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This is one of those "kitchen sink" recipes that make good use of veggies that might be ready to leave their home in the fridge. The soup is good today, good frozen or saved for whenever you need a hearty soup. Plus it's vegan! I considered frozen broccoli too but felt like I had enough veggies in there to make it substantial.
Here's what I put in mine...and as always, keep adding flavor as needed! 1 tbsp Veggie Oil (I used Avocado) 1 tsp minced Garlic 1 tsp minced Ginger 1 Leek, well washed and sliced 5-6 Baby Bella Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1-2 Carrots, peeled and trimmed and rough chopped 1-2 Celery Stalks (including tops), trimmed and rough chopped 1/2 head of Cauliflower, rough chopped 2 cups Veggie Broth 2 cups Coconut Milk (like, the kind you drink, not the cans) 1 tsp Curry Powder, to taste Salt & Pepper, to taste A good handful of sliced Basil Add the oil to a soup pot warmed over medium-high heat. When warm, add the Garlic, Ginger, Leeks and Mushrooms and saute until hot and slightly caramelized. Meanwhile, add the chopped vegetables to a food processor to get them ready for cooking. Pulse til they're finely diced and set aside. Add all veggies, broth, milk, curry and salt and pepper to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with whatever carb-filled side dish you're craving :).
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So what do you do with a couple of spotty bananas that you’ve put in your freezer (besides make an amazing banana bread)? Try something new! I wanted to make some tasty muffins for my family’s breakfast but also wanted them to be a bit more robust in their nutritional profile. So I added a protein powder I thought would complement the flavors. I’m loving Four Sigmatic because it combines plant-based superfood proteins with adaptogenic mushrooms to create a tasty powder that’s easy to put in smoothies or baked goods. So here we go! 3 Past-their-prime bananas (defrosted, if necessary) ⅓ cup Butter ⅔ cup Sugar 2 Eggs 1 tsp Vanilla Extract A pinch of Salt 1 tsp Baking Soda 1.4 oz Protein Powder (I used the Sweet Vanilla flavor for this one, but their Peanut Butter would also be awesome) 1- ½ Cups Flour A buncha Chocolate Chips Make sure your bananas are defrosted and mushy. ALSO, make sure your butter is melty and mushable (so take it out of the fridge a few hours before). Spray your muffin tins with an olive oil or coconut oil-based spray. Turn the oven on to 350. Put the mushy bananas and butter in a big bowl and smash them together (use a potato smasher, fork, whatever). Blend until it’s as creamy as possible. Add sugar, egg and vanilla until combined. Stir in salt, baking soda and protein powder. Add flour and chocolate chips and combine, then divide the mixture into 12 muffin tins. Set the timer for 20 minutes and see how they look. Clean knife? Good. If not, add on a few minutes. Enjoy for a snack, dessert or breakfast! I was recently gifted an Aerogarden that produces serious amounts of herbs in just a few weeks...and keeps on giving for months. You just choose which herbs or greens you want to grow and they send you the pods. Before Christmas I realized I had an excess of basil and cilantro from my last round of pods, so we decided to make homemade pesto for friends as holiday gifts. I got advice from a chef friend about how to make the best of these fresh-as-can-be herbs.
These ratios can be altered based on what you’ve got on hand. And really, just keep altering until it tastes like what you want! 4 packed cups of Basil or Cilantro 1 packed cup of Italian Parsley A small pinch of mint (optional) Fresh lemon juice, to taste Lemon zest, to taste ¼ tsp of Garlic (I use the jarred kind but fresh would be great too!) 3 tbsp Avocado Oil 1 tbsp Shredded Parmesan Cheese 1 tbsp Nuts: Pine nuts, walnuts, whatever nuts (also optional) Salt, to taste Put everything in a blender or Cuisinart to mesh ingredients. Taste often and adjust as needed. Spread on bread or pizza, mix into scrambled eggs or just dip in a cracker (or two). One of my favorite salads ever (and one that I requested for my wedding) combines just a few simple ingredients. The good thing is you can do the steps in any order--they don’t have to be hot to taste great together.
1 head Butter Lettuce Wash and chop into salad-sized pieces 1 cup Roasted Butternut Squash Turn the oven to 400 and prepare the squash by peeling it, scooping out the seeds and chopping into small cubes. Toss onto a foil-lined pan with 2 tbsp Olive Oil, and Salt, Pepper and Garlic to taste (or save a step and add Garlic Salt!). Cook for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until tender. Set aside. 1 cup Sauteed Shiitakes Remove the stems and wipe them down (or rinse, depending on your preference). Heat a small saute pan on medium-high, and when hot, add 1 tbsp of Olive Oil. Saute, stirring regularly until they’re crisp and slightly caramelized. Set aside. Now for the toppings! 1 cup Goat Cheese, crumbled A handful of Pepitas (Shelled Pumpkin Seeds) Salt & Pepper, to taste Lemon Vinaigrette, to taste It’s the best savory salad for a winter’s night. And you’ll probably end up with more dressing than you need, so just stash it away in a mason jar for future salad cravings! The other day I had a spaghetti squash that was lingering in the kitchen and I wanted to do something with it besides just make a substitute for spaghetti. This pasta-like bake is a little more exciting! It’s filled with lots of vibrant flavors that help bring it to life. And it was delish.
