Maple-Herb Glazed Roasted Autumn Vegetables

I love some delicious oven roasted veggies during the cooler part of the year. They are great in a salad, casserole, soup or just on their own. Today I served them on a bed of savory brown rice with irish cheddar & spinach.

For today's recipe I whipped up a sauce that the chopped veggies marinated in before roasting. The marinade compliments the flavors of the veggies without dominating. It is composed of sweet maple syrup, a touch of mustard and garden fresh herbs. To enhance the pretty colors I used golden beets and a brilliant purple yam. You can really substitute any root veggies and winter squash you want in this adaptable recipe. Enjoy!

Marinade:
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 cup fresh italian parsley, minced
1 garlic clove, minced

Veggies:
1 purple yam, peeled
1 golden beet, peeled
1 acorn squash, peeled & seeds removed
6 carrots
2 yukon gold potatoes
1 yellow onion, skin removed

1. Whisk all marinade ingredients together and set aside.
2. Chop all veggies in large uniform pieces
3. Put veggies in a large casserole dish and cover with marinade. Mix well to coat. Let sit for 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake uncovered for 60-90 minutes. Check at 60 minutes. Cooking time will depend on size of veggie pieces.
5. Serve hot over savory brown with irish cheddar & spinach

Savory Brown Rice with Irish Cheddar & Spinach

Brown rice is a staple in our weekly diet. It is a delicious nutritious whole grain that is endlessly versatile. A gluten-free whole grain that is also inexpensive is a win win for me! Surely there is a time and a place for plain brown rice, however, it need not always be boring. This dish is not quite a risotto and not quite a rice casserole. It falls somewhere in between with the creaminess of a nice irish cheddar. Bright green baby spinach compliments the cheddar. This is a simple inexpensive recipe that makes a great base for a myriad of toppings. Today I served it with maple-herb glazed roasted autumn vegetables

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2 cups short grain brown rice
4 cups vegetable stock or 4 cups water with 1 vegan sea salt & herb broth cube
6 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup irish cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp butter

1. Place rice and stock or water in a covered sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low and simmer for 50 minutes. Do not remove lid and do not stir.
2. After 50 minutes, add cheddar cheese & butter, stir. Continue to cook for only a few minutes until the cheddar is melted and fully incorporated into rice. Turn off stove. You are done cooking.
3. Add the spinach leaves to rice, stir, and replace lid. Let sit for a few minutes until spinach is wilted.
4. Taste and see if you need additional salt. The broth cube I use is pretty salty so I don't add additional salt. This will depend on the stock you choose to use.

Fried Green Tomato Salad Recipe #2

Earlier this month I posted about the joys of fried green tomato season! We have our last bowl of green tomatoes and I was inspired to create another fried green tomato salad with slight variation for the original recipe. I wanted this salad to be heartier with the addition of more vegetables and a creamy basil dressing. The feta, avocado and olives provide softness and those healthy fats. I discovered the Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour to work well for the green tomato batter. I added bacon to this recipe, but you could very easily omit it to keep it vegetarian.

Fried Green Tomatoes-see gluten-free recipe here
Salad greens mix
Sliced carrots, radishes, cucumbers and bell peppers
Sliced avocado
Crumbled feta
Crumbled bacon
Kalamata olives

Autumn Root Veggie & Kale Gratin

Earlier I posted that October was the beginning of soup season. I'd like to add that it's also the beginning of casserole season. Cooler temperatures mean I will actually turn the oven back on! I love a good casserole. Casseroles make the house smell amazing, once baking in the oven they free up my hands for more cooking or other projects, their ample servings make great lunches for our entire work week, they are freezable and I love to share casseroles with my friends! I find I am quite at my happiest during the winter months with a casserole in the oven, a soup bubbling in the crockpot and I'm curled under a blanket with a cup of my favorite tea and a good book. Simple pleasures!

