Green Swamp SoupKid, Earth and Time Friendly Recipes

We can all thank the “slider” concept for making burgers even more fun. But this recipe, adapted from the Vegetarian Times, makes them healthy, too.

I made part of this recipe way easier to make by simply opting to make less sliders and using Wildwood marinated and baked tofu instead of making the “tofu” part of the slider myself. Then, I paired this with an awesome kale stir-fry recipe from VT.

Full disclosure: Because the sliders look like burgers, your kids will probably try them. However, you might forgo the Asian slaw so they’re not overwhelmed by too many different textures. My kids didn’t care much for the sliders with the slaw, but they liked the kale stir fry just fine.

Ingredients For Sliders:

1 package Wildwood Baked Teriyaki, slice each tofu square to fit slider buns
8 slider buns

Ingredients For Asian Slaw
3 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs. vegan mayonnaise
2 Tbs. no-salt-added creamy natural peanut butter
5 tsp. natural cane sugar
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper, optional
2 medium zucchini, julienned (8 oz.)
4 medium carrots, julienned (8 oz.)
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts, finely chopped

Directions for Sliders:

1. Stack tofu and then slaw between slider buns. (Feel free to toast the buns beforehand.)

Directions for Slaw:

1. Whisk together soy sauce, mayonnaise, peanut butter, cane sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, pepper, and cayenne pepper (if using), in large bowl.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.

I originally made this Indian-inspired spicy soup to go with the split-pea-soup fog we had last week here in Iowa. It was the perfect warmer upper and super easy!

The “secret” ingredient in this soup is garam masala. As Wikipedia will tell you, this spice is pungent (intense) but not hot. So it makes for a unique flavor that kids (at least foodie-ish kids) and adults alike will savor. The other secret ingredient is Braggs liquid aminos. This gives the soup a very savory flavor that smacks of smoked ham, but luckily no little piggies were harmed in the process.

But best of all, it smells fantastic. I recommend making it on Saturday or Sunday while you’re at home, so you can enjoy the delightful aroma (and anticipation of the soup) all day long.

Ingredients:

2 cups dried green split peas
5 1/2 cups water
2 carrots, sliced (no need to peel)
1 parsnip, sliced (no need to peel)
1 medium onion
6 to 8 tbsp. Braggs Liquid Aminos
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. corriander
1 tsp. garam masala
3 small potatoes, cubed

Directions:

1. Saute onions, parsnips and carrots in the Braggs for about five minutes, or until onions are soft.
2. Add garlic and spices (cumin, corriander and garam masala) and saute until fragrant.
3. Throw remaining ingredients into the crock pot and cook for six hours on high. (Cooking times may vary.)
4. Soup will be “mushy” and, well, split-pea like.
5. Serve with sour cream or plain yogurt (non-vegan version, obviously) and cilantro.

I threw this soup together with some veggies I already had in my fridge because I wanted something simple, filling and low-fat. I called it skinny soup (at least in my head) and decided to include it on the blog. I then Googled “skinny soup” and realized that Dr. Oz had already made it up!

Dr. Oz’s skinny soup recipe is very similar to mine. However, mine is vegan and WAY easier to make. (The Dr. Oz recipe takes at least two hours. Mine takes about 30 minutes.)

So, whip this up and gobble it down — without any guilt!

Ingredients:

1 small onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 large clove garlic
1 carrot, diced
2 cups cabbage, chopped
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. dried celery
1 pinch fennel seed
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tbsp. red wine
4 tbsp. liquid aminos
1/2 tsp. dried red pepper (optional)
1 cup edamame

Directions:

1. Saute onions and celery with liquid aminos on medium-high heat until clear.
2. Add garlic and red wine and saute until fragrant, about two minutes.
3. Add carrots, spices and cabbage. Saute for five more minutes until veggies soften.
4. Add tomato sauce. Add water to the rim of the un-rinsed can (so as not to waste tomato sauce) and pour into soup. Pour another can of water into soup.
5. Add edamame.
6. Bring soup to a simmer and simmer for around 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Pour into bowls and serve with croutons, freshly ground pepper and freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or vegan cheese).

