Green Swamp SoupKid, Earth and Time Friendly Recipes

Alright, I know what kale chips sound like. And these are baked kale chips, no less. But you’ve got to believe me when I say, they’re awesomely delicious! And much easier to make than baked potato chips or even sweet potato chips. Better yet, served with a healthy dipping sauce, they are indeed kid-friendly.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of curly-style kale (about 6 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 or 4 shakes of sea salt (or to taste)
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash and dry kale well.
3. Pull the large leaves off of the thick stems of the kale.
4. Tear kale into large, chip-sized pieces.
5. Toss with oil, vinegar and salt.
6. Optional: sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
7. Arrange on 1 or two baking sheets in a single layer. TIP: Use parchment paper for easy cleanup.
8. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until kale is crisp and slightly brown. Your chips should be very light and crispy — be sure to bake longer if they aren’t.
9. Serve with a dipping sauce of choice — ketchup, healthy ranch, BBQ — and your favorite sandwich!

I taste tested this salad with Brando, our office intern, a.k.a. The Organic Boy, this week and he asked me what a superfood is. Superfoods are a special category of foods found in nature. By definition they are calorie sparse and nutrient dense. You can find a variety of lists of superfoods online.

First and foremost, this particular salad is designed to be crunchy. I wanted a super-hearty salad with lots of flavor and texture that could serve as a meal in itself. It features kale, red cabbage, carrots, apples, walnuts, pistachios, dried goji berries and craisins. The dressing is definitely Asian-inspired and made with low-fat Vegenaise.

NOTE: if you want to up the health quotient a little come Turkey Day, this would make a great side dish!

Did The Organic Boy like it? Yes. However, he suggests making it with almonds. You can dress up your super salad with just about any nut and dried fruit combo, so suit yourself.

Ingredients:

For the salad

3 cups chopped kale
3 cups chopped red cabbage
1 apple, chopped and tossed in the juice of one lemon
1/2 cup organic dried fruit and nut mix (mine had the above nuts and dried fruits)
2 carrots, chopped
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds

For the dressing

1 large clove garlic
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. miso paste (optional)
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 small lump of fresh ginger, peeled (about half the size of your thumb)
3/4 cup low-fat Vegenaise
Dash of cayenne
3 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. Agave Nectar or Honey

Directions:

1. In a medium-pot, saute kale and sesame seeds in 2 tsp. sesame oil on medium heat until slightly wilted, about two minutes. Set pot aside to cool.
2. While the kale cools, throw all of the dressing ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth, around one minute. If you like your salad dressings thicker, just omit the water in the recipe.
3. In a large serving bowl, combine all of the other salad ingredients, plus the cooled kale, and stir until well-mixed. Chill for one to two hours before serving.

Although, I recently came out as a bona fide Chegan, there’s no need to go that route with this “cheesy” soup. Adapted from the Moosewood Low-fat Favorites cookbook, this soup was a hit with my family and even Chelsea at Roots Market!

What makes this soup so cheesy, I think, is the fresh lemon. It certainly wasn’t the intention of the recipe writers to make the soup cheesy, but in my version of the recipe, that’s how it turns out. The other reason this works so well is the fact that you puree the soup — this gives it the creamy “cheesy” smoothness without the cheese.

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped onions
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
3 cups diced potatoes
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup peeled and chopped carrots
1 medium head cauliflower, chopped (about five cups)
3 tsp. dried dill
1-2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. dried mustard
1/4 tsp. caraway seeds
5 cups vegetable broth (or 5 cups water with 2 tbsp. vegetable Better Than Bouillon)
Salt to taste

Optional: Green onions for garnish.

Directions:

1. In a soup pot, saute onions, garlic, celery and carrots in about 1/2 cup of broth or water until all veggies are soft.
2. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, except lemon juice, and bring to a boil. (Be careful not to use too much water. Water should be just below the top of all the ingredients in your pot.)
3. Reduce to a simmer and simmer until veggies are tender, around 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Add about half of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth.
5. Stir the pureed mixture into the remaining soup.
6. Serve topped with green onions.

