Articles by Donna DiMarco

Wild Alaskan Salmon Salad

• 1 can of salmon, drained and bones and skin removed.
• 2 stalks of organic celery chopped
• ¼ small red onion chopped finely
• 1 Tbs of pickled ginger chopped + a little liquid from the jar
• 2 Tbs of sunflower seeds (unsalted)
• 2 Tbs of dried cranberries
• 1 Tbs of safflower mayo
• ¼ tsp of dill weed
• Salt & pepper to taste

Mix well and serve on celery sticks, millet toast or lettuce leaves

Hearty Oatmeal

Never use instant or quick cook oatmeal since the processing raises the glycemic index.
To whatever amount you make, add accordingly:

• Cinnamon powder
• Vanilla
• Flax seed
• Nuts (walnuts or pecans) or even a spoon full of nut butter
• Non-dairy milk like hemp, rice or almond
• Stevia or agave syrup to sweeten to taste.
• Top with fresh berries or other fresh fruit

Kale & Carrot Soup

• 1 tbs. olive oil
• 1 onion diced
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 stalks of celery
• 4 shiitake mushrooms (fresh or dried)
• 1 small piece of ginger, grated
• 1 gallon of pure water
• 2 tbs of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Bouillon
• 1 tbs Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt and black pepper to taste
• 4 organic potatoes cut into pieces
• 5 organic carrots cut into thick slices
• 1 bunch of fresh organic kale, wash and cut out the main vein in the center of each leaf
• Dash of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar (optional)

Place oil in large soup pot. Saute onions, garlic, celery, mushrooms and fresh ginger until tender. Add water and bring to a boil. Mix in vegetable boullion paste and seasonings. Add potatoes, carrots and kale. Reduce heat and simmer until tender.

Hummus

• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans (chick peas)
• 1 clove garlic (you may want less)
• 1 ½ tbs. tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
• 2 tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• Dash of paprika

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add water if it is too thick.

Escarole and Bean Soup

• 1 tbs. olive oil
• 6 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 gallon of pure water
• 12 oz great northern beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
• 1 head of green cabbage chopped
• 1 stalk of kombu (sea vegetable)
• 1 cup parsley chopped
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 8-10 leaves of fresh basil chopped
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
• 2 large heads of escarole, washed carefully and chopped
• 1 tbs. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
• 1 tbs. Celtic Sea salt
• Black pepper to taste

Place oil in large soup pot, sauté garlic until tender. Add water and bring to a boil. Add beans, cabbage, kombu, parsley, fennel seeds, basil and red pepper. After it boils again, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 90 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently. Add escarole, liquid aminos, salt and black pepper and continue cooking 1 hour more or until beans are tender.

Kombu Carrots

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 3 thin carrots, sliced
• 1 tbs. tamari
• 1 strip of kombu, rinsed and soaked for 15 minutes, then cut into ½ inch strips

Heat oil in skillet and fry carrot slices until soft. Add tamari and kombu (include some of the water it was soaked in). Simmer for 15 minutes and serve.
Oatmeal Flaxseed Muffins

• 2 cups of rolled oats
• 2 cups of oat bran
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup apple juice
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 3 tbs. flaxseed
• 4 apples, diced
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• Chopped nuts (optional)

Combine dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients in separate bowl. Mix both together with seeds and fruit. Pour into paper lined muffin tins. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Ginger-Honey Salmon

• 2 wild Alaskan Salmon steaks or fillet
• Head of fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tbs. of raw, unfiltered honey
• Juice from 1 fresh lemon- seeds removed
• ¼ tsp paprika
• 1 clove garlic, minced finely
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix well: lemon juice, honey, paprika, salt and pepper and garlic.
Place washed wild Alaskan Salmon steaks or fillet in a glass pan. Pour mixture over fish. Cover well and refrigerate over night. Grill or broil fish about 4-6 minutes each side, depending on cut and thickness or bake right in juice at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Drizzle more honey over fish when serving.

