lemon – Oven Love

Quick Blackberry Thyme Lemonade

Natalie — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 01:31:00 +0000

So, I’m planning to bombard you with a whole bunch of drink recipes this week. Is that cool? I had some time without the kids and I got carried away with my experimentation (it looked like the produce section of the grocery store blew up in my kitchen). All of the drinks turned out to be pretty tasty, so I’ve got to share. I hope you’re thirsty.

I call this “quick” lemonade because you don’t have to worry with making simple syrup on the stove and waiting for it to cool before you can take a drink. I just juiced some lemons, whisked some honey in with the juice and then added that to a glass of crushed blackberries and thyme. Cover that with cold water (and/or some vodka) and you’ve got a quick, refreshing something-to-sip.

These are really low maintenance- I would put a few caps on those Mason jars and take them out on a picnic.. probably with this salad. Summer heat, I am ready for you!

PS- Try a raspberry or strawberry version to mix it up.

Quick Blackberry Thyme Lemonade

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Drinks

Serves: 2

Ingredients

½ cup blackberries, divided
fresh juice of two lemons
1 tablespoon honey
a few sprigs of fresh thyme, removed from the stem
2 shots vodka (optional)
water

Instructions

Split ¼ cup of between two glasses. Muddle (smash) them up in the bottom of the glasses.
In a small glass or bowl, whisk lemon juice and honey. Split the juice between the two glasses and add the thyme leaves.
If you’re adding the vodka, add one shot to each glass. Add ice and then top with water and stir. Top the glasses with the rest of the blackberries.

Homemade Raw Milk Ricotta Cheese

Natalie — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:04:00 +0000

Ever since we started drinking raw milk, I have been itching to make some cheese with it. The only thing getting in my way is a tiny human with a serious appetite for milk- we almost never have any milk leftover for cooking or experimenting.

Last week I got hit with The Lucky Stick and had a whole half-gallon left for my own enjoyment. I finally had my chance to make cheese! I scanned my saved recipes to find a cheese recipe that didn’t require rennet, since I don’t have any cheese-making items on hand.

Lucky for me, this recipe requires only four ingredients- milk, cream, salt and a lemon. That’s all, friends. And there is only about 15 minutes of work involved. And by work, I mean pot-watching.. so it’s pretty basic.

You can certainly make this with store-bought milk, but I wanted to make the distinction that this cheese was made with raw milk- mostly because it has a yellowish color to it. The yellow color is just like the color of our raw milk, not because anything went wrong in the cheese-making process.

My favorite way to eat ricotta is just to smoosh it onto some toast and salt the heck out of it, but these are other good ways to use it, too.

Chicken, Kale and Broccoli Casserole – Spicy Kale Lasagna – Chard Dumplings in Chive Broth

Pumpkin Bread with Ricotta Swirl – Strawberry Ricotta Galettes – Zucchini Ricotta Galette

That pumpkin bread needs to happen now.

And I want that lasagna!

I think I’ll be needing some more ricotta.

Homemade Raw Milk Ricotta Cheese

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

35 mins

adapted from The Comfort of Cooking **You can certainly make this with store-bought milk as well.**

Author: Oven Love

Ingredients

1 half-gallon of raw milk
1 cup cream (either skimmed from other raw milk or bought separately)
1 teaspoon sea salt
juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

Cut a square of cheesecloth to line your strainer. Place the strainer over a large bowl.
In a stockpot, combine the milk, cream and salt. Bring to a boil slowly, stirring often to prevent scorching.
When the milk is at a boil, add the lemon juice. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until small curdles start to form.
Pour the mixture into your cheesecloth-lined strainer and let drain for 10 minutes. Discard the remaining liquid (or feed it to your pets/animals). Store the cheese in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Salmon and Wild Rice Cakes

Natalie — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:59:00 +0000

You guys.

