Sesame Orange Dressing

The veggies I use tend to differ every time I make a dish. The sauces are often close to the same, but as I don't measure they change depending on my mood. This is a common base, that sometimes has more ginger, more salty soy sauce, or added honey to give it a tad sweeter taste. Taste as you go!

2 tangerines, peeled
1 inch piece ginger, peeled
1 green onion
1 - 2 cloves garlic
2 T. toasted sesame oil
1.5 T. soy/tamari sauce
2 T. rice vinegar
Fire oil or cayenne for spice

Blend ingredients until smooth. Optional: If you like a thicker sauce, want more sweetness, or don't like strong vinegar flavors, add a teaspoon or so of honey.

Use on sautéed or roasted veggies, rice, noodles, or cabbage salad. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Hot and Sour Soup

Happy Chinese New Year!  I love a good bowl of hot and sour soup, but it is difficult to find restaurants that have a vegetarian one.  Over the years, I have tried many recipes and adjusted and adjusted.  It is different every time I make it, but here is the gist.

2 T. sesame oil
1/2 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. ginger, minced
1 carrot, julienned
1/4 c. bamboo, julienned
1/2 c. mushrooms (shitake, crimini, woodears), sliced
1 quart broth (veggie, miso, chicken)
1/3 c. rice wine vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
red pepper flakes or fire oil, to taste
white pepper, to taste
2 T. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1 egg, beaten
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 c. kale, de-ribbed and finely sliced

Sauté onion, garlic, and ginger in sesame oil until softened.
Add veggies (feel free to diversify) and sauté 5 minutes.
Add broth, vinegar, soy sauce, and spices/fire oil. Bring to a simmer and let cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust vinegar, soy, or spice to your desire.
Make a slurry with cornstarch/arrowroot and some of the broth in a measuring cup. When smooth, add to simmering soup and allow to thicken for several minutes.
Remove from heat and slowly drizzle egg in using a spiral pattern.  Let sit for a minute, then add kale and green onions and give the soup a gentle stir.  Serve with an extra drizzle of sesame oil.


I often don't have bamboo shoots and many times I use celery or jicama to give it a crunch.  Tofu or a cooked meat can be added for more protein.  Kale isn't classic in a hot and sour soup, but I really like it!

Roasted Butternut Tahini Dip

Sweet and creamy.  This dip can easily be mixed with a pasta, rice, or used as a dip for a plate of veggies.  

1/2  butternut squash
1 small onion, halved
Oil for roasting
1/4 c.  tahini
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. coriander powder
Drizzle sesame oil
salt, pepper, cayenne, to taste


Coat onion and squash in oil and roast until the squash is soft and the onions are browning.  Cool.

Scoop out squash and place it and remaining ingredients into blender/food processor.  Blend until smooth and creamy.  Adjust ingredients to your desire. I sometimes want lemony or spicy. 

Garnish with a drizzle of sesame/olive oil and some sesame seeds.  This is good warm or as a sauce.    

Vegetarian Chili

This recipe has become a staple for our annual holiday party.  It's gluten free and vegan, so it works for many diets and freezes well *if* we don't eat it all.  It would be a fabulous base for a meat chili - just add or replace beans with your favorite chili meat for a paleo option.  

Oil, for sautéing

1 large onion, chopped 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

1 T. chili powder

1 t. cumin

2 bell peppers, diced (red, yellow, orange, green....)

4 ripe tomatoes, diced

1 can green chilies or several chopped fresh ones

28oz can crushed tomatoes  (I often use fresh pureed in a blender)

3 sprigs fresh oregano, or 1 t. dried

jalapeño, diced

1-2 squash, diced (zucchini, yellow, Mexican grey) 

~ 4 cups (or 2 cans) beans (I use a combination of types)

Sauté onion and garlic, in oil, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add chili, cumin, bell peppers, and diced tomatoes.  Cook for 5 minutes or so.  

After bells start to soften, add green chilies, crushed tomatoes, oregano, jalapeño, and zucchini.  Cover and simmer to meld the flavors.  You could simmer this for 20 minutes to all day adding water or broth as needed.  

Add beans 10 minutes before serving to warm them up.  You can add them earlier, but they tend to get a bit overcooked.  

Toppings:  red onion, sour cream, cheese, green onion, cilantro, olives, salsa, chips, cornbread....options, options!

Apricot Lentil Soup

I have a cold, the day is overcast, and despite the 100º temperature, I feel like soup.  My CSA has given me tomatoes and onions in abundance.  I have some sweet potatoes to use up before our road trip.  Middle Eastern dishes use lots of apricots and lentils, but given my Armenian descent I consider this an Armenian style soup.  Here we go!


1 1/2 cups red lentils
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 - 2 sweet potatoes, diced
2 - 3 fresh tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup dried apricot,  diced (I threw in a couple squishy fresh ones, also)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 Tablespoons lemon juice (to taste, I like tart)
salt and pepper (cayenne) to taste

These, as usual, are estimates.  I just threw all ingredients, except lemon juice/salt/pepper, into the crockpot with water to cover and let slow cook together until tender.  Puree in the blender, lemon juice/salt/pepper to taste, and serve topped with yogurt and nuts or diced apricots.

For the stovetop, I would sauté onions and garlic in the oil before adding in the other ingredients and simmering until tender in water to cover.  Puree, lemon juice/salt/pepper, garnish, and eat!

I did not give a water amount. If you wanted this thick like dip you can use less, thinner use more.  I would start with enough to cover and go from there.

Garlic Kale Eggdrop Soup with Lemon

We try to consume lots of greens.  Kale is the one we use the most (along with salad greens).  This recipe was refreshing and delicious and could be made with other greens should you desire.  

1 T. oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bulb of garlic (yes, a whole bulb)
1 quart broth
Sprig of fresh oregano or 1/2 t. ground
Salt and pepper
1/4 c. fresh basil or 1 T. dried
1/4 c. lemon juice
5-6 cups kale
2 eggs, beaten

Sauté onion and garlic cloves in oil until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add broth, oregano, and salt/pepper.  Simmer for as long as you want (I left mine on for ~40 minutes just for that warm, garlic soup smell.

Blend broth mixture adding the basil, lemon juice, and as much kale as you desire. Taste test for flavor - more lemon/salt/pepper to taste.
  
Return to pot, bring to a simmer.  Slowly drizzle in eggs as you stir the soup.  Let cook a couple minutes and serve.  We added more kale, cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan to ours.  

Ranch Dressing

Craig and I have always appreciated a good salad.  We tend to prefer vinaigrette dressings, with balsamic vinaigrette being a favorite. In a desire to increase the kids salad consumption we asked what we could do to make them more desirable.  Eva wants no toppings, just lettuce and the balsamic dressing - easy enough.  Elias claimed that anything works, but he likes going to Sweet Tomato's for the ranch.  Ranch isn't something I use often.  My grandma always made a fabulous homemade one, so I set out to recreate a homemade version that Elias would appreciate.  He is now requesting salads.  

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise


• 1/2 cup buttermilk


• 1/2 cup sour cream


• 1/2 teaspoon dried chives


• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley


• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed


• 1    teaspoon garlic powder


• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


• Dash of cayenne