Edamame Guacamole

This delicious recipe is borrowed from the blog Two Peas and their Pod. It is a scoopable, chunky guacamole that pairs great with blue corn tortilla chips for super phyto-nutrient power. The edamame increases protein, which will keep you fuller longer.

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Yeild: 2-3 adult sized servings

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, degermed, minced
1/4 onion, roughly chopped
1/2 jalepeno, finely chopped (optional)
Juice of 2 limes

1 tsp ground cumin (optional)
2 to 3 tablespoons water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Equipment: Food processor

 

Instructions:

Place edamame, avocado, cilantro, garlic, onion, jalapeno, and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Add enough water to make a creamy consistency and pulse again. Pulse until smooth. Transfer edamame guacamole to a serving bowl and season with salt and pepper. 

Recipe adapted February 2012.

Beet Pesto Pasta with Goat cheese

This bright magenta pasta dish is a delicious and tangy way to eat beets, and if paired with citrus or other source of vitamin C, can be a great source of iron- needed to energize your cells! As a result, we like this recipe with an orange and arugula salad on the side.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes for the beet, 20 minutes for the pasta

Serves: two

For the pesto:

1 large red beet, scrubbed and trimmed of leaves and stem

2/3 cup chopped raw walnuts

2 small garlic cloves, smashed, peeled and de-germed (remove the green sprout inside to prevent “garlic burps”)

1 Tblsp Balsamic Vinegar, plus more to taste

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tblsp grated Parmesan cheese

For the pasta:

½ lb dry spaghetti pasta (try whole grain)

¼ cup soft goat cheese (chevre)

 Equipment needed: food processor

Instructions:

-          Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the beet in a lidded baking dish (or in a small baking dish covered with foil) with a tiny bit of olive oil, and bake for 40+ minutes until cooked through and soft (can do this step a couple of days before to save time). Remove from the oven, let cool, and peel with a butter knife.  Chop the beet roughly, and set aside.

-          While the beet is roasting, place the walnuts in a saute pan over medium heat, and toss/stir every 3 minutes to roast them (don’t let them smoke or burn!) for about 20 minutes total. You want nice, toasty walnuts. Alternatively, you could place the walnuts in the oven on a baking sheet, and stir every 5 minutes until roasty (15 minutes or so). Reserve two tablespoons of the walnuts for garnishing, and place the rest of the walnuts with the beets.         Place a large pot of water on the stove for the pasta; heat to a boil. 

-          Meanwhile, into a food processor, add the chopped cooked beets, toasted walnuts, garlic cloves, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. Process for about 1 minute, and stop the machine to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl. Process for another minute, until the mixture is finely minced (but not a puree).  Place the mixture in a large serving bowl, and set aside.

-          Cook the pasta until it is al dente (using the package as a guide for time). Drain about 1/2 cup of the pasta water into the beet pesto, and then drain the rest of the pasta in a colander over the sink.  Add the cooked and drained pasta to the beet pesto, and toss to coat. 

-          Portion into two pasta bowls, and sprinkle the goat cheese and reserved walnuts on top. If not the arugula/orange salad, have an orange for dessert for a perfect, energizing meal!

Super Energy Kale Soup

Recipe from The World’s Healthiest Foods website.

This fresh soup is a great way to get your veggies in! Get creative and add your favorite vegetables, or perhaps some cooked, drained, and rinsed garbanzo beans for extra protein.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 medium carrot, diced into 1/4 inch cubes

1 cup diced celery

2 red potatoes, diced into ½ inch cubes

2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp dried sage

3 cups kale, rinsed, de-stemmed, and chopped small

Salt, pepper to taste

Olive oil (optional)

Instructions:

Heat 1 Tbsp of the broth in a medium soup pot over medium heat (don’t let it evaporate). Stew the onions in the broth for 5 minutes, add the garlic for the last minute.

Then, add the broth, carrots, celery, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, and let simmer for another 5 minutes.  Add the potatoes and herbs, and let simmer for another 6 minutes.

Add the kale, and cook for another 3 minutes.  All the vegetables are now cooked perfectly! Serve up as is, or with a tsp of olive oil drizzled over the top.

Recipe adapted from http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=214 Febrauary 5, 2012.