Amaranth Salad with Garbanzo Beans

1 cup cooked Garbanzo Beans
1 cup organic Corn
1 whole Avocado, sliced and peeled
1 cup organic whole Amaranth, rinsed and cooked
1 teaspoon Grape Seed Oil
½ cup chopped organic Peppers, red or yellow or both
2 ripe organic Roma Tomatoes, seeded and sliced. (Grape tomatoes could also work)
½ organic Red Onion, (or green onion is good, too), finely diced
1 handful organic Cilantro
1 handful organic Parsley
1 handful organic Mint (optional, but very nice in the warmer months)
2 tablespoons organic Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
 1/4 cup Toasted Sesame Oil
2 tablespoons Lemon Rind (optional)
Dash Sea Salt or Himalayan Crystal Salt (very mineral-rich)
Dash non-irradiated Cayenne Pepper


Wash your hands thoroughly-always, but especially for this one.

Boil up 2 cups of water and a dash of salt. Cook the amaranth through: put it in a large bowl, with the grape seed oil and cover with 1 cup of boiling water. Leave the mixture for 40 min, fluffing with a fork to separate the grains from time to time.

If you have missed any slicing or chopping of herbs or veggies, now id the time to catch up.

Before adding the remaining salad ingredients, rub the cooked grains in your hands to remove any lumps. The grains will retain a little crunch.

Toss everything together and season with a dash of cayenne pepper.

Serves 2, with leftovers for lunch.

Mediterranean Bruschetta Topping

From Co-op Member Elizabeth Dickey

Thank you, Elizabeth!

Ingredient amounts should be viewed as guidelines that may be varied according to taste.  Chopped Italian parsley and /or hot pepper flakes may be added.

14.5 oz jar  Artichoke Hearts in water, drained

½ cup  Brine cured olives, pitted – I used Kalamata

1 clove  Garlic, minced

1/3 cup  Fresh basil leaves, torn

1/3 cup  Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¼ cup   Balsamic Vinegar

2 - 14.5 cans Diced Tomatoes, drained  (I used 1 can Muir Glen Organic Diced Tomatoes with Basil and Garlic, plus 1 can Muir Glen Organic Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes)

¼ cup  Capers, drained


Combine first six ingredients (Artichokes through Balsamic Vinegar) in a food processor.  Pulse until it becomes a coarse puree.

Transfer ingredients into a non-metallic bowl.  Stir in diced tomatoes and capers.

Ready to eat right away, or may be allowed to sit to allow the flavors to meld.

Organic Edemame Salad

To prepare the beans:
Rinse beans well. Soak overnight for shorter cooking time.  Bring to a boil 2 cups of beans in 6 cups of water and simmer for 60-90 minutes. (150 minutes unsoaked)

Dressing:
5 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes, zest and juice
2 tsp cumin
1 tablespoon chipotle
2 tablespoons of wheat-free Tamari
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
Wisk all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Veggies:
1 pound frozen shelled edemame (thaw)
3 cups frozen corn kernels (thaw)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups Organic Turtle Black Beans
1 red bell pepper, diced

Mix prepared veggies in a bowl, pour dressing over veggies and mix well. Serve chilled or immediately. Garnish with fresh sliced lime and a sprig of cilantro.

Green Rice and Grilled Asparagus Salad

1 pound Asparagus - trimmed
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 Yellow Pepper - seeded and cut in half
1 Red Pepper - seeded and cut in half
¼ cup Orange Juice - plus more if needed
1 clove Garlic - chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh grated Ginger
2 Tablespoons Honey
½ Orange - the zest only
1 Orange - segmented and cut up
¼ teaspoon Wasabi Powder
1 cup Jade Rice
¾ teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Mixed Nuts, optional

Heat the grill to medium.

Cover and grill the asparagus until lightly browned and crisp tender. Grill the peppers until the skin is blackened all over, about 7 minutes.

Cut the asparagus and the peppers into bite-size pieces.

In food processor or blender, combine the olive oil, orange juice, garlic, ginger, orange zest, honey, and wasabi powder. Process until smooth. Set the dressing aside.