Today's gratin was inspired by the autumn flavors of root vegetables, winter squash, and kale. Rutabaga is one of my favorite autumn/winter root vegetables. It does not have the spiciness of a turnip and is actually quite creamy and delicious. I encourage you to try the weird-looking neglected rutabaga this season! An exploration of my favorite neighborhood specialty cheese counter yielded a cow's milk gruyere from Switzerland and a goat's milk gouda from Holland. I returned from a trip to my own garden with a handful of fresh thyme and chives.

This casserole takes quite a few steps to prepare, so I'd save it for your day-off rather than a busy work night. It yields many delicious servings, so is well worth the effort!

Olive Oil
1 yukon gold potato, thinly sliced
1 yam, peeled & thinly sliced
1 rutabaga, peeled & thinly sliced
1 delicata squash, peeled, seeds removed & thinly sliced
2 cups shredded cheese, your choice (I used gruyere and gouda)
1 bunch lacinato kale, leaves de-ribbed, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and minced
1 vegan broth cube
1 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup unsweetened plain soy milk
2 eggs
a handful fresh chives, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep your casserole dish by rubbing a tbsp or so of olive oil onto the bottom of the dish.
2. Sauté over medium heat the minced onion with a splash of olive oil. Cook a few minutes until translucent and lightly browned. Add the garlic and thyme and sauté a few minutes more until very fragrant. Set aside.
3. Begin layering with yam, rutabaga, 1 cup of cheese, potato, onion-garlic-herb mixture, kale, delicata squash.
4. Dissolve the broth cube into boiling water. Add the melted butter and soy milk. Whisk in the eggs until mixed. Pour this mixture over the casserole.
5. Top with remaining 1 cup of cheese and the chives.
6. Cover the casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Autumn Garlicky Tomato Soup with Quinoa & Kale

Happy October friends!
It has been a mild and beautiful autumn in Portland. One of our 4 maple trees has shed it's colorful leaves all over the yard. Some days are sunny & warm, and some are foggy, wet with a chill in the air. Its not too cold to harvest fresh herbs, greens, and even tomatoes from the garden. I love this time of year. It is the beginning of soup season!

I love a good tomato soup. Here are links to other soup recipes I've created. Today's recipe is just a variation on these others. Tomato soup is excellent on its own. Even better with a grilled cheese dipped in. I use quinoa and kale in this recipe. These could easily be substituted for barley, rice, couscous, or your favorite small pasta shape. Swiss chard or spinach could stand in for the kale. Garbanzo or cannellini beans would be equally at home in this savory soup.

You can use fresh tomatoes from your garden, your own tomatoes you've canned or frozen, or store bought tomatoes in a can. Fresh herbs from the garden make all the difference in this recipe. The intense fragrant flavors of garden grown & freshly snipped oregano and basil can not be matched by dried herbs.

This delicious soup is simple and quick to make in under 30 minutes. It is a favorite in our house and a staple in my recipe arsenal. I hope you enjoy it!

6 cloves of garlic, minced
extra virgin olive oil
a few sprigs fresh oregano, leaves finely minced
a few sprigs fresh basil, leaves finely minced
4 lacinato kale leaves, de-ribbed and thinly sliced
about 6 cups diced tomatoes (or 2-48oz cans)
1 vegan broth cube
1 cup COOKED quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup unsweetened plain soymilk
honey
optional: shredded parmesan cheese

1. Sauté over medium heat for a few minutes the garlic, basil and oregano in a splash of olive oil. Add the kale and continue to sauté a few minutes more until the leaves are wilted but still bright green.
2. Add the tomatoes, broth cube, quinoa and 1 cup water. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. At boil let cook a few minutes more. Check the flavors. Add honey to taste.
3. Turn off heat. Add the soy milk until consistency you desire. I used about 2 cups.
4. Optional-garnish with shredded parmesan cheese and basil leaves

Big Bowl of Happiness for Catherine

Dear Readers,

My BFF Catherine and I were talking about her recent travels and how we sometimes find ourselves without healthy vegetarian food. This is especially complicated if one is gluten-free, or has food allergies such as eggs or dairy. When returning from such trips cooking and enjoying nourishing food is vital. It is in this spirit that I whipped up tonight's recipe.



