I can't believe I forgot to post this recipe, last season's salvation from waaay too many beets: 

Beetnik Cake 

1 cup vegetable oil 
2 cups white sugar 
4 eggs 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
2 cups shredded beets 
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, with juice 
3 cups all-purpose flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 
1 teaspoon salt 

DIRECTIONS 
  1.. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. 
  2.. In a large bowl, mix together the vegetable oil and sugar until well blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the shredded beets and pineapple with juice. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt; stir into the beet mixture until just incorporated. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. 
  3.. Bake for about 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. When cool, frost as desired, or eat plain. 

Mmmm, we love saag. Here's an easy recipe that only takes about 30-45 minutes total to prepare. 

4-6 servings

• Oil or ghee -- 2 tablespoons
• Onion, chopped -- 1
• Garlic, minced -- 6 cloves
• Gingerroot, minced -- 1 tablespoon
• Coriander, ground -- 2 teaspoons
• Turmeric -- 1/2 teaspoon
• Cayenne pepper (optional) -- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon
• Spinach, chopped -- 1 pound
• Water -- 1 cup
• Salt -- 2 teaspoons
• Yogurt -- 1 cup
• Cream (optional) -- 1/4 cup

Method

1. Heat the oil or ghee in a large pot or saucepan over medium flame. Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
2. Stir in the spinach, water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, allow to cool a bit. Then use a blender or food processor to puree in batches.
4. Return the puree to the pot. Add a little water if necessary and simmer another 5-10 minutes.
5. Stir in yogurt and return to brief simmer and immediately remove from heat. Stir in the optional cream, adjust seasoning and serve.

Variations

• Saag, or Palak, Paneer (Spinach with fresh cheese): add 1/2 pound of paneer, cut into cubes, after pureeing the spinach. You may substitute tofu for the paneer if you can't find paneer. Tofu is not an Indian ingredient, but it has a similar texture and flavor.
• Jhinga Saag (Spinach with shrimp): add 1/2 pound peeled and deveined shrimp after pureeing the spinach. Simmer until the shrimp is just cooked through, 3-4 minutes.
• Chana Saag (Spinach with chickpeas): add 1/2 pound cooked chickpeas after pureeing the spinach.
• Saag Murgh (Spinach with chicken): add 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes, after pureeing the spinach. Simmer just until the chicken is cooked through.
• Saag Aloo (Spinach with potatoes): add 1/2 pound cooked, cubed potatoes after pureeing the spinach.
• You may use frozen or fresh spinach. Try substituting mustard or other greens.
• A squeeze of lemon added at the end will brighten the flavor of this dish.

As it turns out, this is the soup I made earlier today. I found this recipe on Christmas day, because I prepared the ever popular Green Bean Casserole, and was loathe to use canned cream of mushroom after reading the labels on the cans.

This is fairly easy to use, has only a few ingredients, and is AMAZING!

Ingredients:

    * 4 Tablespoons butter, divided use
    * 8 ounces mushrooms
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
    * 1/4 cup flour
    * 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, or to taste
    * 3 cups veggie broth
    * 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
    * 1 cup heavy cream
    * Chopped parsley for garnish

Preparation:
Clean mushrooms with a mushroom brush or damp paper towel. Cut half of the mushrooms into slices. Chop the remainder.

Melt half of the butter in a large saucepan and saute sliced mushrooms until golden. Remove and reserve sliced mushrooms. Add remaining butter to the same pan, along with the chopped mushrooms and sweet onions. Sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft.

Return sliced mushrooms to the pan. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly about 2 minutes, until smooth. Slowly add broth while stirring. Simmer, stirring often, until thickened. Add nutmeg and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning, if need be.

Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer. (Do not boil.) Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.

Yield: 2 entree servings or 4 smaller appetizer servings

I'm about to make this soup to use up all the potatoes and onions we have from the CSA. mmmm, soup!

