Ingredients
2 tablespoons pitted and finely chopped green or black olives
1 teaspoon capers
3 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
12 French bread slices
2 cloves garlic
Cooking Instructions
1. Mash the olives, capers, 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil and pepper together.
2. Toast the bread on both sides in a toaster oven, under the broiler or on the grill.
3. While the toasted slices are still warm, rub them with garlic and drizzle them with the remaining olive oil on one side.
4. Put a dab of the olive mixture on each slice of bruschetta.
This recipe makes: 12 pieces
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Olive Tapenade Bruschetta Recipe [Recipe Brought to you by FoodFit]
Friday, November 30, 2007
Four-Way Onion Soup
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large Vidalia onions, or other sweet onions, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1 bunch scallions, white parts only, sliced into rounds
4 large shallots, chopped
2 cups chicken broth or beef broth
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
4 slices French bread, toasted
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped chives
Cooking Instructions
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, scallions and shallots. Cook slowly for a long time stirring occasionally until the onions are golden brown, about 1 hour. If the onions get too dry, add water to keep them from burning.
2. Add the broth and lower the heat to simmer for another 15 minutes.
3. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
4. Ladle the soup into 4 deep soup bowls and top with 1 slice of toast and a sprinkle of cheese. Garnish with fresh chives.
This recipe serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Four-Way Onion Soup Recipe [Recipe Brought to you by FoodFit]
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large Vidalia onions, or other sweet onions, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1 bunch scallions, white parts only, sliced into rounds
4 large shallots, chopped
2 cups chicken broth or beef broth
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
4 slices French bread, toasted
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped chives
Cooking Instructions
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, scallions and shallots. Cook slowly for a long time stirring occasionally until the onions are golden brown, about 1 hour. If the onions get too dry, add water to keep them from burning.
2. Add the broth and lower the heat to simmer for another 15 minutes.
3. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
4. Ladle the soup into 4 deep soup bowls and top with 1 slice of toast and a sprinkle of cheese. Garnish with fresh chives.
This recipe serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Four-Way Onion Soup Recipe [Recipe Brought to you by FoodFit]
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Acorn Squash and Apple Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
2 acorn squash, about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds total
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and chopped
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons dry sherry or white wine
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
Cooking Instructions:
1. Cut the acorn squash in half and microwave until tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and apples, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Season lightly with salt and pepper, add the cumin and curry powder and cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Remove the seeds from the squash and discard them. Scoop the squash pulp out of the skin with a spoon and add it to the soup pot along with the sherry or white wine and cook for 2 or 3 minutes more.
5. Puree this mixture in a blender in batches, being careful not to overfill the blender and adding broth as needed. Strain the blended mixture through a colander to remove any remaining fiber or seeds.
6. Reheat the soup and add the remaining broth to adjust the consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Serve the soup in warm bowls with a dollop of sour cream.
This recipe serves: 6 | Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes
Acorn Squash and Apple Soup Recipe [Recipe Brought to you by FoodFit]
2 acorn squash, about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds total
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and chopped
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons dry sherry or white wine
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
Cooking Instructions:
1. Cut the acorn squash in half and microwave until tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and apples, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Season lightly with salt and pepper, add the cumin and curry powder and cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Remove the seeds from the squash and discard them. Scoop the squash pulp out of the skin with a spoon and add it to the soup pot along with the sherry or white wine and cook for 2 or 3 minutes more.
5. Puree this mixture in a blender in batches, being careful not to overfill the blender and adding broth as needed. Strain the blended mixture through a colander to remove any remaining fiber or seeds.
6. Reheat the soup and add the remaining broth to adjust the consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Serve the soup in warm bowls with a dollop of sour cream.
This recipe serves: 6 | Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes
Acorn Squash and Apple Soup Recipe [Recipe Brought to you by FoodFit]
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Matter Paneer Made Simple
Ingredients:
1 large onion, quartered
1 1/2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. whole brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen peas, thawed
3 Tbs. reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 8-oz. pkg. paneer, cut into 1-inch cubes
Directions:
1. Purée onion in food processor.
2. Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, cumin and bay leaf. Cook 1 minute, or until fragrant.
3. Add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned. Stir in tomato sauce, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, salt and paprika. Simmer 10 minutes, or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Add up to 1/2 cup water if sauce is too thick.
