Mediterranean Bean Soup Recipe With Tomato Pesto

This is my new favorite soup!  This Mediterranean three bean soup recipe is one power-packed vegetarian and gluten free dinner to feed a hungry crowd! And if you ever thought beans are boring, this delicious, cozy soup, finished with a bold tomato pesto will blow your mind!

Mediterranean-Bean-Soup-Recipe-The-Mediterranean-Dish-3

Extra virgin olive oil

1 Large russet potato peeled, diced into small cubes
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 15- oz can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
Salt and pepper
5 cups low sodium vegetable broth, or broth of your choice
8- oz frozen spinach, no need to thaw
15- oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15- oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
15- oz can chickpeas, drained
Basil leaves for garnish optional
⅓ cup toasted pine nuts for garnish optional


For Tomato Pesto Sauce


2-3 large garlic cloves, you can start with less garlic if you’re not sure
1 ½ cup diced fresh tomatoes
15-20 large basil leaves
½ cup Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the diced potatoes and onions. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, tossing regularly.

  • Add the canned diced tomatoes, vinegar, spices, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for another 4 minutes.

  • Uncover, add the vegetable broth and frozen spinach. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil for 4 minutes or so. Add the kidney beans, cannellini beans, and chickpeas. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes (potatoes should be tender at this point).

  • While the soup is cooking, make the tomato pesto. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, place the garlic and fresh tomatoes. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the basil and puree. While the processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil a little bit at a time. Transfer the thick tomato pesto to a bowl, and stir in the grated Parmesan.

  • When the soup is ready, remove from heat. Stir in the tomato pesto.

  • Transfer to serving bowls. Top each bowl with a few basil leaves and toasted pine nuts.


Cleansing Balm (also great balm or moisturizer)

2 tablespoons shea butter

1 tablespoon coconut oil

4 cocoa butter disks (about 1 T solid cocoa butter)

1 teaspoon calendula or chamomile oil

5 drops geranium essential oil

5 drops frankincense essential oil

5 drops bergamot essential oil

  • Empty glass jar with lid.

Place shea butter, coconut oil and cocoa butter disks in a glass bowl. 

Place over double boiler and melt.

Stir until melted.

Repeat until all ingredients are melted.

Let cool slightly until mixture is slightly warm but not hot.

Add calendula oil and essential oils and mix well.

Pour mixture into glass, metal or plastic jars.

Wait for cleansing balm to cool completely and solidify before using. Refrigerate if desired to speed up the process.

Makes about 1/3 cup – enough for one jar of cleaning balm.


Maple Mustard Tempeh Sweet Potato Bowl

Maple Mustard Tempeh Bowl with Sweet Potatoes

Maple Mustard Tempeh Bowls

The Maple-Mustard Dressing:

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup stone ground mustard

2–3 tablespoons soy sauce

2–3 tablespoons olive oil

The Bowl Stuff:

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 blocks tempeh, cubed

3–4 cups kale, cut into small pieces

1 avocado

Other toppings / add-ins: crispy onions, pecans, apples, dried cranberries

Make the dressing and marinate tempeh: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Make dressing. Marinate the tempeh in about half of the dressing for about 30 minutes.

Roast tempeh and sweet potato: Place marinated tempeh (with marinade) on a baking sheet. Roast for 25-30 minutes. Remove Tempeh. Finish Roasting until the potatoes are done. When both are browned and roasted, toss the tempeh with a little more dressing so it soaks up lots of mapley-mustardy flavor.

Steam the kale, toss with dressing. Smash the avocado just a little bit of dressing.

Toss and serve: Toss up the roasted tempeh, sweet potato, kale, sauerkraut, in a big bowl with any other extras that you like.


Potato Lover’s Salad

Potato Lover's Salad

This recipe, with a few tweaks of mine, was first published in Fit for Life by Marilyn Diamond in 1989. It has remained one of my favorite recipes ever since. It is made with Almond Mayonnaise, a low oil mayo that is very healthy as it contains lots of almonds.

1 1/2    pounds  red potatoes — quartered
1/2      head  iceberg lettuce — diced, large
1/2      head  broccoli flowerets
1 1/2   ounces  sun-dried tomatoes — julienne cut
1/2      cup  almonds, blanched
2         Tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
1         teaspoon  Dijon mustard
1/4     cup  fresh basil — packed
1/2     teaspoon  dried thyme
            salt and pepper — to taste
1        teaspoon  honey

Cut red potatoes in one inch cubes, steam 15 to 16 minutes until soft but not mushy.

Cut sun-dried tomatoes in 1/2 with scissors, then soak 5min. in hot water

Grind almonds in blender to a fine powder.. I use a Nutiibullet. Stop the mixer every 30 seconds or so and shake or use a butter knife to get them from under the blades. You don’t want to blend until it turns into almond butter!

Cover with water and blend until creamy and smooth.  Add honey, basil, thyme,Dijon, balsamic vinegar to blender and blend well. Add salt and pepper and adjust seasonings.

Toss all ingredients together.


Crab, Mango and Cucumber Salad with Mango Coulis

Crab Mango and Cucumber Salad

This is a favorite of mine. You can also serve it in an avocado half.

The full recipe of mango Cooley makes more than you need but I love to add cumin, garlic and smoked paprika add it over salmon when I cook it.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into a small dice

1/8 cup water

1 teaspoon lime zest

1/8 cup lime juice

salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a small pan and add the mango and season it with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring for about 3 to 4 minutes until the fruit is very tender. Add the water and bring it to a boil and pull it off the heat. Let it cool down a little Bit and add the zest and the lime juice and then blend well.

