Yellow Split-Pea Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Kale

(recipe from fatfreevegan.com)

2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. whole cumin
1 tsp. black mustard seeds
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. canola oil
2 tsp. ginger paste or 1 Tbsp. finely minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. finely minced garlic
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 cups water or broth
3 cups dried yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
1 - 2 Tbsp. mild curry powder (to taste)
salt to taste
1 bunch kale

In a large pot, saute the onions with oil or cooking spray for about 5 minutes.  When they are becoming translucent, push them to one side and pour the cumin and mustard seeds directly onto the bottom of the pot.  Pour the canola oil over the seeds and stir them lightly.  As soon as the seeds begin to pop, mix them in with the onions.  Add the ginger and garlic, and cook for one more minute.  Add the sweet potatoes, water, split peas, and 1 Tbsp. curry powder.  Stir well.

Cover the pot and simmer until the split peas are tender and beginning to break down, about an hour.  Stir regularly to make sure that the split peas don't stick to the bottom of the pan, and add water if necessary.

While the soup is cooking, wash the kale and remove and discard the tough central rib.  Chop the leaves coarsely.  When the split peas are cooked, add the kale to the pot, season to taste with salt and additional curry powder, if necessary, and add additional water if the soup is too thick.  Cover the pot.  For kale that retains some crunch, simply leave the pot covered for 5 or 10 minutes without heating, allowing the kale to cook in the heat of the soup.  For kale that is more tender, you may return the pot to low heat for 10 minutes.

(I couldn't find yellow split peas in Whole Foods Market!!  So I used green split peas.  This soup is not exciting, but it is hearty and satisfying.  The sweet potatoes and kale add a little interest.)

Harissa Spaghetti

(recipe from 101cookbooks.com)

3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
a big pinch of fine grain sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. harissa paste

8 oz. (1/2 lb) spaghetti (I used a quinoa/corn/amaranth pasta, since I'm trying not to do wheat)
1 small bunch kale, washed, deveined, and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted (I also cut these into quarters)
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
zest of 1 lemon

Bring a big pot of water to a boil.  In the meantime, place the cloves of garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle them with a big pinch of salt.  Crush with the flat side of a knife.  Now crush and chop, crush and chop until you have a garlic paste.  Alternately, you can use a mortar and pestle.  In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, harissa, and olive oil.  Set aside.

Generously salt the boiling water, add the pasta, and cook per package instructions.  Just before the pasta is done, add the kale to the pasta water, count to six, drain and set aside.

Heat half of the harissa dressing in the now empty pasta pot.  Add the pasta and kale, black olives, pine nuts, and lemon zest.  Stir over the heat for a minute or so, then turn everything out onto a platter and drizzle with the remaining harissa olive oil.  (I just stirred all of the harissa olive oil into the pot along with the other ingredients.)

(Amazing.  At first, it seemed a bit too salty, but after a day (I split this up for lunches over many days) the flavors blended into an amazing spicy yummy dish.  So good.  And with that, I finally used all of my small can of harissa!  Yay!  What a culinary adventure!)

Butternut Squash with Shallots and Sage

(recipe from Gourmet: Italian Kitchen magazine)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 shallots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (3/4 cup)
1 (1 3/4 lb.) butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (4 cups)
1/2 cup broth or water
1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. finely chopped sage
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook shallots and squash, stirring, until shallots are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add broth, brown sugar, sage, and 1/2 tsp. salt, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.

(I overcooked my squash, so it became more of a mash.  Ah, well.  Very yummy, with strong shallot flavor, hint of sweetness, herby sage, and the balsamic pulling it all together.  Flavorful!)

