Un-Sloppy Joes

 Being vegan I have had to modify many recipes as I find too many use things like tofu and mushrooms and stuff that I cannot eat due to food allergies so I have been experimenting with recipes I find and modifying them to suit me. This is one of those recipes.

Ingredients:

Sauté the following in a pan until the onions are translucent:

I use waterless cookware, but if you do not you will want to add 1 TBS of oil.

2 small or 1 medium sweet onion, finely diced

2 sweet peppers, finely diced ( you can use green or any color you like. I personally do not like the flavor of green peppers.)

1/2 cup celery, finely diced

2-4 cloves of garlic, depending on your taste

Then add these and sauté a couple minutes longer.

2-3 carrots shredded or diced. I prefer to shred mine.

1 sweet potato, shredded or diced. I prefer to shred mine.

In a blender or food processor blend the following together:

1-3 jalapeños, seeded and sliced (depending on how spicy you like it and the size of you jalapeños.)

1 TBS Sriacha

3 TBS brown sugar

2-3 Tsp Coconut Aminos (you can use soy sauce or Braggs Aminos here. I am allergic to soy.)

1 can of tomatoes

2 TBS chili powder

1 TBS tomato paste

1/2 - 1 Tsp oregano

Add the sauce to the onion mixture stirring well to mix.

Then add:

2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained.

Mix well and let simmer for a couple hours.

Serve on kaiser rolls and enjoy!

I make my own gluten-free rolls as it is hard to find ones that do not contain soy.

Vegan Lasagna

I made lasagna for dinner last week. I used cashew ricotta, and vegan parmesan cheese, along with gluten-free noodles, a vegan tomato sauce, and Daiya mozzarella cheese.

I actually made two pans of lasagna as one was totally vegan (on the right) and the other used regular mozzarella and parmesan cheeses for hubby.  The sauce recipe is easy to modify if you want to add in meat for the carnivores in your household. My hubby does not mind eating vegan, but he is not big on Daiya cheeses, so I accommodate him when I can. I like Daiya for two reasons one it is the closest to real cheese I have found melting-wise for pizza and nachos and two it is soy-free as I cannot do soy and it is actually not that healthy. 

The vegan cashew ricotta is my own twist on a recipe that I found in one of my vegan cookbooks to give it more flavor and of course I upped the spices in everything as we like our food with a little kick.

The sauce uses carrots, onions, and tomatoes along with several spices to give it more flavor, and a little kick.

The gluten-free lasagna noodles are not bad. I have used them in another vegan lasagna, that used white sweet potatoes in place of the ricotta cheese. The one thing I do need to remember is to make my sauces a little more liquidy when I use them as they are not cooked prior to going in the lasagna.

The vegan cashew ricotta is delicious and I may make the base in the future to mix in a dipping spice mix for fresh veggies as it really makes a nice creamy base to use instead of sour cream or cream cheese.

I am still working out the recipes to fine-tune them but stay tuned as I will post them down the road because of course, I modify every recipe since we like a little more spice and flavor and do not use salt in anything. My recipes are always heart-healthy versions of whatever it may be that I am cooking, and low in sodium.

Sweet Potato Chili

 

Ingredients:

1 -  15 oz can Tomato Sauce

2 or 3 - 15 oz cans diced, crushed, or petite tomatoes or use a can of tomatoes and green chilies in place of one can of tomatoes

1 - 4 oz can of green chilies

1 - 15 oz can Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained.

1 - 15 oz can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 to 1 - box 32 ounce vegetable broth

1 - onion finely chopped (you can choose to sauté them or not)

1 or more finely chopped jalapeños

2 chopped red peppers

4+ cloves garlic finely chopped

1 TBS sugar

1+ TBS Ancho Chili Powder or regular Chili Powder

2 medium sweet potatoes chopped into 1/2” pieces

1/2-1 tsp Cumin

1 TBS oregano

We like it spicy so I add more jalapeños or jalapeño powder and more chili powder. 

I usually throw chunks of onion, jalapeño, garlic, a can of green chilies and one can of tomatoes in my Ninja and blend it so it is like a thick baby food or chunky baby food and then dump it in the chili.

