Category Archives: seasons

Roasted Vegetable Soup

Roasted Vegetable Soup With Tomato And Fennel

by gluten free, seasons, tomatoes, winter

As the weather gets chilly and the days get shorter I find an increased desire for soup. Nourishing and warming, soup seems to really hit the spot.  Plus it’s so versatile. Soup is great as a snack, as a meal starter, or in some cases as the meal all by itself. 

This particular roasted vegetable soup is a favorite. After all, who doesn't love tomato soup? But part of what makes this so wonderful is the fennel which gives it a delicious flavor boost. This soup tastes even better the second day, so be sure to make a lot (this recipe doubles or even triples with ease) to ensure you have leftovers.

Roasted Vegetable Soup with Tomato and Fennel
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Ingredients
  1. 1½ lbs. Roma tomatoes, halved
  2. 2 medium red bell peppers, deseeded and quartered
  3. 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
  4. 2 large carrots, cut in half lengthwise
  5. 2 medium shallots, outer skin removed and halved
  6. 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
  7. 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
  8. Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  9. 2 T. fresh thyme leaves
  10. 4 c. organic chicken bone broth
  11. ½ c. full-fat coconut milk
  12. ½ c. fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and set aside
  3. Arrange the tomatoes, red peppers, fennel, carrots, shallots, and garlic in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet
  4. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper, to taste
  5. Toss to combine and sprinkle veggies with fresh thyme leaves
  6. Place baking sheet in preheated oven and roast until vegetables are tender and lightly charred, approximately 20-25 minutes
  7. Transfer the roasted veggies and any juices from the baking sheet to a large soup pot and add the bone broth
  8. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot and and bubbly
  9. Remove from heat
  10. Using an immersion blender, blend contents of the soup pot until completely smooth
  11. Stir in the coconut milk and fresh basil, and serve
  12. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. Safety Tip: If you don’t have a stick or immersion blender, it is possible to use a blenders to process the cooked veggies and liquid. However it is important to be sure your blender lid is vented  properly to prevent the hot liquid from exploding when you turn on the blender.
The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/

Store in the refrigerator for several days. It can also be stored in single-serving containers in the freezer for a quick meal or snack later.

Summer Vegetable Soup - The Ingredient Guru Recipe

Instant Pot Summer Vegetable Soup

by Instant Pot, Instant Pot, seasons, summer, vegetables

I love my Instant Pot

Ever since I got an Instant Pot® (IP) it has become my favorite appliance. I use it so much that I got tired of dragging it up from the cupboard under the counter and now it lives on my kitchen counter full-time.  It gets used regularly for a wide variety of dishes.  That includes for summer meals. 

Just because it's summertime doesn't mean that we should not eat soup. And while there are lots of delicious cold summer soups, like this amazing gazpacho, even hot soups can be a wonderful summertime dish because they take advantage of the season and what's fresh.  Of course just because we want to enjoy summer soups, doesn't mean we want the heat and humidity in our kitchen that comes along with cooking soup. That's where the instant pot is such an amazing kitchen tool. it takes so much less time and therefore adds less heat to the kitchen.

This recipe is so quick and easy to put together that it's sure to become one of your summertime (or anytime) favorites. And one of the best things about it is that it's actually a pretty flexible recipe. Don't have green beans? Use lima beans.  Or asparagus. Don't have zucchini, add mushrooms. You really can add a wide variety of vegetables to this.  (pssst…I've sometimes been known to clean out my crisper drawer by simply throwing a bunch of veggies into the instant pot, following the general proportions of this recipe, adding bone broth, herbs, and letting the IP do it's magic.)

