Pumpkin Hummus

It’s such fun to flavor this hummus for fall by adding in pumpkin, knowing it also boosts the nutritional value. It’s always a hit as an appetizer at our autumn dinner parties, and it makes for a delicious sandwich spread, or wrap.

[su_expanding_quote_without_link alignment=”full” source=”SuperFoods: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life, Steven Pratt M.D. and Kathy Mathews” full_quote=”Foods rich in carotenoids have been linked to a host of health promoting and disease-fighting activities.Pumpkin contains one of the richest supplies of bioavailable caortenoids known to man. Half a cup serving of pumpkin gives you more than two times my recommended daily intake of alpha-caronte and 100 percent of my recommended daily dietary goal of beta-carotene.” short_quote=”Foods rich in carotenoids have been linked to a host of health promoting and disease-fighting activities.”]

For a hummus as sandwich spread, I prefer a thicker consistency (similar to softened cream cheese). If using as a dip (with veggies, pita or crackers), I add a couple tablespoons of water.

I discovered it also freezes well, which is a great resource for an impromptu dinner party or for quick sandwich/wrap lunches during the week

 

Pumpkin Hummus
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Pumpkin Hummus
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Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Into blender (or food processor) put lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, tahini and garbanzo. Puree until smooth, stopping occasionally and mixing with rubber spatula as needed.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth, adding water (1 tablespoon at a time) until it has the desired consistency.
  3. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds on top and serve.
Recipe Notes

A Color My Food Original Recipe

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Sweet Potato and Kale Pizza

The colors and flavors of sweet potato and kale take this pizza to a whole new delicious and nutritious place. Truly a superfood pizza loaded with carotenoids and other phytochemicals (naturally occurring plant chemicals) linked to health-promoting and disease-fighting activities.

For a vegan meal, replace goat cheese with toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds

Simplify by making the sweet potato puree the day before.

If making homemade pizza crust,  my favorite recipe is  100 Days of Real Food: Whole Wheat Pizza

Sweet Potato and Kale Pizza
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Sweet Potato and Kale Pizza
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Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 425°F.
  2. Steam sweet potatoes 8 - 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender when poked with a fork. Remove sweet potatoes from pot, drain and cool.
  3. Place sweet potatoes in food processor with broth and red pepper flakes, pulse until smooth.
  4. While sweet potatoes are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in skillet. Add onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it starts to turn golden brown. Add garlic, and cook another 2 minutes, stirring. Turn off skillet and let cool.
  5. Roll out dough until 1/4 inch thick. Spread potato sauce evenly over dough. Spread onion over Toss kale in remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil, place on top of onion.
  6. Top pizza with kale and goat cheese. Bake until crust is golden, 10 to 15 minutes, sprinkling on walnuts in final 2 minutes.
Recipe Notes

Variations:

Use butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes, or a blend of butternut squash and sweet potatoes.
Add 1 red bell pepper with cut in quarters and steamed with sweet potatoes or, sliced, to sauté with the onion. It pumps up the flavor and the nutrients

Vegan Pizza
Use vegetable broth when pureeing the sweet potatoes
Instead of goat cheese, toast 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds and sprinkle on pizza the last 2 minutes of baking

NOTE: I steam vegetables rather than boil in water to preserve more nutrients and I think it the vegetables have a brighter color. New to steaming? Check out How to Steam Vegetables

Modified from

Epicurious: Sweet Potato and Kale Pizza

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Salmon with Orange Lentil Salad

This is a lovely combination of color and flavor – the salmon, lentils, orange and mint.

Serve it with CMF Quinoa or brown rice and a spinach, broccoli salad.

Get an extra-serving  of salmon (about 4 ounces), and double the lentils portion of the recipe and the quinoa or rice. Toss together the next day and serve over greens for a quick lunch or dinner.

 

Salmon with Orange Lentil Salad
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Salmon with Orange Lentil Salad
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 400°F.
  2. In a bowl, whisk orange juice and zest, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, mustard and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
  3. Gently stir in lentils, chopped mint and onion.
  4. Arrange fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with remaining 1 extra-virgin olive oil; season with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
  5. Roast until fish is opaque and just cooked through, 10 minutes.
  6. Spoon lentil salad onto plates; top with fish.
  7. Garnish with orange slices and mint sprigs.
Recipe Notes

Modified from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/roasted-arctic-char-with-orange-lentil-salad-51101040

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Southwest Black Bean and Bell Pepper Salad

There are recipes that stand the test of time. I’ve been making this one for more years that I can remember; it’s so versatile, delicious and nutritious.  Fiber-rich beans are a superfood;  tossed here with bell peppers, red onion and cilantro and this dish bursts with flavor and phytonutrients that boost our health.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”left” source_author=”Steven Pratt MD and Kathy Matthews” source_title=”SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life” full_quote=”Beans are a superb heart-healthy food. A study conducted over nineteen years following 9,632 men and women found those who ate beans at least four times a week had a 22% lower risk of coronary heart disease compared with those who consumed beans less than once a week. Those who ate beans most frequently also had lower blood pressure and total cholesterol and were less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes” short_quote=”Beans are a superb heart-healthy food.Those who ate beans most frequently had lower blood pressure and total cholesterol.”]

