[Food Series] Raw Avocado and Rosemary Pasta Sauce

Posted on by Jennifer Fontaine
We don’t do much pasta in our house, but lately, I’ve been in a dinner rut, so when my hubby came home from the grocery with brown rice pasta, my creative juices starting flowing. Since we were gonna load up on carbs, I wanted to keep the sauce as light and wholesome as possible and that is how this sauce was created. It literally took 2 minutes to make. I roasted some cauliflower for an extra dose of veg and both hubby and toddler devoured it! Enjoy!
Raw Avocado and Rosemary Pasta Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
2 Ripe Avocados
2 Lemons
1 teaspoon Fresh Rosemary
15 Grape Tomatoes
1/3 cup Miso Soup (optional)
Salt Pepper
In a mixing bowl place the meat of two avocados with the juice of two lemons, 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary, a large handful of chopped grape tomatoes, a pinch of salt and some pepper. I also added a dash of fresh miso (I just happened to already have some in the fridge) which thinned out the sauce and made it easier to thoroughly coat the pasta. Cook your pasta, then toss. It’s that easy! For a heartier meal, roast up some cauliflower and throw it on top! Enjoy!
By Jennifer Fontaine

[Food Series] Rustic Thyme and Brie Apple Tart

Posted on by Jennifer Fontaine

Last minute full-blown dinner parties always bring out my creative side, so when our friends called us over for what was sure to be a seven course meal, I knew I had to represent with a beautiful desert. I made a mad dash across town from the studio, ran into the house and quickly scoured my fridge to come up with this quirky rustic dish. Voila! Enjoy!

Rustic Thyme and Brie Apple Tart

Ingredients
4 Granny Smith Apples
1/2 cup of Brown Sugar
1 stick of Butter
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
8 sheets of Phyllo
1 teaspoon fresh Thyme
3 oz Brie

Begin by softening the butter. Peel, quarter, core, then cut the apples into very thin slices. In a large pot, on low-medium heat, add the sugar and half of the butter and allow it to caramelize, then add the apples, cinnamon and a dash of sea salt. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the juice from the apples has reduced almost all the way. In a small mixing bowl, mix the other half of the warm, melted butter and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the first layer of phyllo into a baking dish and brush it with the butter and brown sugar mixture. Repeat this process with the remaining seven sheets of phyllo, then slowly spoon the apple mixture into the center of the phyllo leaving about an inch and a half around the perimeter. Fold the edges in, then brush the top of the folded phyllo with the remaining butter and sugar mixture. Pop it into the oven for 20 minutes or until the top edges of the phyllo are golden brown. Enjoy!

By Jennifer Fontaine

[Food Series] Ginger Butternut Squash Soup

Posted on by Jennifer Fontaine

Our family just recently started receiving our produce through a community supported agriculture (CSA) delivery service. Everything is locally grown, seasonal, organic and delivered to our doorstep. When I open my front door, once a week, and our box of goodies is sitting there, it’s almost like I won the lottery and can’t wait to open it up to see what we’ve won! This week was a ton of butternut squash, so I decided to make soup! This is a seriously healthy, nutritious and hearty meal, perfect for a cozy, winter family dinner. Enjoy!

Ginger Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Ingredients
2 lbs Butternut Squash
1 tablespoon ground Ginger
3 Bay Leaves
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 15oz can of low sodium organic garbanzo beans
4 cups water
Pepper
1 tablespoon Pine Nuts
1 Avocado

This recipe is seriously easy!! First peel and remove the seeds from the butternut squash, then cut into one inch cubes. Throw everything (except for the pine nuts and avocado) into a soup pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and let it simmer. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spread out the pine nuts on a lined baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 3 minutes, making sure to watch them closely so they don’t scorch. Thinly slice the avocado. When the butternut squash is easily mashable with a fork (approximately 20-30 minutes), use a hand held immersion blender to puree the soup, directly in the pot. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with avocado slices and pine nuts and devour! I served this up with leeks in olive oil. Heavenly.

By Jennifer Fontaine