Instant Pot Summer Vegetable Soup
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Ingredients
  1. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  2. 3 cloves garlic, minced
  3. 4 large stalks celery, chopped
  4. 4 large carrots, sliced
  5. 1 medium red onion, chopped
  6. 1 cup green beans, cut into pieces
  7. 1 cup zucchini or summer squash, diced
  8. 8 cups bone broth
  9. 1 pound red potatoes, quartered
  10. 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
  11. 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
  12. 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced
  13. 1 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped
  14. 2 cups fresh baby greens such as kale, spinach or arugula
  15. Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  16. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  17. Parmesan cheese, freshly shaved or grated
Instructions
  1. Add olive oil to liner pot and set function to Sauté
  2. Add garlic, celery, carrots, and onion,
  3. Sauté until onion is wilting and golden in color, approximately 4-5 minutes
  4. Add green beans, zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper
  5. Add bone broth and stir to combine
  6. Put on lid and lock into place, setting the vent to “Sealing”
  7. Set pot to “Manual” for 3 minutes
  8. When cooking time is finished, allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure
  9. Remove lid and add baby greens and lemon juice, stirring to combine well
  10. Serve immediately topped with freshly shaved or grated Parmesan cheese
  11. Enjoy!
The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/

More delicious summer recipes

Here are a few more fabulous summertime recipes

fruit smoothie

Four Delicious Superfood Smoothies For Fall

by breakfast, drinks, Fall, seasons

Superfood Smoothies

While smoothies are certainly more popular during the warmer months of the year, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying them during the Fall season. A superfood smoothie can be a great way to add a nutrient-dense bump to your diet. To increase your nutrition you can simply change the ingredients in your smoothies. This allows you to take advantage of the season by eating those superfoods that are available at this time of year.

Important notes for smoothie making

  • By using bone broth instead of plain ice cubes you’ll be adding a small amount of a wonderful nutrient dense liquid that adds to the health benefits of the smoothies.
  • For added protein in each of the smoothies listed below add 1-2 scoops of collagen powder.  This odorless, flavorless powder is also highly beneficial for gut health but won’t change the delicious flavor of the smoothie.
  • When using almond or coconut milk be sure to read the label and avoid carrageenan. This ingredient, made from a red seaweed, can be highly irritating to the gut.
  • Each recipe below makes 2 servings, if desired you can cut the recipe in half to make just a single serving.
  • If you want to make two servings and save one for later it’s recommended that you freeze the second serving in order to prevent the ingredients from oxidizing. When you are ready to drink it, thaw a little more than halfway (overnight in the fridge should work) and re-blend. The frozen one may have a thicker consistency when blended depending on how much you let it thaw.
Wonderful Walnut Smoothie
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups almond or coconut milk
  2. 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
  3. 2 cups frozen organic wild blueberries
  4. 2 tbsp fresh-ground flax seeds
  5. 2 tbsp organic molasses
  6. 1-2 tsps cinnamon
  7. 4 bone broth cubes
The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/
Cran-Orange Breakfast Boost
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Ingredients
  1. 6 oranges, washed, peeled and sectioned
  2. 2 cups frozen cranberries,
  3. 1 16-ounce bottle cranberry kombucha
  4. 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  5. 6 bone broth cubes
The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/
Almost Pie Smoothie
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Ingredients
  1. 1/3 C gluten-free oats
  2. ½ C pumpkin puree
  3. 1 ½ C organic Greek yogurt
  4. 2 medium organic Fuji apples (about 2 cups)
  5. 1 banana, frozen and broken into pieces
  6. 1 C almond or coconut milk
  7. ¼ t pumpkin pie spice
  8. 6 bone broth cubes
The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/
Carrot Cake Smoothie
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Ingredients
  1. 1 frozen banana, broken into chunks
  2. ¼ cup shredded carrots
  3. 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  4. 1- 1½ tsp cinnamon (to taste)
  5. generous pinch nutmeg
  6. 1 C organic yogurt
  7. ½ C almond or coconut milk
  8. ¼ t ginger
  9. 4 bone broth cubes
The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/

More great Fall recipes

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Three Delicious Pumpkin Recipes For Fall

by drinks, nutrients, seasons, super foods, vegetarian, , , , ,

It’s that time of year when the days are getting shorter, the temperatures are dropping, and all those scrumptious, warming, Fall foods are appearing at your grocery store. This includes pumpkin, one of my favorite, most versatile vegetables. Fabulous in soups, baked goods, as a side vegetable, and even as a snack using the seeds. Pumpkins are so tasty that I find it surprising how in the United States we spend nearly $600 million on pumpkins just to carve them up for Halloween and then discard them. They’re so nutritious and delicious that I think we should all be eating more of them.

