Roasted Beet & Greens Salad with ginger sauce..Vegan excellence

Roasted Beet & Greens Winter Salad

Here is something special for Winter dining....roasted beets in a spicy sauce over cool dark green spinach and  red chard leaves.

Just because it is cold outside there is no need to abandon grilled or roasted vegetables.


Serves 4 as  a side dish

4 medium beets, boiled in salted water until almost cooked (about 1 hour).
remove from heat and plunge into cold water.
When cool, peel and cut into 1/4's
Preheat oven 450F 
place 1/4's beets on a roasting tray with grape seed oil and coarse salt..and bake for 25 mins.
Remove from oven., and place in a medium bowl.

On serving plates/platter, in fridge, place torn leaves of field spinach and red chard.

in a small bowl whisk:
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
3 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 cup finely sliced red onion
1/2 cup minced cilantro
2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Pour half this sauce over the beets and mix well..allow to marinate for 30 mins at room temp.

Then remove the serving platter/plates and top with the marinated beets/onions..serve with the rest of the sauce in a bowl



variations: you may also top with any roasted unsalted chopped nuts.

This is a wonderful flavored and nutritional dense Winter salad.

RECIPE: CHEESE & GARLIC SOUP

Here's a very simple yet hearty soup for a winter's night in front of the log fire...

serves 4 as a main course with a crusty bread &/or green salad

2 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic smashed and minced
1 1/2 cups minced onion
5 medium tomatoes peeled and chopped ( 2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped jalapenos( 3 ) or 2 tbsp chopped chipotle peppers

heat in a heavy bottomed skillet and saute for 3 mins.

Add 1 tbsp all purpose flour and stir well to combine then slowly add 2 quarts hot vegetable stock, stirring to blend in the flour.

add 3 cups peeled potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Cover pan and simmer for 25 mins.

Stir well then add
 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup thinly sliced zucchini or yellow squash
Bring back to boil and simmer covered for 15 mins.

Check seasonings , and remove any scum.

Add 2 cups mild Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese cut into 1/4 inch dice and serve in deep, warm bowls..yummy!

Variations:
 may  also add 1 cup minced parsley  or cilantro to finish or even top with double cream/coconut cream

Vegan Eggplant RELISH-DIP Recipe

This is a very versatile dish and can be easily frozen, as I still have eggplants to pick, in my garden, I am putting this recipe to good use.

This makes about  1 quart and makes a great gift too.

3 cups eggplant peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
put in a colander and sprinkle with 2 tsp salt, leave for 30 mins for any bitter juices to drip out.
wash well and rinse.

1/2 cup finely minced green bell peppers
5garlic cloves smashed and minced
1/2 cup good olive oil

Put all of the above in a deep skillet/heavy bottomed saucepan with the olive oil heated to hot, stir gently and cook with  a lid for 10 mins..to sweat.

Add  and simmer gently for 30 mins covered:
1 x 6ozs tomato paste
1 cup sliced mushrooms ( 6ozs)
2/3 cup vegetable stock or apple juice
1/2 cup chopped green olives
2 tbsp red wine  vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Remove from heat and allow to cool down.
refrigerate overnight in  a sealed container.
check seasonings and serve with chips or crackers.

This is a great low calorie and very tasty alternative to any sour cream dips.

Yucatan Recipe: PAPATZUL -Egg-stuffed tortillas in a pumpkin seed sauce..this is also Gluten-free

                       Papatzul
Now this is something completely different and very very tasty.....

This recipe serves 6-8


1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds raw(about 4ozs)
1 x 4ozs chopped green chilies rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp dried epazote or oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water

12 x 6inch corn tortillas
 1 x16ozs canned tomatoes in their juice
1 cup minced onion
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp neutral oil
6 hard boiled eggs chopped

preheat oven 350F

Toast the pumpkin seeds on a dry cookie pan for 20 mins then place in a coffee/spice grinder and grind  to a coarse blend.

In  a small saucepan, heat the dried herb, 1/4 tsp salt, chilies and water with the ground pumpkin seeds, do not boil.
Cook for 20 mins and cover to keep warm..remove from heat.

Wrap the tortillas tightly in foil and place in oven  350F for 15 mins to warm up.

In a blender place the tomatoes, onion, cornstarch, salt, sugar, ground pepper; pour into another saucepan and add the oil..cook until thick and bubbly.

