Eat Like a Rabbit

Yesterday was such a nice day outside--finally warming up!--that I had to sit on the back porch for lunch with Baby Nora in my lap. I was also under orders from Paul to keep my feet up. So, I sent him this picture to prove I was obedient.

Ever since I talked with my aunt last week about Tabouleh, I've been wanting some. However our parsley looks sad, and I promised myself I would eat what we already had in the house this week instead of buying more groceries. So, I decided to make my own chilled couscous salad with dried parsley and vegetables. Maybe it isn't something that will make it on CNN iReport, but it was just what I wanted. I also wanted to eat up the peaches in the freezer and came up with a pretty simple recipe with help from Eat, Drink and Weigh Less.

Recipe for Couscous Salad

• 1 cup cooked couscous
• 1 Campari tomato, diced
• 1/2 mini cucumber, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Handful dried parsley, ground in hand
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh crushed black pepper

Mix all ingredients and serve at room temperature.

Recipe for Peach Smoothie

In a blender add equal parts frozen peaches, yogurt, and orange juice. Last, add 1/2 Tablespoon honey. Blend until no longer chunky. Sip on the porch.

For a belated Christmas present, my darling aunt and uncle sent us 3 pounds of cheese curds. I spent all this morning searching online for recipes in which to use the young white and yellow cheddar pieces. Finally, it was lunch time and I hadn't been very successful. Cheese curds are most popular as Fried Cheese Curds, which there are tons of recipes for. However, after a eating too late last night, my stomach wasn't up for fried foods at lunch. Instead, I remembered a cheddar cheese soup recipe in my Moosewood Cooks at Home cookbook. However, since It's been weeks since my visit to the grocery store aside from the purchase of bananas, milk, and tortilla chips (which do me little good as I'm out of salsa), I had to adapt the recipe to what I had on hand. And you know what? I really surprised my self. I was quite proud how the soup turned out. I will say, the cheese flavor is rich in the vegetable soup. Although it was quite good, it was a bit heavy on the stomach--although that's a good idea when it's cold out. I don't expect it to be a regular soup in my collection, but that's OK because we live in Florida and rarely get the opportunity for it to be cold enough to warrant eating so much soup.

Cheddar Vegetable Soup

Inspired by Moosewood Cooks at Home

• 1/2 large onion, sliced
• 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1-2 small celery stalks, diced
• 1 small-medium sweet potato, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 Tablespoons McKay's Chicken-style Seasoning (vegetarian boullion)
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup cheese curds, diced small

Saute onions in soup pot or sauce pan about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add sweet potatoes, carrots and celery. Stir. Mix seasoning in water and pour into pot. Cover pot and cook about 10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft. (The original recipe called for white potatoes. I think they sometimes take longer to cook. Sweet potatoes seem to cook faster to me.) When vegetables are soft, add milk then cheese. The key is to have small cubes of cheese and to add them gradually so they don't clump.

Ladle the soup into a blender. (Be really careful because the blender may splatter when you turn it on. I have a silicone trivet that I cover the blender with so the soup won't splatter and burn my fingers. A towel could work, too.) Reheat soup and serve garnished with fresh herbs as desired. I bet green onions or chives would have been yummy if we had had any. Also, ground red pepper seemed to be a nice addition, too.

This is another one of my mother's popular recipes. She makes her own ranch dressing. Because it doesn't have a strange aftertaste that sometimes comes with buttermilk ranch, isn't as salty, and can be made dairy-free, it's quite popular. In fact, I know people who don't like ranch dressing at all who each this dressing. It also works great as a dip. The dip in the photograph was slightly thicker because I didn't add milk due to known food allergies of the guest of honor.

The only caution is that this recipe is significantly about taste. Taste it. Taste it often. Be very careful to follow the recipe. When I made this two months ago, I wasn't so careful because I thought I remembered the recipe well and have never ruined it. . .til now. It came out way too salty. Generally, there are ways to fix almost any mistake with this dip. If it is too salty, add a little more mayo and additional seasonings. Too much lemon? Salt helps that out. That's why I say: TASTE IT!