I am in the midst of an intense week of toddler-watching (we are caring for two extra little cuties this week while their parents are on vacay), so I have about 10 minutes to say my peace about these salmon cakes. Let’s cut to the chase:

1. They’re a great use of leftovers. As you can probably guess, the night before I made these, we had salmon with wild rice. There wasn’t enough salmon to repeat the whole meal for everyone, but making the salmon cakes transformed them into something new while using up what we already had. Refrigerator-0, Natalie-1.

2. They are kid-friendly. This is crazy, okay- I made the kids PIZZA last night, but they decided they wanted to eat these instead. What the what? Mind-boggling, really.

3. They’re great for packed lunches. They are portable, make-ahead and reheat well, too.

4. They’re nourishing. Wild salmon, wild rice.. it’s getting wild up in here. You’ve got good fats coming from the wild salmon, and the wild rice is a good source of fiber, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, Vitamin B6, and niacin. Add some spinach and avocado and things get even better. Take that, RDI!

I’m out of points and out of time- these taste great and I know you’ll like them.

The end.

Back to the crazy babies!

4.0 from 1 reviews

Salmon and Wild Rice Cakes

Prep time

45 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

1 hour

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Main, Appetizer

Ingredients

¼ large or ½ small onion, roughly chopped
1 rib celery, roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 cups pre-cooked wild rice (brown rice or any other cooked rice/grain can be substituted)
12 oz wild salmon, pre-cooked (canned works also)
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt (preferably full-fat)
1 egg
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a food processor, add onion, celery, parsley and garlic. Process until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the rice. Pulse just a few times until the ingredients are combined- the rice should keep most of its shape (you aren’t making pureed rice).
In a large bowl, combine the rice mixture, salmon, yogurt, egg and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Mix well. If the mixture does not seem wet enough, add more lemon juice (or yogurt). Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
Using a ⅓ cup measure, scoop out the mixture and form into patties (I got 10 patties with the ⅓ cup measure- use the ¼ cup if you would like more or smaller cakes). Place formed patties on a parchment-or-foil-lined cookie sheet and freeze until they firm up a bit, about 30 minutes.
When the salmon cakes have firmed up, preheat the broiler on high. Place the oven rack about 10 inches below the element (in other words- don’t put it right under the broiler, give it some space). Broil for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve hot and enjoy!

Avocado Banana Bread

Natalie — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:39:00 +0000

Something strange happened last week.

I had leftover AVOCADOS. That never happens, like, ever.

We were heading out of town for a few days and I needed to use them up quickly. While I have used frozen avocado before with success (just mash and freeze flat in a freezer bag), I wanted to make something we could snack on in the car and for breakfast during our trip (breakfast guac?). I also had a borderline-gross banana looking to be used, and I thought.. avocado banana bread? Why not?

Why not, indeed!

It may seem like there are a lot of ingredients, but it’s worth rummaging around your cupboards to find everything. The avocado gives the bread richness and color- I love the bright specks of avocado peeking out in each slice. They almost remind me of pistachios- next time I’ll throw some of those in, too.

The ingredients come together quickly, but of course, it takes an hour to bake, plus cooling time.. so you’ll have to wait a bit before you dig in. I know they call them quick breads because they mix up quickly, but they should really be called it’s-going-to-be-really-hard-to-wait-for-this-to-cool-before-you-stuff-your-face breads. Just my opinion.

Hopefully you have an extra avocado around waiting to be baked up into this bread.

I would also recommend just smashing it up on some toast with sea salt.

And I’ll bring the breakfast guac back on the table- that’s a solid option, too.

Avocado for president!

Avocado Banana Bread

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

inspired by Kale & Cardamom

Author: Oven Love

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour (freshly ground, if possible)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs at room temperature
½ cup roughly mashed avocado
½ cup mashed banana
½ cup Greek yogurt at room temperature
¼ cup coconut oil (in liquid state)
½ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
¼-1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used minis)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper rubbed lightly with oil.
Whisk together flour baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk eggs, avocado, banana, yogurt, oil, honey, vanilla and lemon juice until combined, making sure all ingredients are at room temperature so the coconut oil doesn’t harden.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, being careful not to overmix. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about an hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before slicing.

