Green Swamp SoupKid, Earth and Time Friendly Recipes

This recipe should really be named friendship salsa. It’s made with ingredients from my friends Lindsay Pieters (peppers) and Alyssa Becthold (sweet corn), as well as some of my farmer’s market friends (onions, tomatoes, cilantro). I just love cooking with my friends’ veggies, and for whatever reason, the dishes I make with them taste extra yummy!

The fresh flavor of the veggies in this salsa is simply amazing. And the flavor is really versatile — it goes with just about anything. I served this salsa over enchiladas, grilled blue fingerling potatoes and taco salad. Then I took the leftovers and added black-eyed peas and avocado for a great side salad. Of course, it’s also yummy all on its very own with some simple tortilla chips.

So invite some of your friends over (particularly if they grow veggies) and eat up!

Ingredients:
2 large heirloom tomatoes, blanched and de-skinned, then chopped
1/4 cup onion, diced and deflamed*
1 medium jalapeno pepper, deseeded
1 medium red chili pepper, deseeded
1 handful cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 ear of fresh sweet corn, with kernels cut off (you can also use frozen sweet corn)
1 clove garlic, minced
juice of 1/2 of a lime

Additional Optional Ingredients:
1 avocado
1 can of black beans
1 can of black-eyed peas

Directions:

1. Just combine all ingredients. Then chill for at least an hour.
2. Add salt to taste.

*To “deflame an onion,” I follow the Rick Bayless method. Put onions in a strainer, then place the strainer in a bowl of cold water with a splash or two of vinegar. Soak while prepping everything else.

Zucchini crab cakes have been one of my signature recipes for a long time. They’re relatively easy to make and no crabs were harmed in the process! My daughter Sophia absolutely loves this recipe, but I’m a bit embarrassed to say that she thinks they taste like McDonald’s hash browns! Oh well, they’re a gazillion times better for her than that. And, I’ve included a vegan alternative that I’ve taste-tested — it’s better than the egg version hands down.

Krabby Patties (Vegetarian)
2 cups coarsely grated zucchini, unpeeled (about 1 medium)
1 cup Italian or whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 cup onions, grated or finely chopped
1 tablespoon mayonnaise (I use soy mayo, which is much lower in fat)
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1 egg, beaten or 1 tbsp. N-ergy Egg Replacer, beaten with a fork
1/2 cup of flour

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except flour in a small bowl (grate the zucchini and onion into a colander so some of the liquid could drain out). The texture can be adjusted — if it’s too dry, add another egg; if too wet, add more bread crumbs. NOTE: recipe can be doubled or tripled easily.

2. Heat some oil in a skillet. Form mixture into patties and dredge in flour. Drop into frying pan over medium heat until golden brown on both sides, about 5 to 8 minutes per side. Makes 4 big or 6 medium cakes.

Krabby Patty Sauce

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic
1 tbsp. lemon
3 tbsp. olive oil mayo (or soy, or whatever you’d like)
1 dash hot sauce

For kids who don’t like spice, just don’t use the hot sauce.

No, no lady bugs were harmed in the making of this stew (though a few lentils and other veggies gave up the ghost for a good cause). My kids thought the green lentils looked like ladybugs and I thought it was a great name, so there you have it.

This soup was made using Bragg liquid aminos — my new favorite ingredient. You can use this to replace oil in many recipes that call for sauteing veggies without noticing any difference. In fact, when you use Bragg’s, there’s no need for high-sodium broths or bouillons.

So while there’s no oil and plenty of fiber and vitamins in the soup, what I like best about it is that it’s so hearty, filling and flavorful. It’s seriously one of the most satisfying soups we’ve tried in a while. I like to serve it with a crusty bread drizzled with olive oil.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves
1 red pepper, diced
3/4 cup green lentils
1 to 2 tbsp. Bragg liquid aminos (taste test after 1 tbsp. then add more to taste)
1 cup kale, chopped (optional)
6 cups water (add more if you want a soup, rather than a stew)

Directions:

1. Saute all of the veggies, except the kale, in 1 tbsp. liquid aminos for five minutes. (Add more aminos later to taste.)
2. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about two minutes.
3. Add water and bring everything to a boil.
4. Add lentils and simmer for 30 minutes, or until lentils are cooked al dente.
5. During the last five minutes of cooking, add kale.
6. Serve hot with warm, crusty bread and plenty of olive oil.

