Be Wise Ranch - Certified Organic Produce

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
8 large garlic cloves, crushed or minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cups chopped raw kale
4 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 (15 ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini or navy, nothern beans, undrained
4 plum or any variety of tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons dried Italian herb seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add garlic and onion; saute until soft. Add kale and saute, stirring, until wilted. Add 3 cups of broth, 2 cups of beans, and all of the tomato, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. In a blender or food processor, mix the remaining beans and broth until smooth. Stir into soup to thicken. Simmer 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Thanks to Julie from Encinitas for this recipe.
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Creamy Green Onion Soup

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons butter
6 bunches scallions
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
5 cups vegetable broth
2 cups small mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
1. In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, melt the butter and add the green onions, along with salt and pepper to taste. Saute for a few minutes, until the onions are softened, then add broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add 1 cup of the mushrooms. Puree in a food processor or blender until smooth, then put the soup back in the pot, add the cream and the remaining mushrooms, and heat gently (do not boil) until the mushrooms are tender.
3. Serve warm.
Serves 4.
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Hazelnut & Chard Ravioli Salad

INGREDIENTS
3/4 lb. raviolis
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
fine grain sea salt
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 bunch swiss chard, deveined and cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
1 cup butternut squash "croutons"
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup chives, minced

Choose a winter flavored ravioli, I used a fresh (but store-bought) sweet onion & red chard ravioli, but I suspect a butternut squash ravioli would be delicious as well. I sometimes precook the raviolis and keep them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet until I am ready to use them - this helps prevent the raviolis from melding into one another after cooking. I used a butternut squash version of the potato "croutons" shown here. Substitute butternut squash for the potatoes, you can make them a day ahead, but they loose some of their structure overnight. The flavor is still great, but you'll loose a couple points for eye-appeal. I sometimes do a big batch of the onions and keep them in a jar in the refrigerator to use in recipes like this one.

DIRECTIONS
Into an extra-large pot of well-salted boiling water add the raviolis. After a few minutes, when the raviolis float and are cooked through, drain them and toss with one tablespoon of the olive oil. This prevents them from sticking together. Set aside. To caramelize the onions, heat another tablespoon of the olive oil in a large thick-bottomed skillet with a pinch of salt. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions collapse and turn deep brown in color. You can do this ahead of time (or just before serving) - whatever you prefer. Remove from skillet and set aside. Just before serving heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, again in a big skillet over high heat. Add the raviolis. Stir in the onions, and then the chard. Wait until the chard begins to wilt, then stir in most of the cheese and most of the hazelnuts. Gently fold in the butternut squash and lemon zest. Remove from heat. Serve on a big platter garnished with chives and remaining hazelnuts and Parmesan.
Serves 6.
From 101cookbooks.com
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Spicy Tofu and Greens Soup, Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special

For the Stock:
2 cups ( peeled if you like) and sliced carrots
2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 cup coarsely chopped parsley
8 garlic cloves, sliced
8 thin slices of ginger root
1 to 2 dried chilies, sliced in half or use 1/8 to 1/4 of a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
8 cups of water

For the Soup:
1 cake of firm tofu about 12oz
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
4 garlilc cloves, minced and pressed
1 to 2 dried chilies, sliced in half or use 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon canola or peanut oil
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup[ julienned carrots
2 cups shredded greens such as bok choy, beet greens, chard or turnip greens
a few drops of dark sesame oil
2 scallions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the stock ingredients in a large soup pot, cover and bring to a boil on medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the tofu into small bite-sized cubes and set aside in a baking dish. Combine the ginger, garlic, chiles, oil and 2 Tablespoons of the soy sauce in a heavy skillet, saute for a few seconds and then add the tofu. Gently toss the tofu until evenly coated. Bake for 25 minutes stirring twice to ensure even roasting. Remove the chili halves.

