No-chicken Tomato Rice Soup

October 28, 2017October 28, 2017

No-chicken Tomato Rice Soup

NO-CHICKEN TOMATO RICE SOUP: Terrific looking, delicious, healthy…nutrient packed soup. Note the pieces of tofu, what do you think they look like – right…chicken! We learned this trick from a chef who made a similar type soup, we asked her to share her secret for making tofu with that unique texture. So we are sharing her tip with you. Freezing tofu for 24 hours changes the texture to look similar to cut up cubes of chicken.

Serve this soup to anybody, they won’t know the difference and they’ll love it just like we do. It’s so good for your heart heath!

Serves: 10 || Prep Time: 30 minutes || Cook Time: 4 minutes medium pressure or 2 hours on stove

6 cups water (reserve 3 cups to add after cooking if your pressure cooker is 5 quarts or less)

5 cups veggie stock (homemade or commercial no salt added)
1 (14-ounce) package extra firm tofu (prepare a day ahead, freeze first, then drain and press)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 roasted onions, roasted in microwave, then diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 (optional) parsnip, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 cup brown rice, rinsed (do not pre-cook)
1/2 cup dried corn
1/4 cup fresh basil, cilantro or parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 (14-ounce) can diced or stewed tomatoes or homegrown tomatoes
++++++++++++++++

Freeze extra-firm tofu for 24 hours, thaw then press out water with a tofu press or between paper towels. Dice tofu into small cubes about 1/4″. In the meantime roast onions in a microwave; that is, place whole onions with skins into a covered microwaveable container in a microwave and roast for 6 minutes (otherwise, roast onions ahead of time in the oven). Cool onions, peel skins then chop onion into small 1″ pieces. Prepare vegetables.

Pressure cooker: Place all ingredients into the pressure cooker. Cook on medium pressure for 4 minutes. Take off the hot burner, let rest for 10 minutes then release pressure. Add the reserved water or more for desired consistency.

Stovetop: Prepare vegetables. Place all ingredients into a large soup pot, bring to a boil then simmer for 2 hours; occasionally stir.

Serve over your favorite leafy greens.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 173 Calories from Fat 16, Total Fat 2g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 179mg, Total Carbohydrate 26g, Fiber 5g, Sugars 3g, Protein 9g

Make Life Easy – Using a tofu press to press out excess liquid from tofu makes your life so easy!

October 21, 2017

The Last Piece of This Season’s Watermelon

Life moves along so quickly these days…a hot summer turns into a colorful autumn. It is October but today we ate the last piece of local summer’s watermelon, we extended the summer with this last piece of sweet summer. We will soon be moving onto this season’s beautiful food from the fertile Franklin County valley in PA.

We have learned how to pick ripe watermelons while gleaning for The Gleaning Project of South Central PA. Consumer’s demand in our area is for seedless watermelons, hence that’s what growers grow. The rounder ones (female) are the ones we gathered during our field time, on the other hand, the larger oblong seeded-watermelons (males) are needed to fertilize, so we also gathered those.

It’s always a good exercise day when we are gleaning watermelons, when gleaners arrive on the site they stretch before lifting and are warned – safety first. Thus we do a lot of safe bending, twisting and lifting in the fields. Enjoying nature, exercising and gathering food for the less fortunate is truly a breath of FRESH air! Support our growers by purchasing local vegetables and fruits.

The Last Local Watermelon — The Last Watermelon of the Season – Grown Locally

So today we cut open our last local watermelon. And BOY was it sweet and delicious! Enjoy each season.

The Last Bites of Watermelon — The Last Bites of a Seasonal Watermelon

October 14, 2017

Delicata Squash – I’m in Heaven!

Fresh Winter squash are showing their faces at farmer’s markets, vegetable stands and grocery stores in the area. It’s that time of year. I’m in heaven – Delicata Squash! Just to hold them in the palm of my hand is exciting, just my size. This gem is characterized by a cream colored delicate rind with green stripes.

