Ellen Abraham

White Bean Sunflower & Pumpkin Seed Veggie Loaf

FRICKEN DELICIOUS. I made escarole and beans last night and had both Cannelini beans and cooked brown rice left over.It will be dinner tonight after SPIN with local thin skinned Smashed Potatoes and local escarole.…..#perfection

White Bean Sunflower & Pumpkin Seed Veggie Loaf

2c-cooked cannellini or other white beans

1 1/2c cooked brown rice

3 slices whole grain or GF toast- made into breadcrumbs or 1-1/2c loosely packed breadcrumbs

1 medium onion, minced

1/4c nutritional yeast

1/4c ketchup

1/4c extra virgin olive oil

1/2c pumpkin seeds

1/4c sunflower seeds

1/8t-1/4t-cayenne pepper or chipotle powder (I LOVE Chipotle Powder)

1/4t ground black pepper

1/2t turmeric

1/2t salt

up to 1/4c water

Topping:

3T ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl, combine the white beans, rice, breadcrumbs, onions, yeast, ketchup, oil, seeds, salt, red and black pepper. Mix with a wooden spoon or clean hands until all ingredients are well incorporated. If the mixture is too moist, add more breadcrumbs- also give the breadcrumbs a chance to soak up some of the moisture.

Pour out the mixture into a lightly oiled loaf pan. With the back of a wooden spoon, fill out the pan. Top the loaf with the remaining ketchup.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve with smashed potatoes and sautéed greens; broccoli or kale.

Steamed Romanesco with Olive Oil & Lemon

I purchased this from the local farmer’s market in Greenfield Saturday morning- it is one of my most favorite vegetables; Romanesco… it gets even prettier after cooking. Clean it, steam it, drain it, then cut how you like it. Toss with plenty of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and fresh ground black pepper, fresh herbs if your feeling crazy…. do not share with anyone.

#FRICKENDELICIOUS

Spicy Sesame Tofu

I didn’t even press the tofu- which lends for a firmer texture, and it came out awesome. Fresh ginger would be and is AMAZING in this, I just didn’t have any in the house. I ate this with a big bowl of Sautéed Kale and Sprouted Quinoa, and my homemade Siracha Sauce. FRICKEN DELICIOUS.

Spicy Sesame Tofu

1-pound firm tofu, cut into cubes

2T extra virgin olive oil

1T tamari or shoyu

2t agave or maple syrup

½ of one fresh hot pepper or 1/2t hot pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

2T nutritional yeast

1t hot sesame oil

1/4t pink salt

2T un-hulled sesame seeds

*fresh ginger

In a large skillet or frying pan, heat up the oil and add the garlic, hot pepper and sesame seeds and sauté just until barely golden. Add in the tofu and pan fry over medium high heat, tossing often to brown all sides- about 6 minutes. Add in the tamari or shoyu and coat the tofu well by tossing the tofu around the hot pan- almost until the tofu appears dry. Add in the sweetener and the hot sesame oil and continue to toss. In the last moments of cooking, add in the nutritional yeast and coat the tofu. Serve hot or cold.

*Fresh ginger is AMAZING in this. Add in 1” piece- grated when sautéing the garlic.

Homemade Apple Sauce

I had about 4 or 5 apples that were just a little bit past good eating so I sauced them! I washed and cored them and kept the skin on. It was a mix of Ginger Golds, Honey Crisps, and Empires. It made the tastiest applesauce! I blended it in the vitamix- the consistency is really about how much water you add into the cooking and the water content of the fruit- too much water and you will end up with too thin a consistency for sauce. I added just a touch of cinnamon and bit of salt to draw out the natural sweetness in the apples, barley adding any additional sweetener-I used local maple syrup. FRICKEN YUM. It was delicious hot but even more flavorful cold.

Applesauce

4-5 apples of your choosing, cored and quartered

1/2c water (more or less)

1/2t cinnamon

pinch pink salt

2t lemon juice

2t maple syrup

In a heavy pot, combine the apples and the water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for about 15-20 minutes- just until the apples are tender and some of the water has cooked out.

