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Monday, January 6, 2014

Hot Split Pea Soup for a Cold Night

It's going to be another cold one tomorrow, -15% here with the wind chill. That's a bit crazy!  I'm ready for spring, but it's only January!  With weather like this, I love a hot and hearty soup. One of my favorites is split pea. Here's a vegan version I started making a few years ago.

2 1/4 cups dried split peas
2 quarts cold water 
2 onions, thinly sliced 
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt 
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 
1 teaspoon dried marjoram 
3 stalks celery, chopped 
3 carrots, chopped 
1 peeled potato, diced

In a large stock pot, cover peas with 2 quarts cold water and soak overnight. If you need a faster method, simmer the peas gently for 2 minutes, and then soak for l hour.

Once peas are soaked, add onion, salt, pepper and marjoram. Cover, bring to boil and then simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Add celery, carrots and potatoes. Cook slowly, uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Use an immersion blender to puree soup to your desired consistency.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Quick and Healthy Minestrone Soup

Soup is probably one of my favorite foods.  It's delicious, there are endless possibilities and it warms you up on a cold day.  I especially like this particular recipe.  It's a beautiful soup, filled will all sorts of vegetables.  I like to make it a day ahead, as it always tastes best the next day.

Quick and Healthy Minestrone

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, undrained
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups packed, sliced fresh spinach or 1 box frozen spinach
1 15-ounce can small navy beans, rinsed
2/3 cups cooked brown rice
Salt and pepper to taste


Heat olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, and celery ; sauté 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender-crisp, adding in the garlic the last minute.

Stir in the tomatoes, broth, and herbs, and bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until carrots are tender. Add spinach, cover and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Stir in the beans and rice, simmer for one minute, or until hot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6-8.

Maple Heaven - Maple-Pecan Pie!

As a native Vermonter, I love maple!  How could you not?!  I found a recipe for maple-walnut pie in an almanac one day, and I decided to try making it as a maple-pecan pie instead.  Lee loved it so much, that he requests I make it for his birthday every year.  It's definitely a favorite around the holidays the last few years.  Of course, this recipe is also modified to be gluten-free.

Maple-Pecan Pie

3 eggs
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour
1 ¼ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 cup chopped pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (see below for recipe for gluten-free crust)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, brown sugar, flour, maple syrup and butter or margarine. Stir in the nuts and pour into the pie shell.

Bake 45-50 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean. Serve warm or completely cooled. Serves 6-8.


Gluten-Free Pie Crust 

1-1/2 cups Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine or butter (one stick)
4 tablespoon cold milk (I use almond milk)

Combine flour and salt, then cut in butter or margarine using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle milk, one tablespoon at a time, while blending, until all ingredients are moist.

Using wax paper, place dough onto one sheet, flatten with palm, place another sheet on top and roll out to desired size. Remove the top sheet and invert into pie pan.

Dreaming of Artichoke Pie

I started making this recipe about 10 years ago. It has become a hit, and I make it a few times a year for parties, especially around the holidays. About 7-8 years ago, one of our friends tried this pie for the first time. He loved it so much, he actually had dreams about eating this pie! I have a feeling you might like it a lot, too!

Artichoke Pie

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 6-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs (I make my own gluten-free bread crumbs from Udi’s bread, or you can also purchase gluten-free bread crumbs)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust (see below for recipe for gluten-free crust)
3 eggs, beaten
1 8-ounce package mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic until it starts to brown. Stir in the artichoke hearts and cook 10 minutes before adding the bread crumbs and half of the Parmesan cheese. When heated through, transfer half of artichoke mixture to piecrust. Pour eggs over artichoke mixture and sprinkle in the rest of the Parmesan cheese. Spoon the rest of the artichoke mixture into the pie and top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until crust begins to brown. Serves 6-8.


Gluten-Free Pie Crust

1-1/2 cups Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine or butter (one stick)
4 tablespoon cold milk (I use almond milk)

Combine flour and salt, then cut in butter or margarine using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle milk, one tablespoon at a time, while blending, until all ingredients are moist.

Using wax paper, place dough onto one sheet, flatten with palm, place another sheet on top and roll out to desired size. Remove the top sheet and invert into pie pan.