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Early Spring Pasta Salad

chad — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:35:18 +0000

This pleasant pasta salad highlights the many flavors of spring and calls to mind warmer weather with its sunny Lemon Parsley Vinaigrette dressing.

Serves 6

What You Need:

For the Lemon Parsley Vinaigrette:
2 minced garlic cloves
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
3/8 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 cup packed parsley, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

For the pasta salad:
2 large leeks, cleaned well, ends removed, and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
5 stems rainbow chard, chopped
1/2 cup fresh spring peas, blanched for 2 minutes and drained
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more (for garnish)
1 16-ounce package brown rice fusilli pasta, cooked, drained, and rinsed with cold water
1-1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans, rinsed well
4 small carrots, shredded
Freshly cracked black pepper

What You Do:

For the Lemon Parsley Vinaigrette, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté garlic, 1 teaspoon oil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt for 5 minutes, stirring as needed to prevent burning, until golden brown. Into a food processor, add sautéed garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and blend until very well mixed, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides as necessary.
For the pasta salad, in a medium-sized pan over medium-high heat, sauté leeks, chard, peas, oil, and salt until leeks are tender and golden brown on edges.
Into a large bowl, place pasta and douse with Lemon Parsley Vinaigrette. Fold in cooked leek mixture, beans, and carrots. Top with pepper and salt. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Source: VegNews.com

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

chad — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:33:16 +0000

Three C’s—cinnamon, coriander, and curry powder—meld beautifully in this flavorful soup.

Serves 4

What You Need:

1 tablespoon coconut oil or 1/2 cup water
3 cups sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
2 cups carrots, cut into chunks
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon curry powder, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon coriander
5 cups filtered water
1 tablespoon sweet white miso, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, for garnish

What You Do:

In a large saucepan or stockpot, heat oil. Add sweet potatoes, carrots, and salt and sauté for 3 minutes. Add curry powder, cinnamon, and coriander and sauté until well coated. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 15 minutes until vegetables are soft.
Let soup cool slightly. Tranfer to a blender or use and immersion blender to puree soup until smooth and creamy, then return to pot. Add miso-water mixture and simmer three to four minutes. Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley or cilantro.

Photo: Melissa Schwartz

Vegan Tiramisu Pancakes

chad — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:05:30 +0000

Serves 3

What You Need:

For the Coconut Whipped Cream:
1 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk, chilled
2/3 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for serving

For the pancakes:
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (dairy-free)
Canola oil, for greasing
Coconut Whipped Cream

What You Do:

1. For the Coconut Whipped Cream, chill bowl and whisk of a stand mixer in freezer for about 10 minutes. Skim solidified coconut cream from can of coconut milk and transfer solids to bowl of stand mixer. Do not include any coconut water.

2. Into the mixer, add powdered sugar and whip for a few minutes until mixture begins to stiffen and turn into whipped cream. Chill whipped cream in a airtight container in refrigerator for 3 hours to overnight before serving.

3. For the pancakes, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together water, maple syrup, and rum. Add wet mixture into dry mixture and whisk until just combined. Do not overmix; batter should have some lumps. Gently fold in chocolate chips.

4. Lightly oil a large nonstick skillet or griddle and heat over medium-high heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto skillet. When bubbles appear in center of pancake, flip it. Cook other side until lightly browned and cooked through, about 1 more minute. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to skillet as needed. If batter becomes too thick, add a little more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. To serve, dust pancakes with powdered sugar and top with a dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream.

Michigan Massage License Applications Now Available

chad — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:40:36 +0000

Applications for Michigan Massage licenses are now available. All massage therapists are required to obtain a license by November 29, 2014. After that, it will be a criminal violation of the law to practice massage therapy without a board-issued license.

You have sufficient time to complete this process, but this is not an excuse to procrastinate! Irene’s encourages alumni to begin their licensing process as soon as possible.

Current therapists can apply for a license under the Grandfather Clause. Grandfathering doesn’t mean you don’t have to apply. Everyone must submit an application, if they plan to practice massage therapy in the state of Michigan. The term “grandfathering” relates to the qualifications required for existing therapists to obtain a license without meeting the normal licensing requirements. Grandfathering is available only for limited period of time.

The application process for current therapists requires:

A completed application form,
A $95 fee,
Submitting fingerprints, undergoing a background check,
High School Transcripts or GED Document,
And documentation from one of the grandfathering methods.

Grandfathering methods require documentation from one of the following:

A professional massage association,
A testing board,
A personal affidavit of work experience,
Or a massage school.

The deadline to apply for a license by grandfathering is November 29, 2014.

Therapists will find the application at the following link: Massage Therapist License Application.

Irene’s will be hosting workshops to help Alumni get their applications completed properly. Follow this link for more information.