Strain the stock into another soup pot. Add the baked tofu and the carrots and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the shredded greens. When the soup returns to a simmer, remove from the heat and add the sesame oil and the remaining 1/4 cup of soy sauce. Serve immediately, acattering freshly sliced scallions into each bowl.
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Easy Chicken recipe from Donna at Morning Song Farm

INGREDIENTS
1 Container Plain Low Fat Yogurt
½ Bunch Dill
½ Cup Ripe Lime Juice
1 Tbsp. California Olive Oil
Salt
Splash of Tabasco

DIRECTIONS
Bake chicken breasts in oven at 350 (add a little water to baking dish.)
Bake until no longer pink.
In a Cusinart or blender add low fat yogurt, Dill, lime juice, salt, Olive Oil and a splash of Tabasco; Puree.
Pour in a sauce pan and heat but not to boiling. Pour heated topping over baked chicken.

Garnish with a sprig of Dill.
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Roasted Beets & Curry Dressing

INGREDIENTS
6 medium beets roasted
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbs. tofu
2 Tbs. vegan Mayo (Try Nayonaise, Spectrum, Follow your Heart)
4 tsp. curry powder
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
10 Tbs. olive oil
4 Tbs. chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS
Wash, trim and wrap beets individually in foil and place in a shallow pan. Roast beets in preheated oven at 375 F until tender; test them with a sharp paring knife, piercing easily; set aside to cool. Mix dressing by combining all ingredients except oil; when all ingredients are smooth, whisk in the oil and set aside. Unwrap the beets and rub away skin; slice into wedges. Transfer to a serving dish and spoon curry dressing over the beets; serve at room temperature.
Thanks to Midi Cox for this recipe.
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Spicy Beef with Shrimp and Bok Choy

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup Shao Hsing wine (see ingredient note)
1 ½ Tbs. Oyster-flavored sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch
4 tsp canola oil, divided
¾ pound sirloin steak, trimmed of fat, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
¼ tsp. Crushed red pepper
10 raw shrimp (21-25 per pound) peeled, deveined and chopped
1 pound bok choy, preferably baby bok choy, trimmed and sliced into 1 inch pieces

DIRECTIONS
Whisk rice wine, oyster sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved.

Heat 2 tsp. Oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add beef and crushed red pepper to taste; cook, stirring, until the beef begins to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add shrimp and continue to cook, stirring, until the shrimp is opaque and pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the beef, shrimp and any juices to a plate.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat in same pan. Add bok choy and cook, stirring, until it begins to wilt, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture. Return the beef-shrimp mixture to the pan and cook, stirring, until heated through and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 1 minute.

Yield: 4 servings

*Shao Hsing (or Shaoxing) is a seasoned rice wine. It is available in most Asian specialty markets and some larger supermarkets in the Asian section. If unavailable, dry sherry is an acceptable substitute.
Thanks to Pat Shope for this recipe.
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Arugula Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS
2 cups arugula leaves
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Place a bowl of ice water near the stove.

2. Blanch the arugula in boiling water for just a few seconds. Drain and shock the arugula in the ice water. Squeeze out excess water and chop the arugula into small pieces.

3. Place chopped arugula in a blender. With the motor running, slowly add the grapeseed oil. Puree until smooth.

4. Scrape puree into a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.

5. Strain oil through a fine mesh strainer. The oil will keep, refrigerated, for up to 2 days.

6. Just before serving, whisk the vinegar into the oil and season with salt and pepper.
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Great-Aunt Frankie's Zucchini Soup

INGREDIENTS
butter/olive oil
scallions, chopped
zucchini, cut into large chunks
soup stock or water
salt, pepper
curry powder

DIRECTIONS
Amounts vary according to taste & how much you want to make. For me, one bunch of scallions is usually good for about a half dozen medium zucchini.

In a soup pot, saute scallions gently (w/o browning) in a small amount of butter &/or oil. Add zucchini and enough soup stock or water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer until zukes are soft. Whirl the cooked vegetables and liquid in a food processor or blender, adding salt/pepper and curry powder to taste. That's it!

Serve either hot or cold, with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, if you like.
Thanks to Diane Gage for this recipe.
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