I also prefer to blend my tomatoes so they are more like crushed tomatoes if I do not have crushed tomatoes.

I dump it all in the pot, bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down and let it simmer for a few hours to thicken up and cook the sweet potatoes. OR I dump it all in the crockpot and let it cook all day or even over night.

You can also soak your beans and cook them first if you want to use dried beans the equivalent of 2 - 15 oz cans. I sometimes throw in into beans of just use two cans of. kidney beans.  If you like more beans you can throw in a third can.

Hubby likes it with cheese sprinkled in and his cornbread on the side. I like to crumble my cornbread into the chili.

ALTERNATIVE:

You can replace the sweet potatoes with a 15 oz can of pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling.

I have also shredded carrots in to the chili as well. You can even shred a little bit of kale and throw it in or blend it in with the tomatoes to add more veggies, just be careful as too much can make the chili bitter.

Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers

1-2 Red onions chopped 

Chopped colored peppers the tops cut off the tops of the peppers you are going to stuff and one more pepper if you like more pepper like I do.

1/2-3/4 cup cooked quinoa 

1 TBS Chili powder 

Jalapeño finely chopped 

1-2 tsp Garlic powder

1 -2 TBS Sariacha (more or less depending on how spicy you like it.)

One can  black beans

Six to  eight peppers  tops cutoff  and cleaned out

In a sauce pan sauté the onions and peppers until the onions are well done and starting to brown.  About half way through the saluting add the jalapeños. Add the chili powder, and garlic powder, and 1/2 to 3/4 cup water and sariacha sauce along with the cooked quinoa and let simmer, stirring frequently until the liquid is gone.

Remove from heat and stuff the peppers you have prepared.

Bake in a 350° oven for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are starting to brown and serve. Makes 3 to 6 servings. We usually eat two peppers each, depending on the size of the peppers.

Spiced Tuscan White Bean Soup

 

2 cans cannelloni beans

3 carrots, diced

1 stick of celery, diced

1 TBS olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic minced

2 - 3 medium potatoes cut into 1/2” cubes. 

4 large leaders of kale remove stem and chop or tear up. (Optional)

2 boxes vegetable broth (you can use chicken broth if you prefer)

2+ tsps Italian Seasoning

2+ tsps  Rosemary

1 tsp basil

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, more if you like it spicier or sriracha 

Ground Black Pepper to taste

Drain and rinse beans.  Sauté half the carrots, the celery and onions in a TBS olive oil.  Add the beans and one box of broth.  Cook 15 minutes.

Reserve 3/4 c of beans mixture. Put the rest of the bean mixture in the blender and purée along with the garlic, Italian Seasoning, Rosemary, and Red Pepper Flakes. Return the bean purée to the pan, add the reserved beans, carrots, potato, and kale if using. Season with pepper and eat simmer until vegetables are tender. 

Puréeing the beans makes the soup thicker.  We like it spicier so I add more red pepper.  The soup is good with bread or garlic bread.

SPICY VEGETABLE SOUP BROTH

This is great for colds, or as a base to add for other soups. It freezes well.

1 large onion diced

 2 large carrots diced

Several slices of jalapeno (the number will depend on how spicy it is.)

1 inch of ginger peeled and chopped or the equivalent of powdered ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp oregano

black pepper to taste

dash of cayenne

2 boxes of vegetable broth

4-6 large cloves of garlic cut into pieces. (DO NOT add until you puree.)

Saute onions and add other ingredients, except the garlic, and about 1/2 of one box of broth. Simmer until the carrots are mushy tender.

Put it all in the blender, add the garlic and puree. Add more broth as needed to make it liquid so it will puree well.

Return to the pan and add the rest of the broth.

Let simmer for about one hour and serve.

The leftovers go well in a vegetable broth-based onion soup.

STOUP

I have a nice part of stoup simmering on the stove. Stoup is a really thick vegetable soup that’s more like a stew. It’s a soup stew.

I chop and sauté a large yellow onion. (You can use oil. I have waterless cookware so I don’t.)

