Savor The Ranch11 Delicious Recipes from The Ranch’s Visiting Culinary Experts

Greet The Day Green Drink

• 1 cup baby greens blend• 1 cup spinach• 1 rib celery, with leaves, chopped• 1 carrot (save top for dinner), chopped• 3 sprigs coriander• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar• Couple squeezes of fresh lemon juice (throw in a little zest if desired)• Optional add ins: small piece of ginger, 1 teaspoon chia, flax, or hemp seeds

1. Fill blender with icy cold water (the colder the better). Pour out water and put all ingredients in blender.2. Blend thoroughly.3. Enjoy!

Recipe copyright Jean Courtney. All rights reserved.

Jean Courtney is a visiting Ranch culinary teacher who is on a mission to make everyday wellness easy and efficient. All roads led to her first true love…..food.

Directions

Ingredients

Breakfast Spinach Parmesan Puffs

• 8 ounces cottage cheese• 1 egg, well beaten• ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated• 2 Tablespoons each fresh dill and parsley, minced• 3 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.2. Place cottage cheese and egg in a medium mixing bowl and whip together with an electric hand mixer or a whisk.

When well combined, add Parmesan cheese and herbs. Stir mixture well to combine the added ingredients.3. Lightly butter 6 small ramekins with oil or butter. Divide the spinach among the 6 ramekins, pressing to make a well.4. Evenly divide the cheese mixture among the ramekins and fill each about ¾ full. Bake on a cookie sheet until puffed

and golden brown, approximately 25 min.5. Serve warm.

Dahlia Haas is a renowned cooking teacher, writer, food stylist and photographer who resides in Los Angeles and Hawaii. She writes seasonal stories with recipes called “Cooking Fresh” printed in the award-winning magazine Edible Hawaiian

Islands. Follow her @chefhuladahl.These delicious Spinach Puffs can be made in a medium oven-proof baking dish or small cast iron dishes. The recipe can

be baked and reheated. The filling can be made a few days ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

Directions

Ingredients

Recipe copyright Dahlia Haas. All rights reserved.

Sweet Potato Frittata with Leeks, Chard & Cauliflower

• 1 leek, white part only, sliced crosswise into quarter-inch slices (about 1 ¼ cup)• 2 chard leaves, stemmed and shredded (about ¾ cup)• ½ small orange sweet potato, peeled and cut into one-inch cubes (about 1 cup)• 1 ½ cups cauliflower, broken into one-inch florets, or peeled and cubed kohlrabi• Optional: 2 tablespoons shredded basil or other large-leafed herb (parsley, cilantro)• 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided use)• 3/4 teaspoon salt• 1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper• 6 large Eggs, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.2. Half-fill a 2-quart saucepan with water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a rapid boil.3. Add leeks and chard and cook 3 minutes, then scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain very well.4. Cook the cauliflower and sweet potato in the same water until barely tender (about 5 minutes) then drain very well.5. In a bowl, toss together the cooked vegetables, basil, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper.6. Add beaten eggs and stir gently.7. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive in a deep 8-inch frypan with gently sloping sides, until the oil is hot. Pour in

the egg mixture, turn heat to medium and cook without stirring until the sides are set and golden brown (you can slide a spatula down the side to check.)

8. Place frittata in the oven and cook 10 minutes, until almost set. At this point you can continue cooking another 10 minutes, until cooked through, or flip the frittata, as follows: Remove from oven. Place a plate upside down over the frittata and hold with your left hand. With your right hand, hold the pan handle with a thick oven mitt or dry towel (it is hot!). Then carefully invert the pan and plate. Slide the frittata, golden side up, back into the pan and cook another 8-10 minutes, until firm.

9. Cool a few minutes before slicing. This is delicious at room temperature or even cold.

OptionsLeftover roasted vegetables make a great frittata. No leeks? Sauté half an onion, diced, until well-caramelized, or stir sliced green onions into the final mix. If you want to add cheese, a small amount of blue or Swiss is a great addition.

Recipe copyright Deborah Schneider. All rights reserved.