Cook the rice according to the directions below. Add the salt to the rice.

Transfer the cooked rice to large bowl and toss in asparagus and peppers.Pour the dressing over hot rice add veggies and stir.

Preparation and Cooking Instructions for Jade Rice:
Bring  1 ½ cups water or stock to a boil. Add 1 cup of Jade Rice, 2 Tbsp butter or olive oil (optional), and stir. Cover tightly and return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Cook for 18-22 minutes. Let rest covered for 5-7 minutes until rice is tender and most grains are slightly split. Drain excess liquid if necessary. Hold in steam table for serving or chill for later service. Reheat by sautéing with any of your favorite herbs, spices and vegetables.

Black Garbanzo Bean Salad

3 cups cooked Black Garbanzo Beans
1 Red Pepper, diced
1 Orange Pepper, diced
1 bunch Cilantro (remove stems, chop leaves)
15 sliced Cherry Tomatoes, halved
½ chopped Red Onion

Dressing
½ cup Balsamic Vinegar
Juice from 1-1/2 Limes
½ cup Canola Oil
Chopped Chili Peppers (optional)
Salt and Pepper

Mix all dressing ingredients and refrigerate.

Combine all salad ingredients, toss with dressing.

Black Beluga Lentil Soup Recipe

Black Beluga Lentils look like caviar when cooked and are delicious as a side dish. They are excellent in soups and salads, and are higher in amino acids than French, green, or red lentils. Their mild flavor combines readily with other ingredients in soups and grain salads and they hold their small round shape. 

These tiny lentils are indigenous to Syria and have been eaten for over 8,000 years.  Lentils are the seed of a small shrub and have been a staple food for many South Asian cultures. They have a mild, earthly flavor and soft texture.  They're delicious in chilled vegetable salads, or mixrf with bread crumbs, minced onion and garlic to stuff roasted red peppers or eggplant. They cook in about 30 minutes without soaking.


Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cups yellow Onions, medium dice
1 cup Celery, medium dice
1 cup Carrots, medium dice
3 cups total of yellow, green and red bell peppers, medium dice
1 Jalapeño minced (no seeds)
2 tablespoons Garlic, minced
4 quarts Vegetable Stock
2 cups Tomatoes, chopped (fresh or canned)
¾ pounds black Beluga lentils (optional brown or French lentils)
1 Bay Leaf
1 tablespoon dry Thyme
2 pounds yellow Finn Potatoes, large dice
2 dashes Hot Pepper Sauce
1/8 cup Italian Parsley, chopped
1/8 cup Fresh chopped herbs, such as oregano, sage, rosemary & chives
1 ounce White Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
In a two gallon stockpot over medium heat, add olive oil and onions, celery, carrots, peppers and jalapeño. Sweat vegetables approximately seven minutes until onions turn translucent. Add fresh garlic, cook for one minute. Add vegetable stock, tomatoes, black Beluga lentils, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Simmer until lentils are tender. Add potatoes, tabasco, Italian parsley, fresh herbs, white wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until potatoes are tender.

A delicious, hearty and comforting soup on a cold winter night.

Artichoke and Clam Dip

2 cans (3.5 oz)  Geomar Pacific Clams, drained

1 can (14 oz.)  Artichoke Hearts, drained

½ cup Mayonnaise

½ cup Cream Cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese + extra for topping

¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 small can of Diced Green Chilis

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Place artichoke hearts and clams in blender or food processor and process until almost smooth or desired consistency.  Place all ingredients together in a bowl and blend well by hand.  Place mixture into ovenproof dish.  Sprinkle extra parmesan cheese on top and place in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes until browned and bubbly.  Serve with pita chips and cucumber rounds.  Enjoy!

This recipe has been brought to you by the Boise Co-op Promotional Team!!

Black Garbanzo Tabouli

1 cup fine grain Bulgur

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 pint cherry tomatoes halved and drained

½ cup of thinly sliced green onion

2 pinches of cumin

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

10-15 mint leaves chopped

½ cup black garbanzo beans

1. Place the bulgur in a fine sieve, rinse under cold running water, squeeze dry, and soak in the lemon juice for 45 minutes. Use a fork to fluff the bulgur.