Superfood Benefits of Pumpkin

 

Qualifying as a superfood, pumpkins are a wonderful source of potassium, vitamin A, a good source of vitamin C, and also provide quite a bit of fiber. Health-wise, due in part to their high antioxidant status, studies show pumpkin may be supportive in decreasing the risk of cancer. They’re also believed to help with improving insulin regulation, lowering blood pressure, providing lignans (which can have an antimicrobial benefit), and consuming pumpkin may even be helpful for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

It’s not just the flesh of the pumpkin that’s good for you. The seeds also have health benefits. Helpful for cholesterol metabolism and in addition to being a good source of protein, the seeds also deliver tryptophan, manganese, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, and zinc. All of this goes a long way towards making pumpkins and their seeds something you definitely want to add to your nutritional plan.

Pumpkin Recipes

 

While almost everyone is familiar with pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread, and possibly even pumpkin soup, there’s so much more you can do with them.  Here are a few delicious ways to add more pumpkin to your Fall menu and bump up your nutrition.

Pumpkin Hummus

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Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 15 oz can organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
  • 15 ounces pumpkin puree
  • juice of 2 lemons (about 4 tablespoons)
  • 1/3 cup virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup tahini paste
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1 1/2 tsp sea salt 
  • 2-4 Tbsp chickpea liquid, as needed for consistency

Instructions
 

  • Blend all ingredients except salt and liquid together
  • If needed, add chickpea liquid 1 Tablespoon at a  time for smoothness and consistency
  • Once fully blended add salt to taste
  • Best served at room temperature

Pumpkin Alfredo

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound gluten-free tagliatelle (my preferred brand is Jovial)|
  • 2 Tbsp organic butter
  • 2 Tbsp gluten-free flour
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced finely
  • 4 cups organic milk
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp finely minced rosemary
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes (to taste)
  • sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
  • shaved parmesan for topping
  • minced rosemary for topping

Instructions
 

  • Cook, drain, and lightly rinse pasta
  • Heat butter in a saucepan, add flour and whisk until combined
  • Add garlic, pepper, rosemary, and milk, reduce heat
  • Whisk all ingredient together until fully combined
  • Add pasta to the sauce and combine, coating noodles well
  • Garnish with extra minced rosemary and shaved parmesan

Superfood Pumpkin Shake

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Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree, cold, not freshly cooked
  • 2 bananas
  • ½ cup plain organic Greek yogurt (full fat if possible)
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (avoid carrageenan)
  • 2 tbsp protein powder
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp ground flax seeds
  • 1 tsp bee pollen granules
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 cups ice

Instructions
 

  • Blend well until fully combined
  • If needed add extra liquid to fully blend ingredients together

 

For a few more Fall posts be sure to check these out:

Do You Have Oral Allergy Syndrome?

by environment, food intolerance, health, immune system, seasons,

You wake up in the morning and you brush your teeth then wash your face with your all natural face wash.  You’re in a hurry to get out the door for work but know you need to at least try to eat something, so you grab a ripe peach, or my favorite a crisp apple, to eat on the way to work.  You take a few bites and then it starts, your mouth gets itchy and your tongue starts to burn.  You start to think, “Was there something in my toothpaste?  Maybe I got some of the facewash in my mouth?  I think I would have known that.”

While there are real concerns with the products we use for our oral hygiene, there is another concern that may not have crossed your mind, pollen food syndrome, also known as PFS. 

What is PFS?

PFS is an allergic response marked by severe itching of the skin of the lips and mouth that can come with swelling or tenderness in and around the mouth or lips. 

PFS, also known as oral allergy syndrome, OAS, is distinct from another condition affecting the lips and mouth, burning mouth syndrome, or BMS. 

The difference between the two conditions is the cause of the itching and burning.  In BMS, the symptoms can be caused by a variety of things such as a systemic issue like diabetic nerve damage, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal changes, psychological disorders or from other causes like chemotherapy, neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, simple mouth infections like cold sores, or a candida infection.

