Showing posts with label garlic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garlic. Show all posts
Friday, March 13, 2015
Chard and Garlic Scape Pesto and Things Im Thinking About on Tuesday 5 6 14
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| Spring has sprung, and I'm rushing the season and thinking about Garlic Scape and Chard Pesto. |
It's feeling a lot like Spring at my house, and even though I already complained about it once, can I say one more time that I'm feeling pretty serious garden withdrawals? At my old house I would probably have volunteer chard coming up in the garden by now, and one of my favorite things to make in the spring is Garlic Scape and Chard Pesto like you see in the photos above. If you like garlic, but don't know what Garlic Scapes are, use that link to go and read about them. Then hit up your local organic grocer or farmer's market and make some of this amazing pesto right away!
Don't get me wrong, I love my new house, and I feel more than blessed to have a house that's big enough that my enormous family can come here for a party. But I'm also optimistically making plans for a bit more gardening on-the-fly this year (until I can build a real greenhouse, hopefully this fall.) Tonight I told my neighbor across the street how I was just going to slip a few tomato plants in among the flowers in a sunny but sheltered spot by my garage. "The deer will eat them," she said, without even thinking twice. I guess we're going to find out whether deer like tomatoes, mint, and basil, because those are the three plants I've decided I have to at least try growing outside this year.
Now on to a few more things I'm thinking about . . .
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Easy Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Chicken Garlic Sausage Gluten Free
Easy and delicious Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Low-Fat and Gluten-Free Chicken Sausage!
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Do you like sweet potatoes? My nephew and cooking assistant Jake has never really been a fan, but when we made this simple recipe for Roasted Spicy Sweet Potatoes and Chicken Sausage, he loved it just as much as I did. This no-fuss recipe was inspired by my love of Sweet Potato Fries, plus a really delicious new low-fat chicken sausage from Costco (with no nitrates!) Every cook needs some quick and easy dinner ideas for this time of year, and this is pure comfort food without much effort.
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Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Lucky Black Eyed Pea Soup Recipe with Chicken Garlic Sausage and Bell Peppers
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| A quick and tasty Black-Eyed Pea Soup for good luck on New Year's Day, and it's Phase One! |
I need to give Meatless Monday fans a raincheck this week so I can share this Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Chicken Garlic Soup and Bell Peppers before New Year's Day. I've been cooking black-eyed peas on New Year's Day for several years now, usually my favorite Hopping John Soup or Black-Eyed Pea Hummus, and I can promise you, it has definitely brought me good luck. And if you use portion control, this new lucky soup is even good for Phase One (which I'm guessing some of you may have on your mind!) If you're cooking black-eyed peas for New Year's Day, let us know in the comments how you're fixing them this year.
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Sunday, March 8, 2015
Artichokes With Creamy Garlic Lemon Pepper Dill Sauce Low Calorie High Fiber Vegan and Gluten Free
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| Dip steamed artichokes in this delicious, creamy dill sauce. Serve as an appetizer or in place of the salad course. Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK . |
Artichokes
I treasure the artichoke. Had I not grown up eating them, I probably would have no idea what to do with this thorny vegetable. But thankfully, artichokes have been a part of my life since I had enough teeth in my mouth to bite the delicious meat off of each succulent leaf.
They are not only delicious but they are a very healthy food. One medium artichoke is only 64 calories yet has a whopping 10 grams of fiber! Artichokes have been shown to reduce cholesterol and stimulate the production of bile which helps in the digestion of fats. This wonderful vegetable also contains the flavonoid silymarin which protects the liver (and is also great for hangovers). Artichoke leaves also contain the phynutrients rutin, quercetin and gallic acid which all have powerful antioxidant properties.
Dill Weed
Fresh dill pairs perfectly with garlic, lemon and black pepper in this flavorful dip. By using a silken or soft tofu as a base, this creamy dill sauce is dairy and gluten free.
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| Fresh dill weed |
* * * *
Artichokes with Garlic Lemon-Pepper Dill Sauce
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]
4 medium artichokes
14 oz package silken or soft organic tofu
2 teaspoons chopped garlic, (2 small cloves)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh, dill weed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Prepare the artichokes. Pull off any small leaves near the base of the artichoke.