These cookies are hands-down the yummiest and healthiest I’ve ever baked. And I’m not bragging when I say this, because the recipe isn’t even mine! It’s a version of an oatmeal raisin cookie recipe from the Engine 2 Diet book by Rip Esselstyn. (Check out the video — it’s amazing!)

Rip is the Austin, Texas firefighter who got his entire firehouse to eat a vegan diet. We’re talking turning some hard-core carnivores into hummus-loving hippies almost overnight. So far, this book has inspired me to create many new recipes, I’m just a tad bit behind in posting them to the blog. This particular recipe is vegan and very low in fat (if it has any fat at all), yet high in fiber. The cookies are chewy, yet soft and chocolaty.

So, without further ado, I give you the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 tbsp. ground flaxseed meal mixed with 1/2 cup water (original recipe called for Ener-G egg replacer; I just used an extra tsp. of flaxseed and more water)
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (original recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips (use vegan if vegan or you are allergic to dairy)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine the applesauce, flaxseed mixture and the sugars with an electric or hand mixer. Beat in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Gradually mix the dry and wet ingredients until thoroughly combined.
3. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.
4. Place rounded, heaping tablespoons of dough onto a sprayed or parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies stand on the baking sheet for another minute. Cool on a wire rack.

NOTE: These cookies do not flatten out, but they still hold together nicely.

I made this dip up last weekend and it was such a hit with kids, coworkers and me that I had to make it again this week!

I’ve recently started the “Superhero” version of Alicia Silverstone’s Kind Diet. Basically, it’s a vegan way of eating that focuses on using whole grains, veggies and “clean” proteins — mostly beans and tofu — as your main foods. I’ve been mostly vegan since the end of February (I had a few slip ups involving cheese). I plan to eat this hummus as a snack with veggies — carrots, snap peas and turnips.

The reason I’m upping the ante on this style of eating is my upcoming guest blog posts on AlyssaBecthold.com. You can read more about what we’re up to there.

Alyssa is a good friend and coworker of mine who has lost more than 60 pounds recently! She’s really inspired me to look within and see what changes I can make to my own lifestyle to live a healthier, happier life. To that end, I’ll be posting some of my new Kind Diet-inspired recipes here on Green Swamp Soup. I’ll add a note that my family is not following this diet per se, but they enjoy many of the recipes it has inspired.

Ingredients:

1 can chick peas, drained and SAVE THE JUICE
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup chick pea juic
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Juice of one lemon
2 tbsp. tahini

Directions:

1. Throw all of the above, except the chick pea juice, into food processor. Pulse for three to four pulses.
2. Add chick pea juice a little at a time and pulse until you reach a desired consistency (I like my hummus thick).
3. Chill for one hour and serve (I can’t always wait the whole hour, but an hour is best).

Broccoli pesto pasta may just be my favorite vegan dish! When you add broccoli to the pesto mix, it takes on the texture of grated Parmesan cheese, and is wonderfully flavorful. Even if you’re not vegan, with this recipe, there really is no need to add the extra fat, salt and cholesterol found in cheese.

I was inspired to make this dish by a series of broccoli dishes featured in the April edition of Vegetarian Times. I decided to make my normal pesto recipe and just add broccoli. I combined the pesto with spaghetti noodles knowing I’d have a better chance of getting the kids to try it since they innately love “basketti.” Everyone — hubby, kids and I — loved it.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts (toast in a skillet over medium heat until golden-to-dark brown)
2 cups broccoli florets, steamed until bright green, but not mushy
1/4 cups plus 2 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 cups fresh basil, tightly packed
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 large cloves garlic
1/2 package of thin spaghetti (vegans, look for egg-less pasta; for a healthier pasta, I like Barilla Plus Pasta), cooked al dente

Directions:

Pulse ingredients (except pasta, of course) together in a food processor until smooth. Combine pesto with pasta. Garnish with additional broccoli florets if desired. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The Cedar Falls Farmers Market opened last week, loaded with lots of fresh veggies, herbs and flowers. Leafy greens were the main attraction — the perfect inspiration for an Italian meal featuring veggie lasagna, a real spring mix salad and fresh-baked bread.

