Warm Vegetable Pureed Soup with Quark and Scallions

 I had to drive into Palma early this morning to meet with a friend from Denmark to discuss the possiblities of a underground dinning club in Palma.  It was one of those mornings with crisp damp air and every piece of vegetation was drenched in the morning dew.  Sparkling silver grass dancing with the soft gentle breeze.  Mallorcan sheep grazing below the bare almond trees.  Donkeys with there heads bent over the medieval walls.  Orange blossoms filled the air with a citrus glow.  And I again thanked the lord for being so lucky.

From the Vegi Drawer

Diced and Sliced

Caramelize

Chopped, Diced and Minced

My family in Cleveland watching me make the soup in Spain

Brown sticky stuff on the bottom is muy importante

 I opened the fridge and decided I had to clean out the vegetable draw.  The vegis were starting to look a little tattered.  So I grabbed all that was in there including some green onions trying to hide in the back.

Smoked Spanish Paprika

Coated in Spices

Little tomato never hurts

Add water and let it simmer

So I started slicing and dicing, mincing and chopping.  Using all of these slightly neglected vegetables.  But once the aromatic vegetables start caramelizing and the house starts smelling like thanksgiving you know your doing something right.   The aromatic vegis are onions, carrots and celery.  I think maybe leeks and garlic might fall in there somewhere too.  I use onions and garlic in just about everything including my blueberry and garlic pancakes.  Just kidding.  But onions and garlic both suppress the growth of tumors as well as being potent antioxidants.  And they give such great flavors to a dish.










Caramelizing is a technique that gives added flavor to almost any dish.  It brings the sugars to the surface and then they caramelize and start turning brown.  At this point you add the other vegetables.

Thermomix

Finely dicing the vegetables does two things one it allows the vegetables to cook faster but it also allows for more flavor transfer.  So just remember practice makes perfect.  Or well almost perfect I think.  So then once the vegetables are in for a bit you really cook them until the bottom of the pan begins to get sticky and brown with love bits.  This is some of the loving your putting into the dish now.







My wife, her sister and her two boys were watching me make this soup via skype.  How fun is that.  They are on the other side of the world watching me make some super healthy soup for my blog and now tomorrow they will look at the blog and see themselves watching me.  Pretty cool.

If you take a look at the bottom of the pan you can see this brown sticky stuff I am talking about.  Thats the loving that you want.  That will give the soup its deeper more intense flavors.

Now you add the spices such as the pimiento dulce y picante (sweet and hot).  These are smoked paprikas that I just can't get enough of.







Here are the ones in my cupboard right now but there are many varieties of spanish paprika to choose from.  However the best are from De La Vera.  I normally use both together when I use paprika in a dish.



Once you have added all the spices you want to saute for about 5 mins or until the house smells like the streets of Bombay.  You don't want to over cook the spices.  And be careful now not to burn the bottom of the pan.


Then you add a little bit of tomato sauce and 5 mins later the aqua.  Put it on simmer for about and hour then throw it in a blender until smooth and divide among for bowls.  You might have some leftovers if don't allow them to go back for seconds.  Thats your call.
Everything in this soup is good for you cinnamon and curry.  The tomato sauce and sweet potato.  All just rock solid cancer fighting ingredients.

These are the simple steps it takes to turn a normal soup into something a little more special, step by step.

Buen Provecho

Warm Pureed Vegetable Soup

by Jeff Harter

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Keywords: blender soup/stew soup gluten-free low-carb nut-free soy-free sugar-free vegan vegetarian Mediterranean

---

Original Post

Send to:

Printer

Email

Phone

---

Pureed soups are a great way to make something easy, healthy and clean out your vegetable drawer and this tasty soup freezes well. It also can be reduced and turned into a sauce.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 onion diced
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 10 carrots sliced
• 2 leeks sliced
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger minced
• 2 broccoli stocks
• 1/2 sweet potato diced
• 1/4 cauliflower head chopped
• 1 apple diced
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tbsp sweet spanish paprika
• 1/2 tbsp hot spanish paprika
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp curry
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• salt and freshly groung black pepper
• 8 cups water
• 1 bay leaf

Instructions

• Place a 4 quart pot over medium heat for 2 mins then add olive oil and heat for another 3 mins then add onion, carrots and celery. Saute until lightly browned about 10 mins stirring often. Then add leeks, garlic, ginger, broccoli and sweet potato then cook for about 5 mins. Then add cauliflower and apple and cook for another 5 mins then add the spices and cook for another 5 mins. Add tomato sauce and cook 5 more mins stirring often. Finally add water or vegetable broth, bay leaf and simmer for an hour. Then in four batches blend well with a blender.
• Correct seasoning and serve in 4 bowls. Garnish with your favorite herb or maybe a scoop of yogurt or better yet blended cottage cheese and flax oil. This soup is great to freeze. When thawing out leave soup on the counter and let it slowly come to room temperature over night.

