So I have to admit - I loooove the ginger dressing you get at sushi restaurants. I love it so much I often briefly consider drinking the leftovers from my bowl when my salad is gone - but instead just get a little sad inside when they carry my "empty" bowl away.
While my homemade version doesn't leave me wanting to drink what's left, it's actually really good and very healthy - made mostly from carrots and other fresh ingredients.
What you will need:
5-7 medium sized carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons onion (I used red)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Fill a large saucepan with water and carrots. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Boil about 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
While carrots are cooking, combine other ingredients in a food processor or blender until well mixed. Add in cooked carrots and mix again until smooth. I like that this made a very thick dressing, but you can add water until it reaches the consistency that you like. Serves 8-10. Enjoy!
I hope everyone had a great Christmas! December flew by and was full of shopping, decorating, eating, and celebrating (as it should be).
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| My mom in front of her tree - 1956. My niece in front of my mom's tree - 2012. |
But ....after a few too many days of cheese, crackers, cookies, and chocolate, I decided to make this soup to help me get back on track. It comes from a vegetarian cookbook my friend sent me as part of an awesome fall care package. I chose to try this recipe first because it's low fat, full of fiber, and very filling. It makes 6 generous servings, each one being 6 weight watchers points plus. I made a few changes based on what I had in the house (canned beans in stead of dry, previously caramelized and frozen onions instead of raw) but stuck to all of the original ingredients.
What you will need:
2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed (3 cups)
1 medium onion, cooked (1 cup)
2 cups water
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut in 1/2 inch pieces (between 1 and 2 cups)
3 large sweet potatoes (about 4 cups)
SAUCE
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 can diced or crushed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
Put 2 cups of water in a soup pot and bring to a boil. Add cooked onion, carrots, and sweet potatoes, and reduce heat to low. Cover and let cook for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, add beans and let cook for an additional 15 minutes. If you like more of a stew consistency, drain excess water from pot. I did this twice while making this soup because I like a thicker consistency.
Start to make sauce while soup is cooking. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When hot, add tomatoes, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, and cayenne. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes. When your 15 minutes on the soup is up, stir tomato mixture into it and let it cook for another 15 minutes for the flavors to blend.
Ever since I saw "Pushing Daisies" I have wanted to try a pear pie with gruyere baked into the crust (it's one of the pies they make in the show). So, for Thanksgiving, I finally made one. It was actually very easy - but that may be because I used a pre made frozen pie crust from Trader Joe's. It was a big hit, fun to make, and not too sweet. After searching Pinterest for a recipe, I ended up following this one.
What you will need:
1 double pie crust
7-9 pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
3-4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg + 1 Tablespoon milk
1/4 - 1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese
Prepare crust and put in to a 9 inch pie pan. Make your pie filling by combining pear slices, sugars, 3 tablespoons of flour, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Try to drain pears shortly before mixing with other ingredients. Pour filling into crust.
Roll out the top of your crust and place over filling, pinching edges together with fingers or a fork. Then, in a small bowl, whisk together egg and milk. Brush on top of crust and then sprinkle the crust with cheese. Make a few small slits in the crust to allow the steam to escape.
Place pie pan on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until very golden. Rotate pan halfway through cooking time. Allow to cool and then enjoy!
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