2. In a bowl, combine the black garbanzos, tomatoes, green onion, cumin, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Drizzle on the olive oil and toss. Fold in the bulgur, parsley, and mint and mix well. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally.

3. Taste and correct the flavors with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

 

Rachel's Veggie Nut Burgers

By Co-op Member Rachel Batten
Thanks, Rachel!


2 cups Rolled Oats
1 cup finely chopped Nuts ( I used Walnuts)
1 3/4 cup Soy Milk or Almond Milk or Dairy Milk
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Dried Sage
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1/4 tsp Dried Marjoram
Optional:
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Chopped Mushrooms

Mix ingredients and let sit for 30 minutes. Form 6 or 8 patties and cook on a griddle over med/low heat, until browned on both sides (about 20 minutes). 


I served them with salsa and avocado, but of course they would be good with the traditional burger condiments. 

Manhattan Clam Chowder

• 2 Bacon slices, cut into ½ -inch squares (Available @ Co-op Meat Department in bulk!!)
• 1/3 cup chopped Onion
• 3 tablespoons diced Green Bell Pepper
• 3 tablespoons diced celery
• 2/3 cup diced peeled Boiling Potato (1 small)
• 1 cup (8 oz.) canned diced Tomatoes, including juice
• 3 cans (3.5 oz) Geomar clams (save liquid-set aside)
• 2 tablespoons chopped, Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley

Cook bacon in a 2-3 qt. Heavy sauce pan over moderate heat, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to moderately low, then add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in potato, clam juice, and tomatoes (with juice), and simmer, covered for ten minutes. Stir in clams and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes, covered.  Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste. 

 

Raw Cacao Pudding

By Liz Allred

Note: The Goji Powder, Raw Cacao and Maca Powder are available in our Raw Food section on Aisle 7. 

1 Avocado (diced)
3 Dates (pitted and diced)
5-6 Tbsp Raw Cocoa Powder
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla Extract (or 1 Vanilla Bean w/ seeds scraped out)
1/3 cup Goji Powder
¼ cup Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp Maca Root Powder (or other powdered herbs you prefer)
¼ cup Water (add more if needed to thin pudding)

Blend all ingredients into blender or food processor. Add water last, slowly pouring in until you reach desired consistency.  Refrigerate overnight in air tight container for a thicker pudding.  Enjoy!!

Organic Purple Barley

Note: Adapted from The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics, by Jessica Porter. Umeboshi (plum) vinegar can be found at the Boise Co-op.

Total time: 1 hour and 10 minutes plus chilling time for the salad
Servings: 6 to 8


2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

Pinch plus 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt, divided

1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar 

1 Tbsp Umeboshi Plum Vinegar

1 Tbsp Minced Shallot

1/4 cup Olive Oil

5 cups Water

2 cups Pearl or Hulled Barley

2 Bay Leaves

2 Tbsp chopped Fresh Oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried and crumbled)

1/3 cup pitted and chopped Kalamata Olives

1/3 cup drained Capers

1/2 cup toasted Pine Nuts

1/4 cup finely chopped Green Onions



1. To make the dressing, combine the lemon juice, mustard, pinch sea salt, vinegar, shallot and olive oil in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. To prepare the salad, bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the barley with the remaining salt and bay leaves. Simmer until the barley is tender and all of the water is absorbed, 45 minutes to 1 hour total cooking time. Remove from heat and cool.

3. Place the barley in a large bowl, and stir in the dressing and oregano. Cover and chill for about 2 hours or until ready to serve. Before serving, gently stir in the olives, capers, pine nuts and green onions.

Each of 8 servings: 311 calories; 6 grams protein; 42 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams fiber; 14 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 561 mg. sodium.

Clam Chowder with Baby Shrimp and Bay Scallops

By Boise Co-op Member Jan Johnson
Thank you, Jan!

We’ve discovered that this chowder tastes much best on the 2nd day, so make it a day ahead for company. The base for this recipe came from Browny’s Restaurant in Seattle, Washington. Over the years we have “tweaked” it into our own by adding additional ingredients. This is our traditional Christmas Eve dinner.