Blueberry Blend

• ½ cup frozen organic blueberries (other fruit can be substituted)
• ¼ cup vanilla rice yogurt
• ¼ cup organic unfiltered apple juice

Blend until smooth

Banana Mango Pudding

• 1/3 cup pure water
• ¼ cup basmatic rice
• 2 ripe mangos
• 2 large ripe bananas
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

Bring water to a boil, add rice and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes and allow to cool to room temperature. Puree mango and banana and rice. Add vanilla and cinnamon. Chill and serve.

Donna’s Rice & Beans
o Rice
1 cup organic short grain brown rice
Added to 2 cups of pure water.
Bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir in. When it begins to boil again, cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let set for 10 minutes to absorb remaining water.

o Beans
1 can organic pinto beans, drained
1 tbs. organic butter
6 red pickled peppers and a tbs. of the vinegar it came in (I get them from the olive bar at Whole Foods)
4 oz sliced green olives
½ large onion, chopped
1 can sliced mushrooms
1/8 tsp. Cumin
½ Sea Salt (Celtic or Himalayan is best)
1/8 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Oregano
1/4 tsp. Basil

Melt butter in pan. Sauté onions in butter until soft. Add mushrooms, peppers, olives and spices.
Simmer 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Kohlrabi & Carrots

• 1 medium kohlrabi, chopped into 3/4 ” cubes (about 2 cups)
• 4 large carrots, cut into chunks to match the size of the kohlrabi
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
• salt and pepper

1. Cover the Kohlrabi and carrots with lightly salted water and boil until quite tender (about 15-20 minutes).
2. Drain.
3. Lightly mash, leave a lot of texture don’t try to make them smooth like mashed potatoes.
4. Add nutmeg and butter.
5. serve.

Brazilian Quinoa with Artichoke Hearts

• 3 tbs olive oil
• 2 cups quinoa
• 2 onions chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tbs dill weed
• Pinch of saffron
• 12 marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 cup pitted black olives (oil cured or kalamata)
• 1 large sweet red pepper diced
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley to garnish
• ½ cup chopped walnuts to garnish

Gently warm olive oil in a large skillet with a tight fitting cover. Sauté quinoa, onions, red pepper, and garlic for 2 minutes.

Bring vegetable stock to a boil. Add to quinoa mixture in skillet with dill and saffron. Cover skillet, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and uncover.

Arrange artichoke hearts and olives on top. Cover skillet again and allow to sit another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with walnuts to serve.

Taken from Debra’s Natural Gourmet Cookbook by Debra Stark, page 121 Keats Publishing, New Canaan, Connecticut, 1997

Quinoa with Pine Nuts and Apricots

• 2 cups pure water
• 1 cup quinoa
• ½ cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 2 tbs olive oil
• ¼ cup dried apricots, chopped coarsely
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper finely diced

In a medium sauce pan, bring water to boil. Stir in quinoa, cover pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let quinoa remain in the covered pot for another 10 minutes so grain will absorb water.

Transfer quinoa to a salad bowl and fluff slightly with a fork every few minutes until grain cools.

Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over moderate heat, stirring until nuts are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

When quinoa is cooled, add remaining ingredients and toss until grain is coated.

Taken from Round the World Cooking at the Natural Gourmet by Debra Stark, page 155. Keats Publishing, New Canaan, Connecticut, 1994

Haddock with Pine Nuts and Capers

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 4 pieces of fish, 6-8 oz. each
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 red onion diced
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ¼ cup drained capers
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup minced parsley
• 1 cup pitted French green olives

Gently warm olive oil in skillet. Sprinkle salt and pepper on fish and cook about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and set aside.

Add onion to same skillet and sauté a few minutes. Add remaining ingredients to skillet and cook for another minute or two stirring frequently.

Return fish to skillet and gently spoon sautéed ingredients over pieces. Cook until fish is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to plates and drizzle sauce and juices over the top.

