Carrot Parsnip Fennel Soup

The cool chill in the air the past few nights has left my body needing some warm hearty foods. There is nothing better than a root vegetable soup to warm the body and sooth the soul. I made this soup last night and I took a little twist on a classic carrot ginger soup. Here is my version!  And I can truly say my belly is full and my body is warm!

In a big soup pot add :
1 whole onion chopped
1 whole head of garlic chopped fine
1 tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil
saute garlic and onion with coconut oil on medium heat for about 3 minutes
Add :
1 tablespoon of grated raw ginger
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of cumin (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon of tumeric
1 teaspoon of fennel seeds

Saute all together with garlic and onion mixture for another 2 minutes
Then add:
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme chopped
3 pounds of organic carrots chopped into cubes
2 medium size Parsnips cut into cubes

Saute again for another 4 minutes until vegetables a lightly coated with oil, and seasonings.

Then add 3 cups of vegetable broth
                3 cups of water
                1/2 cup of orange juice
Bring to a boil , then simmer for about 1 and 1/2 hours.
Stirring occasionally
Once cooked, allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
Then transfer half the contents into a food processor or blender and puree well.
Leave the other half in the pot with thick chunky pieces of vegetables. Then pour the blended contents back in with the remaining half .
To serve reheat and then garnish with
fresh curly parsley
chopped scallions
raw pumpkin seeds
fresh ground pepper
All of the garnish is optional but trust me so worth adding!!!!

Health Benefits of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil:
- Helps to maintain cholesterol levels
- may help lose weight
- helps to maintain proper digestion and metabolism
-increased immunity
-helps absorption of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids

Bye Bye Summer, Hello Fall

I have not forgotten about all of you. The little bird has been very busy with my new business venture and coming up with some new warm recipes for everyone. For those of you who do not know, I started a holistic health counseling business called Hand to Heart Holistics, and you can check out the website at handtoheartholistics.org.  If anyone is interested in turning over a new leaf (how appropriate for the season!) and getting healthy in body, mind, and spirit please contact me for a free initial health consultation.
Especially for those brides to be out there! I have a 6 month program designed just for you to help get you ready for the Biggest Day of your life!
With all of that said, stay tuned for some delicious fall soups and recipes I have been working on! Think apples, pumpkins, carrots, ginger, cumin, and wild rice....Oh My!!! The endless bountiful array of fall veggies!
Happy new Beginnings. :)

Creamy Basil Kale salad

Kale is so rich in nutrients , it is hard to believe some people still are not eating it every day! Loaded with calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, C, E, and K. Kale is great for circulation, considered a blood purifier, and improves the functioning of the liver and gallbladder.
For some, all of that is not enough. It needs to taste great as well. I made this kale salad with Raw kale in order to really get the most of all the vitamins and nutrients...This creamy dressing is hard not to love!

A bunch of fresh raw Kale chopped (removing the hard stems)
4 whole artichoke hearts cut into quarter pieces
1/4 raw walnut pieces
1/2 of avocado cut into quarters
1/4 fresh or canned white beans

Mix together in a large salad bowl. Then set aside

Dressing :
Combine in a blender
2 tablespoons of tahini
1/4 cup of water
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste
1 teaspoon of honey
handful of fresh basil leaves
Pour over salad and combine very well

The Little Bird Cucumber Avocado

Sometimes all it takes is a few simple high quality ingredients in order to make the perfect sandwich. This sandwich became a customer favorite at The Little Bird instantly. Once you make it and try it, you will see why. My one recommendation is to buy a really high quality extra virgin olive oil. I use a greek koroneiki unfiltered extra virgin olive oil . I swear by this stuff and probably just gave away one of my biggest secrets yet! I wish I could have trademarked this sandwich because it was very unique to The Little Bird and one of the things I think we will always be remembered by!

Half of a ripe avocado (mashed)
2 pieces of sourdough or rye bread
1/2 of kirby cucumber cut into thin slices
a medley of fresh herbs chopped (these may vary , but here I used rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and dill.
1/4 of fresh squeezed lemon juice
course seal salt
black pepper
paprika

Lightly toast the bread. Mash the avocado and spread evenly on both sides. On one half of the bread place the cut cucumbers . On the other half  spread the fresh herbs. On the side with the cucumbers squeeze the fresh lemon juice and then on the other remaining side drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.To finish off sprinkle course sea salt, cracked pepper and paprika.
Shown here as an open faced sandwich but in order to get all the flavors together I recommend serving as a stacked sandwich.

ENJOY!!!

Purple Passion Salad

There is nothing better than a zesty red cabbage vegan slaw on a hot summer's day! The colors are so bright and beautiful that this salad becomes more of an art piece rather than a side dish.
No cooking involved which makes it easy to make and easy to clean up. Also who wants to really turn on the stove in this weather?

1 small head of red cabbage chopped
1/2 cup of chopped curly parsley
1/4 cup of raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup of pitted green and purple olives (i prefer the greek kind)
1 medium size cucumber chopped into quarter pieces
handful of black raisins (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together
In a separate mixing bowl combine the dressing

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons  of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of course sea salt
sprinkle with cracked pepper

Simple Saute Greens and Mushrooms

A simple saute of greens as a  side dish is a standard in my house. It is easy and healthy and can be done in less than 15 minutes.
Saute preferably in a wok over med heat 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of tamari,  and the following ingredients
2 cloves of crushed garlic
2 teaspoons of grated fresh ginger (optional)
1 shallot chopped fine

When it starts to get slightly golden and the garlic begins to soften add:
A medley of mixed mushrooms
Allow to cook for about 3 to 5 minutes before adding
A pound and half of kale (leaves should be bright green)

Allow to cook for at least another 8 minutes or until tender ...
Once finished,  I like to sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Optional as well.

Savor, Enjoy, and Be Healthy

Summer Veggie Lentil Salad and Stir Fry

So lucky that summer is finally here and I get to take advantage of all the local summer veggies. One of my favorite combos is eggplant, summer squash , and zucchini. At the little bird I used to make them grilled on a sandwich. It was one of the customer favorites. Here I chopped them all up and made into a delicious lentil salad. This recipe is really simple and takes no time at all.

1 cup of lentils rinsed and cooked ( set aside and cool down)
1 medium sized eggplant cut into cubes
2 medium sized summer squash
1 medium sized zucchini
1/2 of red onion diced
3 cloves of garlic minced

Mix all ingredients except for the lentils into a mixing bowl with good quality extra virgin olive oil , 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, generous sprinkle of paprika, generous sprinkle of cumin, salt and pepper to taste.

Bake in the oven at 350 for about 35 min or until they look slightly golden brown.
Cool down.

Mix all vegetables with lentils.
Drizzle sparingly with grade b maple syrup.
Add chopped scallions (optional)

And there you have it! Can be served over mesclun greens or used as a side dish. I chose to accompany it with a mix of stir fry veggies that are in season. For a quick and easy stir fry:

Finely Chop 2 cloves of garlic
Simmer on medium heat with sesame oil, and tamari soy sauce.
Add shiitake mushrooms, yellow and orange bell peppers, broccoli, kale, and truly whatever other veggie you desire.
Simmer on medium to low heat for about 10 minutes or until veggies become tender.
Serve over wild or brown rice.