This recipe is a great example of food as medicine, believed by Chinese medicine to improve thinning hair, improving digestion, and supporting the nervous system.
Medicine aside, this soup is an excellent source of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals!
Ingredients
1/2 cup red lentils
1 teaspoon ghee
1 shallot, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 red potato, washed and diced
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 small tomato, diced
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper taste
1 teaspoon shredded coconut
Directions
Wash lentils in cold running water with a strainer. Transfer to a medium-large bowl of water and let soak for 3 hours. Drain
In a large pot, heat the shallot, carrot, and celery for 10-15 minutes with ghee.
Add lentils, potato, and tomato and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
Scoop contents of pot into a blender and blend until desired consistency.
Pour mixture back into pot with vegetable stock, seasonings, and turmeric. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
1 medium acorn squash (about 2 pounds), seeded and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame seed oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
Instructions
Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, and then stir in the onions and garlic. Cook for about 1 minute or until soft.
Add the acorn squash, chicken stock, soy sauce, sesame seed oil and brown sugar, gently stirring to dissolve the brown sugar.
Bring up to a gentle boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, stir in the tomatoes, and then continue simmering for and additional 10 minutes or until tender. Taste for seasoning and serve.
Watermelon and Fresh Basil Salad
I would keep it simple with these two ingredients. There are many watermelon salad recipes that add oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and spices, goat or feta cheese. I’m sure they are delicious, but our flavorful and juicy melons are a star on their own – Add some fresh snipped basil to cubed or scooped melon, and the sweet simplicity of this combo is one of may favorite ways to serve watermelon on the side. I’m thrilled we have them in the same box this week!
Green Tomato Frittata – NYT Cooking
Ingredients
1 pound green tomatoes
Salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Cornmeal for dredging
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, green shoots removed, minced
1 tablespoon slivered fresh basil
1 tablespoon snipped chives
8 large eggs
2 tablespoons low-fat milk
Instructions
Core the tomatoes and slice half of them about 1/3 inch thick. Set aside. Peel the remaining tomatoes by dropping them in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, then transferring to a bowl of ice water. Cut in half, squeeze or scoop out the seeds, and chop fine.
Season the sliced tomatoes lightly with salt and pepper, and dredge lightly in the cornmeal. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy, nonstick 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, and fry the sliced tomatoes for two to three minutes on each side, just until lightly colored. Remove from the heat and set aside. If there is cornmeal in the pan, clean and dry the pan.
Heat the remaining olive oil in the pan over medium heat, and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, three to five minutes, and add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic. Stir together until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir in the chopped tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have softened and are beginning to stick to the pan, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the basil and chives.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs and milk together in a large bowl, and season with salt and pepper (I use about 1/2 teaspoon salt). When the chopped tomatoes have cooked down, turn the heat up to medium-high and pour in the eggs. Swirl the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand, letting the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking. Distribute the fried sliced green tomatoes over the surface of the frittata. Turn the heat down to low, cover and cook 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. From time to time, remove the lid and loosen the bottom with a spatula. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.
Finish the frittata under the broiler for one to three minutes, watching very carefully to make sure the top doesn’t burn. Remove from the heat, shake the pan to make sure the frittata isn’t sticking (it will slide around a bit in the nonstick pan) and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes, up to 15 minutes. Loosen the edges with a wooden or plastic spatula. Carefully slide from the pan onto a large round platter. Cut in wedges and serve, or serve at room temperature.
2 teaspoons ras el hanout or Villa Jerada Ras El Hanout (Moroccan Spice mix of clove, cinnamon, all spice, coriander, salt, black pepper, ground ginger and cumin)
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (or sub fennel seeds)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 medium tomatoes (or 1 lb cherry tomatoes)
large lemon zest pieces, from one lemon (use a veggie peeler or sharp knife)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F
Cut eggplant in half lengthwise (no thicker than 3/4 inch) and place in an ovenproof baking dish along with the whole garlic cloves and shallots.
In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, ras el hanout, and caraway seeds.
