In this colorful dish, a vegetable medley is roasted in a delicious Mediterranean-style lemon and caper sauce.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
2 cups cubed beets
2 cups Brussels sprouts, cut in half
2 cups yams, cut in chunks
2 cups leeks, cut into
2-inch diagonals
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons capers (rinse if packed in salt)
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Transfer to a large covered baking dish.
2.Bake for 1 hour, or until the beets are tender. Adjust the sea-sonings, if desired.
Lasagna with Chèvre, Arugula and Crimini Mushrooms
Lasagna is very versatile. In this version, chèvre stands in for the more commonly used ricotta cheese, and goat cheddar subs for mozzarella.
Other cheeses that melt well, such as goat Gouda, French petite Basque or Spanish Manchego, are good choices, too.
2.Spread 1/2cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. (You can use one of the lasagna noodles to do
the spreading.) Lay 3 of the noodles over the sauce.
3.Spread the chèvre on top of the noodles, top with another 3 noodles, and cover with mushrooms and arugula.
4.Place the last 3 noodles over the mushrooms and arugula, and press gently. Top with the remaining sauce and grated cheese.
5.Cover with foil or a cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until the noodles are soft and the lasagna is hot and bubbly.
6.Remove from the oven and let sit about 10 minutes to set. Cut into squares and serve.
For a Change . . .
•Instead of crimini mushrooms and arugula, try a combination of marinated sun-dried tomatoes, fresh or roasted bell peppers, chopped radicchio, sautéed shiitake mush-
rooms, and kale.
•Replace the layer of vegetables with another layer of grated cheese.
•Vary the type of lasagna noodles; use rice, whole wheat, spelt, spinach, or artichoke soy. Even penne or macaroni pasta works well.
•For a Mexican-style version, use jalapeño jack soy cheese instead of chèvre, and salsa in place of tomato sauce.
These dark cacao truffles are delicious, quick, and easy to make.
1 cup grated raw cacao butter
1 cup raw cacao powder
6 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Optional: ¼teaspoon -1 teaspoon maca powder
Pinch of sea salt
¼ cup goji berries or a combination of goji berries, hemp seeds, cacao nibs, chopped hazelnuts or shredded coconut.
Blend the cacao, cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla, maca, if using and salt in food processor.
Taste and adjust the seasonings, if desired.
Shape into walnut sized balls.
Put the goji berries, and/or hemp seeds, ground hazelnuts, cacao nibs, or shredded coconut on a large flat plate and roll balls in them.
Eat immediately or store in a jar on the counter.
Makes 12-15 walnut size balls
Optional: for a creamier truffle add ¼ cup extra virgin coconut oil.
I love eating Navitas Naturals Organic and Fair Traded Products: Cacao Butter, Cacao Paste, Cacao Powder, Maca, Cashews, Goji Berries, Hemp Seeds, Mulberries, and much more.
Especially good news for all those wanting to make Leslie Cerier, The Organic Gourmet’s dark chocolate truffles, which are vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.
Cook like an artist. Think about color, texture and shape. Heighten your creativity while engaging your senses.
Corn Grits with Sauteed Onion, Kale and Cheddar from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by Leslie Cerier, and Photograph by Leslie Cerier
Here is the interview I did with Eileen Williams December 3rd, 2010: WE discuss how to cook like an artist, what to make for great holiday brunches, holiday meals, what is gluten; what grains have gluten and which grains are gluten-free; which gluten-free whole grains are complete proteins, gluten-free gourmet vegan recipes and vegetarian recipes for the holidays, quick and easy vegan recipes and vegetarian holiday recipes, and more. Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook, Leslie Cerier’s new cookbook has it all:
“Have you ever found yourself in the kitchen wanting to make
something new and exciting but not knowing where to start? Are you interested in mixing things up? Look no further! Leslie
Cerier?s book, Going Wild in the Kitchen, will easily help you add
more spice to your life!”
Leslie will take you on a unique ride, introducing a variety of ingredients to make part of your culinary repertoire. In this book you’ ?ll find an informative glossary of these new
ingredients as well as helpful charts categorizing them by season and taste: wild mushrooms, herbs and spices, edible flowers, wild greens and roots, ancient grains, and sea vegetables. Other features of the book include handy guides for cooking grains, soaking beans, mixing and matching recipes, adjusting flavors, and converting measurements. And while many of these ingredients can be found at your local health
food store or farmer?s market, a resources section is available to readers looking to purchase organic ingredients online.
When you cook from this book you will find Leslie?’s recipes to be wildly entertaining to the palate and an indulgence for the senses. Going Wild offers an array of options to flavor every meal of the day! My favorite section detailed ways to turn ordinary oils and vinegars into tasty and aromatic dressings; you and your guests will undoubtedly love them! With over 150 mouth-watering vegetarian recipes that are both imaginative and simple to follow, you will find plenty of opportunities to go wild in your kitchen!
Garlicky Potato Soup with Fresh Nettles
The rich flavor of fresh spring nettles can?t be beat! This is a perfect first-course soup to rejuvenate the senses after a winter of root vegetables. Because fresh nettles have stingers, don?t forget to wear garden gloves when handling them. Fortunately, the stingers melt away when cooked in the soup.
Nettles Soup
Yield: 4-6 servings
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
10 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
8 cups water
8 cups unpeeled potatoes, cut into ¼-inch cubes
2 cups fresh nettle tops
2 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
1) Heat the oil in a 6-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and
sauté, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften and the
ingredients area fragrant. Add the water, potatoes, nettles, salt, and pepper.
2) Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer covered
for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.
3) Carefully ladle some of the soup into a blender until it is half full, and pureé until
smooth. Pour the pureé into a large bowl and continue to blend the remaining soup.*
4) Return the pureed soup to the pot and simmer until heated through. Adjust the
seasonings, if desired.
5) Ladle the hot soup into bowls and serve.
*If you have a immersion blender, you can pureé the cooked soup right in the pot.
Check out the photos in this post for a delicious visual feast!
My infamous Dark Chocolate Truffles and Broccoli and Cashews with Gogi Berries.
The recipe for the Dark Chocolate Truffles with Gogi Berries also known as Cacao Maca Gogi Balls is among the recipes on my recipes page of on www.lesliecerier.com
Stir-Fry Broccoli with Cashews andGogiBerries
Dark Chocolate Truffles are Remarkably Delicious and Easy to Make
