Spinach and Zucchini Soup

I posted this two years ago, but it's such a favorite around here and zucchini is abundant so I'm reposting and adding a picture.   This is a perfect end-of-summer, early-fall soup.  It tastes so creamy and fresh with the lemon juice and cilantro.  Try it and let me know what you think!

We call this "green soup" and everyone loves it. My somewhat picky college age brothers had seconds--even after they found out what was in it!

Spinach and Zucchini Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil 2 onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt 3 potatoes, peeled & cubed

2 medium zucchini, diced 4 cups chicken broth 4 cups fresh spinach leaves 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves 1 lemon

Heat oil in large pot and saute onions and garlic until soft. Add salt, potatoes, zucchini, and broth and simmer until vegetables are tender (10-15 min.)
Add spinach and cilantro and stir until just wilted. Puree in blender until smooth, then return to pot to keep warm. Serve with lemon wedges and squeeze juice into the soup.

My kids eat this with their favorite toppings: sour cream, bacon, cheese, croutons, etc.

No-Noodle Lasagna

Looking for a delicious, nutritionally-packed, vegetarian entree? I found some beautiful eggplants on sale so I went searching for some new recipes.  This one is a keeper—we all liked it.  However, the day I made it, something came up in the morning and I didn’t get it into the crockpot in time.  So, I decided to make it in a 13x9 pan and bake it in the oven.  I followed the basic recipe below, using cottage cheese with 2 eggs stirred in (this thickens the cheese and keeps it from getting watery) as well as some garlic and basil.  I made one other little change:  I had 4 lonely lasagna noodles leftover from another meal, so I included them, too.  I just put them in dry, in a middle layer, and I’m glad I did.  I think they helped absorbed some of the moisture from the raw vegetables.  I covered my pan with foil and baked for 1 hour, then removed the foil, sprinkled with parmesan, and baked for 15 more minutes.  It turned out perfectly!  Next time—there will definitely be a next time--I’ll try it in the crockpot. 

No-Noodle Lasagna

From Stephanie at crockpot365.blogspot.com

--1 26 oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce
--15 oz container of ricotta cheese (or 16oz cottage cheese)
--8 slices of mozzarella cheese
--1-2 cups shredded Italian cheese mix
--1 large eggplant
--3 summer squash/zucchini
--1 pound of mushrooms, sliced
--9 oz bag of baby spinach
--2 T warm water

I used a 6 quart Smart Pot for this dish and it was the correct size pot to use. If you have a smaller crock-pot, you will need to scale back a bit.

Wash all of the vegetables. Slice the squash and the eggplant in long, slices, about 1/4 inch thick. These are going to be your noodles! I did not peel the squash or the eggplant. In the bottom of your crockpot, pour about 1/4 cup of pasta sauce. Layer in a few pieces of squash and eggplant. Smear some ricotta cheese on top. Add a handful of baby spinach and mushrooms, and a few slices of mozzarella cheese. Pour in some more pasta sauce. Continue layering the ingredients until your crockpot is full, and you have run out of ingredients. Top with the end of the pasta sauce and the shredded cheese. Put 2 tablespoons of warm water into the empty pasta sauce jar, cover, and shake. Pour the remaining sauce on top of everything.  Cover your crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. This is done when the vegetables have reached their desired tenderness and the cheese is melty.

Giardino Burgers

This recipe was a hit with the whole family—do you know how rare that is in a family of 8? Yes, you probably do. I can’t be the only one who has given up trying to please everyone at every meal. Well, these burgers got compliments from all, especially my two toughest critics: Corinne (5) said, “Mom, I like this even better than pizza!” and Evan (14), my meat-loving son who wishes his mom would buy red meat, said, “These are actually really good—definitely make them again!” Need I say more?

