Herb Yogurt Dressing

This is a light and fresh dressing that pairs wonderfully with the season’s delicate greens, snap peas and radishes.  Try using a plain goat yogurt in place of Greek for a unique flavor.

Makes about 2 cups of dressing

Ingredients: 

1-½ cup of plain Greek yogurt, fat free or low-fat

¼ cup Milk

1 cup fresh Herbs, roughly chopped (parsley, tarragon, cilantro, oregano, chives – or what ever you like)

4 scallions – green tops only, roughly chopped

Ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Method:

Add all ingredients to food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Keeps in refrigerator 3-4 days

Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

Mushrooms are full of nutrients and low in calories.  The actual micronutrients differ by variety, but can include potassium, selenium and copper. Mushrooms also have energy releasing B-complex vitamins riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid.  Mushrooms can even include vitamin D if they are exposed to UV light at harvest time. Want to learn more about some benefits of mushrooms? Check out this Food and Nutrition Magazine article: Mushrooms: Taste of the Earth.

Here is my quick lettuce wrap preparation that includes mushrooms and other local veggies.  This is a delicious choice on a hot summer evening or a Meatless Monday.  This is one of those recipes where you have carte blanche and can include any extra veggies you may have on hand too!

Makes 4 servings

Boston or Butter Lettuce leaves, washed

Sauce:

½ cup vegetable stock

1 tablespoon Low sodium Soy sauce

1 teaspoon Sesame oil

1 teaspoon Sherry or Rice Wine

½ teaspoon Fish sauce

1 tablespoon Rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Cornstarch

Filling:

2 tablespoons Canola oil

1 cloves Garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ginger, grated

2 Scallions, white and green parts, sliced

1 cup cabbage (any variety), finely diced

1 cup celery, finely diced

2 cups assorted mushrooms (shitake, oyster, etc.) finely diced

Garnish ideas:

Grated Carrot

Cilantro

Bean spouts

Grated Cucumber

Sriracha

In a jar, or other screw-top container, add all sauce ingredients and shake to incorporate cornstarch.  Reserve.

In a wok or large skillet heat oil over medium heat, add garlic and ginger.  Cook about one minute.

Add remainder of filling vegetables and stir-fry until vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. 

Push filling to one side of the pan to expose the bottom and creating a place to cook the sauce. Shake the sauce in the jar again then raise the heat in the pan and add the sauce to the exposed area.

Once the sauce comes to a boil, incorporate it with the vegetables and serve on a platter along side the lettuce and garnishes.  Allow your guests build their own wraps.

Find me on Facebook: Lara McNeil on Nutrition and Food

And Twitter@LaraMcNeil

Egg Flower Soup with Napa Cabbage and Mushrooms

Need a quick soup for a cold night? Try my version of Egg Drop Soup using local eggs and napa cabbage form my winter CSA share.  Mushrooms, ginger, and egg yolks are all great immunity foods, so this recipe is perfect for this time of year.

Makes 4 servings

 

2 large eggs

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 teaspoon soy sauce

½ teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

¼ teaspoon white pepper

2 cups napa cabbage, thinly sliced (about ½ small head)

½ cup cold water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

8 fresh mushrooms, sliced thinly

2 scallions, finely chopped

Scramble eggs in a small bowl, set aside.

Make slurry by combining cornstarch and water in another small bowl, also set aside.

Bring stock to a boil, and then simmer with soy sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, and pepper.  Add napa cabbage and cook 2-3 minutes until stock is lightly bubbling.

Add eggs to hot stock in a stream, creating ribbons by circling the pot with the egg stream without stirring the stock.   Once the eggs have set you can stir gently.

Add cornstarch water slurry to the soup and bring back to a simmer, heat until stock thickens.

Divide the sliced mushrooms and scallions between serving bowls, add hot soup to the bowls and serve immediately.

Find me on Facebook: Lara McNeil on Nutrition and Food

And Twitter@LaraMcNeil

Juicer Recipes

I have chosen the following recipes to provide a full spectrum of phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals for my own 3-day juice detox.  Nothing here is set in stone so feel free to substitute ingredients.  Some products are linked to backup information about their health properties - just click each one to read. 

A blog provided by WilliamsSonoma offers 30 days of juice recipes; like the recipes found here many are adapted from Reboot your Life (Fat Sick and Nearly Dead movie), if you would like to find some substitutions.

“Orange” Morning Juice

         3 Carrots

         2 Apples

         1” Ginger

Mean Green Mid-Morning Juice

         1 Cucumber


         4 Celery stalks


         2 Apples


         6-8 leaves Kale

         6 sprigs Parsley


         1/2 Lemon


Purple Power Lunch-time Juice

         1 pear

         1 beet

         1 carrot

         1/2 cup red cabbage, coarse chop

         3 sprigs chard with stems

Almond Date Banana Mid-afternoon Smoothie

         3-4 Dates

         1-1/2 cup Unsweetened almond milk

         1 Cubed frozen banana

         ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Note: cube your bananas when you get home from the store and freeze them on a cookie sheet before transferring to a baggie.  These will be your ice cubes and will thicken your smoothie.  

Incorporate the ingredients for this smoothie using a standard household blender. 

Tomato Gazpacho Dinnertime Juice

         4 Plum Tomatoes


         1 lg Cucumber


         2 Celery stalks


         1 Red Bell Pepper


         1⁄4 sm Red Onion


         2 cups Cilantro, leaves and stems (or Parsley)

         2 cups spinach

         1 Lime

         ½ Jalapeno (optional)

Delicious Pineapple-Kiwi-Mint Dessert Juice

         1/4 large pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into cubes

         1 orange, peeled

         1 kiwifruit

         1 pear

         20 mint leaves