4 chopped and one shredded carrots

1 shredded large parsnip

1 shredded Small zucchini

5 cloves of garlic minced (we love garlic! You can use less)

3-4 (fist sized) Yukon gold  or any white potatoes cut up

3 small orange sweet potatoes/ yams cut up

1 TBS of Thyme

Pepper to taste

1 1/2  - 32 oz boxes of vegetable broth (I subbed in one of my 2 cup Tupperware containers of my spicy soup broth which I make and freeze.) The recipe can be found here.

I usually purée some of the zucchini and parsnips and onions with the garlic  in a little bit of the broth to make it a little thicker before I add the potatoes. You can add other vegetables as you see fit the last time I made it I used cauliflower and I skipped the parsnips since I didn’t have one. I’ve also made it with turnips. And you can add pumpkin if you want. I really like the combination of the sweet potatoes and the regular potatoes. You can also variate by adding different colored carrots.

Grilled Veggies

When we grill, it is always veggies as I am a vegetarian, so even if I have a burger it is a veggie burger.  I have a sauce that I mix up for grilling that adds just the right touch of flavor to the veggies.  I also use this sauce when I make a veggie stir fry and when I bake the veggies. It is my favorite and tastes great with them all.

We grill all kinds of veggies, though our favorites include:
orange, yellow, and red peppers zucchini, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, asparagus, broccoli,
cauliflower, and of course corn. We also grill pumpkin, butternut squash, yellow squash, jalapeños, and even pineapple.

We have a couple different grilling sauces we use, but our favorite is the following:

1/4 c Braggs Amminos or Soy Sauce if you prefer
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 or more Tbsp Agave (to your taste)
1+ tsp grated ginger or ginger powder (to taste)
1+ tsp finely diced garlic or garlic powder (to taste)
Hot Shot or Black Pepper to taste

Mix it really well and brush on veggies as they are grilling. It adds just the right amount of spice and sweetness.

Wanda's Tuscan White Bean Soup

I tried a soup I found on line a few years back that was really bland. I cannot remember where I found the recipe as I just noted a few ingredients and that I wanted to play with the recipe to make it more flavorful.  I liked the main ingredients, beans, carrots, and squash, but it needed some real flavor and more to it to thicken it up for our clod Alaskan's winters. I have been working to come up with a version was richer and that had some real flavor, and was thick and filling for cold winter dinners. I think this version is it.  If I were to add anything to it it would be a sweet potato or two, which I may try the next time I make this soup.

Serves 4 - 5
 We usually have a nice bowl of soup each and put away two of the 16 ounce size Ziploc twist top bowls for our lunches, depending on how hungry we are a third serving goes in the Ziploc bowl or we split it and finish off the soup.

We do not eat bread generally, but I could see serving this with a nice thick crusted Ciabatta or Coppia Ferrarese bread.

RECIPE:
      Drain and rinse 2 - 3 cans of Canelli beans (white beans) and set aside for now. You can cook up 2 to 2 1/2 cups of dried beans and drain away the water preserving a about 1 cup of the liquid. If you choose to use dry beans you can soak them overnight and cook them all day in the crock pot or you can do the quick cook method, whatever works best for you.

     Chop and saute a nice big sweet onion, using just a tiny bit of olive oil. I do mine in the big pan I use for soup as it is also my crockpot pan.

     Shred 2 or 3 big carrots and toss them in with the sauteed onion in your soup pan.

      Chop 3-4 small baby white potatoes that you have scrubbed. (I leave the peels on, but that is optional) and add them to the sauteed onion and carrots mix.

    Cut a small to medium size butternut squash or sweet pumpkin, roughly 2 cups 3 cups, into 1" pieces, and add to the pot.

Put the following in the blender. I use my Vitamix.

    2   8-oz containers of vegetable broth, or if you prefer chicken broth.
    1 - 1 1/2 cans of beans, this thickens the broth.
    1 cup of water or the cup of liquid you reserved from cooking the dried beans.
    4+ cloves of garlic, peeled.
   1-3 tsps or more of each of the following spices: ( I cook by taste and some people like it milder than we do.)
          Italian Seasoning
          Rosemary
          Sage
          Oregano
          Basil
     Pepper to taste (I use Hot Shot, a red and black pepper mix.)
   
