Ginger Roasted Winter Veggies

"You didn't take any pictures of dinner??" my DH said last night! Well, it was black beans and rice, a tried and true dish that for whatever reason I didn't think post-worthy. I wanted black beans on Sunday for the nachos so I went ahead and made a bag of dried to have leftovers for Tuesday. I like the bite-ier texture of beans cooked from dried rather than canned. Nuked up with some leftover brown jasmine rice and some steamed kale mixed in and its almost instant dinner. Very tasty and healthy instant dinner :) and perfect on a night that I stayed later at school for a work out class.

Tonight was mostly leftovers again- the Spinach Chickpea Curry served over the leftover steamed kale. This really was so very very good the night it was served and even better tonight. I have a great new go-to fave dish. :) :) :) DH also had grilled smoked pork chops. Two nights of mostly leftovers- I had the time and energy to try a new recipe- Ginger Roasted Winter Veggies from Vegan with a Vegeance. Another winner from this cookbook. The veggies were perfectly cooked- not too mushy not too crisp. The ginger was noticeable but just right. The kitchen was scented with the cinnamon and allspice and mmmmmm that was so nice on a cold winter evening.

Ginger Roasted Winter Veggies

Vegan with a Vegeance

1 pound parsnips (about 2 average size), washed, peeled, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

2 large carrots, washed, peeled cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1 pound sweet potatoes (about 3 medium-size). peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

2 heaping tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup olive oil (I used 1/2 of this)

pinch cinnamon

pinch allspice

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven 350F.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients, making sure all veggies are well coated. Doing this with your hands works best.

Place the veggies in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet (I used the large bar pan from Pampered Chef and it worked perfectly.) If there is any extra liquid, pour it over the veggies.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and flip the veggies. Bake for 20 or so more minutes, until the veggies are tender inside.

4 1/2 flamingos- just a bit of an issure chopping all the veggies- esp the butternut squash. my knives are not that sharp and my arms humming from my workout earlier in the afternoon.

This curry rocks!

Wow- this has to be one of the best curries I have ever made. I made the Chickpea and Spinach Curry from Vegan with a Vegeance. I loved the curry flavor but also that the taste of the chickpeas, spinach, and tomatoes came through. It's a curry that emphasizes the flavor of the veggies without a heavy sauce. Even DH, who is not fond of chickpeas, snuck a few nibbles. I notice he's been doing that lately :) I meant to make a full recipe but noticed that 1 of my cans of chickpeas had a dent in the rim- aarrrggg- I have to be real careful when I buy canned goods from my local grocery store- and as careful as I think I am, a few get by.
Here is what I made-

Chickpea and Spinach Curry
adapted from Vegan with a Vegeance

1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 tablespoon veggie oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 vidalia or sweet onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder (I used Penzey's Maharajah)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
pinch cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cardamom pods (I used green)
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 cups fresh spinach (I used baby and left it whole)
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Prepare the tomaotes by removing them one at a time from the can, squeezing out the juice, and cutting them into bite-sized pieces. Place the prepared tomatoes in a bowl and reserve the juice in the can.

Preheat a large-sized saucepan (esp if doubling) over medium heat; pour in the veggie oil and then the mustard seeds. Let the seeds pop for about a minute- mine didn't pop :( I wonder if I don't have the right seeds??) then add the onion; turn up the heat to medium-high and saute for 7-10 minutes, until the onion begins to brown. Add the garlic and ginger, and saute for 2 more minutes. Add spices, salt, and 1/4 cup of the reserved tomato juice; saute one minute more. Add tomatoes and heat through. Add the spinach, mixing until wilted. When the spinach is wilted and the mixture is liquidy, add the chickpeas. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust spices if necessary.


I had this curry with a bit of whole wheat couscous (made with veggie broth and garlic), and a salad. DH had the couscous, salad, and grilled lamb.

5 flamingos for taste- this curry is a repeater!
5 flamingos for time and effort

Soup Club

Another yummy Monday with Soup Club! And both were very delicious (perfect for a cold winter day) and vegan friendly- wahoo!

