Zesty Carrot Soup

 Zesty Carrot Soup 

Perfect for a cloudy Winter day!

Ingredients:

Avocado oil

1 shallot, sliced 

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1-2 inch long piece of ginger, peeled & sliced

1 small apple, peeled & chopped

2 pints no- or low-sodium veggie broth

1 lb carrots, peeled & chopped

1/4 tsp curry powder

1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat very large pot over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add small amounts of avocado oil. Add shallot and garlic. Sauté 2 minutes, until just starting to brown. Add apple and ginger. Sauté additional 2 minutes.
2. Add broth and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil. Add carrots, cover, and turn down to low-medium. Simmer for 20 minutes, until carrots are fork tender. Remove from heat.
3. Add curry powder and generous amount of salt. Use immersion blender to thoroughly liquify all chunks. Stir in olive oil. Continue adding salt and blending to taste.
4. Serve hot topped with pepitas, paprika, or chopped parsley, if desired. 

Kale-Leek-Potato Soup

Kale-Leek-Potato Soup 

1 leek, sliced

1/2 bag kale, deveined

1/2 bag TJ’s mini potatoes, nuke for 2 mins & chopped

8 mushrooms, crumbled 

3-4 garlic cloves, chopped

Worcestershire sauce, 1-2 tsp or to taste

1/4 cup oat milk

Black pepper, 1 tsp or to taste

Basic cooking seasoning (with salt), 1 tsp or to taste (I like TJ’s Everyday Seasoning)

1/2 tsp thyme powder

1-2 cups veggie broth

Avocado oil, for cooking

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.
2. Add leek and garlic. Stir occasionally until starting to brown.
3. Add kale and mushrooms. Stir occasionally until starting to wilt.
4. Add potatoes. Stir and mash with spoon.
5. Add veggie broth. Bring to a boil.
6. Add oat milk, seasoning, thyme, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
7. Stir well and bring back to boil.
8. Lower to simmer, cover, cook 10-15 minutes.
9. Remove from heat and blend with immersion blender until all chunks are smooth or to desired consistency.

Best Dip Ever (aka “Fake Baba Ghanoush”)

 Ingredients:

1 eggplant, sliced across 1/2” thick

1/2 can white beans or chickpeas, drained

1/4 cup EVOO + more

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 garlic clove

Lots of salt

1/2 tsp Ajika seasoning or smoked paprika

1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves, chopped

Bread or crackers for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°. 

2. Cover each eggplant slice with salt and set in a colander to drain for 10 minutes. Rinse off well, pat dry, and smear EVOO on each slice. Place each slice on a cookie sheet or rimmed baking sheet. You should be able to fit all the slices on one sheet.

3. Bake eggplant for 15 minutes. Flip each slice over and bake another 10-15 minutes, until starting to char. Set aside for a bit to cool.

4. Add eggplant and all other ingredients to a food processor. Do not add salt! There will be enough from the eggplant. Process until consistency is very smooth.

5. Try not to eat it all right off the spoon. Or do. Life is short! 😋

6. Serve with the best bread you can get your hands on. Enjoy!

Notes:

*If garlic taste is too pungent, reduce to 1/2 clove or roast garlic first.

*Kids can help chop or process, and they might even like it even though eggplant is clearly the grossest food on the planet! 😜

EGGPLANT ROLLS WITH CHIPOTLE-PEPITA SAUCE

 

EGGPLANT ROLLS WITH CHIPOTLE-PEPITA SAUCE

{Adapted from a recipe in Jump Up & Kiss Me}

Ingredients for rolls:

1 eggplant

Salt 

Olive oil

8 mushrooms, chopped

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup cooked brown rice

2 crumbled, cooked Field Roast (or similar) sausages

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 spaghetti squash, cooked, and shredded

1 zucchini, shredded

1 cup old, shriveled up cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 tsp dried oregano

Black pepper

Pinch regular or vegan Parmesan cheese

Ingredients for sauce:

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and seeded

4-8 cloves garlic

1 cup almonds

1 cup pepitas

3-5 chipotle peppers and sauce

2 cups vegetable stock

2 Tbsp oat milk

Salt

Directions:

1. Slice eggplant lengthwise, salt, and set aside to drain for 20 mins. Rinse and pat dry.

2. Heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat. Fry each piece of eggplant til soft and lightly brown, draining on paper towels.

