Red Lentil Stew

This creamy and delicious vegan dish will leave you feeling great and very satisfied! I love that I can throw it all into the crock-pot and have dinner ready when we want it. Be sure to use red lentils as it gives this dish a very different texture and do not substitute with light coconut milk.

Recipe

2 onions, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, crushed and minced

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. tumeric

1/8 tsp. ground cardamon

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

4 cups water

1 (15-oz.) can coconut milk

2 1/4 cups red lentils (about 1 pound), rinsed

6 carrots, peeled and chopped

4-6 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped

1 cup frozen peas

salt and pepper

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large skillet saute the onions, garlic and oil on medium heat until softened. Add the spices and mix well. Pour into the crock-pot and add the water, lentils, coconut milk and carrots. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-5 hours. During the last 10 minutes of cooking add the tomatoes, peas, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Homemade French Bread

November 4, 2013

Homemade French Bread

This recipe is from my mother’s kitchen. I love the soft chewy inside and crusty outside of this bread! It’s a perfect companion for many meals including soups and Italian dishes. Sometimes I like to replace one or two cups of all-purpose flour for a cup(s) of barley flour, giving it a lighter texture and flavor. You can make it anyway you want, but I recommend at least using half the amount of flour called for as all-purpose flour for rising purposes.

Recipe

makes 2 loaves

2 1/2 cups warm water

1 tbsp. active yeast

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. sea salt

6 cups flour

In an electric bowl fitted with a paddle attachment mix together the water, yeast, oil, sugar and salt. Allow yeast to dissolve. Add 2 cups flour and mix together. Switch to a bread dough hook and add the remaining flour. Let rest for 10 minutes. Stir down and repeat 4 more times. This process of rising and stirring builds gluten and gives the bread great texture! Divide dough into two equal parts and roll out onto an oiled surface into 9×12 rectangular shapes. Roll into a log, pinching the edge and sides down to seal. Let rise until doubled. Just before baking cut slits into the top of each loaf and brush with melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.

October 21, 2013October 21, 2013

Crock-pot Vegetable Lentil Soup

I love when I don’t have to go to the store and can make a wholesome meal from my food storage and garden. This vegetarian soup is hearty and filling. Because it’s made with lentils and rice you get a complete protein!

Recipe

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

3-4 ribs celery, chopped

3-4 carrots, chopped

1 pound baby mushrooms, chopped

1 cup dry lentils

1 cup dry brown rice

8 cups organic chicken stock or vegetable stock if you wan to make it vegan

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

2 cups fresh chopped Swiss chard

Sea salt and pepper

Add all ingredients to the crock-pot except for the Swiss chard. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Add the Swiss chard at the very end just before serving and stir to heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with warm homemade bread and green salad.

October 21, 2013

Spaghetti Squash Mash with Basil and Mozzarella

I wasn’t a fan of squash growing up as a kid, but over time I have learned to love squash prepared certain ways. This is one that I salivate over! It’s so good and very simple to make!

Recipe

Cut a large spaghetti squash in half and fill the cavities with 8 garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons butter. Drizzle with olive oil and cover with foil. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes until squash is soft.

Scrape out the squash into a bowl and add 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 1/4 cup basil pesto. Add 1 cup shredded mozzarella, salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Serve warm with fresh tomatoes.

October 21, 2013

Rosemary Honey Pound Cake

I would have to say rosemary is one of my most favorite herbs. It’s right up there with butter in making just about any dish better! This rich dense pound cake is lovely all by itself, but is also very good with an extra drizzle of honey and herbal tea.

Recipe

Rosemary Honey

1 cup honey

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

In a small sauce pan heat the honey and rosemary on very low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes and set aside.

If you have two weeks before you plan on making the pound cake try making your rosemary honey in the warmth of a south facing window seal by placing the sprigs of rosemary in honey.

Pound Cake

1/2 pound butter (2 sticks), softened

1 1/4 cups organic sugar

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons rosemary honey

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped finely

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Zest of one lemon

2 cups cake flour or (7/8 cup + 2 tablespoons corn starch (per cup))

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a bread loaf pan with Pam spray or grease with butter.

In an electric bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, honey, vanilla, rosemary and zest and beat until combined. Add the flour, salt and powder. Mix until combined and pour into the loaf pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Make sure the cake is done by inserting a toothpick or knife and make sure it pulls out clean. Cool for 15 minutes and then invert onto a baking rack. While still warm, pour the remainder of the rosemary honey on top of the cake. Allow to completely cool and serve with your favorite herbal tea.

October 18, 2013

Winter Minestrone

This soup is so delicious and so good for you! It could almost be a stew it’s so rich and hearty and goes perfectly with my Homemade Croutons!

Recipe

olive oil

2 onions, chopped

3-4 carrots, chopped

3-4 celery stalks, chopped

1 large butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 quart (28 oz.) chopped tomatoes

8 cups Organic chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 cup uncooked small pasta, such as macaroni

1 (15-oz.) can northern white beans, drained and rinsed

8-10 ounces fresh spinach

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons pesto

Fresh Parmesan cheese

In a large dutch oven heat the oil and add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic and thyme. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add tomatoes, stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and cook until the vegetables are almost tender. Add the pasta. Once the pasta is almost cooked add the beans to heat through. Add the wine and spinach, heat until spinach has just wilted. Turn off heat and add pesto. Serve with Parmesan and croutons.