This has got to be the absolute BEST soup to warm you up this time of year. First of all, it’s yummy. It’s kind of spicy, but not too spicy. Kind of creamy, but not too thick.

Second of all, it’s easy yet different. If you’re like me, and you’ve eaten nothing but starchy leftovers for the last week, you crave new tastes. The coconut and curry in this soup are the perfect combo because they’re comfort-food-esque but still ethnic — and require no more skill than chopping and boiling.

Third of all — and you knew I was going to say this — it’s healthy. Carrots, cabbage, garbanzo beans, broccoli and peas are the featured veggies. And I sauteed them all in liquid aminos, so there’s no oil. Even the coconut milk is low-fat, so it’s lower in calories and saturated fat than the regular. But still tastes every bit as indulgent.

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced
1 small red pepper (or 1/2 large), chopped
1 cup cabbage, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 small head of broccoli, chopped
1 cup frozen green peas
1 14-oz. can of garbanzo beans
1/4 or 1/2 tsp. red curry paste
1/2 tsp. tumeric
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. minced ginger
2 large cloves of garlic
4 tbsp. liquid aminos
2 cups of water
1 14-oz. can light coconut milk
1 tbsp. brown sugar (optional)
1 to 2 tsp. fish sauce (optional for taste only)

Directions:

1. Saute onions and pepper with liquid aminos on medium-high heat until clear.
2. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about two minutes.
3. Add carrots, ginger, spices and cabbage. Saute for five more minutes until veggies soften.
4. Add water and bring to a boil.
5. Add brown sugar, coconut milk, broccoli and frozen peas and lower heat so that soup is just simmering.
6. Simmer for five minutes, or until peas and broccoli are still tender-crisp and serve.
7. Add fresh lime, fish sauce, cilantro, chopped peanuts and red chili sauce for even more flavor!

TIP: This soup, like many, is even better if you serve it the next day. This makes an 8-serving batch, so you should have plenty leftover to take for lunch.

This pesto recipe is super-versatile and full of flavor. I made it over a weekend and used it in several dishes — homemade pizza, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and lasagna. You can even use it to add flavor to soups and salad dressings!

Ingredients:

2 cups basil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. pine nuts
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Put your sun-dried tomatoes in about 2 cups of boiling water and let stand for 20 minutes to soften the tomatoes.
2. Just throw it all in a food processor and pulse to desired consistency, scraping the sides between pulses. I like my pesto “chunky,” but you may like yours a little smoother. Use your pulse setting, though, so you don’t over process your pesto into mush.

Nearly everyone I know loves grilled cheese — it’s practically the perfect comfort food. But sometimes you want a little kick with your comfort. These “gourmet” grilled cheese sandwiches deliver and then some. They give you all of the crispy grilled-ness you love, just with more flavor and different cheeses.

I grew up hating cheese. It’s true. Someone made me eat a Kraft single when I was about four, and I was a cheese hater my entire childhood and well into adulthood, until I met my husband. He convinced me there was something inherently wrong with not liking cheese and made me try real cheese — sharp cheddar, gouda, swiss and goat to name a few — and then I was hooked! These cheeses were nothing like that oily, floppy old slice I flushed down the toilet when I was a kid!

Needless to say, when I make a grilled cheese sandwich, for my kids, myself or the hubby, I use real cheese. That’s an absolute must. But liking spicy foods, I’ve found over time that I need something more. That something more being flavor — veggies, spices, etc. So I’m sharing some of my favorite recipes with you now.

Besides real, good cheese, the other must of an awesome grilled cheese sandwich is good bread. If you don’t worry about “healthy” bread, one of the best breads to use is Pepperidge Farms sandwich white. For those wanting a healthier bread, I like Rudi’s Organic 7 Grain with Flax.