It's just a big bowl of happiness and health. Looks great and tastes delicious. Big bowl recipes are simple and improvisational. I got the idea originally from Heidi at 101 cookbooks. 2 years ago I was inspired by her recipe and created my own "Quinoa Big Bowl with Garlic Spinach & Roasted Yams" recipe. What's funny, is now when I went back and checked out Heidi's original recipe she talked about traveling and how much she craved healthy earthy quinoa and cooking for herself as soon as her plane landed. Whoa. Seriously, I did not read that before coming up with tonight's recipe. I guess it's a universal experience for healthy eating foodie cooks.

For a Big Bowl, start with a tasty whole grain. Usually I choose quinoa, but tonight it's short grain brown rice. Followed by delicious sauteed potatoes, wilted spinach & chard with garlic, sauteed fresh local asparagus, rounded out with garbanzo beans, and finished with toasted walnuts. Mix. Devour. Yum. In my photos it looks very composed. But, when I eat it, I just mix it all together.

This kind of meal helps me feel so nourished. It's gluten-free, vegan, and loaded with fiber, protein and fresh vegetables. Olive oil and walnuts give a boost of omega fatty acids. Trust me, this big bowl is all around goodness. And I hope it makes my Catherine very happy. It's making me happy right now.

In Health,
Miss Jolie Ann



Big Bowl of Happiness Recipe
Makes 4 large servings

1 cup short grain brown rice
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 yukon gold potatoes, diced
1/4 tsp tumeric
sea salt & black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch spinach, washed & chopped
1 bunch chard, washed & chopped
1 bunch asparagus, washed, tough ends cut off, sliced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. Put the brown rice with 2 cups water in a pot and cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 50 minutes. Set aside.
2. While the brown rice is cooking, prepare the rest of the recipe. In a skillet warm a splash of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and the tumeric. Cover and cook over medium heat about 15 minutes. Potatoes should be tender and browned. Set aside.
3. In the now empty skillet, add another splash of olive oil. Add the garlic, spinach, and chard. Ad a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook uncovered over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Greens should be wilted, still bright green, and the garlic should be fragrant. Set aside.
4. In the now empty skillet, add another splash of olive oil . Add the asparagus and another pinch of salt. Cook uncovered for about 5 minutes. Asparagus should be bright green and still firm. Set aside.
5. In the now empty skillet, add the walnuts. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until they are starting to brown and have released their fragrant oils.
6. Assemble the brown rice, potatoes, greens, asparagus, and garbanzo how you would like in individual bowls or family style on a large platter. Top with the toasted walnuts.

Beet Salad with Creamy Chevre Dressing

Dear Readers,

Happy Sunshine here in Portland! Today I am feeding my craving for beets. Literally. A salad composed of beets in a creamy chevre dressing with mustard, balsamic and thyme. It's simple and sublime. I tried really hard to work "sublime" into this post because it rhymes with thyme. Were you on to me? :)

This simple, but exquisitely delicious beet salad is divine on it's own. However, I also envision it as a jumping off point for more elaborate add-in's and recipes. It would feature lovely over mixed baby greens, perhaps sorrel & arugula or beet greens. Top it with some toasted walnuts or hazelnuts. It would pair nicely with cooked beans, perhaps baby navy beans. A cooked whole grain such as quinoa or brown rice would add substance and texture. I imagine this beet salad on a picnic sandwiched between slices of hearty bread with baby greens and some chunky shavings of asiago cheese and creamy wedges of fresh mozzarella. Seriously, that's the kind of food I pack on picnics. You should come with me some time and find out. Suddenly I have a hankering to hike Silver Falls State Park. One of my favorite places.

Today I am eating this salad straight out of the bowl I mixed it in. Nothing fancy. No add-in's. I am using a spoon. I just love the earthy flavor of beets. They satisfy me to the core. Enjoy!