October 18, 2013

Batter Dinner Rolls with Orange Roll Variation

This is a long time family recipe! The regular batter roll recipe came from my grandma Marilyn and the orange variation is from my mother. Both are wonderful for just about any meal, including dessert! The batter rolls (and orange variation) are very simple to make. All pictures show the orange variation, but the batter roll instructions are posted as well. This recipe makes 24 rolls, but is easily doubled.

Recipe

1 1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup organic sugar

1/4 cup butter

2 eggs

1 tablespoon yeast

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 cups cups all-purpose flour

In a medium sauce pan heat butter, milk and sugar just until the butter is melted. Beat the eggs in an electric mixer. Add the milk mixture to the eggs very slowly. Add 2 cups flour and mix. Add the yeast and salt, mix. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour. Knead for 4 minutes. Dough will be sticky. Allow to raise until doubled, about an hour. On a floured surface divide the dough in half and knead a few times shaping into a ball.

Roll each ball of dough into a 10-12 inch round disc. Spread melted butter onto the surface.

For orange rolls, mix together 3/4 cup sugar and 4 tablespoons orange zest. Spread onto dough. Cut the disc into 12 equal pie slices with a pizza cutter.

Roll each piece from the outside in, pinching the end to the bottom so the rolls don’t come apart when baking.

Place rolls onto a jelly roll pan that has been greased. Brush the tops of the rolls with more melted butter and let rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Orange Glaze

While the rolls are baking make the glaze for the orange rolls. In a large sauce pan boil for 6 minutes the following ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate or juice of 2 oranges and 4-5 drops orange essential oil

1 stick butter

Let cool slightly and pour over cooled rolls. Enjoy!

October 17, 2013October 17, 2013

Crockpot Chicken Stew

I love really good comfort food that isn’t too fattening. Especially if I don’t have to slave over it for hours. This is healthy, hearty and full of flavor! You’ll love the way your house smells with this simmering all day in the crock-pot.

Recipe

2 organic chicken breasts (about 2-3 pounds)

olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup white wine

4 cups organic chicken stock

3-4 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 bay leaves

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, tomato paste and thyme until softened. Add the flour and cook for one minute. Add the wine and cook for another minute. Add 1 cup chicken broth and stir until blended well. Add onion mixture to the crock-pot along with the remaining 3 cups broth, potatoes, carrots, bay leaves and chicken. Cook on high for 4hrs. or low for 6-8hrs. Shred the chicken and add the peas and parsley at the end for the last 10 minutes to heat through. Serve with your favorite rolls and green salad.

October 17, 2013

Roasted Fall Squash Soup

This soup is perfect for using all the extra fall squash from the garden! And if you didn’t grow any this year, the stores have them on sale right now! A friend of mine shared this recipe with me and I have made it in the fall ever since. The flavor of this soup is savory/sweet with a little hint of heat from the chipotle seasoning. Serve with Sourdough Rosemary Flat Bread

Recipe

1 butternut squash, cut in half

1 amber cup squash, cut in half

2 yellow crookneck squash

2 onions, cut in half

6-10 cloves garlic

1 big apple

1 yam, scrubbed but not peeled

2 Anaheim or Pablano peppers, split in half and seeded

1 handful of dried tomatoes

1 cup yogurt

cream or half and half

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon chipotle seasoning

1 teaspoon dried oregano

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

As you can see in the picture I have stuffed the butternut squash with tomatoes and garlic. The peppers in the amber cup squash and placed the yellow squash, apple and onions on the pan.

Flip over the squash and drizzle a little olive oil over everything. Wrap the yam in foil and poke with a knife a few times. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes until vegetables are soft and a little charred.

Discard peppers, scrape squash out of skins. Add all roasted ingredients into a blender and blend or use an immersion blender in a large dutch oven pot. In a large pot, add the yogurt and cream until thinned (you can even use chicken stock to decrease the calories). Add the honey, chipotle, oregano and salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to your liking. Serve warm.

October 17, 2013

Sourdough Rosemary Flatbread

This flat bread is so good! It has the perfect combination of tartness from the sourdough, savory from the rosemary and saltiness from the sea salt. It’s simple to make and you don’t have to worry about making pretty loaves. This bread goes perfectly with any soup!

Recipe

1/2 cup sourdough starter

2 cups lukewarm water

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped rosemary

2 tsp. salt

5-6 cups whole wheat flour

Combine the starter, water, oil and salt in mixer. Add 5 cups flour, then continue adding more flour until the dough “cleans” the sides of the bowl. Knead for 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 6-10 hours. (I usually do this at night and then make the bread in the morning). Once the dough has risen, divide in half. Prepare 2 jelly roll pans with Pam spray. Pat one half of the dough into a rectangular shape inside the pan with your hands.

Press fingertips into the dough to make divets. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper onto the dough. Let raise for an hour and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Rooted Emily

Posts

Red Lentil Stew

Recipe

Homemade French Bread

Recipe

Crock-pot Vegetable Lentil Soup

Recipe

Spaghetti Squash Mash with Basil and Mozzarella

Recipe

Rosemary Honey Pound Cake

Recipe

Winter Minestrone

Recipe

Batter Dinner Rolls with Orange Roll Variation

Recipe

Orange Glaze

Crockpot Chicken Stew

Recipe

Roasted Fall Squash Soup

Recipe

Sourdough Rosemary Flatbread

Recipe