Eggplant Pasta Pie recipe

My favorites together in 1 dish:  Eggplant and Pasta!  Enjoy!

Baked Pasta with Eggplant
serves 6

• 3 eggplants 
• sea salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 14 oz. chopped tomatoes (or 2 cups)
• 14 oz. rigatoni, or penne rigate
• 2 oz. caciocavallo, or pecorino cheese, grated

Thinly slice the eggplant, sprinkle with salt and leave to drain in a colander for at least 2 hours.  Squeeze lightly to get rid of excess liquid.
Preheat oven to 180C / 350F .

Grease a round cake tin with the unsalted butter; we used one that was 10 inches (23cm) wide and 2 inches (3.5cm) deep. put in 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs and shake and turn the dish so that that they stick to the butter and line the dish.

Heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep frying pan and sauté the aubergine slices in batches until lightly colored. Lift out and drain on kitchen paper. Using about three quarters of the eggplant, cover the base and sides of the breadcrumbed tin. Make sure that you overlap the slices so that there are no gaps.
 
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and cook the onion and garlic over a medium heat until soft, but not coloured. Add the tin of tomatoes and season with salt. Cover with a lid and simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes.

While this is cooking bring a pan of water to the boil, salt well and cook the pasta for 3 minutes less than the packet instructions, so that it is still al dente. Reserve some cooking water and then drain the pasta.
Spoon a layer of the pasta into the aubergine lined tin followed by tomato sauce, a layer of the aubergine and a layer of grated cheese. Repeat with the remaining pasta, tomato sauce, and a final layer of aubergine. Finish with the remaining breadcrumbs to form a coating on the top. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes and until golden.

Let stand for about 10 minutes. This will allow the dish to firm up.
Put a plate over the top of the tin and holding both the plate and dish firmly, turn both over together so that the Timballo turns out onto the plate. Serve in wedges.
 
(recipe from Georgio Locatelli: Made in Sicily, Fourth Estate, 2011.)

Licking Your Wounds is Beneficial to your Health

"Langue de chien, langue de médecin," the French say: "A dog's tongue is a doctor's tongue."

It is instinctive to put a paper-cut finger in your mouth.  And dogs do the same with their wounds. 

Dog saliva  is relatively clean and full of enzymes, which promote healing.  The first few licks  help to clean away the debris that might be in the wound, and licking cleans  infectious matter from the outside world.  The bacteria in their mouths isn’t too bad, in fact many of them are  actually helpful.  Licking also stimulates blood flow and some other  healing effects.

Cats, sheep, and other animals also lick their wounds.  If you didn’t have hands- you might do the same!

The benefits of moderate wound licking:

The enzymes in dog saliva help destroy the cell walls of dangerous  bacteria.  Lactoferrin and other antibacterial and anti-viral compounds  can also be found in saliva.

Licking a wound delivers protease inhibitors, and growth factors, which promote wound healing.  Opiorphin is a pain reliever.

Finally, when meeting the skin, nitrate compounds in saliva break  down into Nitric Oxide, inhibiting bacterial growth and promoting  healing.

Too much licking:

A good amount of licking can be helpful for small wounds- but never  after surgery, especially if there have been stitches, dogs are likely  to bite and pull them out. 

Conclusion:  for minor wounds licking helps.  There can be minor risks is the creature licking is sick, but for the most part licking is an instinct that assists.

Source:  Assissi Animal Health blog

Vegan Sugar-Free Thanksgiving Pies

All of these recipes are Vegan, Sugar-Free pies.  Healthy and tasty. Sugar is not good for us, for our immune systems.  Make it a healthy Thanksgiving!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe:

Pecan Pie 
 Pecan Pie Recipe:

]

Pumpkin PIe with Maple whipped Cram
Pumpkin with Maple Whipped Cream Recipe:

Garlic is a "broad spectrum" Antibiotic

Garlic has been proven in scientific tests to kill a wide variety of bacteria and viruses.   So we can call garlic a Broad Spectrum Antibioltic.  Best to use garlic to prevent getting sick.  Raw garlic cloves are the best, but all types garlic help.