Pour over the eggplant and toss well to coat. Cover with foil and bake 20 mins on the middle rack.
After the first 20 minutes, lower heat to 350F and uncover. Add the tomatoes, zest and give a toss.
Continue baking 50-75 minutes, uncovered, checking every 20 minutes, giving a gentle stir, until the eggplant is meltingly tender and creamy. Depending on the eggplant size, the time may vary. Please be patient here and check more often if eggplants are very small.
Once the eggplant is very tender, and edges are crisp, pull out of the oven, cover lightly with foil until ready to serve. Garnish with the olives, fresh herbs and optional chili flakes.
Serve warm or at room temp. Garnish: kalamata or Moroccan olives, Italian parsley, chili flakes ( like Aleppo or Urfa)
Most Asian countries have their own version of fried rice. This fried rice recipe follows the Korean cooking style. What’s even better, it incorporates the abundant Frog Song Organic produce, along with a few others ingredients I happen to have on hand.
I love all the colors and flavors from all the different types of vegetables and herbs. The butternut squash and the Murasaki sweet potato provide hints of sweetness that compliment the saltiness of the bacon.
This fried rice recipe is a great way to clean out the fridge and make something absolutely delicious for the entire family. It’s also a great way to get vegetables into the kiddos. Each spoonful is like a party in your mouth!
Made too much? I’ve been told I cook with a heavy hand but don’t fret! No more stocking the freezer with store bought frozen meals. This homecooked dish can absolutely be frozen. After a long and busy day, the last thing you want to do is cook. Take out your frozen rainbow fried rice and heat it up on the stove top or in the microwave and it’s ready in minutes!
Enjoy friends!
Ingredients: 1 cup of chicken breast 4 strips of bacon 1 small onion 3 small carrots 1 medium potato* 1 medium Murasaki sweet potato* ½ cup of finely diced butternut squash* 1 cup frozen green beans* (previously blanched and frozen frog song green beans when they were in season) 3 sweet habaneros* 1 green pepper* 3 tablespoons basil* (any type of basil will do, in this version I used italian basil) 1 leaf of green cabbage 1 cup frozen corn ¼ cup blanched moringa 2 eggs 5 cups cooked rice 1 scallion sesame seeds for garnish ¼ cup of sesame oil 2 tbs olive oil ¼ tsp garlic powder ¼ tsp onion powder Salt and Pepper *vegetables from our farm
Feeds 4-5 people
Instructions:
Cook rice per instructions on package. Any type of rice will work well with this recipe.
Finely dice chicken and toss with ¼ tsp of garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
Finely dice bacon and put in separate bowl
While prepping the other ingredients, place meats back into fridge
Finely dice potato, sweet potato, butternut squash, onion, carrots, cabbage, green pepper, and sweet habanero and place in one bowl together
Finely chop Italian basil and place in one bowl with corn, green beans and blanched moringa
Thinly slice one scallion and set aside until ready to garnish
Heat small pan at medium heat and add 1 tbs olive oil. Once the oil is well coated on the pan, add chicken. Cook until you see no more pink in the chicken and set aside. It’s okay if it’s not fully cooked because it will continue to cook once we incorporate it later in the cooking process
Heat a large, wide, and deep saucepan on medium heat and add bacon cook until bacon is nice and crispy but not burnt. If the bacon starts to burn lower the heat.
In the same pan, add all the diced vegetables and mix well with the bacon fat and let vegetables cook on medium heat for about 6-8 minutes
Add chicken, corn, green beans, basil, and moringa and mix well.
Create a cleared circle in the middle of the pan, add a 1 TBS of olive oil and then add two eggs and scramble in pan.
Once eggs are cooked add cooked rice and mix well
Add sesame oil and mix well and then cover and cook on medium-low heat for 5 minutes or longer. The longer you leave it in the pan with the same oil, the crunchier rice will be at the bottom and this is MY FAVORITE part of the dish. Be careful not to burn the rice.
Transfer to bowl and garnish with scallions and sesame seed and enjoy!
Check out more recipes on my Instagram @jinnieseats