In Health,
Miss Jolie Ann


Beet Salad with Creamy Chevre Dressing
Makes 4 servings

6 beets
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 tsp prepared dijon mustard
1/4 tsp fresh thyme, minced
2 tbsp chevre (brought to room temperature)
pinch of sea salt & black pepper

1. To cook the beets, pop off their tops and discard or use for another recipe (they are great sauteed). Rinse them a little, but no need to scrub or peel. Place them in a large pot filled with water and cover. Boil over high-medium heat for about 20-30 minutes. They should be soft when you pierce them with a fork. Cooking time varies based on how large are the beets.
2. Remove beets from heat. Drain. Place them in cold water and set aside while you prepare the dressing.
3. In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Use a wire whisk and beat until everything is combined and creamy. Check the flavor and add a dash of sea salt & black pepper to your desired likening.
4. Now that the beets have cooled enough to handle, it should be easy to pull their skins off. They should slip off in pieces. This is my favorite part of cooking with beets. Discard the peels. Compost them please. Now cut the beets into halves, then cut those into halves. Slice your quarter pieces of beets.
5. Add beets to the dressing and stir until combined. I like to let this salad sit for about an hour to absorb all the flavors before serving.

Root Vegetable & Roasted Winter Squash with Ginger Soup

Dear Readers,

It's a typical Spring day here in Portland. Rain, hail, wind, dark & cloudy, sun breaks, repeat. It's way too muddy to work in your garden. Perfect weather for soup making and baking. I'm using the end of the Winter squash I grew last Summer and have stored through the Winter. Today, I was disappointed to find the pumpkin, blue hubbard, and acorn squashes had mildewed & rotted where I was storing them. I was not being attentive, which is a shame considering I lugged a crate of these homegrown squash with me from apartment to apartment when I moved twice in December. Actually, I remember Catherine carrying my squash crate during both moves. Thanks buddy. The good news is the spaghetti squash and butternut both looked just dandy. Not bad for 6 months of storage. Way to go urban homesteader! So, that's what I used and built this soup recipe around them.

First, roast the squash in the oven until they are soft and browned. Add this cooked squash to sweet potatoes, carrots, rutabaga & parsnip. Fresh minced ginger root and coriander, tarragon & sage round out the flavors. It's important you use a "mild" vegetable broth in this soup. I find the Trader Joe's boxed vegetable broth way too strong and bitter. It overtakes any recipe you use it in. I prefer the Pacific natural foods brand vegetable broth or the "No Chicken" vegetarian broth by Imagine foods brand. Both have a much more delicate flavor that does the job without presenting a dominant flavor. I simmered this soup on the stove, because I was home for the evening. You could easily drop it in the crockpot in the morning and puree it in the evening when you return from work.

Lastly, today I am grateful for rain, as it waters all the delicious plant life in Portland. This is by far the greenest place I have ever lived, and I've lived a lot of places. I don't mind the rain and the hail. It doesn't depress me. Spring is marching on and with it comes all sorts of delicious seasonal treats. I am grateful that it's almost asparagus season. Around April we have a short 1 month window for local Asparagus harvest. I am dreaming up all kinds of new recipes to feature asparagus. I'm thinking cream of asparagus soup, asparagus quiche, asparagus in pasta salad, asparagus risotto. Maybe I'll even pickle & preserve some asparagus this year. I love asparagus! Following asparagus we'll have local harvest of fava beans, snap & snow peas, and shelling peas. I sure love a Spring Panzanella loaded with fresh peas. After that comes June bearing strawberries and the early blueberry varieties. I'm also grateful for my new community garden plot and eager to get my hands in some dirt after a long absence this Winter & early Spring. This new development was a very pleasant surprise I received this week. I thought I would not have a garden this year and I was completely heart broken. My brain is now all a buzz with what I'm going to plant.

So, my friends enjoy slurping your soup and enjoy your life. Stop to appreciate and enjoy all the little things you are grateful for. Give and receive as many hugs as you can today.