I try to go the Farmer’s Market every Saturday, for a multitude of reasons. The biggest one is to support our local farmers. They are nothing short of amazing in their skill, knowledge and dedication. The farmer from whom I bought my spring greens took about 10 minutes of his time to help me plan my herb garden. As I watched him explain the different ways the plants would need to be cared for, with hands permanently etched with dirt, he actually talked me OUT of planting much more than a few pots of herbs. (He probably realized his precious plants might not fair too well in my hands! I love to cook with fresh vegetables, but I’ve literally killed every single plant I’ve ever owned, with the exception of two cacti.)

The second reason I shop regularly at the farmer’s market is because buying locally is better for the planet. There’s less transportation involved in moving your food from point A to point B. There’s less packaging, and thus, less waste, especially if you re-use your produce and grocery bags!

The third reason is that the food simply tastes better. Lettuce that was recently plucked from the ground is crisper and has that almost indescribably fresh, earthy flavor. Bread that was recently made by hand and plucked from an oven that morning is soft and fragrant, with a distinctly homey flavor.

OK, enough preaching about the farmer’s market. I give you the recipe — plus ideas for a salad and the name of the wonderful baker who made my bread. I can tell you that the whole meal was a big hit with my kids and their friends — they ate almost every bite and virtually devoured the bread!

Ingredients:

1 can fire-roasted tomatoes (I like Muir Glen organic)
1 can tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. oregano
2 tbsp. fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil — fresh is a farmer’s market ingredient
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary (or 1 tbsp. fresh) — fresh is a farmer’s market ingredient
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup water
4 cups fresh spinach, chopped — farmer’s market ingredient
1/2 package veggie crumbles (I like Morningstar Farms)
1 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups grated mozzarella (not the fresh kind)
1 package lasagna noodles (uncooked)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Saute onions and peppers in a saucepan over medium-high heat for about five minutes.
3. Add garlic and saute one to two more minutes until fragrant.
4. Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, pepper flakes, veggie crumbles and water. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
5. While sauce is cooking, stir cheeses together.
6. When sauce has simmered, ladle about one cup on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan.
7. Layer uncooked noodles over the sauce.
8. Cover with another cup of sauce.
9. Cover sauce with 2 cups spinach.
10. Cover spinach with 1/2 of the cheese.
11. Repeat the steps, starting with another layer of noodles, then sauce and so forth.
12. You will finish the layering with the cheese on top.
13. Sprinkle additional pepper flakes and rosemary on top for a prettier dish.
14. Bake for 45 minutes.
15. Allow lasagna to cool, then serve with the spring greens salad below and the Sandwich Loaf made by Lorna Martin at Wild Wood farms.

Spring Green Salad Ingredients:

2 cups spinach
1 head romaine lettuce
1 sprig fresh dill, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced

Directions:

Toss the above together and serve it with your favorite dressing. Mine is Goddess Dressing by Annie’s Naturals.

This recipe is proof that you can cook old-school favorites without meat — and they’re even better than the original!

I’ve never really cared much for chicken salad. Usually, there’s too much mayo and way too much meat flavor for my tastes, anyway. But when you sub chickpeas for chicken and vegan mayo for the regular stuff, something wonderful happens. And it’s not just the crazy new vegan here talking. I taste tested this dish with my coworkers yesterday and got an “off-the-hook” response. I think it makes an awesome appetizer or even a main dish, though slightly messy.

If you’re serving it to kids, they will love the apples and maple flavor in the salad, but you’ll have to make sure you’re ready for a little bit of a mess. Not cool with mess? Wrap it in a tortilla!

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, drained and slightly mashed (use a potato masher)
1/2 cup slightly crushed pecans
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 apple, diced
1/2 cup water chestnuts (optional)
3/4 cup vegan mayo (or, use regular mayo … I like Vegenaise)
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. maple syrup (the real stuff, preferably)
A few shakes of garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon juice
Head of lettuce — either iceberg or romaine (I prefer the green leafy romaine)

Directions:

1. Combine chickpeas, celery, apple, water chestnuts and pecans. Sprinkle with lemon juice to keep the apples from browning.
2. Whisk together mayo, syrup, vinegar and garlic powder.
3. Combine mayo combo and all other ingredients.
4. Taste test to see if salt and pepper are needed.
5. Chill for at least an hour in a tightly-sealed container.

Variation: Add fresh grapes, raisins or craisins! I also like to serve mine with chow mein noodles.

I know what you’re thinking. Here she goes again, trying to sneak veggies into food where they don’t belong.