By the way, here is electron microscope photo of the flu virus.  Wow, so complex and beautiful in a way and so awful when it attacks.  Creepy.

A Kinder Thanksgiving: Turkey-Free

I hate to think of all the turkeys about to be slaughtered.  But if we are "mindful" we do not turn our heads away from the truth of the suffering.  There are many alternatives to the "Turkey Thanksgiving meal".  Very tasty ones.

Roast Tofuturkey, how good does this look?

Baby turkey -- many babies are orphaned during the Thanksgiving killing.

Cold Remedy / Prevention: Lemon, Ginger, Garlic Tea

Ginger, garlic, lemon, and honey make a rich, powerful tea that boosts your immune system.  

Drink this "power tea" regularly to prevent colds, or drink as remedy when you have a cold.

Lemons - Lemons are high in vitamin C which help support the immune system. The juice's  anti-inflammatory qualities help soothe sore throats. 

Honey - Honey has antimicrobial properties honey not only soothes the throat but it can also kill certain bacteria that causes the infection. Unpasteurized honey is best because the pasteurizing process removes many of the health benefits.

Garlic - Garlic is a natural antibiotic  Numerous studies have proven  it to be a bacterial, fungal and virus killing machine.

Ginger -  Ginger is a tropical plant related to turmeric and cardamom, produces a pungent, sweet-tasting root.  Ginger promotes healthy sweating, where a potent germ-fighting agent (dermicin) produced in healthy sweat gets transported to the skin’s surface. This not only removes the toxins from inside the body, but protects it against invading microorganisms from the outside. 

Ingredients

3 cups water
3 -6 garlic cloves, halved
1/2 cup honey (unpasteurizrd is best)
1/2 cup fresh lemon slices 

1/4  cup sliced ginger root

Directions

Put water in a medium saucepan and add garlic & ginger.
Bring to a boil.
Turn off heat and add honey and lemon juice
Strain into cup
Refrigerate leftover beverage

 

 

Winter Immunity: Garlic

Garlic has been used medicinally around the world for thousands of years. 

During the bubonic plague in Europe which killed almost half of the population, grave diggers (and grave robbers) drank wine containing garlic cloves.  An ancient Egyptian papyrus recommends garlic in treating 22 ailments to include heart disease and stamina.  In 1858, Louis Pasteur observed garlic's antibacterial activity, and it was used as an antiseptic.  And yet garlic is so tasty!  How many dishes would be blander without lovely garlic.

Sopa de Ajo (Garlic Soup)

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
5 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
3 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Emeril's)
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (1-ounce) slices rustic bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 large eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

 

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender (do not brown). Stir in paprika. Add broth, 1 cup water, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet; broil 4 minutes or until golden, stirring once halfway through cooking. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
4. Place about 1/4 cup bread cubes in each of 8 ovenproof soup bowls. Break one egg into each bowl; ladle about 1/2 cup broth mixture into each bowl. Arrange bowls on a baking sheet; bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until egg whites are set but yolks are still runny. Sprinkle evenly with chopped parsley.

Source:  My Recipes

Stinging Nettles Soup recipe

Often overlooked as a roadside weed, this plant is a super-food. In the past this plant staved off starvation for Germans at the end of WWII.  Nettles boost the immune system and are an ancient treatment for arthritis

So full of minerals and vitamins. Just make sure you use gloves when you pick as the tiny needles prick. But when boiled or cooked, the needles recede and the plant tastes soewhat like spinach. 

Stinging Nettles Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 cups sliced onions
• 3 cups potatoes, cut into chunks
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 ounce nettles leaves
• Small bunch of chives, snipped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Heavy cream, to serve

 
Directions:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the sliced onions, cover and cook for about 5 minutes until just soft.
• Add the potatoes to the saucepan with the chicken stock, cover and cook for 25 minutes longer.