In Health,
Miss Jolie Ann

Root Vegetable & Roasted Winter Squash Soup with Ginger
Makes 4 servings









2 winter squash of your choice--I used spaghetti & butternut
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
1 yellow onion-chopped
1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 sweet potato-peeled & diced
1 rutabaga-peeled & diced
4 carrots-diced
1 parsnip-peeled & diced
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp dried coriander
2 cups vegetable broth (mild flavor, brand such as Imagine or Pacific)
2 cups water
black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash the 2 squash. Slice each in half and scoop out & discard the seeds. (or save them to toast up later!). Place the squash face down in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until squash is soft and browned around the edges.
3. While the squash is baking, prep your vegetables by washing, peeling and chopping as designated in the ingredients list.
4. Warm the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions & a pinch of sea salt and saute for about 10 minutes.
5. Add 1/2 tsp of the minced ginger, (reserve the rest for later use), to the onions. Saute for a minute. Add the sweet potato, rutabaga, carrots, and parsnip. Stir. Add the sage, tarragon, coriander and stir. Saute over medium heat for another 5 minutes.
6. Add the vegetable broth and water. Cover the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer over medium heat covered for 1 hour. Stir occasionally to ensure soup is not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
7. Remove pot from heat and let cool down some. Before pureeing soup, add the remaining 1/2 tsp of minced fresh ginger. To puree the soup either use your immersion blender directly in the pot or puree in batches in your food processor. Either way, soup should not be hot when you do so or it will explode everywhere. After pureeing soup add some black pepper and sea salt. Check the flavor and add more sage, tarragon and coriander if desired.

Tomato-Fennel Soup with Garbanzo Beans & Quinoa

Dear Readers,
You may remember when I posted a tomato bisque with quinoa recipe in January. I decided to expand on that recipe as the base for this more complex soup. What I love about this recipe is how all the textures combine: the tomato puree, the slight crunch of the tiny quinoa grains, and the softness of the garbanzos. The fennel and tomato compliment each other with a sweet and tangy bite. Honey softens the acidity of the tomatoes, without being overly sugary. You could substitute for the quinoa: brown rice, barley or couscous. By now you should know how much I love quinoa. If you buy your quinoa in the bulk bin, at say Winco Foods, you will cut the cost in half! Plus I'm trying to increase the protein in my diet to accommodate for my recent increase in exercise. This soup is also easy on the budget and cooks up in a few simple steps in about 45 minutes, including prep time. The recipe is vegan, gluten-free and virtually fat-free. Yet it is substantial and satisfying. It's a big pot of soup, which lasts me all week as lunch to bring to work. Enjoy the recipe. I love hearing from you so please send me comments to let me know what you think.

In Health & Joy,
Miss Jolie Ann

p.s. I wrote this recipe while listening to Def Leppard "Love Bites" because sometime you just need a little old school Def Leppard, right Michelle?

Tomato-Fennel Soup with Garbanzo Beans & Quinoa
6 servings

1 yellow onion, minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 bulb fennel, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2-28 oz cans of chopped tomatoes in juice
2 cups water
1 tbsp honey
1 cup unsweetened plain soymilk
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
1 cup cooked quinoa

1. Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a stock pot for a few minutes. Add the onions and the sea salt. Saute for about 10 minutes until onions are soft and started to become translucent. Add the basil, oregano, and marjoram. Stir and let cook for 1 minute until the herbs become fragrant. Add the fennel and carrot. Saute for 5 minutes more.
2. Add the tomatoes and water. Stir. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Remove pot from heat. Add the honey and stir well. Let soup cool, uncovered, for approximately 15 minutes.
4. Once soup is cool you can puree it either in the pot with an immersion blender or in batches in your food processor. Before pureeing, reserve 1 cup of the soup. Once soup is pureed return it to the pot and back to the stove on medium heat. Add the reserved cup of un-pureed soup, and the soymilk. Stir well. Add the quinoa and garbanzo beans. Stir and cook briefly over medium heat until everything is warm & combined. Taste soup for flavors and add desired amount of sea salt to your taste. If soup is too acidic for your taste add another tsp of honey.