When the condition is BMS the issue can sometimes be resolved by removal of the causative factor, such as changing to a different brand of toothpaste if the is caused by a specific chemical in it, such as sodium lauryl sulfate. In the case of systemic causes, dietary changes and treating any nutritional deficiencies can help to solve the overarching issue. In PFS the cause is from an antibody cross-reaction with proteins in the problem food. 

For our immune system to work properly, a protein on a bacteria needs to be recognized by our immune system.  Once recognized, our immune system can then identify and go to work attacking the problem organism.  The issue in PFS, like all allergies, comes when your body starts to recognize proteins as problematic when it shouldn’t.

Fortunately, unlike other food allergies, PFS is rarely life-threatening, though this fact won’t comfort someone who suffers from PFS.  A diagnosis of PFS is typically done on a case by case basis and those with PFS often have a history of hay fever with skin tests to the pollens or foods in question.

Due to the need to rule out other causative factors, people typically don’t get diagnosed until they have a medical history documenting issue. This explains why children are often undiagnosed. Some doctors will look at total or specific IgE antibodies to try and confirm an immune response and to rule out other factors.

How is PFS different?

While the itching, pain, and discomfort from PFS may seem like BMS, there are important differences.  One of these differences is that those who suffer from PFS often have an allergy to something else such as a classic food allergy, or an allergy to pollen. 

Another factor is that in people with PFS, the trigger foods typically come when raw food is consumed, and sufferers don’t have the same reaction when the food is cooked.  If you reacted to a raw apple or peach, you typically don’t get the same reaction to a cooked fruit dessert such as an apple or peach pie. This is because the proteins that cause the reaction in the food are not heat tolerant.  When these foods are cooked, the proteins will start to break down and thus won’t result in an immune response because our body is no longer able to recognize these proteins it thinks are harmful. 

PFS is often seen in people who have cross-reactions to birch, grass, or ragweed pollens.  People who are sensitized to birch pollen often cross-react with apple, pears, carrots, or celery and those sensitized with grass pollen will often cross-react with celery and carrots. There is concern that pesticides applied to plants may increase the expression of cross-reactive proteins in plants.  This means that eating clean foods and minimizing the chemicals in our environment can go a long way in terms of prevention PFS prevention.   

The Cross Reactors

Tree Pollen (typically birch and alder)

Fruits: Apple, apricot, cherry, fig, kiwi, lychee, nectarine, pear, plum, peach, prune, persimmon, strawberry

Vegetables: Beans, carrot, celery, green pepper, potato, parsnip, peas

Nuts: Almond, hazelnut, walnut

Spices: Anise, basil, dill, caraway, chicory, coriander, cumin, fennel, marjoram, oregano, parsley, paprika, pepper, tarragon, thyme

Other foods: Lentils, peanut, soybean, sunflower seeds

Grass

Fruits: Date, fig, kiwi, melons, orange, tomato, watermelon

Vegetables: Peas, potato

Other foods: Peanut

Mugwort (More common in Europe and Asia)

Fruits: Apple, melons, orange, peach, tomato, watermelon

Vegetables: Carrot, celery, green pepper, onion, parsnip

Other foods: Chamomile, sunflower seeds

Ragweed (pollinates in autumn)

Fruits: Banana, melons (e.g. cantaloupe, honeydew), watermelons

Vegetables: Cucumbers, zuchhini

At a glance

What to do if you have PFS?

If you suspect you have, or have been diagnosed with, PFS one of the first things you may be told is that there is no treatment available and to simply avoid the food that is causing the reaction. 

As mentioned above, cooked foods don’t result in the same reaction most of the time. When the food is from a fruit like an apple, you can also remove the skin as a way to weaken or remove the reaction.  The reason removing the skin works for some foods is because the skin often contains more protein than the rest of the food. 

When you remove the skin, you also take the problem causing proteins with it.  This should be done with caution though because fruits and vegetables can contain different amounts of the problematic protein depending on the conditions the food was grown in or how ripe it is. This means that removing the skin of one type of apple might not work while it may for another. 

It’s been estimated that 47-70% of people who suffer from allergic rhinitis also have PFS.  So if you have seasonal allergies it may be worth finding out if you have minor PFS symptoms that have gone unnoticed.

