When I was still living in Johannesburg, South Africa, there was a restaurant I would love going to called Mike’s Kitchen, it wasn’t that the food was particularly amazing, or even special, but what they had was a salad bar – a real innovation at that time and the only restaurant offering this. To me there was nothing better to eat than a delicious fresh salad and one which I could pick and choose my own ingredients.

On moving to New York and working in the city, I discovered that salad bars were a standard offering, they were everywhere and I was delighted. What could be easier to put together than a salad when all the work has already been done for you. This rapidly became my lunch time staple (along with frozen yoghurt – another novelty back in the 80’s).

Fast forward a couple of years to the arrival of the City Bakery first on 17th Street and now on 18th in NYC. I was in salad bar heaven. Not your garden variety salad with bowls of chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, grated carrots, hard boiled eggs etc but gourmet salads using the freshest local, mostly organic ingredients frequently sourced from the nearby Union Square Farmer’s Market. It was truly inspirational and remains one of my most favorite places for lunch.
Since I obviously could not eat there every day, I started thinking what I could do to eat this way on a more regular basis and so the idea was born to turn my fridge into my own personal salad bar.

Once a week, I dedicate some time to chopping, dicing and slicing a variety of vegetables and salad greens storing them in glass containers in the fridge. I keep my assortment as varied as possible, allowing me to make not only salads, but also soups, stir fries and even roasted vegetables. Its time well spent and means a healthy and delicious meal can go from kitchen to table in no time at all. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to become truly creative and try new combinations of ingredients you may not have tried before.

Here is one of my favorite salads…

Mixed Greens with Clementines (serves 2- 3)

• 2 cups baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
• 1 cup arugula, washed and dried
• 1 small radicchio, washed and coarsely shredded
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 clementines, peeled and sectioned (if clementines are not available, substitute with grapefruit)
• 1 avocado, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 mango, peeled and cut into cubes (optional)
• Sesame seeds to sprinkle
• Combine all ingredients and drizzle lightly with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 2/3 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon raw honey
• Pinch of salt
• Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake well until thoroughly blended

For more recipes, go to http://www.elevenelevenwellness.com/resources/
You will find salad recipes in each section of Remove, Revive and Sustain.

Turmeric, that pungent, bitter spice usually incorporated in curry powders giving it that deep yellow color, offers many health benefits.

In the Ayurvedic medicine tradition, Turmeric is regarded as a “cleanser of the body”. The root and powder are used in drinks, ointments and poultices to treat sore throats, indigestion, sprains, inflammation and wounds. Traditional Ayurvedics believe that it’s a powerful antibiotic, strengthens digestion and helps improve intestinal flora.

Despite this long tradition in Asia, it was not until the early 1070’s that laboratory researchers discovered the inflammation-fighting compounds prevalent in curcumin (the active ingredient in Turmeric).

One of the easiest ways to incorporate this beneficial spice into your diet is to use to eat it, so cook yourself a batch of delicious vegetable curry, or alternatively take it in supplement form.

Vegetable Curry (serves 4)

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
½ butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes
¾ cup water
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
½ head cauliflower, cut into small florets
¾ cup frozen organic peas
½ teaspoon garam masala
Cilantro (optional)

1. Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil until the onions are soft and opaque.

2. Add the spices and salt and sauté a few minutes, until you can smell the aroma of the spices.

3. Stir the spices from the bottom of the pot occasionally.

4. Add the butternut squash and sauté about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water to prevent sticking.

5. Add sweet potato and sauté about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Add the rest of the water and scrape all the spices up from the bottom of the pot.

7. Add cauliflower and peas on top of the butternut and sweet potato, do not stir.

8. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 – 15 minutes.

9. Just before serving, add garam masala and stir through.

10. Sprinkle with cilantro.

“Reading through recipes is like taking a delicious journey through an imaginary feast”

I love collecting recipes. My bookshelves at home are filled with recipe books, files containing recipes, newspaper cuttings and recipes written down on scraps of paper. Hundreds of recipes and still I feel compelled to keep collecting more.

Trying to figure out why, I finally came up with a reason. Reading through recipes for me is like taking a delicious journey through an imaginary feast. Tastes and smells are conjured up as I read through pages of exotic and sometimes not so exotic recipes ingredients. I am fascinated by some of the common foods that thread their way various cultures, reminding me just how much we are all connected to one another despite thinking we are so different to each other.

Memories come flooding back when I find a recipe book from my late grandmother. The book is easily over 50 years old but the taste of her trifle remains fresh on my lips. She was not a good cook but her trifle was amazing.

Like photographs or music, recipes also provide a link to people we love, experiences we cherish and tastes we treasure.

