Category Archives: Soup

Roasted Veggies with Carrot-Top Pesto

April 22, 2017Appetizer, Dressing/Rub/Sauce, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Veggie, Soup, The Recipe Redux, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Roasted Veggies with Carrot-Top Pesto
Recipe Redux – April, 2017: Easy Ways to Reduce Food Waste

Did you know that the most nutritious part of a beet is the is the greens at the top of the plant and not the ruby red root below?!

That’s right, it is.

The same holds true for other root vegetables, including carrots. The leafy green tops on a carrot are incredibly nutrient dense. Sadly, most people throw these incredibly valuable parts away.

health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, counseling, healthcare, gluten free, multiveggie, carrot, beet, onion, greens — Don’t toss out those nutritious, delicious beet and carrot greens!

Don’t follow the crowd and toss these nutritious greens out with the trash. Instead, toss them into your recipes in the kitchen!!!

But how exactly do you prepare those carrot top greens?

One way to use them is in your vegetable stock. That’s an really good use for the bottom part of the greens, especially when they are on the tough side.

But an even tastier idea for the softer stems and the leafy green parts: throw those carrot greens into a tasty garlic pesto. You won’t believe how delicious the pesto will be using carrot greens in place of basil. And imagine the money you can save using something you normally throw away in place of expensive bunches of basil! The recipe uses both the lemon juice and zest, so nothing is wasted from your citrus either.

This carrot top pesto tastes great tossed with roasted veggies; it really gives them an extra big punch of flavor. This recipe also yields way more pesto than your veggies will need. Use the extra pesto as a sandwich spread, or as your sauce with regular or zucchini pasta.

A little bonus: I managed to find these beautiful white onions with their tops also attached at the grocery. I took some of its whiter greens, sliced them and added them to the roasted veggies as well. the remaining greens I will throw in a stir fry later this week. Waste not, want not!

INGREDIENTS
2 bunches Carrots, with green tops
2 small Onions, white, peeled, sliced into eighths
1/4 cup Olive oil, divided
1 bunch Parsley, fresh, rinsed
2-3 large Garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup Walnuts
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 small Lemon, juiced and zested

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the green tops off of the carrots and rinse the greens and carrots well. Set aside the carrot greens.

In a medium roast pan toss carrots and cut onion in 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Roast the veggies for 30-40 minutes, or until al dente.

Separate the softer greens from the hard part of the carrot greens. Save the hard green stem parts for stock making at a future time by placing in a sealed ziplock bag in the fridge or freezer.

To a food processor add the softer carrot green tops, plus the parsley, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and zest and process to combine ingredients. Slowly drizzle in the remaining olive oil while processing. Use a rubber spatula to remove pesto from processor container.

Toss all the roasted vegetables in 1/4 cup of the carrot pesto. Serve warm.

Refrigerate the remaining pesto for future use. The pesto can keep 5 days in the refrigerator.

Makes 4 servings roasted vegetables and about 2 cups pesto.

Smokey Vegged-Out Chili

January 22, 2015Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Veggie, Soup, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Smokey Vegged-Out Chili
Recipe Redux – January, 2015: Smoking in the New Year

Looking for a tasty, healthy dish to shake off that winter chill? Nothing heats things up better inside than diving into a hot, spicy bowl of chili. My version here is bursting with veggies and spices. It’s also great served over brown rice, quinoa, millet or any other delicious whole grain. This recipe is for about 10 servings, and, as long as you have an extra-large pan, you can easily double the recipe with success to feed a really large group.

nutrition, veggies, dietitian, nutritionist, black bean, chili, healthy kitchen, recipe, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, chef, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free — Smoky Vegged-out Chili

If you want to keep things mild, do not include the jalapeno seeds. For medium heat, through in about 1/3 the seeds of one jalapeno pepper. Want the painfully hot firehouse-hot chili? Then throw in even more jalapeno seeds and double the cayenne pepper- oh my, lookout!

INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon Olive oil
1 large White onion, peeled, diced
1 large Orange bell pepper, cored, diced
2 medium Carrots, peeled, diced
1-2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded (or use for extra heat) minced
1 large Corn ear, shucked (about 1 cup kernels)
1 medium Zucchini, diced
1 pound Mushrooms, white or crimini, diced (two 8-ounce packages)
1 tablespoon EACH Chili Powder, Cumin (ground), Smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Dried mustard
1/4 teaspoon EACH Salt, Cayenne pepper, Black pepper
15 ounce container Tomatoes, No sodium added, diced, in liquid
1/2 cup Water
2 1/2 cups Black beans, cooked (or about 1 1/2 cans, rinsed well)
5 tablespoons Sour cream (omit if preparing vegan or dairy-free)
1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
1 medium Avocado, peeled, cored, sliced

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, carrot and jalapeno (plus the seeds if using) and saute over medium-high heat about 6 minutes, or until the onions become translucent. Add the spices and cook another 2 minutes, stirring well. Add the corn, zucchini and mushrooms and cook another 7 minutes, stirring often. Add in the tomatoes with its liquid, black beans and water and bring everything to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook 20 minutes.

To garnish, top with 1/2 tablespoon sour cream (if using), a few slices of avocado and 1/6 of the cilantro.

Makes 10 servings.

An InLinkz Link-up

Curried Cauliflower Soup with Apple and Cilantro Drizzle

January 21, 2013Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Veggie, Soup, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Curried Cauliflower Soup with Apple and Cilantro Drizzle
Recipe Redux – January, 2013: “A Trend in Every Pot”

With the start of every new year comes the predictions of what new trends will be in store for us. Of course, my favorite lists are the food trends. Most notable was the prediction that people will want more food products that are healthy (great news!) We will also see more dishes where vegetables are the star of the meal, instead of on the side as backdrop to a piece of meat. If this is true, well, 2013 may prove to be a very heart-healthy year for many!

nutition, health, wellnes, cauliflower, soup apple, nutrition, dietitian, nutritionist, healthy kitchen, wellness, vegan, vegetarian, gluten, dairy, Portsmouth New Hampshire, chef, recipe, veggies — Curried Cauliflower Soup with sliced Apple, Cilantro Apple Drizzle, Toasted Pine Nuts

Since cauliflower is also one of the trendy veggies to have on your plate this year, I decided to give it center stage in this soup. The apple, ginger and curry flavors all complement the cauliflower nicely. To get extra flavor out of your curry spice blend, toast it in a dry pan over low heat for about a minute.

cauliflower, nutrition, dietitian, nutritionist, healthy kitchen, recipe, soup, cilantro, chef, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, michelle moreau, registered dietitian, celiac, gluten free, dairy free, cardiac, diabetes, weight loss — Curried Cauliflower Soup

This soup is the perfect warmup on a chilly day. If you would like to add some additional heat with spice, slice a few fresh chilis and sprinkle over top.

After a few bites of this soup, how quickly you will realize it’s tasty to be trendy!

INGREDIENTS
(for soup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and diced
1 pound cauliflower florets (about 5 cups)
4 teaspoons curry powder
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt

(for garnishes)
2 medium Granny Smith apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup cilantro, fresh
2 tablespoons apple juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
pinch salt
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
20-30 cilantro leaves

PREPARATION
for soup: In a large soup pot, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the fresh ginger and curry powder and saute another minute. Add the cauliflower and saute another 2 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon of salt, stir, then cover and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 25 minutes.

Cool soup slightly, then puree in batches in a food processor until smooth. Serve warm.

for apple sticks: Add lemon juice to a medium bowl. Slice apple into matchstick pieces. Toss apple matchsticks in lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.

for cilantro drizzle: Add cilantro, apple juice, olive oil, honey, 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and pinch of salt to blender; process until smooth.

To assemble: Ladle soup into bowl. With the back of a small spoon, mark where you want the cilantro drizzle to go on top of the soup, then drizzle onto marked area. Grab a bunch of apple matchsticks and carefully stack them onto the soup. Sprinkle several pine nuts and a few cilantro leaves over everything.

Serves 6-8.

Lemony Egg Drop Soup

April 22, 2012Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Grain/Whole Grains, Multi-Veggie, Soup, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Lemony Egg Drop Soup

As this soup cools slightly, it thickens. Perfect dish to liven up any rainy spring day. Also great when feeding a cold or needing a big bowl of comfort. Delicious way to get in your vegetables and whole grains.

What’s extra special about this soup is that it calls for amaranth. Amaranth contains different amino acids than other grains; so when it’s combined with millet here you actually are getting a complete protein source (in addition to the egg) in every savory bowl. How convenient!

Want to make this soup vegetarian? Simply use vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock.