Nutty Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, a.k.a. Secret Agent Soup

Gus said it best: This soup is peanut sauce meets squash. If you like either, I think you’ll like this. If you like both, you’ll love it.

I called this “Secret Agent Soup” because I read somewhere that kids are more apt to eat something with a fun, creative, kid-like name. I had to come up with this one on the fly because Gus asked what it was and I certainly didn’t want to tell him “Nutty Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.” Way too boring. Way too healthy.

So, I told him it was Secret Agent Soup and he had to find out what was in it himself. This worked out splendidly because it required tasting a few bites to discern all of the different flavors. Of course, he nailed peanut sauce and squash immediately. (Technically, it’s not peanut sauce, but with the other spices it tastes a heck of a lot like it.)

This recipe is modified from a recipe for Nutty Sweet Potato Soup in this month’s Vegetarian Times.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
5 cups roasted butternut squash*
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
4 cloves garlic
3 tbsp. tomato paste
3 tbsp. creamy natural peanut butter
2 medium leeks, diced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. tumeric

Optional: 1 tsp. harissa paste or 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (if you want it SPICY)

Optional: 1/2 cup chopped spinach

Garnish with honey roasted peanuts.

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven saute leeks in olive oil for 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic, peanut butter, tomato sauce and spices and saute for two more minutes (add broth if needed to moisten pot).
3. Add squash and broth.
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Puree soup in small batches.
6. Add spinach.
7. Garnish with peanuts and Sriracha sauce.

* Directions for roasting a squash:

1. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Save the seeds for toasting!

2. Set both halves face down on a baking sheet with a rim.

3. Pour enough water onto the baking sheet to cover the bottom with water.

4. Roast for 40 minutes, or until squash are tender.

5. Allow to cool, then use or store in an airtight container in the fridge for later.

When I was a kid, one of my absolute favorite dinners was this: Bohemian-style dumplings drenched in brown butter, sausage patties, sauer kraut and hominy fried in bacon grease! These menu items were all lovingly made by my German-Bohemian-Irish grandma, Bette, whom I adored. Whenever I eat hominy, I think of her. And my mom still makes those awesomely buttery dumplings. I eat hominy now sans bacon, of course. This recipe is a nutritious alternative to the hominy-in-bacon-grease dish, but still has that same old down-homey-ness.

Ingredients
28-oz. can hominy
2 tsp. olive oil
1 small onion
1 small red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic
2 carrots, sliced
14-oz. can garbanzo beans
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, diced
1/3 cup quinoa
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. chili powder (optional)
7 cups vegetable broth (or 7 cups of water and five tbsp. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Saute onion in olive oil for about five minutes on medium heat, till they are clear. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about two minutes.
2. Add red peppers and carrots and continue to saute until they soften. You may need to add broth or Bragg’s to keep the veggies from over-browning and sticking to your pan.
3. Add spices, hominy and garbanzo beans and saute for two more minutes.
4. Add broth or water.
5. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Add quinoa.
6. Simmer for 10 minutes or until quinoa opens up.
7. Add spinach and cilantro to your pot and serve after spinach has wilted.
8. Serve with more cilantro and salt and pepper. Or, go crazy and add a big dollop of sour cream or guac and lots of tortilla chips.

Best Peanut Sauce In The World

One of my favorite restaurant’s in Kansas City, the Blue Koi, has a sauce simply called “awesome sauce.” I’m really not sure what’s in it, but it is indeed awesome. And you can drizzle it over everything on their menu — from spring rolls to lettuce wraps to one of their many awesome noodle dishes.

This peanut sauce recipe is like that. It goes well with any Asian cuisine you want to throw at it. But it’s equally delicious on raw veggies, steamed veggies, rice crackers, pita chips, etc. I modified the following recipe from the Moosewood’s Lowfat Favorites cookbook. (A must-have for vegetarians who are trying to cut back on fat and calories!)

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. natural peanut butter, at room temperature
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/2 to 1 fresh chile, minced, seeds removed for a milder heat
2 tbsp.  cider or rice vinegar
1 tbsp. cilantro
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp.  soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh or prepared salsa
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root

Directions:

1. Throw all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy.
2. Try it with Soba Noodle Stir Fry or anything Asian.

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.

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 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.