There are so many varieties of winter squash to pick from, but, so far, Delicata has become my overall favorite! Why, you ask? Well let’s see: Foremost, they are so easy to prepare, my favorite method is roasting; you can eat the “delicate” skin, no peeling, yipee; when roasting they become caramelized, so creamy and naturally sweet but not too sweet; they have a somewhat nutty flavor too; perfect size for a single serving (about 6-7 inches long) and they fit perfectly into my energy-efficient toaster oven; the green striped skin is just beautiful, with golden-orange colored flesh; this delicate squash could easily be eaten as a dessert, it’s that tasty…need I say more.

Various Winter Squash at the Market- DELICATA on the far left.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love many types of winter squash, they each have their own attributes and purposes. But today it’s time to roast a Delicata. Perhaps another day I’ll cover other preparation methods.

I’m going to use it as a single serving for my lunch. So here’s the simple roasting process for a Delicata Squash:

Preheat toaster oven for 5 minutes 395 degrees Fahrenheit
Scrub squash
Place parchment paper on the oven tray
Place Delicata squash on the parchment paper
Roast for 20-25 minutes or to your liking, turn mid-way. (I love to eat the brown crusty portion of the roasted skin.)
Cool, cut in half, scoop out seeds and stringy flesh (seeds can be roasted too but that’s another post)
That’s it, eat flesh and skin – DELICIOUS

Delicata Squash - cut in half after roasting — Delicata Squash – cut in half after roasting

Eat flesh and skin of the Delicata Squash

October 3, 2017April 26, 2019

Pennsylvania Apples

FALL is in the air, that means Pennsylvania APPLES! Did you know that PA is the 4th leading state in the United States which produces APPLES? Furthermore, Franklin County is the 2nd top producer of apples in PA (after Adams County). Aren’t we lucky to live in this fertile valley and have fresh fruit available many months of the year! Beautiful orchards lined with rows of apple trees grace the landscape.

Apples are raised to use for the fresh market as well as for processed products. For us Pennsylvanians, fresh locally grown apples can be found in September and into the winter months.

HOW TO MAKE APPLESAUCE IN A CROCK POT.
Many varieties of apples are available…today we will be making applesauce with Golden Delicious, McIntosh and Cortland. But use any variety which satisfies your taste buds. I like to mix one sweet type apple, like Golden Delicious, with various other apples to give the applesauce more complexity. Of course there are a variety of methods to cook apples but the day the video was shot I had purchased a number of bags of seconds so I used a large slow-cooker (crock pot) to cook up a batch of applesauce.

Directions to cook applesauce in a crock pot:

Scrub, quarter and core apples (I do not peel to retain more nutritional value and I don’t mind if the applesauce is not totally smooth; but, if you wish, peel to make silky smooth applesauce.)
Cut into similar sized chunks, place in the pot, do not add water (add spices is you wish)
Cook for 4 or more hours on slow. (To make apple butter, it takes 10 hours or longer.)
When the apples are breaking up and have a mushy texture, it’s time to blend with an immersion blender to make applesauce.

Watch the video to see how easy it is to make and freeze applesauce to have fresh eating all year round. The video is a few years old but I still use this method. ENJOY!

September 26, 2017June 10, 2021

Roasting Chick Peas

We LOVE to snack on roasted low sodium CHICK PEAS (garbanzo beans)! Nice and crunchy like nuts without all the calories. Our toaster oven makes roasting so easy, quick and energy efficient too.

[A spin off is that we always have aqua faba (brine from chick peas) on hand to use as a leavening agent in baked goods…it keeps well in the refrigerator for about a week or freeze extra.]

The process for roasting Chick Peas is simple:

Just pre-heat your toaster oven 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes or roast in your regular oven.
Take a can of low sodium chick peas and save off the aqua faba (brine) to use as an ingredient in baked goods.
Do not rinse the chick peas, place them in a single layer on the roasting tray lined with parchment paper.
Sprinkle on your favorite seasoning, we like garlic and cayenne pepper.
Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning mid-way. That’s it!

A downside is that they are so good that we gobble up the roasted Chick Peas in a hurry and have to made more! ENJOY!!

