Hopefully this 'happy dance in your mouth' will not turn so wild and rambunctious as to crack a tooth or two.

This is second recipe i  share from Soupelina's Soup Cleanse,Plant-Based Soups and Broths to Heal Your Body, Calm Your Mind, and Transform Your Life (Da Capo Lifelong Books, February 2016) by Elina Fuhrman .

Coconut Galangal Broth

This creamy broth packs a punch, and the first time I made it, I did a happy dance in my kitchen. It also felt like a happy dance in my mouth. The broth is admittedly special and highlights Thai flavors, without them overwhelming one another. The delicate aroma and flavor that comes from galangal in contrast to coconut milk and lime juice create an addictive but healthy concoction.

Serves 8

+ Heat the coconut milk in a soup pot over medium heat and bring to a boil.

+ When boiling, add the galangal, lemongrass, sweet potato, and kaffir lime leaves.

+ Lower the heat, add the spring water, cover, and simmer for an hour.

+ Remove from the heat and let stand for about 20 minutes to absorb the flavors.

+ Discard the veggies and season with the salt and lime juice.

+ Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs and serve hot.

• 2 cups light coconut milk
• 7 slices young galangal
• 3 stalks lemongrass, cut into 1-inch-long pieces and bruised
• 1 medium-size sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 1-inch rounds
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 5 cups spring water
• 1 tablespoon Himalayan pink salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• Fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish

  NOTE

  If you’d like the broth creamy, add 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk before adding the spring water to the pot

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from 'Soupelina's Soup Cleanse, Plant-Based Soups and Broths to Heal Your Body, Calm Your Mind, and Transform Your Life' by Elina Fuhrman -Da Capo Lifelong Books- February 2016) 

Zing up your summer outdoor meals with this recipe from World Spice at Home : New Flavors for 75 Favorite Dishes (Sasquatch Books, September 2014) by Amanda Bevill and Julie Kramis Hearne.

Berbere Ketchup

Your burgers and fries will taste better than ever with Berbere Ketchup. The mild heat and rich flavors of berbere blend together perfectly with the tomatoes. This version has a notable but mellow spice level, so add more berbere if you want to really feel the heat. And, to turn one sauce into two, just add a few extra ingredients to the ketchup and you’ve got cocktail sauce with a twist!

Makes 4 Cups

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground berbere

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

½ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons flake or kosher salt

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened. Sprinkle with the berbere and stir to coat. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until the berbere is fragrant.

Add the tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, lemon juice, and salt and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to the consistency of ketchup. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Cool the ketchup to room temperature. You can keep your ketchup chunky and rustic, or transfer it to a blender and process until it is uniform and smooth. Refrigerate in an airtight container; the ketchup will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Note: You can easily adapt this ketchup into a wonderful cocktail sauce. Simply mix 1 cup of the Berbere Ketchup with ¼ cup prepared horseradish and 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve with your favorite seafood as a dipping sauce.

*(c)2014 By Amanda Bevill and Julie Kramis Hearne. All rights reserved. Excerpted from World Spice at Home: New Flavors for 75 Favorite Dishes by permission of Sasquatch Books. Photography by Charity Burggraaf)

Not just for cancer patients to get their strength back in The Meals to Heal Cookbook, 150 Easy, Nutritionally Balanced Recipes to Nourish You During Your Fight with Cancer ( Da Capo Lifelong Books, April 2016) by Susan Bratton of Savor Health and Jessica Iannotta.

Bull’s-Eye Skillet Avocado Eggs

Time: Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 30 minutes

Serves 2

This dish uses avocado halves as an appealing, edible “cup” for eggs. These can also be served as a lighter lunch or dinner meal because of their nutrient density. For someone with a compromised immune system, cook longer, until the yolk is fully cooked.

Ingredients:

1 large ripe avocado

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop out enough of the flesh to accommodate an entire egg in each hollowed-out peel.

Remove a small portion of the outer peel of each avocado half so it sits straight when you set it on a cutting board.