Killer Mashed Potatoes with Kale & Caramelized Shallots

Dear Readers,
Let's just be honest, OK, potatoes and I have a very passionate love affair. My love for potatoes is primal and unconditional. I will embrace them in any manifestation: creamy soups, gratins, mashed, baked, twice baked, stuffed, hash browns, home fries, french fries, latkes, perogis, gnocchi, potato salad, ad infinitum. I like them naked or with skins on. Dressed up or plain. For my love of potatoes, last year I grew 6 different varieties in my backyard--yellow, red, blue, white, fingerlings, early season, mid season, late season, mashers, bakers, friers. Oh my. Let's just say I'd enjoy a death by mashed potatoes.

When I make mashed potatoes I enjoy them whipped & creamy or chunky full of bits of extra stuff. This recipe is a skins on, mashed-but-chunky, with beautiful bright wilted kale. With little exception 'yukon gold' potatoes are my favorite mashers. They have an amazing taste, their color is pretty, and their flesh is perfect for mashing without being gummy like red skin potatoes can be. Typically I'd use a non-curly variety of kale, like 'lacinato' for this recipe, which is what I did for the dinner party. However yesterday the majestic purple of the curly 'red russian' kale was beckoning me. Either way, you only lightly saute the kale until it's wilted but retaining it's bright color and a slight crunch. The potatoes are flavored with sour cream & chives, garlic, and flecks of caramelized shallots. Spend the extra dollar a pound for the shallots vs regular onions and you will not be disappointed. Better yet, grow your own, it's easy. Plant them in the Autumn for harvest the following Summer. The caramelizing process takes an extra 10-30 minutes depending upon the type of onion you use and it adds another layer of complexity to the taste of the dish. Once you begin using the caramelization technique you will want to use it in everything. I promise. No joke. I'm pretty clear I just made up a new word: caramelization technique.

The feedback I received from my dinner party guinea pigs about this recipe was all positive. Folks liked the addition of the kale, enjoyed the chunks, appreciated the tang the sour cream added, and the flavors were all mild enough to mingle well together yet stand out distinctly individual. My favorite quote I scribbled in my notes: "They are non-homogeneous. I like that." Good one. Anyone who can slip homogeneous in casual conversation deserves a seat at my dinner table.

I would like you to know that I wrote this recipe typing while standing up doing leg yoga in my pajamas listening to loud Franz Ferdinand. I have the shades up and the windows open. Enjoy the show people! And, enjoy your potatoes and please drop me a comment to let me know what you think. What you think of the recipe, not what you think of my crazy writing behaviors.

In Health,
Miss Jolie Ann










Killer Mashed Potatoes with Kale & Caramelized Shallots
Makes 6-8 servings depending on your appetite!

3 pounds organic 'yukon gold' potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
sea salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, cleaned, stemmed and thinly sliced into ribbons
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1 cup unsweetened plain soymilk or cow milk
black pepper
16 oz light sour cream
handful of chives, chopped

1. Rinse the potatoes, half them and place in a large stock pot of water. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Slightly lower heat and boil until the potatoes are soft enough to be pierced with a fork, but not turned to mush. This will take approximately 15 minutes for this amount of potatoes. When done boiling, drain, but leave a small amount of the cooking water in the pot.
2. I mash directly in the hot pot. Add the butter and soymilk (or milk) and mash. Potatoes should be mashed, but still chunky. Add sea salt & black pepper to taste. Add the sour cream and chives. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
3. In a skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and a pinch of sea salt. Saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes. You want the shallots to be soft, translucent, and slightly browning. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Continue to saute for another 15 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar. Continue to saute covered for another 5 minutes. Your shallots are now caramelized. Add them to the potatoes and stir until combined.
4. Return the skillet to the stove and increase heat to medium. Add another small splash of olive oil. Add the garlic and the kale. Cover the pan and saute over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes. You want the garlic to be fragrant and the kale to have reduced in size, wilted & retaining it's color. Do not overcook the garlic and kale. Please.
5. Add the kale-garlic mixture to the potatoes and stir until combined. Serve immediately. Share with friends, or not. Later, thank your favorite aspiring cookbook author.

