Sargent JB's Confetti Hash Browns

Another patient-created recipe, from a different Veteran! Our Vets are all over the home cooking now, we love it!

Confetti Hash Browns

Ingredients 

1 medium sweet potato

1 medium white potato 

1 small carrot

1 parsnip

1 radish

1/2 of a red onion

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

 Directions

1. Shred all veggies using a grater or food processor. Mix well together. 

2. Heat a griddle (350 degrees) or frying pan, add olive oil let heat 1 min then add the veggie mix. 

3. Flatten veggies and let cook for for 15 minutes, flipping and flattening every 5 minutes.  Serve hot with eggs of any meat or fish. 

Enjoy!

Pasta-less ravioli (a 'patient-created' recipe!)

If you are missing the little Italian stuffed creations called ravioli, one patient came up with a creative way to quench that craving. Give it a try! (It is also acceptable for the puree stage)

1 qt part skim ricotta
2 eggs
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup marinara sauce, heated
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, egg and nutmeg until well blended. Spread in the bottom of a baking dish (9x9 or smaller or a glass pie dish will work as well).
3. Bake until set, approx 10-15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile heat the marinara sauce.
5. When ricotta is set, remove from oven, using a tablespoon or ice cream scoop, scoop out balls of ricotta onto a place. Using the back of a spoon, create a depression in the middle of the ball, fill with sauce and sprinkle cheese over the top if you like!

ENJOY!

CBS July Newsletter Recipe: Roasted Beet Salad

Sara adapted this month's recipe from Cooking Channel TV

Alternatively to roasting the beets, you could steam them (cut off each end and then quarter them so they cook faster) - it will take about 15-20 minutes. Then put them pyrex dish, top with approx 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and let sit covered in the fridge until ready to use. Then you just have to drizzle olive oil over the salad once you assemble it or you can make the whole dressing!

Ingredients:
•2 large golden beets
•2 large red beets
•4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
•½ cup extra virgin olive oil
•2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
•2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
•2 shallots, finely diced
•4 cups arugula
•4 oz. soft mild goat cheese
•Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

Directions:
1.) Pre-heat oven to 425 °F. Separately wrap the beets tightly in double layers of foil with the vinegar, 2 Tbsp. olive oil & thyme leaves, & season well with salt & pepper. Roast in the middle of the oven until tender for 1 -1 1/2 hours. Unwrap the beets and allow to cool.
2.) To make the vinaigrette, whisk the lemon juice & shallots in a small bowl. Add the remaining olive oil in a steady stream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3.) When the beets are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and discard. Separately cut the golden and red beets into 1/2-inch dice & put in separate bowls. Drizzle with the vinaigrette & season with salt & pepper.
4.) Divide the beets onto 6 salad plates. Toss the arugula with the vinaigrette to coat & gently mound on top of the beets. Crumble the goat cheese on top. Serve immediately.

ENJOY!!

Sargent WB's Black Bean Soup

A patient brought me in some of his homemade black bean soup this week. It was very tasty (I only thought it could have used a little salt....GASP... the dietitian uses salt!) so I wanted to pass it along to everyone! They make a big pot of it so that it can be frozen and thawed as necessary over a few weeks.

Beans:
1 pound dried black beans - place in 4 quarts hot water with 2 tablespoons of koster salt, then boil for 2 minutes, let beans soak for 8-24hours

Veggies:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Seasoning:
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried cumin (I think you could use up to 1 tablespoon if you prefer that flavor)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
32oz vegetable broth + 1 cup water
2 limes, cut into wedges

1. Once you have soaked the beans, drain and rinse them, set aside.
2. In the pressure cooker on medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil an add the ingredients under the 'veggie' and 'seasoning' sections. Saute for about 5 minutes until the veggies are soft.
3. Add beans and broth to the pressure cooker and stir to combine. Bring the cooker up to high on 'manual' and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Turn off heat and let the pressure come down naturally about 15 minutes more.
5. If you want a thicker soup, you can use a hand blender (immersion/stick blender) right in the pot to  do so or you can blend up half of the soup (2 cups a time) in the regular blender and then mix back in until you have the desired thickness.
5. Service with lime wedges to sprinkle juice over soup.

ENJOY!!

CBS Newsletter Recipe June: Mango-Peach-Pineapple Salsa

Sara's choice for the newsletter this month, adapted from AllRecipes . Kimba's tip - skip the artificial sweetener and add a diced, fresh jalapeno instead for some kick!

Serves:  Approximately 12-16

Ingredients:

•2 mangos (peeled, seeded & chopped)

•2 small peaches, peeled, halved & pitted &

cut into ½  inch cubes.

•1 cup diced fresh pineapple

•4 tomatoes, chopped

•1 white onion, diced

•1 red bell pepper, diced

•1 yellow bell pepper, diced

•1 cup chopped  fresh cilantro

•1 garlic clove, minced

•2 Tbsp. lime juice

•1 tsp salt

•2-4 tsp. natural calorie-free sweetener (stevia or monk fruit) or Splenda

•¾ cup water

Directions:

1.) Place the mango, peach, pineapple, tomato, onion, red pepper, yellow pepper, pineapple, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Stir in the garlic, lime juice, salt, sweetener, and water. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Tips: Use as an appetizer along with whole grain baked pita chips or within a tossed salad. It even makes a great accompaniment atop grilled chicken or pork or seafood such as  salmon, tilapia or shrimp. 

ENJOY!

Parsnip Soup from Farm Fresh Rhode Island

In case you missed support group last night, here is the recipe that was demonstrated by the Farm Fresh Rhode Island crew. The Parsnip Soup is one of the recipes in their Farm to Cafeteria project.

Ingredients:
½ cup Onion, finely chopped
1 each Garlic clove, minced 1 teaspoon Ginger root, peeled and minced
½ cup Carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
½ cup Celery, sliced thin
1/8 teaspoon Dried thyme
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
¾ pound / 2 cups Parsnips, peeled and cut into thin slices
2 cups Chicken broth
½ cup Cannellini Beans, rinsed
Dash Nutmeg (optional)

Method of Preparation:
1. In a heavy saucepan, cook the onion, garlic, ginger, the carrot, the celery and the thyme in the olive oil over moderately low heat. Stir until the onion is softened.
2. Add the parsnip, broth and beans, bring the liquid to a boil and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until vegetables are very tender.
3. Puree soup in a blender and return to the pan, or use an immersion blender to puree in the cooking pot. Add water if needed to thin to desired consistency.
4. Serve with a dash of nutmeg if desired.

ENJOY!!!

Asparagus and brussel sprout salad w/dijon vinaigrette - JWU Ashley's support group recipe

This is the last recipe I owe you all from the post-op support group with Ashley, annnnnnd asparagus is in season now! Make sure you pick up the thin ones as they will be the most tender.

3/4 cup asparagus, thinly sliced
1 cup brussel sprouts, thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon dried cherries, finely chopped
1/4 cup almonds, sliced and toasted
1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice of half a lemon
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Combine all the ingredients starting with the mustard down to the end of the list in a bowl, whisk and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and brussel sprouts to the pan and cook until vegetables are partially softened, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Transfer vegetables to the bowl with dressing and toss to coat. Add cherries and almonds.

ENJOY!