Apple Pear Sauce

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

4 small red-skinned apples, cored and cut into eighths
4 ripe Bartlett pears, cored and cut into eighths
1 thick slice lemon
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger root
1/2 cup water

Place apples, pears, lemon, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and water in a large soup pot and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat.  Simmer, stirring often, until apples are completely tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove lemon, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves.  Let sauce cool slightly.  Transfer to a blender and puree until as smooth as desired.  Serve warm, room temperature, or cold.  Store in the refrigerator.

(This is delicious!  The pears and lemon give it real zing.  I actually used a mulling spice mix, which I ground up, in place of the spices.  I also left the whole slice of lemon in when I pureed it.  I really liked the bits of clove, cinnamon, and citrus peel in the final product.)

Blitz's Green Smoothie

(recipe from Healthy Girl's Kitchen)

1 orange, skin & pith removed
1/2 lemon, skin & pith removed
Handful of spinach/kale/other leafy green
A sprig of parsley & mint
Handful frozen mixed berries
1 Tbsp. ground seeds (flax, sunflower, almond, pumpkin)
4-6 ice cubes
Optional:  1 or 2 pieces of crystalized or naked ginger, or a shake of dried ginger or favorite spice

Blend!

Fennel, Apple, and Walnut Salad

(recipe from The Pleasures Of Cooking For One, by Judith Jones)

Fennel, about 1/3 medium bulb or 1/2 small one
1/2 tart apple
About 6 walnuts

Dressing:
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
pinch of salt
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil, or more to taste

Remove the coarse outside rib of the fennel bulb, and trim off the stalk, saving the leaves.  Trim the root end so the bulb stands firmly, and, with a sharp knife, cut very thin slices.  If you have a mandoline, by all means use it.

Core the apple, and cut it into thin slices, leaving the peel on.

Mix together the dressing ingredients, taste, and adjust as you see fit.  Pour the dressing over the fennel and apple slices with the walnuts, broken in half, and some of the fennel leaves, chopped, and toss everything together.  Pile onto a salad plate, and top with a few more fennel leaves.

(So simple, yet amazingly good!)

Cauliflower "Rice" Stir-Fry

(recipe from wholeliving.com)

2 cups cauliflower florets
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 sliced red onion, divided
4 minced cloves garlic, divided
coarse salt
1/4 cup broth
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 thinly sliced small red chile
2 cups broccoli florets
1 julienned large carrot
1/2 diced (stemmed, seeded) red bell pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp. shelled pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves

Pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor until finely chopped.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 1/2 sliced red onion and 2 minced cloves garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, about 6 minutes.  Add cauliflower and season with coarse salt.  Stir in broth and steam, covered, until broth has evaporated and cauliflower is tender, about 6 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and cover.

Wipe pan and heat 1 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat.  Add 1/2 sliced red onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add 2 minced cloves garlic, ginger, and chile and cook 1 minute.  Add broccoli florets, carrot, and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt.  Remove from heat and add lemon juice.

For each serving, top cauliflower with vegetables and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and cilantro.

(Simple, but quite good.  Cauliflower "rice" is the bomb!)