5 Easy Autumn Vegetable Recipes

It is official! It's Autumn and the farmer's markets will soon be overflowing with many autumn vegetables that thrive in the cooler weather up right up until the first good frost. 

What are some of these vegetables and fall recipes to make? 

8 Interesting End of Summer Salads

We love to eat salads especially in the summer and there are so many ways to eat them.  I never tire of creating interesting combinations. Today I decided to collect photos of 8 different salads that I have made at home in the past or enjoyed in a restaurant. 

In My Kitchen (November)

I'm joining Sherry's IMK (In My Kitchen) "blog share" for the month of November. IMK, as the name implies, is an opportunity for bloggers to give readers a peek into what's going on in their kitchens. 

I've been looking at fall tablescapes on some blogs recently, and love all the beautifully set tables for the season. I started digging out an old set of pottery that I had packed away that I haven't used in many years. They look and feel like fall dishes to me. 

It was my very first set of "good" dishes when I first got married. I wasn't into china. I remembered that the pottery was from a company called  Rocky Mount Pottery from the 1970's, but I couldn't find anything like it online. Anyone recognize or know if it is Rocky Mount? 

Beet and Cardamom Soup

Calling all beet lovers! I made a gorgeous deep pink beetroot soup that is mixed with apples, walnuts, cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon. 

Yellow Beet Borsht

Traditional beet borsht has a bright brilliant red color. Red beets can be hard to work with because they stain everything, including your hands and the countertop. This borsht recipe was made using golden yellow beets, which produced a beautiful yellow soup that tasted lovely and didn't stain anything. 

Vegetable Kabob Appetizers- Vegetarian, Gluten Free and Easy

Which appetizer should you make for your next party?

These colorful appetizing vegetable kabobs make a great presentation, are easy to make, as well as easy to serve. In fact, they make a perfect finger food! Since everything is on the skewer, no additional utensils are needed. Just pick it up and eat it!

Chilled Summer Borsht

Borsht is a tangy soup that is popular in Eastern European countries like Russia, Poland, and the Ukraine. It is usually made with beetroot as the base, but every region of Europe has its own variation of vegetables and ingredients that go into this rich looking "good for you" soup.

I make it in my Instant Pot and here is how

Beet and Walnut Salad with Pickled Onions

Beets are a healthy superfood-especially if you are thinking of heart or eye protection! 
Personally, I like cooked beets and am always on the lookout for authentic ethnic recipes that include beets.

I was first introduced to this interesting salad at a luncheon given by an amazing cook who lived her first 18 years in Cairo, Egypt. She brought many of her family recipes with her.  

Spiralized Vegetable Salad With Zucchini and Beets

Looking for a creative way to serve your vegetables?  Spiralize them and make them into a salad. 

I spiralized zucchini and beets for this colorful salad and placed them over fresh spinach leaves.

The flavors mingled beautifully, and it was light and easy to eat. 

Beet Kvass - Probiotic and Liver Cleanser

Beet Kvass is a popular fermented beet drink that is a blood purifier, liver cleanser, probiotic and a nutrition booster that can be made rather easily on your kitchen countertop in a 1/2 gallon Mason jar! Although it's becoming popular now, I recently found out that my Eastern European grandparents thrived on this drink! My paternal grandmother from Russia lived to be a healthy 107.

You use 3 simple ingredients: beets, sea salt, and whey ( vegans can omit and follow the recommended substitution suggested in the ingredients ) 

You simply soak cut of raw beets, some sea salt and some whey-let it sit to ferment for 2 days and then refrigerate. A half gallon of kvass lasts a long time (at least 2 weeks )  in the refrigerator.

What is whey? Whey is the clear liquid that you can separates in the yogurt and you can make your own whey very easily. Don't leave me yet, read the rest- you will be glad you did!



If nothing else, everyone needs a good source of probiotics to establish and maintain a healthy digestive system that digests your food properly, allows your body to absorb nutrients better, and keep the healthy bacteria thriving in your gut.

Kvass is good for you and what ails you ! I try to drink some daily. Can you buy kvass already made? I've never seen it.  But probably- but it is so so so easy to make, I think most people make their own.

How I was introduced to kvass

The first time I ever heard of beet kvass was at my friend Laura's house. Laura bought the book Nourishing Traditions, a book that serves as a manual for homesteaders who are returning to the earth and eating and living in harmony with nature. The recipe for kvass is in the book ( similar recipes are all over Pinterest)  and Laura makes it regularly to add valuable probiotics to her diet and help nourish herself and her family. Kvass is an all natural fermented probiotic product .

When Laura first introduced me kvass ( about a year ago),  I was amazed that she had actually fermented the concoction herself on her kitchen counter. I hesitantly tasted some of hers, very politely smiled, but couldn't fathom that I would ever ever ever make it. It seemed so mysterious, weird, and foreign.