Season the eggs with salt & pepper.
Then Spread about 2 tsp pumpkin paste on a tortilla.
top with 2 . chopped egg, roll up and place seam side down in a greased  13 x 9x 2 inch ovenproof dish. Fill the dish with rolled filled tortillas then;
pour remaining pumpkin seed sauce over the tortillas.
Top with the tomato sauce mix.
Bake tightly covered on a cookie sheet 20-25 mins or until hot..serve like enchiladas with some steamed rice.

Cranberry-pecan stuffing; Roanoke Rice-Pecan stuffing

Walnuts or chopped almonds can be substituted to for pecans in either recipe..remember to eat more nuts & stay healthier too

Cranberry-Pecan Stuffing

 1 x7ozs cubed stuffing mix or 3/4 cup toasted bread cubes
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup sliced raw mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter
1 cup whole raw cranberries
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup minced parsley

1/2 cup vegetable broth ( or chicken)

 
Saute the onions  and mushrooms in the butter  5 mins stirring.
Add the pecans and broth.
Cook for 4 mins then add the crumbs and cranberries.
cook 2 mins.
remove to large bowl, add sugar and parsley, just to fluff and blend.
Pour into a greased 1 1/2 qt dish and bake for 30 mins uncovered at 350F




Roanoke Pecan-Rice cornbread  stuffing
Makes 12 cups

4 cups water/stock
2 cup chopped celery
2 cups finely chopped onions
1 cup minced parsley
2 cups whole chopped mushrooms
2 cups cooked brown rice or wild rice

4 cups cornbread in small cubes
2 cups torn wholewheat bread
2 cups chopped pecans
2 tsp ground sage
1 tsp ground thyme
1 1/2  tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup butter



melt butter in Dutch oven or heavy bottomed saucepan and saute the vegetables..adding seasonings.
Saute 5 mins then add the nuts and rice.
In a large bowl combine the cornbread and whole wheat bread.
Add the sauteed vegetables, nuts and herbs.
Stir in the hot water or stock and allow to soak up...wait 10 mins then fluff with a fork to mix.

Add seasonings and parsley

Placed in a large deep greased casserole and bake in middle oven 350F preheated for about 1 hour or until top is brown


Enjoy with all your vegetables and pies..Happy Thanksgiving

SWEET-POTATO PECAN PIES; FRESH PUMPKIN PIES; PUMPKIN SPICED APPLE BAR-COOKIES PHOTOS HOW TO ..PERFECT PIES

Baked yams, peeled while still hot for the pies

Pecans to be chopped for the sweet potato-pecan pies

Previous 2 the mashed yams and eggs, milk, sugar, spice custard for the pies

The baked fresh pumpkin custard for the pumpkin pies

poached Granny Smith apples in caramel for the cookies

previous 3 the completed baked sweet potato-pecan pies

Allow the pie dough to relax, brush with beaten egg white before adding custard to prevent soggy bottoms

Chopped pecans, orange zest, brown sugar and butter for the pies

Previous 2 the baked pumpkin spiced Apple Bar-cookies

Over lay the pastry over the pie pan and trim with kitchen scissors, fold over excess to make a high rim for more filling

The baked pumpkin pie 9 inch

allowing the pastry to relax for 4 hours

Minestrone soup with pasta stars; The art of the perfect pie.... How to Pie PHOTOS

Roll the pastry out to 1-2 inches over the size of the pie plate, trimming with kitchen scissors, fold the ends over to form a high rim..and allow to rest for 20 mins..the pastry not the cook.This applies not matter the size of the pie tin.

Crimp the edges using index fingers and thumb, to keep the rim high

.

A high rim is necessary so the custard will not spill and each pie is very well filled..I don't like a skinny filled pie that is all crust.
The pastry used here is wholewheat with flax seed, once crimped allow the pastry to rest for up to 6 hours, and do not refrigerate.


To bake the pies brush base with beaten egg whites then fill with custard and proceed to bake (recipes are on this blog from last year,  use the search blog device).
Brushing with beaten egg white helps to prevent a soggy base.

Also do not just "whip up" a pie...making good flaky pastry takes time and patience..in the good old days 100yrs ago+ they actually had Pie making days!!

FIND ANY OF MY 1000+ online RECIPES WITH JUST ONE CLICK, feeding the body and Spirit

THERE IS A NEW FEATURE ON ALL MY 3 BLOGS ON BLOGSPOT


GOOD LIFE Living Well

CHORLEY CAKES

DIVINEINTRVNSHUN

Enter the dish/affirmation you are looking for  in 'SEARCH THIS BLOG'..top right of  blogs
on any of my blog sites and you will be directed to the page and recipe or affirmation you are looking for whether you are feeding the body or the spirit.
 You will also be able to access my website  by hitting the link belowhttp://www.goodelifelivingwell.com


There are over 765 posts on my 3 blogs and over 400 pages on my website..so you have lots of ideas, recipes and my 4 decade's worth of cooking experience at your disposal.