This dip has so many uses. You can use it to dress potato salad with some green onions and veggie bacon bits. I love to make cole slaw out of it. It even tops a Mexican salad well. The last thing Mom created from the base was her 1,000 Island dressing. The notes for that are at the bottom of the recipe.

Recipe for Ranch Dressing a la Claire

• 1 C mayonnaise
• 1 t onion powder
• ½ t garlic powder
• ¼ t celery seed powder
• dash red pepper
• 1 t lemon juice
• ½ t sugar (optional)[I don't ever add this.]
• 1 t sweet basil, dried
• 2 t parsley, dried
• 1 t chives, dried or fresh
• ¼ t salt or to taste
• ¼ C milk or ½ C milk (optional or soy, if preferred)

Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, and dry ingredients. Add ¼ cup milk for dip or ½ cup milk for salad dressing.

For 1,000 Island Dressing: Add ¼ cup dill pickles, finely chopped and 1 tablespoon ketchup.

This is an evening of breaking from blogging because our apples arrived today. They are very beautiful and have tasted really good. But there were fewer in the box than I had been told, which means the value wasn't what I had expected. They're only slightly cheaper than the local grocery stores--but then Washington is a really long way from Florida. Still, I've decided sometimes you have to pay a little extra for something really good. I'm disappointed about the value, but not about my yummy apples. I've already frozen some diced apples for pies nearer the holidays. Luckily, Paul brought home a pizza and after scarfing that down, I'll be onto dehydration and applesauce. Mmm.

Here is the spinach pesto I made to serve on pizza with fresh tomatoes instead of a marinara sauce. The rosemary bread at $5 for two loaves from Costco makes the pizza easy and tasty because it adds lots of flavor leaving only a need for a little salt and pepper on the tomatoes.

You can find the recipe for my spinach pesto from my post last year. Plus, you can search for other recipes I use the spinach pesto with, like spaghetti squash or butternut squash lasagna, which will be made again this year. I will tell you I passed on the Parmesan and sprinkled a little olive oil in the food processor as I was stirring up and dishing out the pesto. Also, be careful with the garlic. All I had were large cloves left, and it was very potent for the amount I made! Unfortunately, my basil needs more care than I have been giving it; so, I didn't have as many leaves as I am used to or wish for. That's the beauty of the spinach in the pesto. It eliminates the need for so much basil, but still allows for fantastic and healthy flavor.

Odwalla drinks are popular and can be found at Starbucks, Einstein Bagels, and grocery stores. Costco used to carry large bottles of Odwalla Mango Tango that Paul and my dad were happy to enjoy. Recently, we came across the individual bottles in a variety pack-Strawberry, Mango Tango, and Superfood (a juice mixture with barley greens). The drinks have been very helpful in keeping my vitamin C up and can had a healthy dose of iron, which is important for my blood count right now. They really do taste good, even the Superfood which comes in a dark green color, but if you can get past the look, tastes just fine--like banana and apple juice. Odwalla stresses quality ingredients and being kind to the environment. Most importantly, we find the 11 ounce drinks make a great, healthy snack in the middle of the day.

I finally decided I could handle going back to my favorite old lunch standby of Suzie's flatbread crackers, carrot sticks, and hummus. Likely, I will need more food than that, but I'm learning to eat more smaller meals. So, I shopped Target's selection of hummus today and found three brands, but only Sonny and Joe had a plain traditional hummus available.

It was very good and even creamier than our favorite, Hannah's. I liked how it was sprinkled with a touch of olive oil and some delicious dried herbs. You can tell Paul didn't even wait to take a picture before he dove in. I won't compare it to Hannah's any more because I think they are both good in their own way. Sadly, Hannah's is considerably cheaper, but I don't visit Costco enough to stock up.

As for the crackers for dipping, Suzie's had been off the shelves for a while, and I had been buying them at Trader Joe's. I know Archer Farms also has a selection of flatbread crackers, but they can be expensive. As alternatives when they are a great price, I will use a rosemary bread from Costco or rosemary Triscuits. Both are yummy with hummus.