[expand title="Sources"] 

Allergic Living. (2010). Oral Allergy: Plants, Foods That Cross-React.  Retrieved from: https://allergicliving.com/2010/08/30/the-cross-reactors/

Coculescu, E. C., Ţovaru, Ş., & Coculescu, B. I. (2014). Epidemiological and etiological aspects of burning mouth syndrome. Journal of Medicine & Life, 7(3), 305-309Hofmann, A., & Burks, A. W. (2008). Pollen food syndrome: update on the allergens. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports, 8(5), 413-417.

Ludman, S., et al. (2016). Pollen food syndrome amongst children with seasonal allergic rhinitis attending allergy clinic. Pediatric Allergy & Immunology, 27(2), 134-140. doi:10.1111/pai.12504

Ivković-Jureković, I. (2015). Oral allergy syndrome in children. International Dental Journal, 65(3), 164-168. doi:10.1111/idj.12164

Portnoy, J. (2015). IgE in clinical allergy and allergy diagnosis. World Allergy Organization. Retrieved from: http://www.worldallergy.org/professional/allergic_diseases_center/ige/

Rivinius, C. (2009). Burning mouth syndrome: Identification, diagnosis, and treatment. Journal of The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 21(8), 423-429. doi:10.1111/j.1745-7599.2009.00424.x

Seto, C. (2010) OAS- When raw food is forbidden.  Allergic Living. Retrieved from: https://allergicliving.com/2010/07/02/oral-allergy-syndrome-a-life-without-fruit/

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Three One-Pot French Dishes Every Cook Should Know

by seasons

Coq au Vin, Beef Bourguignon and Cassoulet the Ingredient Guru Way

Most classic French dishes are simple, rustic fare prepared well. Dishes such as cassoulet, beef Bourguignon and coq au vin have a gourmet air to them in the States, but in the French countryside, they're about as common as fried chicken and mashed potatoes are in the American South. And best of all? They require just one pot to make.

Delicious anytime, these dishes are especially warming and nourishing in the Fall and Winter months when we enjoy seasonal foods and hearty dishes. It goes without saying that for optimal nutrition ingredients should be fresh and organic. The better quality the ingredients that you start with the more delicious and nutritious your dish will turn out.

COQ AU VIN

Start to finish: 1 hour, 30 minutes | Prep time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  • 8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
  • Kosher or sea salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, duck fat or schmaltz, plus more as needed
  • 2 Spanish onions, roughly chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
  • 1 medium stick celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 or 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 3 cups button mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed (reserve stems for vegetable stock)
  • 3/4 cup dry red wine
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 parsley sprigs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons parsley, freshly chopped

Directions:

  1. Season the chicken thighs to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a tall, heavy-bottomed pan on the stove over medium heat.
  2. Add the chicken thighs and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Set the chicken aside.
  3. Add the other 2 tablespoons tablespoon of butter to the pan. Add onions, carrots and celery and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add a little more butter to the pan if needed.
  4. Add the tomato paste, stir everything together and continue cooking until the tomato paste turns a rusty color, about 3 minutes.
  5. Next, add the garlic and mushrooms. Season the mushrooms to taste and cook until most of their water cooks off, about 7 minutes.
  6. Add the wine to the pan while scraping the bottom with a spatula. Add the broth, thyme sprigs, parsley sprigs and bay leaf to the pan. Return the chicken to pan and bring everything to a simmer.
  7. Simmer the coq au vin uncovered until the chicken pulls away freely from the bone, 45 minutes to 1 hour. During cooking, spoon the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid and discard.
  8. Taste the coq au vin and season it as needed with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley before serving. Pair the coq au vin with a bold, dry red wine and serve over mashed potatoes.