Ingredients

3 C. Vegetable stock
1 1/2 LBS Red Potatoes (Peeled and Cubed)
1 Lb Red Potatoes (whole but peeled)
2 C. Half & Half
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 TBS Butter or Margarine
2 Celery Stalks (chopped)
1 small Yellow Onion (chopped small)
2 Carrots (thinly Sliced)
1 tsp Dried Dill Weed
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Heaping tsp All-Purpose Flour
1/8 C fresh Parsley (Finely Chopped)

1. Start by melting 2 TBS of Butter or Margarine in a large pot. Add the chopped onions, 1 tsp dried dill weed and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. Saute on medium hi for 2 minutes. Stirring almost constantly.

2.After the 2 minutes is up add the chopped celery, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper, mix well and saute for another 4-5 minutes, stirring almost constantly.

3.After sauteing add 3 C vegetable stock to the large pot, along with the sliced carrots and 1 1/2 LBS of cubed potatoes.

4. Turn the heat up to the high setting until it boils. Then reduce the heat to a simmer.

5. Take the remaining 1 Lb. of the potatoes and 1 c. of water and place them in a food processor and puree them (you may want to cut them down a bit first), then add them to the pot.

6. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. (you will have to check the potatoes to see if they are done after 30 minutes, if not simmer a few more minutes, it all depends on how small you cube the potatoes).

7. Mix 1 heaping tsp of flour and some luke warm water in a small bowl until the bumps are out.

8. In the last 15 minutes add the flour mixture and 2 c. half and half. Stir well.

9. Garnish with Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley.

Every year, my household has a ton of squash. Whether we've grown it ourselves or it comes from the CSA, there's currently more pumpkins, butternut and acorn squash than I can handle.

My current strategy for handling the explosion of winter squash is to turn the babies into soup I can freeze and enjoy later. (much like the roasted beets I have sitting in the freezer for February)

Here's my loose recipe - it's really a guideline, and you can play around with portions. Hard to go wrong with soup.



Harvest Bisque (aka, holy squashes, batman!)

1 medium sized pumpkins or two small winter squashes of almost any variety (buttercup, butternut, acorn)
2 large onions, chopped
3-4 apples
2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken, if you prefer)
spices such as sage, nutmeg, ginger, clove, cinnamon, allspice (go lightly with the cinnamon, or you'll turn it into a pumpkin pie)
1 cup crushed walnuts
salt & pepper to taste
heavy cream


to prepare squashes, cut in half and scoop out seeds and stringy stuff. place skin side down in a baking pan with a little bit of water and bake at 350F for 45 minutes - or until flesh is very soft. Let the squash/pumpkin cool - you can even refrigerate overnight if you aren't ready to cook the soup. Remove peel from squash and cut into large cubes.

sautee onions over medium heat in oil until transparent. Add apples and cook until they begin to soften (but not burn) Add vegetable broth, walnuts, squash and spices, and simmer over medium heat until apples are cooked.

use food processor or vita-mix to puree the soup, adding the heavy cream at the very end. If you want to freeze the soup for later, don't add the cream - you'll just add it later when you're reheating the soup.

you can also add vegetables like carrots, potatoes or other roots to the soup, but it has a very nice warming flavor as prepared above.

My friend Shannon made us these awesome cookies, and shared the recipe. yummmm.


2 cups of all-purpose or bread flour (I used bread flour; it is supposed to make the cookies thicker)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (melt on lowest power setting in microwave or slowly on stove -- do not burn!)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon powder
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 325°F (for pure convection, adjust accordingly; I used 310°F).  Grease cookie sheets, or line them with parchment paper or use a Silpat.

Sift the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon powder and set aside.

Mix the sugars and butter just until thoroughly mixed.  Add egg, yolk and vanilla and mix until creamy.  Add sifted ingredients and mix until just blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips, then drop dough ¼ cup at a time on cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.  Bake for 15-17 minutes.  Leave them on the cookie sheet to cool a bit when removed from the oven (they will fall apart otherwise).  Once they cool a few minutes, move cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.  Or, eat them right away with cold milk!