I hope this is a sign that the rest of my eating habits will return to normal soon.

We thank our friends, Magally and Tim, for this delicious summer treat. When they came over for lunch, they brought traditional pink lemonade concentrate, a small bottle of Sprite, and a carton of fresh strawberries. They replaced a half a can of the water in the recipe for the concentrate with the Sprite, and sliced the beautiful red berries to float in the pitcher. It was so yummy.

I think if I made it myself, I might use Pelegrino instead of the Sprite only because the drink was a bit sweet on my stomach (Baby Rabbit doesn't seem to like sugar), but under normal circumstances, the mix was perfect.

Paul had been reading up on the quality of Stonyfield Organic yogurt, and he wanted to buy some plain kind at Publix this week. Ironically, I got to taste a flavored sample at Costco yesterday, and we decided the yogurt is a good deal like European yogurt, which is often thinner than American yogurt, generally due to less additives. Paul left the cover of the big container on the counter this morning, and it had a fabulous advertisement about how cooking with yogurt (instead of mayo, sour cream, and not-useful-for-the-body oils) decreases total calories and fat while raising protein and calcium intake. So then, I go to StonyfieldFarms.com and see a replacement calculator for cooking to help make substituting yogurt for less healthy items easier. I'm all over it.

In addition, by using the coupons on the website and the Publix sale that ends this coming Wednesday night, you can get the 6 oz. containers of flavored yogurt for $0.43 each.

Time is flying by, and I'm not totally sure I remember all the story to go with this yummy, thick, salad-dressing-of-sorts. Perhaps Lisa will edit it soon. If I remember correctly, a Yumm Sauce is more from an Indian background. Lisa says although Indian food is a favorite for them, most foods are not made gluten-free. So, Lisa found this recipe on line and it makes a perfect topping. I'm most impressed by the quality of ingredients, like garbanzo beans and almonds, which add good nutritional value to the sauce.

Notes from Lisa

This sauce is great with rice or pasta. It can also be used as a dressing for salads, a topping on soup & chili, a spread for sandwiches, a dipping sauce for veggies, a basting sauce for grilling, or a mayo alternative. It's really quite versatile! But best of all, it's egg free, dairy free, wheat free, gluten free, sugar free, cholesterol free and low in sodium. There are nuts in it, however, for anyone with allergies to nuts. My kids love it! I'm sure if you make it you'll find a ton of creative uses for such a flavorful, yummy sauce. Go for it!

Recipe for Original Yumm Sauce

Source: http://mpchickchat.blogspot.com/2005/11/recipe-rip-off-edited.html

• ½ cup oil
• ½ cup almonds
• ⅓ cup brewers yeast
• ⅓ cup garbanzo beans, (or more- 1/2 c.)
• ¼ cup soybeans, (or 1/2 c. silken tofu)
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon curry powder

Blend nuts, beans and oil in food processor. Then blend in yeast and liquids one at a time. Puree until smooth. Voila!

The luncheon item in question is in the center right of the photograph. It is a package very similar to the Uncle Ben's 90 second Wild Rice packs that I love. I heated it at work and dumped only 3/4 of it out onto a plate with all eyes on me, amazed that such a tiny package could contain so much. It actually contains two servings, and I could barely eat half of it. I think for a guy, like Paul, it would easily make a full meal.

I was very impressed by the minimal ingredients in the jambalaya and the good amount of protein and fiber per serving (4g, if I remember correctly). The package says gluten-free, which is a wonderful thing--both that it is gluten-free and that the company is known for putting such important information on the front label. On the other hand, I was surprised that butter was one of the ingredients. I don't require butter in my rice when I make it. Why would I expect it in other rice packages? Perhaps the biggest reason that the thought upset me is because I might have accidentally served it to someone I knew who was allergic to dairy without thinking. Such an ingredient just isn't expected.

