recipes guide

Raspberry Lassi

Ingredients
Directions
  1. Add all the ingredients into a blender.
  2. Put the lid on the blender and process until desired smoothness.
  3. Pour into two glasses and garnish with mint sprigs.

* Some toasted almonds are another tasty garnish idea.

Caprese Pasta Salad

Ingredients
Directions
  1. Cook pasta and set it aside to let it cool.
  2. In a large bowl add the halved cherry tomatoes, garlic, mozzarella and basil.
  3. Next, in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Pour the dressing over the tomato mixture.
  5. Stir in the cooled pasta. Mix well and let it marinate together for at least 15 minutes before serving.
  6. Give it an extra stir or two before serving it up.

Salsa Cruda de Tomatillo

Ingredients
Directions
  1. Remove the husk from the tomatillos and rinse them under cool water to remove the sticky residue.
  2. Dice the tomatillos. And put them into a large bowl.
  3. To the bowl add: diced onion, minced garlic, chopped jalapeno and minced cilantro.
  4. Next, Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and half a lime onto the mixture.
  5. Season with salt and mix until all ingredients look well combined.
  6. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes so all the flavors can marry.
  7. Serve it up.

* Think beyond chips. This is great on tacos or as a topping for meat or beans.

Chimichurri

Ingredients
Directions
  1. In a medium sized bowl combine the chopped parsley, oregano, garlic, chives and crushed red pepper flakes.
  2. Add the juice of 1 lemon to the herb mixture.
  3. Salt & pepper to taste.
  4. Whisk together the extra virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar.
  5. Pour the oil and vinegar over the herbs and stir.
  6. It's ready to serve o use as a marinade.

* This a great to pour over grilled chicken breasts or grilled fish like Tilapia.

Basil Pesto

Ingredients
Directions
  1. In a food processor add the basil leaves and pine nuts.
  2. Roughly chop the garlic cloves and add them to the food processor.
  3. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, then put on the lid and start the food processor.
  4. With the food processor on, stream in the extra virgin olive oil.
  5. When the mixture appears well incorporated, turn off the food processor and pour the pesto into a medium sized bowl.
  6. Stir in the parmesan cheese and it's ready to put on pasta, chicken or whatever!

Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients
Directions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Rinse and trim the asparagus spears.
  3. Arrange the spears in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet covered with foil.
  4. Sprinkle the spears with salt and pepper. Drizzle on the extra virgin olive oil.
  5. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes (time will vary depending on the thickness of the spears).
  6. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle the cheese onto the spears.
  7. Roast for another 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
  8. Remove from the spears from the oven and serve them up!

Asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients
Directions
  1. Rinse and trim the asparagus spears.
  2. Fill large saute pan half way with water. Bring to a boil.
  3. When water boils slide in the asparagus spears. Make sure the water covers all the spears.
  4. Cook for about 5 minutes, until fork tender.
  5. While the spears cook, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl combine: lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
  6. Whisk in the extra virgin olive oil and stir in the chives. Set the dressing aside.
  7. Plunge the cooked spears into an ice water bath to stop the cooking.
  8. Remove the spears and pat them dry lightly with a towel.
  9. Place on a platter. Let cool to room temperature.
  10. Pour the dressing over the cooled spears and let things marinate for 15 minutes or more before serving.

Nutty Maple Granola

Ingredients
Directions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl combine: oats, sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, and sliceda almonds.
  3. In a small bowl whisk together vegetble oil and maple syrup.
  4. Pour over the oat mixture and stir it all together.
  5. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
  6. Dump the oat mixture onto the lined baking sheet.
  7. Bake, stirring occassionally, for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown.
  8. Remove from oven and let it cool slightly.
  9. Once cooled, stir in the chopped dried apricots, chopped dried figs, and dried cranberries.
  10. It's ready to serve ... so, snack away!

Mini Maple Turkey Burgers

Ingredients
Directions
  1. Pre-heat grill or indoor grill pan.
  2. In a small bowl combine: salt, pepper, dried thyme, allpsice, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl combine: ground turkey, minced garlic, minced onion, minced red bell pepper, maple syrup and spice mixture.
  4. Don't over do it. Just mix until all the ingredients look well-combined.
  5. Form mixture into small-sized patties.
  6. Place patties on the grill. Cook until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
  7. As mini burgers cook, in a small bowl whisk together the dijon whole grain mustard and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Set aside.
  8. Separate lettuce leaves onto a platter. One leaf for each mini burger.
  9. When mini burgers are thoroughly cooked, place each one on a lettuce leaf and top with the mustard-syrup topping.
  10. Serve it up.

Garlic and Oil Linguine with Pine Nuts

Ingredients
Directions
  1. Toast pine nuts in a small dry frying pan until fragrant.
  2. Once the pine nuts are golden and fragrant remove them from the heat and set aside.
  3. Boil the water for the linguine.
  4. Thinly slice garlic cloves.
  5. When water comes to a boil add salt and the linguine. Follow package instructions for cooking time (approximately 10-12 minutes).
  6. As the linguine cooks, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a lage frying pan over medium heat.
  7. Add the sliced garlic. Saute it until it becomes lightly golden.
  8. Add the red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and more olive oil (if necessary).
  9. Once the linguine is cooked, drain it and add it to the frying pan.
  10. Add the pine nuts and parsley.
  11. Toss the linguine with sauce to make sure the ingredients are well mixed.
  12. Place the linguine into individual serving dishes. Top each dish with 1 tablespoon grated Fontina cheese and serve.