Rosemary White Bean Soup
Barefoot Contessa- prepared by NS

1 pound dried white cannellini beans
4 cups sliced yellow onions (3 onions)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large branch fresh rosemary (6-7 inches)
2 quarts chicken or veggie stock
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, cover the beans with water by at least 1 inch and leave them in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Drain.

In a large stockpot over low to medium heat, saute the onions with the olive oil until the onions are translucent, 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook over low heat for 3 more minutes. Add the drained white beans, rosemary, chicken stock, and bay leaf. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the beans are very soft. Remove the rosemary branch and the bay leaf. Pass the soup through the coarsest blade of a food mill, or place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until coarsely pureed. Return the soup to the pot to reheat and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Garbanzo Tomato Pasta Soup
allrecipes.com submitted by Joy prepared by DG

9 (14.5 ounce) cans veggie broth
2 1/4 cups small seashell pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Bring veggie broth to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until translucent. Stir into pasto and add garbanzo beans, tomatoes, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Heat through and serve.

Nachos

I tried some new nacho chips at Whole Foods the other day and they were good! (The chips were Japapeno tortilla chips with diced jalapeno peppers and crushed red peppers by FoodSouldTasteGood) So I bought some and thought to make nachos this weekend. And we did! DH had his with grated Craker Barrel cheese, black beans, and then topped with salsa. I had mine with the new chips topped with chopped romaine, chopped cherry tomatoes, black beans, salsa, and vegan cheese sauce. I really liked the cheese sauce and so did DH- he very quietly kept taking bites and scoops of the vegan cheese sauce. I had bought the Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak this summer but put it aside after trying a vegan cheese that was only ok. This was pretty darn good and DH kept adding a bit to his nachos too!

Edited to add that as delicious as this was, it didn't seem to keep well. It tasted way too much of the nutritional yeast and the subtle flavors of the veggies and other seasonings were long gone.

Unprocessed Cheez Sauce

The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak

1 medium potato, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 or 2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped (I used 2 smaller carrots)

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (I used 1/2 sweet onion)

1 cup water

1/2 to 1 cup crumbled firm silken toful or 1/2 to 1 cup cooked and drained white beans (I used 1 cup drained navy beans)

1/2 to 1 cup nutritional yeast flakes (I decided that I would use 1/2 cup flakes after using the highter amount this summer and not liking the result. I do think this is an acquired taste and I'm just starting to aquire it!!)

2-4 tablespoons miso- I used brown

1 -2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

Combine potato, carrot, onion, and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender (I used my food processor) along with remaining ingredients. Process until velvety smooth. Serve immediately or return to saucepan or fondue pot to keep warm.

Tips: If mixture fills your blender more than halfway, blend in two or three batches.

The larger the quantities of tofu or white beans and nutritional yeast will make a thicker, richer-tasting sauce.

Crimini, Shiitake, and Portobello Oh my!

DH is out of town and I got to play with mushrooms! He hates mushrooms even the smell. Fortunately this recipe had plenty of shallots that I bet he notices first! And I kept chuckling when I bought the shiitakes and when I was preparing them- one of my previous first graders used to love saying "Oh shiiiiii...... take mushrooms"- LOL for days over that. :) I had agreed to play a game on the Cooking Light boards- I choose the recipe and then started to post it before I realized that it called for 1/2 stick butter! Oops! Then I realized I had a bit of a challenge before me so I made the recipe without the butter. And it was really very very good. UUUMMMMM- when is DH going out of town again???

Sauteed Wild Mushrooms
adpated from Ina Garten Barefoot in Paris
serves 4

2 pounds mixed wild mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake, porcini, and portobello
2 Tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots- 4 large
splash of veggie broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Brush the caps of each mushroom with a clean sponge. Remove and discard the stems. Slice the small mushrooms thickly and cut the large ones in a large dice.Heat the olive oil in a large (11-inch) Dutch oven or saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the veggie broth, mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, until they are tender and begin to release their juices, stirring often. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Toss in the parsley and serve warm.