Deborah Schneider is Executive Chef and Partner of the award-winning SOL Mexican Cocina and Solita Tacos and Margaritas restaurants, currently with six locations in California, Arizona and Colorado, which focus on the best in

contemporary and traditional Mexican cuisine. Deborah is co-author, with Deborah Szekely, of Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta, for which she was nominated for a James Beard Award. chefdeborahschneider.com

I’ve featured late winter vegetables from Tres Estrellas’ garden here, but every season offers new ideas for a quick, simple frittata. This is suitable for breakfast – you can make it the day before – or brunch, lunch or dinner, or

a quick, high-energy snack anytime. It’s equally good cold or at room temperature. Any vegetables you have on hand can be substituted for what’s suggested: cooked broccoli or broccoli rabe,

spinach, green cabbage, kohlrabi, carrot or zucchini, red bell peppers. A handful of lemony sorrel or arugula, or any available green, may be used instead of chard. Your options are endlessly delicious. Serves 4.

Directions

Ingredients

Creamy Carrot Soup

• 1 tablespoon olive oil• 1 cup coarsely chopped onion• 1 clove finely chopped garlic• 3/4 pound carrots (about 3 large), peeled and sliced• 1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned, with the juices, may be used)• 1 serrano chile, seeded and diced• 3 cups vegetable stock• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, tomatoes, serrano, and stock. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until carrots are very tender, 45 minutes to an hour. Put into a blender, in batches, if necessary, and purée until smooth. Stir in the orange juice and season with salt and pepper.

2. Ladle the soup into bowls.

Recipe copyright Barbara Pool Fenzl. All rights reserved.

Chef Barbara Pool Fenzl has written three cookbooks: Southwest the Beautiful Cookbook, Savor the Southwest, and Seasonal Southwest Cooking. Some of her numerous accomplishments include serving as president of the International Association of

Culinary Professionals, and being a member of the James Beard Foundation Restaurant Awards Committee for 10 years. Here are two recipes that I have been making for my family during this pandemic. Together they make a great dinner

combination and they use quite a few ingredients that are available at Tres Estrellas. Serves 4.

Directions

Ingredients

Tres Estrella Salad (with a Thai touch)

• 1 lemongrass, minced• 2 to 3 limes, sliced• 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped• 1 lime, small cubes with peel• ½ cup or more dressing, recipe follows• 1 avocado, sliced into small cubes• Zest of one lime and zest of one lemon• 1 teaspoon or more dried chili powder• ½ cup shredded smoked salmon (optional)• ½ cup chopped dilled or sweet pickles• ½ cup crispy kale, crushed into small flakes, recipe follows• 1 cup mixture of chopped mint, basil and parsley• 1 cup roasted cauliflower or broccoli florets, thinly sliced, recipe follows• 1 cup mixed thinly sliced endive, carrots and chives or red onion• 1 cup room temperature cooked red organic rice (substitute with brown or white rice)• 1 cup thinly slivered cabbage (possible to mix purple with green cabbage, or thinly sliced fresh peas)• 1 cup arugula flower or any fresh edible flowers such as nasturtium, viola, calendula, rose petals or chive blossoms

1. Add the dressing ingredients to a pot and cook on high heat until it begins to boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the liquid clings to the side of a spoon, 15 to 20 minutes. Add salt or sugar to taste.

2. Pour the dressing through a fine mesh strainer, and then discard the solids. Cool before using. If making ahead, refrigerate and re-heat to liquify the dressing.

Chef and author Su-Mei Yu is the owner of Saffron, the first Thai restaurant in San Diego. Her cookbooks include The Elements of Life, Asian Grilling, and Cracking the Coconut, which won the Julia Child Award. saffronthai.com/su-mei-yu/

Serves 4 to 6

Directions

Ingredients

1. Make neat and decorative mounds of each of the ingredients except for the dressing in a large salad platter.2. When ready to serve, mix all the ingredients together gently and drizzle the dressing over, mix again and serve immediately.