Blend well and add to the crockpot.

Add the beans that were set aside and let it cook overnight.

I usually put it together after dinner and let it cook all night and the next day until we are ready for dinner. It is a nice thick soup and very filling.

I used the Loss It App to figure out the following:

 344 calories
0.5 g Total Fat
106.1 mg Sodium
44 g Carbs
4.7 g Protein

Carrot Juice

I love our sweet Alaska carrots and eat them until they run out, then I go on a carrot deprivation diet.  I freeze some for use in soups and such but carrots that are shipped here from elsewhere just do not taste the same.  I stock pile them in the fall for soups, snacks, salads, and juicing.

Today I made a new for me juice combo and it tastes really good.

4 carrots chopped with peels left on
1 small green apple, cut up
1 TBSP size chunk of ginger peeled
2 small cuties peeled
1/2 cup water
two handfuls of ice

Blend thoroughly adding the hot water when it get thick and the ice at the end to cool it down and thin it our a little more. It tastes sweet, but not too sweet and is filling. Makes a nice refreshing snack. It made about 4 cups of juice. 

I recommend drinking it right away so you get all the nutrients and to prevent loss of vitamin and mineral content through oxidation..  By blending instead of juicing you get the fiber which is good for your digestive system.
 
Here is a link to the health benefits of carrots.

Carrot Juice

I love our sweet Alaska carrots and eat them until they run out, then I go on a carrot deprivation diet.  I freeze some for use in soups and such but carrots that are shipped here from elsewhere just do not taste the same.  I stock pile them in the fall for soups, snacks, salads, and juicing.

Today I made a new for me juice combo and it tastes really good.

4 carrots chopped with peels left on
1 small green apple, cut up
1 TBSP size chunk of ginger peeled
2 small cuties peeled
1/2 cup water
two handfuls of ice

Blend thoroughly adding the hot water when it get thick and the ice at the end to cool it down and thin it our a little more. It tastes sweet, but not too sweet and is filling. Makes a nice refreshing snack. It made about 4 cups of juice. 

I recommend drinking it right away so you get all the nutrients and to prevent loss of vitamin and mineral content through oxidation..  By blending instead of juicing you get the fiber which is good for your digestive system.
 
Here is a link to the health benefits of carrots.

Veggie Fajitas

I tried out a new recipe last week and then of course I had to make a bunch of changes as it was way to mild and I wanted to try some different veggies than were in the recipe and now I think I have come up with the perfect veggie fajitas for us.

1/2 of a small Sugar Pumpkin or Butternut Squash peeled and cut into narrow strips
1 small Zucchinni thinly sliced the long way
2 - Onions - thinly sliced
2 - Sweet Bell Peppers thinly sliced
5 - cloves of Garlic sliced into thin strips.
1 can Low Sodium Black Beans, rinsed, or if you prefer to cook your own, 2 cups of cooked Black Beans
1 - 2 TBSP Olive or Coconut Oil (liquified)

Home-made salsa, recipe of your choice we like the following one:
1/2 Onion
1/2 Sweet Bell Pepper
4 Roma Tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 Jalepeno (The amount will vary according to your taste.)
chopped and well mixed.

In a large baggie mix the following ingredients:
2 Tsp garlic powder
2 Tsp onion powder
2 Tsp oregano
1/4 Tsp Cumin
2 Tsp Chili Powder
1 Tsp Ancho Chili Powder
1 Tsp Hot Shot or Black Pepper
and for an extra kick at 1/8+ Tsp Cayenne Pepper

Toss the veggies in oil to coat, then put in the baggie with the spices and shake to coat before cooking.

Layered in a mesh grilling basket. I always put the onions on the bottom as they take the longest to cook, but things get stirred up when cooking. I am thinking this will also work well to bake them in the oven when winter sets in and it is way to cold to grill, but then we have two grills. One gas for summer and one charcoal for when it is too cold for gas.

Cook on grill in mesh basket until the veggies are soft (10 +/- minutes)  and then add the black beans and cook for an additional 2 to 5 minutes until the beans are heated.