Place everything including some of the cooking water (only if needed to get things going) the cinnamon, salt, maple syrup and lemon juice. Blend well. Adjust seasoning. Be careful not to over sweeten or season as it will intensify in flavor as it cools.

Serve warm or cold.

*a nice addition is cayenne pepper or black pepper!

Spicy Split Pea Soup

I make this soup at least two to three times a month- It is truly my comfort food- my Dad LOVES this soup. Chipotle powder is what gives this soup its’ smokey flavor. Chipotle powder is a smoked dried Jalapeno with a delicious hot smokey/sweet flavor and is a spice that is always in my kitchen. If you can find liquid smoke, or smoke salt, or another natural smoke flavoring, it adds another layer of tremendous flavor that is typically found in traditional meat based split pea soup. Today I didn’t blend it at all, so I cut the vegetables uniformly. I also added a small thin skinned potato, diced in the last 15 minutes of cooking 1) cuz I had it in the house and 2) potatoes are YUMMY.

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free

SPLIT PEA SOUP

3T olive oil

1c green split peas

1 small red or yellow onion, medium diced

1 small potato, medium diced *opt

1 small carrot, medium diced

1 veggie bouillon (or replace water with veggie broth)

4c water, pre-boiled

1t chipotle powder

1/2t cayenne pepper or 1 fresh hot pepper or chili

Salt and pepper to taste

2T Fresh parsley- to be added in at the end of cooking time

Heat up 6 cups water, in case you need more.

In a soup pot, heat up the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until golden. Add the carrots and cook for a minute or so before adding the peas. Add in the spices and stir until well incorporated. Add the peas, cover with the hot water, and add the bouillon.

Let simmer for 45-60 minutes or until everything has softened and the peas have broken down. If you prefer your soup unblended- be sure to cut the veggies small and uniformly so they are pleasant on the spoon. **If blending, you can partially blend or puree the mixture to the desired consistency.

Season to taste.

**Use caution when blending hot liquids

FOR PUREED SOUP:

In batches, in a blender or vitamix*, puree the split pea soup. Adjust the seasonings before serving.

*Caution: blending hot liquids can be extremely dangerous. Fill the blender only half way and proceed in batches if necessary.

Broccoli, Potato & French Lentil Soup / Stew

I love French lentils- they don’t break down like the other lentils so they have a really nice texture when cooked just to tender. They cook pretty quickly and they are a pulse that I keep in the house along side my red lentils. They are super yum in cold or hot salads. To make them, I used the the same pot prior to starting the soup; bring 3c of water to a boil with 1c dried French lentils. Let them come to a rolling boil, reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 15-25 minutes or until the lentils are intact but tender. You can use another bean of your choice; chickpeas, pinto or kidney beans would be a delicious addition but there is something perfect about the combination of the lentil, broccoli and new potatoes. All veggies were procured locally, if not from my garden. You can cook out a lot of the water for a delicious and more hearty stew.

Broccoli, Potato Soup & French Lentil Soup/ Stew

2c French lentils- cooked

2 small thin skinned potatoes, scrubbed, washed, medium dice

1 clove garlic, smashed, minced

1 red onion, small dice

1 carrot, small dice

1//2 bunch broccoli, florets, stems medium dice

1 bouillon or veggie broth to replace the water

4c boiling water

1t chipotle powder *opt

1/2t hot sesame oil *opt

½ t black pepper

3T extra virgin olive oil

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil- in case you need more.

In a soup pot, heat up the olive oil. Add the onions, and garlic and sauté until golden. Add the carrots and cook for a minute or so before adding the potatoes. Add in salt and pepper, hot pepper, and stir until well incorporated. Cover with the hot water and add the bouillon.

Bring to a boil and let simmer for 25-30.

Add the broccoli and the cooked lentils and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes. Adjust the seasonings.

