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 This is sliced ginger. Next time you go to the store, buy a piece of fresh ginger. Using a vegetable peeler, scrape the skin off of the ginger. Cut into slices and place in a freezer container. Now you have ginger when you need it. For a delicious …

 This is sliced ginger. Next time you go to the store, buy a piece of fresh ginger. Using a vegetable peeler, scrape the skin off of the ginger. Cut into slices and place in a freezer container. Now you have ginger when you need it. For a delicious cup of tea that will alkalize your body, place 3 pieces of ginger in the bottom of your cup, add boiling water and let steep for 2 minutes. Enjoy

Tip: You can add a piece of ginger to your cooking and it will enhance the flavor of your dish.

Salmon Pasta

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This is a special pasta that I make for friends. Being on an alkaline diet does not mean you have to give up some of the foods that you love. For me it is heavy cream. I use it sparingly and it enhances a dish and brings it up a level. Just remember when using a food that is not alkaline just surround it with alkaline foods. It should end up a fairly alkaline meal. So here is my special occasion salmon pasta. I recommend cutting up all of your ingredients before you start. Also know that you can add more vegetables to the mix if you desire.  

6 oz smoked salmon sliced into small pieces

2 tsp. clarified butter

1  zucchini  squash, diced

1 leak (just use the white part, chop up )

1 box Ancient Harvest Quinoa gluten free pasta (I used the rotelle)

¾ cup vegetable stock or pasta water

½ cup frozen green peas

2 Tbsp heavy cream

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions about 9 minutes. 

In a saute pan over medium heat, add the butter and saute the zucchini and leak until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the smoked salmon and stir. Mix in ¾ cup of the stock or pasta liquid. Drain Pasta and put into the pan with the vegetables. Toss with the peas and add 2 TBSP of Heavy Cream. Cook for a few minutes until everything is incorporated. 

Watercress Soup

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Serves 6   This is one of my favorites. Great for company

1 ½ lbs. Potatoes, peeled and cut into medium pieces.

1 lb. Leeks, use only the white part of the leak. Wash and give it a rough cut.

3 stalks of Celery, chopped.

1 Bunch of Fresh Watercress, including the stems.

6 cups of Water.(Use Alkaline Water)

2 tsp. of sea salt.

¼ tsp. white pepper.

In a large pot, combine the potatoes, leeks, celery, water, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, cover the pot, lower the fire and simmer for 30 minutes. The potatoes should be fork tender. Add the watercress and turn off the fire. Let cool for 15 minutes. 

Puree the vegetables reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid. (Note: You can freeze the extra liquid (stock) and use as a soup base for another time).

Adjust seasoning.

Beet and Grapefruit Salad

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Serves 4

2-3 cooked Beets, depending on size.

1 Grapefruit peeled and sectioned

1 Avocado

Dressing:

2 Tbsp of grapefruit juice.

½ tsp Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp Olive oil

Clean and place beets in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer about 40 minutes or until done (test with a sharp knife). Remove from pan, rinse with cold water and peel off the outer skin. Cool and slice. Set aside

Peel and segment the grapefruit. Squeeze 2 Tbsp. of the juice out of the membrane and reserve.

Dice the avocado.

Mix the beets, grapefruit and avocado together. Stir in dressing.

Toss and Serve!

Wild Rice

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This is a delicious side dish. Serves 4.

1 cup wild rice

2 ¼ cups stock. ( I use onion soup, for the recipe see my next post)

4 mushrooms sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

Heat a saute pan with the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook just until browned, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 

In a medium sized pot, bring stock to a boil, add rice. Lower fire and simmer about 50 min. to  1 hour.

When the rice is done, stir in the mushrooms, season, and serve.

Sauteed Kale

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Serves 4 as a side dish. You can also use this as a topping for pasta. 

1 Bunch Kale, chopped (off the stem)

1 Tbsp shallot, sliced

1 Tbsp garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

½ cup vegetable stock

Juice of ½ lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the kale and vegetable stock. Cook about 5 minutes or until the kale has softened. Turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice and the zest.

Minestrone Soup

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Serves 6

½ onion, chopped

1 Carrot, diced

2 Stalks of celery, chopped

1 piece of zucchini, diced

1 parsnip, diced

1 small potato, cut into small cubes

¼ cup lentils

1 TBSP tomato paste

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes

½ tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

6 cups water(or veg. stock)

Note: Optional 1 cup of white beans (low acidity)add with the vegetables.

