Kerry Ogden, M.A. » Spring

Simple Carrot Soup

Kerry — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:49:42 +0000

Carrots are rich in vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and potassium. Seek out ‘early” carrots with bushy green tops still on. The leaves should be fresh and the carrots should have a vibrant color. These early carrots often have a much sweeter flavor.

1 1/4 pounds carrots
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cups or more of vegetable stock or water
juice of 1/2 lemon
sea salt, to taste

Lop the tops off the carrots and give them a good scrub. Cut into 1″ segments. Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions. Saute for a few minutes, until onions are translucent. Add the stock and carrots and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20- 30 minutes – until the carrots are tender. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.

Puree to desired consistency, then stir in lemon juice. Salt to taste. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Serves about 4.

Asparagus Stir-Fry

Kerry — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:00:44 +0000

Make your life easier by having all the ingredients ready and within arms reach. If you don’t have hoisin sauce, a dash of molasses and ketchup will do.

Toasted sesame oil
8 oz firm tofu, cubed
4 green onions, sliced
1 T freshly grated ginger (peeled)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Handful of toasted cashews, chopped
Zest and juice of one lime
2 T hoisin sauce
Handful of fresh mint, slivered
Handful of fresh basil, slivered
Sea salt and pepper

Heat a splash of sesame oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the tofu a cook until golden – a few minutes. Remove tofu from the pan and set aside.

Add another splas of oil to the pan. Add the onions, ginger, red pepper flakes, asparagus and a few pinches of salt. Stir-fry a minute before adding the garlic, cashews and spinach. Toss in the spinach, cooking just until it wilts. Return the tofu tot he pan. Stir in the lime zest, juice and hoisin sauce. Stir for 10-20 seconds. Remove from heat. Add mint and basil. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Spring Ragout

Kerry — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:00:24 +0000

It is important to have all your ingredients washed, prepped and ready to go before you get ready to cook. The whole thing comes together fast and furiously. Dark, nutty wild rice would make a striking contrast and tasty side for this colorful spring dish.

20-30 fava bean pods, removed from puffy shells
extra virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
1 bunch thin asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch segments
1 1/2 cups peas, freshly shelled or frozen
zest of one lemon
splash of cream
pecorino cheese (or other hard, salty cheese)

Cook fava beans for about a minute in a pot of salted water. Drain, run under cold water and shell second layer. To do this pinch each fava to break the skin and gently squeeze to separate the bean from the skin. Set aside.

Drop a big splash of olive oil in a cold skillet, add two big pinches of salt and two tablespoons of water over medium high heat. When the water starts bubbling add the asparagus spears. Cover and cook for 30-45 seconds, longer if the asparagus is thicker. You want it to be barely tender and bright green.

Stir in the peas and cook uncovered for another 20 seconds or so, maybe longer if using frozen peas. Now stir in the lemon zest and the tiniest splash of cream. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese. Enjoy!

Serves 4.

Spring Tabbouleh

Kerry — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:00:21 +0000

Bulgar comes in different sizes – look for fine or medium bulgur for this recipe. Larger ,coarse bulgur takes longer to soften up. A staple of the traditional Mediterranean diet for thousands of years, bulgur wheat is becoming increasingly popular in modern healthy diets. Rich in “B” vitamins, iron, phosophorous and manganese, it complements the protein profile of legumes such as pinto beans and the folate in vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, and broccoli.

1 cup fine bulgur
1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch segments
1 cup peas, shelled or frozen
1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with 2 big pinches of salt
1 lemon, juice only
1/3 cup olive oil
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped*

Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. You are going to use some of this water over the bulgar (to cook it) and the rest to blanch (quick-boil) the peas and asparagus.

Put the bulgur in a medium bowl, add boiling water to the surface of the grains. Let it stand for about 15 minutes, just until tender. Drain and press out any remaining water. Toss with a couple of pinches of salt. Set aside.

Return the saucepan to the heat, bringing the remainder of the water back up to a boil. Salt the water and cook the asparagus and peas for about 20 seconds, just long enough for them to brighten. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Add the bulgur.

For the dressing, whisk the garlic, lemon juice and olive oil together. Season with more salt if needed.

Add 1/2 the chives and walnuts to the bulgur, peas and asparagus. Toss with a big splash of the dressing. Taste and add more dressing as desired, as well as any other flavor adjustments. Garnish with remaining chives, walnuts and chopped egg.

Serves 4-6.

Miso Happy Soup

Kerry — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:30:13 +0000

Miso is made from fermented soy beans. It is a good source of iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, some B vitamins, and protein. Miso also facilitated the body’s absorption of calcium and mangesium. Touted for centuries as a folk remedy for weak digestion, miso’s reputation as one of nature’s most healing foods is now being confirmed by modern medical science. The consumption of soy foods and isoflavones have been positively linked to improved mental function, protection against osteroarthritis and stabilized blood sugar levels in diabetics.

3 ounces dried soba noodles
2-4 tablespoons miso paste (to taste)
2-3 ounces firm tofu, chopped into 1/3-inch cubes
2 green onions, tops removed thinly sliced
a handful of spinach, stems trimmed
a small handful of cilantro
a pinch of red pepper flakes

Cook soba noodles in salted water, drain, run cold water over the noodles to stop them from cooking, shake off any excess water and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and remove from heat. Pour a bit of the hot water into a small bowl and whisk in the miso paste – so it thins out a bit (this step is to avoid clumping). Stir this back into the pot. Taste, and then add more (the same way) a bit at a time until it is to your liking.

Also, some miso pastes are less-salty than others so you may need to add a bit of salt here. Add the tofu, remove from heat, and let sit for just a minute or so.

Split the noodles between two (or three) bowls, pour the miso broth and tofu over them. Add some spinach, green onions, cilantro, and red pepper flakes to each bowl. Enjoy!

Serves 2-3