Carrot and Dill Soup

This soup is super easy to make, delicious and healthy.  What more can you ask for?!  You'll get the kids (and adults) to eat their vegetables with this one.  Serve with crusty bread, a salad, and like magic you've got a terrific healthy lunch.

Makes 6 servings

3 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and rough chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3# carrots, trimmed, scrubbed, and cut into 1" pieces
2 zucchini squash, trimmed, washed, and cut into 1" pieces
3 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Qt. Chicken stock or low sodium broth
1/2 C. Coconut milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
Garnish- dill fronds

Kitchen tool- Food processor

In a large pot bring oil to temperature over medium high heat.  Add onions, mix and cook until starting to soften, about 5-7 minutes.  Add carrots, mix and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes.  Add squash and herbs, stir and add stock and coconut milk.  Raise heat and bring to a boil.  Immediately reduce heat and simmer until carrots and squash are soft, about 10-12 minutes more.  Remove soup from heat.

Carefully remove solids with a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid.  Then, in batches, purée the solids in a food processor.  Once all the solids are puréed carefully return them to the reserved liquid.  Correct seasoning with salt and pepper.  Ladle I to warm bowls, garnish each with a small frond of dill, serve and enjoy!

The Menu: May 18-May 23

Sunday-
Bison Burgers with Caramelized Onions
Kale and Carrot Salad with Lemon-Honey Dressing
Broccoli with Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms

Monday-
Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
Chopped Salad with Maple-Lime Dressing

Tuesday-
Grilled Chicken with Dill and Tzatziki
Carrot and Beet Salad
Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic and Thyme

Wednesday-
Whitefish with Parmesan Crust
Zucchini "Pasta" with Garlic Butter and Parsley

Thursday-
Thai Chicken with Coconut-Curry and Broccoli
Brown Rice with Spring Onions and Soy Sauce

Friday-
Oven Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Cabernet Demi-glacé
Sweet Potato Pancakes with Chives
Baby Lettuce Salad, Creamy Garlic and Herb Dressing

Whitefish with Parmesan Crust

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 C. Panko breadcrumbs
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 C. grated parmesan
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
4 skinless fillets of firm white fish
2 Tbsp. butter
juice of 1 lemon


Preheat broiler.

In a medium bowl combine the breadcrumbs with the grated lemon zest, grated Parmesan, chopped parsley, salt and pepper.

Put  olive oil in a sauté pan and heat over medium high heat.  Pan fry the fish, skin side up, for 2-3 minutes until fish just starts turning translucent. Turn over, sprinkle with the crumb mixture and place the pan under the a hot broiler for 2-3 minutes until breadcrumbs are a deep golden brown. Add the butter to the pan with the juice of 1 lemon. Melt around the fish and serve, making sure to spoon lemon butter over top of fish.  Enjoy!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

Topping
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Generous pinch of salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Filling
5 cups 1/2-inch-thick slices fresh rhubarb (from about 2 pounds)
2 cups halved strawberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon (scant) ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Sweetened whipped cream


For topping:
Mix first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until moist clumps form.

For filling:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9 x13 baking dish and reserve on the side.  Combine all ingredients except whipped cream in large bowl; stir to blend. Let stand until juices form, about 15 minutes.

Put rhubarb mixture into buttered dish and sprinkle topping evenly over mixture. Bake until topping is golden brown and crisp and filling is bubbling thickly around edges, about 45 minutes. Serve warm with sweetened whipped cream and Enjoy!

Shrimp, Cucumber, and Mango Salad

Makes 6 servings

3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 large pickling cucumbers, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1 large mango, peeled, pitted, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 pound cooked medium shrimp
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Hot pepper sauce
12 Bibb lettuce leaves


Mix vinegar and sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Whisk in mustard and mayonnaise. Cover and chill. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)

Combine cucumbers, mango, shrimp, and dill in large bowl. Pour dressing over; toss to coat. Season with salt and hot pepper sauce. Arrange 2 lettuce leaves on each of 6 plates. Top with shrimp salad. Serve with sparkling wine and Enjoy!

Power Smoothie

Need breakfast on the go, looking for something fast and tasty?  Well I love this one.  It taste great and couldn't be easier to whip together on those hectic mornings. Enjoy!


1/2 cup Blueberries
1/4 Avocado
1 Pear
1 1/2 cup Coconut milk
4 Tbsp. Chia seeds
Squeeze of lemon or lime juice
1tsp Honey
Vanilla extract- optional
Handful of Ice

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Moroccan Chicken and Kale

Wow, Jeanne put together a fantastic dinner tonight.  I wanted to share it, because, as she'll tell you, it doesn't happen too often (that's her putting a meal together, she actually a very good cook if she tried.  It's the trying she doesn't have down). She pieced this together from a number of different influences and came up with what I thought was dynamite!  Enjoy

1 whole chicken, roasted and meat roughly diced
1/2 cup chick stock or broth
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 bunch kale, large stems removed, roughly chopped
1 onion, diced
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup coconut milk
Pinch saffron (she said optional, we have it on hand and she included)
2-3 Tbsp Ras el Hanout spice mixture- 2 tsp. cumin, 2 tsp. ground ginger, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. ground black pepper, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground coriander, 1 tsp. cayenne, 1 tsp. ground allspice, and 1/2 tsp. ground clove

In a large sauté pan heat olive oil.  Sauté onions until translucent, add mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken, Ras el Hanout spice mix, saffron (if using), stock, and coconut milk.  Simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.  Add kale, cover and cook 5 more minutes until done.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, serve and Enjoy!