Non Traditional Potato Onion Leek Soup

I came home from teaching yoga and wanted something quick and satisfying. The smell of soup cooking is so rewarding, so comforting for me. Everything was local, the potatoes, leeks, and the celery were from the Greenfield Farmers Market, the onions, parsley, hot peppers were from my garden. I partially blended this with an immersion blender and then added the parsley; kale or other greens would be really awesome as an addition toward the end of cook time but not necessary. So delicious. So yum. #nonleft

Non Traditional Potato Onion Leek Soup

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free

2c thin skinned potato, washed and large dice

1 small red onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 stalk celery

1 leek, trimmed, rinsed and sliced

2c greens; spinach, kale or collards *optional

1/4t black pepper

1 small fresh hot pepper or 1/2t cayenne pepper flakes

1 vegetable bouillon cube (or 1T veggie broth powder)

1t chipotle powder

3T extra virgin olive oil

4c boiling water or vegetable broth (omit the bouillon)

1t salt or to taste

Bring 6c of water to a boil, in case you need more.

In a large soup pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onions, celery, hot pepper, and garlic until golden and soft. Add the potatoes, salt, black and chipotle pepper. Continue to sauté until the veggies turn bright, stirring often. Add the boiling water, the bouillon cube (or powder). Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes. You can blend for a smooth soup or partially blend with an immersion blender or leave as is. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the fresh greens if using. Adjust the seasonings before serving. Serve with crusty bread or add GF pasta or grains of your choosing.

Roasted Hot and Spicy Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Hot & Spicy, Sweet Potatoes

2-3 sweet potatoes, sliced on a diagonal or cubed

1 onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, sliced

3T maple syrup

3-4T extra virgin olive oil

1 hot red pepper, sliced

1/2t pink salt

1/4t fresh black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl; making sure everything is well coated. Place in a shallow baking dish or roasting pan and put in the oven for 30 minutes, then toss and baste the vegetables with the roasting juices and continue to roast for an additional 20-30 minutes. Delicious warm or cold.

Fall Green Tomato Soup

This soup would be killer with fresh cilantro. When I moved out of Putney, I had so many green tomatoes still left on the vine that initially I though I was going to pickle or marinate, after several days in a wood bowl in the new place, something had to happen….and soon!…what I had was a ton of fresh parsley, local celery and carrots, and hot peppers and onions…. I didn’t process this to completely smooth, I left it sort of rough, definitely blended, but with texture….You could for sure make this more substantial by adding red lentils or pasta for a delicious protein fix however the simple taste of the fall veggies alone are super spectacular…..SO delicious.

Fall Green Tomato Soup

3c chopped fresh green tomatoes

1 one red onion, medium dice

1 carrot, medium dice

1 stalk celery, medium dice

3t extra virgin olive oil

1T raw agave or maple syrup

½ fresh jalapeno or cherry bomb pepper, medium dice

1/4t fresh black pepper

1/4c fresh parsley

1/2t pink salt

3c water

1 veggie bouillon or replace the water with veggie broth

Heat up a soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and the chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Sautee until they are just golden. Add the fresh hot pepper, salt and black pepper and toss around in the pan for a minute or so before adding the fresh tomatoes. Cover with the water (or broth) and bring to a boil over medium heat- about 10 minutes or so. Puree and add in the fresh parsley, adjust seasonings and serve. Top with nutritional yeast and fresh black pepper. YUM!

*Caution: blending hot liquids can be extremely dangerous. Fill the blender only half way and proceed in batches if necessary.

Cauliflower, Tomato & Potato Fall Vegetable Soup

Everything was from my garden in Vermont or from the Greenfield Farmer’s Market….super delicious broth. You can make this more substantial by adding Gluten Free Pasta (or regular) and/or add a bean of your choosing, like chickpeas, pinto or kidney beans.

Cauliflower, Tomato & Potato Fall Vegetable Soup

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free

1 thin skinned potato, washed and medium diced

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2c fresh corn niblets

1 medium tomato, diced

2c cauliflower florets

2c greens; spinach, kale or collards

1/4t black pepper

1 small fresh hot pepper or 1/2t cayenne pepper flakes

1 vegetable bouillon cube (or 1T veggie broth powder)

3T xvo

4c boiling water

1t salt or to taste

Bring 6c of water to a boil, in case you need more.

In a large soup pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic until golden and soft. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, salt, black and red pepper. Continue to sauté until the veggies turn bright, stirring often. Add the boiling water, the bouillon cube (or powder). Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the fresh corn, cauliflower and greens. Adjust the seasonings before serving. Serve with crusty bread or add GF pasta or grains of your choosing.