Recipes

Healthy eating is about feeling great, having energy, improving your outlook, and stabilizing your mood. Here are some of our favorite recipes:

Aji Panca Butternut Squash Risotto

6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash (2 to 3 pounds) peeled, seeded, cut into 1/4” dice
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
• 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt, divided, or to taste
• 6 to 7 cups Imagine No-Chicken Broth
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 to 2 chopped, seeded, rehydrated Aji Panca chiles (take the seeds out while still dry and then soak in water overnight)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

To Prepare

• Set a rack in upper third part of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place the butternut squash on baking sheet, drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with the 1 teaspoon of the salt and toss. Place in the oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked and very soft. Scrape onto a bowl and set aside.
• Pour the no-chicken broth into a saucepan set over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low.
• While your both comes to a simmer, combine the mascarpone cheese with the maple syrup in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Before moving on, be ready with your roasted butternut squash and chicken broth that should be at a low simmer, if need be, raise heat to medium.
• Heat ¼ cup olive oil in an extended casserole or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and ½ teaspoon of the salt, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until softened and wilted. Pour in the water and continue to cook and stir until the water has completely evaporated, the onions have become even softer, and they begin to glisten with the oil.
• Incorporate the rice and stir well to combine with the vegetables and coat in the oil. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, stir, and cook 3 to 4 minutes. The rice should start to smell toasty, but it shouldn’t brown.
• Pour in the wine, stir, and cook 2 to 3 minutes more until it completely evaporates, then immediately add a large ladleful of the simmering broth. Cook at a simmer until it is absorbed and you can see the bottom of the casserole when you stir.
• Add the next ladle of broth, along with about a fourth of the roasted butternut squash, simmer and cook until the liquid is absorbed again. Repeat 3 more times, adding another ladle of broth and a fourth of the squash each time, until all the squash has been added. Add the chopped Aji Panca.
• Continue adding broth by the ladleful until the risotto is cooked al dente. Add a cup more broth and stir before you turn it off; it should be quite soupy, yet the broth should be thick.
• You may have used only 6 cups of the broth or all 7 cups, depending on the heat of your stovetop and the weather where you live. What matters is the rice is still al dente and the consistency still seems a little bit soupy.
• Turn off the heat, add the chopped parsley and the seasoned mascarpone cheese. Stir well to mix. Sprinkle on the grated parmesan and serve.

 

Rainbow Carrot and Cabbage Coleslaw

Ingredients

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon miso paste

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon whole sesame seed

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large rainbow carrots, grated

2 cups shredded green cabbage

2 cups shredded purple cabbage

Directions

1. Combine the rice wine vinegar and honey in a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined. While continuously whisking, slowly pour the olive oil in to emulsify the dressing. Sprinkle in the sesame seed, salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir to combine.
2. Add the carrots, green cabbage and purple cabbage. Toss with the dressing and transfer to a serving dish.

For a fun appetizer serve on sliced Watermelon Radish rounds and top with Finger Lime Pulp!

 

Ärtsoppa

This Swedish dried pea soup recipe, known as Ärtsoppa, has been served in Sweden since the middle ages! Traditionally it was served on Thursdays to get people ready for the Christian fast which would begin on Fridays. Even today it is still often served on Thursdays in schools and always in the army and the navy.

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried yellow split peas
• 1 quarts Imagine No-Chicken Broth
• 1 pint water (add another pint for a looser soup)
• 1 finely chopped onions (2 cups)
• 2 large finely chopped celery ( 1 cup)
• 2 large finely chopped carrot (1 cup)
• ½ lb Llano Seco Lardon (bacon ends)*
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon Cadia Whole Grain Mustard

*for a delicious vegetarian version omit the bacon and add 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika after skimming off the foam in Step 4.

Steps to Make It

1. Rinse and pick through 1 pound of dried yellow split peas.
2. Fill a large pot with 1 quart of Imagine No-Chicken Broth and 1 quart of water.
3. Add the peas, onions, carrots, celery, the bacon lardons* and a fresh bay leaf.
4. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam, then cover pot and reduce to a simmer over low heat for 90 minutes. (if you are making a vegetarian version this is when you add the smoked paprika)
5. Thirty minutes before serving, remove the meat. Chop the meat and return to pot.
6. Season the soup with 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 15 more minutes.
7. Serve, passing around grainy brown mustard to stir into the soup to taste.