Powered by Recipage

Moroccan Spiced Sweet Potato with Barley, Cauliflower and Pineapple

Well as usual I opened up my cupboards, took a look in the fridge, checked out my spice drawer and came up with something worthwhile to share.  The fire was burning in the pot belly stove and outside there was a steady cold rain blowing down from the north.  Perfect cooking conditions.  I poured myself a glass of a Mallorcan red wine and set to work.  I always start with the vegetables and go from there.  My spice drawer is located right below my stove top so once things start cooking I go down there and see which part of the world I want to travel too.  Last year we went to Morocco and still have some of these amazing spices.  The Casbah in Marrakesh is surreal and when you find the spice market you almost can't believe the quantities of these magic powders.   So from my little spice drawer I started heading down the road to Morocco.  Adding a bit of this and a bit of that.  But always keeping in mind that the recipe I am creating is to combat cancer.  This dish is a great cancer fighter!
Sweet potato - Beta-carotene and Potassium
Onions - Flavonoids
Garlic - Diallyl Sulphide
Tomtoes - Lycopene
Curry & Cinnamon - Antioxidants
Cauliflower - Sulphoraphane
Barley - Soluble Fibre

Moroccan Spiced Sweet Potato with Barley, Cauliflower and Pineapple

by Jeff Harter

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Keywords: entree low-carb nut-free vegan vegetarian sugar-free Sweet Potato Mediterranean

---

Send to:

Printer

Email

Phone

---

Sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene which helps reduce the risk of developing various forms of cancer. They also contain large amounts of potassium which help maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in cells. This spicy dish also contains onions, tomatoes and cauliflower all cancer fighters.

Ingredients

Moroccan Spice Sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 yellow onions diced
• 1 large sweet potato peeled and diced
• 1 carrot diced
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp curry
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup red wine (optional)
• 3 medium tomatoes cubed
• 1 whole tangerine sliced w/out seeds
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup green tea
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup natural yogurt
• 1/2 cup parsley or cilantro

Cauliflower

• 1 whole cauliflower cut into small florets
• 1 quarts salted water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp cumin
• salt and pepper

Barley

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of cayenne
• 1 cup barley
• 1 cup vegi stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper

Pineapple

• 1/4 fresh pineapple sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Moroccan Spice Sauce

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, add onion and cook for 5 mins then add sweet potato and carrots and cook another 10 mins stirring frequently. Then add ginger, garlic, cumin curry, coriander and cinnamon and cook another 5 mins until those aromas fill the house.
• Add red wine and cook 5 mins then add tomatoes, tangerine, tomato sauce, green tea and coconut milk and simmer for about 15 mins. Take off heat and stir in yogurt, parsley or cilantro and adjust seasoning. Cover and keep warm.

Cauliflower

• Bring 2 quarts salted water to a boil. Then add cauliflower and boil for 5 mins. Strain cauliflower. In large skillet heat oil until hot and not smoking, then add cauliflower and saute for 5 mins then add cumin, salt and pepper and saute another 2-3 mins. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Barley

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add cinnamon and cayenne, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add barley and cook, stirring until well coated with oil, 2 minutes more. Add broth, water and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all of liquid is absorbed and barley is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, until ready to serve.

Pineapple

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in saute pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking then add pineapple and cook 5 mins on each side.

To Plate

• Place large spoonful of Barley in the middle of each plate then sprinkle Cauliflower around Barley. Top Barley with Pineapple then top with Moroccan Spice Sauce sprinkle with more parsley/cilantro if desired.