Here is one of my favorite recipes, enjoy.
Tandoori Salmon (serves 6)

6 6oz pieces of fresh salmon (preferably wild salmon)
Mix the following ingredients in a glass bowl -
¾ cup of plain yoghurt
4 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger powder
1 teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Juice of l lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

• Pour marinade over salmon, making sure each piece is evenly coated. Place in the fridge.
• Allow to marinade for about 2-3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Remove salmon from marinade, place skin side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and roast until salmon flakes easily with fork about 10 – 12 minutes depending on thickness.
• Serve with extra lemon wedges

Recipe adapted from Revive Stop Feeling Spent and Start Living Again

Here is another delicious recipe from the Ranch and in their book, From Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta: Recipes from the World-famous Spa, by Deborah Szekely and Deborah Schneider with Chef Jesús González of La Cocina Que Canta.

Carrot and Ginger Soup with Pears
Tres Estrellas’ carrots are the best you will ever taste, right out of the ground. Their color and texture are enhanced in this soup by the butternut squash off the vines that have been sprawling all summer. Though the carrots themselves are naturally sweet, an apple and a final garnish of pear balances the heat of the ginger. Jesús makes a point of slowly sautéing the carrots and onions to release the natural sugars.

Serves 6

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
1 small white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons peeled, minced fresh ginger (see note)
1 cup peeled, cubed butternut squash
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
4 1/2 cups basic vegetable stock or water
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
1 12-ounce can coconut milk,
1 pear, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
sliced chives

1. In a 2-quart stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the carrots and onion, and cook for several minutes, stirring often, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, squash, and apple. Sauté until the garlic and ginger are fragrant.

2. Add the stock and salt. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender.

3. In a blender or in the bowl of a food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Add the coconut milk and taste, then add salt to taste. Reheat before serving.

4. Serve the soup very hot in warmed soup bowls with some diced pear and a sprinkling of chives.

Note: To peel ginger, scrape off the skin with a spoon.

Variations:
1. Set off the soup’s beautiful color with a combination of green onion tops and fresh chopped parsley or cilantro

2. Toast whole-wheat bread, cut into croutons, and float a few in each bowl

Here is a delicious recipe that we had at Rancho La Puerta and is in their great cookbook, which I highly recommend, From Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta: Recipes from the World-famous Spa, by Deborah Szekely and Deborah Schneider with Chef Jesús González of La Cocina Que Canta.

Stir-fried Scallops with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Baby Bok Choy

Deborah remembers… We have the most marvelous seafood in Baja California, and most of it comes to us via the fishing ports of Ensenada on the Pacific side or San Felipe on the Gulf side. If you live on the East Coast and love shellfish, I know you already have a favorite source for scallops. They’re precious wherever you find them, and you might hesitate to prepare them this way, preferring instead to pan-fry them and present them three or four on a plate like steep-sided round islands. But give stir-frying a try. It’s healthier, and the scallops pair with the bok choy in a way that is very special.

The essential part of this recipe is the stir-fry technique. Once you know the basic steps, the variations are almost infinite. No wok is required; you can use a large sauté pan. Make sure everything is ready to cook before you turn on the flame, because the cooking goes quickly and you do not want to overcook the scallops or they will be dry and chewy.

Choy are members of a large Asian family of greens that Salvador grows in heroic quantities for use at the ranch. At any size, choy are tender and quick-cooking and have a mild flavor. Though the recipe calls for baby bok choy, which are typically 4 to 6 inches long and cook in a flash, you may substitute sliced mature choy. Visit an Asian supermarket and check out the produce section for interesting greens and herbs to experiment with. Anything that looks like choy probably is, and it may be substituted for the greens mentioned here.

Serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, peeled, halved, and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
12 large scallops, quartered
4 pounds baby bok choy, cut into 1/2-inch slices, rinsed, and dried
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper (optional)

1. In a 12-inch sauté pan or large wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes.

2. Add the scallops and cook for 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook several minutes more, until the bok choy is wilted.

Note: If you do not have a large sauté pan, use 2 smaller pans rather than crowding one pan.

Variations:
1. Substitute 18 large shrimp, 12 ounces tempeh, for the scallops

2.Add a few thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms with the onions

3. Add 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger with the onions

Connect to autumn and to nature by trying this delicious seasonal recipe… I love all the yummy squashes you can get in the fall!

Be true to you.

Stuffed Roasted Acorn Squash

Serves 4

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
2 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup goat milk feta cheese, crumbled, optional
4 acorn squash, tops cut off and seeds removed
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

1. Place oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and sauté until lightly golden, about 7 minutes. Stir in nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, cranberries, and apricots. Let cook for 3 more minutes.

