Healthy, Flavorful, Nutrient Dense Recipes with Carol Bell, RD

Soup’s on! Load up on fiber and antioxidants with this flavorful, nutrient-dense Creamy Cauliflower Soup that’s also dairy free!

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small celery root, peeled & chopped into ½ inch cubes (about 2 cups)
• 1 small head of cauliflower, chopped (4-5 cups)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 quart of broth
• 1 bay leaf or a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme
• ½ tsp salt
• 1-2 cups unsweetened plant milk (coconut, soy, or Ripple milk)
• Pepper
• Optional garnishes below

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Sautè onion and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes until just soft.

2. Add celery root cubes, cauliflower and broth, bring to a slow boil.

3. Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes until very soft. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Remove the bay leaf or woody stems of the herbs.

4. Puree in batches in a blender with the plant milk as needed to reach desired consistency.

5. Ladle into bowls and season with pepper and any optional garnishes.

Below are a few ideas for optional toppings and garnishes for soup. Look around your kitchen and see what you have. Using something with a contrasting color or texture is ideal.

• Toasted sunflower seeds or toasted sliced almonds
• A few sautéed carrots or slices of roasted sweet potato
• Fresh chopped herbs like parsley, cilantro, basil, thyme, dill, chives, green onions or sage
• A few raw celery leaves
• Sprinkle of paprika or nutmeg

Root vegetables are the foods of choice for winter months and late spring because they can be stored for many months after harvesting. Many local farms sell their root vegetable crops through March or April so inquire at farms near you.

Yield: 3-4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• ½ Tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, sliced in matchsticks
• 1 Tbsp water
• 2 medium turnips, sliced in matchsticks
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup frozen peas (or fresh pea pods, sliced in strips)
• ½ tsp grated orange peel
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 wedge of fresh orange (1/8 of an orange)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, then add the olive oil and carrots.

Add a tablespoonful of water, cover and cook for 2 or 3 minutes or halfway cooked through. Add in the turnips and sautè until the vegetables are soft. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the peas, orange peel, honey and stir until combined. Squeeze the orange juice over the vegetables, mix gently and then serve.

Watch Carol Bell make this simple, flavorful recipe in the Heritage Kitchen with the team at 9and10 News

4-6 servingsThis roasted asparagus is a delicious accompaniment for any meal or as a pre-dinner snack.

Serving suggestions:
 At breakfast alongside some poached eggs
 On top of a bowl of leafy greens, with cooked quinoa, chickpeas and avocado
 As a side dish for baked fish, chicken, beef or tofu
Gomasio is a crunchy, savory topping that is common in Japanese cooking. It is made from toasted
sesame seeds, salt and may include a bit of nori, a dry seaweed. (Nori is the seaweed wrapper around a
sushi roll or a California roll.)

Ingredients
1 lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed off
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp raw, unhulled sesame seeds
1/8 tsp salt (or less for low sodium diets)
¼ sheet of nori seaweed (optional), snipped into fine shreds with scissors
Olive oil

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper if desired.

To make the gomasio, heat a skillet on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the seeds and let them
toast for about 5-7 minutes, shaking the pan every minute or so. They should smell toasty and start to
brown just slightly. Don’t overbrown them or they will taste bitter. When fully toasted they will crush
easily between your thumb and ring finger. Allow to cool. Put the seeds in a blender (or use a mortar
and pestle to crush them) with a few pinches of salt and grind to a powder. If you over-blend it will
become like nut butter, so go gently with the blender. Dump into a container, mix in the nori bits and
store at room temp for 1-2 weeks. Can store it longer (1 month) in the fridge or freezer.

Place the asparagus on the baking sheet and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and mix to combine. Roast
the asparagus for 5 minutes for crisp, bright green stalks that are just tender to the bite. Arrange on a
plate or on top of your greens with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with the gomasio mixture.