What To Do With That Crazy Looking VegetableCreamy Celeriac Potato and Pear SoupVegan And Gluten Free

Celeriac and pears combine beautifully in this fall soup.

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Whats this Crazy Looking Vegetable in my CSA Box?
Did you receive a weird looking vegetable in your CSA box that looks like someone crossed a large jicama with the head of Medusa? Or did you pass something like that in the produce section of your grocery store and wonder what it was? Well, this knobby jewel is called celeriac, also known as celery root. 

After many years of passing them by, I finally worked up the courage to buy one this weekend. After tasting it, both raw and cooked, I really regret having waited so long.

Beneath the knobby skin, the inside flesh has the consistency and flavor of celery only a bit milder and without the annoying strings. Nutritionally, its a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B6, manganese and magnesium and very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, phosphorus and potassium. A cup of celeriac is only 66 calories and is virtually fat free. Slice it into salads, mash it, puree it, roast it or throw it into a soup. This vegetable is quite versatile.

Celeriac (celery root) after peeling

Since the temperature is dropping across the country and the holidays are approaching, I thought a fall soup recipe would be welcomed. Enjoy!

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Creamy Celeriac, Potato and Pear Soup
Vegan and Gluten Free
[makes 6 servings]

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 cups peeled and diced celeriac (about 1 1/2 pounds before peeling)
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
2 medium pears, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
2 thin lemon slices
1 teaspoon Earth Balance buttery spread
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Mediterranean pine nuts 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 

Heat the oil in a soup pot or 5-quart Dutch oven and cook the onion, on medium-low heat, until it softens, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in the celeriac, potatoes, pears and thyme and cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 minutes. 

Add the broth, salt, pepper, and lemon slices and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. 

Remove the lemon slices and blend the soup, either using a hand blender or a regular blender (you may have to process in batches) until smooth.

I find using an electric hand blender is a lot simpler than using a blender.

Return the blended soup to the pot. Stir in the Earth Balance and, after it melts, the lemon juice. If its too thick, add a bit more broth or hot water. Adjust the salt and pepper and amount of lemon juice if necessary.

I usually like to use raw nuts in all my recipes but I find that pine nuts are much tastier in a recipe like this if they are briefly toasted in a heated frying pan for just a few minutes. 

Pour the soup in individual soup bowls and top with pine nuts and parsley.

Each bowl is only 223 calories!

Per serving: 223 calories, 4 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 31 mg omega-3 and 895 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 5 g protein, 41 g carbohydrate, 8 g dietary fiber, and 311 mg sodium.

Fresh Cranberry And Pear Oatmeal With Pecans A Simple And Delicious Thanksgiving Morning Vegan Breakfast

Just for fun, this was posted at 1:11 on 11/11/11

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Thanksgiving Morning
Picture that its Thanksgiving morning and you already have a house full of guests. You have a busy day of chopping and cooking ahead of you so you dont really have time to prepare a big and complicated breakfast. So start the day off right with a festive bowl of oatmeal bursting with fresh cranberries and pears and a sprinkling of chopped, raw, Texas pecans! It will only take a few minutes and this hearty breakfast will carry you through the morning.
Whats different about this oatmeal is the wonderful flavor of fresh fruit. Unlike dried cranberries, raw ones burst in the oatmeal giving a fresh and slightly tart flavor. This tartness is offset by a nice, ripe pear and a touch of stevia. 


Cranberries
Nothing says Thanksgiving more than fresh cranberries. Besides their wonderful flavor, they are a "phytonutrient stew" containing 5 different categories of healthful plant chemicals: anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, proanthocyanidins and triterpenoids. Although many have flocked to supplements of cranberry extracts or cranberry juice, the "whole" cranberry provides the most health benefits. Just about every woman knows that cranberries protect against urinary tract infections, but their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties also play a role in lowering the risk of heart disease, periodontal disease, stomach ulcers, colon cancer and more. 
Check out my recipes for Raw Cranberry Relish and Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce.

Purchase bags of cranberries when in season and throw them in the freezer for use all year long!