Wrong. Broccoli makes mashed potatoes taste even better than regular. Don’t believe me? Well, then take the mashed potato challenge, my friend, and find out! Bonus: this recipe is CHEAP and EASY.

I recently became vegan after reading The Kind Diet, so I’m offering two versions of this recipe (and probably any recipes that call for dairy here on out). For those die-hard mashed potato traditionalists, you get your old standby recipe with added broccoli. For those of you who are vegan or allergic to dairy, I offer an even MORE delicious version of the tried and true. My kids sampled both and hands down liked the vegan version better. So there.

Seriously, though, little kids love this recipe, because it’s, well, green and funny looking. We like to call it Ogre Food around here (it’s probably Shrek’s favorite food). In fact, this would be a great dish to serve at a Shrek-themed birthday party … hmmm ….

Give it a try and let me know how you like them!

Ingredients:

4 large russet mashed potatoes, peeled and cut into four pieces
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 clove garlic (optional, but if you like garlic, just go for it)

Dairy Version:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup half and half (less for stiffer potatoes, more for fluffy)
Salt and pepper to taste

Vegan Version:
1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1/4 to 1/2 cup hazelnut milk (I do NOT like the taste of soy milk, so I prefer hazelnut … less for stiffer potatoes, more for fluffy)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Measure 1/4 cup butter and/or buttery spread and milk and/or hazelnut milk and put into a large glass serving or mixing bowl; set aside.
2. Put potatoes and garlic in pot and cover with cold water (about two inches above potatoes).
3. Bring water to a boil and boil potatoes for about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add broccoli florets and boil for two more minutes or until broccoli is bright green.
5. Drain.
6. Transfer potatoes/broccoli to bowl.
7. Mash with a potato masher. Add more milk a little at a time until you have your desired consistency for potatoes. NOTE: A potato masher ensures that your potatoes will be creamier and there’s less chance of over mixing and creating potato glue.
8. Serve alongside Panko Chicken Planks or any savory protein dish and enjoy — there’s no need for added butter or gravy!

ADDITIONAL SERVING IDEA: For those of you who like a little cheese with your potatoes, you can try adding 4 oz. of shredded sharp cheddar cheese or a couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast (for the vegans).

I absolutely LOVE peanut butter — peanut sauce, PB&J, peanut butter cookies, Peanut Butter Panic ice cream … you get the drift. I’ve been making an Indonesian dish that features a delicious peanut sauce called Gado Gado since I first started really cooking in my early 20s. So, when I saw this delicious soup in the Post Punk Kitchen, it reminded me of Gado Gado and I had to try it.

I knew the veggies in the original recipe wouldn’t fly with my family, so I added my own combination of zucchini, peppers, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli. I also added edamame for a little extra protein. Without noodles or rice, this soup/stew is low carb and LOADED with veggies (don’t let that long list scare you). It’s seriously one of the yummiest soups I’ve ever made (and I’ve made A LOT of soups in my life). Plus, it’s the perfect winter warm-up comfort food!

NOTE: If cooking this dish for kids, omit the hot chili and spice it up on your own with Srirachi sauce.

Ingredients:

1 cup shallots, sliced very thin
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp. peanut or dark sesame oil
1 hot chili, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic
1” cube of ginger, peeled and minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8-1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
1 16 oz. can roasted diced tomatoes w/ juice
5 cups water or light veggie broth
1/2 cup creamy or chunky natural peanut butter
1 red pepper
1 cup cauliflower
1 small zucchini
1 large carrot, sliced on the diagonal
1 head broccoli
1 cup cabbage
1 cup frozen edammame1 tbsp. honey (optional)
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, lightly packed
chopped roasted peanuts and cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions:
1. Saute onions and shallots in peanut or sesame oil for five minutes, or until tender.

2. Add garlic and saute another two minutes, then add ginger and chile and fry for 30 seconds. Add ground cumin, coriander, tumeric and fry for another 30 seconds then add all the other veggies. Stir fry for a few minutes until just tender.

3. Pour diced tomatoes, water or broth into pot. Stir to combined and raise heat to medium high. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat.

4. In a separate bowl stir peanut butter to combine any separated oils. Pour a ladleful of hot soup onto peanut butter. Stir peanut butter with soup till creamy and peanut butter is completely emulsified. Scrape peanut butter mixture into rest of simmering soup, stirring to combine.

5. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lemon juice. Add salt to taste.

Serve this with Citrus Salad, spring rolls or egg rolls!