1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley (leaves only)

1 6-inch branch of fresh rosemary, needles removed from stem

8 large fresh sage leaves

8 large fresh basil leaves

1 leaf of fresh chard or kale, stem removed

8 large cloves garlic

1 medium red onion, chopped

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

few grinds of black pepper

3 bone-in chicken breasts, skin and fat removed

2 medium sweet red peppers

2 medium ripe tomatoes (or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained)

1 cup safe chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Mince together the parsley, rosemary, sage, basil, garlic, and onion. Mix in the salt and olive oil.  Rub mixture over the chicken breasts and place in a 9 x 13 or similar sized baking dish.  Set aside. 

Core and roughly chop the red peppers and tomatoes.  Tuck them into the pan around the chicken pieces.

Roast for 30 minutes, then pour 1/2 cup broth into pan.  Turn the chicken and stir the vegetables.  Return to oven and roast for another 30 minutes.  Turn chicken again, and spoon some of the vegetables onto them.  Moisten vegetables with broth, adding only enough to prevent burning (about 1/4 inch in bottom of pan is enough).   Roast for another 10 – 15 minutes, until chicken reads 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. 

Serve hot over brown rice pasta — preferably a type that has enough crannies to catch the rich sauce. 

Brilliantly orange and velvety smooth, tart and sweet with a hint of smoky spice, this is a stunning soup.  Try it for your next dinner party.

2 teaspoons canola oil 

1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

4 – 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

1 quart safe chicken or vegetable broth

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular sweet paprika)

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of 1 lime (3 tablespoons)

Heat canola oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Saute onions until edges begin to brown, about 5-7 minutes.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about another minute.   Pour in vegetable broth, sweet potatoes, oregano, paprika, and salt.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes, until sweet potatoes are very soft. 

Remove from heat and puree, either in batches in a food processor or blender, or using a stick blender.  Return to heat and stir in fresh cilantro and lime juice.   Cook for 5 minutes, then serve.

Optional:  Garnish each bowl of soup with a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds.

(c) 2008 Jeanette Bradley

3 leeks, sliced (white and light green parts only)

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced 

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup water

1 medium head broccoli, roughly chopped (about 3 to 4 cups)

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat the oil on medium in a three-quart saucepan.   Add the leeks and saute until they are soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and thyme and saute for an additional 30 seconds.   Pour water into pan and stir in broccoli, scraping the bottom of the pan.   Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and steam until broccoli is very soft, about 5 – 8 minutes. 

Transfer broccoli mixture to a food processor or blender (or use a stick blender).  Puree.  Add parsley and pulse to mix in. 

Serve as a side in place of mashed potatoes. 

 8 cups dried chickpeas

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

8 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 or 3 4-inch stems of fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)

2 bunches flat-leaf kale, stemmed and chopped roughly

Soak the chickpeas 8 hours or overnight in a large stockpot.   Drain.

Refill the pot with water so that the water level is 2 inches above the chickpeas.   Set on burner set at medium high heat.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Skim off any foam that rises to the top. 

Heat olive oil in a separate saute pan over medium heat.  Saute the onions until beginning to brown, about 7 minutes.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Scoop a ladle full of the chickpea water into the saute pan and use your spatula to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Pour liquid and onions into stockpot.

Add rosemary to stockpot.  Cover and simmer for 2-3 hours, until chickpeas are tender. 

Use a hand-held or stand blender to blend soup until it thickens (or alternatively, use a potato masher against the bottom of the pot) but still has some whole chickpeas remaining.  Stir in salt and kale.  Heat until kale wilts.

Divide into freezer containers and freeze. 

(c) 2007 Jeanette Bradley

 3 cups cooked basmati rice (I used white, but you could also use brown)

6 zucchini or summer squash

3 small carrots, diced

4 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 cup vegetable broth

1/4 cup minced fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

 Scoop out the insides of the zucchini, using a small spoon or a melon baller.  (I used a measuring spoon.)  Chop up enough of the insides to equal one cup, reserve the remaining insides for another recipe or your compost pile.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pan, saute’ onions until soft and translucent, about five minutes.  Add carrots, zucchini insides, garlic, thyme, and oregano and stir.  Saute’ for another 3 to five minutes, until carrots begin to soften.  Add tomatoes and continue to saute’ for another five minutes, until the tomatoes have begun to cook down into a sauce.  Stir in vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.

Stir vegetables into rice.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stuff rice mixture into zucchini and place in a baking dish.  Surround with remaining rice mixture.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until zucchini is crisp tender and is easily pierced with a fork.   Serve hot.

2 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary, rubbed between your fingers to break it up

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix all ingredients together by hand.   Shape into patties and fry, or simply scramble the sausage mixture in a large frying pan, creating coarse crumbles perfect for spaghetti sauce or tossing with pasta.  Freezes well raw or cooked.

If you want to, you can use this mixture to stuff casings and create a more traditional sausage shape.  I always remove my sausage from the casing before eating it anyway.

(c) 2007 Jeanette Bradley

1 lime, cut into wedges

salt and black pepper to taste

In a large stockpot, bring several quarts of water to a boil.  Add corn, cover, and bring back up to a boil.  Turn off heat and allow to sit for 13 minutes.  Corn will be perfectly done.

Before eating, rub each ear of corn with a lime wedge and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

1 25 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 carrots, sliced into 1-inch logs

4 waxy potatoes, cut into small chunks

juice of 1 lemon

2 cups vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and stir and fry until the onions are brown around the edges.  Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.  Put in the potatoes, carrots, lemon, veggie stock and dried thyme.  Bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down to low, cover and cook gently for 30 – 45 minutes.  Just before serving, mix in cilantro.

1 pound fresh asparagus

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium white onion, diced

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

2 cups cooked and drained black-eyed peas (apx. 2 cans)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence (or 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon lavender)

1 large bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon salt

black pepper to taste

3 cups soy-free vegetable stock

 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder

2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

1 cup uncooked quinoa

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus and discard.  Cut or snap the asparagus into 2-inch lengths.

Place quinoa and 2 cups of stock in a medium saucepan.  Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork.

While quinoa is cooking, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and bell pepper until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the asparagus, black-eyed peas, garlic, Herbes de Provence, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and one cup of the stock.  Bring to a strong simmer, then cover and cook until the asparagus is barely tender, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Dissolve the arrowroot powder in a tablespoon of water in a small bowl.  When asparagus is tender, stir in arrowroot mixture until sauce thickens.

Serve the asparagus and black eyed peas over the hot quinoa. 

1/2 yellow onion, minced

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

5 cups cauliflower flourets (about 1/2 of a large head)

1 25-oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup water

Heat oil in large sauté pan.  Add onion and sauté until soft, about five minutes.  Add garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.  Add spices, stir, and sauté an additional minute.   Dump in chickpeas, cauliflower, and water.  Stir to coat with sauce.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.  Serve over brown basmati rice.

(c) 2007 Jeanette Bradley