Recipe: Veggie Chili

Veggie Chili // Serves 4 to 6 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 zucchini (about 1 pound total), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 can (19 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

1 or 2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes.
2. Add zucchini, carrots, chili powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are between crisp and tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, corn, and 1 cup water. Simmer until slightly thickened and carrots are soft, 8 to 10 minutes more.

Recipe: Chilled Carrot Soup

This soup has just an essence of carrot. Serve with a crusty bread or homemade croutons sprinkeled on top.  Play around with different carrots too. I used a white variety so this soup is white.

Chilled Carrot Soup // Serves 6
1 tablespoons Olive oil or unsalted butter
1/4 cup diced onion
2 pounds carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick (I used white Kuttiger carrots)
5 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Thinly sliced baby carrots, for garnish
-Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add carrots, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until carrots are very soft, 25 to 30 minutes.

-Filling a blender halfway and covering with a kitchen towel, puree soup in batches. (one of those immersion blenders works really well for this and then you don't have to do it in batches either) Stir in honey, and season with salt and pepper. Chill soup for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

-Before serving, garnish each dish with some parsley and thinly sliced baby carrots if you like.

Green Salad

I love salad, but I tend to get crazy with it.. I'll add fruit, veggies, flowers, grains and nuts that some might not have even considered. So here is a paired down version of salad. Simple, crowd pleasing, delicious and healthy (before dressing). Feel free to play around with the veggie ingredients (I would), they are very interchangeable.

1 Head butter crunch lettuce (romaine works here too, but you could add some ice burg to give it more juice : / )
1 or 2 large slicing tomato, Diced
4 or 5 crimini or white button mushrooms, sliced
an avocado, cubed
1 carrot, Sliced thin (optional)
Dressing of your choice (ranch is heavenly, blue cheese would be nice to.. indulge)

Toss all the veggies together and top with your dressing of choice.

carrot slaw

What you need:

a generous squeeze fresh lemon juice (More than 1 Tbsp)
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
lots of salt and pepper
2 cups shredded carrot

Toss it all together and let it sit overnight.
Then serve.