Taya's Greek Salad

We serve this as a main course for lunch. It's extremely popular, and all of my kids grab for the last pieces of feta in the bowl. If there is any dressing left at the end, toss it with some mixed greens for a salad.

Serves 6-8

1 English cucumber, chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 purple onion, sliced thin
1 bell pepper (not green!), chopped
1/2 lb good quality feta, cubed
1 garlic clove, finely diced
Juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, add the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, feta, and garlic. Add in the remains ingredients. Combine well. Allow to sit a few minutes to let the flavors develop. Taste, and add more olive oil, red wine vinegar and sea salt to taste. Enjoy!

Asparagus Soup

Asparagus is my daughter Ayla's favorite.  She even ordered it for dessert at a restaurant! The chef had to come out to meet her because he thought it may be a joke. Nope! Whenever organic asparagus is in season, I snatch it up. This soup is perfect - easy and the prettiest bright green! Make it vegan by using olive oil in place of butter.

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 onion, chopped

1 shallot, or 1/2 a large one, chopped

1/2 teaspoon thyme, fresh or dried

1 lb fresh asparagus

1/2-1 teaspoon sea salt

Black pepper

Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the butter. Once melted, add the onion, shallot and thyme and sauté about 5 minutes.

Cut the bottom inch or so off the asparagus and discard. Roughly chop the asparagus spears. Add to the pan and sauté for just a minute or so. Add enough water to just barely cover the asparagus.  Turn up the heat a bit and bring to a simmer for just a couple of minutes. While the asparagus is still a vibrant, bright green, and still "crunchy", transfer the soup to a high-speed blender. Whiz away adding sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Romaine Salad with Creamy Lemon Avocado Dressing

Serves 2-4

1 ripe Haas avocado
Juice from 1 lemon
2 large cloves garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3-4 tablespoons water
1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

Blend all ingredients except Romaine in a high-speed blender. Add more water for desired consistency. Toss with the Romaine.  Top with fresh Parmesan or your favorite nuts.

Enjoy!

Taya's Apple Pie with Spiced Crust

For the crust:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick), cubed
1 egg, beaten
2-3 tablespoons cold water

For the filling:
8 Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter

To make the crust:
In the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder and sea salt. Add the butter and mix for a bit, then add the egg. Mix a bit. Add in the water and mix until just barely combined-the mixture should still be crumbly. Add more water if needed. Combine into a ball and let rest while you make the filling. Refrigerate the dough if the kitchen is warm.

To make the filling:
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes, just to soften the apples some.  Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place a cookie sheet in the oven to cook the pie on. The cookie sheet will help cook the bottom crust.

Divide the dough in half, one half being slightly larger than the other. Use the larger half for the bottom crust. Using two sheets of wax paper, roll out the dough between them. Place in a pie pan and form the bottom. Pour the filling into the pie carefully and even out the top. Now roll out the top crust. Place on top, pinching the edges together and trimming any dough hanging over the edge.

Bake on the hot cookie sheet in the oven for just under an hour, the crust will be a dark brown due to the spices, but don't let it burn. Allow to sit for 15 minutes to cook a bit. Serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Dave's Famous Veggie Chili

When I was 14, I spent the summer working in a health food cafe. The cafe served a vegetarian chili as a special each week. I thought it was the best chili I'd ever had. This is my own version. I make a huge pot of this on cold days and leave it out all day for everyone to serve themselves for lunch and dinner along with a smorgasbord of toppings. This chili is packed with flavor and you will never miss the meat. My husband, Dave, always puts the finishing touches on this chili by adjusting the spices at the end.  He has the magic touch! I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does.

Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, chopped
2 potatoes, chopped
1 bunch kale, chopped
1 15 oz can black beans
1 15 oz can kidney beans
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
A pinch chipotle powder
1 tablespoons sea salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Toppings:
Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped fresh onion
Pickled jalapeños
Sour cream
Shredded raw sharp cheddar
Sliced avocado
Tortilla chips

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté a few minutes while adding all of the spices. Add all of the remaining ingredients and enough water to get the consistency that you like. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to simmer on low for about an hour.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. This chili only gets better the longer it sits. Enjoy!

Sweet Potatoes with Spiced Honey Butter, Cranberries and Macadamia Nuts

You will never think of sweet potatoes the same again after you taste this recipe.  It's full of warming spices!!! 


Serves 4

4 large sweet potatoes
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup raw honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup macadamia nuts

Bake the sweet potatoes in a 400 degree oven until a fork slides in easily, about 45 minutes or so.

While the potatoes are baking, combine the butter, honey, spices and sea salt. Set aside.

Roughly chop the dried cranberries and macadamia nuts.

When the potatoes are done, slice in half lengthwise.  Using a fork, break up the interior a bit so the butter can melt throughout.  Top with the butter mixture divided evenly on each half and sprinkle the cranberries and macadamia nuts in top.

Simple Hummus

 There's no loss of hummus recipes out there, but it's hard to find a good one. This is my favorite-clean and simple flavors.

In a high-speed blender or food processor, add the following:

1 cans garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 cup good extra-virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
A pinch of cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

Blend away!  Serve with pita chips, carrots, celery, bell peppers, tomatoes, etc.