Coconut milk
1 can chick peas
2 cups bok choy
4-6 shiitake mushroom
bell pepper
eggplant, sliced (leave skin on)
carrot, sliced
1 cup broccoli
1 cup cauliflower
canola

stir-fry curry paste for a little bit, then add 1/2 can of coconut milk and stir. Add the vegetables that require the longest cooking time. Stir until boiling. Cook for a few minutes.

Add another can coconut milk plus the bell pepper, eggplant, and beans. Cover and cook for another few minutes. Add broccoli and bok choy. Cook till done. serve with rice or couscous

(haven't made this yet, but wanted a safe place for the recipe)

This recipie comes from Rachel, who is one of the most amazing women I know - she juggles her career, two young and beautiful children, and still manages to cook some amazing food.

I haven't tried this recipie yet, but wanted to record it before it gets lost. I'll be making some later today, and will report any changes or suggestions if need be.


Rachel's Granola

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

6 cups mixed grains (oats, barley flakes, rye) of your choice. You can also just use all oats
1/4 canola oil, or other unflavored oil of your choice
Cinnamon to taste
1/2 container unfrozen apple juice concentrate
1/2 c sunflower seeds
1/2 - 1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 - 1 cup large coconut shreds (the smaller flakes disappear when baked)

Combine the first 4 ingredients, and mix thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients and spread evenly on non-stick baking sheets. Bake at 205 degrees for about 1 hour, or until dry.

If the granola isn't completely dry, it will mold like bread. Keep stored in airtight container.

I made this soup for the first time tonight - it proved to be very easy and quite delicious! Leeks are a yummy vegetable from the onion family, but they have a milder flavor than their cousin. Slice the white and light green parts, and throw the darker tops in the compost bin. (or, experiment with adding that portion to a salad or stir fry!)

Potato Leek Soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

8 potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
4 cups vegetable broth
cooking oil (2-3 T)
2-3 leeks, sliced
1 cup heavy cream
herbs to taste (such as thyme, rosemary and basil)

In a large saucepan or stockpot, bring potatoes and broth to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, heat cooking oil in another pan and cook leek slices until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Try not to overcook them; you don't want them to be soggy in the soup.

When the potatoes are tender, stir in the leeks, heavy cream and herbs. I tried even amounts of dried thyme, rosemary and basil, which was quite tasty. Stir to blend and remove from the heat; serve hot.


Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 9 minutes
Yields 60

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 T powdered Stevia leaf (as sweetner)
1/4 c agave nectar (sweetner)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips


Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, sweetners and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake about 9 minutes, or until golden brown around edges.

I love legumes of all sorts, including lentils, which are easy to prepare and packed full of nutrients. There seem to be three main varieties of lentils available in my supermarket: red, green and brown. (although, the brown lentils are really a brown-ish green color) The red lentils are smaller and therefore cook faster - 20 minutes or so, compared to the 45 minutes it takes for green lentils. I use red lentils in the following recipie. Be forwarned, however...even though these are "red" lentils (and are bright orange-red when dried), the dish turns out yellow!

Dal

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30-45 minutes

3 cups water
1 cup red lentils, rinsed well and drained
1 stick cinnamon
5 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
Tumeric to taste ( I probably put 2 teaspoons in)
2 T olive oil
1 T mustard seeds
1 T cumin seeds
3 or 4 tomatoes, chopped
1 T ground coriander


Before you start any preparation, begin cooking brown rice or barley to eat with the dal. This will take 45 minutes, and if you time it correctly, everything will be finished at once.