Powered by Recipage

Cottage cheese and flax oil

Several days ago I received and e-mail from an old friend of mine from Boulder Colorado, where I grew up.  He attached to the e-mail a 41 page special report titled "How to cure almost any cancer at home for $5.15 a day" by Bill Henderson.  I started reading it and couldn't put it down until I had read the whole thing.  One of the most important bits of life saving information I got was to eat Cottage cheese and flax oil everyday.  Let me quote him,"The mixture of cottage cheese and flax oil travels right to the cell membrane and repairs it. It gives the cell exactly what it needs in terms of essential fatty acids. Dr. Budwig found that cottage cheese is the ideal and most efficient carrier for flax oil. When you mix the two together, they combine into a new molecule that’s uniquely capable of reforming the permeability of the cell membrane. This kills cancer cells.  
 One of my dearest friends here in Mallorca has beat cancer now for 2 years and is doing great.  She was giving 6 months to live.  She eats cottage cheese and flax oil everyday and just last week gave us a bottle of flax oil.  So this is my recipe.

One cup cottage cheese and 2 tbsp flax oil

Enjoy it and live long and prosper.

Brussel Sprouts never tasted so good!

When I was head chef at a restaurant in The Hampton's I had the luxury of being able to drive around and visit fruit and vegetable stands and pick out the nights specials for the restaurant.  When people ask me what is my favorite thing to cook I usually say vegetables.  You can prepare just one vegetable so many ways.  Slice it, dice it, juice it, reduce it, bake it, poach it, saute it, stuff it, you get it?  And then there are hundreds of vegetable and then each vegi can have several or a lot of varieties.   It's a wonderful world vegetables.
One of my favorite vegetables to cook are Brussels Sprouts.  It's the challenge to have someone look at you with that surprised look and then say "these are delicious!"  And it goes without saying that these are one of the healthiest vegetables available.

Brussel Sprouts never tasted so good!

by Jeff Harter

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 30 minuts

Keywords: bake saute side gluten-free low-carb nut-free soy-free sugar-free vegan vegetarian Brussel Sprouts Thanksgiving fall

---

Original Post

Send to:

Printer

Email

Phone

---

Brussel Sprouts are an unappreciated fall vegetable because it's been mistreated and not completely understood. These tight minnie green cabbages are members of the cruciferous family, such as broccoli and kale. Brussels sprouts contains indoles and sulphoraphane. Sulphoraphane kicks ass on carcinogens and Idoles deactivate potent oestrogens that can trigger tumour growth. Plus it's one of the best vegetable sources of fibre. So hopefully my recipe will entice your often.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 pound fresh dark green Brussel Sprouts.
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Heat oven to 400 degrees/200 celsius
• Take off ugly outer leave of BS's.
• Bring 2 quarts well salted water to hard boil then add BS's.
• Cook 5 mins then drain and place in ice bath for 2 mins then strain.
• Heat large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add olive oil and garlic cut in half then place face side down in oil. Cook garlic until lightly toasted and discard. Cut BS's in half and place face down in hot skillet and saute for 5-10 mins until cut side is lightly browned.
• Salt and pepper the BS's then place skillet in preheated oven and bake for 10 mins.
• Take out of oven and enjoy these tasty little guys with just about anything your eating in the fall months.

Vegetarian Chili con Huevos

This little morning creation came out much better than I thought. It was probably because of the super fresh eggs that I picked up from the mountain estate were I work. There are 12 chicken up there that have a little chicken coup but they are usually always out and about picking at little morsels in the ground. These chickens must be very happy because these are the best eggs I have every eaten!

If you have a little spot for chickens and the climate allows you,you really should look into making the small investment of having chickens. Then you don't have to worry about hormones, antibiotics or what ever else they feed them. Not to mention the terrible living conditions of these poor animals. You can't believe the difference.

Vegetarian Chili with Poached Eggs

by Jeff Harter

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Keywords: breakfast vegetarian sugar-free nut-free low-carb eggs Southwest

---

Original Post

Send to:

Printer

Email

Phone

---

We had some left over chili the following day and fresh eggs from the mountain estate where I work so I came up with this little slant on Huevos Rancheros.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 cups Vegetarian Chili
• 2 avocados halved and sliced
• 8 organic eggs
• 4 slices whole wheat/dark bread

Instructions

• Reheat chili to a boil then take off the heat and cover.
• Bring 4 quarts salted water to a simmer.
• Add 4 eggs and poach until desired doneness.
• Repeat with remaining 4 eggs.
• Meanwhile, toast 4 or 8 slices of toast depending on size.
• Divide toast between 4 plates and place 1 cup of chili on each piece or pieces of toast then the sliced avocado and then top with 2 eggs and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Vegetarian Chili

 It was my wife's birthday over the weekend and we had a killer fiesta for her.  A lot of people showed up and that always makes you feel good.  Here in Mallorca we have made more friends here than we did in the states and we are sure quite why.  But anyways, we love our friends and they loved my chili.  I guess being a chef and throwing a party always helps for turnout. 