Now that you have your bread, you need to make sure you have either a grill press or a heavy pan, preferably a cast iron skillet, to press your sandwich. This is a must to achieve the all-over-golden-brown deliciousness demonstrated in the photo. However, if you don’t have a press of some sort, it will still taste good without it.

Ingredients:

Gouda cheese
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Goat cheese
Bread
Sun-dried tomato pesto
1/4 red onion, diced
1/4 red pepper, diced
1/4 green pepper, diced
Butter or buttery spread

For vegans: You can use Daiya shreds, either Cheddar or Mozzarella, to make these sandwiches every bit as yummy as the real thing. This is really the only exception to my “real” cheese must.

Directions:

1. Heat skillet to medium heat, or griddle to 350.
2. Lightly toast your bread in your toaster — this is a must for a good, crispy sandwich and another trick I learned from my husband.
3. Butter opposite sides of bread, and then lay the buttered sides together, like you’re making a butter sandwich.
4. For the Gouda cheese sandwich: layer three thin slices of Gouda on the dry bread side. Sprinkle with red onion and peppers. Layer three more thin slices of Gouda on top of the veggies. Then turn the bottom buttered toast layer on top of the stack, so that now both buttered sides are exposed.
5. For the goat cheese and mozzarella sandwich: spread the sun-dried tomato pesto on the bread. Top with two thin slices of mozzarella and about five goat cheese crumbles. Then turn the bottom buttered toast over as directed above. If you want veggies, add them!
6. Grill for about a minute, then flip over.
7. Now lay your press on top of the sandwich and grill for one more minute.
8. Flip over again and grill for another 30 seconds so that both sides are uniformly golden.
9. Let cool for about a minute, then cut into sections and serve.

September just happens to be national potato month! What better way to celebrate than with this unique blue potato enchilada recipe.

I found some excellent blue potatoes at the Cedar Falls Farmer’s Market a few weeks ago at the Friedrich farm stand. I instantly fell in love with their unique flavor and texture, not to mention their gorgeous blue-purple color! They seemed to me the perfect filler for my ever-evolving vegetarian enchilada recipe, and hence they were!

I made a pan of these enchiladas for our cousins in Des Moines last weekend using Juan O’Sullivans Salsa De Mesa, a locally made salsa, as the enchilada sauce. It was absolutely delicious. You can order your own jar right online if you wan to try the salsa in this recipe. If not, any can of red enchilada sauce will do.

Ingredients
4 medium blue potatoes, thinly sliced with skins on
1 small onion, chopped
1 14-oz can of red enchilada sauce or 1 jar of Juan O’Sullivans
6 whole-wheat tortillas
1 can black beans
1 12-oz. bag of cheddar cheese
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
4 roasted green chile peppers, or 1 can green chiles (optional)
1 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Start by covering the bottom of  the pan with one ladle of enchilada sauce.
3. Spread two tortillas across the middle of the pan. Tear the other tortilla in half and then layer the two halves on opposites sides of the pan, with the straight edges parallel to the edge of the pan.
4. Spread another ladle of sauce over the tortillas.
5. Lay 1/2 of the potato slices flat on top of the sauce, spreading them evenly across the pan.
6. Sprinkle 1/2 of the onions and 1/2 of the beans over the potatoes.
7. If using green chiles, spread these evenly over the onions and beans.
8. Add 1/2 of the cheese.
9. Repeat step 2 by spreading tortillas over the cheese.
10. Spread another ladle of sauce over the tortillas.
11. Repeat steps 4 through 8 (though you will probably be out of green chiles; if not, spread the rest)
12. Add red pepper slices to the top of the cheese.
13. Cover the pan with foil and bake for and hour and 15 minutes.
14. Allow to cool and set up for 10 minutes before serving.
15. Serve with Heirloom Tomato and Sweet Corn Salsa.
    

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.