 

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Start to finish: 1 hour, 30 minutes | Prep time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients:

4 slices thick-cut, naturally cured bacon, roughly chopped

2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-½ inch cubes

Sea salt or kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 Spanish onions, roughly chopped

1 medium carrot, roughly chopped

1 medium stick celery, roughly chopped

2 or 3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 cups button mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

1 teaspoon flour (gluten free does work here)

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1/2 cup Burgundy or other dry red wine

1 ½ cups beef broth or chicken broth

2 sprigs parsley

2 sprigs thyme sprigs

2 sprigs rosemary

1 bay leaf

1 to 2 tablespoons parsley, freshly chopped

Directions:

Cook the bacon over medium-low heat until the fat renders out, about 12 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Season the beef to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Increase the heat to medium and brown the beef in the rendered bacon fat. Set the beef aside.

Add the onions, carrots and celery to the pan and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms to the pan.

Cook the garlic and mushrooms until most of their water evaporates, about 7 minutes. Add the flour and tomato paste to the vegetables and stir to coat. Cook until the tomato paste turns a rusty color, about 3 minutes.

Add the wine to the pan while scraping the bottom with a spatula. Add the broth, thyme, parsley, rosemary and bay leaf to the pan and bring everything to a simmer.

Return the beef to the pan and cover. Turn the heat on the stove to low and cook until the beef is tender, at least one 1 hour. Spoon the fat from the top of the cooking liquid as needed.

Garnish the beef bourguignon with freshly chopped parsley. Pair the dish with your favorite Burgundy and gluten free noodles (my favorite is Jovial tagliatelli).

 

Cassoulet

Start to finish: 1 hour, 30 minutes | Prep time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons bacon fat, schmaltz or duck fat
  • 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
  • 1 carrot roughly chopped
  • 2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 pound naturally cured kielbasa, thinly sliced
  • 2 ¼ cups plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 3 ½ cups Great Northern beans, cooked to al dente, or 2 cans Great Northern beans
  • 1 ½ cups skinless chicken breasts, diced
  • 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • Sea salt or kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat the fat in a large pan on the stove over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic.
  2. Continue cooking until aromatic with garlic, about 3 minutes. Add the kielbasa and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the tomatoes, broth, wine, beans, chicken and thyme. Bring the cassoulet to a simmer.
  4. Simmer the cassoulet until thickened, about 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.

 

What’s In Season

by fruit, seasons, Uncategorized, vegetables

We're about to shift seasons again.  That means a whole new influx of fresh fruits and vegetables that are typically grown at this time of year.  While many of us are able to afford to eat whatever we want whenever we want it, we miss out by not eating seasonally.  By choosing to eat produce when it grows we are often able to get food that is more nutritious, that tastes better, and potentially is grown closer to home.

(more…)

Five Fabulous Fall Foods

by fruit, seasons, vegetables

Summer, that season of fresh salads, greens, berries, and melons all bursting with healthful vitamins and nutrients, has passed. Autumn, however, also please our palates, providing us with different gifts of nature. There are many seasonal fruits and vegetables, which are just as tasty as summer while delivering different health benefits. Here are some fabulous fall foods (depending on your location) and their health benefits.

Tomatoes – This berry provides high lycopene content, that rare plant pigment which imparts their red color to tomatoes and other fruits . According to several studies lycopene can prevent cancer, lower cholesterol, and appears to protect us from harmful ultraviolet radiation. In addition to lycopene, tomatoes are high in potassium, fiber and vitamin C, helps to strengthen the immune system before the influenza season.

Cabbage – High in fiber, which supports digestion, can lower cholesterol, and provides cardio-protective benefits, cabbage is also rich in antioxidants which can protect the body against many types of cancer (including breast, prostate and ovarian cancers). Another benefit of this versatile benefit is that cabbage juice has long been known for it's healing effects on stomach ulcers.

Persimmon – Another berry, persimmons are high in fiber, and antioxidants. They also provide vitamins A, C, D, iron, potassium, calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese, and iodine. Persimmons can provide a fair number of health benefits from lowering blood pressure to being cardioprotective to it's anti-tumor benefits. However, persimmons are also high in glucose and sucrose making them a poor choice for those suffering from diabetes.

Turnips – A root vegetable containing potassium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, sodium, iodine and manganese, turnips are anti-cancerous while their high fiber content make them a great choice to lower cholesterol and support a healthy digestive system. One of the great things about turnips are that you can eat the greens as well as the roots, making them a versatile food to add to your diet. And those greens are just as loaded with nutrients as the roots, containing vitamins A, C, K, and folate. Turnip greens are even high in calcium making them a good choice to support bone health.