Crack and separate the eggs, placing the yolks in two individual ramekins or small cups and both whites together in a small bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a lidded skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the avocado shells, flesh side down, and sear them, uncovered, for about 30 seconds, or until slightly golden.

Flip the avocado shells over and fill the cavities almost to the top with the egg whites.

Lower the heat to medium-low, put the lid on, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the egg whites have turned from clear to white and are almost set.

Carefully slide the yolks over the whites and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the yolks are cooked all the way through.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Nutritional Analysis: Calories 251, Total Fat 21 g, Saturated Fat 4 g,

Cholesterol 215 mg, Sodium 132 mg, Carbohydrates 10 g, Dietary Fiber 7 g,

Protein 8 g

Stretch and Save: After you scoop out the flesh to make room for the egg, any leftover avocado can be used to make Classic Avocado Toast (page 46).

(Excerpt from The Meals to Heal Cookbook: 150 Easy, Nutritionally Balanced Recipes to Nourish You During Your Fight with Cancer by Susan Bratton and Jessica Iannotta. Copyright © 2016. Available from Da Capo Press, an imprint of Perseus Books, a division of PBG Publishing, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc.)

Serve a Flavorful Side, Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Zest and Mustard from Floyd Cardoz: Flavorwalla by Floyd Cardoz (Artisan Books, April 5, 2016)

Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Zest and Mustard

Serves 6 to 8

I always preferred sautéing or roasting asparagus until I started growing it in my garden. I don’t know if it was the proximity of garden to grill that provided a push in this direction, but from the first time I grilled asparagus, it has been my favorite way to cook it. I love the method here in particular because you can prepare everything several hours ahead of time so that it’s ready to toss on the grill once it’s hot. (Note that on a day when the grill isn’t lit, you can go back to my old ways and sauté the asparagus in canola oil in a wide pan over high heat or roast it in a 425°F oven.)

If you don’t grow your own, truly fresh asparagus can be hard to find. Choose asparagus bunches that are standing upright with their stems in water. The base of the stems should not be shriveled or dry. The tips should be stiff and tight, with no moist or mushy sections. Be sure to clean asparagus thoroughly. The shoots grow straight up out of the ground, and lots of dirt can hide in the tight leaves at the top of each spear. 

2 bunches pencil asparagus (about 2 pounds/107 grams), washed and dried (see note)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

½ teaspoon chile flakes

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Minced zest and juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup minced shallots

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon minced serrano chile

1. Prepare a hot grill. Place a grill basket on the grill to heat.

2. Trim the asparagus so that the spears are 4 to 6 inches long. Place the asparagus in a bowl.

3. Heat a small pot over medium heat. Add the canola oil, and when it starts to shimmer, add the mustard seeds. Cook, stirring and shaking the pan, until the mustard seeds pop, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Pour the mustard seeds and oil over the asparagus. Add the chile flakes and season with salt and pepper. Pour over 1½ tablespoons of the olive oil and toss until well coated. Set aside.

5. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1½ tablespoons olive oil with the lemon zest and juice, shallots, ginger, and chile. Set aside. (Everything can be done up until this point up to 2 hours in advance and set aside at room temperature.)

6. Place the asparagus in the hot grill basket and cook, shaking the basket occasionally, until crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

7. Transfer the asparagus to a serving dish. Pour the lemon–olive oil mixture over it and mix well. Serve.

Note:

Washing Asparagus

Asparagus needs thorough rinsing to get rid of all the sand that can hide in its tight leaves and tips. To wash it well, place the asparagus tips down in a cylindrical container, such as a wine bucket or a thermos. Fill the container with cold water and let stand for 20 minutes, periodically shaking the asparagus to get the dirt out. Remove the asparagus from the water and shake dry.

(* Excerpted from Floyd Cardoz: Flavorwalla by Floyd Cardoz (Artisan Books). Copyright ©2016. Photographs by Lauren Volo.)

Why juice when you can soup?