1 pound fresh lump crab meat

1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon cilantro leaves chopped fine

2 tablespoons mint leaves chopped fine

1 medium mango, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice

1 cucumber, partially peeled, seeded and cut into ¼ inch dice

Tabasco softs to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted peanuts roughly chopped

salt and pepper

Season the crab meat with the lime juice, olive oil, and the cilantro and mint and salt and pepper. Add Tabasco to taste. Toss everything together. Top with the peanuts and serve on a lettuce leaf with the coulis on the side.


Asian Tuna Salad on a Bed of Nappa Cabbage

Ahi Tuna on A Salad of Nappa Cabbage Slaw

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

11/2 t. Monk Fruit Sweetener or honey

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Coarse salt and cracked black pepper

1 medium Napa cabbage

1 bag shredded carrots

1/2 cup basil leaves, torn into quarters

1/2 cup mint leaves, torn

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

4 tablespoons black and white sesame seeds

1 pound ahi tuna steaks

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

In a large salad bowl, whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Cut cabbage in 1/2 lengthwise and slice into thin ribbons. Place cabbage, carrots, basil, mint, and cilantro in the bowl with the dressing. Toss to combine. Set aside.

Pour the sesame seeds out onto a plate. Press the tuna into the seeds on both sides, pressing gently so the sesame seeds stick.

Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add fish to pan and cook until rare, about 2 minutes per side. Alternatively, cook until done to your likeness. Slice thin and distribute among 4 serving plates. Serve with a generous portion of Napa cabbage slaw.


Shrimp and Fall Greens Gumbo

  Shrimp and Fall Greens Gumbo                   

                   

  12          ounces  clam juice
  1            pound  medium shrimp — cut in half
  1           tablespoon  olive oil
  3/8       cup  onion — chopped
  3/8       cup  green pepper — diced
  1          tablespoon  garlic — chopped
  1/4       cup  tomatoes — seeded, diced
  2          large  bay leaf
  1/2     tablespoon  dried thyme
  1/2     teaspoon  tabasco sauce
  1/2     bunch  kale — chopped coarsely
  1          cup  rice
  1/2     bunch  scallions — dia. slices
  1 1/2  tablespoons  file powder

Boil water, reserved shrimp shells and clam juice for 15 minutes. strain and reserve stock.

Sauté onions, peppers and garlic in white wine for 2 minutes, add tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, tabasco and reserved stock. bring to a boil. reduce heat, simmer 15 minutes.

Add rice to soup and simmer 20 minutes. Then add kale greens to soup, simmer until greens are bright green, about 3 minutes. add shrimp, simmer 1 more minute. turn off heat, add file powder, season w/ salt and pepper and tabasco.


Smoked Eggplant Dip with Tahini and Lemon

  • 3 medium sized eggplant, washed
  • 1 head of garlic, roasted
  • ¼ cup organic tahini
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon smoked salt from natural sources (no liquid smoked flavor!)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish
  • drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
  1. Preheat smoked to 275°F. Place eggplants into grill basket then transfer to smoker, barbecue or oven. Cook for 2 hours, or until skin and flesh soften.
  2. Trim tips off cloves of one head of garlic. Place onto a square of aluminum foil, drizzle with oil and add salt and pepper. Seal foil into tent shape and roast at 400°F for 45 minutes.
  3. Toast cumin seeds in a skillet on medium-high heat until fragrant and toasted. Allow to cool and then grind.
  4. Remove eggplant from smoker and cool for about 20 minutes.
  5. Remove garlic from oven, allowing it to cool. Open foil wrap and carefully squeeze or spoon the roasted cloves from the garlic skin into a bowl and gently mash.
  6. Transfer eggplant, mashed garlic, tahini and lemon juice into a bowl and stir together. Add cumin and stir again. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Garnish with rough-chopped parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Pineapple Jerk Salad Dressing

Pineapple Jerk Dressing

1 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons Coconut Aminos (or soy sauce)
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon grated ginger
½ teaspoon thyme
Pinch of cinnamon
½ teaspoon Allspice
1 Tablespoon Jerk Seasoning
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes

Blend everything in a blender


Summer Greens with Mustardy Potatoes and Six-Minute Egg

Summer Greens with Mustardy Potatoes and Six-Minute Egg

4 large Farmers Hen House eggs

2 ounces sliced or slab bacon, cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips

¾ pound tiny potatoes, halved if larger than a ping pong ball

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1 small shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon (or more) white wine vinegar

4 cups (lightly packed) summer greens, such as arugula, baby romaine, and/or mustard greens

2 cups mixed herb leaves, such as parsley, chives, and/or chervil

Carefully lower eggs into a medium saucepan of boiling water and cook 6 minutes. Drain and transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water; set aside.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fat is starting to render but bacon is not yet crisp, about 4 minutes. Add potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, shaking pan occasionally, until potatoes are tender and cooked through, 8–10 minutes. Remove from heat and add shallot, mustard, and vinegar; toss to coat.

Toss greens and herbs in a large bowl, add warm potatoes and toss again to coat; season with salt, pepper, and more vinegar, if desired. Peel and halve eggs; arrange over potatoes and greens.