Wearing latex gloves, remove the nettles leaves from their stems. Rinse leaves under cold running water, dry on paper towels. Add to the saucepan and cook for 5 minutes longer.

Ladle the soup into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. (I just keep the soup in a pot and used an immersion blender, love ‘em.) Return to a clean saucepan and season well.

Stir in the chives and serve with a swirl of cream and a sprinkle of pepper.

 Source:  Cookography blog

Stinging Nettles book:  for more information on Nettles; history how to grow, medicinal uses, and more recipe, click below:

Root Vegetables: Kale, Parsnip, Potato soup

Winter root vegetables are hearty meals and boost the immune system. 


Beets, carrots, potatoes, ginger, turnips, radishes, the list goes on and on...

Parsnip:  the parsnip is closely related to the carrot. 

The parsnip is usually cooked but can also be eaten raw. It is high in vitamins and minerals, especially potassium. It also contains antioxidants and fiber. It can be cultivated in deep, stone-free soils.

Kale, Parsnip, Potato Soup
Cook time: 1 1/2--2 hrs (mostly inactive)
Serves 6 to 8

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 leek, diced (use all parts!)
• 6-8 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly (you can add more if you love garlic like me)
• 2 medium white potatoes, cut into chunks (I didn't remove the skin but feel free to)
• 1 medium sweet potato, cut into chunks
• 2 large carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 large parsnips, cut into chunks
• 4 cups (one box) of your favorite veggie broth (I use Pacific or Trader Joes)
• 4 additional cups of water + 2 bouillon cubes
• 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp curry seasoning
• 1 tbsp hot sauce of your choice
• 1 LARGE head of kale, chopped

Heat olive oil in a large soup pan (very large - as large as you can muster) over medium/low heat. Add in onion and leek and allow to soften up for about 5-10 minutes. 

Add garlic, potatoes, carrots and parsnips and saute for another 10 minutes or so (add in veggie broth to keep veggies from sticking/help to soften as necessary.

Dump in veggie broth and water and bring everything to a boil.

Add in bouillon cubes and spices, cover pot, reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer for anywhere from an hour to two hours depending on your time frame.

Ten minutes before the soup is ready, stir in your chopped kale and allow to reduce for the final ten minutes or so (you want it to be soft but not soggy).  Serve up a HUGE bowl (or two in my case) with freshly baked bread.
Source:  Evolve Vegan

Potato Turnsip Pasties

Generously seasoned root vegetables make a hearty pasty filling. These are delicious served hot, but are great cold too – in packed lunches or as a sustaining snack. You can use ordinary shortcrust or a shop-bought puff pastry, but the pasties are particularly good with the easy-to-make rough puff suggested below. The cheese is optional.   SERVES 4
 
FOR THE ROUGH PUFF PASTRY
300g plain flour
A pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter,
cut into small cubes
 
FOR THE FILLING
2 cups potato  
1 cup rutabaga
1/2 cup carrot
1 small onion, grated
A handful of parsley, finely chopped
A few sprigs of thyme, leaves only, chopped
1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon
powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup strong Cheddar, grated
(optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted
 
TO FINISH
1 egg, lightly beaten with
1 teaspoon milk, to glaze
To make the pastry, mix the flour with the salt, then add the cubed butter and toss until the pieces are coated in the flour. Add just enough iced water (about 150ml) to bring the mixture together into
a fairly firm dough.

On a well-floured surface, shape the dough into a rectangle with your hands and then roll it out in one direction, away from you, so you end up with a rectangle about 1cm thick. Fold the far third towards you, then fold the nearest third over that (rather like folding a business letter), so that you now have a rectangle made up of 3 equal layers.
Give the pastry a quarter turn, then repeat the rolling, folding and turning process 5 more times. Wrap the pastry in cling film and rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes, up to an hour.
Preheat the oven to  374F ( or 190°C). For the filling, peel the potato, rutabaga (swede) and carrot and cut into 3–4mm dice. Mix together with all the other ingredients in a bowl, adding the butter last of all to bind.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to approximately a 3mm thickness. Using a 19cm plate as a template, cut out 4 circles; you may have to gather up the trimmings then re-roll them to get your fourth circle.