Start with 'Perks of Being Purple Cauliflower Soup' from Soupelina's Soup Cleanse, Plant-Based Soups and Broths to Heal Your Body, Calm Your Mind, and Transform Your Life (Da Capo Lifelong Books, February 2016) by Elina Fuhrman.

The Perks of Being a Purple Cauliflower Soup

Sometimes I wonder how people eat all the fake stuff when Mother Nature gives us such beautiful organic flavors and colors. Walking through the farmers market is inspiring and makes me feel alive. There is a reason for that: Pretty much everything I buy there has a direct impact on my body, mind, and spirit. Purple cauliflower is not just stunning looking; it also helps you look stunning. The purple color is a perk, a sign of flavonoid compounds called anthocyanins, instrumental in regulating blood sugar levels and body weight, and glucoraphanin, known for lowering your cancer risk.

Serves 4–6

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 medium-size onion, sliced
• 1 head purple cauliflower, cut into large chunks
• 2 or 3 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
• Boiling filtered water
• 1 tablespoon sweet white miso
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice of 1 lime
• Himalayan pink salt

+ Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat, add the celery and onion, and sauté until the onion is translucent.

+ Lower the heat to medium and add the cauliflower, reserving a few florets for garnish.

+ Add the potato and enough boiling filtered water to cover the veggies; cook until the cauliflower is al dente, 15 to 20 minutes.

+ Add the miso and garlic and cook for another few minutes.

+ Transfer to a Vitamix and puree until smooth.

+ Add the lime juice.

+ Taste and adjust the flavors with salt and seasonings.

+ Garnish with the reserved cauliflower florets.

Note:

If you are not cleansing, serve the soup with ½ teaspoon of truffle oil for extra flavor pop.

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from 'Soupelina's Soup Cleanse, Plant-Based Soups and Broths to Heal Your Body, Calm Your Mind, and Transform Your Life' by Elina Fuhrman -Da Capo Lifelong Books- February 2016) 

A timely recipe for before or after turkey binge Recipe, from The Quinoa [Keen-Wah] CookBook (Harper Wave, July 2015) by Maria del Mar Sacasa...

Quinoa, Sweet Potato and Walnut Veggie Burgers

YIELDS 4 (6-OUNCE) PATTIES

Textural balance and difference is important to every recipe, but especially with veggie burgers. Have you ever had one that’s just plain mushy? If so, it was probably your last until now. This recipe, with sweet potatoes as a lightly sweet binder and base, meaty mushrooms, toothsome walnuts, and al dente quinoa, will change the way you think about veggie burgers.

14 ounces/300 grams sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch/2.5-centimeter dice

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed

8 ounces/225 grams cremini or shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, tops cleaned and coarsely chopped

½ cup (2 ounces/60 grams) walnuts, coarsely chopped

2 large shallots, finely chopped

2 teaspoons soy sauce, plus more to taste

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons Sherry vinegar, plus more to taste

1 cup (6 ounces/180 grams) Basic Quinoa (pages 12–13) or Pilaf-Style Quinoa (page 14)

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup cilantro and flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Barbecue sauce

Crisp lettuce

Dijon mustard

Hamburger buns

Mayonnaise

Picked Pink Onions (page 33)

Sweet and Tangy Roasted Tomatoes (page 27)

Teriyaki sauce

1. Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water. Add the salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, weigh out 10 ounces (about 1 cup) and reserve.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms, walnuts, shallots, and soy sauce and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are golden brown and the shallots are softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sherry vinegar and cook 1 more minute. Stir in the quinoa. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning with soy sauce, vinegar, and pepper.
3. Place the cooked sweet potatoes in a large bowl and mash them with a fork. Stir in the mushroom mixture, cilantro, and parsley.
4. Divide the mixture into 4 portions and shape them into 5-inch/12.5-centimeter patties.
5. Wipe out the skillet and coat it lightly with oil. Heat the skillet over medium high heat until the oil is shimmering. Cook the patties until deep golden brown on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Serve with any of the suggested accompaniments

(* Reproduced with permission from 'The Quinoa [Keen-Wah] CookBook' by Maria del Mar Sacasa - Published by Harper Wave, July 2015- All rights reserved- Photography by Zach deSart) 

Pizza for Tea Time, Wild Mushroom and Tea Smoked Cheese Pizza from Artisan Pizza, To Make Perfectly at Home (Kyle Books, November 2015) by Giuseppe Mascoli and Bridget Hugo.

