Basil Pomegranate Splash

I thought with summer soon coming to an end, that we would have one last horray for summer. Here is a great beverage to drink on your sundeck. Be sure to use the pomegranate syrup, which is available at ethnic grocery stores with a good selection of Middle East food.

5 medium whole fresh basil leaves

1 tbsp (15 ml) pomegranate syrup

Juice of half a small lemon

4 tsp (20 ml) maple syrup

soda water, sprigs of basil and some fresh pomegranate seeds to be used for the garnish.

Start by tearing the basil leaves, use a wooden spoon to bruise and press the basil in a glass, which releases it flavours. Add the pomegranate sysrup, lemon jice and maple syrup. Fill the flass to the top with ice and stir to blend the ingredients. Pour the soda water in and stir again. Add more maple syrup or lemon to taste, then garnish with a sprig of basil and a few pomegranate seeds. As with all organic recipes, try to use as many organic ingredients as possible, as they really enhance the flavour.

Chickpea Curry

Here is another recipe from @bambigoesgreen

Ingredients:
28 oz Sahara and Bombay Dine Organic Chickpeas (canned and drained)

3 tomatoes, medium, purée or 1/2 a cup crushed tomatoes

2 onions, medium (puréed)

1-2 green chilli peppers (for flavour)

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger (puréed)

1 Tablespoon fresh garlic (puréed)

3 Tablespoons oil or ghee

1 Teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed

1 Teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed

1/2 Teaspoon red chili powder

1/2 Teaspoon turmeric powder

1 Teaspoon garam masala

1 Teaspoon channa masala

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

4 cups watersea salt (to taste)

Method:
Chop and brown onions in oil or ghee and place in separate pan. Chop ginger and garlic into fine pieces and add to mixture. Stir for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, garam masala, and channa masala. Cook until oil separates. Add a small amount of water to the pan to avoid sticking or burning. Mix with chickpeas. Add more water to gravy if additional moisture is needed. Simmer until gravy mixture thickens. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve with basmati rice, naan, or chapattis, raita (seasoned yogurt) and salad. Sprinkle with sea salt for enhanced flavouring. Yields 4 servings.

Notes:

Use canned organic chickpeas to save time on overall meal preparation. Use dry roasted and crushed coriander and cumin seeds for enhanced aroma and flavouring. All spices used are organic.

Wild Mushroom Chowder

Courtesy of @bambigoesgreen

This is an exotic, dark and delicious combination.
You could serve this as an appetizer, but it’s so good, you’ll end up having seconds or thirds. A great way to discover different mushroom flavours!
And best of all, it’s so delicious that no one will even know that you’ve used soymilk in this recipe!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 Tbsp small organic onion, finely chopped
1/4 lb oyster mushrooms
1/4 lb Shitake mushrooms
1/2 cup white wine
2 small organic red potatoes unpeeled, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup adzuki beans, cooked
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 – 3 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp corn starch
1/2 cup soymilk

Method
1. Sauté the onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté. Add white wine and reduce by half.

2. Add the potatoes, beans, wild rice and rosemary. Add the vegetable stock, soymilk and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 45 minutes.

Optional: After soup has cooked, pureé the liquid with half the solids. Add back the remaining solids, heat and serve.

Spicy Garden Radish Dip

Recipe courtesy of @bambigoes green

Radish dip is an easy recipe to make ahead of time, when your expecting company. It is also a great way to use up some garden fresh vegetables...enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 cups washed organic garden radishes
1 cup organic garden scallions, chopped
1 cup cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons chopped organic garden chives
Your favorite hot sauce
Pinch of plain salt, sea salt, or iodized salt
Pinch of pepper, freshly ground peppercorns



Method:
Dry the organic radishes thoroughly — this is important. Chop by hand or use the food processor to process the organic radishes into the desired texture. Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, organic chives, organic radishes, and organic scallions. Season with salt and pepper. Add a sprinkle of hot sauce (unless, of course, you find the radish dip to be hot enough on its own — radishes can have quite the bite!). Chill the prepared dip in the serving bowl you will be using.
Prepare your assorted organic vegetable dippers, assorted crackers, chips or breadsticks ahead of time, before guests arrive. Chill the organic vegetables.

Organic Margarita

Courtesy of @bambigoesgreen

Yes, the long weekend is finally here, and it is time to sit outside for one last horray before the snow blows....ugh! Anyways, these are great, and you are sure to enjoy them.