6 Slices Bacon – Chopped in small pieces

2 Med-sized carrots, thinly sliced

2 Stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 Small onion, chopped

¼ Small green pepper, chopped fine (can omit without compromising flavor)

3 Cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ Lbs thin-skinned red or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed & cut into small cubes (leave skins on)

2 (8 oz) bottles clam juice

8 Cans (6 ½ oz) chopped or minced clams and juice – do not drain

1 Can whole baby clams and juice – do not drain

¼-½ Lb Salad shrimp

¼-½ Lb Small Bay scallops

1 Bay leaf

½ Tsp (or more to taste) liquid hot pepper (Tabasco)

½-¾ Tsp freshly ground black pepper (depending on taste)

1½ Tsp Worcestershire

¾ Tsp Thyme leaves- crushed

¼ Tsp Basil

1 Quart Whipping Cream

Salt to taste

Place bacon in a heavy 8-10 qt. kettle over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly until bacon is somewhat crisp. With slotted spoon, lift out bacon & drain on paper towels. Discard all but 2 Tbs of drippings.

Add carrots, celery, onion, green pepper, and garlic to kettle & cook, stirring often until onion & celery are very soft.

Add cubed potatoes to veggie mixture. Pour in clam juice; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cover & cook until potatoes are soft, but not mush – apprx 15 minutes.

Stir in clams & their liquid, bacon, remaining seasonings and cream then heat until steaming. Very lightly saute’ scallops, then add shrimp & scallops to chowder. Simmer gently together to blend flavors, stirring frequently

Serve with hard rolls, Harvest Bread, or home-baked rolls. YUMMMMMM!

Raine's Nachos with Chorizo, Refried Beans, and Raw Cheese

By one of the Boise Co-op's favorite members, Raine Saunders, who generously offered to let us re-post it from her awesome website Agriculture Society. Please check it out: It's a goldmine of great info. 

Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever stop trying to top myself with the most irresistible healthy fast-food. I haven’t really eaten fast food in years, but I used to eat it a lot when I was a young adult.

I couldn’t help myself…I’d been craving chorizo all day and when I got to the store tonight, I was on a mission to find some good, local fare. I scored a nice package of it from the butcher counter and kept thinking of the frozen lamb and chicken I had at home, which was going to have to wait for another night since it wouldn’t be thawed out in time for dinner (I was thinking Paella).

But I had to do something amazing with that chorizo. So I went home and looked around on the Internet for inspiration. I thought about frying it up with some butter and garlic and some onions and bell peppers, maybe some home-made red sauce. That sounded good…but that wasn’t quite what I craved. Then I found this great recipe by Emeril for chorizo nachos. Oh my gosh, yes…that was it!

These were amazing and they disappeared fast…here’s our version of this recipe…it was SO worth it!

Ingredients:

• 3 Chorizos, pan fried in garlic and cumin
• 2-3 cloves of Garlic
• Sprouted Corn Tortillas, cut into fourths and fried in coconut oil or tallow (we used about 10)
• 1-2 cups of soaked and cooked Beans of your choice, then refried in 2-3 tablespoons of bacon drippings, Salt to taste
• 2 cups of Monterey Jack Cheese (we used raw cheese)
• Sliced yellow or white Onion
• Sour Cream
• Salsa (we used local salsa), or fresh Tomatoes or homemade Pico de Gallo (those weren’t in season for us)
• Salt
• Cumin
• Chili Powder
• Butter

For recipes like this, I don’t really measure, I just add spices and seasonings until I like the way it tastes. This made just enough for two adults and one child.

  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large pan or skillet, heat some butter and add minced garlic to sautee. Cook the chorizo with garlic and add cumin, stirring and turning periodically, over medium-high heat until the sausage is browned and the fat is rendered.

3. While chorizo is cooking, in another pan melt coconut oil on medium heat. Place the quartered tortillas in the pan and allow them to fry about 1 minute on each side, turning with tongs. Take out of the pan with tongs and place on a plate with a paper towel to soak up the extra oil. Set chips aside when done frying.

