Broccoli, Kale and Walnut Pesto

You can make pesto out of anything. OK, almost anything. And since broccoli and kale are nutrient powerhouses, why not combine them with the rich Omega-3s of walnuts and add it to some whole wheat pasta or spread it over chicken or fish?

Ingredients
2 cups broccoli, cut into medium-sized florets and trimmed
2 cups kale, coarsley chopped
big pinch of salt
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup olive oil (this is where you can pull out the good stuff)
1/2 lemon, juice and zest
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
drizzle of white truffle oil (optional)

Here’s what you do:
Steam broccoli until tender. Throw kale in with broccoli for final minute of steaming. Make a paste with the garlic and salt with a mortar and pestle or with a chef's knife on the chopping block. In a food processor or blender, place garlic paste, walnuts, olive oil, lemon juice/zest, parmesan, broccoli, kale, salt and pepper. Pulse a few times, scrape down the sides, pulse again. Taste and add salt/pepper/lemon if necessary. Serve right away or store in a container with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent browning.

Everything-But-the-Kitchen-Sink Soup

I love cleaning out my pantry. Since I’m vertically challenged and my pantry extends about 2 feet over my head, I tend to forget about the extra cans of beans, tomatoes and corn I set aside months earlier. And with a pending move to Peru on the horizon, it was time to take a look at what was hiding up there.

That also goes for the fridge and freezer. If, like me, you don’t use the entire bag of spinach or carton of mushrooms in one sitting, chances are they could go bad before you have a chance to finish them off. Well, this recipe (like most of my recipes) uses everything but the kitchen sink. And you could probably throw that in, too.

So, improvise. Use what you have to make this soup fabulous. You’ll need a few base ingredients to make this soup great, but then feel free to go willy nilly.

Ingredients (the ones you really need)
2 15-oz. cans organic diced tomatoes
1 Tbl tomato paste
4 cups stock (chicken, vegetable or beef)
1 rind of Parmigiano Reggiano
1 medium onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbl olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

You could pretty much stop here and just use the ingredients above. But if you’ve got extra stuff lying around, throw it in!

Ingredients (the ones I had in my fridge/freezer/pantry that you can improvise)
5 leaves Swiss chard, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 small head broccoli, chopped
1 pound lean organic ground beef
½ cup pearl barley
1 15-oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed
1 15-oz. can corn, rinsed
1 Tbl herbs de Provence

Here’s what you do:
In a large stock pot on medium-high heat, add oil, onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Sauté for 7-8 minutes or until soft. Add ground meat, salt and pepper and cook until meat is 75% cooked. Add tomato paste and stir until blended throughout. Add mushrooms, beans, corn and tomatoes. Add stock, herbs de Provence, chard, broccoli and barley. Add Parmigiano rind. Turn heat up to high, bring to boil and then reduce heat to medium low and simmer until barley is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Keep the cheese rind in the pot until every last drop of soup is eaten!

Sides and Salads

Potato, Zucchini, Spinach Bake

My mom went on vacation last week and left me a bag of potatoes. I don't know why -- the potatoes would still be fine when she returned, but these days I just take whatever food she gives me. So I took the potatoes. So now what? I opened my fridge. I had a couple of zucchinis, some mushrooms and baby spinach. It was time to get creative. And, I have to admit, what I came up with turned out so good that I had to share. Click here to see the recipe.

Warm Brussel Sprouts and Potato Salad
Brussel sprouts are low in saturated fat and very low in cholesterol. They're also a good source dietary fiber, and vitamins A, C, K, and B6, as well as folate, potassium and manganese. And, to be honest, this salad just tastes GOOD. It is an amazing combination of flavors and textures. The key to cooking brussel sprouts (and making them taste good) is salt. Just be a little more generous than a light sprinkle. Click here for recipe.

Spicy (or Not) Mango Salsa

Mangoes are an excellent source of Vitamin A, pre-biotic dietary fiber, beta-carotene, alpha carotene and potassium, which helps control heart rate and blood pressure. This recipe is so versatile! Pile on top of grilled meats, fish tacos or just make a big bowl and dig in with your favorite tortilla chips. And it doesn't have to be spicy -- the number of jalapenos you add is entirely up to you! Click here for recipe.

Warm Bussel Sprouts and Potato Salad

Brussel sprouts are low in saturated fat and very low in cholesterol. They're also a good source dietary fiber, and vitamins A, C, K, and B6, as well as folate, potassium and manganese. And, to be honest, this salad just tastes GOOD. It is an amazing combination of flavors and textures. The key to cooking brussel sprouts (and making them taste good) is salt. Just be a little more generous than a light sprinkle.

Ingredients
1lb brussel sprouts, trimmed with the top leaves removed and cut in half
5-6 small-medium boiling potatoes
1/2 cup pancetta or bacon, finely chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
1 tbl herbs de Provence
2 tsp sea salt, divided
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp cracked pepper

Here's what you do:
Fill a pot of cold water and add potatoes. Cook until fork tender, remove from pot and cut into quarters. Set aside.

Add bacon to a hot pan and cook until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside. Leave grease in pan. In the same pan, add brussel sprouts flat side up and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. Turn sprouts over so that the flat side is down. Cook on medium-high until sprouts are tender but still crunchy, about 8-10 minutes. Add cider vinegar and stir sprouts, scraping up the tasty bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for another 2 minutes and then remove from heat.

In a large bowl, add balsamic vinegar and remaining ingredients until well combined. Add bacon, potatoes and sprouts and stir to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Banana Raspberry Bread

Breads like these are sooooo easy. When your bananas start getting a little brown or too ripe for your taste, put them in the freezer and pull them out for recipes like this. Frozen raspberries (or any other berry) work great any time of year.

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ baking soda
½ tsp salt
3 overripe bananas (defrosted if you’re using old ones from the freezer)
½ cup chopped walnuts
¾ cup soy milk (or skim milk)
1 egg (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup frozen raspberries

Here’s what you do:
Heat oven to 350°. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk to blend.

In another bowl, combine bananas, milk, egg, and vanilla; fold in raspberries and walnuts. Mix with dry ingredients, but don’t over mix. Pour batter into pan; bake 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely before slicing (if you can wait).

Apple & Pear Oatmeal Crisp

I was at the farmer’s market today with my friend Sara and I was surprised to find so many tasty apples still available in April. And since I bought a HUGE bag of Anjou pears at Trader Joe’s the other day, the decision to make this crisp was a no-brainer. The recipe list is short and the prep/cooking time is less than an hour. Perfect treat!

Ingredients
3 apples, peeled and sliced (use a crispy, sturdy apple like Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, etc.)
3 pears, peeled and sliced
1¼ cups whole wheat flour or oat flour, divided
1 cup oatmeal
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon, divided
juice of 1 lemon
½ tsp salt

Here’s what you do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine apples and pears. Sprinkle with ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup flour, lemon juice and ½ tsp cinnamon. Mix well and pour into greased baking dish.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and oatmeal.

Melt butter and then add vanilla. Combine with flour mixture until mixture is moist. Crumble on top of fruit and bake for 35 minutes or until fruit is soft. Cool 10 minutes before serving.