• 5 to 6 kale leaves, washed and thoroughly dried• 1 tablespoon or more olive oil• Salt for sprinkling

• ¾ cup anchovies, salt or oil removed• 1 cup water• 1 cup palm or dark brown sugar, firmly packed• 6 shallots, peeled and slightly pounded• 2 stalks lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, sliced

into bite size pieces and pounded slightly• 10 strips fresh lime• 15 thinly sliced ginger, slightly pounded

• ½ head of cauliflower, separate into small florets• Olive oil spray• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 250 °F. 2. Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 2 inches pieces.3. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil and salt4. Bake for 10 minutes, and then turn the leaves over the other

side and bake for another 10 minutes or until crispy.5. Cool completely before crushing into small flakes for the recipe.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.2. Put the cauliflower or broccoli in a mixing bowl and spray

generously with olive oil spray.3. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the surface is brown.5. Cool and slice into very small florets for the recipe.

Crispy Kale

Dressing

Roasted Cauliflower or Broccoli Florets

Recipe copyright Su-Mei Yu. All rights reserved.

Quinoa Salad With Currants And Pistachios

• 1-16 ounce box of quinoa, cooked and cooled• 1 cup lime juice and zest from limes (approximately 8)• 1 ounce finely chopped scallions• 1 ounce finely chopped Italian parsley• 1 ounce finely chopped mint• 2 cups dried currants• 8 ounces raw pistachios• 1 cup of pomegranate arils

1. Prepare quinoa according to the directions on the package.2. Place in large bowl and allow to cool.3. Juice and zest limes. Pour over quinoa. 4. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill.Chef’s Note: Add pomegranate seeds when in season. Try substituting orange juice and zest for the lime, or unsweetened cherries for the currants.

Chef AJ has been devoted to a plant-based diet for almost 40 years. She is author of the popular book Unprocessed: How to Achieve Vibrant Health and Your Ideal Weight, which chronicles her journey from a junk-food vegan faced with a diagnosis of

pre-cancerous polyps, to learning how to create foods that nourish and heal the body. chefajwebsite.comTry red or tri-color quinoa for a colorful change of pace.

Directions

Ingredients

Recipe copyright Chef AJ. All rights reserved.

Rosemary Smashed Potatoes

• 15 small yukon gold potatoes (or 20 ish pee wee potatoes)• 3 tablespoons olive oil• 1 teaspoon flakey sea salt• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper• A few sprigs of rosemary, roughly chopped• A few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped (optional)• Red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F.2. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.3. Throw the whole potatoes on there.4. Toss in half of the olive oil and all of the salt and pepper, give them an even mixing to coat the potatoes.5. Bake until they’re fork tender, about 40 minutes.6. Smash those potatoes with a flat object, so that all the potatoes are about 1/4th of an inch thick.7. Once they’ve been sufficiently put in their place, drizzle the potatoes with the rest of the olive oil.8. Toss rosemary onto the baking dish.9. Cook until the edges begin to look crispy, another 15 minutes or so.10. Finish with a little more salt, parsley and perhaps some red pepper flakes (if you’re feeling really wild).

Natasha Feldman is a classically trained Personal Chef and Culinary Instructor with a cooking style that features healthy Mediterranean cuisine inspired by the farm-to-table movement. She specializes in providing clients with simple, fresh and

family-friendly meals that are delicious and diet friendly. noshwithtash.com

Serves 4

Directions

Ingredients

Recipe copyright Natasha Feldman. All rights reserved.

Fennel, Leek, and Potato Soup

• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil • 2 cups chopped fennel bulb • 2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 2 large)• 1 cubed peeled baking potato• ⅓ cup raw cashews• 1 1/4 cups water• 1/2 teaspoon salt• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper• 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth or vegetarian• Fennel fronds (optional)

1. Melt the butter or pour oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add fennel bulb and leek; sauté 4 minutes.2. Add potato, cashews, water, salt, fennel seeds, pepper, and broth, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer

20 minutes or until potato is tender.3. Place half of the soup in a blender; process until smooth. Pour puréed soup into a bowl.4. Repeat procedure with remaining soup. Return puréed soup to pan; simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thick.5. Garnish with fennel fronds, if desired.