Variations

  • Use any color bell peppers, or poblano peppers
  • Add 1 cup corn
  • Add 1 or 2 diced avocados
  • Use cilantro instead of parsley
  • Use other dried fruit instead of dates

This recipe can be used so many different ways. It’s a great one to  double and use differently throughout the week.

  1. Vegetarian dinner for guests, served over a bed of brown rice, with chopped cilantro scattered decoratively on top and accompanied by a green salad tossed with mango, nectarines or other summer fruit. For dessert Peach and Blackberry Crisp or Epicurious: Plum Kuchen
  2. As a side dish with grilled chicken and Watermelon Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
  3. Toss leftovers with greens (spinach, kale, arugula) for lunch
  4. Toss leftovers with grains (quinoa, brown rice, barley) for a second dinner
  5. Make a wrap or pita sandwich with guacamole, or feta cheese, or a dollop of pain Greek yogurt and a handful of greens

 

Black Bean and Bell Pepper Salad
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Servings
8 servings
Servings
8 servings
Black Bean and Bell Pepper Salad
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Servings
8 servings
Servings
8 servings
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
Salad
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Instructions
Vinaigrette
  1. Place salt, pepper, oregano, cumin and coriander in small bowl.
  2. Add honey and mix. Add lemon juice and water; mix well.
  3. Pour in extra virgin olive oil in a slow stream, mixing constantly.
  4. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Salad
  1. Place beans, bell peppers, onion, dates and parsley in large bowl and mix.
  2. Add in chopped jalapeño if desired and mix well.
  3. Drizzle vinaigrette to coat and toss well.
Recipe Notes

Can be made day ahead.

Modified from

Epicurious Black Bean and Bell Pepper Salad

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Sweet Potato and Poblano Pepper Salad

Oh la la the contrasts in this dish: color, texture, sweet and spicy. Now here’s a potato salad I love!

Add the black beans and it’s robust and filling enough to be a main entree.

I serve it at room temperature. You can make it a day ahead. If so (the dressing gets absorbed over night), mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and toss again before serving.

It’s very popular at our summer dinner parties. I like to serve it with pork tenderloin (grilled or roasted), a quinoa pilaf and a green salad. Vegetarians/vegans can skip the pork and still have a well-balanced, delicious meal.

It also pairs well with grilled chicken.

Sweet potatoes are rich in cartenoids, orange, yellow or red-colored fat soluble compounds that protect plants from sun damage while they help them attract birds and bees for pollination. Cartenoids help protect us from free radicals, modulate our immune response, enhance cell-to-cell communication and play a major role in protecting the skin and eyes from damaging effects of ultraviolet light. Foods rich in cartenoids have been linked to a host of health-promoting and disease-fighting activities. They have been shown to decrease the risk of various cancers, including lung, colon, bladder, cervical, breast and skin.
Superfoods RX: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life, Steven Pratt, MD and Kathy Matthews

 

Sweet Potato and Poblano Pepper Salad
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Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Sweet Potato and Poblano Pepper Salad
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Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
Dressing
Salad
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Instructions
  1. For the dressing: Mix everything (vinegar, honey, water, rosemary, onion, mustard) except extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  2. If organic, simply scrub the sweet potatoes. If not organic, peel sweet potatoes. Cut sweet potato into bite-size pieces and place in a pot with a steamer basket, cover and cook over medium heat for 6 - 8 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender. Run under cold water and drain.
  3. Cut poblano pepper in half, remove seeds and cut into bite size pieces. Place in a bowl, add cooled sweet potatoes, black beans (if using) and onion in large bowl and toss.
  4. Add parsley and drizzle dressing; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe Notes

Modified from

Epicurious: Sweet Potato and Poblanos Salad with Honey and Rosemary

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Cumin Quinoa and Garbanzo

I like the combination of rice and quinoa, and this dish can be more interesting using wild rice or red quinoa if it is available. But for quicker cooking on a busy night, you can use a single grain (either brown rice or quinoa). You can also make this with another grain such as barley (but increase the water to 3 cups for 1 cup of barley)

Cumin Quinoa and Garbanzo
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Servings
4 serving
Servings
4 serving
Cumin Quinoa and Garbanzo
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Servings
4 serving
Servings
4 serving
Ingredients
Adjust servings: serving
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Instructions
  1. Bring rice and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 25-30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, combine quinoa, bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return quinoa to hot saucepan. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf, fluff quinoa with a fork, and transfer to a large bowl.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
  4. Add to quinoa. Add rice and garbanzo beans; mix well. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin oil, fresh lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, and green onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  5. Cut avocado into wedges. Serve salad with avocado and lemon wedges.
Recipe Notes

Adapted from Epicurious: Cumin Scented Quinoa and Black Rice

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Basil Pesto

Traditionally basil pesto is made with pine nuts, but they’re expensive and sometimes hard to find so I generally use almonds. Basil pesto is also made with Parmesan cheese, but I generally skip the cheese.

