Chilly outside and only soup and a sandwich will do!

I picked up these flowers at a local market and they completely set the tone for the weekend.

Even the colors inspired this Sunday’s menu.

Creamy baby lima bean and yukon gold potato soup with Kerrygold cheddar grilled cheese.

Fragrant rosemary and roasted garlic add to the rich creaminess of this meal.

Start by soaking the beans overnight.

Pour out the water and add fresh water for quick boiling.

When you’ve brought these beans to a boil pour out this water, as well.

For the final cooking add enough water to cover plus about 4 cups.

Add a large sweet onion and allow to cook until the onion is soft and translucent.

Meanwhile, roast a head of garlic in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes

When the onion is done remove and place in the food processer with the roasted garlic, about 2 Tbspn of dried rosemary, 1/4 cup of olive oil and 2 Tbspn flour.

Blend until creamy.

Add this to the boiling beans.

Add 2 Tbspn of vegetarian boullion and salt and pepper to taste.

Chop 5-6 Yukon Gold potatoes and ad to the soup and allow to cook on medium heat for 2 hours.

Grilled cheese is perfect with this soup!

This is the perfect winter meal for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Enjoy!

The secret to the delightful flavor of this dish is the roasting!

Roasted garlic, eggplant, rep pepper and sauteed leeks create a richness that makes this similar to a pate in texture and flavor.

This recipe is also full of nutrition. Lentils are hardy and full of protein and fiber.

This is also light and when spread on whole wheat or flax crackers leaves you satisfied yet not full.

It is also easy to make and can be whippped up on short notice.

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant
1 cup lentils
1 glove garlic
1 medium leek
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bunch cilantro
1 lime
1 roasted red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a 350 degree oven wrap in aluminum foil the eggplant cut in half with a drizzle of olive oil on the flesh.

In a clay roaster or aluminum foil wrap the garlic and place in oven to roast.

Both should take no more than 30-45 minutes.

In a pan add a drizzle of olive oil to sliced leeks and sautee until translucent.

Cook 1 cup of lentils in 2 cups of water until tender.

When everything is done and cooled for handling, place in the food processor.

Add the cilantro and puree.

Add enough olive oil to create the texture you desire.

For a creamier dip; just add more oil.

I then chopped the roasted red pepper, very fine, and folded it into the finished mixture.

I wanted little “pops” of sweet juicy flavor and the texture contrast.

I, also squeezed some lime into the finished dish and then gave it a good mixing.

Serve with your favorite crackers or breads or even crudites.

The original Freddy was happy to join the ladies for cocktails and conversation in Shelly’s beach cottage.

Freddy as seen by artist Shelly Valisiades; respledent in a rainbow of color.

Bright and cheerful best describes Shelly’s nest.

Me, the writer, my two daughters and the Ballerina!

Every corner is filled with color and energy.

Knowing that Shelly’s forte is painting I brought the roasted garlic and white bean dip with French bread toasts.

2 cans of white beans
1 bulb roasted garlic
1/2 onion sauteed in olive oil
olive oil; about 1/4-1/2 cup

Place everything in the food processor until velvety and creamy.

Easy-peasy instant friends!

Shelly puts her heart and soul in everything she does.

Every nook is filled with love.

Inspired by a visit with my favorite aunt, I felt like nurturing her with her favorite flavors and some new decedant treats like cheeses and bread!

We enjoyed the leek and mushroom pizza on tuesday at the restaurant, however, we did have some issues.

We thaught that there was too much “sauce”. It was cheese or something, we couldn’t put our fingers on it but it over-powered the delicate flavor of the leeks and the mushrooms seemed non-existant.

I sauteed my leeks in olive oil with about 4-5 cloves of roasted garlic which I had left over and I used shiitake mushrooms.

I use the shiitake because of the intense flavor and the rubbery texture. They stand up to cooking and the flavor is rich and earthy.

I also used fresh mozzerella; about 5 1/4 inch slices then sprinkled on some parmesan; not much. Pizza is best with a light touch.

The leeks had the sweet, delicate onion flavor that I was hoping for and that sweetness accented the shiitake perfectly.

Arugula and tomatoes with feta cheese and a splash of oil was fresh and flavorful! I threw in some fresh basil for a peppery/licorice punch!

We are already missing her and looking forward to the next visit.

Meatless Monday! Fried Eggplant and spinach fettuccine is easy and fresh!

Fresh mozzarella puts the finishing touch on thinly sliced eggplant lightly coated in Italian breadcrumbs.

Roasted garlic and roasted cherry tomatoes add rich flavor to spinach fettuccine.

With all this flavor, who misses the meat?

Top with shredded parmesan and enjoy!

Toss tomatoes in olive oil and roast on 400 degrees until they pop open! and smell delicious!