Spoon the vegetable mixture on to one half of each circle. Brush the pastry edges with a little water, fold the other half of the pastry over the filling to form a half-moon shape and crimp the edges well to seal.

Place the pasties on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and brush with the egg glaze.
Bake for about 35–40 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Eat hot or cold.

 
This recipe is taken from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s book, River Cottage Veg Every Day!

Chakchouka Stew (tomato stew)

 

Chakchouka or shakshouka is a style of vegetable cooking from the Middle East and the Mahgreb (the North African countries, especially in Algeria and Tunisia. Chakchouka is popular as a breakfast dish. You crack floating eggs into this tomato stew, which I love.  Most recipes include the eggs, but they can actually be left out if you like.

Ingredients - 4-6 servings

• 3 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons Paprika
• 1 Onion, thinly sliced
• 2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 3 Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
• 2-3 Green and red bell peppers, diced
• 1 cup Water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 Eggs (optional)

 

Preparation

• Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Stir in the paprika and cook slighly to color the oil, about 10-15 seconds. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent and wilted but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes to reduce down a little bit. Add the peppers, water and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add more water as needed to keep it from drying out.
• Using a spoon, form four small indentations in the simmering peppers to hold the eggs. One by one, crack the eggs into a small bowl and slip each from the bowl into an indentation. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes or so until eggs are cooked through.
• Serve with crusty bread, pita or rice.

Variations

• Add 1 teaspoon of cumin seed to the hot oil for about 15 seconds before you add the paprika. Add 2-3 teaspoons of ground coriander along with the onions.
• For a little spice, sauté 1 tablespoon of harissa paste or a minced chile pepper with the onions.
• Add 1 small, diced eggplant along with the peppers.
• Add 1 potato, cut in a small dice, along with the peppers.
• Sprinkle the top of the cooked dish with chopped parsley or cilantro.

Source:  Arabic Food blog

IMMUNITY BOOSTER: Quinoa, White Bean and Kale Soup

  
A hearty soup with amazing quinoa and dark leafy greens.  Prep the herb blend before proceeding with the recipe, that way you just dump everything in at the same time without much fuss.
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups leeks, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, peeled, diced medium
1 large parsnip, peeled, diced medium
8 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, diced medium
1 cup dry quinoa
1 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch kale (about a pound), rough stems removed, torn into bite sized pieces
Herb blend:
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (see crushing fennel tip)
1 teaspoon dried majoram
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Fresh black pepper, to taste

Preheat a 4 quart soup pot over medium high heat. Saute leeks and garlic in oil with salt for about 3 minutes, or however long it takes you to prep your carrot and parsnip. Add carrot and parsnip, along with the herb blend, turn heat up to high and saute for a few seconds.

Add vegetable broth, potatoes and quinoa. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, until potatoes and quinoa are tender. Add kale and beans, and stir frequently until kale is wilted. Cover and simmer on low for 5 more minutes. Taste for salt
When you serve you may want to add a little lemon juice or a splash of balsamic vinegar or hot sauce – whatever your thing is. Or you may not.

SOURCE:  Post Punk Kitchen

Seitan Marango Stew

Seitan Marengo

According to a popular myth, the dish was first made after Napoleon defeated the Austrian army at the Battle of Marengo at Marengo south of Turin, Italy, when his chef Dunand foraged in the town for ingredients (because the supply wagons were too distant) and created the dish from what he could gather.^[ According to this legend, Napoleon enjoyed the dish so much he had it served to him after every battle.

We substitute seitan for chicken in this recipe.  Though traditionally served with toasted crusty bread, it’s delectable served over linguine or fettuccine pasta, mashed potatoes, or polenta.