For the dal: Add the lentils, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and tumeric to water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ~20 minutes, or until lentils are soft. (If you keep the heat on medium, you can walk away at this point) Remove bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cloves. You can add or remove water at this point, to make the consistency you want. (It'll cook for a bit longer, so it's most important that it not dry out and burn)

Heat olive oil in a pan with a lid over high heat. Add mustard and cumin seeds; cover with lid. Let them heat up until the mustard seeds start to pop (this is why you want a lid), then remove from heat until you add the chopped tomatoes. It's important to not walk away from the dish at this point, because you want to roast the seeds, not burn them. Add the tomatoes and ground coriander and stir everything up thoroughly. Let the tomatoes cook for about 5 minutes, until they become soft and mushy.

Add tomatoes to the lentils and let simmer about 5 minutes more. Add salt to taste - I usually add a little bragg's amino acids or sea salt. Serve over brown rice or barley.


This is a great dish to prepare in advance and freeze serving-size portions. When I re-heat dal, I always add a little flax seed oil after heating it up to keep it moist and yummy, and the flavor is a nice addition. This is also a very easy dish to double or triple to feed lots of people.

Substitutions: you can substitute fennel seed for the cumin seeds, and saffron for the tumeric.

I've recently discovered my adoration of sauteed leafy green vegetables. My absolute favorites are spinach and chard. Here's how I've been preparing them:

• Sautee a large spoonful of diced garlic in olive oil until almost brown
• Add 4 large handfuls of fresh spinach (whole leaves are fine) or chopped chard
• Add a little bragg's amino acids (for salty flavor)
• Turn heat to medium and cover pan with lid
• Sautee for a little over 5 minutes, or until all leaves have turned a very dark green, but are still firm
• Squirt lemon juice over greens, and optionally, sprinkle with sesame seeds

MMMMMMMMM, yummy!

This is one of my favorite things to make in the summer, with fresh tomatoes, cucumber and eggplant from the garden. It's also perfect for throwing in vegetables that need to be used - I've put carrots and peppers and other things in here, too. My favorite preparation is to serve over quinoa, but any grain such as couscous, barley or brown rice is also very good.

This is a very easy recipie to double or triple to feed lots of people.

Prep Time: About 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes, if you cook the couscous while prepping

Ratatouille with quinoa

1 1/2 cups cubed peeled eggplant (last year I grew Louisiana Long Green Eggplant, which has a milder flavor than the 'traditional' purple ones) This is equal to one large purple eggplant, and about 3 of the louisiana greens.
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 whole onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium cucumbers, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (you can also use zucchini, or a combination of the two)
A handful of fresh basil, chopped
Another handful fresh oregano, chopped
Crushed black pepper and  bragg's amino acids, to taste
4 or 5 fresh tomatoes,  diced
1 (6-ounce) can tomato sauce (Arthur prefers it without the tomato paste)
3 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave at HIGH 8 minutes.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and cucumber (and whatever other veggies you like, such as bell pepper); sauté 8 minutes or until onion is tender. Add eggplant mixture, basil, and next 5 ingredients (basil through tomato sauce) to pan; cook 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve over couscous; sprinkle with cheese.


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup stew, 3/4 cup couscous, and 2 tablespoons cheese)

This recipie is very easy and quite delicious! I've made this at least a dozen times. I've altered the recipie a bit from the original, and this is how I create it.

Prep Time: About 20 minutes
Cook Time: About 25 minutes

Eggplant Parmesan

1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons mixed fresh chopped basil, oregano, and rosemary (or substitute dried Italian seasoning)
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (1-pound) eggplants, each peeled and cut crosswise into 6 slices
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 large egg, lightly beaten
 Cooking spray
1 (25.5-ounce) jar marinara sauce (in the summer, I make my own marinara)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3 cups hot cooked angel hair pasta (about 6 ounces uncooked pasta)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish. Dredge eggplant slices in flour. Combine egg whites and egg. Dip eggplant slices in eggs; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Pour the sauce evenly over eggplant slices; sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve over pasta.


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 eggplant slices and 3/4 cup pasta)