Taken from Debra’s Natural Gourmet Cookbook by Debra Stark, page 183 Keats Publishing, New Canaan, Connecticut, 1997

Indonesian Rice Salad
Salad:
4 cups cooked, cooled Basmati or Wehani rice
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 bunch scallions, sliced
½ cup sesame seeds
1- 4 oz. can sliced water chestnuts
1- 4 oz. can bamboo shoots
1 sweet green bell pepper
1 sweet orange or red pepper, chopped
4 stalks celery sliced
1 bunch parsley, minced
Dressing:
3 tbs olive oil
4 tbs Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 clove garlic, minced or ½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
3 tbs rice vinegar or lemon juice

Place salad ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together dressing and pour over salad. Toss gently, until rice is well coated.

Taken from Round the World Cooking at the Natural Gourmet by Debra Stark, page 165. Keats Publishing, New Canaan, Connecticut, 1994
Modified by Donna

Shiitake, Bean and Berry Soup

• 1 cup navy beans
• ½ cup grain berries (I used buckwheat-DD)
• 3-4 quarts water or vegetable stock
• 8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of thyme and oregano
• 1 large potato, diced
• ¾ oz dried shiitake mushrooms (I dry my own-DD)
• 1 large parsnip, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 strip of kombu, soaked and sliced into strips
• 1 tbs. dried parsley
• Salt & pepper to taste

In a large soup kettle, place beans and berries with water or veggie broth. Bring to a boil and boil uncovered for 10 minutes to release the gases. Put remaining ingredients into the pot except the last two. Bring soup to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer for an hour and a half.
Taken from Debra’s Natural Gourmet Cookbook by Debra Stark, page 47. Keats Publishing, New Canaan, Connecticut, 1997
Modified by Donna

Millet, Sweet Potato and Broccoli

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup millet
• 2 cups cubed sweet potato, steamed
• 2 cups broccoli florets, steamed
• ½ red onion, chopped, 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 cup cooked chick peas

Dressing:

• 3 tbs toasted sesame oil
• 3 tbs tamari soy sauce
• 2 tbs rice wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together

Bring 2 cups water to boil and stir in millet. Lower heat, cover pot and simmer for 4o minutes

Cube sweet potato and steam using a rach in a saucepan so potatoes won’t become water logged. When tender, about 5 minutes, pour sweet potato into a colander in the sink. Use the same pot and a little water to steam the broccoli the same way.

Toss all ingredients together, after pouring dressing on the top.

Taken from Debra’s Natural Gourmet Cookbook by Debra Stark, page 118. Keats Publishing, New Canaan, Connecticut, 1997
Modified by DD

Sautéed Arame

• 2 cups Arame soaked for 5 minutes
• 1 tbs. Toasted sesame oil
• 1 large onion, sliced thin
• 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
• ½ cup frozen organic corn
• 1 cup cold, pure water
• 2 tsp tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
• ¼ cup scallions, chopped for garnish

Heat oil in a skillet and sauté onion for 3 minutes. Add carrot, arame, corn, and water. Cover, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add Bragg’s and cook for 5 minutes more. Garnish with scallions and serve.
Taken from the back of Eden Arame package.

Salad Oliver

• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1 large potato diced
• 2 hard boiled organic eggs, chopped
• 1 small green cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 cup uncooked peas
• 1 apple, cored and diced
• ½ cup chopped walnuts (I added- DD)
• ¼ cup safflower mayonnaise
• 1 tbs. apple cider vinegar (I added- DD)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Steam potato and carrots in a small amount of water (1 cup) Potatoes should be soft, but not mushy. Drain and cool.

Place cabbage, peas, walnuts, apples, egg. Combine mayo, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add into cabbage mixture. Gently mix in potato and carrots. Mix well, chill and serve.

Taken from Debra’s Natural Gourmet Cookbook by Debra Stark, page 82. Keats Publishing, New Canaan, Connecticut, 1997
Modified by DD