Tropical Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Tropical Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

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1 15 ounce can coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 banana, sliced

1/4 cup mango, diced

1/4 cup almonds, chopped and toasted

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the coconut milk, vanilla, and salt to a simmer.

2. Add the quinoa to the milk and bring to a light boil.

3. Put the lid on the quinoa and turn the heat to low.

4. Simmer the quinoa on low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until it has reached a creamy porridge consistency.

5. Pour orange juice into bowls, spoon into bowls, and top with bananas, mango, and almonds. Serve hot

Curried Carrot Lentil Soup

Curried Carrot Lentil Soup

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2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped

3 large stalks celery, chopped

2 leeks, white and light green only, chopped

1/3 lemon, chopped (both peel and segments)

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin, more to taste

1 teaspoon ground cardamom, more to taste

2 teaspoons garam masala, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, more to taste

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste

1/2 pound red lentils

8 cups vegetable broth or water, more as needed

Salt and pepper

Cilantro, chopped, garnish

1. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.

2. Stir in the carrots, celery, leeks, lemon and garlic, along with the cumin, cardamom, garam masala, smoked paprika and cayenne.

3. Cook, stirring frequently until the vegetables are softened and the spices are aromatic, 6 to 8 minutes.

4. Stir in the lentils and broth, and bring to a boil over high heat.

5. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, loosely cover and cook until the vegetables and lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.

6. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Puree the soup either using a hand blender or in batches using a food processor.

8. Check the soup for consistency, adding additional liquid if desired to thin.

9. Taste and adjust the spices and seasonings if desired.

10.  Ladle soup into a bowl and garnish with cilantro.

Black Bean and Chocolate Chili

Black Bean and Chocolate Chili

You can make this hotter or milder if you like.   I tend to add a little more heat.  I made this for a chili fundraiser at my old teahouse. It went well.  

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3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups chopped onions

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 carrot, diced

3 jalapeno chiles, minced

2 tablespoons cumin

4 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 pinches ground cloves

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste

3 cups chopped red bell peppers

8 cups of cooked black beans

2 tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

cheddar cheese or sour cream or scallions, for serving

1. Sauté onions, garlic, celery, carrot, and chilies in oil for 5-10 minutes.

2. Add spices, bell peppers, beans, and tomatoes and simmer for about 30-45 minutes.

3. Add water to achieve desired consistency.

4. Add lime juice, soy sauce and chocolate 10 minutes before serving.

5. Garnish with cheese, sour cream and/or scallions.

Barley Minestrone

Barley Minestrone

When the weather gets nicer I will be posting salad recipes, but is starting to get real cold here in the upper midwest. All I can think about is warm, hearty and comforting food. 

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1 cup pearl barley

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced

2 large carrots, each cut lengthwise in half, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

2 large celery stalks, diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 cups water

4 cups vegetable broth

1  tomato, diced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 cup green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup fresh basil leaves, firmly packed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup Romano cheese, freshly grated

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1. Heat large soup pot oven over medium-high heat until hot.

2. Add barley and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring constantly.

3. Transfer barley to small bowl; set aside.

4. In the same pot, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot.

5. Add cabbage, carrots, celery, and onion; cook 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

6. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds or until fragrant.

7. Stir in barley, water, broth, tomatoes, and salt.

8. Cover and heat to boiling over high heat.

9. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 25 minutes.

10. Stir zucchini and beans into barley mixture; increase heat to medium and cook, covered, 10 to 15 minutes longer or until all vegetables and barley are tender.

11. In a food processor, combine basil, oil, water, and salt; cover and blend until mixture is pureed.

12. Transfer pesto to small bowl; stir in Romano and garlic.

13. Makes about 1/2 cup pesto.

14. Ladle minestrone into 6 large soup bowls.

15. Top each serving with some pesto.

Creamy Lentil Soup

Creamy Lentil Soup

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1 cup lentils

7 cups vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

4 zucchini, diced

4 Roma tomatoes halved and seeded

2 large red bell peppers, seeded and diced

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp marjoram 

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sour cream, garnish

green onions, minced, garnish

1. In a medium sized pot put the lentils, bay leaf and 3 cups of the vegetable broth.

2. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are cooked.

3. Meanwhile, put a rack in the center of the oven. 

4. Preheat oven to 450°F.

5. On a baking sheet, mix all veggies, thyme, marjoram, balsamic vinegar and oil. 

6. Add salt and pepper. 

7. Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes until the veggies are tender, stirring a few times during cooking. 

8. Remove skin from the tomatoes and cut in dice.

9. In a saucepan, bring to boil the rest of the vegetable broth, veggies, and lentils. 

10. Let simmer about 5 minutes or until veggies and lentils are very tender. 

11. In a blender, reduce the soup to a creamy puree. 

12. Add more stock if needed. Adjust seasoning.

13.  Ladle soup into bowl and garnish with sour cream, green onions and freshly ground black pepper.

Tuscan Tortellini Vegetable Soup

Tuscan Tortellini Vegetable Soup

A nice hearty soup for those colder days where you want to grab your favorite blanket and eat away the chill in the air. If the soup will be used for a few days then you may want to cook the tortellini separately and add as needed.  Also if the soup is not used in one sitting you may want to add the spinach to each bowl and ladle the soup over it.

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped carrots 

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion

1 cup chopped celery 

2 cups chopped green beans, about 1-inch pieces

2 cups chopped zucchini 

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups of vegetable broth

4 cups of tomatoes, diced

1 tsp each dried basil and rosemary, crushed

1/2 tsp dried thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 (9 oz) package 3-cheese tortellini

3 cups packed spinach

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated for serving

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

2. Add carrots, onions, and celery and saute 3 minutes.

3. Add green beans and saute 3 minutes longer.

4. Add zucchini and garlic and saute 1 more minute.

5. Pour in broth and tomatoes.

6. Add basil, rosemary, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium and allow to boil 8 minutes.

8. Add tortellini and boil 5-7 minutes longer (If a more brothy soup is desired, then boil pasta separately from soup then add at the end). 

