Stumbling Into Fall

Happy Labor Day!  I can't believe I haven't blogged anything here in over 4 months.  Things have been pretty hectic around here.  We got engaged at the end of June and have been trying to plan a wedding in 5 months, which is totally doable, but still crazy.  Also, I've been struggling with some health issues.  Back in March I started getting constant headaches, which was a big deal for me as I never really got those in the past.  After many trips to the doctor and many co-pays, turns out I have migraines triggered by a damaged nerve in the back of my head.  I've been on medicine which is helping, but it has made me have no appetite, therefore my desire to cook and create new recipes has completely gone away.  Anyway,  I decided that I still have to eat, and well so does Dan, so I am going to try and post some new recipes and photos of the food that we make.  

I know that it's only Labor Day and summer is still here, but I love Fall and always have.  I can't wait for it to come.  The colors, the smells, and the foods are all my favorites.  I'm working to force fall here as quickly as possible.  I was wanting some mushroom soup the other day, so made up this recipe for a rich, creamy, yet healthy and plant based soup.  It's so easy to make, you'll never by the canned stuff again.  I can see using this in Thanksgiving green bean casserole...hmmm...who needs to wait for Thanksgiving???  Hopefully you'll join me in welcoming Fall, perhaps more gracefully then I do.

Creamy Mushroom Soup
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups mushrooms, sliced (i used a mix of crimini and button but use whatever you have on hand)
1/4 cup white wine or champagne
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1 package mori-nu silken tofu
1 cup vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

In a saute pan with a small amount of cooking spray of vegetable broth, add onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent.  Add mushrooms, salt, pepper and rosemary and cook until mushrooms are tender.  Deglaze pan with wine and cook for another 3-5 minutes.  Allow mixture to cool for 10 minutes or so.  In a blender or food processor, add mixture, tofu, and broth and blend until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with green onions.  

Enjoy!  I also topped mine with Sriracha for a little added spice!

For those of you who want to keep summer around, this soup is actually really good served chilled as well.  

Sometimes You Just Need A Little Comfort Food

This week seems like it has been dragging.  We were on a cruise this past weekend until Monday so I didn't work that day, but somehow my 4 day week seems like it has been 14 days.  Then of course being out of town, I have yet to go grocery shopping so it has been pretty bare in our fridge this week.  We've been piecing together meals with what we have, due completely to my lack of motivation to go to the store.  Today all I wanted to eat was something comforting.  Soup to me always does the trick.  Never mind that it was 85 degrees out today, I was determined to make a yummy soup out of stuff I already had in my cabinets.


In my pre-plant based days I loved this boxed roasted red pepper and tomato soup from Trader Joe's.  We probably ate it 3 nights a week.  Unfortunately it contains milk in it so it is no longer a staple in my household.  I got the idea this afternoon to make my own, I have roasted red peppers and I have canned tomatoes so why not?  You can of course make your own peppers and tomatoes but who wants to do that after being at work for 9 hours...not me.


I did want something yummy to top the soup with and decided to make my own croutons.  Of course we are out of bread, so I did stop in the French Market on my way to the train and picked up some whole grain sourdough bread and some fresh basil (because I can).  The bread is great b/c it has like 3 ingredients, flour, water & salt or something ridiculously easy like that.  


So I just started throwing together things I had and stumbled upon a hit with us. Dan even thought it was the Trader Joe's soup!  And for very few calories, you get big flavor and a filling soup, not to mention that it's so pretty.  


Vegan Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup with Pesto Croutons

1/2 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth (and a little extra for sautéing)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 ounces silken tofu
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
dash of red pepper flakes
pesto croutons(recipe below)


In a medium sized pot over medium heat, add onions, garlic, bay leaf, and a splash of veggie broth.  Sauté until onions become translucent.  Add in the remaining ingredients (except croutons and tofu) and simmer for 10 minutes.  


Remove the bay leaf and add the tofu.  With a hand blender or a real blender, puree the soup until it has a smooth consistency.  Taste the soup for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with croutons, fresh basil and green onions.  




Pesto Croutons
2-3 slices bread, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup veggie broth
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)


Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  In a food processor combine garlic, basil, broth, salt and nutritional yeast until completely combined.  Toss the pesto with the bread pieces until they are coated.  Place on a baking pan covered in parchment paper.  Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, turning every so often until the croutons are crispy.  You can also do this in a toaster oven if you like.  


VeHere's what they look like before getting toasted, you will need to stop yourself from just eating them as is...

This dinner was exactly what we needed this week!  What kinds of foods do you find comforting when the work week is seeming a bit too long?

Chili For When It Gets Chilly

Well it seems like winter finally decided to arrive over the past few days.  A little dusting of snow on the ground and the feeling of not wanting to get out of my warm bed signals one thing to me…Chili season! 

For years as a child I would turn my nose up to the bowl of chili placed in front of me.  Perhaps it was the beans that terrified me so much but slowly I began to eat some chili.  The first time I had to be tricked into it.  Babs put a big heaping pile of spaghetti and topped it with some chili, called it spaghetti and I gobbled it up.  As the years progressed, the amount of spaghetti I needed with that chili decreased until finally came the day for me to eat it without.  

Today the only thing better on a cold day then a warm bowl of chili is the smell of it cooking in your house.  Recently I have forgone the ground beef and handful of cheese on top for something vegan, but the feeling you get when eating it is just the same, you won’t even miss the meat.  I promise.

This recipe is so easy, if you can open a bunch of cans, you can make this chili.  I have a few notes at the bottom to make this even easier!  Feel free to change up the beans that are here, I typically use whatever I have on hand, white beans, pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans. (Note: rinsing the beans really well helps to decrease their "magical" qualities).  

And if you are like the 10 year old Jody and need to have something to put the chili on top of, try 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa, brown rice, or whole wheat noodles.

Chili

1 medium yellow onion – roughly chopped

2 bell peppers (any color)– chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 15 oz can whole kernel corn or 1 cup frozen corn

2 15 oz cans beans of your liking (drained and rinsed)

1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 tbsp ground cumin

2 tbsp chili powder

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large stock pan on medium heat, add some non-stick cooking spray, garlic, onions and bell peppers.  Sauté until the onions are translucent.  Add to pot, the remaining ingredients (corn, beans, tomato sauce, tomatoes, and spices).  Stir all together, put the pot on low, cover it and forget about it for 30 minutes.  Taste for seasonings; add salt, pepper, or additional spice if you like it spicier.  That’s it!  The chili will store in the fridge for about a week, perfect to pack up for lunches or a quick weeknight dinner.  I like to serve with a few baked corn tortilla chips for a nice added crunch, some sliced avocado and chopped green onions on top!

Make it simple: If you have Trader Joe’s* nearby here is a good way to get this done in a shorter amount of time.  In place of the onions and bell peppers they sell a frozen bag of fire roasted onions and peppers that will work just fine.  They are already cooked, so just add them to the pan with the cooking spray and garlic (look for the frozen pre-minced garlic to save your fingers from smelling!) and all you need to do is open some cans and you are set! 

*They may sell the frozen onions & peppers elsewhere, check your grocery frozen vegetables section.