        Optional 1 cup of cooked quinoa pasta add after the soup is done.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Saute onion until soft about 6 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, zucchini, potato, parsnip, lentils and tomato paste. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and 6 cups of water or stock. Add the salt and herbs. Bring to a boil and then immediately to a simmer for 45 minutes.  At this point you should taste the soup, it might need more salt.

This is my families favorite. Enjoy

Chopped Vegetable Salad

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I made this just the other day and it is very refreshing. Serves 2

1 avocado

1 carrot

1 stalk of celery

1 small red bell pepper

1 small zucchini squash

¼ of a cauliflower

Mustard, Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing(Recipe below)

Chop up all of the vegetables. Try to keep them roughly all the same size. 

Toss with the dressing, season with a little sea salt and pepper.

Mustard Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing

1 Tsp. Dijon style mustard

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsp good quality olive oil

Wisk together until thickened.

Looking at your Plate

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Hi,

Did anyone happen to see the just published US guidelines for the new American Diet?

We used to have a pyramid, now we have a plate. The recommendation is ½ your plate is to be fruits and vegetables, ¼ a protein and ¼ a grain.

This is the Alkaline way to eat. 80 % Alkaline and 20% Acidic.  We need protein in our diets. Even on an Alkaline diet.

The grains we substitute for alkaline choices include: Spelt, Buckwheat, Quinoa, Japonica Rice and Wild Rice.

So don’t be afraid of eating this way. It will lead you to good health.

More to come!  You can email me at cookalkaline@gmail.com or click on the ask button at the top of the page. I will be happy to help you with Cooking Alkaline.

Artichoke Pasta Dinner

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Serves 4

This is an easy go to dinner. If you don’t have all of the ingredients, feel free to substitute.

1 Box Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta Shells

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp clarified butter

1 onion, sliced

6 mushrooms, sliced

1 Box Frozen Artichoke Hearts(defrosted), sliced (you can always use fresh)

1 cup vegetable stock (or the pasta water)

1 Tsp of tomato paste

2 Tbsp heavy cream

2 Tbsp parmesean cheese

¼ cup basil and parsley, chopped

salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil, add salt to flavor the water. Add the pasta and cook according to directions on the box.

Meanwhile in a large saute pan, heat the oil and butter, add the onion and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. add the mushrooms and artichoke hearts and cook for 3 minutes.

Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before you drain it.

Add the pasta to your saute pan with the vegetables.

Mix in the tomato paste, the cream, and Parmesan cheese. Stir until thickened. Just a few minutes. At this point, you can add a little more of the reserved pasta water if you want more sauce.  Sprinkle with the basil and parsley. Taste, adjust your seasonings and serve. Don’t forget to warm the bowls. It keeps your pasta hot.

For an alkaline meal, serve this pasta with a green salad.

Alkaline Tips

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Being on an alkaline diet can be a little tricky when you come home looking for something to eat. I will be sharing all of my ideas with you in the coming days. The Lentil soup recipe that I posted earlier is my go to meal or snack. It is very alkaline and filled with lots of vegetables. I hope it is something you will try. If you have any questions about it, just hit the ask button on my web page. Happy Cooking!

Lentil Soup

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1 ½ cups lentils

½ large yellow onion, chopped

½ cup diced celery

1/2  cup diced carrots

½ cup diced zucchini squash

1 large or 2 small potatoes, diced

2 tsp. sea salt

1 bay leaf

5 cups Vegetable Stock

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Heat oil olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Saute the onion until soft, about 6 minutes. Add the celery, carrots zucchini and potatoes. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the lentils, broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook  for 1 ½ hours. Stir occasionally.

When the soup is done, remove the bay leaf. Add the salt. Note: I never salt dried beans or lentils unitl after they are cooked. Adding salt before can make them tough.

A Tip for Making Vegetable Stock

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Making your own vegetable stock can save you money and enhance the dish you are  making with flavor.

 Keep a  plastic container in your freezer, or a zip lock bag. When you are cooking, chopping onions, leeks, celery, mushrooms, carrots etc. don’t throw the trimmings away. Keep a bowl next to you when cooking, and any vegetable trims go into the bowl. Transfer the contents of the bowl into the container that you have in the freezer. When the bag is full, put the contents into a large pot, fill it with water, bring it to a boil and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Then strain the stock.  Pour into a freezer container, let cool and freeze.

 You can use the cooked trimmings for compost or just throw them away.

Now you have a wonderful stock that is in your freezer to use. You can defrost what you need and put it right back in the freezer.