If you prefer to eat them with tortillas, you may use whatever kind you prefer, heated. You could also do them as lettuce wraps. We prefer to just eat the veggies as we do not eat many grains.

Serve the veggie mix topped with the salsa and shredded cheese and enjoy!

Next time I think I may try adding Sweet Potatoes in the mix.

Baked Asparagus, Leek and Goat Cheese Bites

I made this recipe tonight for dinner and though it was good it needs some work. I found it on the Williams and Sonoma website.

Choose a soft, crumbly, fresh goat cheese with a hint of citrus to highlight the onion-like leeks and earthy asparagus in this dish. The freshest whole-milk ricotta available will provide these eggy mouthfuls with the creamiest, lightest texture.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 tsp. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 6 asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed
• 1 leek, halved lengthwise and rinsed well, white and light green portions finely chopped
• 2 oz. fresh goat cheese
• 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 egg

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 300°F. Generously coat the cups of a 12-cup miniature muffin pan with butter.

Thinly slice the asparagus spears crosswise, keeping the tips whole. Set the asparagus tips aside.

In a sauté pan over medium-low heat, melt 2 tsp. of the butter. Add the sliced asparagus and the leek and cook gently, stirring often, until just softened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.

Crumble the goat cheese into another bowl. Add the ricotta cheese and egg and mash together with a fork until well combined, then mix in the cooled vegetables. Divide the filling evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake the “bites” until puffed and lightly golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut each asparagus tip in half lengthwise. In a small nonstick fry pan over low heat, melt the remaining 1/2 tsp. butter. Add the asparagus tips and sauté until just tender, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl.

When the bites are done, transfer the pan to a wire rack. Run a table knife around the inside of each cup to loosen the edges and let cool slightly. Invert a large plate or tray over the muffin pan, invert the pan and plate together and lift off the pan.

Arrange the bites on a platter or individual plates and top each with an asparagus-tip half. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 12 bites; serves 6 to 12.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma New Flavors for Appetizers, by Amy Sherman (Oxmoor House, 2008).

It needs more spice so I plan to add some hotshot pepper and garlic and instead of using a muffin tin, use little baking dishes and simply divide it into two servings and then adjust the cooking time. I might also add in some basil or thyme as it needs a little more flavor.  We shall see. I am thinking I will try it again this weekend with my modifications.

They were not bad, just bland.

Vegetarian Lasagna

Tom and I love this dish.  I have been playing with several different recipes and think I finally hit on the one that works best for us. It makes about four to six servings, so we have dinner and lunch out of it.

Ingredients:

1 small to medium spaghetti squash = roughly 3 cups of shredded spaghetti squash.

1 - 2 small to medium or medium to large zucchini = roughly 3 cups of shredded zucchini.

15 ounces of ricotta cheese. I buy organic.

2 cups of shredded mozzarella. I like to shred my own and buy organic.
You can also save some to sprinkle on top after cooking or during the last few minutes of cooking.

1 tsp to 1 TBsp of hotshot  or black pepper (We like it spicy, so I add more.)

You will need a baking dish that is 9 X 5 and about 2-3" deep.

Before putting this dish together you need to have prepared the following in advance:

Clean and bake one small to medium spaghetti squash.  After letting it cool, scrape out the insides and set aside to use in the lasagna.  To bake I cut mine in half, scrape out the seeds and then set cut side down on a wire rack over a cookie sheet with water in it.  After baking at 350° for roughly 30-45 minutes, until you can pierce the outside with a fork, I let it cool, cut side down, until I can easily pick it up and scrape the inside out. I then let it drain for a bit so that it is not too watery. It really works great if we have spaghetti the night before and I cook a large spaghetti squash and use the left over for lasagna. You need roughly 3 cups of shredded spaghetti squash.

I shred one to two small to medium or medium to large zucchini, and let it drain in a strainer for awhile.  I also pat it with paper towels to remove some of  moisture. (I am thinking I may bake it for a few minutes next time to see if I can get more water to drain before putting it in the lasagna. You need roughly 3 cups of shredded zucchini.