Each page also has a tool to translate into any language, so there are no excuses now...lol.

Which also means you have no excuses not to cook and LIVE The GOOD LIFE.
Be well and live longer, happier too, John Nigel

RECIPES: Mulled Wine, Mulled Ale, REAL Hot Chocolate; HOT Cocoa; Chocolate Syrup; Mulled Cider; Ginger punch; Lemonade; Claret Cup; Shandy Gaff; Mulled Wine; Mulled Beer/ale; RECIPES TO WARM THE HEART AND HEARTH

Please STOP buying that awful Hot Chocolate/Cocoa Mixes...make it fresh from real chocolate:

REAL HOT CHOCOLATE:
serves 4-6                            

1 qt milk
6 squares bakers chocolate/ 8ozs dark chocolate
3 tbsp boiling water
2 tbsp brown sugar(gives it a caramelly taste)

melt the chocolate in a double boiler or basin over simmering hot water.
Add the sugar and stir to dissolve
The add the boiling water and stir well

Pour over the scalded milk and whisk well over the heat.

serve in a coffee pot ( in those days they had chocolate pots!) with whipped cream or double pouring cream

REAL Hot Cocoa Per cup

in  1 tbsp boiling water add 1 tsp Dutch unsweetened cocoa, mix to a paste then add to a  cup full of boiling milk.
Boil together, stirring for 5 mins. stirring constantly.
When serving..sweeten to taste

For both these recipes to be a bit thicker...add some cornstarch dissolved in a little cold milk and stir well.

May also add any hard liquor of choice for very cold days

Chocolate syrup  for adding to cold milk drinks
4 ozs dark chocolate
2 cups boiling water
1 pound sugar
2 tbsp vanilla extract

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler adding the sugar and water and stirring to dissolve.
Strain then add the vanilla.
Bottle and keep refrigerated.
For hot chocolate 2 tsp and boiling water
For cold chocolate 1 tbsp  to a glass of milk or sparking water



Mulled Cider

1 quart Cider/apple juice or hard cider
1 tsp whole allspice 
1 cinnamon stick ( optional)
2 whole clove berries
3 large eggs beaten


Boil the cider and spices for 3 mins.
Pour carefully over the beaten eggs, whisk well and serve in hot cups/heatproof glasses

Ginger Punch
2 cups sugar
2 qts water
1 pound ginger root
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup fresh lemon juice

Chop the ginger root, don't peel.
In a heavy bottomed saucepan add the ginger, water and sugar, bring to boil and boil for 20 mins..
remove form heat, add the fruit juices  and strain well.
Allow to cool then serve over ice with sparkling water or clear lemonade( 7UP) 

Lemonade
2 cups sugar
1 qt water
1 cup lemon juice

boil the sugar and water 15 mins.
Add the fruit juice and allow it to cool.
serve over crushed ice.

Claret Cup..Victorian Decadence at it's best 

1 bottle claret ( good red wine)
1 cup sherry
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup cherry brandy
1/4 cup apple brandy
thin rind of lemon
8 sugar lumps
3 cups soda water


Add the lemon, claret and sugar to a jug and leave to marinate with 2 cups ice cubes for 1 hour.
Add the other ingredients, and serve with soda water.

a nice cold..SHANDY GAFF

In a large glass or ceramic jug

equal quantities  of good beer and ginger beer
add 1/4 cup brandy
add ice cubes and serve cold

Mulled Wine..always served at the end of( sometimes at the beginning for the beaters) fox hunt/pheasant shooting parties

2 cups claret or port
1 cup boiling water
6 sugar lumps
pieces of mace
 2 cinnamon sticks

heat the wine to nearly boiling, then remove from heat, add the boiling water, sugar & spices, serve hot in silver punch cups or heatproof glasses.

Mulled Ale...served after harvesting sugar beets and potatoes

1 qt good beer/ale
1 cup rum, whisky or brandy
4 sugar lumps
3 clove berries
2 inches ginger root bruised/3 tsp ground ginger
2 pieces mace/1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Heat the ale and spices in a saucepan to almost boiling.
Add the sugar, and remove from heat, adding the hard liquor.
Serve hot.