4. Stir in peas, sour cream and sugar. Simmer 5 minutes, or until peas are heated through.
5. Fold in paneer, and cook 3 minutes more. Remove bay leaf, and serve hot with basmati rice or naan bread.
Vegetarian Times Issue: October 1, 2006 p.70
Friday, September 28, 2007
Swiss chard and white bean minestrone
Minestrone is a delicious Italian vegetable soup that can be fancy and complex or laid back and unpretentious, like this recipe. The soup is beefed up here by serving ladles of the hot minestrone over thick and garlicky toasted ciabatta to mop up all the goodness. Serves 4.
2 tbs butter
1 onion, chopped
1 small bunch of Swiss chard (about 350g), finely chopped
1l vegetable stock
400g canned cannellini beans, drained but not rinsed and roughly mashed
4 thick slices of ciabatta
2 garlic cloves, halved
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
finely grated parmesan cheese, to serve
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes to soften. Add the Swiss chard and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened. Add the stock and beans and gently bring to the boil. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Toast the ciabatta until golden on both sides. Rub the bread with the cut side of the garlic, then place each one in a serving bowl. Drizzle each piece of bread with olive oil and ladle over the soup. Sprinkle the parmesan on top and serve immediately.
Next time: It's easy to turn this into a satisfying pasta meal. Simply leave out the stock and add 400g cooked pasta shapes to the pan when you add the beans, season well with sea salt and black pepper and stir in some finely grated parmesan cheese for extra flavour.
Swiss chard and white bean minestrone [via Treehugger]
2 tbs butter
1 onion, chopped
1 small bunch of Swiss chard (about 350g), finely chopped
1l vegetable stock
400g canned cannellini beans, drained but not rinsed and roughly mashed
4 thick slices of ciabatta
2 garlic cloves, halved
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
finely grated parmesan cheese, to serve
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes to soften. Add the Swiss chard and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened. Add the stock and beans and gently bring to the boil. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Toast the ciabatta until golden on both sides. Rub the bread with the cut side of the garlic, then place each one in a serving bowl. Drizzle each piece of bread with olive oil and ladle over the soup. Sprinkle the parmesan on top and serve immediately.
Next time: It's easy to turn this into a satisfying pasta meal. Simply leave out the stock and add 400g cooked pasta shapes to the pan when you add the beans, season well with sea salt and black pepper and stir in some finely grated parmesan cheese for extra flavour.
Swiss chard and white bean minestrone [via Treehugger]
Roasted carrots with barley risotto
Barley is a wonderful ingredient - it's so earthy and unprocessed and I like to throw it into all sort of things, such as lamb stews and soups. I've used it here to make a dish much like a risotto, but without all the stirring! Despite seeming an odd couple, miso and parmesan do work well together and give the barley an intensely savoury flavour that's perfect with sweet carrots.Serves 4.
2 tbs light olive oil
12 baby carrots, ends trimmed
2 tbs butter
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled and cut in half
500ml [vegetable] stock
1 tbs light soy sauce
220g barley
1 tbs butter
3 heaped tbs finely grated parmesan cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a frying pan until very hot. Add the carrots and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until golden. If your pan isn't big enough you may need to do this in batches. Add the butter, thyme and garlic to the pan with 125ml water and season with sea salt and black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning often, until the carrots are tender.
Meanwhile, to make the barley risotto, put the stock and soy sauce in a saucepan with 1 litre water and bring to the boil. Add the barley and cook for 45-50 minutes, stirring often, until the barley is soft but not breaking up. Stir in the butter and parmesan. Serve the carrots on top of the barley.
Next time: The carrots could be served hot on a bed of couscous or, left to cool and tossed in a salad with beetroot, toasted pine nuts and a soft cheese.
Roasted carrots with barley risotto [via Treehugger]
2 tbs light olive oil
12 baby carrots, ends trimmed
2 tbs butter
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled and cut in half
500ml [vegetable] stock
1 tbs light soy sauce
220g barley
1 tbs butter
3 heaped tbs finely grated parmesan cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a frying pan until very hot. Add the carrots and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until golden. If your pan isn't big enough you may need to do this in batches. Add the butter, thyme and garlic to the pan with 125ml water and season with sea salt and black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning often, until the carrots are tender.
Meanwhile, to make the barley risotto, put the stock and soy sauce in a saucepan with 1 litre water and bring to the boil. Add the barley and cook for 45-50 minutes, stirring often, until the barley is soft but not breaking up. Stir in the butter and parmesan. Serve the carrots on top of the barley.
