Hearty Minestrone Soup

After being on the road and traveling for the last week, I missed cooking. Not only that, I missed eating REAL food. You know, whole foods, not processed garbage. Well, today was the perfect day for cooking- it was cold, windy and rainy...prime soup-making weather. So, that's what I did. And it was super yummy. Why minestrone? Two reasons: first, it is my favorite soup. Second, I had to make up for a terrible soup I ate on vacation.

You see, after my best friend's beach wedding, we went out to eat at a nearby restaurant. I ordered minestrone soup and some salad. The soup was a terrible let-down. It lacked pasta, beans and flavor. What it did have was cabbage and a few pieces of carrot. Boring. And not at all what I'd ever call a minestrone soup. So, I have been obsessing about minestrone ever since. I needed to make my own and erase that terrible experience from my brain. Sure, I've made minestrone before, but this is my new favorite recipe. Here's my other minestrone recipe if you're interested.

This soup is soooo filling! I absolutely love it. It's hearty and flavorful and overall awesome. It makes enough for about 6-8 bowls, depending on your appetite.

What you need:

• 3 medium to large carrots, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 2 large stalks of celery, sliced (I slice mine thinnish)
• 1 small yellow squash, sliced
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 4 cups vegetable stock (I used Imagine brand)
• 15-oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
• 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 16-oz can chickpeas, drained
• 16-oz can light red kidney beans, drained
• 2 cups water
• 2 1/2 TB olive oil
• 1/3 tsp celery seed
• 1/4 tsp celery salt
• 1 1/2 TB dried parsley
• 1/3 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp rubbed sage
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp tarragon
• 1 TB dried basil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, but recommended)
• 2 cups small dry pasta of your choice
• 2-3 cups fresh baby spinach, stems removed
• salt and pepper to your tastes (minestrone isn't minestrone without lots of pepper)

What you do:

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot that has a lid. Mine is an enameled cast iron dutch oven. Once hot, add the carrot, celery, and onion. Add your spices, minus the salt and pepper. Saute for about 4-5 minutes. Then add the garlic and squash. Cook another 4-5 minutes.

2. Add the broth and water and scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure nothing has become stuck. Stir in the chickpeas, beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Salt and pepper the soup. Cover with lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer about 20 minutes. 
3. Stir in the dry pasta and baby spinach. Cover with lid and cook another 20 minutes. By now, the liquid will have reduced somewhat and the pasta will be cooked through. Check for seasoning and serve up with some crusty french bread. Enjoy!!

Tempeh and Roasted Veg Curry

Because I am a farmer's market addict, I went today and got more veggies...and fruit. (Cut me some slack, the fruit season in Michigan is pretty short, so you have to get while the gettin's good.) Then I decided that I really needed to cook something hearty and colorful and spicy for dinner and I had a HUGE craving for tempeh. What's new, right?! What to make, what to make? Curry, of course!

I took a different route with this curry. Normally, I'd pan-cook all the veggies in lots of oil until they were done. This time, I roasted my veggies in the oven first. For me, that meant using a lot less oil than cooking the veg on the stovetop. I also cooked the tempeh separately and then added it all in together near the end of cooking so it would get a little crispy around the edges. The cooking steps look long, but I promise it is really easy to make and well worth the time to make it. This curry goes absolutely perfectly with some brown basmati rice and homemade vegan garlic naan (or pita). Don't be overwhelmed with the ingredient list, half of it consists of spices, so it's not so scary, really.

Rainbow colors in this dish:

Orange: Carrots

Yellow: Summer Squash

Green: Peas, Zucchini

Violet/Purple: Onion

This dish makes enough for 4 as a main dish when served with rice or bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 block tempeh, cubed
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into half-moons
• 1 large zucchini, cut into thick half-moons
• 1 medium summer squash, cut into thick half-moons
• 1 Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 large carrots cut into thick 1/2 inch slices
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 TB vegan butter (Earth Balance is my preferred brand)
• 2-3 TB garlic chili sauce (I use this brand Taste of Thai)
• 1 scant TB curry powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/8 tsp celery seed (optional)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• pinch ginger
• 1 TB liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
• salt and pepper
• cooking spray

 Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 440 degrees F. Spray two baking sheets with the cooking spray. On one sheet, spread out the zucchini and squash and on the other spread out the potatoes and carrots. Lightly spritz the tops with the cooking spray and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Be sure that the veg is in a single layer on each sheet. Bake the potato sheet on the bottom rack and the zucchini sheet up higher. Cook about 15 minutes. Remove both trays from the oven and flip the veggies. Then cook another 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and the zucchini are cooked through. During the second half of the roasting, start step 2.
2. Spray a large skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the pepper flakes, onion, half of the minced garlic. Then add in the tempeh. Stir often. Add in 1 1/2 tsp of the chili garlic sauce,  the paprika, ginger, some salt and pepper, and celery seed. If the tempeh is sticking to the pan, add a little more cooking spray. I cooked mine about 10 minutes, until the tempeh was crisping around the edges. Remove the pan from the burner until the roasted veggies are ready.
3. Now, add the milk and butter to the skillet that has the tempeh. Turn the burner to medium. Add in all the rest of the ingredients, including the roasted veg. Cook about 10 minutes, until the milk/sauce is thickened and mostly absorbed and the peas are nice and hot.

Revamping a Classic... and changes

One of my all-time more favorite summer meals is grilled zucchini and onions. Seriously. Last summer, I ate it for breakfast AND lunch for a solid month. I'm that hardcore. Well, this morning, I ate a peach for breakfast on my way to yoga, and by the time I was driving home, all I could think about was eating lunch. And not just any lunch, I wanted needed zucchini. Fortunately, I live near a farm stand and snagged some zucchini, yellow squash and fresh mushrooms. Paired with the corn I bought at the farmer's market yesterday, I had a stellar lunch ahead of me. Don't agree? Well, forget you! It's delicious.

I didn't feel much like firing up the grill, so I just went ahead and used my cast iron grill pan on my stove. I don't regret it for a second. In my attempt to cut down on my oil consumption, I used a little bit of cooking spray instead of a few teaspoons of olive oil. It's the little changes I'm working at. I'll probably never cut out oil totally, but I am definitely decreasing my intake. I feel better when I eat less oil, despite my complete love for olive oil! I'm starting now because next month, my friend and I are going to be doing a cleanse/detox/yoga challenge for the month of October. It's going to be a real challenge, as we have to commit to 5 practices a week, with 3 of them being the more intense classes. It's time to take control of my health and get more active again. But enough about that. Back to the food.

Revamping my favorite summer dish is rad. You'll like it.

WHAT TO DO:

Just heat a skillet (I used the grill-pan, hence the lines on the veg) over medium heat. Spritz it with a bit of cooking spray. Add in sliced zucchini, summer squash, 1/2 half red onion sliced and get simmering. After a few minutes, stir the veggies around so they cook on both sides. Add in corn (I used 1 1/2 ears of corn kernels freshly cut from the ear). Cook, stirring occasionally until the zukes are mostly cooked, then add the mushrooms (about 5 caps, chopped) and top with a small spritz of cooking spray. Add in some salt and pepper and stir again. The whole cooking process should take about 15 minutes. I debated adding in some black beans or chickpeas, but I forgot to.

Anyway, that's all for now. Any ideas for additions to the classic triumverate of zuke/squash, onion and mushrooms???

Spectacular Vegan Spaghetti with TVP

I have finally, and fully, accepted that I love TVP. I have seen the light. It can really take on some great flavors. And, it works excellently as a replacement for ground meats, especially ground beef or turkey. The texture is similar, and easily fools unsuspecting folks...not that I'd know... ahem.

So, I've really been wanting some spaghetti lately, and with my recent fascination with TVP, it seemed only natural to add it to my sauce and veggies and see how it worked out. Oh, baby. It was so so so terrific. My tastebuds were in love from the second it touched my tongue. Add a little garlic bread and you are in business. Holy hell, I can't wait for leftovers tomorrow.

Makes enough for 4 servings as main course...or if you are a glutton, maybe just 2 servings. I dunno. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb spaghetti or other noodles
• 1 cup TVP/TSP
• 3/4 cup plus 3 TB vegetable broth
• 1 TB Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/3 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 jar of your favorite sauce (or homemade. I used Bertolli Tomato Basil sauce today to save time)
• 1-2 TB olive oil
• 1 small zucchini, cubed
• 1 small yellow squash, cubed
• 1/3 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced (I had orange as it was on sale)
• 5 cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch sugar (optional)
• salt and pepper as needed

Method:

1.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook spaghetti to the package's directions. While the pasta is cooking, get started on step 2 and 3.
2. Combine vegetable broth, Braggs, liquid smoke, onion powder, garlic powder, and cracked black pepper in a small pot with a lid. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in the TVP until no dry spots remain. Set pot aside while the TVP re-hydrates.
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, bell pepper, zucchini, squash. Saute about 5 minutes, then add the mushroom, garlic, and rehydrated TVP. Cook about 5 minutes.
4. Add in the sauce. Let it all simmer together over a medium-low heat for about 8 minutes, so the flavors meld. Adjust your seasonings and add the sugar (if you're so inclined). 
5. Serve the sauce over your noodles, duh. I always make some garlic bread with pasta, and you should, too. Really. If you don't, you're wasting a perfectly good combo of sauce and bread.

