Spicy North African Vegetable Soup with Chickpeas
There are dozens of different basil varieties from which to choose. The delicate sweet-flavored “sacred basil” called for in this soup is commonly used in the cuisines of Africa, India, and the Far East. Although sacred basil is recommended in this recipe, you can use any basil variety.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

2 quarts water
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, thickly sliced
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped carrots
2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped unpeeled sweet potatoes
2 cups bite-sized cauliflower florets
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 cups coarsely chopped mustard greens
2 tablespoons dried sacred basil or other basil variety
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

1. Bring the water, chickpeas, and cinnamon stick to boil in a 6-quart stockpot. Reduce the heat to medium-low,
cover, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cinnamon stick uncurls.
2. While the chickpeas simmer, heat the oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, chili flakes,
onions, and carrots, and sauté, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften.
3. When the cinnamon stick uncurls, transfer the sautéed vegetables to the stockpot along with the sweet potatoes,
cauliflower, and turmeric. Simmer covered for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and cauliflower are tender.
4. Add the mustard greens and continue to simmer 2 to 3 minutes, or until bright green. Stir in the basil and salt.
Adjust the seasonings, if desired.
5. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and serve.

Recipe excerpted from Going Wild in the Kitchen by Leslie Cerier, © 2005, Square One Publishers, Inc. Used by permission.

Chick Peas with Tomatoes and Ginger

Vegan, wheat-free, corn-free, heart smart, low fat

Serves 4-6

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 inches ginger grated, 2 tablespoons grated ginger

1 onion, sliced 1 cup

4 cups chopped plum tomatoes

2 cups cooked chick peas

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1. Sauté onions, ginger, and tomatoes in oil till tomatoes are juicy, about 10 minutes.

2. Add chick peas, and spices.

3. Stir and simmer for 5-10 minutes to blend flavors.

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Garnish with cilantro.

Recipe from Taste Life! Organic Recipes (2002) by Leslie Cerier

Reprinted by permission of Square One Publishers, Garden City, NY

Energize yourself with Local Foods! Here is the link for my Interview with Laura Theodore, The Jazzy Vegetarian June 29, 2011 along with the Cilantro Pesto Recipe from Gluten-Free Recipe for the Conscious Cook. I talked about in the interview:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-jazzy-vegetarian/2011/06/29/energize-yourself-with-local-foods

Wishing you a great local, seasonal and organic feast!

Cilantro Pesto, recipe by Leslie Cerier from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook

Cilantro Pesto

Makes about 2 cups

Here’s a delicious pesto made with cilantro instead of the traditional basil. It’s great on any type of noodles, but especially delightful on Asian noodles, such as 100% buckwheat soba or bifun, quick-cooking clear angel hair noodles made from rice flour and potato starch. You may be surprised to learn that it’s also a fabulous dip and pizza topping. Spread it on top of a prebaked gluten-free pizza crust and top with sliced bell peppers, olives, and marinated dried tomatoes (see page 00 for a recipe for making your own).

1/2 cup raw almonds, presoaked if you like

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, presoaked if you like

2 1/2 cups tightly packed cilantro leaves

6 cloves garlic

1/2 cup water

5 tablespoons umeboshi vinegar

Put the almonds in a food processor and grind to a coarse meal. Add the sunflower seeds and continue grinding until they too have a texture like coarse meal. Add the cilantro, garlic, water, and umeboshi vinegar and blend until almost smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired.

Reprinted with permission by New Harbinger Publications, Inc. Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by Leslie Cerier www.lesliecerier.com

Tomato-Lentil Stew with Kale

Tomato Lentil Stew with Kale from Leslie Cerier's cookbook, Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook

Serves 4 to 6

This gorgeous and delicious dish is dedicated to my dear friends Mark and Alisa, who love good food—and who don’t eat garlic and onions. Serve it with Amaranth and Corn Flatbread, Corn Fritters, or Corn Muffins. Or, for a heartier meal, serve it alongside Sunny Mountain Rice, Millet and Sweet Carrots, or any of the simple grain dishes in this chapter, or with your favorite pasta with pesto.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

1 cup brown lentils, rinsed

4 1/2 cups water

3 1/2 cups diced tomatoes

4 cups  tightly packed chopped kale

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon sea salt

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the fennel seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the lentils and cook and stir for 2 minutes to blend the flavors. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the lentils are soft.

Add the tomatoes and kale. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the kale is tender to your liking. Stir in the basil and salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired.

Reprinted with permission by New Harbinger Publications, Inc. Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by Leslie Cerier 

www.lesliecerier.com

Have a great organic feast!

Leslie Cerier

www.lesliecerier.com _

Almond Milk

Makes about 2 cups

Here is how to make your own Almond Milk

Nut and seed milks are fun and easy to make, and the homemade version are much more delicious than anything you could buy. They’re also an excellent alternative to juices and dairy milks. They’re lighter and more refreshing, and some say they’re less likely to cause congestion. You can use them as the liquid in porridges, baked goods, or waffle and pancake batters, or you can use them in smoothies or drink them straight for a delicious, cool summer beverage. I’ve provided a recipe for almond milk. This recipe is from my latest cookbook, Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook.

In Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook, I also included a sidebar for information on making your own hazelnut milk, hemp seed milk, and milks from a variety of other nuts and seeds.

Many people find that presoaking the almonds makes them easier to digest, but you can skip that step if you like.

1/2 cup raw almonds (with skins)

2 cups water

Combine the almonds and 1 1/2 cups of water and soak them overnight or for at least 12 hours.

Drain the almonds, discarding their soaking water, then rinse and drain well.

Put the almonds and the 2 cups of water in a blender. Blend until smooth or until the water looks like milk. ) Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing the almond meal with the back of a spoon to get every last drop of almond milk. (You can also strain the milk using cheesecloth or a nut milk bag; be sure to squeeze to get every last drop of milk.) Discard the almond meal.

Stored in an airtight container

Excerpted from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by Leslie Cerier

Almond Milk is also excellent in creamy vegan sauces and soups, and in cakes, brownies, and other baked goods. I like almond milk and hazelnut milk over granola and for baking brownies and other pastries because they are light and sweet.

As you can see from my photo of pitchers of Almond Milk that was taken in my Great Grains in the Morning Workshop, Almond Milk has a nice froth and even looks like dairy milk. Bon Appetite.

Please go to http://lesliecerier.com/blog/class-schedule/ and join me for one of my many cooking classes nationwide.

Hope to see you soon.

Leslie

www.lesliecerier.com