Giuseppe Mascoli is the man who started Franco Manca in Brixton in 2008...

Wild Mushroom & Tea-Smoked Cheese Pizza

Smoked cheese makes an interesting alternative to mozzarella on pizzas, and you can purchase great smoked cheeses from

many producers. If you want to try smoking cheese yourself, and you do not have a wood smoker, try tea-smoking in an

ordinary domestic oven. We have suggested a way to do this, on page 23.

INGREDIENTS, PER PIZZA

1 dough ball (see page 16),

left to rise for

11⁄2 to 2 hours OR

dough 2 for sheet pizzas

flour, for dusting

For the Wild Mushrooms (Makes enough for 4 baked pizzas)

6 ounces wild mushrooms

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

pinch of sea salt

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 ounce tea-smoked cheese (see page 23)

2 ounces mozzarella fior di latte, torn into 5 chunks

4 basil leaves, torn

Prepare the wild mushrooms: Rub the mushrooms with a damp towel to remove any dirt. Do not soak them in water or they

become slimy.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan over low heat and sear the mushrooms for about 3 minutes, seasoning with a pinch

of salt.

Place a rack on the highest shelf of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. When hot, place a greased 10-inch cast-

iron pan on the stove, set to medium heat.

Sprinkle a little flour over your hands and on the work surface and open the dough ball by flattening and stretching the dough

with your fingers, or by rolling the dough with a rolling pin.

Pick the pizza base up and gently stretch it a little more over your fists without tearing it. Drop this onto the hot pan, and allow

it to start rising.

As soon as the dough firms up, drizzle the olive oil over the base.

Add a quarter of the mushrooms, then scatter the smoked cheese, mozzarella, and basil on top.

Cook the pizza on top of the stove for about 3 minutes, then transfer the pan to the broiler for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve whole or in slice.

For the Sheet Method

Follow the recipe instructions on page 19. The whole process will take about 90 minutes. Heat the oven to 500°F and stretch

the dough to the edges of the sheet. Be sure to spread your sauce right to the edges before adding toppings. The sheet pizza

dough serves 4, so quadruple the ingredient quantities. Bake for no less than 10 minutes.

(* Recipe excerpted with permission from Artisan Pizza, To Make Perfectly at Home -Kyle Books, November 2015- by Giuseppe Mascoli and Bridget Hugo,  Photography by Philip Webb)

Something to Save for Cold Evenings, Comte Cheese Fondue from Luke Nguyen's France (Hardie Grant, October 2015). 

This cookbook is companion to SBS TV Serie of same name by Vietnamese-Australian, Sydney based chef Luke Nguyen, of restaurant The Red Lantern which he opened with his sister Pauline.

FONDUE AU FROMAGE DE COMTÉ, COMTÉ CHEESE FONDUE

Comté cheese is a hard cow’s milk cheese, named after the region in which it is produced. To take the stakes to truly decadent, try melting it down and combining with a delicious chardonnay for dipping pieces of crusty bread. You will need a good-size fondue pot for this recipe.

SERVES 4

1 garlic clove, halved

250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) Chardonnay

200 g (7 oz) comté or Swiss gruyère cheese (see glossary),

cut into small cubes

1 baguette, torn into small pieces

Rub the garlic halves around the inside of the fondue pot, to imbue it with flavour and stop the cheese sticking to it.

Pour the wine into the pot and warm over medium heat until simmering. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Reduce the heat to low and transfer the fondue set to the dining table. Place pieces of baguette on fondue forks,

dip into the melted cheese mixture and eat!

Comte does come from Franche-Comte not neighboring Alsace. Both regions being in Eastern France.

