by Betsy Naselli
From “Soup to Nuts” is an idiom meaning from beginning to end. It comes from the description of a full-course dinner, in which courses progress from soup to a dessert of nuts.
In formal dining, a full course dinner can consist of five, seven, eight, ten or 12 courses, and, in its extreme form, has been known to have 21 courses. In these more formalized dining events, the courses are carefully planned to complement each other gastronomically. The courses are smaller and spread out over a long evening, up to three, four or five hours, and follow conventions of menu planning that have been established over many years.
Except for holidays and special occasions, few of us have the desire or time to cook (or eat!) like this. What follows is a vegetarian “soup-tonuts” three-course meal. Much more achievable for all of us!
Simple Leek Soup
2 T olive oil
2 or 3 whole cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in halves or quarters if very large
2 leeks, white part only, cleaned well, cut in half lengthwise and sliced thinly into half moons
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 C vegetable broth (I like the Better than Bouillon brand.)
1/4 C oatmeal
fresh herbs (chives, thyme, rosemary) or thinly chopped scallions for garnish (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a medium saucepan or soup pot and saute leeks and onions until translucent. Add the broth, garlic and oatmeal, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree. Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with chopped herbs or scallions.
Quinoa with Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach
1 C quinoa
2 C vegetable broth
1 small to medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 T olive oil, divided
1/2 t. fresh or ground thyme leaves
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
2 C baby spinach, or larger spinach leaves, stemmed and cut into bite-size pieces
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a small saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil; add quinoa, reduce heat to simmer, cover and letcook about 15 to 20 minutes, until broth is absorbed. When done, turn off heat, fluff with fork and leave covered.
Meanwhile, toss the squash with 1 T of olive oil and the thyme. Place on a baking sheet with sides and place in preheated oven. Roast until fork tender, about 20 minutes or so, stirring once or twice so all pieces of squash are caramelized.
While squash and quinoa are cooking, heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet. When hot but not smoking, add onion and cook until translucent, then add garlic. Cook for two or three minutes. (You don’t want the garlic to brown.) Add spinach. Cover and turn off the heat.
When the squash is done, add it to the skillet along with the cooked quinoa. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Nutty Snowballs
1 C Brazil nuts, soaked for at least four hours, rinsed and drained
1 C hazelnuts, soaked for at least four hours, rinsed and drained
1/2 to 3/4 C agave syrup or honey
1/4 C coconut oil
3 C unsweetened coconut flakes, divided
2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. sea salt
Place the Brazil nuts and hazelnuts in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add sweetener, coconut oil, 2 cups of the coconut flakes, vanilla extract and salt. Process until well combined. Place remaining cup of coconut flakes in a large shallow dish. (A pie pan works well here). Make balls using 1 to 2 tablespoons of the mixture (you may have to wet your hands) or use a small ice cream scoop. Roll the balls in the coconut flakes to coat.
These store well for a week or more refrigerated in an airtight container.
Betsy Naselli owns The Holistic Lifestyle Company in the Syracuse area. www.TheHolisticLifestyleCompany.com
The Atlantic Chapter encourages you to move toward a plant-based diet to protect the environment, human health and wildlife, and to make better use of natural resources. To learn more and receive more recipes, contact the Biodiversity/Vegetarian Outreach Committee at LDESTEFANO3@twcny.rr.com, (315) 488-2140 , 5031 Onondaga Rd., Syracuse, NY 13215-1403 or go to our “Biodiversity/Vegetarian Outreach.” page.