a cold snap has brought nashville some delicate snow and LOTS of days inside while it has only been in the teens outside. this makes me do one thing: nest. and what that really means is cook, cook, clean, cook. there's little i love more than to experiment with and invent recipes, and i recently made a 3 course meal that was a hit, so here are recipes as close as i can remember:
Course 1: Spicy Bean Salad
Ingredients:
-1 can organic kidney beans
-1 can organic pinto beans
-chopped raw grean beans (about 1/2 cup chopped)
-1/2 can "Rotel" tomatoes and green chilis
-salt to taste
Drain the kidney and pinto beans and put in bowl. Add chopped green beans. Measure 1/2 can Rotel, retaining as many green chilis as possible; drain liquid and save for another recipe. (Rotel is perfect in chili). Add salt to taste, stir, and enjoy!
Course 2: Baked and Breaded Cabbage
Ingredients:
-1/2 head green cabbage
-2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
-1/4 cup apple cider or juice
-1 egg
-1 cup rye bread crumbs (i used gluten-free rye)
Drop cabbage into boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes until it is tender but not soggy. On cutting board, slice cabbage into chunks - cabbage will naturally separate like when making slaw. Put cabbage in baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix together apple juice, vinegar, and horseradish. Pour over cabbage.
You can use the same bowl to mix 1 egg with the bread crumbs. Add a dash of salt. Spread bread mixture over cabbage.
Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, removing lid or foil for last 5-10 minutes so bread topping can brown. Enjoy!
Course 3: Curry Pumpkin and Carrot Soup (My favorite!)
Ingredients:
-about 2 dozen peeled organic carrots, cut into half or thirds
-1 can lite or regular coconut milk
-2 cups chicken broth
-3 shallots (or 1 onion)
-4 or 5 stalks celery
-1 tablespoon wheat-free tamari (or soy sauce if you can eat wheat)
-1 can organic pumpkin puree
-2 tablespoons curry powder
-1/2 teaspoon cumin
-salt to taste
Boil carrots until soft. In skillet, saute shallots and chopped celery in olive oil. Once lightly sauteed, add 1/2 cup chicken stock and tamari and bring heat up to medium/high. The goal is to soften celery. Once carrots are boiled, add to food processor and liquify (will be thick). Add to food processor all remaining ingredients except chicken broth. Once mixed, transfer to soup pot on stove. Add remaining chicken broth and salt to taste. If too thick, add more stock. Enjoy! (For an added touch and protein, I garnished this with a couple of thin slices of pork loin on top - You can also garnish with a small scoop of the bean salad!)