Chelsea’s Lemon Souffle Pancakes

Natalie — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Today, you get to meet Chelsea from Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence. She is a 20-something, self-taught cook just like me and I know you’ll enjoy her recipe. I can’t wait to whip up a plate of these myself. Thanks for sharing, Chelsea!

Hello Oven Lovers! I’m Chelsea, the girl behind the blog Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence. I’m so excited to be guest posting for Natalie on one of my favorite blogs- Oven Love!

Seeing as how there are always so many amazing breakfast and brunch recipes on Oven Love, I thought what better recipe to guest post about than just that! After a great debate, I decided on these lemon soufflé pancakes. Just the idea of a soufflé pancake was enough to entice me, but with the addition of lemons I was sold! These fluffy soufflé pancakes are just bursting with lemon flavor. Drizzle with some agave nectar and a sprinkle of powdered sugar and its breakfast time! If you don’t have agave nectar, you can use regular syrup, but I find that the agave’s natural sweetness enhances the lemon flavor without overpowering.

4.5 from 2 reviews

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
¾ cup milk
¼ cup butter, melted
3 egg whites
Agave nectar and powdered sugar to garnish

Instructions

In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, lemon peel, and salt.
Make a well in the center of flour mixture and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk, milk, and the ¼ cup melted butter.
Add egg yolk mixture all at once to flour mixture.
Stir just until moistened.
In a medium mixing bowl beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form (tips will stand straight up).
Gently fold egg whites into batter.
Do not overmix.
Pour ¼ cup of the batter onto a hot lightly greased griddle.
Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side until pancakes are golden brown.
Serve with agave nectar and powdered sugar.

Greek- Inspired Slow Cooker Chicken

Natalie — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 10:46:00 +0000

My darling friend Joy of Fearless Freezer Cooking is here on Oven Love to share some summer freezer tips with us as well as the recipe for this yummy Greek chicken. I’ve enjoyed this recipe twice (once while in Joy’s freezer co-op and once after Lucy was born) and it was so good that I had to ask Joy to share it with everyone. It’s as easy as ever- you freeze the chicken in the marinade and throw it into the slow cooker without even thawing. Joy is the best! Here’s a little introduction to the queen of freezer cooking:

Joy is a stay-at-home wife & mother to two wonderful children. She is a fourth generation freezer cook. Growing up with freezer cooking as a way of life made it hard for her to understand how folks could NOT use their freezers. After being asked again and again for help, she started her Facebook page to give her tips & insight so that others will be Fearless Freezer cooks, too!

(photo by Natalie.)

Hello Oven Lovers! I’m Joy, guest posting today for my sweet friend, Natalie! I enjoy freezer cooking, how about you? I’m here to give you some super simple summer ideas for freezer cooking.

One of the easiest ways to start freezer cooking it to use a marinade. When you freeze fresh meat with a marinade, it starts marinating as it freezes. Then, when you are ready to use it, toss in the fridge the day before and it marinates as it thaws. So simple!

I love that marinated meats are usually cooked on the grill or in the slow cooker. My house doesn’t get heated up this way. When preparing a meat and marinade recipe, I like to follow this plan:

Mix up all the marinades I will be using.
Label the freezer bags I will be using with name of recipe, date, and reheating instructions.
Divide up the meat between the freezer bags.
Divide up the marinade between freezer bags.
Seal and freeze flat.

One of the benefits of this type of freezer cooking is that you can make up several meals in a short amount of time. Another benefit is that you can control the serving size. For instance, many marinade recipes call for four to six chicken breasts. While our kids are still young, we only need two or three chicken breasts per meal. So, for ONE marinade recipe, I divide it between TWO bags for two meals. That’s also saving me money!

