Parsnip and Lemon Zest Soup

Parsnip & Lemon Soup

1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil

1/2 cup (125 mL) diced Vidalia onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups (500 mL) diced parsnips (about 1 lb/450 g)

4 cups (1L) chicken stock, vegetable stock or water

1 tbsp (15 mL) finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)

1/4 tsp (4 mL)salt & freshly ground black pepper

In large saucepan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onions. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes to soften. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add parsnips and stock or water. Raise heat to high; bring to boil. Stir in zest. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer 15 minutes or until parsnips are tender. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

In blender or food processor, purée soup, in batches if needed. Season with salt & pepper. Makes about 4 cups (1L) for 4 servings.

Leftover Turkey Jalapeno Panini

Tired of turkey leftovers but still have a lot in the fridge? Make these paninis for a flavour that is not at all like Christmas! The jalepeno peppers really spice things up nicely and the cheese takes away the dryness of the turkey leftovers. If you don't have a panini press (I don't), just use a grill pan and sit a cast iron fry pan on top of the sandwiches as your "panini grill". This recipe makes four servings.

INGREDIENTS:

8 slices bread (your choice: I like multigrain; my husband prefers the Italian ciabatta)
4 slices Monterey Jack or Mozarella cheese
Sliced jalapeno peppers (the amount of jalapeno you use depends on the amount of "heat" you enjoy:)
Leftover roast turkey, sliced

Dijon mustard

Olive oil for grill

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the grill pan to medium-high heat with about 2 tsps of olive oil.

For each sandwich: On one bread slice, layer on a slice of cheese, jalapeños & leftover turkey. Spread a thin layer of mustard on another slice of bread, and place it mustard-side down to close the sandwich.

Grill about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes each side, until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted. Cut in half, serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Muffins

We had quite a few baked sweet potatoes left over from Christmas dinner, so I made these muffins and they were delicious!

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup quick oats (ideal for baking)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 level teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup olive or canola oil
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup low fat probiotic yogurt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 375° F. Lightly oil a 12 cup muffin pan.

2) In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients.

3) In a separate medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (including mashed sweet potatoes).

4) Gradually add dry ingredients to wet and stir just until combined with each addition. If the mixture is overly dry, stir in a little more yogurt at this point.

5) Use an ice cream scoop to transfer batter to muffin pan.

6) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool on wire rack and then remove from pan to a plate.

Spiced Almonds

This is a great little snack recipe that I am using at Christmas. It adds a salty snack to all of those sweet ones we usually eat around this time of year. I am having a fairly large group for Christmas dinner and they will need something to munch on until the turkey is done, so I'll put these out with some cookies and whatnot.

This recipe makes about 8 servings of 1/4 cup each.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole unsalted almonds
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

• Directions

• Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a bowl.

  In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, garlic, cayenne pepper and salt.
• Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Stir the spices into the oil and cook, stirring until warm, about 30 seconds. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until the nuts are warm and the spices are evenly distributed.
  
• Add the hot pepper sauce and stir to distribute. Remove the almonds from the pan and allow them to cool before serving.

Roasted Vegetables and Goat Cheese Paninis

ROASTED VEGETABLES AND GOAT CHEESE PANINIS

The slight sweetness of the roasted vegetables with an aromatic pesto pairs well with a robust goat cheese for this classic Italian sandwich.

Ingredients:

4 large pieces roasted red pepper

8 pieces roasted zucchini

1/4 cup (125 ml) roasted onions

1 cup (250 mlL) crumbled goat cheese

8 slices multigrain bread

2 Tbsp. (30 ml) olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450F.

To roast the vegetables, slice them into large chunks and lay out the peppers and onions in a roasting pan.Drizzle with a little olive oil & garlic powder. Cook, uncovered for about 20 minutes. Put the zucchini in for the last 10 minutes & toss with the peppers and onions to coat with the oil, as it cooks quite quickly. You can make a batch of these ahead of time & use them warm in the sandwiches.

Crumble the cheese onto each slice of bread. Divide peppers, zucchini and onions over 4 of the slices of bread.

Brush sandwiches with a little olive oil and grill in pan or in a panini press until golden and cheese is melted.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

TIP: You could substitute an equal amount of any of the many varieties of Ontario goat cheese (i.e. Brie, mozzarella, chevre, gouda)

Light Tiramisu

This is a lighter version of the traditional Italian dessert, Tiramisu! It is delicious and not too sweet: a perfect end to a perfect meal:) Tiramisu means "pick me up" in italian. This recipe makes about 6 servings. Top it with your favourite berries to finish it off.

Ingredients:

· 1 1/2 cups hot strong coffee

· 1/4 cup sugar

· 475 grams light ricotta cheese

· 1/2 cup light cream cheese, at room temperature

· 2 tablespoons cocoa or cocoa liqueur

· 3 egg whites

· about 24 crisp ladyfingers (SOVIARDI--although an italian cookie, they are available at most grocery stores)

· 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Directions:

In a bowl, dissolve 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of the sugar in the coffee. Refrigerate.

1. In a food processor, process the ricotta, cream cheese, and cocoa or liqueur until very smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, gently fold the cheese mixture into the egg whites.
3. Dip the ladyfingers in the coffee until they are soaked through but not falling apart. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13  pan with half the ladyfingers, placing them very close to each other. Cover with half of the cheese mixture. Dust with 1/2 of the cocoa powder. Lay the remaining ladyfingers on the cheese mixture. Top with the remaining cheese mixture. Dust with remaining cocoa powder by putting the powder in a fine-mesh sieve and shaking the sieve over the surface. Cover and chill 2 hours or overnight before serving.  Top with blueberries and raspberries (or serve as is).

Gingered Squash and Kale

This recipe serves 2 people but can easily be doubled. It's a great cold weather side dish & can be served over a bed of rice or quinoa. I served it with turkey filets and sliced tomatoes.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 vidalia onion, chopped
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 inch cube of peeled ginger root, grated
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 bunch of kale (about six large leaves), cleaned, stemmed and chopped
3/4 cup of water or vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1/2 a lime

Directions:

1. In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium high. Saute onions until softened, a few minutes. Add the squash, ginger, garlic. Saute, stirring about 1 minute.
2. Add the chopped kale in handfuls, stirring as it wilts. Stir in the salt, pepper, and 3/4 cup water or broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed--about 20 minutes. Remove from heat & add the lime juice.