9. Stir in spinach and serve.

10. Serve warm topped with Parmesan cheese.

Spicy Root Vegetable with Tomatoes Soup

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Wanted to make soup so I put in a bunch of root vegetables on hand.  If the soup is not thick enough for your liking put in some cooked brown rice into the bowl when you heat it up.  This is what ended up happening after the first eating.  

1 tablespoon hot oil

1 white onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 sweet potato, chopped

3 medium potatoes, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

16 cups of vegetable broth

2 bay leaves

2 tbls. dried lemon

2 tsp. dried marjoram

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp. basil

2 tomatoes chopped

1. In a large soup pan heat the oil, onions, and garlic on medium heat for 10 minutes.

2. Add sweet potatoes, potatoes and carrots.

3. Continue cooking for 15 more minutes.

4. When the veggies are almost cooked add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20 more minutes.  

Cannellini Bean Soup with Swiss Chard and Tomatoes

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Cannellini Bean Soup with Swiss Chard and Tomatoes

I like this soup because it is comforting.  I am a big fan of Swiss Chard.  I usually serve with either garlic or toasted cheese bread with the cheese being a sharper cheese. 

1/4 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, to taste

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1 cup tomatoes, chopped

4 cups of vegetable broth

2 cups of cannellini beans, cooked

2 pounds Swiss chard, cut crosswise into 2-inch strips

Black pepper freshly ground to taste

Minced parsley, garnish

1. In the saucepan, heat the oil.

2. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper and carrots and cook over moderate heat until the garlic is golden 1 minute.

3. Add the broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil.

4. Add the beans and simmer over moderately high heat for 3 minutes.

5. Add the chard and simmer over moderate heat until the flavors meld, 5 minutes.

6. Season the soup with parsley and serve with crusty garlic or cheese bread.

Black Bean Pistou Soup

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Black Bean Pistou Soup

I could not find a picture when I made this soup. When I googled the soup the closest I could get is the above picture with black and white beans and no vegetables, except some red pepper.  

4 ½ cups dried black beans, picked over and rinsed

36 cups water

1 bay leaf

3 large onions, diced

18 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

24 large basil leaves, julienned for garnish

Vegetable Garnish

18 oz. green beans, ends snapped, strung and sliced diagonally into 1-inch pieces (about 1 ½ cups)

6 small zucchini, trimmed and diced

1 red pepper, diced

Pistou

1 cup olive oil

12 large cloves garlic

4 ½ cups fresh basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. To prepare beans, place them in large stockpot, and add enough water to cover by 2 inches.

2. Cover pot, and set aside at room temperature to soak overnight.

3. Drain beans, and return to pot.

4. Cover with 36 cups water.

5. Add bay leaf, onion and garlic, and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam.

6. Reduce heat to low, and cook until beans are very tender, for about 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.

7. Add water, if needed, or boil soup down until thickened but not dried out.

8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

9. To make vegetable garnish, cover drying rack with paper towels.

10. Heat saucepan of water to boiling, and cook beans for 3 minutes.

11. Add zucchini and red pepper, and cook until beans are tender, about 2 minutes more.

12. Drain, rinse vegetables under cold water and place on rack.

13. To make pistou, place oil, garlic and basil in blender.

14. Process until smooth, pulsing on and off and stopping to scrape down sides of container.

15. Season with salt and pepper.

16. To serve, bring soup to a boil.

17. Season vegetables with salt and pepper.

18. Stir three-quarters of vegetables.

19. Ladle into four soup plates.

20. Divide remaining vegetables and basil purée over top of each serving of soup, and garnish with julienned basil.

Apricot and White Chocolate Bread

Apricot and White Chocolate Bread

Another tea bread that went really well at my tea house. This I usually made when I had bridal or baby showers or people had afternoon tea.  It is really moist and great right out of the oven.   

1/2 cup dried apricots, diced

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped and toasted

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

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Apricot and White Chocolate Bread

1. In a small bowl, combine dried apricots and enough boiling water to cover. 

2. Let stand for 15 minutes; drain.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degree F. 

4. Line a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. 

5. Grease foil; set aside. 

6. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. 

7. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

8. In a medium bowl, combine egg, milk, and oil. 

9. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. 

10. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). 

11. Fold in pecans, white chocolate and drained apricots. 

12. Spoon batter into the prepared pan.

13. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

14. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. 

White Tea May Protect Against Neurodegeneration

Tea Polyphenols Studied in Fight Against Neurodegeneration

As stated in an earlier post my grandfather died of Alzheimer’s disease, so whenever I see an article written about it I usually read it.  I was looking at the World Tea News when I saw an article about white tea and Alzheimer’s.  I had to read it.  There is evidence that white tea with it's polyphenols help suppress neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration.  White tea is suggested because it has higher catechins and stronger antioxidant potential then other teas, including green tea.  This must be because it is the least processed tea, it is literally freshly plucked tea that is dried and that is it.  The article also mentioned a study where white tea helped restore glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity of prediabetic rats and were hopeful it would the same with prediabetic people.  As mentioned before tea in any form is not the end all be all, but if you have any of the conditions you may want to consider drinking a cup of white tea a day to help with your condition as long as it does not interfere with the drugs you may be already taking.

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This is a White Peony tea and the first picture is of unsteeped Silver Needle tea.