I was happy about how quick these were to make, and how well the patties held together after baking. I "once and a halved" this recipe to make 9 burgers and they disappeared. Next time I'll double it. I served the burgers with these homemade potato/sweet potato chips and they were great!
Giardino Burgers
1-15 oz. can garbonzo beans, drained (I used 1-3/4 cup cooked dry beans)
3 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs (I put a couple of slices of homemade wheat bread in the blender)
1 cup shredded carrots (the recipe says to add your favorite vegetable)
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
ketchup, mustard, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, cheese, avocado, etc.
Rolls or buns
Preheat oven to 350. Put the garbanzos and eggs into a bowl and mash them together with a potato masher. (Corinne loved doing this for me). You want the mixture to be well combined, but a little chunky. Add the bread crumbs, carrots (or any other vegetables you’d like), and seasonings.
Form the mixture into 6 patties. I divided the mixture into mounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and then formed them into round patties, about 3/4 inch thick.
Bake for about 25 minutes until lightly browned. Serve on buns with your favorite toppings.

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

I posted this recipe last month, but I'm re-posting it so that it is easier to find with the other pumpkin class recipes.
I didn't include this recipe when I taught my last cooking class on pasta sauces because I already had plenty of recipes and I decided to save this one for a pumpkin-themed class--coming soon. However, after several requests from family and friends who have tasted this at my house, I'm going to post the recipe early. I only make it in the fall--I'm just weird that way. Pumpkin=fall. So try this and see what you think. And when canned pumpkin goes on sale, stock up so you can make this all year long(unless you're weird like me). Or, if you don't find a sale on pumpkin, go visit my sister, Monette. If I know her, pretty soon she'll have a freezer full of fresh, pureed pumpkin--skins and all.

I would have posted this sooner but I had to make it again to test amounts of ingredients I use, because this is a recipe I made up. It's loosely based on an recipe I saw in a magazine at the dentist's office a couple of years ago, but that recipe had cinnamon and cloves. That's great in pumpkin pie, but I wanted a main dish that didn't taste like a dessert, so I went home and created this version. I served this to some friends who liked it but asked, "Do your kids eat this?" Yes, they do, and all of them like it! I hope your family will give it a chance--it's a favorite around here.

Ingredients:
1 lb. pasta (I usually use penne but tortellini is really good, too)
2 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped

2 T. flour
Sliced mushrooms (optional)
Sliced red bell pepper (also optional)
3 cloves garlic (or more)
2 c. chicken broth (I use water and bouillon)
15 oz. can pumpkin
1 t. salt
1 t. dried basil
1/2 t. red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2-1c. cream (I use light sour cream or cream cheese)
Parmesan cheese
Toasted walnuts or pumpkin seeds

Cook pasta as directed and drain. Saute onion and garlic (and mushrooms and pepper, if using) in olive oil for 5 minutes. Stir in flour. Add chicken broth and simmer for a few more minutes until vegetables are tender and sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in pumpkin until smooth. Add salt, basil, and pepper flakes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in cream before serving and simmer on low heat. Add more cream, milk, or broth if sauce seems too thick.

Serve over pasta and top with parmesan cheese and toasted walnuts. I used pumpkin seeds (pepitas) in the picture above because I had them, but I think I prefer the walnuts.

Cashew Alfredo

I was so excited to discover this recipe! My friend posted it on her blog several months ago (her picture looks so good!) and I couldn't wait to try it. We love it! You have to taste it to believe it. It’s rich and creamy and good for you, too. It’s full of the good fat—not the saturated stuff found in cream and butter, and it’s so easy to blend together. I haven’t served this to anyone who hasn’t liked it—even the skeptics!

1 cup raw cashew pieces
2 1/2 cups warm water (can use pasta cooking water)
olive oil
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

1 t. lemon juice, if desired
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
18 ounces pasta
chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

In a blender or food processor pulse the cashews until they form a paste then add a bit of the water and continue to process until you've got a smooth texture (or as close as you can get to smooth). I’ve found it works best to start with 1 c. of the water and blend until smooth, then add the rest.

In a saucepan, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil and saute the minced garlic over medium heat until it's beginning to brown slightly. Add the cashew/water mixture, stirring and scraping as it heats, until it begins to boil and thicken. Once thickened, removed from heat and stir in the salt, pepper and Parmesan, stirring until melted. If sauce is too thick, add a little more water.