20 oz (565 g) seitan, cut into 2 x 1 in (5 x 2.5 cm) pieces
2 Tbsp (30 mL) whole wheat pastry flour
3 Tbsp (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium onions, coarsely diced
2 cups (500 mL) low-sodium vegetarian broth
3/4 cup (180 mL) dry white wine (can be nonalcoholic) or white vermouth
1 Tbsp (15 mL) salt-free tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried thyme
12 oz (340 g) button or crimini mushrooms
1/4 cup (60 mL) pitted kalamata olives, drained and cut in half lengthwise
1 Tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In shallow bowl, toss seitan pieces in flour to coat.
Heat 2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil in large, heavy pot over high heat and add seitan. Stir-fry seitan until golden all over. Remove from pot.

Add onions to remaining oil in pot. Stir-fry over medium-high heat until onions begin to soften, about 5 or 6 minutes, adding sprinkles of water to keep onions from sticking or burning. Add broth, wine, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Return seitan to pot. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

In large, heavy skillet heat remaining 1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil over high heat. Add mushrooms, sprinkle lightly with salt. Stir-fry until they start to exude their liquid. Immediately add to pot with stew.
Add olives and parsley to stew and taste for salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Serves 6.

Each serving contains: 380 calories; 22 g protein; 10 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 trans fat); 50 g carbohydrates; 8 g fibre; 450 mg sodium

Source:  Alive.com

IMMUNE BOOSTER: Vegan Dumpling Soup

Vegan Dumpling Soup

Dumplings are a winter food.  This is another immunity booster soup.  It has no chicken and is still a very tasty soup that warms that cockles of your heart, and stomach.

Ingredients
Soup:
about 2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
6 cups assorted chopped vegetables
 (green pepper, butternut squash, cabbage, 
  carrots, and fava beans;  
  can also use spinach, or stinging nettles)
6 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 cup kale, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups seitan, chopped
1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes

Biscuits:
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk alternative
1/2 t ground thyme
1 t ground sage
1/8-1/4 t black pepper

The process

1. In a stockpot over medium heat, saute the onion in olive oil until softened.  Add garlic and continue to cook another 1-2 minutes.  Add the assorted vegetables (but NOT kale or mushrooms) and continue to cook, stirring, about 5 minutes.
2. Add broth and water, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil.
3. Meanwhile, make biscuit dough: in a small bowl, stir together all biscuit ingredients just until combined.
4. Add mushrooms, seitan and potato flakes to broth, and return to boiling.  Drop biscuit dough into broth and gently boil, uncovered, 10 minutes.
5. Push the dumplings aside and slip the kale into the soup, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until dumplings are cooked through.

Recipe Source:  Bite Me, I'm Vegan blog

READ BOOK EXCERPT:  "Stinging Nettles, Queen of Herbs: Alchemical Healing of Plant Allies"  explores nettles' history,  its role as a super-food, immune booster, how to use nettles, tonics, food recipes.  Available as Kindle or paperback: 

Kindle or Paperback book

Questions?  send email to safeinthewoods@gmail.com  

IMMUNITY BOOSTER SOUPS: Collared Greens, Bean, Tofu soup

 

Ingredients

3 cups vegetable broth, such as Pacific Organic brand
4 cups coarsely chopped stemmed collard greens (1 bunch 10 to 12 ounces)
1-1/2 cup packaged julienned (matchstick) carrots
1-1/2 teaspoons chili garlic puree or chili paste with garlic
1 (12 ounce) package extra firm tofu, cubed in bite size pieces
1 (16 ounce) can unsalted navy beans, drained
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Preparation

Combine broth, collard greens, carrots and chili garlic puree in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until greens are nearly tender. Stir in tofu and beans; cover and simmer 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Ladle into shallow bowls; top with cheese.

Source:  Dr John LaPuma blog

IMMUNITY POWER SOUPS: Miso Veggie Soup

Mover over chicken soup!  Many other warm, steeping soups can boost our immunity and protect against winter colds and illness.  

