Tag Archives: vegetarian

Greek Salad

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Tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives and feta drizzled with olive oil, lemon juice and a dusting of oregano sound good? Yes please! Here are two easy ways to make Greek Salad!

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Ingredients

  • Tomatoes, diced
  • Cucumbers (English hothouse cucumbers work well), peeled and cubed
  • Kalamata olives
  • Feta cheese, crumbled (omit for paleo version)
  • Mixed greens

Dressing

  • Olive oil
  • Lemon, freshly squeezed
  • Oregano, 1tsp dried or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

  • Mix the veggies and toss with dressing
  • Crumble feta cheese on top
  • Serve

dit-elle-Esther

Cream of Artichoke Soup

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Artichoke soup – yum! Full of veggies, delicate herbs, and rich with a splash of cream. This would be a great paleo soup if you substitute coconut milk for the dairy. 🙂

Blog artichokebisque

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence (found it at PCC in bulk – it’s basically a blend of savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme oregano and sometimes lavender)
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less to adjust the heat)
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 3 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained
  • 2 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
  • 2 cups 2% milk
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 1 bay leaf

Directions

  • Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
  • Cook onions, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, Herbes de Provence, celery seed, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper until soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Add artichoke hearts, vegetable stock, milk, cream and bay leaf.
  • Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
  • Remove bay leaf and carefully blend soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender or food processor. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Thanks PCC!

dit-elle-Esther

Ruby Root Slaw

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Raw carrots and beets are grated and tossed in an olive oil & vinegar dressing. A crispy delicate salad, delicious and full of freshness! 🙂

Blog beetsalad

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • salt/pepper to taste
  • 3 red beets, peeled and grated (use the grater setting on your food processor!)
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and grated
  • 1 apple, peeled and grated
  • 1/4 c toasted chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions

  • In large bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.
  • Toss the dressing with beets, carrots, and apple.
  • Refrigerate for an hour or more to let flavors meld.
  • Fold in walnuts and parsley before serving

dit-elle-Esther

Beet & Walnut Salad

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This combination of beets, oil & vinegarette and toasted walnuts is delicious! Great as an appetizer, side or salad. 🙂

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Ingredients

  • 3 pounds beets
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • dash of salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive or walnut oil
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 3/4 bunch green onions, sliced
  • 1/4 red onion, sliced into thin half-moons (optional)

Directions

  • Steam or boil beets until fork tender, it will really depend on their size, but about 20-40 minutes. Cut off root and stem ends and slip off skins under cool, running water while beets are still warm (easiest way to do this is to sort of ‘massage’ the beets and the skin will come right off). Cool beets.
  • Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and oil until dressing is blended.
  • Cut cooled, peeled beets into 1-inch wedges and toss with dressing.
  • To toast walnuts, preheat oven to 350° F. Spread nuts on a cookie sheet and toast for about 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool. Roughly chop toasted walnuts.
  • Add walnuts, green onions and red onions to dressed beats; toss to combine.

Super mom tip: Beets can be cooked days in advance and stored in the fridge. Just keep them unpeeled until you are ready to use.

Thanks PCC deli and recipes! :)

dit-elle-Esther

Roasted Root Vegetables with Pesto

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The sweet flavor of carrots and parsnips balance out the bite of Brussels sprouts and turnips. Hot and roasted and tossed with pesto – yum!Blog pestoveggies-1

Ingredients

  • 2 cups carrots (cut in 1″ slices)
  • 2 cups parsnips (cut in 1″ slices)
  • 2 cups turnip slices, 1″ cubes
  • 2 cups trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts
  • 1 shallot, peeled and quartered
  • 1 onion, cut in 8 wedges
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • Salt/pepper to taste
  • Pesto

Directions

  1. Oven to 425*
  2. Toss vegetables with olive oil
  3. Sprinkle w/salt and pepper, toss
  4. Bake @ 425* for 1 hour or until browned
  5. Toss vegetables with basil