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from Luke Nguyen's France by Luke Nguyen -published by Hardie Grant- October 2015....Photography by Alan Benson and Suzanna Boyd)

After Sauteed Shishito Peppers with Miso and Ginger, here's a second recipe from  Preserving the Japanese Way, Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen (Andrews McMeel, August 2015) by Nancy Singleton Hachisu

Dried  Daikon Threads, Kiriboshi Daikon

Makes: 3 ounces (85 grams)

1 large daikon (about 1¾ pounds/800 g)

Scrub the daikon with a rough hemp-bristled vegetable brush (tawashi, page XVII). Dry. Lop off the top light green or spongy portion of the daikon. (After the frost, the top exposed portion of the daikon freezes in the night, so it cannot be used.) Using the julienne blade of a mandoline or a Japanese tooth grater (like a Benriner), grate the daikon into thin strips: Grasping the bottom end portion of the daikon in your dominant hand, stroke the daikon across the blade at a slight diagonal until you can no longer take a pass without drawing blood.

Line two (or more) wide-open baskets with butcher paper and dry the threads in the hot sun for as long as it takes (about 1 week, depending on the weather). Store inside the house or garage at night. Junko dries hers initially in a dehydrator until almost dried (for the most part dried, but thicker sections are not quite). She then spreads them under the winter sun for 2 or 3 days (bringing in at night) to infuse the daikon with natural energy from the sun. Bear in mind that unless you use a dehydrator like Junko does, your dried daikon threads will not be quite as stiff as the ones pictured on the opposite page.

Soak dried daikon threads in cold water for about an hour, or warm water for 15 minutes, to reconstitute before using. (Beware: After soaking, the dried daikon will have grown fourfold!) Use in stir-fries such as kimpira: Sauté with julienned carrots in a little oil and dried red chile pepper. Throw in some julienned thin-fried tofu (usuage, page XXIX) if you can find it, and season with soy sauce before serving. Or skip the dried chile pepper but follow the rest of the previous method, and drizzle in some of the soaking liquid or dashi along with a few tablespoons soy sauce. Sprinkle with shaved katsuobushi before serving.

Variation: For wariboshi daikon cut the daikon into 3-inch (8 cm) lengths and shave off ¹⁄5-inch (5-mm) thick slices of daikon with a mandoline or flat cutting blade. Stack about 4 slices at a time and cut those into ¹⁄5-inch (5-mm) wide strips. Dry in the same way as for kiriboshi daikon. The strips should be desiccated, but they will still have a little bend to them. Soak in dashi or with konbu in water for 1 hour before squeezing and pickling in Soy Vinegar (page 150) with a little sugar and torn dried red chile. 

(* Recipe reproduced from Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen by Nancy Singleton Hachisu/Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, August 2015)

Grilled corn is a summer staple that brings a little sun on rainy Monday with this recipe from The Grilling Book (Bon Appetit/ Andrews McMeel Publishing, April 2013) edited by Adam Rapoport...

Elote (Mexican Grilled Corn)

8 servings

Vegetable oil, for brushing

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

8 ears of corn, husked

¼ cup mayonnaise or unsalted butter

½ cup crumbled Cotija cheese, Parmesan, or ricotta salata (salted dry ricotta cheese)

1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

Special Equipment: A pastry brush

In recent years, this addictive way of preparing corn—brushing charred kernels with mayonnaise and a tangy, spicy combination of chili, lime, and Cotija cheese—has become incredibly popular. It’s also great for serving family-style: Put all of the ingredients out separately and let your guests top the corn however they wish.

Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to high. Brush grill grate with oil. Combine chili powder and cayenne in a small bowl.

Grill corn, turning occasionally with tongs, until cooked through and lightly charred, about 10 minutes. Remove from grill and immediately brush each ear with 1½ tsp. mayonnaise. Sprinkle each with 1 Tbsp. cheese and a pinch of chili powder mixture. Squeeze 1 lime wedge over each ear and serve.

(* The Grilling Book by Bon Appetit/ Andrews McMeel Publishing- April 2013- edited by Adam Rapoport)