Roasted Potato Salad with Shaved Fennel and Salsa Verde

(recipe from finecooking.com)

2 lb. small red-skinned or Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. thinly sliced chives
3 Tbsp. drained, rinsed, and chopped capers
2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (I used a smaller amount of dried thyme)
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 medium clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium-small fennel bulb

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450F.  Spread the potatoes on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper, and roll them around to evenly coat them with the oil.  Spread the potatoes in a single layer, preferably with a cut side down.  Roast until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 30 minutes.  The potatoes should be browned on the sides touching the pan.  Loosen the potatoes from the pan with a thin spatula and transfer them to a large serving bowl.

While the potatoes are roasting, in a medium bowl, stir the parsley, olive oil, chives, capers, orange juice, vinegar, orange zest, thyme, shallot, and garlic to make the salsa verde.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut off the top and the bottom of the fennel.  Cut the fennel bulb in half from top to bottom, and again into quarters - remove the cores.  Lay each quarter on its cut surface and then slice crosswise as thinly as possible.

Add the salsa verde and shaved fennel to the bowl of roasted potatoes - they can be added while potatoes are still warm, or at room temperature.  Toss well, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Raw Cranberry Sauce

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

1 orange, peeled
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 medium apple, quartered
5 pitted dates (or to taste)
1/3 cup pecans or walnuts
Zest of 1 orange

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse till chunky.

(So easy and delicious!  And healthy!)

Creamy Orange-Avocado Dressing

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

3 green onions, roughly chopped
1/2 avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 cup orange juice
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Puree all ingredients in a blender.

(This makes a nice dip for veggies, too!  Tasted great with carrots!  Is thick, clings well.)

Smoothie combination:

1/2 large orange, peeled
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1 cup spinach
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
1 tsp. flax oil (optional)
leaves from several sprigs of fresh mint
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen fruit (ie: blueberries, peaches, pineapple)

Blend!!  Light & refreshing.

A good smoothie combo:

1 orange, skins removed
1 meyer lemon, skins removed
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
fresh mint leaves (several stalks)
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
3/4 cup water

Blend!

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!

Wild Rice and Mushrooms

(recipe from DrWeil.com)

1 cup dried porcini or shitake mushrooms (I used fresh shitake and skipped the soaking step)
2 1/2 cups water, approximately
1 cup wild rice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup sliced carrots
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
salt or soy sauce to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Soak the dried mushrooms in water to cover until they are soft.  Squeeze them out, reserving liquid, and slice.

Wash the wild rice in cold water:  set in a bowl, cover with water and let the debris float to the surface; pour off, rinse and drain.  Place washed rice in a pot with the mushroom-soaking liquid (minus any sediment) and add enough additional cold water to total 2 cups.  Add the orange juice, sherry and carrots. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add mushrooms and continue cooking until rice is tender and all (or most) of the liquid is absorbed.  (Don't cook too long or you'll get starchy, wimpy grains that have lost much of their flavor.)

Add the chopped parsley and salt or soy sauce to taste.  Stir in the nuts.

(I found that, with using fresh mushrooms, I maybe could have used a little less water to cook the rice.  I simmered uncovered for a little while after adding the mushrooms because I had a lot of liquid still.  I worried about over cooking my rice, but it turned out ok.  This dish has the most incredible flavor!  So good!  The orange is not too overpowering, just right.  The nuts add great texture and flavor, chopped very fine.  I actually ate this at room temperature like a rice salad for lunch.  Good both hot and cold.)

Mango Tango Smoothie

(recipe from a magazine, I'm not sure which one)

1 serving

1 c. ripe mango (I used frozen)

1 seedless orange, peeled

1/2 c. yogurt (I use coconut milk yogurt)

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/2 c. water

Blend together all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Serve in a tall glass.

(Made this for Colleen the morning of 7/30/11. It's delicious. Later, we went to Long Island, ME. Lovely day.)