A few of my favorite freezer marinades:

Use a bottle of Italian dressing (I like Seven Seas Viva Italian by Kraft.) Grilled chicken tastes great in Italian dressing- it’s especially tasty on salads.
We really enjoy the homemade Teriyaki marinade recipe in Mary Beth Lagerborg’s Once a Month Cooking, however it suggests baking, not grilling. I think Teriyaki flavors would also be good for pork kabobs or some cuts of beef. (Here is a similar Teriyaki recipe from Once A Month Mom.)
This garlic balsamic marinade recipe comes from Once a Month Mom. It is delicious and the pork cooks so moist when grilled. The flavors would be great on chicken, too.
We also like marinating steaks or London Broil in Worcestershire sauce. So simple and so tasty.

I hope these ideas inspire you! You’ll find the recipe for the Greek-inspired chicken below. I’d love to hear some of your favorite marinade recipes!

(Recipe by Mommie Cooks, via Joy and Once A Month Mom.)

Greek- Inspired Slow Cooker Chicken

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

8 hours

Total time

8 hours 20 mins

Author: Joy from Fearless Freezer Cooking

Recipe type: Main Dish

Ingredients

1 Lemon, Juiced
4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
¼ Cup Olive Oil
½ Cup White Wine
¼ Cup Chicken Broth
1 tsp Dill
1 tsp Rosemary
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
¼ tsp Pepper
½ tsp Salt
1 Whole Chicken, Broken into it’s Respective Pieces (Or 4 chicken breasts or thighs. If you’re using chicken breasts, they will likely fall apart because they get so tender- that’s why the chicken above looks shredded and the one in Mommie Cooks’ post is not.)
Egg noodles, black olives and Feta cheese for serving

Instructions

Add all the ingredients with the exception of the chicken to the marinade.
Mix up well.
Add in the chicken and coat all the pieces completely.
*If freezing, freeze now. You can put it directly from the freezer to the slow cooker, just add about 2 hours to the cooking time.*
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.
Serve over noodles with sauce from the slow cooker spooned over the noodles and a little feta and olives for good measure.

Chicken, Kale and Broccoli Casserole

Natalie — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 01:28:00 +0000

Let’s start this with a .. YUM.

Reasons to try this recipe: It’s full of healthy greens.
Dark, beautiful, curly kale and a little family-friendly broccoli. I like greens on their own, but when you add pasta and cheese? That’s a win.

It’s freezable.
I made the full recipe; baking up half of it for our meal and freezing half of it for a future dinner. I love that I only had to cook once, but I get to eat it twice (and not as leftovers).

It’s tasty.

Big bites of pasta, creamy ricotta cheese, perfectly moist chicken and dark, flavorful greens. Pair it with a salad and you can feel great about what you’re feeding your family.This is a solid weeknight meal- try it soon.
(And do not fear the kale! It’s your body’s best friend, I swear.)

Chicken, Kale and Broccoli Casserole

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

adapted from Martha Stewart- http://www.marthastewart.com/862208/chicken-and-kale-casserole

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Main

Serves: 4

Ingredients

¾ lb. large or jumbo pasta shells
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 bunch kale, stems and ribs removed, coarsely chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped into florets
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
1 large container ricotta cheese
zest of 1 lemon
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain; return to pot. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is beginning to soften, 4 minutes. Add kale and broccoli, cover, and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to pot with pasta.
Stir in chicken, ricotta, lemon zest, and ½ cup Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; top with ¼ cup Parmesan. Bake until top is golden, 30 minutes.
To freeze: Cook pasta al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water; return to the pot. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is beginning to soften, 4 minutes. Add kale and broccoli, cover, and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to pot with pasta. Stir in chicken, ricotta, lemon zest, and ½ cup Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch disposable baking dish (or two 8-by-8-inch baking dishes); top with ¼ cup Parmesan. Let cool to room temperature, cover with aluminum foil and freeze.
To reheat from frozen: Bake casserole (straight from the freezer) at 350 degrees for 60-90 minutes or until completely warmed through, removing the foil for the last 20 minutes of baking. You can also thaw in the fridge the day before and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

Corn, Crab and Tomato Salad

Natalie — Mon, 02 May 2011 20:25:00 +0000

Happy May, ladies and gents!