I asked what my wife wanted and she suggested vegetarian chili.  Its a great dish to make the day before because it only gets better with time, just like my wife.  And you can make a huge pot and your guests can just keep helping themselves through the evening.  I put out yogurt (instead of sour cream), cheese and green onions as condiments.  Our guests were blown away that there was no meat in it because the flavors were so intense.  It was also a great dish because the nights are cold here now in Mallorca and our friends were standing and sitting in front of our fire place with a nice hot bowl of  healthy chili.  The night was long and fun but the chili kept us warm from the inside out.

Vegetarian Chili

by Jeff Harter

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 4 hours

Keywords: appetizer soup/stew entree gluten-free low-carb nut-free vegan vegetarian Southwest

---

Original Post

Send to:

Printer

Email

Phone

---

This has so many vegis in it you know its good for you. Tons of tomatoes in this delicious dish. Tomatoes are rich in a carotenoid called lycopene which help lower your risk of developing certain forms of cancer. Onions are a power house against cancer.

Ingredients (serves 20)

• Olive oil as needed
• 4 onions chopped
• 2 red peppers chopped
• 2 green peppers chopped
• 4 eggplant chopped
• 1 zucchini chopped
• 2 carrots chopped
• ½ pound mushrooms chopped
• 4 leeks white part only sliced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 4 tbsp. cumin
• 2 tbsp. smoked sweet paprika
• 2 tbsp. spicy paprika
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. curcuma
• 4 large cans whole peeled tomatoes
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 2 cups tomato pure
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup barbeque sauce
• ½ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce
• 2 cans/jars pinto beans
• 2 cans/jars black beans
• 2 cans/jars white beans
• 2 tbsp. oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup parsley chopped

Instructions

• Heat large saute pan with olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until slightly brown. Place onions in large bowl and set aside. Now add the peppers and do the same as onions. Then the eggplant, zucchini and carrots. Now add the mushrooms to the large saute pan and just after all the liquid has evaporated add the leeks and garlic and cook for another 5 mins. Now in a very large pot add all of the vegis you have sauteed. Place over medium heat and add the spices and cook for 5 mins. Then add the whole tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato pure, vegi stock and red wine. Cook for 1/2 hour then add the rest of the ingredients except the beans and parsley. Cook for about 3 hours over low heat uncovered. Then add beans and cook for another hour.Take off heat and let sit for 1 hour covered. Right before serving add parsley. And adjust seasoning.

Spicy Winter Putanesca Sauce

When you add vegis to the oil you want to hear "Tsssss"

Brown the vegis slightly

Last night we were getting kinda hungry so I opened the fridge to see what was inside.  I love doing that, not knowing what I am going to make but using my 20 years of cranking out killer grub for the masses.  I have worked in something like 27 restaurants in my life.  Starting in Boulder Colorado and ending up here in Spain.  It's kinda like your an artist.  First you learn all the techniques, then what mediums to use and then you create your own art with all that you have learned.  It's the same with a chef, you learn how to cut, slice, dice, chop, pick, clean, saute, bake, fry, steam... Then you learn the different mediums vegetables, fish, meat, dairy, fruits, spices and herbs.  You work under great chefs, good chefs, not so good chefs and learn from mothers and friends.  Going out to restaurants your always looking to see what new technique or presentation ideas you can use in the future or what not to do or use.  Reading as many cookbooks as you can just to increase your knowledge of cooking. And then one day you start developing your own style and your very own creations because you have this strong diverse foundation to stand on.

Reduce the sauce

Whoa, sorry about that got off on a tangent there. As I was saying,  in the fridge was just a bunch of vegis and I had some tasty whole wheat penne pasta.  So I thought I would make some kinda pasta sauce.  As it was progressing I wasn't quite sure where I was going to end up but to our
amazement we wound up in heaven.  I don't
normally say this about my food but this was one of the best pastas I have ever eaten!