However, a year later, I visited Laura at a time that I was not feeling well. I was nutritionally, physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted and run down. Laura was alarmed by my weakened condition and insisted  that I drink some of her homemade Kvass on the spot.

At that point, I gladly welcomed the nutrient rich easy to digest drink. It was like drinking a shot of pure magic energy. I felt an immediate benefit. Laura gave me a quart of her precious drink to take home, but not before she taught me how to more for myself.

For the next four days, I drank some of Laura's Kvass on an empty stomach twice a day. Truly, the effects were powerful.  My energy returned quickly, and I felt good enough to make my own new batch of kvass two days later.

Kvass is very easy to make

It only takes 5- 7 minutes of prep to prepare the kvass, but then it takes 48 hours for the finished product to sit covered on my counter to ferment. After the two days, the end product is a beautiful jar of rich red beet elixer. ( I know we are not used to leaving things out on the counter without refrigeration-but that is how things like sauerkraut, pickled vegetables, yogurt etc. ferments) Fermented food is a very important part of healthy eating.

Kvass is beneficial to drink every day. It is a liver cleanser, energy booster, and powerhouse of nourishment. It's good to know how to make health giving fermented food for yourself and your  family. It is naturally gluten free, vegan, and nut free.

How to make Beet Kvass

Author: Judee Algazi
Prep Time: 5-7 minutes
Fermenting Time: 48 hours
Makes : 1/2 gallon

Materials Needed:

• 1/2 gallon jar ( I used a 1/2 gallon Mason Jar)
• Whey ( you have to make your own or skip it and double the salt) 
• doubling the salt is too salty for me,
• How to make whey from yogurt ( very very very easy- see below) 

Ingredients:
3-4 medium organic beets
1 tsp of sea salt
1/4 cup of whey ( or omit the whey and add an additional teaspoon of salt)
filtered or distilled water to fill the 1/2 gallon Mason jar almost to the top

Directions:
1.  Peel and cut the beets into large chunks ( if organic beets, I leave skin on)
2.  Place chunks into a clean 1/2 gallon Mason jar
3.  Add sea salt and whey. Add water to almost the top of the jar.
4.  Stir to mix and cover with a dish cloth and allow to sit on the counter ( outside of the fridge) for
48 hours.

After 48 hours, put the Mason jar lid on the jar and refrigerate. Laura says it will last weeks ( ok she said months) in the refrigerator. Just drink the juice. You can leave the beets in the jar and then discard or discard initially.

These beautiful organic beets were from my CSA farm this week 

I left the skin the beets on because they were organic

Immediately after assembling the ingredients in my 1/2 gallon Mason Jar. Before soaking for 48 hours

Beet Kvass after fermenting for 2 days- rich red color

If you are vegan, skip the whey and add an extra teaspoon of salt It will be less salty if you use whey.

How to make Whey

Ingredients:
1 cup of plain yogurt
4 sheets ( layers)  of cheese cloth
1 qt size mason jar ( or any jar is ok)
1 clip or clothespin

This is whey ( the clear liquid separated from plain yogurt) 

This is how I separated the whey from the cup of yogurt

Directions: 
Using  a piece of cheesecloth about 4 layers thick ( you can cut what you want) - place a cup of plain yogurt in the middle of the cheese cloth  and pull all the sides up together. Place in a Mason ( or any) wide mouth jar and hang over night ( use the clip to hold it) can be left out overnight, does not need to be refrigerated for the first 12 hours while separating ( my husbands family has been making this safely for generations) - OH! the yogurt inside the cloth will turn into Lebnah or as it is known today -Greek yogurt- so enjoy using the whey and eating your yogurt spread.
refrigerate now or enjoy it warm.. yum!


Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor and am not trying to diagnose or treat disease. The information in my blog is based sharing my own experiences for educational purposes only.
Always consult your medical doctor if you are not feeling well or before changing your diet in any way.

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Beet Salad with Mint, Lemon, and Celery

What could be more appropriate for the health conscious than a recipe using red beautiful beets?

Forget the Mess!!

If you adore beets, but hate the mess, I've got the answer for you. This is the easiest beet making recipe in the world and the tastiest way to eat them. It's so simple that you won't even have to peel them before cooking: Stay with me and trust me on this one!

As much as I love beets, I didn't make them for years because of the mess.. Now I make these heath giving, iron rich, sweet delicacies whenever I find a great looking bunch in the stores. 

Organic beets taste great

I buy organic  because they are very easy to find in most markets, and the price is not much different than the regular beet prices. ( but the organic are so much better) and most organic brands say, " GMO Free"
  
Roast and Rub

After roasting the whole beet ( unpeeled) in the oven, I quickly rubbed off the peel, cut them up, and made a beet salad with some fresh mint leaves, lemon juice, and some crunchy chopped organic celery. It was easy and delicious. Of course the roasted beets were so sweet and tender, I could have just eaten them plain. 