Ingredients:
3oz of 4 Copas 100% Agave Organic Tequila
2oz of freshly squeezed organic lime juice
1oz of simple agave syrup
Topped with some organic sugar and kosher salt for the rim

Method:
Prechill your glasses.
To make the simple syrup add:1 part agave nectar,1 part organic sugar &1 part water to a sauce pan and cook & stir over low heat until the sugar is disolved.
Next fill your coctail shaker with the tequila, lime juice, syrup and ice and shake unitl until mixed and cool.
Mix up 2 parts salt and 1 part sugar and put it in a dish.
Now dip the rim of your chilled glass in the sugar/salt mix, it should stick. **Make sure you do this before you fill your glass with Margarita. Don’t ask
Now strain the Margarita into your glass and enjoy!

Orange and Ginger Carrot Soup

This recipe is courtesy of @bambigoesgreen on Twitter.

This warming and tangy soup has a really pretty muted-orange glow, and has just a touch of spice. I’m a big fan of lively soup! Be sure to try this recipe with organic carrots, potatoes, onions and celery, as their flavor is so much better than those grown on industrial farms.
Organic root vegetables like these are considered seasonal no matter where you live, and are found easily in health food stores and plenty of grocery stores, too. Choosing organic oranges is especially important when you make an orange zest, so as not to ingest the surface pesticides found on industrially-grown orange skin. Nothing good about pesticide soup, folks!

Ingredients:
1 oz onions, chopped
1 lb or 4 medium carrots
2 sticks celery
4 oz potatoes, chopped
1 pint stock/water
1-2 tbsp grated ginger
juice of 2-3 oranges
zest of ½-1 organic orange
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil to sauté
small slice of butter (optional)

Method:
1. Rough chop onions. Scrub and rough chop carrots, celery and potatoes.
2. Saute onions and celery in oil in the bottom of a large saucepan. After a few minutes add carrots, and continue to sauté until onions are beginning to go pearly. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.
3. Stir in the potatoes, then add enough water to cover the vegetables by a couple of inches.
4. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
5. Add the orange juice, zest (if using) and grated ginger.
6. Blend the soup.
7. Add more stock/hot water/orange juice to achieve desired thickness.
8. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, bouillon powder and a little butter.

Arugula Salad

This recipe is courtesy of @bambigoesgreen on Twitter

This recipe really speaks for itself. Show me a person that dislikes warm goat cheese, toasted pistachios, and caramelized onions and I’ll show you a person that hasn’t lived.
Okay, maybe that’s extreme. But this is really good salad. And that’s extremely truthful.

Ingredients:
One bunch of arugula, washed and dried
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp maple syrup
4 Tbsp fresh goat cheese
4 Tbsp green pistachios, shelled (or walnuts)
3 Tbsp blueberry balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil
Fresh black pepper and sea salt to taste
Optional: Red onions, pears

Method:
1. Divide the greens and goat cheese between two plates. DO NOT eat all of your goat cheese right now impatiently, you need it for the salad. PUT IT DOWN.
2. Now, put a dry frying pan on med heat and toast the pistachios until golden and fragrant. Again, don’t eat all of your pistachios right now, save them for the salad. Trust me, you don’t want to eat too many pistachios anyway. Your stomach will hate you for it.
3. Remove from pan and place to one side. Melt the butter in the same pan and slowly cook the onions over low heat for about twenty minutes.
4. Add the maple syrup and let it thicken. Whisk together the vinegar and oil and set aside.
5. Divide the pistachios between the plates and top with the onions and dressing. Add pepper to taste.

Strawberry Salsa and Cinnamon Tortillas

@bambigoesgreen at twitter, has kindly allowed me to include her great recipes here.

Ingredients:
4 Flour tortillas
2 tb Butter, melted
2 tb Cane Sugar
3/4 ts Cinnamon
2 c Strawberries, chopped
1 tb Chopped fresh mint
1/2 ts Grated lime rind (I’ve used lemon rind and juice before and it tastes just as good, I promise)
1 tb Lime juice
1 1/2 ts honey

Method:
Brush both sides of each tortilla with butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over each side of tortilla. Bake on lightly greased baking sheet in 375 degree F oven for about 10 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cut into quarters.
Combine strawberries, mint, lime rind and juice and honey; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Put the salsa in a bowl and dip your tortillas in it. Yummmmy!