Coconut Carrot Ginger Soup

1 large onion
about 20 or so carrots
1-2 cans coconut milk
1-2 inches ginger
1 coconut
salt

This recipe starts like so many others... Heat oil in the pot & add onion! The onion/carrot ratio is about 1 small onion to every dozen carrots. I probably used about 20 carrots in this soup.

So, we are cookin the onion. Once it it good and delicious add the chopped carrots. Cover with the lid, then once they are good and soft add 1 can coconut milk. Bring to a simmer. Puree the carrots with the meat & water of one coconut & an inch of ginger (or more to taste.) If you need more liquid, add more coconut milk or water.
Add it back to the pot. Bring to a simmer.. adjust seasonings as needed i.e. ginger, salt, coconut.

Creamy Zucchini Soup

This is a very simple, delicious way to prepare the bounty of squash this season!
You could make this soup with asparagus too & it would be sooo yummy!

7small zucchini/yellow squash
onion & garlic
2 c flavorful broth/your fave bouillon
almond milk (or whatever milk you use!)
1 T vinegar (white wine/apple cider/rice wine)
salt & pepper
basil or cilantro
parmesan

Heat olive oil in a large pot.. add onion and cook for several minutes until it is transparent. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Then add all the zucchini.. stir often until the zucchini is soft & delicious. Put it in a blender and slowly add almond milk.. about a cup, or more if you need too. Add it back to the pot. Stir in more milk/water until you reach your desired consistensy.. add 1-2 servings of bouillon and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt & pepper then garnish with parm & fresh herbs.

Potato Soup

Zucchini Pasta

I use the Spirooli "spiralizer" to make these zucchini pasta strands. They are delicious!

diced onion & garlic
olive oil
zucchini noodles
eggplant
morel mushrooms
spinach
parmesan
salt & red pepper flakes

There are lots of different directions you could take this dish. Whatever you've got in the fridge, freezer, pantry.. use it up. Thats what I did!
I keep roasted eggplant in my freezer, so that I have it on hand for quick dishes. This dish probably took 15 min to make, with prep time.

Heat up a little olive oil in a pan, add the onion, once it cooks for a few minutes add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Add the zucchini, it should cook pretty quickly since its sliced so thin. The eggplant I used also cooks real quick because it was pre-roasted & living in my freezer. Chop it up & throw it in. Add the morels.. once the eggplant & morels are cooked through and the zucc is good and wilted add the spinach until it wilts as well. Garnish with parm salt & red pepper... Enjoy!

Smoothie Time! Thank You Vitamix

Honeydew Grape Blueberry Kiwi Kale Spinach Smoothie!!
Mango Parsley Strawberry Sprout Kale Peach Smoothie!!

Lemon Pesto Risotto

Have you made risotto before? Its easy! It does take some technique, but depending where you are in the world will determine which technique you learn.
When I took the risotto class at school I learned a completely different process from any I had heard of before. I'll tell you how I prefer to make it.

For the risotto:
3 c hot broth simmering in a pot (you may not need all of this)
1 c arborio or carnaroli rice
1/3 c dry white wine
pesto to taste, about 4 T
1/2 lemon
onion &garlic
olive oil
spicy olive salad for garnish

For the shrimp:
1/2 c almond meal
1/2 c hazelnut meal
1 egg


Start by heating the olive oil, and add the onions. Cook for a few minutes until soft, then add the garlic & rice. Stir for a couple minutes until the rice gets lightly toasted. This is a good time to add the wine. Let it simmer down, then begin to add your hot broth, one ladle (about 1/4 c) at a time.
Stir stir stir, always stir your risotto. A wooden spoon is considered best. Once the liquid cooks into the rice, add more. Continue doing this until you have the creamy risotto texture that you want. The ideal texture is al dente.
Towards the end of the cooking process, add your pesto to taste. The amount that you use will depend on the salt content of your pesto. They can be pretty salty, which is why this recipe doesnt call for any. I keep pesto frozen in ice cube trays, I used 3 ice cubes here. To finish the dish, squeeze on some lemon juice & top with the olive salad.

Lucky me, at Central Market we have a variety of nut meals, and arborio rice in the bulk department!
The shrimp come together pretty quickly. I just tossed together the nut meal, dipped a shrimp into the meal, then into egg, then back into the meal. Then it goes directly into hot oil until it is cooked through & both sides are golden & crispy.

I think I'm going to be making risotto more often, it was soooo good!!!