U Turn: Puree of Turnip Soup

Wanna make a U-Turn with your diet … especially with all the hefty holiday food? Try adding some seasonal veggies like turnips to your meals. This Puree of Turnip Soup is super tasty with just a hint of nuttiness. Perfect for a holiday dinner.

Puree of Turnip Soup

• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 turnips (about 1 pound), chopped into 1” pieces
• 1 medium sweet potato (about ½ pound), peeled and chopped into 1” pieces
• 2½ cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Melt the coconut oil, and add the onions and garlic. Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.

2. Add the turnips and the sweet potato and sauté for 2 minutes longer. Pour in the vegetable broth and almond milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until turnips and potatoes are tender.

3. Transfer soup contents to a blender, and puree until completely smooth (blend in a couple small batches, if necessary). Pour soup back into pot and reduce at a low simmer for 5 minutes longer. Add salt to taste and black pepper.

Stuff Yourself: Stuffed Mushrooms

Thanksgiving Prep Week: Green Beans and Potatoes

Move over green bean casserole, there is a new version in town. Instead, serve up this delicious, nutritious, and less fattening green bean and potato dish that gets all jazzed up with some Indian spices. Greenista Girl Shubhra shares her Green Bean recipe from her new cookbook, Entice with Spice – Easy Indian Recipes for Busy People.

Spice Green Beans and Potatoes

Serves 4 ~ Prep time: 5 minutes (15 minutes if using fresh green beans) ~ Cook time: 30 minutes

Refrigerator life: 3 days ~ Freezer life: 1 month

Reheating method: Place the refrigerated or defrosted beans in a microwave and stir periodically. Or, place them in a skillet over medium-low heat and stir periodically.

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh organic green beans or frozen, chopped or French cut green beans
• 3 tablespoons organic vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon organic cumin seeds
• 1 medium organic russet potato (about ½ lb), peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
• ½ teaspoon ground organic turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground organic red pepper (cayenne)
• 1 teaspoon organic salt
• ½ teaspoon ground organic black pepper

1. If you’re using frozen green beans, do not defrost them. If you’re using fresh green beans, wash them. Trim the tip and head and discard. Chop the green beans into ¼-inch pieces.

2. Pour the oil into a large nonstick skillet and place over medium heat. When the oil is heated, add the cumin seeds and let brown, about 10 seconds. Do not let the cumin seeds burn and turn black. Immediately add the green beans, potato, turmeric, red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Stir thoroughly. Cover the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove the cover. Cook, stirring frequently, until the beans are tender and you can easily insert a knife through the potato cubes, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let rest covered for 5 minutes on the warm stove. Enjoy now or let cool to room temperature and refrigerate or freeze for later!

Recipe courtesy of Shubhra Ramineni. www.enticewithspice.com

Written by Greenista Girl Shubhra

Photos by Shubhra Ramineni from Entice with Spice: Easy Indian Recipes for Busy People

Meet Shubhra, the Author of Entice with Spice

Molly Hubbard and Libbie Masterson

invite you to a book signing with

Shubhra Ramineni

as she signs copies of her new cookbook

Entice with Spice: Easy Indian Recipes for Busy People

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 from 5 pm to 7 pm

River Oaks Bookstore

3270 Westheimer, Houston TX 77098

(713) 520-0061

Come meet the author and enjoy wine and light bites

Hi Ho Cherry-O: Cherry Mojitos

How about graduating from collecting plastic cherries from a children’s board game to collecting fresh and juicy organic cherries from your own garden to make an elegant cherry mojito? Cherries are delicious, nutritious, and a bit pricey, so we got great tips for growing your own cherries on the Organic Gardening website.  Not only do they taste great, but also look beautiful in your gardening dangling like earrings from the tree. Of course we enjoy nibbling on fresh cherries, but we also enjoy cherry pie and this refreshing cherry mojito. It’ll look great at your holiday parties, too!

Cherry Mojitos

Serves 4 to 6 – Prep time: 10 minutes + 20 minutes cooling

• 1 pound bag frozen pitted organic cherries or fresh organic cherries, pitted
• 2 cups crushed ice, plus extra to serve
• 1/2 cup packed organic fresh mint leaves
• 1/3 cup fresh organic lime juice (about 3 limes)
• 1 cup citrus flavored rum
• 1 2/3 cups organic Lime Simple Syrup, recipe below
• Fresh cherries, for garnish

Put all the ingredients (except the cherries for garnish) in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into chilled glasses with crushed ice. Garnish with cherries.

Lime Simple Syrup

• 2 cups organic sugar
• 1 cup water
• 3 organic limes, zested

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and lime zest over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool for 20 minutes. Strain before using.

Recipe Adapted from Food Network- Giada De Laurentiis

Written by Greenista Girl Shubhra

Photos by iFood TV