I also make my own sauce, another reason I like to have spaghetti the night before.  I will share my recipe in another  post, but you need roughly 2-3 cups of sauce.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Directions:

Smear some sauce in the bottom of the dish, just enough to coat it lightly.

Sprinkle one third of the shredded zucchini in a layer in the bottom of the dish.

(Here you have a choice. I prefer to layer the spaghetti squash and then the ricotta, but you could do it in reverse.)

Sprinkle one third of the shredded spaghetti squash in a layer over the zucchini.

Using one third of the ricotta cheese dab it over the squash and then smear it around lightly so that it is pretty evenly layered.

Sprinkle some of the hot shot or black pepper on the ricotta cheese.

Sprinkle with one third of mozzarella cheese.

Layer one third of the sauce over this

Repeat twice.

Bake 45 minutes, sprinkling the saved mozzarella over the top during the last five minutes of cooking or after removing it from the oven. Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Because there are no noodles to absorb the excess liquid due to using squash, it is helpful to have bulb syringe to remove some of the excess juice before cutting and serving, if you do not have one you can use a spoon to remove some and then once cut and served, tip the plates slightly to let the excess liquid run off before serving.

The extras keep well over night in the refrigerator and make a great lunch when reheated the next day. We never have any left over for freezing so I am not sure how it does at freezing, but please let me know how it works out if you try freezing it and reheating.

Sorry there are no pictures but I forgot to take any when I made this a couple nights ago. I will try to remember to update with a picture next time I make it.

Mexican Lasagna

I love experimenting and trying new recipes and found one that I as usual twisted around to my liking.  I call it Mexican Lasagna.  Tom likes it and considering that for years he turned up his nose at zucchini that is saying a lot. It is fairly quick and easy to make, though I like to let the zucchini drain for a few hours so that it is not so juicy when cooked.

Ingredients:

2 small to medium or 1 large zucchini shredded.
2 -3 carrots shredded
1 tsp oil (I use olive or coconut oil.)
1 onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
2 peppers chopped (I prefer red and yellow or orange.)
1 cup crushed taco shells or tortilla chips. (I bake corn tortillas and crush them as they are lower in sodium)
2 - 14 oz cans low sodium diced tomatoes or use crushed tomatoes.
1 TBSP chili powder (I use a mix of chili and ancho chili powder as we like it spicier.)
1 tsp dried oregano or if you have fresh that is better.
1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 - 1 tsp Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipolte Seasoning Blend
1 TBSP parsley
black pepper to taste
Cayenne Pepper or Red Pepper to taste if you like it spicier. (We do)
1 can low sodium black beans rinsed and drained. (In a pinch you could substitute red kidney beans.)
2 cups Mexican Shredded Cheddar Cheese.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Shred the zucchini and carrots and let them drain for an hour or two or over night. You can also pat them with paper towels to help dry them so they are not so juicy when cooking.

Saute the onions, garlic, and peppers in the oil or put them in a microwaveable dish and steam them for 1 to 2 minutes until the onions are opaque.  I also sauté the onions without oil as I have waterless cookware and this reduces the added fats.

I blend the tomatoes, spices and onion mix so they are less chunky and more like crushed tomatoes. You can just mix them in a sauce pan and add the spices: cumin, oregano, and chili powder.
Heat to boiling and reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or so.

Lightly grease a 9x7x2 inch casserole dish.

Layer crushed tortillas, tomatoes mixture, black beans, zucchini, cheese, and repeat.  I always top it with the tomato mixture.  You can add more cheese after it bakes it you like lots of cheese. You can also mix the beans in the tomato mixture if you want and just layer them together.

Bake about 30 minutes, and let set for 5 minutes before serving.

We find that this makes four large servings which are perfect for the two of us, as we get dinner and lunch the next day.

You can make smaller servings and add a salad or bread and then it will serve 6 to 8.

Sliced avocados make a nice side dish, also.