I want to start of the month with a little giveaway for you.. how does that sound?

The lovely folks at Cooking Light have come out with a new cookbook called Way To Cook. This cookbook isn’t just your typical pretty food photography and written recipes. The book takes you through various food categories and explains basic techniques through pictures. And I have two to give away to you guys!

If you’re a fan of Cooking Light Magazine and their visual technique explanations, you will love this cookbook. Each section explains a technique and then shows a few recipe examples. It’s all about learning and growing as a cook. How cool is that? It’s so accessible. It actually reminds me of food blogging in a way- it’s like a collection of great tutorials.

I wanted to make a recipe from the book and I picked this fresh crab salad from the “way to assemble” section. If you click the picture below, you can see all of the extra nuggets of information you get in addition to the written recipe. I love that! This recipe is perfect for summer lunches, get-togethers and picnics. You can also use it for Cinco de Mayo this week, but I would change a few flavors- substitute cilantro for basil and lime juice for lemon juice- quick and easy.

The only thing I didn’t like about making this recipe was the price of crab! I guess I don’t buy crab very often.. but it is expensive! I cut down the amount of crab in the recipe by half and it still seemed like plenty to me. I served it over greens, but you could serve alongside a grilled sandwich or with some cool summer soup.

Looks good, right?

Would you love to win the cookbook for your shelf? (Giveaway is closed.)

Corn, Crab and Tomato Salad

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

15 mins

adapted from Cooking Light’s ‘Way to Cook’

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Salad

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon lemon zest (from about one large lemon)
3 tablespoons lemon juice (from about one lemon)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or thawed frozen
¼ cup thinly chopped fresh basil leaves
⅓ cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
½ pound (8 ounces) lump crabmeat
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
green lettuce, for serving

Instructions

Combine lemon zest, juice, oil, honey, mustard, salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
Add corn, basil, bell pepper, onion, crabmeat and tomatoes and toss to combine. Serve over green lettuce leaves.

Swiss Chard Dumplings in Chive Broth

Natalie — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:52:00 +0000

It’s been quite a month over here. Lots of vegan and vegetarian recipes, some personal, vegan-related drama and some probably not veganize-able (what?) Nutella cookies. I’m closing out all of this nonsense today with a recipe that can work for all diets; carnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike.

I’ve made this recipe twice in the recent past. If you asked, my husband would tell you that’s pretty rare around here. I like to experiment.. almost too much, sometimes. These dumplings were so good and such an excellent use of our garden chard that I had to do a repeat. They’re also very popular with the little guy.

The directions look horrendous and long, but I think it’s worth the effort. This would be a good weekend meal, or something to make when you have extra hands to help in the kitchen. When you bite into the dumplings, what you taste most is the bacon/pancetta. You’ll never know you’re getting all of those vitamins and minerals from the chard. I haven’t tried making them vegetarian or vegan, but I believe they’d still taste excellent that way. Please let me know if you try it and how it works out.

This dish has a garden/fresh feel to it that I think you’ll enjoy during the warmer temperatures.

And if you don’t remember, May is all about pies in the Great Food Adventure! I can’t wait to dig in, find the perfect crust, and share all of those luscious summer pie recipes with you. If you have any favorites from around the web, feel free to link to them in the comment section!

Swiss Chard Dumplings in Chive Broth

Prep time

45 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

Author: Eating Well Magazine

Recipe type: Soup

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Dumplings: 1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves and stems separated
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup water
2 oz capicola, pancetta or thick-cut bacon, finely chopped (remove for a vegetarian meal)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
⅓ cup dry white wine
¼ cup part-skim ricotta cheese (remove for a vegan meal)
⅛ teaspoon salt
36 wonton wrappers
Broth: 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 cup thinly sliced fresh chives or scallion greens
8 teaspoons finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