Use a juicy, soft, sweet pear for this recipe. A Comice pear is shown above but you can also use Anjous, Bartlett or Bosc

Fresh Cranberry Pear Oatmeal with Pecans
Vegan, Gluten Free (when certified gluten free oatmeal and oat bran is used)
[makes 4 (1 cup) servings]


3 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup rolled 5 minute oats (thick cut)
1/2 cup oat bran
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 packet stevia extract
1 medium, ripe pear, peeled and diced
4 tablespoons chopped, raw pecans


In a saucepan, bring water, vanilla extract and cranberries to a boil. Lower heat, cover and cook for 2 minutes.
Mix oatmeal, oat bran, salt, cinnamon and stevia in a bowl.
Bring water back to a boil and add oatmeal mixture. Cook uncovered on medium low heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
Stir in diced pears and cook for another 2 minutes or until oatmeal thickens. Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 2 minutes.


Stir well and pour into 4 bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon of chopped pecans and serve immediately.


Per serving: 188.7 calories, 7 g fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 0.1 g omega-3 and 2.2 g omega-6 fatty acid, 5.6 g protein, 31.9 g carbohydrates, 6.8 g dietary fiber and 148 mg sodium.

Apple Pear And Fresh Cranberry Crisp Vegan And Gluten Free

Add this Apple, Pear, and Fresh Cranberry Crisp
to your Thanksgiving dessert menu!

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Thanksgiving Isnt Just About Pumpkin Pie!
One of my favorite desserts, whether it be raw or baked, is fruit crisp. Its a dessert that really focuses on the fruit and doesnt need an overpowering amount of sugar. It also doesnt require mastering the art of making flakey pie crusts, which is challenging enough when youre using butter and white flour and not a bit concerned with how healthy it is. But trying to make one that is vegan, gluten free, and kinda healthy - well, its tough.

But making a crisp is a snap. You just start with delicious, ripe fruit, sprinkle with a simple topping, and voila! And no one would taste the difference between Earth Balance and butter or would they know you added gluten-free oat flour or white whole wheat flour to the rolled oat topping rather than white flour. Or that you cut down the sugar by adding a touch of stevia. 

Todays recipe is the perfect dessert to serve for the holidays. It will stand proudly beside your pumpkin pie at the Thanksgiving table or will be a great addition to your Christmas dessert selection.

Make Dessert the Main Attraction
If you like to entertain but preparing an entire banquet is more than you can handle, invite your guests over for a selection of healthy desserts. Serve with a selection of nice teas, freshly brewed coffee, or a well-paired dessert wines. Desserts deserve more respect than to be served after a huge meal. Unless, of course, you have an extra "dessert stomach" like my grandson Matisse claims to have.

Complementing Autumn Flavors 
The orange and cinnamon flavors in this recipe season the baked pears and apples perfectly while the tartness of the fresh cranberries contrast beautifully with the sweet oat topping. 

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Apple, Pear, and Fresh Cranberry Crisp
Vegan, Gluten Free (with oat or other GF flour)
[makes 8 servings]
Requires an 8 inch square baking pan

For the topping
1/4 cup Earth Balance buttery spread plus some for the pan
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup oat flour or white whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons organic cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon stevia powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


For the filling
3 cups peeled and sliced baking apples
2 cups peeled and sliced pears
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 teaspoon loosely packed grated orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon stevia powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan with a small amount of Earth Balance. Set aside.

Prepare the topping by placing the oats, oat flour, sugar, stevia, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Stir until well combined. Add the Earth Balance and mix with a fork or your fingers until crumbly.

If you have severe sensitivity to gluten, use certified
gluten-free oats and oat flour for the topping.

Prepare the filling by placing all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well to combine.

Combine filling ingredients.

To make the crisp, place the filling in the baking pan, making sure that the cranberries are evenly distributed. Sprinkle the topping over the crisp uniformly.

Ready for the oven.

Bake in the preheated oven until the crisp is bubbly and the topping is browned, about 30 minutes. The apples and pears should be fork tender and not mushy. 

Remove from the oven, let sit for 10 minutes, and serve.

Per serving: 170 calories, 7 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, and 57 mg sodium.