Miso Harissa Delicata Squash

(recipe from 101cookbooks.com)

1/2 lb. small fingerling potatoes, washed and dried
3/4 lb. delicata squash
1/4 cup olive oil
scant 1/4 cup white miso
scant 1 Tbsp. harissa paste
3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 ounce kale, de-stemmed and finely chopped
4 radishes, very thinly sliced
1 1/2 ounce Marcona almonds, toasted pepitas, or other toasted nuts

Preheat the oven to 400F.  If the potatoes aren't tiny, slice them into pieces no larger than your thumb.  Cut the delicata squash in half length-wise, and use a spoon to clear out all the seeds.  Cut into 1/2-inch wide half-moons.  You can leave the peel on these squash.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, miso, and harissa.  Place the potatoes and squash in a large bowl with 1/3 cup of the miso-harissa oil.  Use your hands to toss well, then turn everything out onto a baking sheet.  Bake until everything is baked through and browned, about 25 to 30 minutes.  Toss once or twice along the way after things start to brown a bit.  Keep an eye on things though, you can go from browned to burned in a flash.

In the meantime, whisk the lemon juice into the remaining miso-harissa oil.  Taste, it should be intensely flavorful, but if yours is too spicy or salty, you can dilute it with a bit more olive oil or lemon juice.  Stir the kale into the leftover dressing and set aside.

Place the warm roasted vegetables in a bowl and toss with the kale mixture, radishes, and almonds.

Serves 2 to 4.

(Absolutely amazing!  Make this at once!!)

Green Soup with Ginger

(recipe adapted from Love Soup by Anna Thomas, via 101cookbooks.com)

1 large yellow onion
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste
1 large sweet potato (12 ounces)
1 large leek, white and light green parts (5 ounces)
1 bunch spinach (8 ounces)
1 large bunch green chard (12 ounces)
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger, plus more to taste
2 cups vegetable broth
2 to 4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
freshly ground pepper

Chop the onion and cook it slowly in the olive oil with a sprinkle of salt, stirring now and then, over low heat, until it is soft and golden, about half an hour.

Meanwhile, peel and dice the sweet potato and put it in a large soup pot with 4 cups water, 2 cups broth, and a teaspoon of salt.  Thoroughly wash the leek, spinach, and chard, chop them coarsely, and add them to the pot, along with the chopped ginger.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the soup, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are competely tender.  Add the caramelized onions when they are ready.  Decide whether you want your soup chunky, like this, or smooth.  If the latter, puree the soup in a blender, in batches, or with an immersion blender until it is smooth.

Stir in 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice and a few grinds of black pepper.  Taste, and correct the seasoning with additional salt or lemon juice.

Serves 5-6.

(Absolutely delicious and flavorful, packed with greens.  I did not puree mine.  An instant favorite.)

Tunisian Bean and Chickpea Stew

(recipe from fatfreevegan.com)

1 15-ounce can navy beans, drained
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
4 to 6 cups water or broth
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 medium tomatoes, chopped, or one 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups raw pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used butternut squash)
2 to 4 tsp. harissa
1 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste
parsley, for garnish (optional)

In a large pot, saute onions until they are beginning to brown.  Stir in the garlic and tomatoes, and cook for another 10 minutes (5 minutes for canned tomatoes).  Add the beans, water, harissa, and seasonings and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook over medium heat until pumpkin is very tender, about 30 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

(On a mission to use all of my small can of harissa!  This was a tasty stew.  The harissa gives it a nice little kick.  Beans, tomatoes, and squash are a nice combo for fall.  I added some kale with good result.)

Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad with Watercress

(recipe from an unknown magazine)

2 lbs. beets, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
2 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
6 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tsp. honey
2 medium shallots, minced (about 3 Tbsp.)
12 ounces watercress, washed and trimmed (about 8 cups)

Preheat oven to 400F.  Toss beets and carrots with 4 Tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. ground pepper, and sugar in a large bowl.  Transfer beets and carrots to a baking sheet, spread in an even layer.  (Do not wash bowl.)  Roast until vegetables are tender and well browned on one side, 20 to 25 minutes (do not stir during roasting).

Meanwhile, whisk remaining 2 Tbsp. oil, vinegar, honey, shallots, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in now-empty bowl.

Toss hot vegetables with vinaigrette and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.  Stir in watercress, transfer to a serving platter, and serve.

Serves 8.

(Delicious!  I took this for work lunches.  Best to mix watercress just ahead of eating, but I found that the watercress holds up well enough when mixed in and kept refrigerated for several days.)