Our dear friend, Garrett Nudd, will be devastated to know that I actually purchased guacamole instead of making it at home. Now, hear me out. I had a coupon for Buy One, Get One Free. Plus, they were on sale for, like, $2.64. The avocados around the stores looked horrible and were ridiculously priced. What's a girl to do? I decided this would be a great test. What happens when avocados are out of season, but you're dying for guacamole? There are millions of people out there wanting to know what to do! I must save them! (How's that for drama, Garrett?)

When Lisa and I first stepped into a kitchen together, I remember her saying something to the effect of being nervous meeting and cooking for someone who knew her way around the kitchen. But I wasn't worried and was happy to share her space with her. Lisa certainly can stand up for herself in a kitchen. She taught me so much--especially about gluten-free and vegan cooking. I am a better cook for spending time in her kitchen with her. I hope she realizes how valuable that weekend was for me. I hope you as readers learn to appreciate this fabulous time-saving technique for cooking a simple beans-and-rice meal that goes great under salad ingredients for a tortilla-less taco salad.

My source of these recipes was Lisa Hardinge, but her source was Constance Corbett. The sign of a successful idea is when it gets passed around. I thank them both.

Baked Brown Rice

• 2 cups brown rice (Basmati rice is the best)
• 5 cups water
• 2 teaspoons salt

Place all ingredients in a glass baking dish, stir, and cover with foil or glass top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

This recipe works great on time bake. You can easily cut the recipe in half or double it depending on how many you are serving. Same baking time regardless.

Slow Cooker Beans

• 1 pound dried beans, (black or pinto)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon granulated onion
• 6 cups hot water
• 1 3- 6 in. strip kombu seaweed

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker, stir, and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. No pre-soaking needed!

I just met Lisa when we were in Spokane for the Bloomsday Race. Brent and Paul have been friends for years, and Brent has visited on occasion. But even for our wedding, Brent came alone while Lisa managed the household and two great kids. I was excited to finally get to meet Lisa. And I was exceptionally grateful for all she taught me about a kitchen and thinking outside my traditional cookbooks. She has generously shared the recipes to go with the photos Paul took while we were spending the weekend with our friends, and they will make a great little series for Eat Like a Rabbit.

Lisa requires a gluten-free diet. And just like so many other allergies or other issues, many people (including myself) often focus on the can'ts instead of on the cans. Lisa taught me that planning and an open mind can make life in a restricted kitchen easy to manage.

Incidentally, I haven't seen pictures, but I get the feeling Brent and Lisa's garden is bigger than ours. I think they are so lucky!

Thank you, Brent, Lisa, Kyle, and Elena for your hospitality and for sharing these fantastic recipes with me and with EatLikeaRabbit.net readers.

Red Lentil Soup by Lisa Hardinge

Saute on Medium Heat

• 2 large onions, chopped
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 8 tablespoons olive oil (or less)

Add

• 3 cups red lentils, rinsed
• 3 tablespoons McKay's chicken- style seasoning
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon basil
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• 1 large can tomato sauce, 14.5 oz.
• 10 cups water

Heat to boil. Simmer on medium heat up to 45 minutes, stirring regularly.

NOTE: Can substitute 2 tbsp. dill weed and 3 cubes vegetable bullion for seasoning.

Until Wednesday evening of this week (Sale ends May 27), Publix is running a sale for Buy One, Get One Free of Wheat Thins or Triscuits. Plus, there are two printable coupons--one for Triscuits, one for Wheat Thins. You can print two of each coupon per computer, which is a great deal because you can use a coupon on the purchased box of crackers and on the free box because the promotion is from Publix and the coupons are from the manufacturer.

The sorbet recipe almost at the very end of the The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper has been on my mind since I received and read the book at Christmas.

I had a guest list of 12 counting Paul and myself to feed for Saturday afternoon lunch. Two of the individuals I had never met before. I started feeling cramped in my kitchen cabinets and cold storage and decided to use mostly what I already had on hand to cook for the event. In the end, I only made a trip to the grocery store for bell pepper and bread. I had bought the potatoes a week before and had yet to use them.

