together oil, honey, maple sugar, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, almond and vanilla extracts until well combined, then pour over oat mixture and toss to coat until completely blended. Pour out onto prepared baking sheet, and spread out evenly. Bake for 35 minutes, stirring about every 10 minutes or so until the granola is evenly browned. Remove from oven and let cool. Stir in dates, and enjoy!

Garlic Scapes and Pizza

I get very excited when the garlic scapes appear at the store...they are incredibly delicious, especially to a garlic lover!  They look sort of like a mass of twisted green wires when they are all in a pile, but scrumptious wires they are!  What they are is actually young garlic, for those of you who are wondering what the heck I am talking about.  They are harvested before they develop the white garlic bulb...and are more mild than a full grown clove of garlic.  My favorite way to eat them is roasted in the oven in a bit of olive oil when they are crispy...but I also enjoy them in a pesto!  So tonight when I was making my pizza I decided to make a pesto out of them and spread it on the crust under the toppings.  I had some Italian Sottocenere cheese with truffle that I thought would be wonderful on the pizza along with a bit of mushrooms, shallots and pine nuts.  I am always trying new interesting cheeses, and this one did not dissapoint! It was creamy, buttery and melted wonderfully...and of course the truffles were a delicious addition.  The pizza as a whole was wonderful with the scape pesto, exotic cheese and mushrooms all married together on the cracker thin crust.  My only complaint was that it was gone too quick! 

Pizza with Garlic Scape Pesto, Mushrooms, Pine Nuts, Italian Sottocenere with Truffle, and Mozzarella Cheeses

Makes 2 10 inch pizzas

2 whole wheat pizza crusts store bought or home made (see my recipe below)

Pesto:
16 garlic scapes

olive oil

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

juice of 2 large lemons

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 cups mushrooms, sliced
4 oz Italian Sottocenere with Truffle or other melting cheese with truffle
4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
a few fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

A good quality pizza stone is essential to a crispy crust. Place the stone on the highest rack in the oven, then crank up the heat as high as possible at least an hour before baking the pizza (but if you don't have a stone, still use the top rack, but you will need to leave the pizza on a sheet pan to bake). Line a sheet pan with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Toss scapes with a little olive oil, and scatter on the pan. Roast for about 10-15 minutes in the hot oven until softened and browned. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.  In a food processor, combine scapes, about a Tbsp olive oil, pine nuts, lemon juice, and sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Process until smooth, adding water if necessary.  In a large non-stick skillet, heat about 1 Tbsp olive oil, and add shallots, cooking until softened about 4 minutes, then add mushrooms and cook until tender and starting to release juices.  Remove from heat.  To assemble pizzas, place one piece of the dough on a piece of parchment paper, spray rolling pin with non-stick spray and roll out as thin as possible (about 10 inches is best) Repeat with other piece of dough using another sheet of parchment. Sprinkle salt and pepper over crust, then spread each with pesto, and scatter over the mushrooms, shallots, then the mozzarella and Sottocenere. Using a pizza peel, or an upside down sheet pan, carefully slide the dough (keeping it on the parchment) into the oven. Bake for about 3-5 minutes, or until crust is starting to brown and cheese is bubbling. Carefully slide the parchment onto a sheet pan or pizza peel to remove from oven. Scatter the basil over the pizza and serve!

Amy's Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Makes 8 10 inch crusts

Crust:

4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp Salt

2 Pkgs rapid-rise yeast

2 cups warm water

To make the dough, in a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the center, pour in the water and then dissolve the yeast in the water. Gradually stir the flour into the water mixture, until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a floured surface, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Oil a large bowl with olive oil, then place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm area, such as near the oven, and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk. When dough has risen, punch down and divide into 8 pieces. You can either freeze the dough in individual portions (just place in ziplock bags and take out the night before you want to use it, then it will be ready to use the next day), or set aside to use right away. If making the recipe above, you will need two crusts.

Roasted Peach Salad with Coconut and Mint

It's a steamy 90 degrees today, so I wanted something refreshing and summery for dinner.  Salad was sounding better and better as I drove home and was sweating up a storm in my car even with the air conditioning on full blast.  Salad it was...and I had bought some wonderful flavorful peaches, so I was thinking that they must be included.  I had a bit of fresh mint as well, and since mint and peaches love each other, the mint was tossed into the mix, as well as a bit of coconut...this was becoming a somewhat tropical combo.  The dressing was a combination of coconut oil, lime, lemon, a dash of ginger and honey...incredibly tasty and of course refreshing and summery!  Not satisfied with simply coconut oil in the dressing, I added some toasted coconut on top of the salad, as well as some pine nuts!  The end result was a wonderful cooling supper fit for a 90 degree summer day!  The coconut and peaches were heavenly...definately something you should try!  Here's the recipe:

Roasted Peach Salad with Coconut and Mint

Serves 2

1 Tbsp coconut oil
2 large fresh peaches, cut into wedges

Dressing:
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey
1 tsp lime zest
1/2 tsp finely minced fresh ginger
sea salt to taste

3 cups mixed lettuces, washed and dried well
1/4 cup mint, cut into chiffonade
1/4 cup toasted large flake coconut
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Toss peach wedges with 1 Tbsp coconut oil, and spread out onto prepared sheet. Roast for about 20-25 minutes, or until soft, and starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cool to room temp. Meanwhile, whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, mint and peaches, and toss with dressing. Divide salad between 2 plates, and top with toasted coconut and pine nuts.