Roasted Garlic and Herb Goat Cheese Spread

Ingredients
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Slice off top of the head of garlic to expose tops of cloves.
  3. Place garlic head in piece of foil.
  4. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch salt.
  5. Wrap up garlic head tightly in the foil.
  6. Roast for 40-45 minutes until cloves are tender and golden.
  7. Set aside the roasted garlic to let it cool before removing from foil wrapper.
  8. In a food processor or mini-chopper add the goat cheese, a pinch of black pepper, chopped basil, and chopped parsley.
  9. Next squeeze the garlic head cloves into the food processor (discard the garlic skins).
  10. Put on the food processor lid and pulse until mixture become smooth and the ingredients look well incorporated.
  11. Scrape the spread into a serving bowl and serve.

* This spread is great served with thinly sliced squash and zucchini rounds, celery sticks, and toasted slices of bread.

Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onions

Ingredients
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Thinly slice onion and place in large roasting pan or baking dish.
  3. Core and thinly slice apples. Add to the onions and pour extra virgin olive oil over the mixture. Salt to taste.
  4. Coarsely chop garlic and set aside. Garlic chunks should be big enough to handle.
  5. Lightly salt and pepper pork tenderloin. Make slits with knife along top of tenderloin.
  6. Stuff garlic chunks into the slits. Nest tenderloin in roasting pan amongst apples and onion.
  7. Pour apple cider over pork and apple mixture.
  8. Rub mustard over top and sides of tenderloin. Sprinkle pork with dried thyme.
  9. Roast in oven until pork reaches internal temperature of 160 degrees (about 50 minutes).
  10. Half way through roasting, baste pork with juices from the bottom ofthe pan.
  11. When done, let the meat rest for five minutes. Slice tenderloin and serve with apples and onions.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

Ingredients
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix sliced apples, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, orange oil, 1 tablespoon flour and dried cranberries in a large bowl. Toss to mix.
  3. Transfer apple mixture to an 8 x 8 baking dish. Pour apple cider over top of mixture.
  4. In a medium bowl combine remaining brown sugar, remaining flour, oats, butter, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender or fork, mix until topping appears crumbly.
  5. Sprinkle topping over apple mixture in baking dish.
  6. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until top is browned and apples are tender.
  7. Serve hot or at room temperature

* This dish tastes great with homemade whipped cream or organic vanilla ice cream! Mmmmm....

Lemon Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut potatoes into halves or quarters and place them into a bowl.
  3. Add rosemary, lemon zest, salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Toss to coat the potatoes.
  4. Pour seasoned potatoes onto a baking sheet lined with foil.
  5. Roast for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender and golden.
  6. If desired, sprinkle with a little more salt and drizzle with olive oil, then serve.

* This dish looks great garnished with a rosemary stalk and a lemon cut into quarters.

Chipotle Homefries

Ingredients
Directions
  1. Thinly slice the potatoes.
  2. Chop 2 cloves of garlic and set aside.
  3. Heat a large non-stick frying pan on medium heat.
  4. Drizzle the pan with extra virgin olive oil.
  5. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.
  6. Add the potatoes and garlic to the hot frying pan.
  7. Mince the chipotle peppers. Set aside.
  8. Occasionally stir the potatoes around the pan.
  9. When potatoes start looking crispy and golden, add the chipotle peppers.
  10. Stir the chipotle peppers and potatoes around. Allow the flavors to mix for 2 to 3 minutes.
  11. Remove the pan from the heat. Season to taste with extra salt and pepper and serve.

* This dish goes great with eggs!

Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients
Directions
  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
  2. While you wait for the water to boil, cut the potatoes in half or quarters.
  3. Drop the cut potatoes into the boiling water. Cook until fork tender.
  4. Chop the chives and set aside.
  5. When the potatoes are fork tender, drain and return them to the hot pot.
  6. Add the milk, olive oil, cheese, and garlic. Mash it all up.
  7. Stir in the chives. Salt and pepper to taste, then serve.

* To roast the garlic needed for this recipe: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut top off garlic head to expose tops of the cloves. Place the garlic head on piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap up tightly in the foil. Roast in oven for 35-40 minutes.

Garlic Kale

Ingredients
Directions
  1. Wash the kale and remove the leaves from the tough stalks.
  2. Course chop the leaves and set aside.
  3. Heat large pan on medium heat.
  4. Slice 2 to 3 garlic cloves.
  5. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil around the pan.
  6. Add the garlic.
  7. When garlic is lightly golden brown, put in the chopped kale.
  8. Turn the kale in the pan to evenly coat with oil and garlic.
  9. Add the 1/4 cup of stock and a touch of salt and pepper.
  10. Cover the pan. Let it sit 5 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally.
  11. When the kale appears wilted down and tender, sprinkle on the crushed red pepper flakes. Stir and serve it up.

* This dish goes nicely with chicken piccata.

Indian Inspired Swiss Chard and Chick Peas

Ingredients
Directions
  1. For the Spice Mixture, in a small bowl combine: 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander, 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon tumeric, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon paprika.
  2. Wash the swiss chard and course chop the leaves. Set aside.
  3. Heat large pan on medium heat.
  4. Mince the garlic and thinly slice half the medium onion.
  5. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil around the pan.
  6. Add the garlic and onion to the pan.
  7. Dice the carrots.
  8. When onion is translucent add the carrots and spice mixture. Cook about 5 minutes.
  9. Add the swiss chard. Cover the pan. Stirring occasionally.
  10. Coursely dice the tomato.
  11. When the swiss chard is wilted and carrots are tender add the tomato.
  12. Stir. Let the tomatoes cook for a couple minutes, then add the chick peas. Continue cooking until chick peas are warmed through. Salt and pepper to taste just before serving

* This is great as a main course, served up with a hunk of whole grain bread.