Chef Palma Bellinghieri is a graduate of the Pierrefeux Institute and Glion Hotel Management School in Montreaux Switzerland. A founding member of the Mind/Body Health Initiative, Palma specializes in converting nutritional guidelines

into a delicious lifestyle of eating to improve health and longevity, as well as reversing chronic and degenerative conditions. chefpalma.com

This warm take on vichyssoise makes a fine vegetarian starter.Yield: 7 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Directions

Ingredients

Recipe copyright Chef Palma Bellinghieri. All rights reserved.

Spring Farro Risotto

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil• 1 large yellow onion, chopped• 2 strips bacon, chopped (leave out for a vegetarian version)• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 juicy lemon)• 1 cup semipearled farro (see notes)• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth• 1 cup English peas (3/4 of a pound in the shell), see notes• 1 bunch asparagus, stems snapped off, cut into 1-inch long pieces• 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint• 1/2 teaspoon salt• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.2. Heat the oil in a large pot with an oven-proof lid over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Turn

the heat to medium and add the bacon. Continue to sauté until the onion is translucent and the bacon is cooked (though it won’t be crispy).

3. Add the farro and the lemon juice and turn the heat to high. Cook until the farro absorbs the juice. Add the broth and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, set the lid on the pot and put it into the oven.

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the farro is just tender, with no crunch to it (al dente). Remove from the oven and add the peas and asparagus. If the farro looks dry, add 1/4 cup of water or broth. Give it all a good stir and put it back into the oven for another 7 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are just tender (keeping in mind they will continue to cook a little once out of the oven).

5. Remove from the oven, add mint, salt, and Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Recipe NotesIf using pearled farro (as opposed to semipearled), scale back the broth to 2 1/2 cups and add more as needed. Also, keep any eye on the clock, since pearled farro cooks more quickly than semipearled. If English peas are not in season, use frozen, defrosted peas.

Katie Sullivan Morford is a food writer and registered dietitian with a passion for bringing good food and good nutrition to the plate. She is the author of three cookbooks: Rise & Shine: Better Breakfasts for Busy Mornings,

PREP: The Essential College Cookbook, and Best Lunch Box Ever. momskitchenhandbook.comThe recipe has extra appeal because unlike classic risotto that requires constant stirring, this version requires no

fuss once it goes into the oven. It relies on onions, bacon and lemon to get the flavors going as it cooks. If you don’t eat pork, just leave out the bacon. I’m personally fond of a hit of bacon in my cooking, along with its Italian cousin, pancetta. Although both are notoriously fatty, they pack in loads of flavor so you can get away with just

using a small amount to season an entire recipe.4 to 5 servings

Directions

Ingredients

Recipe copyright Katie Sullivan Morford. All rights reserved.

Slow-Roasted Citrus Ginger Salmon

• 1 blood or navel orange, cut in half• 1 lemon, cut in half• 2 tbsp. olive oil• 1 tsp. honey• 1 red Fresno chili or jalapeño, with seeds, thinly sliced• 1 tbsp. chopped chives, plus more for garnish• 2 tsp. grated ginger root• 1 clove garlic, minced• 1/2 tsp. salt• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper• 1 (1 1/4 lb) salmon fillet, preferably center-cut• Flakey sea salt• Orange and lemon wedges

1. Preheat oven to 275°F. Thinly slice one half of both the orange and lemon and juice the other two halves. Pour the juices into a small bowl and whisk together with the oil, honey, chile, ginger, garlic,, chives, salt and pepper.

2. Transfer salmon to a 13×9-inch (3-quart) baking dish and spoon the citrus-ginger mixture over the salmon. Arrange the citrus slices on top and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until salmon is just cooked through (an instant-read thermometer should read 120°F). Serve with a sprinkling of flakey sea salt, extra chives and orange and lemon wedges on the side.

