Chicken Soup with Yellow Lentils

   4 servings
1 whole chicken, cut up (marinate overnight in lemon juice if you have time)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ cup yellow lentils, soaked overnight
4 cups chicken stock
½ head medium cabbage, chopped or ½ lb spinach
4 cloves garlic, minced
   1. Heat a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Place chicken in pot and brown each side for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
   2. Place onions in the pot and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 5-10 minutes. Add both vinegars, lentils, stock and chicken. Simmer for 1 hour on low heat.
   3. Remove chicken and take off skin and bones. Then return the chicken to the pot.
   4. Add the cabbage and cook for 15 minutes. Add the garlic and spinach (if using). Cook for another 10 minutes.
   5. Serve over brown rice or alone with some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Bass with Avocado Sauce

   4 servings
1 small ripe avocado, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 dash hot sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon lemon rind, grated
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
16 ounces bass fillets
1/3 cup pork rinds, crushed
Vegetable cooking spray
   Combine the first 5 ingredients in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Set mixture aside. Combine lemon juice and next 3 ingredients in a shallow dish; dip fillets in lemon juice mixture and dredge in bread crumbs. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees F for 7 minutes; turn fillets over and bake an additional 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Transfer fillets to a serving platter, and top with avocado sauce.
   Alternate Fish: jumbo cod, orange roughy, grouper.

Moussaka

   5 servings
2 eggplants, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound ground lamb (grass-fed) (PT), or ground chicken (CT)
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
¼ cup red wine
¼ cup water
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup Gruyere cheese, grated
¼ cup bread crumbs from spelt or other wheat-free bread
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1½ cups warm milk
2 egg yolks
   1. Slice eggplant into ½ inch slices; salt, cover and set aside. Melt butter and sauté the lamb until browned. Add onion, jalapeno, tomato paste, cumin, cinnamon, parsley, wine and water.
   2. Simmer until liquid is absorbed. Stir in egg, cheese, and half the bread crumbs. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   3. To prepare sauce, melt 3 tablespoons butter on low heat. Add flour, stir, and remove from heat. Stir in milk - return to heat. Cook sauce till thick, add salt, and pepper. Combine egg yolks with a little of the sauce and then stir into the rest of the sauce mixture. Cook for 2 minutes on low heat.
   4. Brown eggplant slices on both sides in hot oil. Grease casserole dish. Sprinkle bottom with remaining bread crumbs, cover with layer of eggplant, then a layer of meat. Keep going until all is used. Finish with eggplant and cover with sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese and bake for 1 hour at 350°F.

Cabbage Crunch

   6 servings
½ head red cabbage, chopped finely
½ head white cabbage, chopped finely
½ red onion, chopped
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ jalapeno pepper, minced (optional)
   Dressing
1 teaspoon gomasio (ground sesame with salt)
1 cup almond butter
½ cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
½ jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional)
½ lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon white miso paste* (optional)
   1. Mix the cabbage with the chopped onions. Add cilantro and jalapeno.
   2. Place all the dressing ingredients into a food processor and blend briefly. Mix into salad mix and serve.

Mango Avocado Salad

   SERVES 4
1 large mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 cup peeled and diced jicama
2 tablespoons chopped, toasted almonds
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  
   Toss the mango, avocado, jicama, almonds, and cranberries together in a medium bowl. Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil over the fruit, toss gently to combine and serve immediately.

  
   Originally from Asia, mangoes were brought to South America in the fifteenth century. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the mango regenerates the bodys fluids, stops coughs and strengthens digestion. Indeed, they are especially rich in digestive enzymes and help detoxify the body. Mangoes also help strengthen the metabolisms function, which encourages weight loss and benefits cardiovascular health, helping to prevent high cholesterol, high blood pressure and insulin resistance. Mangoes have been found to have incredible anti-inflammatory properties, hormone-regulating vitamin E, blood-building iron and bone-strengthening minerals.

Cream of Asparagus soup with Morels

   4 Servings
8 Thin green asparagus spears
6 Fat green asparagus spears, about 10 cm (4 in) long
1 Shallot, medium-sized
100 g Fresh morels (3 1/2 oz) or 15 g (1/2 oz) dried ones
100 g Unsalted butter (3 1/2 oz)
200 ml Double cream (scant 1/2 pint, Salt, Pepper, Cayenne
   Preparation
   Clean the asparagus spears and cook the thin ones for about 5 minutes and the fat ones for about 10 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain both kinds and reserve the water in which they cooked. Cut off the tips of the eight thin spears and set them aside for the garnish.
   Peel and chop the shallot finely. Wash the morels CAREFULLY and cut them into quarters (if you are using dried ones, soak them in water for at least half an hour before this step).
   Heat half the butter in a saucepan. Add two-thirds of the chopped shallot and colour in the butter. Add the six fat asparagus spears and 200 ml (a scant 1/2 pint) of their reserved cooking water. Bring to the boil.
   Add the cream and reduce it by boiling fast for 2 minutes. Liquidise the soup with 30g (1 oz) of the remaining butter. Wash out the saucepan. Strain the liquidized soup through a fine sieve. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne, and return it to the cleaned saucepan. Set it aside.
   Finishing
Reheat the thin asparagus tips by warming them through in a little of their cooking liquid. Reheat the asparagus soup. Put the morels, the rest of the chopped shallot and the remaining 20 g (3/4 oz) butter into a small saucepan. Season with a little salt and cook gently. The morels will excludea little liquid. Leave them to cook until they have given off all their liquid, at which stage they will be done. Take them off the heat.
   Serving
Put a ladleful of the soup into each soup-plate. Garnish the centre of each one with a share of morels and two asparagus tips.

Smoked Red Bell Pepper Soup

   Hickory chips, soaked in water 30 minutes and drained
8 medium red bell peppers (about 3 pounds)
6 cups (or more) chicken stock
1 1/2 pounds whole chicken breasts with ribs
2 tablespoons butter
2 celery stalks, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 cups whipping cream (or milk) salt and freshly ground pepper
   Prepare covered barbecue grill with medium-low fire on one side of grill. Sprinkle hickory chips over coals. Place disposable aluminum pan under grill rack on side away from fire. Grease grill rack and arrange peppers on rack over pan. Cover and smoke peppers until cooked through, turning every 15 minute and adding more chips as necessary, about 1 1/2 hours. Peel, core and dice peppers.
   Bring 6 cups stock to boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat so liquid is barely shaking. Add chicken breasts and simmer until firm to the touch, about 12 minutes. Drain, reserving stock. Skin and bone chicken, then dice. Refrigerate.
   Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add celery and onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add peppers and stir 3 minutes. Add reserved stock, thyme and bay leaf and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour.
   Add cream to soup and simmer until reduced to 4 1/2 cups, about 40 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Puree soup in blender. Strain through sieve into medium saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Rewarm over low heat, adding more stock if thinner consistency is desired. Add diced chicken and heat through. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Soup

   Ingredients
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. minced shallots
1/2 c.onions
3 c. chicken stock
2 c. cooked pumpkin puree
1 t. paprika
1/2 t sugar
1/8 t. crushed dried chilies salt and pepper to taste
1 c. cream
   Saute shallots and onions in butter until golden.
Add stock everything else but the cream and simmer 15 minutes. Cool slightly and puree in batches in blender.
Return to saucepan add cream taste and adjust salt and pepper. Simmer 5 min. but do not boil.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with paprika.