Summer Lettuce Cups

I made this up for the summer potluck. I wanted easy finger food with protein, not too heavy, and that featured juicy summer garden vegetables. Since the garden is currently spewing cucumbers and tomatoes, they got the job. I used lettuce cups as a wrap for the ingredients for added crunch, moisture-resistance, fiber and finger-food-ability. Bread or crackers would have become soggy and added an unnecessary caloric burden/blood sugar spike.

Best of all worlds - it’s delicious, not messy, tastes great, and feels good in the body later on too. A true Happiness recipe.

Ingredients: package of tempeh (a package of tempeh will give you about 12-13 batons), or 24 smaller half batons, 12 or 24 leaves of butter lettuce, or another firm’ish lettuce that has medium-sized bowl-shaped leaves - endive would work well too. 12 or 24 Cherry tomatoes, cucumber cut into 12 or 24 batons, tzatziki sauce (see next recipe).

  • cut tempeh into 1/4 inch thick batons, marinate in your favorite salad dressing. (I use a home-made balsamic)

  • sauté in olive oil medium heat until golden brown on all sides, set aside to cool

  • make tzatziki sauce while tempeh is marinating (see next recipe, or create your own creamy sauce)

Bring all the ingredients separately to your event along with a nice platter, and find an accomplice to help you. A great way to easily meet new people is to ask them for help with food prep!

To assemble, put a green leaf down on the platter, add a piece of tempeh, a cherry tomato and a cucumber baton. Drizzle lightly with tzatziki sauce. Serve as individual bites, sushi-style for people to nab, wrap and eat in a bite or two.

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Lentil soup with Chard and Carrots

Thanks to Connie O.

1/2 C olive oil

1 1/2 C chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

2 cups lentils, rinsed. pre-soaked 1 hr

5 C chicken broth

1 T thyme

1 large can of tomatoes

1 small can of tomato sauce

4 C chopped chard (spinach? kale?)

1 large carrot chopped

sweet Italian chicken sausage sliced thin (12 oz)

ground black pepper

—heat olive oil over medium heat, saute onions for 2  min, add garlic saute 2 min, add lentils, pepper thyme, toss to coat.

— then, pour in tomatoes, sauce, and stir in chard. add broth and sausage, bring to boil over med-high heat. simmer appx 30 min until lentils are tender. You can thin the soup with water if desired.

— just before serving you may add red vinegar, or parmesan cheese.