It’s been so long since I posted a recipe. With the season of fall underway, it seems like the right time to start thinking about those indoor recipes. Since in our home, we won’t be grilling quite so often, we are beginning to crave soups and stews. Not only do they provide warmth to our bodies, but they provide rich smells that fill up the house with yummy goodness.

As the snow fell yesterday here in Colorado’s front range, we craved something warm and hearty. Here is the version of split pea soup I made for our family last night–it turned out great. Whether you use my recipe or one from your own family, be sure to start incorporating soups and stews into your diet. Our bodies crave them in fall and winter and they are a great way to stretch our food dollars. I always make enough for two meals. Whether we serve it for lunch the next day or another dinner, it saves me time and money.

For a nice large pot of soup that can feed a family of four two meals here’s my quantities:

BELLISIMA’S SPLIT PEA SOUP

3 cups split peas, rinsed and drained
6-8 large carrots, diced
1 bunch celery, diced
4-5 small russet potatoes, in small cubes
1 yellow onion, diced
2-3 bay leaves (personal preference)
1/2-1 teaspoon dry thyme (personal preference)
salt and pepper to taste
9 cups water

Put all ingredients into a large pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and allow to simmer until peas are softened and soup takes on a creamy texture (2-3 hours).

Serve with a side salad and fresh bread.

As an alternative, serve with a side of brown rice (I like to add my brown rice into the soup, giving it a “crunchier” texture).

Bon apetito!

I came across this recipe from Pamela Salzman’s website, Pamela Salzman Kitchen Matters. I haven’t yet made it but plan to head to the store and pick up the veggies so I can prepare it for our family tonight. It looks and sounds wonderful–lots of hearty and healthy ingredients!

Here are some of Pamela’s comments regarding this recipe: “The recipe is an adaptation of my mother’s beef and barley soup, which was great, but these days we’re limiting our beef consumption and upping the veggies. To make up for the meat, I use lots of shiitake mushrooms and finish off the soup with a bit of shoyu, a naturally fermented soy sauce which is way better for you than chemically treated, flash-processed soy sauce. Of course you can use any mix of mushrooms you like, but I am crazy about shiitakes, not only because they have a lower water content and deeper flavor than button mushrooms, but also because they are tops in immune-boosting compounds. There’s no better time than flu season to boost your immunity!”

“This soup is a breeze to put together and easily adaptable to different intolerances. For the gluten-free folks, I substitute Lundberg’s wild rice blend for the barley and wheat-free tamari for the shoyu. It’s obviously a different soup, but just as tasty. Vegetarians and vegans can use vegetable stock or water in place of the chicken or turkey stock. If you are making your own vegetable stock, add a bunch of mushrooms to it to give the soup more depth.”

Whether you follow the recipe as originally written or make adaptations for a gluten-free version, this looks like a wonderful recipe for keeping bodies strong during the winter months! Bon apetito!

MUSHROOM-BARLEY SOUP WITH KALE
Serves 6

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon unrefined, cold pressed olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
3/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps wiped clean with a damp paper towel and slice thinly
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup hulled barley (or wild rice blend)
8 cups (2 quarts) chicken, turkey or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups stemmed, chopped kale
3 Tablespoons shoyu or wheat-free tamari

1. Melt butter and olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery to pot and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
2. Place mushrooms in the pot and saute until softened, about 8 minutes.
3. Add thyme and barley. Stir to coat. Add stock and salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes until the barley is tender (if you’re using the wild rice blend, you will need to simmer it for 50 minutes.)
4. Add the kale and shoyu and cook until the kale is wilted, but still bright green, about 8 minutes. Pull out the thyme stems and taste for salt and pepper.