Beetroot – Another root vegetable which has edible greens, beets are highly anti-inflammatory and support detoxification in the body. Beetroot is high in folate, manganese, fiber, potassium, and vitamin C while the greens are a great source of lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytonutrients which are especially supportive of eye health. While almost all products can be found in stores throughout the year, for freshness and higher nutritional content it is important to eat seasonally.

Adding these autumnal foods to your diet is not only tasty and easy, it's also good for you.

Korah Morrison has been working as a freelance writer for over 2 years. She writes essays on various topics at Essay-Point.com and loves her work.

photo:  Jean-Pol Grandmont

august produce guide

August Is Peachy

by fruit, recipes, seasons, summer,

August is National Peach Month. In season and amazingly fragrant, it's difficult to walk past peaches, whether at a farmer's market or in the grocery store, without being tempted to purchase a few. Peaches are a good source of vitamin C and A. They also provide a fair amount of potassium, beta-carotene (which becomes vitamin A), and fiber.  When they are ripe and juicy they are also very hydrating.

There are many different ways to use peaches and to enjoy them. While they're certainly delicious just the way they are, they're also amazing when paired with a good cheese, a dollop of yogurt, or even grilled as part of a barbeque menu.

This particular recipe is one our our summertime favorites and it comes from my mom.  It's simple and so easy to put together. It makes a perfect dessert after just about any meal.

Frenchtown Cobbler

The biscuit topping is modified from a July 1997 issue of Gourmet magazine, while the filling is modified from one found in the July/August 1996 Cook's Illustrated.
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Ingredients
  

  • Topping:
  • 5 Tablespoons cold unsalted organic butter
  • 1 cup Pamela's baking mix
  • 2 Tablespoons organic yellow cornmeal
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup organic whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • Filling:
  • 3-4 peaches, peel, pit, and slice thick
  • 2 cups blackberries, rinsed
  • mix 2 teaspoons organic cornstarch
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon brandy
  • toss with fruit to coat

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
  • Cut butter into pieces
  • In a bowl with a pastry blender or in a food processor blend or pulse together baking mix, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal
  • If using a food processor transfer to a bowl
  • Add milk and vanilla and stir until the mixture forms a dough
  • Drop topping by rounded spoonfuls onto filling (do not completely cover it) and bake in the middle of the oven 40 minutes, or until topping is golden and cooked through.
  • Serve with ice cream or lightly whipped cream

More delicious summer recipes

Here are a few more fabulous summertime recipes

Persimmon Raisin Muffins

by baking, fruit, recipes, seasons, vegetarian, , ,

It's persimmon season!  I love these tasty little fruits, with their rich fragrant scent and amazing flavor. Luckily for me, there is a pick your own place not too far away.  Each year I go and pick pounds and pounds of them.  I eat as many as I can before they get so ripe and so soft that they are in danger of sliding out of the fruit bowl and off the counter.  They have to be pretty soft before they are ripe enough to eat so this window is pretty small.

When I get to this point I turn the rest into pulp to store in the freezer.  This allows me to make cakes, cookies, and other persimmon delights for as long as the supply lasts. Apparently you can make jam from persimmons but I somehow never seem to get around to doing that.  I'm also not sure if I would use it as I'm currently the only one in the house who likes persimmons.

One of my favorite things to bake with persimmons are these muffins.  They're a great treat with a rich dark flavor that is so reminiscent of the crisp fall weather.  I'm sure they would freeze well but somehow they've never lasted long enough for me to test that theory.

Persimmon Raisin Muffins

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Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup persimmon pulp
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup sucanat
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F
  • Grease loaf pans
  • Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt
  • In a separate bowl beat egg, add persimmon pulp and sucanat
  • Add vanilla, raisins and pecans
  • Add sifted ingredients and mix well
  • Spoon into greased muffin tins
  • Bake 15 minutes or until tops spring back when tapped
  • Remove from oven and cool in tins 3-4 minutes before moving to wire rack
  • Finish cooling on wire rack