I found the recipe for Johnny Garlic's rosemary mashed potatoes on Food N

This is one of Paul's favorite things. I first had it at Christmas and thought it would be a fast and easy protein dish that I had most of the items for.

I was scheduled to feed 12 Saturday afternoon for lunch. Luckily, I was off on Friday. I woke up early prepared to spend the day in the kitchen. The previous day, I created a list of what needed to be done Friday and what could be done Saturday right before the guests arrived. I had already thought up a menu earlier in the week based on what I had in the kitchen.

In honor of the end of my month-long series about our trip to France, I am finishing with a guest post by a new friend, Lynn Muldrew. Although she is Northern Irish, she has been working in France with Brina, my friend from high school. Lynn was happy to share her family recipe for Vegetarian French Onion Soup because most recipes I know are made with beef or chicken stock. The first time I met Lynn was in Paris, but we got along well and I know the other people on the trip really enjoyed her being their tour guide. This picture is actually of Lynn with Larry, Paul's cousin's husband. Because Larry was so tall, Lynn put her bright pink hat on him so everyone could see where to go. That experience will go down in a lot of memory books. Those who remember her voice can imagine her reading this post in person.

Guest Post by Lynn Muldrew

I'm going to share a slightly adapted French recipe for onion soup. Traditional French onion soup is made with only water and onions (plus seasoning). However, having tasted an improved version I'm going to share this one with you! This recipe serves about 10 people.

Easter is coming up quickly. It's next Sunday! As my grandmother used to sing "Here comes Peter Cottontail. . ."

I don't have much memories about Easter lunch when I was a kid. I think I remember the men being out on my grandmother's back porch barbequing (not all of us were vegetarians) while the women were inside. I'm pretty sure I remember deviled eggs (remember we're not vegan, just vegetarian) and possibly a potato salad, but then I might be getting it all mixed up with July 4th. Hey, it was Louisiana! It was hot on all holidays!

Publix was having a great sale on Birds Eye vegetables the week after we returned home from Paris. The products were 50% off, which is the equivalent of buy one, get one free. I often take advantage of these sales to try and review a new product.

Our friends, Frank and Emily had seen the movie, Ratatouille, enough that they wanted to see what ratatouille<

This was a mid-to-late afternoon snack to cover lunch and my dinner on this Sunday because I knew I needed a wise meal before singing at Disney with the choir and new I wouldn't be fed well the rest of the night.

Our good friend, Garrett Nudd of garrettnudd.com has an opportunity to be promoted from guest photographer to guest blogger. Garrett also has his own blog (garrettnudd.net), which is so exciting, it needs no guest writers.

When I was little, we were a family of habits. Every Christmas Eve we had dinner at Don's Seafood in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, followed by presents with everyone under the tree at my grandparents. The next morning were presents at our own homes, and back to Mawmaw and Pawpaw's for dinner, football, and time around the billiard table. Now, Christmas's are celebrated in Florida. Sometimes at Disney, sometimes volunteering somewhere. We are no longer driven by our habits, but by our memories of the years we had together.

I have a standard daily lunch. Some of the doctors shake their heads that it doesn't sound like much or isn't balanced enough. Other staff tease me. And even others tell me I'm out of my mind and that hommus tastes nasty. But these are the same people that happen across hommus in the grocery store and think about me.

I really had a hard time finding a simple and appealing recipe for tabouleh. I finally found an excellent one. I served this as a series of "dips" for a buffet meal to a group of 20. People asked for the recipe when it was over and I overheard one educated individual say "That green stuff is good, too." Tabouleh and a hommus side went well with warm un-pocketed pita bread. I noticed a good number of people making sandwiches out of it.

The idea for this refreshing "Last Rose of Summer" drink came as I was reading a Southern-style cookbook at Tuesday Morning. I had the ingredients and it seemed like a great way to stop and think back on the summer and look forward toward winter. I made enough for about 6 servings. It was just strong enough to leave room for adding sparkling water for that extra kick.