Corn Tortillas Layered with Garlicky Wilted Cabbage & Chard, Black Beans & Eggs

Dear Readers,
My friends Sherrie & Mindy gave me these adorable little eggs from their backyard flock of hens. I wanted to create a recipe to feature these delicious cute tiny eggs. What I came up with is this recipe that features soft corn tortillas layered with garlicky wilted cabbage & swiss chard, black beans, fried eggs, and I used some roasted green tomato chipotle sauce I preserved in the Autumn. You could use any salsa, enchilada sauce, or hot sauce for this dish. The flavors stand on their own. Whatever sauce you choose, don't use a lot. A little goes a long way to mingle with the other flavors of this recipe. And, this is a VERY improvisational recipe so there aren't exacts. Play with it. Play with your food. Just play as much as possible. Create beautiful food and follow your bliss. Life is short. Enjoy!

In Health & Joy,
Miss Jolie Ann

Corn Tortillas Layered with Garlicky Wilted Greens, Black Beans & Fried Eggs
Serves 2

2 cups shredded purple cabbage
2 cups thinly sliced swiss chard
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced
Butter (less than one tablespoon)--or more olive oil to keep it vegan
4 corn tortillas
14oz can black beans
2 eggs
1/2c cup salsa, enchilada sauce, or hot sauce--your choice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cabbage and a pinch of sea salt. Saute for 3-5 minutes. You want the cabbage to be slightly wilted, but still firm and retaining it's color. Add the swiss chard and garlic. Saute for 1 minute, no longer. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add a very thin slice of butter to the pan. Add one tortilla and cook on each side approximately 1 minute. Set aside. Continue to cook all 4 tortillas individually. If the pan gets dry, add it more butter. (If you don't do dairy you can easily substitute olive oil)
3. While the tortillas are cooking, drain and rinse the black beans. Set aside.
4. Once the tortillas are cooked, use the same pan for the eggs. Add a tiny bit of butter if the pan is dry. Fry the eggs over medium heat until the yokes are firm but not hard.
5. Put 2 tortillas on each plate and begin layering. First tortillas, then sauce, then cabbage & chard, then black beans, then 1 egg, and garnish with cilantro.

Coconut Corn Chowder with Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

Coconut Corn Chowder with Fresh Squeezed Lime

As a seasonal eater, sometimes I really miss the sweet flavors of Summer during the Winter. In fact, I miss them a lot. This recipe is great with frozen corn and satisfies some of those cravings until fresh corn is available in July. I recommend using frozen vs canned corn. Canned corn, or any canned vegetable actually, contains ridiculous amounts of sodium that honestly you just don't need in your diet. Corn chowder recipes are a dime a dozen. What I love about this one is the addition of creamy coconut milk. It really changes up with traditional corn chowder flavor. Fresh squeezed lime & cilantro are a perfect accompaniment to the coconut milk and corn. A comfort food, kind of like creamed corn, without all the dairy and sugar. Added bonus--the recipe is quick and very simple to prepare. Enjoy this little bit of Summer sunshine and flavor in March!

In Health & Love,
Miss Jolie Ann

Coconut Corn Chowder with Fresh Squeezed Lime
Original Recipe by Miss Jolie
approximately 6 servings

