The following recipe suggests using kiwis the way one might use a raw tomato, in that they are both acidic and sweet, and suggests making salsa with them. Brilliant! Here is a lovely spicy seasonal salsa using a few kiwi fruit, with some pomegranate seeds for added color and sweetness, and avocado to balance out the acidity of the kiwifruit. Serve with tacos or steak.

INGREDIENTS

• 3-4 ripe kiwifruit, peeled, carefully chopped
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (arils)
• 1/2 avocado, peeled and chopped (see how to cut and peel an avocado)
• 1 heaping tablespoon thinly sliced green onion
• 1 tablespoon (adjust to taste) of chopped fresh or pickled jalapeño chili peppers (no seeds)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Place the kiwifruit, pomegranate seeds, avocado, green onion and olive oil in a medium sized bowl. Starting with just a teaspoon of chopped jalapeño, gently fold in and add more to your desired level of heat. Add cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Green beans are a workhorse vegetable: nothing flashy, rarely the star, but always dependable in a supporting role. They’re versatile, too—they’ll work well with just about any cuisine.

To prove their versatility, here are five out-of-the-ordinary ideas for cooking with green beans, each from a different culture:

1. Southern. Bacon grease “brings out the best in folks—and beans,” writes Christy Jordan on her Southern Plate blog, in a recipe for sweet and sour green beans that also includes vinegar and sugar. Unless you’re a stickler for authenticity, you don’t even have to “cook the living mess” out of them, as Jordan explains that Southerners are wont to do.

2. Greek. Ask three Greeks how to cook green beans and you’ll get three different fasolakia recipes, as recounted in an amusing tale at the site Mama’s Taverna. Most of them (including this one) involve stewing the beans in tomatoes, onions, and sometimes potatoes until sweet and tender.

3. Persian. In Iran, a kuku (or kookoo) is a popular frittata-like egg dish, packed with herbs and/or green vegetables. The Persian food blog Turmeric and Saffron uses those signature spices in a recipe for green bean kookoo.

4. Indian. The Book of Yum compiles gluten-free vegetarian recipes from around the globe. But an Indian-inspired dish of “ambrosial green beans,” with a spiced cashew-yogurt sauce, would appeal to even those without dietary restrictions.

5. Chinese. Dry-fried green beans or long beans are a common feature on Chinese restaurant menus. The cooking method results in ultra-flavorful beans that retain their snap— Cooking with Amy explains how to make them at home.

Source: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2011/07/five-ways-to-eat-green-beans/

Baked Butternut Squash & Veggie Casserole – Vegan Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Cook squash 375 °F for 30 minutes or until center is soft Sauté, zucchini, onions, garlic, and mushrooms, then add tofu cubes and cooked rice and quinoa. Scoop out the squash and mix with zucchini, onions, garlic, mushrooms, tofu, rice, and quinoa. Mix in one 8 oz package of non-dairy cheese, put in the oven and bake until cheese is melted. It is delicious!

“Hey I just wanted to say we loved the butternut squash, I thought I would share a recipe with you its vegan and so good. I am trying to go vegan so learning new things ” ~ Teresa, Camano Is. customer.

Dairy-Free Banana Bread (or Muffins)

Melted Leek Sauce

It often happens when hosting a holiday get-together that you spend more time getting the feast on the table and cleaning up than actually spending time with your loved ones—which is the whole reason you hosted Christmas anyway, right? We have compiled a few Christmas recipes utilizing what you already have in this week’s box of good. Enjoy!

Cucumber, Tomato and Lettuce Salad with Tahini Dressing:

Ingredients

Salad Dressing

Directions

I am adding this to my healthy appetizers event which is running upto 30 April 2011. If you have not sent your entries please send them now .

Original recipe: http://www.mytastycurry.com/2011/04/cucumber-tomato-and-lettuce-salad-with.html

Roasted Potatoes and Cauliflower with Red Onion, Capers, and Chiles:

Chunks of potatoes were tossed with olive oil and salt and then roasted in a 450 F oven. Throughout this book, it’s common that seasoning will be with salt only if chile flakes are used later in the dish. The cauliflower was chopped into florets and tossed with a generous quarter cup of olive oil and some salt. It was then sauteed with that oil until the cauliflower just started to brown. Then, the saute pan went into the oven where the cauliflower roasted until browned but not limp. As the vegetables roasted, more olive oil was heated in a saucepan. Capers were fried in it, and then chile flakes were added with sliced red onion. When the onion had softened, the mixture was taken off the heat, and red wine vinegar was stirred into it. That mixture was the warm dressing which was then tossed with the roasted potatoes and cauliflower.

Original recipe: http://lisaiscooking.blogspot.com/2010/02/roasted-potatoes-and-cauliflower-with.html

Pear, Apple and Cranberry Tatin

INGREDIENTS

CRUST

1 cup white whole-wheat flour, (see Ingredient Note)

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons ice water

FILLING

2 ripe but firm pears, peeled and thinly sliced

1 large apple, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup fresh cranberries

PREPARATION

To prepare crust: Place flour, oats, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor; process until the oats are finely ground. Add butter one piece at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition, until incorporated. Add oil and water and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times until it holds together. Form the dough into a 5-inch disk, wrap in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

To prepare filling: Toss pears and apple with lemon juice in a large bowl.

Place brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and ginger in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet; cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until the butter and sugar are melted and the mixture starts to bubble. Remove from the heat. Starting at the center of the pan, arrange the pear and apple slices in concentric circles, overlapping the slices and adding another layer until all the slices are in the pan. Scatter cranberries on top.

Return the pan to medium-low heat and bring the liquid to a simmer. (It might be hard to see the simmering"take a peek under the fruit or listen for the bubbling.) Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, gently swirling the pan occasionally, until the sauce becomes a thick, caramel-like glaze, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Roll the dough out between sheets of parchment or wax paper into a 12-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough over the fruit. Peel off the remaining paper. Quickly tuck the edges of the crust down into the sides of the pan. Prick the top with a fork.

Transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until the crust is just beginning to brown around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to release the crust. Place a serving plate larger than the pan on top of it and invert the tart onto the plate (it may take a light shaking to release the tart from the pan). Serve warm.

TIPS & NOTES

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the crust (Step 1), wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Ingredient note: White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour. Available in large supermarkets and in natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.

Original recipe: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/pear_apple_cranberry_tarte_tatin.html