2. Stir in wild and brown rice and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in feta if using. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Slice a little off the bottom of each acorn squash so that they stay upright. Place squash in a shallow baking dish and spoon rice mixture into acorn squash, packing mixture in somewhat. Put the tops of the squash back on top to cover.

4. Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the flesh of the squash is tender.

For more recipes, go to http://marielhemingway.com/

And for the book, Mariel’s Kitchen: Simple Ingredients for a Delicious and Satisfying Life

http://www.amazon.com/Mariels-Kitchen-Ingredients-Delicious-Satisfying/dp/0061649872/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240460021&sr=1-2

Every year, Janice and I go to Rancho La Puerta for a week.  One year, we were lucky to have the acclaimed chef, Michel Stroot teaching some wonderful cooking classes.  In one of the sessions, he demonstrated how to make this delicious dish that uses autumn vegetables.  Try it… take my word, it’s worth it.

This curry dish is dedicated to Deborah Szekely, the founder of the Golden Door and my mentor and supporter who has guided me through many years of culinary adventures. Deborah loves bold flavorful dishes, and curry is one of her favorites.

The Golden Door Cooks Light and Easy : Michel Stroot

Thai Vegetable Medley with Coconut Milk and Cilantro

Serves 4

2 cups steamed fluffy brown rice (recipe below)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Neck of 1 butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 medium turnips, trimmed and cut into 8 wedges each
2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 medium red or fingerling potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 1/2 cups hot vegetable broth, or more as needed (recipe to follow)
1 teaspoon red or yellow Thai curry paste, or more to taste
1 cup low-fat coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Cook the brown rice and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan and set over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, onions and salt; cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onions begin the soften. Reduce the heat to low and, in separate sections of the saucepan, add the butternut squash, turnips, carrots, potaotes and zucchini. Scatter the tomatoes over the other vegetables; simmer gently.

In a separate saucepan set over medium heat, whisk the hot broth with the curry paste until the paste dissolves. Pour just enough of the curried broth over the vegetables to cover them; simmer over medium heat, covered , for 20 to 25 minutes, or unitl the vegetables are tender but not overcooked.

In a separate pan set over medium-high heat, boil the coconut milk until it reduces in volume by half. Pour over the vegetables; simmer gently for 5 minutes.

When you are ready to serve, stir in the lime juice. Spoon equal portions of cooked brown rice into warmed bowls and top with the curry. Scatter cilantro leaves on top for garnish.

A note – we make this using extra virgin olive or coconut oil instead of the canola oil.

Steamed Fluffy Rice

Makes 2 cups

Learn this recipe and you’ll never need another. It works equally well with white or brown rice, jasmine or basmati. Just remember that brown rice takes longer to cook than white, so time your rice accordingly. Of the brown rice varieties, long-grain brown rice is easier to cook. The short-grain brown rice, also called California brown rice, has a tasty nutty flavor and a somewhat chewy texture as well as a longer cooking time: 30 minutes.

3/4 cup brown, jasmine, or basmati rice, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 bay leaf

Combine the rice, broth or water, and bay leaf in a medium-size pot set over medium heat; simmer, covered, for 20 minutes for white jasmine rice, 25 minutes for brown basmati rice, 25-30 minutes for long-grain brown rice or brown jasmine rice, or 30 minutes for short-grain brown (California) rice-or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and fluff with a fork; keep warm until ready to serve.

It’s Fall, the sun has shifted, days are bright, crisp and sadly becoming shorter. For me, there is a certain nostalgia, a wistfulness about the changing season and the impending long winter (which I have never gotten used to after growing up in sunny South Africa). Luckily, it’s also the time of incredible abundance as the summer crops are replaced by earthy, hearty and warming foods. Salads and the lighter meals of summer turn into soups and roasts that feel nurturing and grounding and the outdoor grill gives way to the warmth of the indoor oven and stove top. One of my and Frank’s favorite fall soups is Butternut and Root Vegetable Soup. It’s warm, smooth, rich in color and incredibly satisfying to eat. Please enjoy!

Butternut and Root Vegetable Soup ( serves 8 )

1 large butternut peeled, seeded and cubed
3 carrots peeled and chopped
3 parsnips peeled and chopped
1 sweet potato peeled and chopped
1 large onion peeled and chopped
2 leeks cleaned and chopped (white parts only)
8 cups vegetable stock
2 cloves fresh garlic crushed
1 teaspoon ground thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil

1. Heat oil in a large pot, add onion and garlic and stir-fry till the onion is soft.

2. Add remaining vegetables, thyme and salt and pepper and stir-fry for a few minutes.

3. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer till all the vegetables are soft (about 45 minutes).

4. Cool before pureeing.

5. Adjust seasonings and re-heat before serving.