For dessert try sliced strawberries with fresh whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Carrot Soup

Last night I tried another new recipe experiment.
This one was a carrot soup, and it was very tasty.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3159/2766420644_e658cedebb_z.jpg?zz=1

2 lbs of carrots, washed and chopped in 1" pieces
1 medium orange sweet potato, peeled and diced.
1/2 - 1 cup pumpkin chopped
2 onions chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 onions chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1-2 tsp ginger
1-2 tsp cinnamon
2-4 tsp black pepper

Saute onions in 1-2 tsp olive oil.  

Add all ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil. Simmer until carrots are tender.

Puree in a blender and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to let the flavors blend. 

My husband said that the flavor of the pumpkin comes through and adds to the flavor of the soup.

Broccoli Romanesco Soup

Last night I tried a new recipe experiment.  It came out delicious.  It is a keeper.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Romanesco_Broccoli.jpg

2 heads Broccoli Romanesco
1 cup or one medium white sweet potato diced
4 cups chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, diced
2-4 tsp black pepper, depending on taste
1-2 tsp oregano
1-2 tsp thyme
1 cup onions, diced
1-2 tsp olive oil

Saute the onions in olive oil.  

Clean and chop Broccoli Romanesco in to 2" pieces.  

Add all ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil, then simmer 15 to 20 minutes until the Broccoli Romanesco is tender. 

Puree in blender and and simmer on stove for about 5 to 10 more minutes to let the flavors blend. 

Serve with shredded or shaved Parmessan cheese.

I plan to try this using cauliflower next.  It was delicious and tasted great reheated for lunch the next day.

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 -3 good size sweet potatoes peeled & chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled, chopped 
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 - 2 tsps Ancho Chili Powder
• 1 - 2 tsps  fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 - 2 tsps cinnamon
• 1/2 - 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 - 2 tsps black pepper 
• 1/2 - 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 -3 TBSP Lime Juice
• 1/2 - 1 TBSP olive oil or butter your preference

Chop the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic, then saute in olive oil or butter until tender, about 10 minutes. 

Peel and cut up the sweet potatoes while the onions, etc... are sauting.

Add the broth and spices stir well to make sure they are mixed in.  Add the sweet potatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes, or several hours until the sweet potatoes are tender.  I like to let it simmer all afternoon or cook over night and all day in the crock pot on low.


Puree in blender and serve. 

Serves4

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

Makes 4 servings.

1/2 -1 tsp garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 TBSP Olive Oil or Butter, which ever you prefer
1/2 - 1 tsp ginger, I prefer chopped fresh
1/2 - 1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 - 1 tsp sage
1 - 2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 - 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 - 2 tsp black pepper
4 No Sodium chicken powder packets,
       (or 4 cups low sodium chicken broth)
1 - 2 teaspoon chili powder, preferably Ancho
1/8 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 - 2 TBSP of brown sugar
4 - 5 cups water
2 medium  or 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 8 cups) 

Saute onions and garlic in Olive Oil or Butter, or cover and cook for one minute in the microwave, naked.

Mix spices and chicken broth powder with water and add to sauted onions and garlic. (Red pepper and Ancho chilli powder amounts vary depending on how spicy you like your soup.)

Add in cubed butternut squash.

Cook in crock pot all day, or for a few hours on the stove until the squash is soft.

Put soup in your blender or Vita Mix and puree.  Simmer for 10 minutes and serve.

 We had this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. Above is a picture of the leftovers ready for lunch tomorrow.

Tomato Soup

This recipe is so easy and so quick.  I love it on a cold afternoon when time is short for making dinner.

Ingredients:
3 cans of diced or petite no salt added tomatoes
1 package of  no sodium chicken broth powder
1 can of water
1 -2 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
pepper to taste
red pepper to taste
1-2 cloves of garlic or garlic powder
1 tsp sugar

Parmesan Cheese to garnish

Throw everything but the cheese in the blender for just a minute to crush the tomatoes.  (If you use crushed tomatoes and garlic powder there is no need to blend, but I cannot fine no salt added crushed tomatoes.)

Simmer on the stove about 15 minutes to let the flavors blend and allow the soup to warm and serve garnished with Parmesan cheese or if you prefer a grilled cheese sandwich.

Delicious!