Trust me and try this, you will become a convert to never tossing your vegetable trimmings away again.

Memorial Day Barbecue

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Menu  for 4 people

Portobello Mushroom Burgers with grilled Onions and Peppers with a Red Pepper alkaline mayonnaise.

Cucumber, Celery, Endive, Red Onion and Tomato Salad

Potato Salad

Ice Cold Watermelon

List of Ingriedents

4 Portobello Mushrooms

4 Gluten Free Hamburger Buns

Salad Greens

1 yellow onion

3 Red Bell Peppers

1 Cucumber

2 stalks celery

1 whole endive(if you can’t find endive you can use a handful of salad greens)

12 small cherry tomatoes cut in half

6 Yukon gold potatoes (or any variety of your choosing)

1 red onion

Mustard  dressing

Olive Oil

½ lemon

Flat leafed parsley

Sucanat (cane sugar)

Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Mushroom Burgers

With a damp paper towel, clean the mushrooms and remove any stem.

Place on a plate and drizzle with a little olive oil.  Set aside. These are ready to grill.

Wash a handful of Salad Greens and set aside

Slice 1 yellow onion into 4 thick slices. Brush with a little Olive Oil. Set Aside.

Slice up 1 Red Bell Pepper from the recipe below and drizzle with a little oilve oil. Set aside.

When ready, grill the mushrooms and the onions. Put a spoonful of the Red Pepper Mayonnaise on a bun, top with the mushroom, sliced onion, peppers and salad greens.

For the Red Pepper Mayonnaise

Note: Use 2 of the peppers for the Mayonnaise and save 1 for the Mushroom burgers.

Char the  3 peppers  right on the top of your stove  with a medium flame. Turn them to char on all sides. They will get very black. This will only take a few minutes.  Remove from the fire and put into a paper bag or wrap in paper towels for about 10 minutes. Remove from the bag and using you fingers, wipe the black char off of the peppers. You can run some water over the last bits to get it all off. Cut the pepper in half and remove seeds and core. Save one of the peppers and  Place 2 of the peppers in a  Cuisinart or blender and puree. Season with a little bit of salt to bring out the flavor. Pour mixture into a bowl. It’s ready to serve. You can make this a few days in advance. It keeps well in the refrigerator.

The Salad

Cut one cucumber in half and put the two halves together and slice into thin slices.

Do the same thing with the celery

Take the whole endive and start slicing from the end of it.

Cut the tomatoes in half

Slice up the red onion, Put in a small bowl and pour ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar over it. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Remove from the vinegar.  Reserve ½ of of the onion for the potato salad. Place ½ of the onion  in the bowl with the other ingredients.  

For the Salad Dressing, ¼ cup Olive Oil mixed with the juice of ½ of a lemon.  You might not need all of the dressing  for this salad. Use to your liking. Season with salt and pepper.

Potato Salad

Place the potatoes in a pot. Fill with cold water and cook until fork tender. About 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool.  Cut the potatoes in quarters and place in a bowl with ½ of the reserved red onion slices.  Dress with Mustard Vinaigrette.

For the Mustard Vinaigrette:

3 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

3 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar

¼ cup plus 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

A pinch of Sucanat, (cane sugar)

Put the mustard and vinegar and  a pinch Sucanat in a bowl. Using a whisk, pour the oil in slowly and whisk until you have a thicken vinaigrette. This will give you a little over ½ cup. Garnish with chopped parsley

The Pantry

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I want to give you a list of foods that you should have in your pantry to make cooking alkaline a little easier. So I will share with you what is in mine.

Alkaline Forming                                                                    

Apple cider vinegar                                                              

Umeboshi vinegar                                                                      

Molasses                                                                                

Organic Sucanat (dehydrated cane juice)                                    

Tahini Sauce(sesame butter)                                                    

Soy Sauce                                                                             

Olive Oil                                                                              

Almonds and Cashews                                                           

Raisins                                                                             

Pumpkin Seeds                                                                     

Sunflower seeds                                                                           

Flax seeds

Sesame seeds       

Sea Salt 

Wild rice and Japonica rice

Lentils                                

Horseradish

Herbal Teas Ginger Tea

Spelt Flour

Spelt Pasta

Oat Flour

Quinoa Flour

Quinoa Pasta

Baking Powder  

Baking Soda  

Low Acid Forming

Balsamic Vinegar

Rice vinegar

Honey

Brown Rice

Maple Syrup

Dates

Kidney Beans

Garbanzo Beans

White Beans

Buckwheat Flour   

Mayonnaise