Tag Archives: vegetarian

Photos by and property of Royce Cara Berler. May be used with author’s permission.

Lemony Carrot and Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for serving
  • 1 large white onion, peeled and diced (2 cups)
  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 5 medium carrots (1 pound), peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (2 cups)
  • teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
  • 3 Tablespoons white miso
  • 1 small (or half of a large) head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, more to taste
  • Smoky chile powder, for serving
  • Coarse sea salt, for serving
  • Cilantro leaves, for serving
  • if desired, one additional roasted head of cauliflower for garnish

 

Instructions:

  1. In a large, dry pot over medium heat, toast coriander seeds until fragrant and dark golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and coarsely crush.
  2. Return the pot to medium heat. Add the oil and heat until warm. Stir in onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly colored, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
  3. Add carrots, crushed coriander, salt and 6 cups water to the pot. Stir in the miso until it dissolves. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes.
  4. Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth. (Alternatively, you can let soup cool slightly then purée it in batches in a food processor or blender.) If necessary, return the puréed soup to the heat to warm through. Stir in the lemon zest and juice just before serving. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with chile, sea salt and cilantro leaves.

Servings: 4

Photos by and property of Royce Cara Berler. May be used with author’s permission.

Chipoltle Lime Chickpea and Avocado Salad

Here is a great vegetarian salad! Awesome as a main dish. Easy to put together as no cooking is required. This recipe is also great beacuse you can interchange flavors and make it different everytime which as usual I have adjusted to my own taste. I happen to love chickpeas but you can easily interchange the chickpeas for black beans or any other kind of bean you fancy! I am also a huge fan of Mexican Cuisine and this has a really tasty Mexican influence incorporating Queso Fresco, a Mexican curmbling cheese and chipoltle peppers in adobo sauce!

Ingredients:

1 TBSP  Fresh Lime Juice

Canned Chipolte Peppers in Adobo Sauce (use 1 minced pepper per serving)

1 TSP Olive Oil

1 Cup Canned Chickpeas rinsed and drained

1/2 Cup Kumato, Grape or Cherry Tomatoes quartered

1/4 Avocado diced

2 TBSP Cilantro chopped

1 TBSP Red Onion Chopped

1 Cup Mixed Greens

1 OZ Queso Fresco Crumbled

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Instructions:

Combine lime juice, chipoltle pepper, oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix well and then add the chickpeas, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and onion. Sprinkle Queso Fresco on top and voila!

Enjoy! You will thank me..

Photos by and property of Royce Cara Berler. May be used with author’s permission.

Swordfish and Tomato with Basil Sauce

WOW! This is spectacular and so easy to make, 45 minutes from start to finish. It is another great recipe from The Essential Weight Watchers Cookbook, it is perfect just the way it is, no alterations needed!

 

Ingredients:

Serves 4

4 plum or other small tomatoes, halved
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons chicken broth (for vegetarian use vegetable broth)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped  walnuts
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 (5-ounce) swordfish steaks

 

Instructions:

Spray broiler rack with non- stick spray; preheat broiler.

Place all tomatoes on broiler rack and lightly spray with olive oil non-
stick spray. Broil 5 inches from heat until tomatoes are softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine basil, broth, Parmesan, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in blender or food processor, and pulse until finely chopped. Set aside.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add fish to skillet and cook, turning once, until fish flakes with a fork, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Divide swordfish and tomatoes evenly among 4 plates and drizzle evenly with sauce.

Enjoy!!

Photos by and property of Royce Cara Berler. May be used with author’s permission.

Vegetable Crudite

This is one of my favorites! In general, I prefer serving vegetables as a starter or hors d’oeuvres rather than chips or bready things since it is usually less filling and guests will still be hungry for dinner or whatever else you may be serving. Additionally, this is so quick and easy to put together. You can really use anything you like, just be sure to try and choose things that are different colors for the best presentation and that the vegetables are cut evenly and placed neatly on the serving plate. I rarely have leftovers and if you do, it is a great snack for the following day.

I typically serve the platter with a multitude of different dips and dressings such as hummus (store bought is fine but I try to find ones that have nothing but chickpeas, garlic, lemon, oil and tahini listed as ingredients), spinach dip, artichoke dip, anchovy and oil dressing, blue cheese dressing,  etc. The possibilities are endless.

And if you are really feeling super ambitious, the recipes I use for all of the above are included in my website. Please try all of them and let  me know what you think!

Ingredients:

Serves 4 to 6

1 Package Large White Mushrooms, sliced

1 Large Cucumber

1 Bunch Radishes

1 Orange Bell Pepper

1 Bunch Jicama

1 Bunch Celery

1 yellow Squash

 

**adjust the quantities according to how many people you are having.

Instructions:

Wash and slice all the vegetables and then place neatly on a serving platter.

Put your dips and dressings in separate small bowls and place around the platter with serving spoons for each.

Make sure to put out small appetizer plates so people can spoon the dressings onto their plates without everyone having to dip into the serving bowls.