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Broccoli and Leek Soup

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Broccoli and Leek Soup
Author: Recipe 4 Success
Ingredients
  • 1 medium leek
  • ½ white onion
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1 russet potato
  • 2 heads broccoli, small
  • 32 ounces vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 purple carrots or radish for garnish
Instructions
  1. Prepare the Vegetables
  2. Cut the green part off of the leek. Slice down the middle, lengthwise, then rinse under running
  3. water. Cut into small pieces. Place into a mixing bowl.
  4. Remove the skin and cut the onion into small pieces. Add to bowl.
  5. Cut the celery into small pieces. Add to bowl.
  6. Peel and cut the potato into small pieces and place in a separate bowl.
  7. Cut the stem off of the broccoli and chop into small pieces. Add to the bowl with the potato.
  8. Cut the head of the broccoli into medium pieces. Set aside.
  9. Start the Soup
  10. Place a stockpot over medium heat; add 2 tablespoons olive oil.
  11. Add onions, leeks, and celery and sauté until they begin to turn translucent. Add ½ tablespoon
  12. salt.
  13. Add the potato and broccoli stem. Cook for 5 minutes.
  14. Add the broccoli pieces. Cook for 5 minutes
  15. Add the stock and water and simmer until potatoes are fork tender. There should be at least an
  16. inch of liquid over the vegetables; add water as needed. Lower the heat and let simmer 15-20
  17. minutes.
  18. Puree with an immersion blender, blender or food processor.
  19. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt and Parmesan cheese.
  20. Season with salt and pepper.
  21. Using the peeler, make long ribbons of purple carrots.
  22. Garnish soup with purple carrot ribbons or sliced radish.

 

Quinoa Pilaf

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Quinoa Pilaf
Author: Recipe 4 Success
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon lemon rind, finely diced
  • 1 tomato, finely chopped
  • 1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts in water, drained & quartered
  • ½ red onion, diced
  • ½ cup black olives, pitted
  • ¼ cup currants
  • 1 bunch mint leaves, for garnish
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, combine broth, quinoa, bay leaf, turmeric, salt, pepper and olive oil.
  2. Stir in lemon rind and cover.
  3. Bring pot to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. Turn off heat. Add tomato, artichokes, onion, olives and currants, mix well to combine.
  5. Top with mint and serve.

 

Sautéed Okra with Onions

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In our latest flash contest, VegOut! participants submitted #VegOutVideo entries, showing them vegging out this month for the challenge. Our winning video was submitted by Shubhra Ramineni, whose daughter Jaya demonstrated the secret to avoiding the unwanted “slime” sometimes released by okra when you slice it.

Congrats, Shubhra! Your gift card for Sparrow Bar + Cookshop is in the mail… enjoy!

Take a peek at the cute #VegOutVideo, and then see Shubhra’s recipe below.

 

Okra, known as “lady’s fingers” in India, has a beautiful bright green color and looks wonderful on the table. This simple and easy way to cook okra will leave you with a delicious dish, without any of the okra “slime!” When buying fresh okra, avoid the flimsy, flexible ones. Look for crisp ones in which the tail end can be snapped off. Avoid the very hard okra that are over-ripe with brown seeds instead of the ideal white seeds. I also never cover okra when cooking because doing so will darken its color. Okra can be eaten with Indian flatbreads, such as Naan or Chapathi, and goes well when paired with lentil dishes. – Shubhra

Sautéed Okra with Onions (Bhindi Pyaz)
Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes (15 minutes if using fresh whole okra)
Cook time: 35 minutes
Refrigerator life: 3 days
Freezer life: 1 month
Reheating method: Place the refrigerated or defrosted okra in a microwave and stir periodically. Or, place them in a skillet over medium-low heat and stir periodically.

Ingredients
1 lb (500 g) fresh okra or frozen, precut okra
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Juice of ½ lime
1 small onion,  sliced into half moons
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

  • If you’re using frozen okra, do not defrost. If you’re using fresh okra, wash the okra and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Trim the tip and head and discard. Slice each okra into ¼-inch (6-mm) pieces.
  • Pour the oil into a large nonstick skillet and place over medium heat. (Place over high heat if using frozen okra.) When the oil is heated, add the okra and lime juice. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onion, turmeric, red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Sauté until the okra is tender and the onion becomes transparent, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes.
  • Enjoy now or let cool to room temperature and refrigerate or freeze for later!

