Yield: 6 servings

I served this soup at a Super Bowl party and scored a touchdown! It’s a warming soup with hints of cumin and coriander; perfect for all seasons. The addition of tahini makes a rich and creamy cup, while spinach adds color and added nutrition.

Nutrition Tip: Did you know that in the larger meat processing plants, ground meat from several animals are processed at the same time? This means that your pound of ground beef or sausage links most likely contains meat from several animals, and increases the risk of bacterial contamination. Please consider a small, local, organic farm that processes their animals individually to reduce your chances of food-borne illness.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
10-12 ounces uncooked beef, pork, chicken or soy sausage, skins removed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups finely diced sweet potatoes or yams
1/2 cup lentils, rinsed and sorted
1/2 cup milk, any variety
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame butter)
1-2 teaspoons salt (check sodium content of stock)
1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper
2 1/2 cups shredded spinach

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sausage meat, breaking up the large pieces with a wooden spoon. Saute 5-6 minutes, until the onions are soft and fragrant. Add the garlic, coriander and cumin, and cook another 1-2 minutes.

Add the stock, sweet potatoes and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes and lentils are tender.

Turn the heat to low and stir in the milk and tahini. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper; taste, adding a little more salt, if needed, to bring up the flavors.

Optionally blend a third of the soup to make it a bit creamier, while maintaining the chunky texture.

Stir in the spinach and cook another minute. Serve warm.

Food photos by Jackson D. Carson

©2010 Copyright Alison Anton – All rights reserved.

Serves 4

Seared, marinated steak is topped with fresh primavera-style peppers with garlic and herbs. Summer and fall are the best time for this dish, when farmers market bell peppers are at their sweetest.

Marinade
1/4 cup fresh minced herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary, lavender…)
1/2 cup sliced jarred sundried tomatoes
1 tablespoon oil from jarred sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup port, or pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey or agave nectar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound flank or skirt steak (preferably grass-fed), 3/4-1″-thick

Pepper Saute
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced red and orange bell peppers
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Remaining marinade from steak
3 tablespoons fresh herbs (same as above), and a little more for garnish
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Mix the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the flank steak in one or two pieces to the marinade. Cover and marinate at least 2 hours (up to 8 hours or over night).

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the steak from the marinade, removing any large bits of sundried tomato from the meat. Pat the steak with a paper towel. Without adding oil, place the meat into the pan and sear each side for 3 minutes, or intil desired doneness is acheived.

Remove the steak to a cutting board to sit for 5 minutes.

For the saute, add the 2 teaspoons olive oil to the same pan. Add the bell peppers, shallot and garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes, until the pepper is crisp-tender. Add the marinade, herbs, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook another 30-60 seconds, until warmed through.

Slice the meat and arrange on a serving platter. Pour the sauteed pepper sauce over the meat. Sprinkle with the remaining fresh herbs. Serve warm or room temperature.

©2008 Copyright Alison Anton – All rights reserved.

This recipe written by Alison Anton was published in Delicious Living magazine for an article on Healthy Indian Cooking. For westerners who don’t happen to have a fire-hot tandoor brick oven in their kitchen, these tender cuts of marinated lamb are grilled or broiled over high heat to mimic the traditional tandoori taste.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee
1 tablespoon garlic-ginger paste (see below)
2 1/2 tablespoons curry spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
8 lamb chops, preferably from the loin or rib

1. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic-ginger paste and cook for one minute. Add the curry spice and salt, cooking for another minute.

2. Blend the cooked spices with the yogurt and cilantro in a large bowl. Add the meat, spreading the thick marinade onto the lamb chops, coating all sides. Refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 8-12 hours.

3. Fire up a charcoal grill or heat a stovetop grill over medium-high heat. If broiling, heat the broiler to 450 degrees, placing the rack 3-4 inches from the broiler. Grill or broil 4-5 minutes on each side for medium-rare, adding 2-3 minutes each side for medium done.

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Garlic-Ginger Paste
Makes about 1/3 cup

This is a simple, handy seasoning for a variety of Eastern dishes. Double or triple the recipe and measure tablespoonfuls into little zip-lock bags or an ice cube holder for easy “grab and go” use.

1 head garlic, peeled
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
touch or water
touch of lemon juice (to keep from oxidizing)

Blend the garlic and ginger in a food processor or blender until pureed, adding a little water to help it blend. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Store in the refrigerator for several days, or freeze for several months.

Remove the meat from the pan, leaving a few teaspoons of the fat for sauteeing. Add the shallot and saute 1-2 minutes until just tender. Watch the fond (bits of meat), being careful not to let them scorch.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the balsamic vinegar, wine and stock, scraping the fond from the bottom. Place the sauce back on the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until it has reduced by 1/2.

Whisk in the rosemary and olive oil. Taste for seasoning before spooning over meat, tofu or vegetables.

©2006 Copyright Alison Anton – All rights reserved.

There’s nothing like a bowl of comfort to ease us into the autumn season. Hearty roots and seasoned meat are slow cooked for a tender texture and rich taste. This healthy version doesn’t contain potatoes or flour, making it suitable for the paleo diet.

MEAT SEASONINGS
2 pounds stewing beef or lamb, cut into 1 or 2-inch cubes
2 teaspoons dried herbs (thyme, marjoram, savory, rosemary…)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

STEW
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
4 cups beef or chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 carrots, diagonally cut into 1-inch chunks
1 turnip, diagonally cut into 1-inch chunks
parsnip, diagonally cut into 1-inch chunks
1 delicata or acorn squash, halved, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks (leave skin on)

Season the meat with the herbs and spices.

Heat the olive oil in a medium stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and saute for 5 minutes, until tender.

Stir the meat into the above vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the meat is slightly browned. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaves, reduce the heat, cover and simmer over low heat until the meat is fork tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Add in the carrots, turnip, parsnip and squash; cook, uncovered, another 35-45 minutes, until the veggies are tender and the liquid reduces to a thick stew.

Taste and adjust the seasonings by adding more salt, pepper or dried herbs.

©2007 Copyright Alison Anton – All rights reserved.

Karen Harbour, The Tea Spot
Serving Size: 4- 6

Rooibos tea, an earthy herbal tea from Africa, is the flavor agent for this rich and hearty tea glaze for steak or savory vegetables.

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup Balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons agave (or ¼ cup honey)
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons The Tea Spot’s RED ROCKS Tea (or any rooibos tea) finely ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1.5 lb flank steak or 4 large portabella mushrooms

Mix the oil, vinegar, agave and mustard together in a small dish. Add RED ROCKS Tea, salt & pepper; whisk until incorporated.

Coat the steak or portabellas with the RED ROCKS glaze and allow to marinate for 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours.

Heat the grill to medium. Grill the steak or portabellas on each side for 5 – 7 minutes, glazing periodically with the remaining glaze.

Alison’s note: I had some marinade left after glazing, so I simmered it until reduced about a third, strained the tea out and used it as a drizzle for the steak and side veggies.

Food photos by Jackson D. Carson

©2009 Copyright Alison Anton – All rights reserved.