Moroccan-ish Quinoa & Roasted Veg

I really hate wasting food, so I got creative with some veg I had in my fridge.  I won't lie and say this is totally original, but it's something I like to make every once in a while. And, it is really good left over the following day. There really isn't much for me to blab on about as I have a horrific headache today, so here's the recipe. Prepare yourself for the complete awesomeness that is Moroccan-ish Quinoa & Roasted Veg!

Makes enough for 2-4 as a main dish, depending on the size of your servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/4 cups uncooked quinoa
• 1-2 TB Earth Balance or other vegan butter
• 1 pinch saffron
• 1/3 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1 pinch of sage
• 1 dash cinnamon
• S&P to your tastes
• 1 1/2 TB olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/4 to 1/3 inch cubes
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 carrots cut into thick slices
• 1/2 large Spanish onion, cut into a large dice
• 1 medium squash, cut into large half-moons
• 1 medium summer squash, cut into large half-moons

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Put the cut veggies on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat the veg. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then put on a rack in the lower half of your oven. These will need to cook 30-40 minutes total, after gently turning them about halfway through cooking. When these hit the halfway point, you'll want to start the next step, which is cooking the quinoa.
3. Heat the broth, Earth Balance, cumin, saffron, sage, coriander, salt and pepper in a 2-qt pot over medium or high heat. Bring to a boil, then add the quinoa. Stir well. Place the lid on and leave heat on medium. Let cook until the liquid is dissolved and the quinoa is easily fluffed with a fork. This will take about 15 minutes. 
4. Now, just serve it all up and enjoy a healthy, delicious and filling meal. The hardest part is chopping the veggies.

Here's the saffron. In my mind it is worth the exorbitant cost every once in a while, and in this dish, it is perfect! Mind, it is not the size of the bottle. The bottle contains a tiny resealable plastic bag containing less than 1/5 of an ounce. This cost me $10.00. But, I have made this dish without the saffron and it was still excellent!

Veggie Pasta...Again

If you've visited my blog in the past...distant past, you would have seen my veggie pasta recipe. But, I guess that it really isn't a recipe as I don't ever make it exactly the same way.  It's one of those dishes where I just use whatever I have in my fridge.  This last time it had broccoli, cremini mushrooms, carrots, yellow squash, zucchini, red onion, baby spinach and a ton of fresh basil and garlic.  Yes, I freaking LOVE garlic.  I even bought a stellar xmas tree ornament that is a bulb of garlic.  Don't believe me?  Check this out:

Awesome, huh?

Anyway, back to the veggie pasta.  It really is one of my most favorite things to make.  It's crazy easy, and it seems like everyone who tries it loves it.  Or, well, at least that's what they tell me.  Although, there's almost never any leftovers, so that has to mean something, right?

As for the pasta itself, you can use any shape or kind you want, but I love me some penne.  In a pinch, I've used some rotini, but it just isn't the same.  I'm sure it's all in my head, but I'd like to think that maybe the penne is just more tasty.  The only thing I wouldn't do is use whole wheat pasta as it seems to get dried out too easily.  Plus, if I'm totally honest, I don't really like it.  Enough about my pasta OCD.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb pasta of your choice
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3/4 of a small red onion, thick-sliced or diced large
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 yellow squash, sliced
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cremini mushrooms, de-stemmed and cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach
• handful fresh basil, shredded
• 3 TB olive oil
• s&p to your tastes
• a few shakes of garlic salt 

Method:

1. Put 2 TB of the oil into a skillet.  Heat over medium heat.
2. Once hot, add the carrots and the broccoli.  Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
3. Now, add your pasta to some salted, boiling water.  Cook according to package directions.
4. Add the zucchini, squash and onions to your skillet.  Saute, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes. 
5. Then add in the garlic and mushrooms.  Lower heat to medium-low and cook 3 minutes.  The veggies should be tender.
6. Add the spinach to the pan and wilt a bit.  This should only take a couple of minutes at most.
7. Drain your pasta and mix it in to your veggies.  I leave the heat on low and drizzle another TB of olive oil into the pan. Add in your salt and pepper, fresh basil and any other spices you want.  I sometimes add a bit of onion powder and garlic powder.  
8. Serve up with some fresh garlic bread.  It'll blow your mind :)  Enjoy!