Power Up Your Diet !  Beets are an excellent source of immune building antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, including iron and potassium. 

Fresh nutrient dense vegetables such as beets are a perfect food for a gluten free diet. This salad is light and delicious and makes an interesting side dish with just about any meal.

Ingredients needed:
2 large organic beets, roasted whole in their skin
1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint
Juice of a 1/2 fresh lemon
1/4 cup chopped organic celery ( celery is on the dirty dozen list, so I buy organic)

Instructions:
After roasting the beets whole in the oven, remove them and allow them to cool - then remove skin ( it will come off easily) .
Cut beets into large chunks. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon over beets. Add chopped mint and chopped celery and mix well.

How to roast the beets:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees

• Cut the beet from the greens ( very easy)
• Wash the unpeeled and uncut beets well 
• Place them whole on a parchment paper  covered cookie sheet, and roast at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes or until they are soft in the center ( amount of cooking time will depend on the size of your beets). 
• Remove from the oven and allow them to cool.
• Take a knife and cut in half lengthwise to make the heart effect - looks great doesn't it!
• To eat them, just use the back of a spoon or knife to easily remove the skin ( wear rubber gloves or not) and cut the beets up.
• slice beets and add the lemon juice, chopped mint, and chopped celery.. 
• 
  

Benefits of Eating Beets

• low in calories ( about 45 calories a cup) 
• high in fiber 
• have zero cholesterol
• almost no fat 
• provide cardiovascular benefits 
• rich in potassium 

 Potassium is known to help lower heart rate and balance the metabolism within the cells by opposing the negative effects of sodium.

 

slice to make it look like a heart

           
  

Some of my additional vegan fresh beet recipes :

Beet and Orange Salad in White Balsamic Vinegar

Quinoa Lover's Salad with Roasted Beets

Medley of Roasted Winter acorn Squash and roasted beets 

 Hearty Beet Borscht Soup; Cold or hot

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cut beets from the greens and then trim off stems

Fresh Mint

Roast whole in oven at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes - 1 hour

Remove from oven, cool, and slice lengthwise to make hearts

Quinoa Lover's Salad

Doesn't this salad look amazing?  

It contains quinoa, fresh spinach, orange segments, chick peas, walnuts, mint, and roasted beets making it a nutritional powerhouse of antioxidants and vitamins. In addition, quinoa and chick peas are high in protein, making this salad a meal in a bowl. It's dressed in a light orange refreshing citrus dressing.

There is nothing like a hearty salad, especially during the summer when you may not feel like doing extensive cooking. A salad, such as this quinoa salad, could be a perfect lunch, light dinner, or even a side dish to complement any entree.

This recipe was shared with me by my daughter-in-law's mother, Jeanette. We were invited  last Saturday to their beautiful home in upstate New York. Knowing that I am a vegetarian, Jeanette surprised me with this delicious salad. After one bite, I knew I would want to share it with you on my blog.

The homemade fresh roasted beets in the salad are exceptionally delicious. However, if you are in a hurry and want to able to throw this vegan salad together more quickly, I would use cooked beets from a jar or even the roasted beets from the refrigerator section of most supermarkets. 

Jeanette told me she found the recipe on a blog called the Gluten Free Goddass. I adapted her recipe to suit my own taste and made the recipe oil-free, so please check out her blog for the original recipe. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of quinoa washed well and cooked (see below)
2 medium-large uncooked beets, trimmed and quartered and roasted (do not peel and see roasting directions below) 
3 cups of baby spinach leaves
1 cup (drained rinsed) cooked chick peas

Small handful of walnut halves

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh mint
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 fresh orange, peeled, trimmed, cut into bite sized pieces

Optional: add slivered almonds, pine nuts, avocado slices

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Directions:

Beets: Preheat the oven to 375ºF to roast the beets. Cover a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the whole trimmed beets on the parchment paper. Roasted in the oven for 45 minutes until the center of the beet is soft. When cool to touch, simply rub off skin. Cut beets into bite size pieces.

Quinoa: Cook quinoa according to the directions on the package and set aside. You can also make fluffy quinoa in minutes in the Instant Pot (link to the recipe). 

Wash spinach and set aside

Assemble 

To assemble the salad, mix the warm quinoa, chick peas, walnuts, mint, and spinach leaves in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Add the cut up beets and orange pieces without tossing to keep the beets to from excessive bleeding (everything will turn red if you overdo it)

                       


Try some of these other recipes that I  posted last July::


Basil Spinach Pesto




Cucumber Dill Dressing (vegetarian, not vegan)



Middle Eastern Lemonade- a recipe passed down in the family


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