 

Summer is still in full swing despite the kids heading back to school and it being “Faugust” here in the San Francisco Bay Area. When the peppers are nice and sweet it’s great to make this Italian style relish and have it on hand. Traditionally it is made with tomatoes and basil but Laura omits these in her recipe and adds a little acid by using rice wine vinegar. You can use it on bruschetta, sandwiches, as a topping for fish or toss it with pasta. This little quick relish packs a flavorful punch!

Laura’s Peperonata

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 10 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded, sliced into 2 1/2 to 3-inch long strips
• 2 yellow bell peppers, seeded, sliced into 2 1/2 to 3-inch long strips
• 1 medium red onion, sliced into half-moons
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon cane sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• Lemon juice

Method

1 Sauté the onions: Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions. Sprinkle with a little salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the onions just begin to color.

2 Add the peppers: Add the peppers and stir well to combine with the onions. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. The peppers should be al dente—cooked, but with a little crunch left in them.

3 Add the garlic, capers: Add the garlic and capers, and sauté another 1 minute.

4 Add sugar, oregano, rice wine vinegar: Add the sugar,dried oregano and rice wine vinegar. Cook 1 minute.

6 Add salt, black pepper, lemon juice: Turn off the heat and adjust your salt amount. Grind some black pepper over everything. Right before serving squeeze a little lemon juice over the dish.

 

Thanks to Joe Whiting (our Category Manager) for sharing the following recipe with us!

Baked Chicken Strips (Serves 2 adults, 2 children)

• 1.5 lb Mary’s chicken breast.
• 1.5 to 2 cups of Edward & Sons Panko Bread Crumbs
• 2 TBS Simply Organic Italian Seasoning
• I TSP Simply Organic Granulated Garlic
• ½ TSP salt
• ½ TSP fresh ground pepper (use more or less based on your families tastes)
• 2/3 cup of olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cut chicken into one inch pieces
3. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl or bag
4. Coat chicken with olive oil.
5. Cover chicken with Bread Crumb mixture, make sure to press firmly to get an even coating.
6. Arrange in a baking dish
7. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until lightly browned
8. Serve with mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetable. We often use frozen peas.

This next recipe comes from our Annex Kitchen. It is a customer favorite. Perhaps it will become a favorite in your house as well!

[one-half-first]COCONUT CURRY LENTIL SOUP

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Serves: 6 depending on appetite

Ingredients
• 4 tbsp Sunflower oil
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 5 quarts vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1/8 cup tumeric powder
• 1/8 cup cumin powder
• 1 tsp curry powder

• 1 cup diced Roma tomatoes
• 2.5 cups dry green lentils
• 1 can of coconut milk (13.66 ounces)
• Salt and a squeeze of lemon or lime, to taste
• Garnish: chopped cilantro (fresh coriander) [/one-half-first][one-half]Instructions
1. In a stockpot, sautee the onions for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the dry spices, garlic and ginger until the aromatics bloom. Be careful not to burn the garlic. It’s best to keep the heat on low to medium after the onions are fully translucent in step one.
3. Add the vegetable stock and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes, until the lentils are very tender.
4. Once the lentils are cooked, add the coconut milk, tomatoes, celery, cilantro, lemon or lime juice and salt to taste.
5. Before serving, garnish with cilantro.[/one-half]

 

 

 

[one-half-first]FIG ARUGULA SALAD W/ PISTACHIO PESTO

Salad Ingredients:

• 2 big handfuls of arugula
• 8-10 figs, sliced into halves or quarters
• ½ avocado, cubed
• 1 ball of Burrata or Mozzarella, torn
• a few splashes of balsamic (reduce in a saucepan to thicken)
• drizzle of olive oil
• sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Pistachio Pesto: (this makes extra):

• ⅓ cup toasted pistachios (reserve a few to top the salad)
• 1 big handful of basil leaves
• juice of ½ a small lemon
• sea salt & freshly ground pepper
• ¼ – ⅓ cup olive oil[/one-half-first][one-half]

Make pesto by pulsing the toasted pistachios in a food processor. Then add basil, lemon, salt & pepper. Pulse again, then add the olive oil and pulse. Taste and adjust salt content.

Arrange the arugula, sliced figs, avocado, and cheese on a plate. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Dollop pesto and gently toss. Crush extra pistachios and sprinkle them on top.

Salad recipe from: loveandlemons.com [/one-half]