Boil the pasta, then drain and add to the cashew mixture and stir to coat the noodles. Serve with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

*This sauce is a great base for your creativity. Add chicken, shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, mushrooms, broccoli, chopped tomatoes, spinach, red peppers—anything you like. It’s great as a topping for chicken or seafood, and it also makes a yummy pizza sauce.

Spinach Pesto

This recipe came from my sister's blog. She posted it as a way to use lettuce or spinach that is starting to wilt. Don't throw it away--just toss it it in the food processor or blender with the rest of these ingredients. In the batch of pesto I made for the cooking class, I used 2 c. of the spring greens mix and 1 c. spinach.

3 cups of raw spinach, packed tight
1/2 cup raw walnuts
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 t. honey (balances any bitterness from the spinach)
juice from 1/2 lemon (optional)
fresh ground salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a food processor or blender, combine nuts, cheese, garlic & honey. Pulse until they make a paste. Add spinach, pulse a few times. Then slowly add olive oil until it’s a creamy consistency - but small chunks of spinach are fine. Lastly, add salt & pepper and lemon juice to taste. If desired, add a little fresh parsley or basil (or use dried) for more flavor.

• This pesto freezes well.
• Serve over your favorite pasta. I usually cook the pasta, then toss the pesto in at the last minute.
• This makes a great base for pizza, too. Just spread it thickly on the crust, then top with red onion, mushrooms, chicken, artichokes, tomatoes, etc. and sprinkle a little of your favorite cheese on top. Bake till warm and bubbly.
• Try pesto as a sandwich spread, too, on hot or cold sandwiches.

Pesto Pizza

We love pesto sauce on pizza! For last night's cooking class we sliced a baguette loaf into 1/2 inch slices and spread with pesto. We topped our little appetizers with red onion, sauteed mushrooms, chopped tomato, and mozzeralla and baked them at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Pasta Rosa

There are many recipes for Italian Pink Sauce (Pasta Rosa). Most have you add cream to a marinara type sauce. My favorite way to make this is just to combine your favorite red sauce (like the crockpot Marinara) and your favorite white sauce or Alfredo (like the Cashew or White Bean versions) in a ratio of about 2 parts red sauce to 1 part white sauce. My kids love this!

*I also like to make lasagna this way—either mix the two sauces, or alternate layers of white and red sauce as you assemble the layers.

Creamy White Bean Alfredo

This recipe isn't going to fool you into thinking it's a real Alfredo. It tastes like beans, but if you're prepared for that, you'll like it. It's a nice change from the typical Italian. And if you're trying to add more low-fat, high fiber foods to your diet, serve this sauce with whole grain pasta and some vegetables and you've got a complete nutritious meal.

1/4 cup Smart Balance or olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked white beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups milk (can use soy milk)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parsley (optional)

•In a sauté pan over low heat, melt the margarine or oil. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

•Transfer the margarine mixture to a blender or food processor, add the white beans and 1 cup of milk. Blend until completely smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add the remaining milk until you reach the desired consistency.

•Pour the sauce back into the pan over low heat, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Add fresh herbs, such as parsley, if desired. Cook until the sauce is warm.

Split Pea Soup

This makes a very thick vegetarian split pea soup. To make it thinner, reduce the amount of split peas or add more water. Depending on the density of split peas, it may take a while for the vegetables and peas to soften, but you can't really overcook this soup; just stir occasionally, and add water if it gets too dry. Seasonings can be altered to taste. Tastes even better reheated

* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil * 1 onion, chopped * 1 bay leaf * 3 cloves garlic, minced * 2 cups dried split peas * 1/2 cup barley * 1 1/2 teaspoons salt * 7 1/2 cups water

* 3 carrots, chopped * 3 stalks celery, chopped * 3 potatoes, diced * 1/2 cup chopped parsley * 1/2 teaspoon dried basil * 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme * 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 In a large pot over medium high heat, saute the oil, onion, bay leaf and garlic for 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add the peas, barley, salt and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2 Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, parsley, basil, thyme and ground black pepper. Simmer for another hour, or until the peas and vegetables are tender.

Recipe Tips

I have great results just throwing everything into a crock pot at once and cooking 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 on low.