INGREDIENTS
12 cups         Chicken or Vegetable stock, no sodium added
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 large          Onion, peeled, thinly sliced, slices halved
1 large          Garlic clove, peeled and chopped
2 large          Celery stalks, chopped
3 large          Carrots, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup         White wine
1/2 cup         Amaranth, whole grain
1/2 cup         Millet, whole grain
1 tablespoon   Chili garlic sauce
2 teaspoons   Mustard, prepared, whole grain
1 tablespoon White wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Tamari, low-sodium, gluten-free
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper, fresh ground
1 cup            Zucchini, shredded in a food processor
2 large    Eggs, whole, cracked into a bowl, then beaten
1/2 cup     Lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1/2 cup         Cilantro, fresh, chopped
16 leaves       Cilantro,fresh, for garnish (optional)

PREPARATION
In a medium pot, warm the chicken stock over medium heat, but do not bring to a boil.

In a large sauce pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add onion and garlic and saute until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add celery and saute another 2 minutes. Add carrots and saute another two minutes.

Add the white wine to vegetables, and cook several minutes to reduce wine, stirring often.

Add a 1/2 cup of the heated stock to vegetables. Cook several minutes to reduce.

Add the rest of the stock to the vegetables, along with the amaranth and millet grains, chili sauce, mustard, vinegar, tamari, salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce to simmer and partially cover. Simmer until grains are fully cooked, about 25 minutes.

Add shredded zucchini to soup. Drizzle in the beaten eggs, stirring constantly, until eggs are cooked, which should only take a matter of seconds.

Stir in lemon juice. Remove soup from heat, and allow to sit and cool slightly for 10-15 minutes so that it can thicken a bit. Stir in the chopped cilantro.

Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with cilantro leaves (optional) and serve.

Tips: If your stock has sodium already added, omit adding the sea salt… If preparing this gluten-free, but want to use a store bought stock, make sure to check the label first as many processed stocks contain gluten…When using a large onion, it is best to cut the onion slices in half so that their length is short enough to fit on your soup spoon… If you do not like cilantro, fresh parsley works nicely as a substitute.

Yield: About 8 servings

Serving size: 2 cups

Tomatoes Concassee

December 30, 2010Dairy-Free, Dressing/Rub/Sauce, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)balanced diet, delicious, flavor, flavorful, food recipes, gluten free, healthy, nutritious, sauce, tomato, vegetarian, wheat freechefmichelle

Concassee Tomatoes are easy to make, and are great to use in soups, stews and sauces.

INGREDIENTS:

Tomatoes

PREPARATION:

Cut an “X” on the bottom of each tomato.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop tomatoes into boiling water for about 20 seconds. Remove tomatoes from boiling water using a slotted spoon, then place tomatoes into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Remove tomatoes from ice water; peel away skins with a paring knife. Cut peeled tomatoes in half and squeeze out the seeds and juice.

Chop tomatoes to desired size.

Sweet Potato Soup with Apple Herb Drizzle

September 7, 2010Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Veggie, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)apple, balanced diet, dairy free, diet, drizzle, fall, flavor, flavorful, food recipes, fruit, gluten free, green, herb, multi-veggie, nutritious, oil, orange, recipes, Soup, sweet potato, tasty, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian, wheat freechefmichelle

The perfect comfort food for a chilly fall day.

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE SOUP:
2 each Sweet Potatoes, washed
1/2 cup Onion, white, peeled & chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 tsp Ginger, fresh, chopped
1 tsp Olive oil
2 cups Vegetable stock (or 2 cups water), heated
1 tsp nutmeg
pinch white pepper
pinch sea salt

FOR THE DRIZZLE:
1/3 cup Baby Arugula leaves, rinsed well
1/3 cup Basil leaves, fresh, rinsed well
1/8 cup Apple juice
2 tsp Olive oil
pinch salt

PREPARATION:
SOUP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Poke several holes in sweet potatoes with a fork, place on baking sheet and roast until soft, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly, and remove skins.

In a heated saute pan add one teaspoon oil. Add Onion, garlic and ginger and saute on medium heat until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add sweet potatoes, sauteed vegetables, stock, nutmeg, salt and pepper to blender and process until completely smooth. Serve in individual bowls and top with apple-herb drizzle.

DRIZZLE: In a blender process all 5 drizzle ingredients together until smooth. If too thick, add a little more apple juice.

Healthy in the Kitchen

Every Meal is Opportunity to Nourish your Body