Now that we’ve entered the fall season (and in the Colorado front range, we’ve just hit the first few nighttime temperatures dropping into the 20s and 30s), it’s time for heartier foods. Since I have a wonderful head of organic cauliflower in my frig right now, I’m posting what I’ll be preparing with it tonight. It comes from Family Friendly Food via my Door to Door Organics website! This dish is intended to be a side dish; however, if you’re vegetarian or a flexitarian, feel free to serve it as a main course along with a grain dish made with ingredients such as couscous, quinoa, or arborio rice (risotto). Along with a salad, you’ve got a wonderful array of healthy and tasty foods for your dinnertime meal. Bon appetito!

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH APPLES AND RED ONION
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 cauliflower – core removed and separated into little florets
1/2 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch think slices
1 large unpeeled apple, cored and coarsely diced
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons dried cranberries or currants
1/4 cup parsley or dill, coarsely chopped

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 F degrees (230 C).
2. Toss the cauliflower, onion, apple, olive oil, and salt together in a baking dish and spread out into a single layer.
3. Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the edges of the cauliflower begin to brown. Add the cranberries/currants and continue to bake for about 10 minutes longer, stirring halfway through.
4. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

This recipe came to me via Door to Door Organics, my weekly delivery service of fresh (and mainly local) produce. Door to Door Organics posted this recipe courtesy of www.allrecipes.com and now I pass it along. We will be having this Friday night for dinner. I will be replacing the chicken broth with vegetable broth since almost everyone in my household is now vegetarian! Bon apetito!

GREEN RISOTTO WITH FAVA BEANS (Serves 4)
Courtesy of allrecipes.com

By: DJFoodie “I can’t stress enough how much better this is if it is stirred constantly. If one’s arm gets tired, switch arms. Taste the rice for doneness before serving. Nothing worse than a plate of crunchy risotto. Try it, and you will find it is well worth it!”

Ingredients:
1/2 pound fresh, unshelled fava beans
4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Method:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, shell the favas and discard the pods (preferably in your compost). Boil the favas for 4 minutes, strain and then immediately plunge into ice water. Let cool for 2 minutes, then pierce the favas and squeeze them out of their skins. Separate 3/4 of the favas and puree in a food processor.
2. In a separate large saucepan bring the broth to a simmer and keep it hot. Meanwhile, in another large saucepan over medium heat, melt 1.5 tablespoons of the butter and add the onions. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes; do not brown the onions. Add the rice and cook, while stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine, increase the heat to medium, and stir constantly. When the wine has been absorbed, add a little of the hot stock. Once the stock is absorbed, add a little more; repeat this process, stirring constantly, until the rice is cooked through.
3. To the cooked rice add the pureed favas, the remaining 1.5 tablespoons of butter, the rest of the favas and the cheese. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter and cheese melt and the puree is incorporated evenly. Season with salt.

It’s been awhile since I posted a recipe–it’s long overdue. In Whole Foods’ latest coupon magazine, quinoa is being highlighted. I love quinoa as a breakfast food, in place of bulgar wheat when I make tabouli, and in place of rice as a side dish. An article on Whole Foods’ website states, “Quinoa, which is actually a small dried seed, has been cultivated for thousands of years in South America. This little powerhouse has the highest protein content of any other grain. And since it contains all eight essential amino acids, quinoa is considered a complete protein. It also delivers fiber, iron, magnesium, calcium and vitamins A and E.”

The following recipe comes from Whole Foods and works great as either a main or side dish. It is quick to prepare and tastes wonderful! If you haven’t experienced quinoa before, this is a great way to enjoy it for the first time. Bon apetito!

ZESTY QUINOA WITH BROCCOLI AND CASHEWS
Serves 4

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a high-protein, gluten-free ancient grain that cooks much like rice and has a texture similar to couscous. Combined with lemon, onions, wine, cashews and sun-dried tomatoes, you’ll enjoy a carnival of flavors and textures. For a delicious vegan entrée, add some baked tofu chunks.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
Salt to taste
1 cup small broccoli florets
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup roasted cashew pieces
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Heat oil over medium heat in a medium pot. Add onions and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Stir in quinoa and salt. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Arrange broccoli on top of quinoa, cover and simmer for an additional 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper, transfer to plates and serve garnished with cashews and green onions.