To prepare dumpling filling: Finely chop enough chard leaves to measure 3 cups; set aside. Finely chop enough chard stems to measure ¼ cup. (Reserve any remaining leaves and/or stems for another use.)
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and the chard stems and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water and cook until the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in meat, if using, and cook until the mixture is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic, lemon zest and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and the reserved chard leaves and cook, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is somewhat dry, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in ricotta (if using) and salt.
To prepare dumplings: You’ll need a clean, dry work surface, a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour and a small bowl of water. Cut the wonton wrappers in half on the diagonal. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out. Lay 6 wrapper halves on the work surface. Spoon about ½ teaspoon of the filling in the middle of each. Moisten a fingertip and run it along the edges of the wrapper. Fold in half to contain the filling, forming a smaller triangle. Press the edges to seal. Pinch the 2 farthest ends together, making a tortellini-like shape. Place the dumpling on the prepared baking sheet; cover with a damp paper towel until ready to cook. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
To cook & serve dumplings: Bring broth and water to a lively simmer in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir the liquid while carefully adding half the dumplings. Cook, stirring once or twice, for 4 minutes. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and divide among 4 soup bowls. Repeat with the remaining dumplings, dividing among 4 more soup bowls as they are done. Ladle about 1 cup of the broth into each bowl. Serve immediately, sprinkled with chives (or scallion greens) and Parmesan, if using.

Part-Time Vegan, Day 3

Natalie — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 02:28:00 +0000

Today didn’t start out as hungry as yesterday.

Maybe I’m starting to get used to it.. maybe?

Breakfast was an avocado smoothie and jelly toast.

Snack was wheat crackers and a strawberry popsicle.

Lunch was asparagus soup and a slice of leftover tart.

Dinner was chickpea saute with onions and kale, served over rice.

I have to tell you, I was so excited for the avocado smoothie! People have really talked it up. I don’t know if it was just this recipe, but I really wasn’t a fan. At first I just didn’t like it at room temp, but I didn’t like it cold either. The flavor combo just wasn’t for me. Boo for a wasted avocado!

On a good note, I really liked lunch and dinner. Both were quick. Lunch was quick because I roasted extra asparagus while I was cooking the tart from last night, and dinner was just quick by nature. I love a veggie saute and this one hit the spot!

Things I learned today:

Beans make all the difference in a meal- praises for God’s genius, protein-packed creation.

I need to plan better snacks.. I keep eating carbs! Maybe fruit and PB tomorrow.

I still feel like something is missing in my diet.. maybe that will wear off, maybe not.

Enjoy the day’s recipes!

Avocado Smoothie

Whole Family Fare

1 avocado

1 banana

1 kiwi

1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)

agave nectar or honey to taste

Begin by cutting into the avocado and scooping out the flesh. In the pitcher of a blender, place the avocado, banana, kiwi (peeled), 2 teaspoons of honey or agave and about 1 cup of almond milk, to start. Blend it up, adding a little more almond milk until your desired consistency is reached (I like mine super thick). Divide between two glasses, and serve.

(serves 2.)

Lemony Roast Asparagus Soup

adapted from A Foodcentric Life

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 pound previously roasted asparagus, a few tips reserved for garnish, the rest roughly chopped

1 cup vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

juice of 1/2 lemon, or more (to taste)

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic and cook a minute longer. Add the asparagus and broth and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Puree with a stick blender or in a stationary blender. When pureed smooth, add lemon juice and puree once more. Taste and season to your preference, adding more broth if you like your soup smoother (or cream, for a non-vegan option).

Chickpea Saute with Onions and Kale
by Oven Love, inspired by Ezra Pound Cake
serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1-2 teaspoons sugar
1 bunch kale, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
water, as needed
salt and pepper to tase

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium. Add onions and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add sugar. Cook, stirring, another 10 minutes or until the onions begin to carmelize and turn golden brown. Add kale and raisins, cooking until kale wilts, 3-5 minutes. Add chickpeas and warm through. Add water at any time if the vegetables being to stick. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately- alone or over a bed of pasta, rice, or even crusty bread.

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