Soup Club

I am loving Soup Club Mondays! No lunch to worry about making in the mornings and yummy soups and salads to enjoy :) Although I only had just a taste of the Tomato Cream soup ;)

Mushroom and Barley Soup
made by KO

There isn't really a recipe as it is so easy! Here are the steps:
1. Purchase Streitz Mushroom and Barley soup mix (I am pretty sure that is the brand. It comes in a long fairly thin clear package)
2. Saute carrots, celery, and onion.
3. Boil water.
4. Add soup package.
5. Simmer 2 hours.


Rachel Ray's Quick and Creamy Tomato Soup
made by MJT

3 15-ounce cans of chicken broth
3 28-ounce cans concentrated crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
20 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade for garnish
soup toppers- see below

Combine broth and tomatoes in medium sauce pan over moderate hear. When soup bubbles, stir in cream and reduce to low. Season with salt and pepper (mj notes that she used Crazy Jane's Pepper) and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. With immersion blender, puree the soup. Serve in a bowl with basil garnish on top.

Toppers
Slices of rustic bread, 1/4" thick
4 gloves of garlic
olive oil, pepper
1/2 lb shredded cheese

Toast bread slices in toaster until golden. Rub toast with crushed garlic. Put on cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil and top with grind of pepper. Add layer of cheese. Place under hot broiler until golden brown. Serve on top of soup- or dip in!

Frosty the Snow Dog!

A friend gave my dog a tag for his
collar that was this cutest
snowdog with Frosty the Snow Dog printed on it. He is working hard today trying to make it snow enough that I can have my first snow day tomorrow!


Go!
Frosty the Snow Dog!
Go!!

Pizza night

After the successful Argentine Flatbread last weekend, I felt in the mood to make more homemade pizzas. Tonight, DH had pepperoni and mozzerella cheese on the dough from the Flatbread recipe. Excellent!! he says. Mine was garlic, steamed collards, broccoli, and roasted red pepper on Eating Well's Whole Wheat Pizza Dough. Again excellent!! For the sauce, I used the Pizza Sauce recipe from Vegan With a Vegeance. It is the yummiest sauce!

5 flamingos for taste
2 flamingos for time and effort. DH didn't want a whole wheat crust but I did. I really didn't mind making 2 types of dough, roasting the red pepper or prepping the veggies as it was a snowy icy day. The glass of wine was nice too!

Pizza Sauce
adapted from Vegan With a Vegeance

1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic- minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1 can (15-ounce) tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, saute the garlic in the olive oil a few minutes being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the herbs and the remaining ingredients. Simmer for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Let cool to room temperature before using on pizzas.


Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Eating Well
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/ww_pizza_dough.html

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rising yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons), such as Fleischmann's RapidRise
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2-2/3 cup hot water (120-130°F)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Combine hot water and oil in a measuring cup. With the motor running, gradually pour in enough of the hot liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Process until the dough forms a ball, then process for 1 minute to knead.

2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling.

3. Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack;preheat oven to 500°F or highest setting. Roll and top the pizza as desired(we suggest a 13-inch circle) and bake the pizza until the bottom is crisp and golden, 10 to 14 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 oz dough, enough for one 12-inch pizza or two 10-inch pizzas

My new favorite bread!

I made a new whole wheat bread, Pecan Wheat, this afternoon and it's my new favorite. It was so good and the crust had a nice crispness. I made the bread in my bread machine as directed using the walnuts. I made one regular sized loaf and 4 little personal loaves. You can find the recipe here.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/recipe.jsp?recipe_id=R140

Curried Cauliflower and Yummy Bread

Tonight's dinner was a nice veganish/meat lovers blend. DH had a sandwich made from leftover flank steak from last night. We shared Braised Cauliflower with Three-Seed Sauce from Vegan with a Vengeance served over whole wheat couscous. I also had a spinach salad. Lovely for both of us.

I tried to take a pic but, well, still need some practice!!