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, minced
1/2 tsp fresh ginger root, minced
1 small yukon gold or other yellow potato, finely chopped
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
pinch of black pepper
2 16oz packages of frozen corn
2 cups water
14 oz can unsweetened light coconut milk
1 lime, plus extra for garnish
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1. In a stock pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced onions and cook for 5 minutes until they start to turn translucent. Add the minced ginger root and chopped potato to the pan. Continue to saute for 5 more minutes. Add the sea salt, coriander, cumin, and black pepper. Saute for a few minutes more until the spices are well combined and smell very fragrant.
2. Add the corn to the pan. Stir. Add enough water to cover the corn, approximately 2 cups. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer soup for approximately 20 minutes. The corn is already fully cooked, so you just need the potatoes to get soft and all the flavors to combine themselves.
3. Add the coconut milk and let simmer for just a few minutes until it's combined with the soup. Remove from heat and let cool enough to blend.
4. Reserve 1 cup of the soup and set aside. If you have an immersion blender you can puree the soup directly in the pan. Or you can puree the soup in batches in your blender. Remember to never put hot liquids in your blender because the heat will blow the lid off and make a huge mess. Safety first people! :) After soup is pureed to a creamy consistency, add the reserved cup of soup. This gives it a nice texture.
5. Squeeze the juice of one lime and add to the soup. Stir to combine. Garnish each bowl with chopped cilantro and lime wedges.

Creamy Tomato Bisque with Quinoa

This is one of my favorite soups to warm up in the Fall or Winter. In the Fall you can use fresh tomatoes from your garden. During the Winter use tomatoes you've canned or buy some diced canned tomatoes. I like the Muir Glen and Trader Joe's brands. This soup is so creamy, yet it is vegan! Adding delicious quinoa boosts the protein and adds to the creamy texture. I guarantee you will be happy with this filling and decadent tasting soup. Plus it is very simple and quick to make. Enjoy!

Warmly,
Miss Jolie Ann

Creamy Tomato Bisque with Quinoa Recipe
4-6 servings depending on your appetite

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled & diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 28 oz cans chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp honey
1 cup unsweetened soymilk
salt & pepper
1 cup cooked quinoa

1. In a stock pot over medium heat saute the onion in the olive oil until translucent and beginning to brown. Approximately 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, basil & oregano. Continue to saute for about 3 more minutes until garlic begins to soften and the spices become fragrant.
3. Add the tomatoes and their juice to the pot. Add the honey and just enough water to cover the tomatoes. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling turn the heat down to a medium simmer. Let simmer covered for about 20 minutes.
4. Add the soymilk and let simmer for a few minutes until thoroughly heated. Taste and add salt and pepper, as much as desired.
5. Turn off heat and add the cooked quinoa. Stir until the quinoa is well combined into the soup.
6. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if they are in season or growing on your kitchen window sill. Devour! :)

Apple-Pear-Ginger Snap Cobbler (Gluten Free!)

Mmmm cobblers! Such a great way to use the bounty of berries and fruit while it's at it's freshest. Cobblers are delicious and really easy to make. Easier than messing with a pie crust! They are basically a layer of fruit baked until soft and juicy with a biscuity layer on top. I made one almost each week during the late Summer and into Fall. You can use blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, nectarines, apples, pears, plums, etc etc. One of my favorites was blackberry-peach. Once I started decreasing my gluten intake I found these great gluten-free ginger snap cookies at Trader Joe's. They have awesome ginger flavor-very snappy! They make the perfect topping for a gluten-free cobbler. When you bake this cobbler your house is going to smell so good you will be salivating long before it's out of the oven. Enjoy!

In Sweet Sweet Health,
Miss Jolie Ann

Apple-Pear-Ginger Snap Cobbler

3 tart apples, peeled, cored & chopped
3 ripe european pears, peeled, cored & chopped
1 stick butter, at room temperature, thinly sliced
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp cinammon
1 package Trader Joe's Gluten-Free Ginger Snap Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Butter a 10x10x10 baking pan. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine the apples, pears, 1/2 of the butter, honey, cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir until well mixed. Pour this mixture into the baking pan.
4. In the empty mixing bowl combine the ginger snaps and remaining butter. Use a pastry cutter or forks to crush the cookies into small chunks. The consistency should have mix of small sandy pieces and larger chunks. Add this mixture on top of the fruit mixture in the baking pan.
5. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for approximately 45 minutes-1 hour. The fruit should be soft, the cobbler bubbling, and the top browned and crunchy. Serve warm with optional ice cream or soy dream or coconut bliss frozen desserts! I ate mine straight out of the pan.