One of the best pastas I have ever eaten!

Spicy Winter Putanesca Sauce

by Jeff Harter

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Keywords: saute appetizer entree side gluten-free low-carb nut-free soy-free sugar-free Mediterranean fall winter

---

Original Post

Send to:

Printer

Email

Phone

---

Deep robust flavors makes this pasta sauce a winter miracle. It can be used with any pasta of your choice. However, I made it with a whole wheat penne pasta with just a sprinkle of some parm. This mean sauce is packed full of anti-cancer vegetables. Tomatoes and peppers are rich in lycopene that may help to prevent various forms of cancer. Onions, garlic, shallots, cabbage all help with the fight in beating cancer.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 yellow onions diced
• 8 large mushrooms sliced
• 1 medium carrot diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1/2 cup butternut squash diced
• 1 med. eggplant diced
• 1 med. zucchini diced
• 2 shallots minced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp curcuma
• ½ tbsp. sweet paprika
• ½ tbsp. hot paprika
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ head of Chinese lettuce
• 1 large tomato diced
• 8 spanish anchovies chopped
• ½ cup red wine
• ½ cup vegi broth
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley minced

Instructions

• Place large deep saute pan over medium heat and heat for 3 mins.
• Then add the olive oil and heat for 2 mins.
• Then add onions, mushrooms and red peppers and cook for 5 mins stirring frequently as with the rest of the ingredients.
• Then add butternut squash, eggplant and zucchini and cook for 10 mins.
• Then add shallots, garlic and all of the spices and herbs and cook for 5 mins.
• Next add cabbage, tomato and anchovies and cook 5 mins.
• Add red wine and cook for 5 mins
• Finally add vegi broth, salt and pepper and cook for 1/2 hour moving with a wooden spoon often.
• Right before serving add parsley.
• This can be used with pasta or sorta like a ratatouille as a side dish. It also could be put in rice like for a paella or add more vegi stock and serve as a soup.
• Enjoy!

Salt Baked Whole Sea Bass with Rosemary and Lemon

This is one of my favorite ways to prepare Sea Bass because it locks in all the juices and aromas of what ever herbs you decide to use. You don't scale the fish and by doing this it allow just the right amount of salt to penetrate the skin of the fish. Sea Bass contains Omega 3 fatty acids that help keep your heart healthy, lower cholesterol and may help prevent the growth of cancerous tumors. I stuff the Sea Bass with Rosemary and Lemon. Rosemary has cancer fighting potential because it contains chemicals called quinones, which may inhibit carcinogens.

You crack open the hard salt crust all around the fish then lift off the salt crust. Then peel off the skin and the moist, juicy filet will be exposed. Depending on the size of the fish you can get 2-44 portions from the top filet and then another 2-4 from the under side.

Once you have taken the top filet off you pull up the fish spine and gently take out the other filet and divide it up.

Salt Baked Whole Sea Bass with Rosemary and Lemon

by Jeff Harter

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Keywords: bake entree gluten-free low-carb nut-free soy-free sugar-free Sea Bass Mediterranean

---

Original Post

Send to:

Printer

Email

Phone

---

This is one of my favorite ways to prepare Sea Bass because it locks in all the juices and aromas of what ever herbs you decide to use. Here I am using rosemary and lemon but you could use garlic, bay leaf, thyme, black pepper, etc...

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 3-4 pound fresh whole sea bass
• 1 lemon sliced
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 2 26.5 ounce box of course sea salt (6 cups)
• 2 cup water

Instructions

• Tell the fish monger that you are baking the fish in salt so he will leave the scales on and clean the stomach leaving only a small opening. At home grab a cookie sheet that the fish fits onto. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you have to trim the tail, do so just as long as the whole fish fits onto the cookie sheet. Put 2-3 cups of salt on the cookie sheet kinda in the shape of the fish and sprinkle with your fingers about 1 cup of water over the salt. Place fish on top of salt . Fill cavity with rosemary and lemon. Sprinkle some water over fish. Then cover with the rest of the salt and sprinkle with water until slightly moist. Pat down well. Place in oven and cook for about 45 mins.

Powered by Recipage