Harvest Grains Bread

This bread is one of my faves from King Arthur but I made some significant changes. I played with it to remove the powdered milk, reduce the fat, and then added some oatmeal. The oatmeal makes the bread thicker but tender.

Here is the link to the King Arther recipe and below is what went into the bread machine!
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/recipe.jsp?recipe_id=R381

My version! And I liked it- it will be a repeater although I might try adding a bit more of the Harvest Seeds Blend next time to see how that goes.

1 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon veggie oil
2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup bread flour
1 tablespoon bread dough enhancer
1/2 cup Harvest Grains Seed Blend (sold by King Arthur)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons SAF yeast

Place the ingredients in the order rec by your bread machine manufacturer. Select dough cycle. After about 1 hr 20 min and the beep, remove the dough and shape it to fit into a bread pan. Let rise until doubled and then bake at 350F for about 35-40 min. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Chickpea Salad with Provencal Herbs and Olives

I wanted something for dinner tonight that included chickpeas. I love them but DH doesn't and tonight he has the leftover cassoulet (that was a beautiful dish from Mastering the Art of French Cooking). I went to the Cooking Light recipe finder and found this. The idea of a salad was appealing with the warmer weather- a high of almost 70F in Jan in Washington DC!! The chickepea recipe can be found here
http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1065515

I made some changes- onion powder instead of the onion (I was hoping DH would try it and like it) and I subbed dried oregano, rosemary, and thyme.

Well, he didn't try it but it was delicious over a bed of romaine lettuce. It definitely turned colder here but this worked as a salad topping for lunch.

Cardamom coffee

I had the most delicious coffee at a friends house- she added several cardamom seeds to the coffee grounds before brewing. So simple and so good! I now keep a small jar of the seeds next to my filters.

Book Club!

The book- The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living by Martin Clark

The restaurant- brunch at Whitlows on Wilson

We wondered about the supernatural aspects in the story. I must admit that I didn't get too far in this story- I was too busy with the holidays and with my nutrition reading. The white tears seemed odd, I kept thinking they were glue or some sort of pills or I don't know but after the discussion I get it. I think that I would like to finish this story-

Next book- Marley and Me by John Grogan

Polenta-Sunflower-Millet Bread

This made a very soft yet crunchy bread- I loved it. The maple syrup (replacement for the honey) added sweetness without being too maple-ly. I didn't miss the honey.

Polenta-Sunflower-Millet Bread
The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensberger

2-pound loaf

1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons sunflower seed oil

3 1/4 cups bread flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup polenta
1/4 cup whole raw millet
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons gluten
2 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 1 tablespoon bread machine yeast

Place all the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer's instructions.
Set crust on medium and program for the Basic or Whole Wheat cycle; press start. (This recipe may be made using the Delay Timer.)

When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.

My notes:
I used maple syrup instead of honey.
I used Hodgson Mill cornmeal instead of polenta- I had it and it seems to have a coarser grain.
I made the 2 pound recipe but set the machine to dough. Then I removed the dough and divided it between two loaf pans, let it rise for about 30 minutes or so and then baked it in a 350F oven for about 30 min or so. The 30 is a rough guess- it could have been closer to 45. My kitchen was very warm this day and it was closer to 30 min for the rise in the pans.

Argentine Black Bean Flat Bread with Chimichurri Drizzle

My goal is to eat no animal protein Mon- Thurs and very very minimal animal protein on the weekend. Not a problem so far- I've been eating lots of salads, greens, and veggies. I also have been eating the old pasta with marinara sauce and black beans and rice. Time to start to branch out and find more vegan type recipes (all my veggie recipes seem heavy in cheese ;) ) and that DH and I both like.

I made this yesterday and we both loved it!

Argentine Black Bean Flat Bread with Chimichurri Drizzle
created by Erin Mylroie, adapted from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 07

1 red bell pepper
1 tablespoon cornmeal
Cooking Spray
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water (100-110F), divided
3 cups all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups Black Bean Spread
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic

Preheat broiler. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 12 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and cut into 16 strips. Set aside.

Reduce oven temp to 450F. Sprinkle cornmeal over a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Set aside.

Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup water, flour, and salt to yeast mixture, stirring until dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic- about 10 min. Place dough in a large covered bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place free from drafts., 1 hour or until doubled in size. Roll dough into a 14 x 11- inch rectangle; place dough on prepared baking sheet. Spread 1 1/2 cups Black Bean Spread over dough. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 450F for 13 minutes or until crust browns and cheese is bubbly. Let cool 10 minutes.

Combine parsley and the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle parsley mixture over cheese. Cut bread into 16 squares; garnish each square with 1 bell pepper strip.

Yield: 16 servings- serving size 1 square


Black Bean Spread

1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 (15-ounce) can 50%-less-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) organic fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained (such as Muir Glen)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Yield: 3 cups

My notes:
I only put Parmesan cheese on half the flat bread- that made my side without animal protein. I thought it tasted great and didn't miss the cheese!

I also removed about 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes and liquid from the can and replaced it with 1/2 cup hot salsa.

The Chimichurri Drizzle makes this dish!

I would like to try adding whole wheat flour to the crust, adding some lime to the Drizzle, and finding the Muir Glen tomatoes.

Cooking Light (Karen MacNeil) rec malbec wine with this dish.

Diet Change

I haven't been posting much although I cooked up a storm over Christmas break. Why?? Because of the China Study! I don't remember how I heard about the China Study by T Colin Campbell but I read it over break along with Healthy at 100 and others by John Robbins. I think I read about it in the Healthy at 100 book which was mentioned in VegNews mag that I found and liked. I also found a website by Ruth Heidrich and ordered her CHEF (pretty much all about vegan and raw) cookbook and Senior Fitness. I have also read Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan and Eat to Live and Disease Proof Your Child by Joel Fuhrman (mentioned on the veganlunchbox.com). Add to that What to Eat and Food Politics by Marion Nestle and I feel I've worked towards a degree in nutrition!

I've decided to significantly cut down on processed foods and animal protein. So far so good. The processed foods went out this summer although I miss my Special K with strawberries. After New Year's jerk pork, good bye most animal protein. I'm not vegan- I still will have a bit of cheese or some shrimp/seafood on the weekend- and well, when I visit my in-laws. I paid close attention to Thanksgiving Dinner and Christmas Eve and Day dinners and there was very very little that I would have been able to eat. That will come but not yet.

I found myself craving greens this summer- what's up with that?? I also ate vegan for two days and then entered by diet information into this site http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/login2.aspx
and was very surprised at two things- how full I felt and how nutritious my two days were. I did get frowny faces for dairy which I found funny! I hate milk although I love cheese.

The challenge will be to cook for me and for my DH who loves loves loves his meat!

So far so good! it's 12/08 and i've gone and edited out my nonvegan recipes- just couldn't take them anymore on this blog.

Soup Club

We had two delicious soups last Monday- Split Pea Soup from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison and Italian Wedding Soup by Rachel Ray made by MA.

Split Pea Soup
made my CC

1 1/2 cups split green peas, sorted and rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon fresh or dried chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and freshly milled pepper
Aromatics: 2 bay leaves, 8 parsley branches, 6 thyme sprigs
2 quarts Basic Veggie Stock, or water (I used 1/2 store bought stock and 1/2 water)
Mushroom soy sauce- didn't use this
Chopped parsley, marjoram, or rosemary
1/2 cup small croutons browned in olive oil

Cover the peas with water and set aside.

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and saute until the onion takes on some color, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, herbs, paprika, and plenty of pepper and cook for another few minutes. Drain the peas and add them to the pot along with the aromatics, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the stock. Stir frequently at first to keep the peas from settling to the bottom. Once the soup comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the peas have completely broken down, 1 hour or more. Add extra water if the soup becomes too thick. Remove the aromatics.

Season to taste with soy sauce and/or extra salt as needed. Serve with the chopped parsley and croutons in each bowl.

Can also add 1 bunch of spinach cut into 1/2" ribbons. Stir into the finished soup and cook until wilted.