3. Add more oil and sautee mushrooms and garlic til starting to brown. Add lemon juice, rice, cooked sausage, veggies, tomatoes, salt, oregano, cheese, and pepper. Cook til brown then remove from heat.

4. Preheat oven to 375°. Place a spoonful of rice mixture at one end of eggplant slice and roll up. Place in lightly oiled casserole dish, seam-side down. Bake 20 mins.

5. Purée bell pepper, garlic, almonds/pepitas, oat milk, and chipotles. Add stock and salt.

6. Drizzle each roll with sauce and serve.

Creamy Vegan Porcini Pasta

Creamy Vegan Porcini Pasta

Makes 2 entree servings

Ingredients:

4 oz. capellini

1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. spinach & artichoke Bitchin Sauce

Garlic powder, black pepper & salt to taste

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

Sprinkle of vegan Parmesan cheese

Pinch of dried thyme

Shake of dried oregano 

Red chili pepper

Directions:

1. Heat water for pasta. While heating, add mushrooms. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes.

2. Add pasta (& a dash of olive oil) and boil for 3 minutes more, or until pasta is cooked.

3. Turn off heat. Pour a bit of the pasta water into a cup. Drain the rest of the pasta and set aside.

4. Heat the pasta pot again over low-medium heat. Add oil and minced garlic. Add Bitchin Sauce and Parmesan, stirring constantly. Add set-aside mushroom water, stirring constantly. Add garlic powder, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir and remove from heat.

5. Mix pasta with sauce, sprinkle with chili pepper, and enjoy!

Vegan Greek Farro Bowl

 Vegan Greek Farro Bowl

Such a satisfying meal in one bowl!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups dry farro

1 red or yellow bell pepper, thickly sliced & coated with a bit of oil

1/3 block Trader Joe’s vegan feta

2 Field Roast sausages

4-6 large leaves of chard, roughly chopped, stalks included

3 Tbsp Meyer lemon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1/2 large shallot, sliced

1 tsp dried oregano 

Salt & black pepper to taste

Sprinkle of lemon juice

Directions:

1. Prepare farro and sausages according to packages. While farro and sausages are cooking, roast slices of bell pepper on a roasting pan, turning and moving around until soft and slightly blackened.

2. Slice sausages and set aside. Drain farro and set aside.

3. To a large cast iron skillet over high heat, add olive oil. Quickly add chard and turn down flame to medium. Stir for a bit.

4. Add garlic, shallot, and bell pepper. Stir thoroughly.

5. Add farro, sausage, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir thoroughly.

6. Add feta, stirring well. Add a bit more olive oil if needed to keep chard from sticking. Add lemon juice.

7. Stir all well until heated through and feta is slightly melty.

8. Serve & enjoy!

Notes:

*Experiment with adding sliced kalamata olives, quartered artichoke hearts, and red chili pepper. 

*Great served hot or cold, good for potlucks!

Minty Sweet Potato Protein Bowl

 MINTY SWEET POTATO PROTEIN BOWL

Ingredients: 

1 sweet potato, peeled & diced & nuked in a covered bowl with a bit of water for 3 mins

1/4 package Trader Joe’s cooked lentils

1 serving quinoa, prepared according to package

Handful fresh mint leaves

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

4 minced garlic cloves

1 Tbsp. Aleppo pepper

1/2 avocado

1 green onion

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Add cooked sweet potato, quinoa & lentils to your bowl.

2. Blend lemon juice, olive oil, Aleppo pepper, avocado, salt, and mint leaves well. Add a bit of water for a thinner sauce.

3. Top bowl with sauce and a couple of mint leaves for garnish.

Notes:

*Great served hot or cold.

*Perfect make-ahead lunch for the office.

*Add a handful of spinach leaves for more nutrients.