Miso - if you haven't yet had the opportunity to experiment with miso, you're in for a treat.  Miso is a fermented food sold in paste form that is most commonly derived from soybean and brown rice or barley. Like most fermented foods, miso also contains active bacteria that help arm our digestive tract (and immune system) with a healthy ecology, protecting us from illness.  It is also said that the emollient nature of the linoleic acid in miso promotes soft, silky skin.

Fully Loaded Miso Soup {Protein Rich, Vegan}

• 2 large yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp chili-garlic sauce
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms of choice
• 5 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup shelled edamame beans, (run frozen beans under hot water for 15 seconds)
• 1 large red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 package (about 500 grams or about 2 cups) firm tofu, diced
• 6 Tbsp miso paste, or to taste
• 1 bundle green onion (scallions), finely chopped

Directions:

Sauté onion, garlic, chili-garlic sauce and mushroom with some olive oil in a skillet on the stove top set to low-medium heat until onion is translucent (about 7-8 minutes).

Transfer onion/mushroom mixture into a large pot that you will be using to cook the soup.  Add vegetable stock and water to pot followed by edamame, bell pepper and tofu, stirring to combine over medium heat.  Allow mixture to come to a boil before reducing heat and adding miso.  Stir to integrate miso thoroughly and finally, add green onions (scallions) just before serving. 

Source:  Inspred Edibles blog

Thanksgiving Pilgrim Cupcakes

for the Pilgrim Hats,  use Fudge Striped Cookies, Mini Peanut Butter Cups and Buttercream frosting.

1. Frost cupcake with Buttercream frosting
2. Place cookie upside down on the counter
3. Upwrap Peanut Butter Cups, and place on cookie with a small amount of frosting
4. Pipe on the gold buckle and rim using a decorator bag fitted with a small round tip (I used copper and yellow Wilton coloring mixed, plain yellow would be fine too)
5. Place on top of frosted cupcake

Source:  Hoosier Homemade blog

Winter Immunity: Collard Greens Quiche

Dark Leafy Greens made Tasty!
Collards are a member of the Brassica family of leafy greens, which include a wide variety of edible plants that are super-good-for-you like cabbage, broccoli, mustard greens and kale. They taste better when they’re harvested after a bit of a chilly winter and spring.  A bit of frost makes the leaves taste sweeter.

Collard Greens Quiche with Grain-Free Crust

by Heba Saleh

Prep Time: 15 minutes,   Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (5-6)

For the grain-free pie crust:

• 2 cups ground blanched almond flour
• 1 pastured or organic egg
• 2 teaspoons grass-fed ghee
• 1/4 teaspoon unrefined salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

For the collard greens filling:

• 1/2 bunch organic collard greens (about 6 large leaves)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grass-fed ghee
• 1/4 teaspoon unrefined salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground organic ginger
• pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 pastured or organic egg
• 1 cup grass-fed ricotta cheese (use whole milk ricotta, if possible)
• 2-4 tablespoons shredded Gruyère or Dubliner cheese (or any hard grass-fed cheese you have on hand)
• dash freshly ground black pepper

• Instructions

  Preheat oven to 350F and prepare the grain-free crust. Preheat oven to 350F. 
  Meanwhile, in a food processor, add the 2 cups of almond flour.
  Lightly beaten egg, 2 teaspoons ghee, salt and nutmeg, and blend until a dough forms. .
  

  1.  

  Add dough to an 10-inch baking pan and bake. Press down to even out the crust, making sure it covers the bottom and curves upwards on the corners and sides. Bake on 350F for 10 minutes until crust starts to turn a very light golden color.Then, add garlic to collard greens and onion mixture. Stir and turn off heat.
  Saute the collard greens, onion and garlic. Chop one onion, and saute  for a few minutes till beginning to caramelize. Chop collard greens (I include the stems, but it's up to you), and add to pot, stirring for a couple of minutes. In a separate small pan, peel 4-5 garlic cloves, and saute in ghee till lightly golden.
  Add spices and egg. Add salt, ground ginger and ground nutmeg to collard greens mixture. Taste to adjust seasoning. 
  
