Spicy Carrot & Ginger Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

• 1 cup all-natural unsweetened carrot juice

• 1 cup light coconut water

• 3 bags lemon ginger tea

• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into 1/4-inch slices

• 2 dried chiles, halved

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 5 medium carrots, roughly chopped

• 1 leek, white and light-green parts only, washed and roughly chopped

• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped

• 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped

• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

• 1/2 cup silken tofu

• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut, shredded and toasted, for garnish

PREPARATION:

1. In a small pot combine broth, juice and coconut water and bring to a boil. Add tea bags, ginger and chiles. Reduce heat and allow mixture to simmer for at least 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a medium-size pot to medium. Add oil, then carrots, leek, onion and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until onion is translucent, about 7 minutes.

3. Strain broth mixture into pot with vegetables. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and allow soup to simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. In 2 batches, purée soup in blender with half of tofu per batch, until soup is silky smooth. Return puréed soup to pot on medium heat, just to reheat. Adjust seasoning, if necessary. Garnish each bowl of soup with coconut just before serving.

Root Veggie Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 to 3 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces

• 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces

• 1 small celery root, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces

• 1 1/4 cups dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed

• 6 cups vegetable broth or water

• 1 tbsp reduced-sodium tamari

• Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

• Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

PREPARATION:

1. In a skillet on medium, heat oil. Add onion and garlic, cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.

2. Add carrots, parsnip, celery root, lentils, broth, tamari, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low until lentils and vegetables are tender, 6 to 8 hours. To serve, adjust seasoning to taste, and sprinkle with parsley.

Potato, Celery Root & Pear Gratin

INGREDIENTS:

• Olive oil cooking spray

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 12-oz can evaporated milk

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 celery root (about 1 1/2 lb), peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick

• 2 yellow-fleshed potatoes (about 1/2 lb each), peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick

• 2 firm ripe pears (about 1/2 lb each), peeled, cored, and sliced crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Mist an 8 x 10-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a medium saucepan on medium, heat oil; add leeks and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in milk, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil (still on medium). Remove from heat.

3. Reserving most of milk mixture, line base of dish with leeks using a slotted spoon. Arrange alternating slices of celery root, potatoes and pears, starting with edges of dish then filling center with slices to fit.

4. Pour milk mixture evenly over top. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove cover, sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until tender and golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Sweet & Sour Hunan Stir-Fry

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup farro

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 1 1/2 tbsp white miso

• 1 tbsp rice cooking wine

• 1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

• 1 tsp rice vinegar

• 1/2 tsp organic evaporated cane juice

• 1 tbsp safflower oil

• 1 tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger

• 1 5-oz slice thick uncured all-natural ham, cut into matchsticks

• 5 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage (about 1 lb)

• 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally

• 3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

PREPARATION:

1. In a medium saucepan, add farro, salt and 2 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover and simmer until farro is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together miso, rice wine, soy sauce, vinegar and cane juice; set aside.

3. In a large wok or skillet on high, heat oil. Add ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, 20 seconds. Add ham and stir-fry until lightly browned, 30 seconds. Add cabbage and carrots and stir-fry until cabbage wilts and is lightly browed, 1 1/2 minutes.

4. Add miso mixture and green onions; heat and stir until combined, about 1 minute more. Divide farro and ham mixture among plates.

Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup with Sesame and Green Onions

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into thin strips

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons dry Sherry

• 2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)*

• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce

• 4 cups chopped Napa cabbage (from 1 head)

• 6 green onions, thinly sliced

• 8 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

• 1 14-ounce package fresh yakisoba noodles or Chinese pan-fry noodles

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

PREPARATION:

1. Stir chicken, soy sauce, Sherry, and 1 tablespoon sesame oil in medium bowl to blend. Let stand 20 minutes or refrigerate up to 2 hours.

2. Whisk garlic, tahini, ginger, sugar, vinegar, and chili sauce in small bowl.

3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add cabbage and green onions and sauté until cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Add chicken with marinade and tahini-garlic mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly; cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

4. Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Add to soup in pot. Stir in half of cilantro. Season soup with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.