Basil has exceptional flavor and is a rich source of nutrients – vitamins A and K, iron, calcium, magnesium and important phytonutrients (plant chemicals).  I like using fresh herbs as much as possible; they always have antiviral and antibacterial properties.

What is Basil Good For?

 

Basil Pesto
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Servings
1 cup
Servings
1 cup
Basil Pesto
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Servings
1 cup
Servings
1 cup
Ingredients
Adjust servings: cup
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Instructions
  1. Toast almonds in skillet. Remove from skillet and set aside until cool.
  2. Put almonds in food processor and grind fine. Add extra-virgin olive oil, water, garlic and half of basil. Process until mixed.
  3. Add remaining basil and process again until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Greens and Edamame Salad

I love this salad for the hint of mint, the freshness of the greens and edamame; the blend of flavors is truly lovely. And it is also nutrient-rich, greens and beans are health-promoting superfoods.

The original recipe calls for escarole, a form of endive. Endive tends to be bitter, and it’ not always available so I usually make this salad with a blend of spinach and baby kale, or finely sliced lacinto kale.
Sometimes, to give it color, I add finely sliced raddichio to the green mix.

This salad can become a delicious entrée tossed with whole-wheat pasta (I like penne or elbow pasta for this) or leftover cooked quinoa.

To make it vegan, replace toasted sunflower seeds for the shredded Parmesan.

 

Greens and Edamame Salad
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Servings
8 servings
Servings
8 servings
Greens and Edamame Salad
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Servings
8 servings
Servings
8 servings
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Cook edamame in a 3-quart pot of boiling salted water 5 minutes. Drain in a sieve and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking. Drain edamame again and pat dry.
  2. Whisk together vinegar, water, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until salt is dissolved.
  3. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined.
  4. Toss together edamame, escarole, and mint in a large bowl.
  5. Add cheese and drizzle salad with dressing, then toss again. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes

Modified from

Epicurious: Escarole and Edamame Salad

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Arugula Salad with Strawberry Dressing

Variations:

  • Add sliced or diced cucumbers
  • Use different greens: spinach, mixed greens, finely sliced kale (stem removed) instead of arugula.
  • Use different nuts or seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
  • Use different berries, or other seasonal fruit: citrus, mango…
Arugula Salad with Strawberry Dressing
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Servings Prep Time
8 people 15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 people 15 minutes
Arugula Salad with Strawberry Dressing
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8 people 15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 people 15 minutes
Ingredients
Adjust servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. Mash enough strawberries to measure 2/3 cup.
  2. Quarter remaining strawberries and place in a large bowl. Add greens, green onion, feta cheese, and half of walnuts and toss until mixed.
  3. Whisk vinegar, sugar and salt in small bowl to blend. Whisk extra-virgin olive oil. Whisk in water, 2 tablespoons at a time. Mix in mashed strawberries. Season dressing with salt and pepper to taste
  4. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Sprinkle remaining walnuts on top.
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Purple Potatoes with Sugar Snap Peas and Mint

Fresh, crunchy, juicy sugar snap peas are a delightful taste of spring.

A serving bowl of green sugar snap peas contrasting with purple potatoes dresses up a table.

If purple potatoes are not available, use other small potatoes instead. And regular peas can be substituted for sugar snap peas.

Purple potatoes
Purple Potatoes with Sugar Snap Peas and Mint
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Purple potatoes
Purple Potatoes with Sugar Snap Peas and Mint
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
Adjust servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. In a saucepan cover potatoes with water by 1 inch and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
  2. Transfer potatoes with a slotted spoon to a colander to drain and cool 10 minutes.
  3. Return water in pan to a boil and blanch snap peas until crisp-tender, 1 - 2 minutes. Place snap peas in colander and refresh under cold water. Drain snap peas and pat dry with paper towels.
  4. Cut potatoes lengthwise into quarters. In a bowl toss together potatoes, snap peas, green onion, vinegar, oil, mint, and salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Notes

Adapted from
Epicurious: Purple Potato Sugar Snap Pea and Mint Salad

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