September 19, 2017September 20, 2017

Manhattan no-clam Chowder

Here’s a great comfort food, the blended flavors and textures will satisfy your taste buds! Get back to Mother Nature with this whole food, plant-based soup. You will be surprised to see how Shiitake mushrooms chopped have a wonderful look and texture – who knew? You will be asking for seconds and thirds and check out the wonderful nutritional value!

Serves: 6 –

2 cups water
1 tablespoon garlic minced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 potatoes, diced with skin
8 ounces Shiitake mushrooms, diced
1 tablespoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 lemon, juice
1 1/2 sheets nori roasted seaweed, crumble
1 (28 1/2-ounce) can crushed Italian plum tomato
1/2 cup dry sherry

(Pressure Cooker directions below but can easily be adapted to cooking on the stove top.)

Prepare all vegetables. Shiitake mushrooms chopped have the same look and texture as clams.

Place all ingredients, except sherry, in the pressure cooker. Cook on medium pressure for 4 minutes. Take cooker off the hot burned, let it set for 10 minutes then quick release the pressure. After pressure is released, add sherry to chowder, stir. Serve warm.

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount per Serving,Calories 161,Calories From Fat 4,Total Fat 1g,Saturated Fat 0g,Cholesterol 0mg,Sodium 64mg,Total Carbohydrate 27g,Dietary Fiber 7g,Sugars 5g,Protein 7g

September 12, 2017September 12, 2017

Roasting Carrots in My Toaster Oven

Roasting CARROTS from the farmer’s market or fresh from your garden makes a nutrient filled tasty dish. On the other hand, organic carrots from the grocery store are wonderfully tasting too and available year round. It is so quick and easy to roast small quantities of vegetables in my small toaster oven. It is such an energy saver especially during hot weather when you don’t want to heat up your kitchen by using your regular oven. Use your own favorite spices. Boy do they taste terrific, it’s hard to save them as a side dish for a meal, I just want to eat them straight from the oven!

Serves: 3 || Prep Time: 15 minutes || Cook Time: 20 minutes

6 – 8 medium carrots
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preheat your toaster oven 400°F for 5 minutes (can be roasted in regular oven too). Cut carrots lengthwise, then cut in half again or to make thickness of pieces similar. Place cut carrots in a medium sized bowl; add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or enough to coat; stir until all carrots are coated. Line the baking pan in the toaster with parchment paper; place carrots on the paper. Mix spices together then sprinkle half the spice mixture on the carrots. Place in the preheated toaster oven and roast for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven, turn carrots over then sprinkle with remaining spice mix. Roast for another 10 minutes. It’s that easy!

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 124 Calories from Fat 1, Total Fat 0g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 96mg, Total Carbohydrate 29g, Fiber 8g, Sugars 1g, Protein 3g

We love roasted carrots…well any veggie roasted! So give it a try – let me hear how it worked for you!

September 7, 2017June 10, 2021

Potatoes in a Crock Pot

POTATOES, POTATOES, POTATOES! We’re always searching for methods to prepare vegetables that is quick and easy…potatoes cooked in a Crock Pot fits this bill perfectly. At frequently cook a batch of various potatoes – our favorites and the most nutritious are yellows, sweets and reds. You can mix and match, just be aware, each one takes a different amounts of time to cook.

You can make these in the evenings or on weekends, let the slow cooker do the job. This technique is very simple, just scrub potatoes and put them into the pot (no need to pierce or add water). Fill, cover and slow cook on low for between 4-6 hours. That’s all there is to it.

Now you have a batch to use for a potato bar or snacks. Store the extras in a bowl in the refrigerator…yum, just waiting for anyone who wants a healthy snack to grab it on their way out or as an evening snack. In particular, we love our potatoes plated on leafy greens and topped with specialty mustards. An additional benefit of using a Crock Pot, especially in the summer, is to save the environment, it’s an energy saver and keeps the kitchen from getting hot.

See we told you eating whole food, plant-based can be simple!