Beat the Flu! Triple Berry Parfait

We were sick in our household last week.  So, we needed to charge up our immune systems with some lip smacking berry sorbet and creamy banana-avocado purée.  It was as delicious as  ice-cream!  I LIE NOT! Perhaps, even MORE DELICIOUS! Ah, and it made us feel better.

Ingredients:

For the Flu Fighting Triple Berry sorbet

Flu boosting power of Echinacea & Elderberry in a berry sorbet with vanilla banana-avocado soft serve.

• 1/3 cup each: frozen blueberries and strawberries
• 1/2 cup pure unsweetened cranberry juice
• 3-4 drops Stevia extract
• 1 tablespoon Elderberry syrup
• 1 teaspoon Echinacea infused raw honey

It’s rough.  You put all these ingredients in a blender and turn it on until you it looks smooth like sorbet.

Then, make the perfect counter part to this sinfully nutritious parfait, vanilla ice cream!  Ha!  It is even more creamy and delicious because it’s ALL GOOD FOR YOU! Next time, I will add chia seeds for another boost.

Home crafted Echinacea infused honey and Elderberry syrup alongside pure unsweetened cranberry juice & locally harvested frozen berries send a zing to your immune system that kicks flu to the curb!

For the Vanilla “Ice Cream”

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1/2 almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch salt

Hard again.  Put it all in the blender, turn it on and make ice cream.

You can put these into the fridge for a few minutes, and they will be colder and firmer.  But, I kinda like mine semifreddo, so I eat mine right away.

Layer into a small (or large) glass and devour!

Heirloom Tomato, “Mozzarella” & Basil Summer Sandwich

I can’t wait for sweet & juicy heirloom tomatoes to make their appearance every summer. When at their prime, I could eat one like an apple with a dash of salt. But, I also love the traditional Italian sandwich with mozzarella cheese & basil. So, I created a vegan and gluten-free version; tofu coated in nutritional yeast and fried and Udi’s Gluten Free Bread. My craving for this was so strong that i couldn’t wait, and had it for breakfast.

This recipe is easy peasy. Simply slice a firm cube of tofu into four 1/4 inch thick slices and dry with a paper towel or cloth. Coat with a thin layer of nutritional yeast, sprinkle with sesame seeds and a dash of salt on both sides. Sauté in a medium heat non-stick pan coated with a tablespoon of olive oil.

Caldo de Verde (Portuguese Kale soup)

This soup is a vegan version of Caldo de Verde, a traditional Portuguese soup. I swapped out smoked sausage for smoked paprika and cauliflower for the potatoes. The bright green color illustrates just how nutritious and satisfying this soulful soup is.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Kale, stalks removed and diced
• 1 head Cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tbsp Marmite
• 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp dried Thyme
• Salt & Pepper

In large dutch oven, saute onion, carrot, celery and garlic for about 5 minutes or until onions become translucent. Add cauliflower and saute until lighted golden, or about 5 minutes more. Add smoked paprika and toast lightly, then add thyme. Add enough water to just cover the cauliflower, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add Kale, Salt, Pepper & Marmite, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree with a submersion blender until completely smooth. Finish with fresh lemon juice, if desired.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Bell Peppers are a comfort food staple. Almost every mom across America has her own version. While my own mother never actually made them, (I think she said she liked bell peppers, but they didn’t like her) I have always been a big fan of the stuffed pepper. I’ve even been known to eat the Stouffer’s frozen variety and rather enjoy it. Now, as a full time grown up, I can’t succumb to such who-knows-what’s-really-in-this-stuff guilty pleasures. So, I’ve crafted my own vegan version, chalk full of vitamins, fiber and good old fashioned flavor. If there is any leftover filling, it’s great rolled up in a whole grain tortilla for a quick burrito.

Ingredients:

• 4 Bell Peppers
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
• 2 cups cooked pinto beans (I don’t buy canned, too much sodium, it’s too easy to cook up your own from scratch)
• 2 cups cooked Mexican-style rice (recipe follows)
• 2 cups pureed tomatoes (or canned sauce)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon cumin seed
• juice of one lime

Carefully core bell peppers; run paring knife around stem and pull out. Pour tomato sauce into large casserole dish and sprinkle with cumin seeds, salt and pepper. Mix corn, beans, rice, cilantro and lime juice in large bowl. Spoon into bell peppers and place in casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 15 minutes, remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until peppers are easily pierced with a knife. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. To serve, ladle tomato sauce into shallow bowl and top with pepper. Each pepper can be halved and served with a side salad for a nice light meal.

Mexican Rice:

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, cubed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon cumin seed
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add rice and stirring constantly, saute until lightly toasted. Add onion, garlic and cumin seeds and saute for a few more minutes. Add tomato paste and saute for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Add vegetable broth, salt and pepper. Stir well, reduce heat to LOW, cover and steam for 40 minutes.