Super mom tip: Make pesto in a big batch and freeze in 1/3-1/2 cup portions. Pull out and defrost in the fridge or microwave a day in advance for this type of recipe.

dit-elle-Esther

Paleo Warm Butternut Squash Salad with Apple Cider Dressing

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I got this recipe off of the Food Network (scribbled the recipe onto a notebook while watching the actual show not online!).  I’ve made a few changes, but feel free to refer back to the original!  It’s SO yummy, and relatively easy (especially if you cheat and get the pre-cut butternut squash ha!)

blog Butternut Squash SaladIngredients

  • 1 (1 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and 3/4-inch) diced.  If I’m in a hurry, I grab 2 bags from Trader Joe’s, but I still cut those pieces in half because they are pretty big.
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil (I usually just drizzle over the top of the butternut squash and don’t measure :))
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup.
  • Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1/3 C Dried Cranberries
  • 3/4 C Apple Cider
  • 2 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 Diced Shallots or I’ve also used 1/3 C diced red onion
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 4-5 cups (or really, you choose depending on how many mouths you have to feed!) of spinach or arugula.  I personally LOVE arugula, but our boys don’t.  When I make this for friends, it’s arugula.  When I make it for the family-spinach.

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Place butternut squash on a large cookie sheet.  Drizzle maple syrup and olive oil over the squash, grind a little salt and pepper over and toss around until coated.
  • Bake squash for a total of 15, but take it out and toss every 5 minutes, and add cranberries on the last 5 minutes (at the 10 minute mark)
  • While squash is baking combine cider, vinegar, onions/or shallots, and a little salt and pepper in a small sauce pan.  Bring that to a boil and stir for about 6-7 minutes so that it reduces.  Take off heat and whisk in mustard.  (original recipe calls for adding a 1/2 a cup of olive oil now, but I forgot to do that once.  It tasted fine, so I’ve left it out ever since :))  You choose!
  • Place salad greens in a large bowl.  Toss in butternut squash mixture and dressing.  Pepper to taste.
  • Online recipe also calls for walnuts and freshly grated Parmesan.  I’m fairly certain the tv show didn’t/or I just forgot to write it down.  In either case, I’ve never added either, but feel free (and let me know what you think!)  I have sprinkled pumpkin seeds on the top for crunch and it was yummy too!

Super Mom Tip

I’ve turned this into a meal (not vegetarian), by adding some sliced aidells smoked chicken and apple sausages into the butternut squash mix at the same time as the dried cranberries.  The flavors all go so well together!

  • dit-elle-Lauren

Carrot Soup with Avocado, Lime and Cilantro

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It’s a damp October evening in Seattle. Get your cozy on with this hot soup that is so bright and cheery you will forget about the rain!

Fresh ginger, lime, cilantro, coconut milk and carrots.. create a delicious fusion of flavors! I won’t say this is super easy as there are some steps to prepare this soup, but it’s worth the effort!Blog Carrot Soup-1 Blog Carrot Soup-3

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 lbs carrots
  • 1 lime, divided – grated (for zest) and squeezed for the garnish
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • salt, pepper
  • 1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 avocado
  • Cilantro
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk or heavy cream

Preparation

  • Melt butter in large pot
  • Chop the onion and the ginger into small pieces and grate the lime zest, and add to pot
  • Sauté the onion, ginger and lime zest in a pan with the butter
  • Add the carrots and some pepper and then sauté for another 2 minutes
  • Add the broth and bring to boil. Simmer for 20 minutes
  • Puree the soup with a hand blender and add the cream

Garnish

  • Cut the avocado into pieces, chop the cilantro add some lime juice, salt and pepper and toss together lightly. Set aside.
  • Serve soup w/2-3 spoons of avocado mixture in each bowlBlog Carrot Soup-2

Paleo tip: use coconut milk, not cream, that’s it!

Super mom tip: Use a 2lb bag of peeled baby carrots – who has time for peeling or scrubbing carrot skins anyway? If you are peeling them, consider that there are good nutrients in carrot skins and just scrub them with a vegetable brush to clean.