Tip
Okra has a peculiar, slimly substance to it that is released when the okra is cut and washed. The first time I cooked okra, I washed it after I chopped it and had slime everywhere! That is why it is important to wash it and pat dry before chopping to reduce the release of the sticky material. If you’re using frozen okra, it is best not to defrost it first, as it will become flimsy and release a lot of slimy substance. When okra is cooked with lime juice, any slime disappears as the okra cooks.

Recipe from Entice with Spice, Easy Indian Recipes for Busy People by Shubhra Ramineni. Learn more about Shubhra, her cookbooks and upcoming events and classes at enticewithspice.com.

 

Many Vegetable Lasagna

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The 2014 VegOut! Challenge close is right around the corner! It’s been a speedy one, no? In case you’re almost there and need a recipe to push you over the 30 veg edge, try this recipe by Francine Spiering, who writes over at Life in the Food Lane. The nine veggies in this dish will surely help you reach the finish line.

Many Vegetable Lasagna

Many Vegetable Lasagna
This recipe serves 2-3 adults

This combination of vegetables creates a lasagna that is abundant both in flavor and color. Sweetness from the yellow beet and squash, hearty flavors from the onion, kale and celeri, aromatic flavors from the garlic, eggplant and bell pepper, and acidity from the tomatoes. – Francine
Ingredients
Vegetable sauce:
1 medium eggplant
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow (golden) beet
1/2 acorn squash
1 cup cooked kale*
2-3 stalks celeri
1 medium onion
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 cup peeled and diced tomato
1 cup (or less) water
1 bayleaf
1 tbsp olive oil
fresh herbs: thyme, mint and basil (to taste)
spice it up to your liking: I used a tsp smoked paprika, a pinch of cumin, a pinch of dried ginger, a pinch of cayenne, and salt/pepper (my pinches are generous)

Ricotta mixture:
1 cup ricotta
2 eggs
1 “ball” mozzarella, chopped fine
1 cup grated parmesan
salt/pepper to taste
6-9 sheets lasagna (depending on the number of layers you prefer)
Directions
  • A lasagna being a flat-layered dish, I like to cut all vegetables into half-moons and/or slices. Also, lazy me, I use lasagna sheets that need no precooking.
  • Heat the olive oil in a wide casserole dish. Add the onions and cook over medium heat until soft (about 5 min).
  • Add the eggplant, beetroot, bell pepper, squash, and celeri, stir and cook for about 10 minutes, or until softened.
  • Add the tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf and half the water. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Add more water if it looks too dry. Taste, add salt/pepper, the cooked kale, and fresh thyme and shredded basil.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the ricotta mixture: Whisk the eggs until foamy, stir in the ricotta, mozzarella, and half of the parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Assemble: In an oven-safe casserole dish, spoon some of the vegetable sauce to cover the bottom. Place lasagna sheets on top of sauce, next to each other but an inch or so apart, and from the sides (the lasagna sheets expand in the oven). Spoon more vegetable sauce, cover with lasagna sheets, add another layer if you like (dividing the sauce accordingly), and finally the ricotta mixture.
  • When your layers are done, cover the entire dish with the ricotta mixture. Spread  evenly and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. If you like, also sprinkle some fresh thyme leaves.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350F. Remove the foil, increase the temperature to 400F and bake for another 20 minutes or until bubbling and slightly browning on the top.
  • Finish by sprinkling with fresh herbs and  small capers.
  • Serve more or less immediately.
Note
The cooked kale was a leftover from a previous meal. You could add raw, chopped kale to the sauce to simmer along with the rest of the vegetables. It’s bitter-green taste can dominate, though. If you want to balance the flavors, “wilt” the kale first (in the microwave, for instance).

 Read more of Francine’s culinary musings and recipes at Life in the Food Lane.