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I have been wanting to try a sorbet recipe for ages, but all of the ones I had seen to date required an ice cream maker. I try to stay away from most kitchen gadgets (mainly due to my obsession over clutter-free countertops) so I’ve always skipped over the sorbet and ice “cream” recipes.

The idea for making a basil sorbet came yesterday. First, I went to the Beaches Green Market where I got al the basil I wanted for $1 (Really??). Then, later in the evening, I went to the new restaurant in Avondale called Town. I couldn’t try most of the things on their menu, but there were probably 3 or 4 items that were vegan- one of which was a basil sorbet.

I woke up this morning, only to open my refrigerator and see that my basil had frozen because the setting was too cool. Most of it wilted too a dark, ugly color- but there were still some of the smaller green leaves that survived. I didn’t want any of my precious basil to go to waste so I compiled all the recipes I could think of that could use basil and spent the whole afternoon cooking. This light dessert is only one of the fruits (pardon the pun) of my labor.

I  believe that once you have a taste you will be whisked away into a dream where sun shines on berries bigger than butterflies and fluffy little bunnies dance in the grass where you lay, begging you for a taste of your sweet treat..

With frozen fruit and simple syrup you can create an endless variety of satisfying and chill-inducing treats. The recipe I found called for peaches, but I decided that strawberry would be better with basil (I think I was right, but you must try for yourself)-so I made both.

(insert your favorite fruit) Basil Sorbet

approx. 1 1/2 cups frozen peaches or strawberries (or whatever other fruit you heart desires)

splash of Riesling (WHAT? I didn’t have any juice and needed to thin out the mixture a bit)

1/4 cup basil simple syrup (recipe below)

In a blender combine ingredients and process until smooth. You can adjust the amount of simple syrup based on your desired sweetness. The resulting product will be quite soft. Place in an airtight container then put in the freezer until firm.

Simple Syrup for Peach Sorbet
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
4 large Basil leaves

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Refrigerate until cold. Keep the basil leaves in the syrup.

Another recipe from Food Matters. This is a different kind of stir-fry in that it doesn’t use soy sauce. I ate it with some whole wheat pasta spirals today for a light lunch.

Stir-Fried Beans with Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 lb broccoli, cut into florets

3 Tbs olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped onions

1 Tbs minced garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 cup low sodium vegetable stock

1 cup edamame, fresh or thawed frozen

Directions:

Put the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. when the oil is hot, ass the broccoli, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until coated in oil and just beginning to soften- about 1-2 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add the cumin and tomatoes and give a good stir, then add the remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes plump up a bit, the liquid has reduced and the vegetables are crisp-tender- about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, taste and adjust the seasoning and serve.

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If I had a quarter for every time someone asks “but where do you get your protein?”, I would be a filthy rich broad. Most people don’t even realize that you can get protein from other sources. Some GREAT sources of protein are: sprouts, spinach, kale, broccoli, parsley, quinoa, couscous barley and other whole grains, hemp seeds, almonds, all types of beans, peas, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, etc. It hard NOT to get enough protein with so many options- and I didn’t even include all the soy sources of protein!

1/4 of this recipe provides almost 10 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. The % of the RDA for various vitamins and minerals are as follows: Vitamin A-37%, Vitamin B-6 12%, Vitamin C- 103%, Calcium-8%, Folate-26%, Iron- 9%, etc..Ok, enough with the nutrition blab. If you’ve tried any of the recipes I’ve posted and liked them, leave me a comment and let me know!

Three out of three recipes I’ve made from Mark Bitmann’s book have been absolutely AMAZING. I recommend this book not only for the content in the first half, but the incredible recipes in the second half! This time I modified his eggplant and grain torta because I had several butternut squash that had been sitting around for quite some time. The girls helped me make this one for a dinner party tonight and while it is pretty easy to make it is a definitely gift of love- taking nearly 2 hours to complete. But so worth it.

Savory Vegetable and Quinoa Torta

Ingredients:

2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced

About 3/4 cup olive oil

2 medium butternut squash, peeled, cut crosswise into thin slices

4 medium zucchinis, cut into slices 1/4 inch thick

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups cooked quinoa

fresh sage, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the onions in a large dry skillet with a lid over medium heat. Cover and cook, stirring infrequently, until the onions are dry and almost sticking to the pan, about 20 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions brown, another 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside,

2. Meanwhile, smear 2 (or more) baking sheets with 2 tablespoons oil each. Lay the squash on one sheet and the zucchini on the other in a single layer: (You may need to work in batches, cooking the squash on the 2 baking sheets, then cooking the zucchini.) Sprinkle with some salt and pepper and drizzle or brush each with another couple tablespoons of oil. Roast until the squash and zucchini are soft. (about 10-1 minutes)

3. Coat the bottom and inside the ring of an 8- or 9-inch springform pan with some oil. Press half of the cooked grains into the bottom of the pan to form an even crust, about 1/2 inch thick, covering the bottom completely. Layer a third of the squash slices on top of the grain crust, then layer half the zucchini, half of the caramelized onions, and some of the sage, sprinkling each layer with a bit of salt and pepper; repeat the layers, pressing down gently on each one, and ending with squash. Spread the remaining grain on top and press with a spatula or spoon to make the torta as compact as possible.

4. Put the torta in the oven and cook about 30 minutes. Let sit for about 5 minutes before carefully removing the outer ring of the pan. Then let cool for another 10 minutes before cutting into wedges. Garnish with the remaining sage and serve.