Cooking Up the Good Life

"Cooking Up the Good Life is sure to become a treasure in your kitchen! Jenny Breen’s background as a locavore, nutritionist, chef, teacher, and mom make all the recipes and tips mouthwatering! She and Susan Thurston guide us through the seasonal kitchen like a good friend sharing cooking secrets with clear, accessible recipes. The book is a passionate celebration for the fun of cooking delicious, good food for friends and family." —Lucia Watson

Roasted figs with gorgonzola. Lemon miso soup. Harvest lasagna, lentil walnut burgers, and ginger molasses cookies. Veteran Minneapolis chef Jenny Breen knows that cooking at home can be a joyful, rewarding, and healthy experience for the whole family. In Cooking Up the Good Life, Jenny Breen—along with local writer and photographer Susan Thurston—presents a scrumptious journey through the seasonal ingredients of the upper Midwest with an enticing variety of her most-loved recipes for the family table.

Written with both beginner and experienced cooks in mind, each section in Cooking Up the Good Life—from starters and sauces to soups, salads, main courses, and sweets—is organized by season to help bring our daily meals into harmony with local harvests. Recipes include imaginative “Family Kitchen” segments that suggest safe, fun ways to get kids involved. An advocate for inviting children into the kitchen, Breen has found that they are more apt to eat what they are connected to, whether by growing the vegetables, feeding the chickens and collecting the eggs, or helping prepare the food.

Cooking at home is also an opportunity to discover more about the ingredients we use and the people who bring them to our grocery stores, our farmers markets, and ultimately to our tables. Featuring refreshingly simple, creative, and unfussy recipes, Cooking Up the Good Life’s relaxed and encouraging style helps you cook with ease and serve with confidence wholesome dishes that highlight the natural beauty and elegance of Midwestern seasonal ingredients. Oh, yes—and they’re absolutely delicious. But don’t just take our word for it.

Jenny Breen is a chef, food educator, and co-owner of Good Life Catering in Minneapolis. She is the resident chef for all Heartland Food events at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and she and her recipes have been featured in numerous publications including, the Minneapolis–St. Paul Star Tribune.Susan Thurston is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in many journals and publications, including the Minneapolis–St. Paul Star Tribune, Minnesota Monthly, Fox Cry Review, and Icon. She is the author of the chapbook Wild Bone Season, and the recipient of many awards.

Preface
Introduction: Jenny Breen and the Good Life
The Family Kitchen
Starters
Autumn
Miso Sesame Paté [VEGAN]
Squash Pecan Paté [VEGAN]
Polenta with Tomato Jam [VEGAN OPTION]
Stuffed Grape Leaves [VEGAN]
Winter
Sun Dried Tomato Paté [VEGAN]
Red Lentil Paté [VEGAN]
Cooking Beans and Legumes
Fiesta Roulades [VEGAN OPTION]
Roasted Figs with Gorgonzola
Spring
Mushroom Paté [VEGAN]
Artichoke Paté [VEGAN]
Sunflower Paté [VEGAN]
Stuffed Mushrooms
Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce
Tofu Egg Salad [VEGAN]
Summer
Carrot Cashew Paté [VEGAN]
Dill Veggie Paté [VEGAN]
Smoked Trout and Potato Croquettes
Grilled Polenta with Three Pepper Salsa [VEGAN OPTION]
Sauces
Autumn
Balsamic Vinaigrette [VEGAN OPTION]
Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce [VEGAN]
Basil Walnut Pesto and Cilantro Pecan Pesto [VEGAN]
Lemony Olive Sauce with Grilled Vegetables [VEGAN]
Winter
Lemon Miso Sauce [VEGAN]
Sweet Almond Curry Sauce [VEGAN]
Toasting Nuts
Savory Peanut Sauce [VEGAN]
Spring
Roasted Red Pepper and Leek Sauce
Cashew Orange Sauce
Garlic Pecan Sauce
Summer
Ginger Sesame Sauce
Salsa Fresca
Barbecue Sauce for Tempeh, Mock Duck, or Chicken
Soups
Autumn
Italian Potato Soup [VEGAN]
Making Stock
Harvest Medley [VEGAN]
Turkey Soup with Herbed Dumplings
Southern Style Squash Chili [VEGAN]
Winter
Hearty Black Bean Soup [VEGAN]
Creamy Wild Rice Soup [VEGAN OPTION]
Curried Squash Soup [VEGAN]
Winter Fish Chowder
Cashew Quinoa Chili [VEGAN]
Cooking Grains
Spring
Potato Leek Soup [VEGAN OPTION]
Miso Vegetable Soup [VEGAN]
Spring Greens Soup with Carmelized Ramps [VEGAN OPTION]
Summer
Carrot Dill Soup [VEGAN OPTION]
Cold Cucumber Yogurt Soup [VEGAN OPTION]
Gazpacho [VEGAN]
Beet Borscht [VEGAN]
Salads and Sides
Autumn
New Age Potato Salad [VEGAN OPTION]
Garlic Almond Kale [VEGAN]
Roasted Roots [VEGAN]
Golden Pecan Rice Salad
Luscious Lima Bean Salad [VEGAN]
Quinoa and White Beans with Raspberry Dressing [VEGAN]
Growing Green Flavor
Rosemary Chicken Salad
Winter
Mediterranean Millet Couscous [VEGAN OPTION]
Sesame Ginger Soba Noodles [VEGAN]
Black Bean, Tofu, and Miso Salad [VEGAN]
Tangy Cashew Wild Rice [VEGAN]
Wild Rice
Herbed Yam and Potato Salad [VEGAN]
Latin Couscous [VEGAN]
Brussels Sprouts with Honey Horseradish Sauce [VEGAN OPTION]
Spring
Rainbow Rice [VEGAN]
Polenta and Artichoke Salad [VEGAN]
Asparagus and Artichoke Pasta
Asparagus with Citrus and Olive Marinade [VEGAN]
Potato Gratin with Gorgonzola
Early Greens with Miso Dressing and Toasted Almonds [VEGAN]
Summer
Marinated Veggies [VEGAN]
Potato Broccoli Salad [VEGAN]
Gingered Green Beans [VEGAN]
Quinoa and Cucumber Salad [VEGAN]
Asian Pesto Rice Noodles with Mock Duck and Sesame Greens [VEGAN]
Fresh Potato and Smoked Salmon Salad
Southwestern Chicken Salad with Cilantro and Orange Dressing
Sustenance
Autumn
Harvest Lasagna [VEGAN OPTION]
Curried Chick Peas and Autumn Vegetables [VEGAN]
Shepherd’s Pie [VEGAN OPTION]
Autumn Pasta with Tarragon and Cider Sauce [VEGAN OPTION]
Polenta with Chicken and Artichoke–Tomato Sauce
Pumpkin Ravioli with Corn Cream Sauce
Mediterranean Succotash with Edamame and Lime [VEGAN OPTION]
Winter
African Peanut Stew with Spiced Millet [VEGAN]
Lentil Walnut Burgers [VEGAN OPTION]
Roasted Squash Gratin with Cilantro Pesto [VEGAN OPTION]
Black-eyed Pea and Sweet Potato Ragout [VEGAN]
Stuffed Squash with Wild Rice, Quinoa, and Pine Nut Pilaf [VEGAN OPTION]
Squash P