Squash 1 Spaghetti Squash Olive oil Salt & Pepper Sauce 2 cups Marinara (I use Victoria because it’s fresh and simple) 2 tbsp Capers 2 tbsp finely chopped Castelvetrano Olives ½ cup chopped Grape Tomatoes 3 tbsp Pesto (whatever kind you like) 2 tbsp fresh herbs (like Basil or Parsley) ¼ cup chopped Fresh Mozzarella 1 tsp of chopped Garlic Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes Topping A good helping of Shredded Parmesan First, cook the squash. Preheat oven to 400. Chop it in half, scoop out the seeds, and brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Poke a few holes in it with a fork. Cook for 30-40 minutes until the inside feels soft enough for you to fork out the goodness. Once it’s done, fork out the goodness and put in a loaf pan (or similar sized oven-safe pan). While the squash is cooking, get a medium sized saucepan going with all the other Sauce goodies. Simmer until warm and ready for mixing into the squash. Put everything but the Parmesan in the loaf pan, mixing well, and cover with foil. Put back in the oven (still at 400) and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and add parmesan, then put under the broiler for 10 minutes or until the Parmesan looks crispy. Serve with garlic bread (because you’re not getting all the carbs from real pasta, right?). On cold winter days (or days I just don’t feel like eating a big breakfast) I reach out for an umami-filled soup like miso to warm me up. I didn’t realize until recently that this soup can be as simple as melting some miso paste in hot water until it develops that rich color and flavor.
Once I got it down, I decided to give it even more flavor with a few of my favorite things. Of course, all of these ingredients are optional, but I like them together. I generally use Mellow White Miso, but you could experiment with different types. I always taste at the end to make sure there is enough miso flavor in there. Finely cut strips of dried seaweed are optional, but they definitely up the fishy flavor! Add a dash of Sriracha and Sesame Oil at the end, if you want. ¼ cup Miso Paste 4 cups Water 1 cup torn Spinach ¼ cup chopped Cilantro 1 cup diced Silken Tofu Juice of 1 lime Throw everything in a pot until it’s hot. Enjoy. This was one of those recipes that came about because I looked in the fridge and realized I needed to do something with some leftover carrots (from this Lentil & Veggie Soup) and some curly kale. And it became my new favorite thing! Also something that would be great to bring to a potluck.
1 bunch Curly Kale 3 tbsp Olive Oil ½ cup Shredded Carrots (hello Cuisinart! You are my best friend.) 3 tbsp Lemon Juice 1 tsp Curry Powder Salt & Pepper, to taste ¼ cup Cashews, chopped Pull the kale off the stems by hand and chop finely. Drain. Once it’s dry enough, massage it with olive oil and lemon juice. Add to a salad bowl and top with curry and salt and pepper and mix. Top with cashews One of my favorite vegetarian dishes at my college dining hall was orzo with feta and tomatoes. So simple and so flavorful! I decided to up the flavor with basil in this simple dish that’s perfect served cold. It’s become a potluck or picnic staple.
1 cup Orzo, cooked according to package directions 1-½ cups Grape tomatoes, chopped 1 cup fresh Basil, thinly sliced 2 tbsp Olive Oil Salt & Pepper, to taste Cook the orzo. When drained and cool, mix with all the other ingredients. Done. My friend Michele turned me onto these, and I started making them right before we had our baby—they came to the hospital with us and have since become a favorite late-night (read: middle of the night) treat, as well as a great burst of nutrition anytime I’m running out of the house or don’t have time for something more substantial. They feel like dessert but are packed with protein!
You can add flax seeds, chia seeds…really any nut or seed you have in the house that you think would sound good. I stick to these basics because they’re usually what I have around. And note that these tend to fall apart when left outside the freezer for too long, so just plan on storing them in there. 1½ cups Rolled Oats ¼ cup Sunflower Seeds ¼ cup Sesame Seeds ⅓ cup Pumpkin Seeds ½ cup Cashews ½ cup Almonds ½ cup Agave Nectar 1 cup natural Peanut Butter (or any nut butter, really) ½ cup Mini Chocolate Chips Combine oats, nuts and seeds in a large bowl and stir well. Add agave nectar, mix, then nut butter, and mix thoroughly. Spoon into a parchment-paper lined 9x9 pan, and freeze for an hour or so. Remove from freezer and cut into 2-inch square bars. Return to freezer to store. I ripped this recipe out of Real Simple, thinking the combination of flavors would make for the perfect light, healthy summer salad. And I was right—I’ve since made it four times in the last month. The best part is it feels like a substantial meal, and you only need to turn on the stove for a few minutes.
I used a spinach/arugula mix in this once when the local store was out of watercress, and it was just as good. 1 cup Whole Grain Bulgur 1 bunch Watercress, thick stems removed 1 15 oz can Cannelini Beans 1 large English Cucumbers, chopped in ½ inch pieces ½ cup Green Olives, pitted (I prefer Castelvetrano) ¼ small Red Onion, very thiny sliced ¼ Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped ¼ cup Olive Oil ¼ cup fresh Lemon Juice Salt & Pepper to taste 1/2 lb Fresh Mozzerella, cut/torn into ½ inch chunks Cook the bulgur according to package directions. Once cooked and cooled, put it in a large bowl and add watercress, beans, cucumbers, olive, onion, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Mix well and top with mozzarella. |
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