Featured Recipe
Fresh Fruit with Cheese and Peppery Nuts
This salad template is all about using whatever’s in season to play three key roles: sweet-juicy fruit, crunchy-salty nuts, and chewy-fatty cheese. We love a mix of clementines, ricotta salata, and pistachios for winter; Bosc or D’Anjou pears, parmesan, and hazelnuts for fall; persimmon, mild blue cheese, and pecans for spring; and figs, honey toasted walnuts, and Manchego for summer. Ideally, let everything sit for 15 minutes before serving, so the fruit juices can mingle with the dressing on the plate.
Feel free to experiment with your favorite fruit, cheese and spices.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts
- 3 Tbsp (or more) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp (or more) honey
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tsp (or more) rice vinegar, divided
- 6 oz. of semi firm salty cheese
- 1 1/2 lbs ripe fruit
Step 1
- Combine nuts and oil in small skillet and set over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring often, until golden brown - about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and mix in honey; season with salt and lots of pepper.
- Add 1 tsp vinegar. Dressing should be sweet, fatty, lip-smacky and spiced.
- Adjust with more oil, honey, salt, pepper and/or vinegar to taste.
Step 2
- Break up cheese into pieces, or slice thinly.
- Cut fruit into 1/4 inch wedges or rounds, and place on a platter or large plate.
- Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with remaining 1 tsp of vinegar.
- Tuck in pieces of cheese; spoon dressing over.
- Re-heat on low if needed to loosen.
Featured Recipe
Veggistrone Soup
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups chopped onions ( 2 medium)
- 2 cups chopped celery ( 4 stalks)
- 1 cup green bell pepper (1 medium)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups chopped cabbage
- 3 cups chopped cauliflower
- 2 cups chopped carrots (4 medium)
- 2 cups green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 8 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 (15 ounce can) tomato sauce
- 1 (14 ounce can) diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce can) kidney or pinto beans, rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups chopped fresh spinach, or 1 (10 ounce pkg frozen spinach, thawed)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
- 2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Heat oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven (8-quart or larger) over medium heat.
- Add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 13 to 15 minutes.
- dd cabbage, cauliflower, carrots and green beans; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 10 minutes more.
- Add broth, water, tomato sauce, tomatoes, beans and bay leaf; cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Stir in spinach and simmer for 10 minutes more.
- Discard the bay leaf.
- Stir in basil. Top each portion with 1 tablespoon cheese.
Featured Recipe
Cucumber Caesar Salad
Ingredients: (4 servings)
Creamy Caesar Dressing:
- 5 ml (1tsp) fresh garlic, finely minced
- 10 ml (2 tsp|) fresh lemon juice
- 5 ml (1tsp) Dijon mustard
- 30 ml (2 Tbsp) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 30 ml (2 Tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
- 125 ml (1 1/2 Cups) plain Greek yogurt
- 30ml (2 Tbsp) water
- 5ml (1 tsp) white miso (optional), or 1 ml (1/4 tsp) kosher salt
- 1 ml (1/4 tsp) freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
- 12 baby cucumbers, cut into 1.25 cm (1/2 in) diagonal slices
- 15 ml (1 Tbsp) fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Lemon wedges
- Extra-virgin olive oil
To prepare dressing, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth.
For the salad, toss cucumber slices with lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste. Dollop a spoonful of dressing on the bottom of 4 shallow serving bowls, and divide cucumbers evenly on top. Top with another spoonful of dressing. Garnish with lemon wedge, Parmesan shavings, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and a bit of ground pepper.
Featured Recipe
Baked Asparagus & Cheese Frittata
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp fine dry breadcrumbs
- 1 lb thin asparagus
- 1 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 cup water
- Fresh ground pepper to taste
- 4 large eggs
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
- Coat a 10 inch pie pan or quiche dish with cooking spray.
- Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, tapping out excess.
- Snap tough ends off asparagus, slice off top 2 inches and reserve.
- Cut stalks into 1/2 inch long slices.
- Heat oil in large nonstick skillet oer medium-high heat.
- Add onions, bell pepper, garlic and 1/4 tsp salt.
- Cook, stirring until softened - 5 to 7 min.
- Add water and asparagus stalks to skillet.
- Cook, stirring until sparagus is tender and liquid has evaporated - about 7 min.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange vegetables in an even layer in the prepared pan.
- Whisk eggs and egg whites in a large bowl.
- Add ricotta, parsley, remaining 1/4 tsp salt and pepper, and whisk to blend.
- Pour egg mixture over the vegetables, gently shaking pan to distribute.
- Scatter reserved asparagus tips ovr the top and sprinkle with Gruyere.
- Bake the frittata until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean - about 35 min.
- Let stand for 5 min. before serving.
Featured Recipe
Enlightened Miso Power Bowl
INGREDIENTS:
Salad Assembly:
- 1 sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch (1-cm) rounds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7mL) olive oil or coconut oil, melted
- Fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (250mL) uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup (60mL) fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp (5ml) sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 Tbsp (15mL) hemp seeds (optional)
- 1/2 cup (125mL) sprouts (optional)
- Dressing:
- 3 Tbsp (45mL) light miso
- 2 Tbsp (30mL) rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp (15mL) toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp (15mL) tahini
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 Tbsp (15mL) water
- 1 teaspoon (5mL) maple syrup
PREP TIME: 20mins
COOK TIME: 28-30mins
gluten-free, nut-free, refined-sugar-free, soy-free option
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 400⁰F (200⁰) Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sweet potato rounds on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle them with the olive oil, rubbing it on both sides to coat. Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with salt ad pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, then flip the potatoes and roast for 8 to 10 minutes more, until tender and lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, cook the quinoa in 1 1/2 cups (375mL) of water for 15 to 17 minutes, plus 5 minutes of steaming.
- To assemble, divide the cooked quinoa evenly between 2 plates or bowls and season with salt and pepper. Top with the roasted sweet potato rounds, the edamame, carrots, green onion, cilantro, and, if using, the sesame seeds, hemp seeds, and sprouts. Drizzle with the orange-maple miso dressing and enjoy!
