I trust that you all had a nice St. Patrick’s Day. Whether you celebrated by wearing green, tossing back a green beer green smoothie, eating green eggs and ham, or reflecting on the life and mission of St. Patrick, I hope it was a good day.

I also hope you got in your greens! I’ve been using St. Patrick’s week as an excuse to come up with new green recipes. I have a new garden soup to share with you. This soup started as a chunky gazpacho, but with the power of the Vitamix this soup became as creamy as a pudding in just a few extra seconds. After a quick taste test, I decided that I liked it that way. Garnished with a few cooling toppings, this spicy garden soup made a wonderful lunch for several days.

Spicy Garden Soup

by Heather

Ingredients:

• 2 c. spinach, packed
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 jalapeno with seeds
• 2 c. chopped tomatoes (about 2 medium)
• 1 c. chopped cucumber (about 1/2 large)
• 1/4 c. chopped red onion
• 1 bunch cilantro (to taste)
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 avocado
• Extra garnish: cilantro leaves, avocado, tomato, cucumber, pumpkin seeds

Directions:

1. Place all except the garnish ingredients in the Vitamix and process until smooth and creamy.

2. Pour into bowls and garnish with cilantro leaves, sliced tomatoes, avocado slices, chopped cucumber, and pumpkin seeds.

3. Or store in a mason jar and pour single servings throughout the week.

Yields 4 servings

Readers, dish!

• How did you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
• How do you get more greens in your diet?

Doesn’t February make you want to snuggle up by the fire with a bowl of soup? Soup sounds so simple and comforting this time of year. Luckily for me, I have the perfect resource to chase away the wintertime blues. If you’re feeling super snuggly and in need of warming from the inside out, you’re going to want to check out Ladled: Nourishing Soups For All Seasons by Kimberly Harris. I’ve been cooking through this 300-page book and love it so much that I’m giving a copy to one of you!

I read this cookbook from cover to cover before stepping into the kitchen because I just couldn’t put it down. Every single recipe has one page of instructions and a full-page photo of the finished soup.

Full-page photos!

It even has a Thumbnail Recipe Table of Contents to help you select what you’ll be making next. Reading Ladled opened my eyes to the wide range of soup possibilities. Homemade soup really is for everyone. It’s inexpensive, nutrient-rich, and it can be hearty or delicate. There are soups with eggs and soups with noodles, rich broths and creamed soups.

My favorite creamed soup was Kimberly’s Butternut Apple Soup.

There are soups with grains and soups with beans. There are steaming soups and chilled soups, stocks and thick stews.

Kimberly’s Curried Beef Stew was a huge hit in our home.

There are traditional soups and less common grain porridges and rice congees. There are simple soups and soups for special occasions. With soup, there are endless possibilities, and Kimberly explores the full range in Ladled.

Kimberly calls herself a traditionalist cook because she uses traditional recipes, ingredients, and methods. Her warm personality matches the nourishing nature of her lovingly crafted recipes. She isn’t just a cook. She’s an encourager and a teacher.

While Ladled isn’t a gluten-free cookbook I found most recipes to be naturally gluten free. And the recipes are labeled:”Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegetarian-Friendly, Budget-Friendly, GAPS-Friendly, and Quick Recipe to meet your dietary, budget, and time needs.

But Ladled is far more than a recipe book. It’s an homage to soup. Within it’s pages you’ll find history, instructions for and rationale behind sprouting and soaking grains, an ingredient guide to learn things like which are the healthiest oils to use and how to use them properly. There are sections dedicated to kitchen tools and basic techniques with picture directions. You’ll learn how to chop and onion, mince garlic, slice and dice carrots, celery, potatoes, and leeks. But then there are also instructions for less common kitchen tasks like making carrot and zucchini noodles, making sprouted noodles, and shelling fresh fava beans. There’s something to learn for everyone, even those who live in the kitchen.