Beautiful beaujolais makes dinner…beautiful!

Egg and water then bread crumbs go into frying pan with hot oil for a quick, light frying.

Mash up roasted garlic with a fork and mix in about 1/4 cup olive oil to create a “sauce”.

Add salt to taste.

Just throw in fresh baby spinach to the last few minutes to boiling pasta to add flavor and nutrition.

Roasted garlic is the secret to creamy rich sauces and soups. Roasting adds depth and texture as well as a caramel like sweetness without adding calories.

This dish is packed with nutrition and flavor.

Presenting spinach as a sauce is an innovative way to add nutrition and fiber and creamy sauciness without adding extra fat and calories.

Toasting the pine nuts also adds heft as well as flavor. I feel that the nuts really round out the meal.

This has become a favorite in my home.

Ingredients:

1 bulb of garlic
1/3 to 2/3 cup of olive oil
5-6 cups uncooked baby spinach
¼ tsp nutmeg
Salt to taste
10 spears asparagus
½ cup pine nuts
1 box whole wheat spinach spiral pasta or your choice of pasta

Method:

Roast the Garlic:

1 bulb garlic, thin skin removed as much as possible

Use a clay roasting dish or wrap in foil

Turn oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 30-45 minutes

Remove garlic from oven

While the garlic is roasting cook your pasta

While you are pureeing the pesto, chop and cook 10 spears of asparagus.

While the asparagus is cooking roast ½ cup of pine nuts at 350 degrees fahrenheit for about 5-10 minutes

Puree the Mixture

Allow to cool for a few minutes then simply remove the soft clove from the peel and place in the food processer.
Place about 5-6 cups of uncooked baby spinach along with the roasted garlic
Add about 1/3 to 2/3 cup of olive oil
Blend until smooth and creamy
Add ½ tsp of nutmeg and salt to taste

Serve:

Drain the pasta and mix in about 2/3 of the roasted garlic spinach pesto and the pine nuts and check to see if you need salt.

Mix everything together well

Add cooked asparagus on top

Garnish with the remaining pesto

Enjoy!

This is one of my vegetarian favorites, especially for fall and winter.

Not only is it easy to make but it is the ultimate comfort food and a nutritional powerhouse of nutrients and fiber.
Plus, it is pretty, it looks nice on the table, and takes to garnish like paint to a canvas.

I like keeping this recipe as simple as possible while still extracting the maximum amount of flavor from every ingredient.

I like to keep my meals vegan but if you are so inclined you can add chicken stock or butter or cream where I would use olive oil, white wine, vegetable stock and white bean puree.

You can also feel free to substitute the main ingredients such as butternut squash instead of acorn squash, or turnip instead of carrot, etc.

Ingredients

1 Acorn squash
1 can Pumpkin puree
1 can cannellini beans
1 large yellow onion
1 cup white wine
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
5 stalks of celery
5 large carrots
10 cloves of garlic
Sage
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Method

Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Peel 6-7 cloves of garlic and bush with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil and place on baking sheet with the acorn squash.
Cut acorn squash in half and place on baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and allow to bake until soft; 45 minutes to an hour.

As far as I am concerned, you can always vary the ingredients, however, it is the method that will make or break your dish. Especially for a dish such as this, I believe that you have to develop and build flavors and create a texture which marries them all together.

For the base of this soup I start by adding 2 Tbsp olive oil in a deep skillet, and about 1 Tbsp of ground sage, the chopped celery and chopped carrots. Let this begin to simmer for a minute and add 3 clove of crushed garlic and the chopped onion.

Allow this to simmer evenly adding olive oil as needed. When everything is getting soft and fragrant add 1 cup of good white wine. Allow this to cook down on low heat and keep adding water as it begins to thicken, maintaining a sauce texture through out the process. You may want to add more wine but water works well. This whole process should take 3-4 hours.

In the meantime, you have removed your squash and garlic from the oven, allowed it to cool, peeled and chopped it, opened the can of cannellini and pumpkin puree.

I place all of this into the food processer or if you don’t have one, place into a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer. The point is to make it creamy and smooth.

When that is done I place the mixture into a large soup pot.

After allowing the veggie mixture to cool, do the same thing. A blender can be used or the food processer but do them separately to be sure that the veggies become completely pureed.

I then add these to the soup pot and allow everything to cook for about an hour before serving.
You can salt and pepper to taste.

In the list of ingredients I have cinnamon and nutmeg. If you are adding cream I highly suggest a sprinkle of nutmeg, I think that it is a natural compliment to creams. I have a personal preference for cinnamon with any squash and especially like it when there is garlic involved! I love the combination of flavors.

I love serving this with a salad or warm crusty bread or with toasted walnuts and pecans brushed with olive oil and garlic.