Meredith Deeds has spent the last 20 years writing and teaching about food all over the United States. She has co-authored six cookbooks, including the James Beard Award finalist, The Big Book of Appetizers, and 300

Sensational Soups, which was chosen by Good Morning America as one of the top 10 cookbooks of 2008.Slow-roasting this brightly flavored salmon helps to keep it moist and tender. Don’t bother cutting the salmon into pristine portions, just spoon it off the skin and onto serving plates in large pieces. A sprinkling of flakey salt gives

it an added dimension of flavor and a satisfying bit of crunch. Serves 4

Directions

Ingredients

Recipe copyright Meredith Deeds. All rights reserved.

Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles

• 8 ounces / 227 grams dark chocolate 70 to 72%, finely chopped• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons / 210 ml unsweetened plant milk- any other than rice milk• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt• 1 teaspoon / 5 ml pure vanilla extract• 2 teaspoons / 10 ml mild tasting extra-virgin olive oil or refined coconut or another

neutral oil• A few pinches of flaked sea salt for coating and serving (optional)• Coating: Dutch-process cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, toasted coconut,

sesame or hemp seeds

1. Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl and set aside while you heat the milk.2. Pour the milk with the pinch of salt into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking a few times, to a low boil.3. As soon as the milk stops boiling, pour over the chocolate all at once. Rotate the bowl so the chocolate is completely

submerged. Cover the bowl with a plate and let stand undisturbed for 2 minutes.4. Add the vanilla and oil and whisk from the center out only until smooth and glossy.5. Keep the bowl of ganache at room temperature while you test the final consistency. A properly made truffle ganache

is firm enough to scoop and shape but still tastes creamy. Dip a teaspoon into the ganache, set the coated spoon on a small plate, and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. After chilling, the ganache on the spoon should be smooth and firm but still taste creamy. It is unlikely, but if the glaze is too firm, add a tablespoon of room temperature milk and repeat the test. Add a second tablespoon if needed.

6. Cool the ganache in a shallow dish at room temperature for 30 minutes. (The ganache sets up fastest and most evenly in a 9-inch / 23-cm glass pie pan or similar dish.) Refrigerate uncovered until the surface is no longer soft, then place a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ganache, covering it completely, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until very firm. The ganache can be refrigerated at this point for up to 1 week in an airtight container.

Make the Truffle CentersLine a shallow container with parchment. Remove the ganache from the refrigerator. Use a spoon to scoop out 1-inch / 2.5-cm pieces of ganache and another to push the ganache off the spoon into the container. If you prefer more uniform truffles, use a 1/2-tablespoon scoop. When a half dozen or so are made, roll and press the pieces into irregularly shaped

rounds. Repeat until all the ganache has been used, washing and drying your hands as needed. If at any time the ganache becomes too soft to shape, refrigerate until cold and proceed. Cover and refrigerate the truffle centers in layers separated

by parchment paper for 15 to 25 minutes before finishing with the coating.

Fran Costigan, culinary instructor, cookbook author, pastry chef, consultant, and the director of Vegan Pastry at Rouxbe cooking school, is internationally renowned as the authority on vegan desserts. She developed and leads the 90-day Essential Vegan Desserts Course

at Rouxbe, where she mentors international students of all skill levels, from beginners to professionals. francostigan.com/Classic chocolate truffles are sinfully indulgent, melt-in-your-mouth, bite-sized confections made from ganache (an emulsion of

chocolate and heavy cream). Truffles sometimes include butter, as well as spices, coffee or tea, liqueurs, nuts, and even fruit purées for flavor. Vegan truffles, also based on ganache, are just as luxurious, velvety smooth, and indulgent—but not sinful. A vari-ety of nondairy milks replace the heavy cream and no butter is added. And here is the best part: After making and tasting hundreds

of truffles made with nondairy milks, I am convinced they taste more intensely chocolaty than their heavy cream–based cousins. And dark chocolate contains lots of antioxidants so go ahead and indulge.

Halve the recipe or double it, depending on your needs but remember that these truffles store in the freezer for up to 2 months.Makes about 30 (1-inch/ 2.5-cm) Truffles

Directions

Ingredients

Recipe adapted from Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy Free Desserts by Fran Costigan. Recipe copyright Fran Costigan. All rights reserved.