Ladled is a must-have for every kitchen. It would be a perfect gift for a new bride or a housewarming gift. What could be more welcoming than soup?

And now for the giveaway! Would you like to win a copy of Ladled? All you have to do is make a comment below to enter. You can leave up to 4 entries today by answering 2 dish questions and letting me know in separate comments that you shared the giveaway on Twitter (tagging @glutenfreecat) and “liked” Gluten-Free Cat’s Facebook page.

Giveaway Guidelines:

• This giveaway is limited to U.S. residents 18 and older.
• Enter by leaving a comment on this post.
• You are limited to 4 entries.
• The giveaway begins February 4, 2013 and ends at 11:59 pm central time on February 8, 2013.

No purchase is necessary.  Odds of winning are based on the number of entries.  The winner will be randomly chosen and will be contacted by email.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond.  If the winner does not respond, a new winner will be randomly chosen.

Readers, dish!

• Why would you like to win Ladled?
  
• What is your favorite kind of soup?
• Creamy, chunky, delicate, or hearty?
• If you win, for whom would you make that first pot of soup?

Last weekend we had our Raw Foods Potluck, and I promise I will share all about it this week. With Raw Foods Thursdays and the potluck, I’ve had a lot of fun experimenting but not enough time sharing my fun with you. While thoroughly enjoying the raw leftovers and the inspiration brought by my Raw Foods Girls, the recipes they created, and dishes made from our favorite raw foods authors, I finally have a recipe to share.

Dallas showed up to the potluck with a salad that knocked my socks off. It was Ani Phyo’s Confetti Salad in Orange-Cucumber Dressing from her book Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen. Packed with whole foods and flavor, this recipe is one you must make exactly as written at least once.

I wanted to kick up the ginger a bit and make a cilantro-based dressing. And I was thrilled with the results. (I know, you either love cilantro or you hate it! If you hate it, try using parsley.)

 The dressing is creamy which contrasts well with the crunchy cabbage and slivered almonds.

I love this salad as a side or as a meal by itself.

Crunchy Ginger Orange Salad

inspired by Dallas and Ani

Salad Ingredients:

• 1/2 bunch of kale
• 1/2 head of romaine lettuce
• 1/2 head of cabbage
• 1/2 c. dried cranberries
• 1/2 c. slivered almonds

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1 orange, peeled and divided into sections
• 1 large handful of cilantro, about 1 cup
• 3 T. chopped ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 c. pine nuts
• 1 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

1. Remove coarse stems from kale leaves, roll like a burrito, and cut into thin ribbons.

2. Roll romaine lettuce leaves and cut into 1/2-inch slices.

3. Chop cabbage into bite-sized pieces.

4. Place kale, romaine, and cabbage in a large bowl and top with slivered almonds and dried cranberries.

5. Put all dressing ingredients in a Vitamix or blender and blend until creamy.

6. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat.  Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8

This salad is even better the second day!

Readers, dish!

• Do you have a favorite raw foods cookbook?
• Are you a cilantro lover or hater?

Greens, greens, greens, greens! Kale, avocado, kiwi, and dill! This delicious salad is one to cheer about! It anchors you down with strong nutrition and lets your taste buds swim with the simple sweetness of a splash of kiwi. Crisp, refreshing, satisfying, and so good for you.

Six simple ingredients.

Six delicious servings.

Kiwi Avocado Kale Salad

by Heather

Ingredients:

• Kale, 1 medium bunch
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 kiwi
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 T. chopped dill
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:

1.  Wash kale and remove leaves from coarse stems. Roll kale and slice into thin ribbons. Place in a large bowl.

2.  Massage olive oil into the kale leaves.

3.  Peel kiwi, slice, and quarter each slice.

4.  Add kiwi, avocado, dill, and lemon juice to the kale leaves and toss.

Yields: 4-6 servings

Six degrees of yum!

Readers, dish!

• What is your favorite simple salad?
• Do you add fruit to your green salads?