  Then, beat one egg, and mix well into collard greens.
  Add cheese and bake. Add a layer of ricotta cheese on the set crust. Then, pour the collard greens mixture on top of the ricotta cheese, and even out. Add hard cheese on top (I used Dubliner), and put in the oven to bake for another 10 minutes. Add a dash of freshly ground black pepper and serve warm.
  Source:  My Life in a Pyramid blog:

Collard Greens Quiche with Grain-Free Crust

Collard Greens Quiche with Grain-Free Crust

Ingredients (5-6)

For the grain-free pie crust:

• 2 cups almond flour (ground, blanched almonds)
• 1 pastured or organic egg
• 2 teaspoons grass-fed ghee
• 1/4 teaspoon unrefined salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

For the collard greens filling:

• 1/2 bunch organic collard greens (about 6 large leaves)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grass-fed ghee
• 1/4 teaspoon unrefined salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground organic ginger
• pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 pastured or organic egg
• 1 cup grass-fed ricotta cheese (use whole milk ricotta, if possible)
• 2-4 tablespoons shredded Gruyère or Dubliner cheese (or any hard grass-fed cheese you have on hand)
• dash freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

(1) Preheat oven and prepare the grain-free crust. Preheat oven to 350F. Meanwhile, in a food processor, add the 2 cups of almond flour, 1 lightly beaten egg, 2 teaspoons ghee, salt and nutmeg, and blend until a dough forms. Taste a tiny bit to adjust seasoning to your liking.

(2) Add dough to an 10-inch baking pan and bake. Press down to even out the crust, making sure it covers the bottom and curves upwards on the corners and sides. Bake on 350F for 10 minutes until crust starts to turn a very light golden color.
(3) Saute the collard greens, onion and garlic. Chop one onion, and saute in ghee for a few minutes till beginning to caramelize. Chop collard greens (I include the stems, but it’s up to you), and add to pot, stirring for a couple of minutes. In a separate small pan, peel 4-5 garlic cloves, and saute in ghee till lightly golden. Then, add garlic to collard greens and onion mixture. Stir and turn off heat.
(4) Add spices and egg. Add salt, ground ginger and ground nutmeg to collard greens mixture. Taste to adjust seasoning. Then, beat one egg, and mix well into collard greens.
(5) Add cheese and bake. Add a layer of ricotta cheese on the set crust. Then, pour the collard greens mixture on top of the ricotta cheese, and even out. Add hard cheese on top (I used Dubliner), and put in the oven to bake for another 10 minutes. Add a dash of freshly ground black pepper and serve warm.

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Collard Greens Quiche with Grain-Free Crust

Pumpkin Pie Bites recipe

Pumpkin Pie Bites
2 refrigerated ready-to roll pie crusts
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter
Optional
1/2 cup chocolate morsels
vegetable oil
re-sealable plastic bags
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
 
Use cookie cutter to cut 12 pumpkin shapes from each pie crust. You will need to roll the dough thinner than it comes out of the box.
Press dough shapes into a 24 cup mini muffin tray. (Make 12 at a time, alternating cups to make sure pie crusts don’t overlap each other.)
Apply egg whites from one egg to the top edges of each pie.
Mix cream cheese, sugar, canned pumpkin, remaining 2 eggs, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice together until thoroughly combined.
Spoon mixture into each pumpkin-shaped pie crust.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Remove pies to cool and repeat with second pie crust. Place the muffin tray in the freezer to cool it quickly for re-use.
Makes 24 pies. Keep refrigerated.
To decorate, melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave on medium. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted. Add a little vegetable oil to make the chocolate more fluid. Transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag and cut the corner off. Drizzle or draw faces on pies. 

Note: The cutter I used was 3 3/4 inches wide, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry. Just use a round cutter around that size or slightly smaller to cut circle shapes out of the dough. Then make stems with the scraps. Press each stem over the edge and down the side of the dough before filling.

Pumpkin pie spice is a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.  Enjoy!  

Source:  Bakerella blog