 4. Heat beans up in a pan on medium-low heat and add bacon drippings (we store ours in the refrigerator, so they are hardened). Allow them to melt a bit by stirring them. Add chili powder and a bit of cumin into the beans (I just added to taste).

5. When the drippings have melted into the beans, mash them into the beans and mix them thoroughly. Add a bit of water if beans are thickening, as you will want to be able to pour them easily on the nachos when they are ready to go in the oven. Turn down to low heat.

6. Grate the cheese and slice up the onions and set aside.

7. Remove chorizo from pan when cooked through and drain on paper towels. Cut chorizo into small bits to top on nachos.

8. Get an oven plate or large oven-safe dish and place chips on the bottom. Add layers of beans, chorizo, and cheese. You can also alternate layers of chips, beans, chips, chorizo, cheese. I think they cook better with the main ingredients on top. Add sliced onions after cheese. Place in oven and heat until cheese melts – approximately 10 minutes.

9. Serve and enjoy!

John J's Spicy Fettuccini with Bay Scallops

By Co-op Member John Jacobsen
Thanks, John!

• 8 oz. Roasted Garlic Fettuccini
• 1 ½ pounds Bay Scallops
• 3 tablespoons Flour
• 1 – 1 ½ teaspoons Tex-Mex Dry Rub (to taste)-- Recipe is below
• ½ pound fresh Asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
• ½ cup Sundried tomatoes, julienne cut
• ¼ cup Pine Nuts
• 3 tablespoons Basil Pesto
• Olive oil

 Rinse and drain scallops. In plastic bag, combine flour and Tex-Mex rub; add scallops and shake to coat. While cooking fettuccini in large pan of boiling water, heat olive oil in skillet. Sauté asparagus about one minute; add scallops and continue cooking another 4 minutes (approx.), stirring frequently. Add sundried tomatoes, pine nuts and pesto; cook about one more minute or until scallops are done and all ingredients are heated through. Drain pasta and mix into scallop mixture.


TEX MEX DRY RUB

• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Oregano
• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Cumin
• 1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon Coriander
• 2 teaspoons Black Pepper
• 2 teaspoons Salt

Store in airtight container for up to 6 months.

This is good on grilled fish and chicken and in marinades.

Isabel's Avocado Sandwich

By Boise Co-op Member Isabel Holt
Thank you, Isabel!

• One small Avocado
• One tablespoon finely chopped Onion
• Pinch of Rubbed Sage
• One to two teaspoons Lemon or Lime Juice
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Two slices lightly toasted Bread (I like Classic Rye from Co-op)
• Two bread slice-sized Cheddar Cheese
• One large Roma Tomato, sliced

Mash avocado and combine with onion, sage, juice and salt/pepper. Spread mixture on toasted bread slices, add cheddar cheese to each and top with tomato slices. Run under the broiler for a minute or so(I like to lower the broiler rack to allow cheese to melt completely without burning the bread.)

Serve with - you guessed it! - Tabasco! and maybe chips.

These are easy, quick and can even be reheated.

Isabel's Sate Noodles

By Boise Co-op Member Isabel Holt
Thank you, Isabel!

• Two generous tablespoons Peanut Butter*
• One to two tablespoons Ketchup, to taste
• One slice Ginger, chopped fine
• One small Onion, chopped fine
• A pinch of Flaked Red Pepper
• One half to one tablespoon Lemon or Lime Juice, to taste
• Noodles for two people (I like somen* )

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine peanut butter, ketchup, ginger, onion, red pepper and juice.

Cook noodles according to package directions, saving cooking water. Add enough of the cooking water to to peanut butter mixture to make a light sauce. Toss with noodles and serve, offering Tabasco sauce, if wanted.

Tofu cubes, stir fried veggies, cooked chicken or cooked shrimp may be added.


*I use Adams peanut butter, available from the Co-op and your choice of noodles from the Co-op.

Here's a tip for keeping fresh ginger around: Put whole or cut up ginger in a small jar and top off with sake. This will keep in the refrigerator for months. Top off if sake level falls below ginger. The sake is also a nice flavoring ingredient.