With a sharp knife, cut off the tops (about an inch or so).
With a pair of scissors, cut off the thorny tips of the leaves.
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| Trim thorny tips of leaves. |
If the artichokes are really big, (they seem to be growing them larger and larger lately) you can cut them in half, vertically. Most artichokes can be left whole.
Trim the bottom of the stem or remove it, peel it, and cook it with the artichokes.
Clean the artichokes by rinsing them under cold water.
Place artichokes in a large pot with about 2 to 3 inches of water and a steamer basket. Bring to a boil, cover and cook until the outer leaves are tender and easy to remove. Add more hot water to the pot as needed as the cooking time could be as long as 45 minutes to an hour. Start testing outer leaves after 30 minutes.
While the artichokes are cooking, prepare the dipping sauce.
Place the remaining ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
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| This also makes a great salad dressing if you add a touch of extra virgin olive oil or cold pressed hempseed oil or, for a low fat dressing, use as is. |
Divide the sauce into 4 ramekins. Place each ramekin on a plate with one cooked artichoke and serve.
For another presentation idea, remove all the cooked leaves and place them in a circle. Clean the artichoke bottom and place in the bottom of the ramekin. Place the ramekin in the center of the plate.
Place the sauce over the artichoke bottom in the ramekin. When you are finished dipping the leaves, eat the bottom (which I consider the BEST part of the artichoke).
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| A presentation idea |
Per serving: 128 calories, 4 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 288 mg omega-3 and 1,930 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 g protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 11 g fiber and 371 mg sodium.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Karinas Garlic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Kid Friendly Gluten Free And Delicious!
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| My daughter-in-law, Karina, cutting lettuce for our salad. Thanks Karina for sharing your wonderful recipe with me and the Foods For Long Life followers! Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK ! |
Recipes from the Visit
My kids and grandkids were here for the past week for our annual get together. Most parents feel overwhelmed when there are that many mouths to feed but luckily, all my kids are amazing cooks! During the week I not only got to cook them my favorite recipes but they cooked some wonderful dishes for me too! So this week, Ill be featuring their recipes.
How she get Kids to Love Salad
My daughter-in-law, Karina, is a fabulous gardener. Much of the food she feeds her family comes from her raised bed garden. Living in Portland, Oregon, shes able to successfully grow many types of lettuce both at home and at her childrens school where she is active in their vegetable garden program. My grandchildren (ages 5 and 8), and apparently all the kids at school, love her salad and beg for more! (You would not believe how these little guys attack a bowl of salad!) I attribute this to her wonderful salad dressing. I have often asked her how she makes it and, like many cooks, she responded, "I add a little of this and a little of that.....". This time I wouldnt let her off the hook! I took a pad and pen and had her instruct me how to make it. She didnt know the exact measurements at first so it took a while to measure, taste, and adjust, but eventually we got a recipe for me to share with you! Here it is:
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| Infused with crushed garlic, this dressing uses 2 types of vinegar. |
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| My grandchildren adore soy sauce, but in this dressing they all prefer the taste of Bragg liquid aminos which is similar to soy sauce. Although its gluten free, it does have more sodium than Ohsawa Nama Shoyu raw soy sauce (960 mg vs. 720 mg per tablespoon). |
Karinas Salad Dressing
[makes 1 cup or 16 tablespoons]
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Bragg liquid aminos
1 teaspoon raw honey *
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
* For vegans who avoid honey, substitute your favorite sweetener (agave, raw sugar, etc.).
Its important to really smash the garlic (I use the side of a big knife and my fist) and then finely mince it. This will allow its flavor to infuse into the dressing.
Combine all ingredients in a small jar with a lid. Tighten the lid and shake vigorously for one entire minute.
Let sit for at least an hour. In fact, the longer it sits, the better. It will last in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Toss desired amount with salad greens and serve.
Per tablespoon: 64.8 calories, 7.0 g fat, 1.0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0.1 g protein, 1.3 g carbohydrates and 0 g dietary fiber.
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