3-Layer Tortilla Casserole -- Vegan MOFO #8

There are some dishes that a person can't live without, and this is probably one of those dishes.  I really love the way this one turned out.  And, it is really so easy to make.  I found the basis for this recipe in a cookbook called The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Dr. Neal Barnard.  I only made a few changes to his version, primarily adding more spice and a bit more veg.  My husband also loved it and said I should make it again soon, and he isn't the biggest bean fan in general.  So, for me, that is definitely a success.  I used my rice cooker and made some brown rice for a side, although I suppose you could use some tortilla chips if you'd rather.  Score 1 for a healthy dinner!

This recipe makes 4 large servings or 6-8 small ones.

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth (I had vegetable stock so I used that instead)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 2 cups diced zucchini (I used half yellow squash and half zucchini)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/3 cup diced bell pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1-2 TB fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 8-inch whole wheat tortillas
• 3/4 to 1 cup of your favorite chunky salsa
• Salt and fresh cracked pepper to your liking
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder 

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Using a food processor, puree the beans, garlic, 1/4 cup vegetable broth and cayenne pepper. Blend until smooth and thick.
3. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup of broth in a large skillet (I used my cast iron skillet). Add the onion, bell pepper and zucchini and saute for 5-6 minutes, until the onions are translucent and pepper and zucchini are softened somewhat. Be sure to stir the veg regularly so none sticks to the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the corn, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and the onion and garlic powder (if using).
5. Place 1 tortilla in the bottom of the pie. Spread 1/3 of the pureed bean mixture onto the tortilla.
6. Scoop 1/3 of the sauteed veg onto the beans.
7. Scoop 1/3 of the salsa onto the top of the veg mix.
8. Place a tortilla on top of the salsa, and press down slightly to even out the layer and make it smoother. Then repeat the process 2 more times. Until your casserole is 3 layers tall and looks like this:

9. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Cut into quarters and use a pie server to get the pieces out of the pan more easily. This casserole is great by itself, but it also goes really well with brown rice. Maybe next time I'll make some guacamole to put on top of the casserole when I serve it..I think that would be lovely :)

Colorful Quinoa Fiesta

   

Born of a desire to not waste any food, this recipe uses a bunch of ingredients that I have onhand in my fridge and pantry. I hate wasting food, and when I found an unopened box of quinoa squirreled away in the back of my cupboard, I immediately started thinking about how I could use it. Granted, this recipe only used about 1/4 of the box, but it's going to be the first of several recipes dedicated to this delicious and versatile ingredient. If you're new to quinoa, see the note at the side of this page to read more about what it is and what you can do with it. When you're measuring and preparing the quinoa, just remember that a little bit goes a long way. You may think you're not making enough, but it seems to multiply when it's cooked :)
You can use whatever ingredients you would like in this recipe, I just took the opportunity to use what I had here. I also made it into a main dish, which is another reason for so many ingredients. Feel free to add or subtract and to experiment! That is the best thing about cooking...the ability to take a basic recipe and change it however you want. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did (and will do again for a snack later)

Here's my Recipe: Serves 3 as a main dish or 4-8 as a side

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dried quinoa (be sure to rinse it well unless you have the pre-washed variety)
• 1 cup organic, low-sodium vegetable broth (you could use water if you prefer)
• 1 very small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 very small summer squash, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2/3 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup bell pepper, diced
• 1 Tb extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper to your taste
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• A few shakes of chili powder (probably less than 1/8 tsp)

Method:

1. Put chopped almonds into a small saucepan over medium heat. You will stir them every 30 seconds for about 4 minutes, or until you can smell them lightly toasting. Remove from heat and from pan immediately so they don't burn. Set almonds aside.
2. In same pan, place dried quinoa over medium-low heat. Stir almost constantly for about 3 minutes. You're very lightly toasting the quinoa to give it a slightly nuttier taste. As soon as the 3 minutes are up, pour the vegetable broth over the dry quinoa. Put the pan over a medium heat and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, cover and cook, stirring twice for about 15 minutes over a medium-low heat. You'll know the quinoa is done when it becomes mostly transparent and the liquid is absorbed.
3. While the quinoa is cooking, get a large skillet heating over a medium heat. Add the oil and spread around the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, zucchini and squash. Cook about 5-6 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the zucchini and squash are softened. I used 2 large wooden spoons to flip the veggies partway through cooking.
4. Add in the corn, peas, bell pepper, chickpeas and cook for another few minutes to heat thoroughly. Add in spices to your tastes.
5. By now, the quinoa should be all done cooking. Fluff it with a fork and add to the veggie skillet. Mix in your almonds and heat about 2 minutes to allow the flavors to all come together.
6. Remove from heat and serve up right away.