Poconut Soup
Serves 4-6
2 lbs yams peeled, cut into chunks
Using a large stockpot, place chopped yams, and cover with water and a pinch of salt. Cook until tender on medium high. Once the yams are done drain in colander. Rinse pot.
¼ c old fashioned oats
Place oatmeal in food processer and grind until course, set aside.
1T olive oil
1 chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
1 qt vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
1 pear optional
Salt & pepper to taste
Add olive oil to your stock pot and heat on med high. Add chopped onion, garlic, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper flakes, and salt. Sauté until onions are translucent and soft. (About 10-15 min.)
Add broth – and turn heat down to a simmer. Remove one cup stock from pot to use to puree the yams
Puree yams in processer in batches, adding to pot as finished. When all yams have been added, stir to blend together. Stir in coconut milk.
While simmering, add oatmeal stirring until the desired thickness is achieved.
Add salt & pepper to taste.
Garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and chopped cilantro as desired.
Idea: Now when making this soup, let your creative genius can fly. Substitute pumpkin or butternut squash. Maybe in spicing you could use curry, jalapeno pepper, cumin, turmeric, allspice etc. These are all possibilities. A garnish could be popcorn or shredded coconut. What sounds good to you?
Note: May also flavor with apples or pears.
Quinoa Pilaf
Serves 4-6
3 T olive oil
1 red onions sliced
1 tsp sea salt
1 c quinoa rinsed and drained
2 c water or vegetable broth
1 c currants
1 c chopped walnuts
1 c shredded zucchini
1 c shredded carrots
1 orange zested and juiced
½ tsp cumin, turmeric, coriander, and red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper to taste
½ c chopped parsley; garnish
To make quinoa, add the liquid to the stockpot. Add salt, bring to a boil. Add quinoa. Turn the heat down to a simmer; cover and cook until water is absorbed. (About 10-15 min.)
In a 12” skillet add olive oil and turn heat to med high. Add onion and spices and sauté until onion is translucent and soft. Add zucchini, carrots, currants and walnuts. Sauté until vegetables are slightly cooked. Add in batches as it will fit. 10-20 min. Set aside.
Zest and squeeze oranges.
Combine quinoa and vegetable mixture into a baking dish. Add orange juice and half of the zest.
Mix well and taste. Add salt & pepper and fresh chopped parsley.
Add remainder of the zest.
Idea: Ideas for this pilaf are huge. You may substitute vegetables, herbs, spices, and create new combinations! Cook the quinoa in broth for a richer flavor if desired.
Pear Cake
Dry Ingredients Wet Ingredients
1 cup chickpea flour 1 cup finely grated peeled D’anjou pear
1 cup almond flour 1 ½ cup coarsely grated peeled pears
½ cup potato starch ½ cup mashed banana (1 large)
1T baking powder ½ cup maple syrup
1 tsp baking soda 2 T lemon juice
¼ tsp sea salt 1 tsp almond or vanilla extract
¼ tsp cinnamon 1 -2 pears sliced for topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9-inch spring form pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients until well blended.
Peel pears for topping and cut into halves. Scoop out cores, slice halves into thin slices and set aside.
Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix briefly as possible to combine.
Pour into prepared pan. Arrange pear slices as desired on top of cake and bake for 45 min or until cake is lightly browned on top. Remove from oven and cool on a rack before removing from pan.
Garnish with blue berries.
Pear Cake
Source: Where Women Create Magazine
Recipe from Terry Waters (The heart and soul of cooking) Winter Quarter
We are taking & using this recipe directly from the magazine. We will not be enlarging the original recipe. We will be making 5 separate cakes, because in baking; measuring is much more precise.
I have not made this recipe before. I wanted to include it so you could get experience with preparing a gluten free product and be exposed to a gluten free offering.
So this recipe will be a grand adventure for us all!
Super foods used this week:
Blueberries
Walnuts
Spinach
Oranges
Oatmeal
Resources & Inspiration:
“Fine Cooking” magazine
“Where Women Cook” (by Sommerset Studio and the Ancient Grain Cookbok) Maria Speck