Next time: The carrots could be served hot on a bed of couscous or, left to cool and tossed in a salad with beetroot, toasted pine nuts and a soft cheese.
Roasted carrots with barley risotto [via Treehugger]
Spicy red vegetable soup
The colour of this fiery red soup is matched by a pleasing chilli kick, which can be adjusted according to your palate - just add extra chillies as required. Don't be put off by the cooking time - use it as an opportunity to do a few chores. Serves 4
60ml light olive oil
1 tbs soft brown sugar
1 red pepper, chopped
1kg roma or plum tomatoes, quartered
1 red onion
1 large red chilli, deseeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
250ml vegetable... stock
4 slices of rye bread
50g soft goats' cheese
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) Gas 4. Put the olive oil, sugar, pepper, tomatoes, onion, chilli and garlic in a roasting tin, toss everything together and cook in the preheated oven for 2 hours, stirring often, until the vegetables are really soft and starting to turn brown.
Remove the vegetables from the oven. Put the stock in a saucepan and stir in the vegetables. Spoon the mixture, in batches, into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Return the soup to a clean saucepan and cook over a low heat for a few minutes until heated through.
Toast the rye bread and, while it's still warm, spread on the cheese. Float the toast on the soup to serve.
Ross Dobson on autumnal food | The Observer [via Treehugger]
60ml light olive oil
1 tbs soft brown sugar
1 red pepper, chopped
1kg roma or plum tomatoes, quartered
1 red onion
1 large red chilli, deseeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
250ml vegetable... stock
4 slices of rye bread
50g soft goats' cheese
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) Gas 4. Put the olive oil, sugar, pepper, tomatoes, onion, chilli and garlic in a roasting tin, toss everything together and cook in the preheated oven for 2 hours, stirring often, until the vegetables are really soft and starting to turn brown.
Remove the vegetables from the oven. Put the stock in a saucepan and stir in the vegetables. Spoon the mixture, in batches, into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Return the soup to a clean saucepan and cook over a low heat for a few minutes until heated through.
Toast the rye bread and, while it's still warm, spread on the cheese. Float the toast on the soup to serve.
Ross Dobson on autumnal food | The Observer [via Treehugger]
Carrot and lentil soup
You'll need to use a variety of lentils here that will soften to a mush when cooked for a short time. French green lentils, or puy, will not work. Orange or red varieties are what's needed and they also help to create the rich autumnal colour. The taste of this soup belies the simplicity of its ingredients. Carrots can be very sweet and lentils are nutty and wholesome, so they make a perfect pair. For a simple twist on this great recipe, try adding a couple of tablespoons of good-quality curry powder to the onions at the early stage of cooking. Serves 43 tsp butter
1 red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tsp sun-dried tomato purée
500g carrots, grated
250g red lentils, rinsed and drained
1.5l chicken stock
125ml natural yoghurt
a handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Heat the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over high heat. When the butter is sizzling, add the onion and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add the sun-dried tomato purée and stir-fry for one minute. Add the carrots, lentils and stock to the pan and bring to the boil.
Cook at a rapid simmer for 40 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Spoon the soup, in batches, into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
Return the soup to a clean saucepan and cook over a low heat for a few minutes, until heated through.Serve with dollops of yoghurt and the coriander sprinkled on top.
Carrot and lentil soup [via Treehugger.com]
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Baked Orzo with Zucchini
This simple dish comes together in minutes and calls for a light soup or tossed green salad and hot Italian bread with olive oil for dunking. It also makes a great buffet party dish, as it can feed a group when served with other fare. Serves 6.Ingredients:
2 cups dried tri-colored or plain orzo
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsps. minced garlic
1 large leek, thinly sliced
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 cup chunky marinara sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups shredded, low-fat mozzarella
Pizza or Italian spice mix to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lightly oil heatproof baking dish.
2. Heat water in covered saucepan. When at a rapid boil, cook orzo until almost tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium heat and sauté garlic, leeks, and zucchini slices for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
4. Drain orzo and place in baking dish. Stir in marinara sauce, salt, and pepper and spice mix. Top with half the cheese.
5. Arrange zucchini and leek slices on top of orzo, and top with remaining mozzarella. Bake for 15 minutes, or until mozzarella melts. During last 5 minutes, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
Baked Orzo with Zucchini
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