Soup Club

Still having Soup Club at work because of the freezing temps- It felt like Jan on Monday. I made a soup that could be served hot or cold and of course with the cold temps and no heat !! at work, served the soup hot. It was so delicious the first day with a lovely note of tarragon. On Monday when the soup was reheated the chile peppers became more assertive and the soup was equally delicious, just different from the day before. I can't wait to try this soup chilled (come on spring!!)

5 flamingos

Roasted Red Pepper and Carrot Soup With Tarragon
Fresh Every Day

The roasted bell peppers give this soup an intense, smoky flavor- and also make it sweet. It's just as delicious served warm or chilled.

Serves 6-8 Makes about 2 quarts

4 tablespoons olive oil (I used less)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used Earth Balance and a bit less)
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped
4 medium carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 shallots, chopped
1 pear, peeled, cored, and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
6 cups chicken or veggie broth (I used closer to 5 cups of veggie broth)
4 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, cored, seeded, and chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons fresh or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon

Melt the olive oil and butter together in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the raw bell peppers, carrots, onion, shallots, and pear. Reduce heat to low and cook the veggies for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until very soft. Add the garlic and cook for several minutes longer.

Add the broth, roasted peppers, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the saucepan and stir to mix. Bring the broth to a low boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup for about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.

Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Stir in the tarragon, season with additional salt and pepper if desired, and serve hot or chilled. This soup will keep, refrigerated in an airight container, for several days. It also freezes well.

Vegetarian Cashew Chili

Wow! That was a bit long between posts! Busy with spring break and just eating the new tried and trues. I do have 3 new recipes to post- all three are excellent. The first is Vegetarian Cashew Chili from Cooking Light. DH loves cashews and I thought this would help him not miss the meat in a chili. This was easy to put together and travels well according to CL. The vinegar added just the right note and I wouldn't change a thing.

5 flamingos

Vegetarian Cashew Chili
Cooking Light Oct 03

The ingredients for this quick-and-easy chili travel well. Place all the chopped vegetables and measured spices in heavy-duty zip-top plastic bags.

3 cups chopped onion
2 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (15.5-ounce) cans red kidney beans, undrained
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, undrained
2/3 cup cashews, coarsely chopped

At home, place first 4 ingredients in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Combine vinegar and next 8 ingredients (vinegar through bay leaf) in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Place in cooler or backpack.
At campsite, heat oil in a large Dutch oven over hot coals (or in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat if at home). Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Add vinegar mixture, kidney beans, tomatoes, and pinto beans; cook 20 minutes, stirring often. Discard bay leaf. Stir in cashews.
Yield: 7 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

What do you eat?

I 've had several people ask me what I eat. I have heard of this from what other vegans have written but well, didn't expect to hear it addressed to me. I don't know why but it did make me pause- I eat lots of yummy foods, all plants of course. I feel as if I have more variety and flavor now but then I've always loved veggies. Several veggie cookbooks have been on my shelf for years now because those books would have yummy tasting vegetable recipes. Most reg cookbooks have just a few veggie recipes tucked in between main courses (meat based) and dessert. Posted below is this weeks plan for dinner.

Sun
salad
with some toppings from Whole Foods salad bar


Mon
leftover lasagna for dg
sprouted bread
salad
steamed kale with garlic and red pepper flakes

Tues
black beans and rice, or black bean burgers, or black bean and corn pizza
steamed greens

Wed
Potatoes and Chard with Green Curry Sauce- AYIAVK

Thurs
two veggie recipes for SGOTW from Race You to the Table
Kale with Balsamic Vinegar
Baked Onions with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Fri
out

Sat
St Paddy's Day menu- a mix from Cooking Light, Eating Well, and Veg Times!

2 new recipes and 1 old

I haven't posted in a few days but I have made some new dishes. No pictures- the meals just didn't seem pretty enough with my limited photos abilities.

The first and best of the recipes was the tastiest bean burger on sat thanks to gaja on the clbb. It was easy to do and so good I was licking the bowl!

5 flamingos!!

Red Lentil-Chickpea Burgers
The Healthy Hedonist
Serves 6

3/4 cup red lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 3/4 cups water
Salt
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for sautéing
1/2 cup minced shallots
3/4 pound carrots, cut into small dice (1 cup)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
6 whole wheat pita breads
Shredded romaine lettuce
Chopped fresh tomatoes
Spicy Peanut Sauce (recipe follows)

Combine the lentils and the water in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add 1 tsp salt, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. The lentils should lose their individual shape and cook into one mass. Cook them as dry as possible as they can go without sticking. Stir the cooked lentils with a spoon to break them up, and pour them into a medium bowl.

Stir in the chickpeas.Warm the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots, carrots, and 1/4 tsp salt, and cook until the carrots are tender, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, and peas, and cook until the peas are tender, 2 minutes. Stir the vegetables into the lentils along with the parsley, lemon juice, and cayenne. Stir in the bread crumbs. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, or until it is cool enought to handle.

Using your hands, form the lentils into 6 tight patties and place them on a plate. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until very firm, at least 30 minutes.

Sauté the burgers: Warm a Tbsp of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the burgers (these burgers are a bit delicate so do not crowd the pan). Sauté until golden, about 2 minutes. Turn the burgers over and sauté on the other side until golden, 2 minutes. Serve each burger in a pital with Spicy Peanut Sauce, topped with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes.

Spicy Peanut Sauce
Makes 3/4 cup
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp thinly sliced scallions or chives

Combine everything except the scallions in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the scallions. Store covered and refrigerated.


The second new recipe comes from the SGOTW (Sunday Game of the Week that I sometimes play on the Cooking Light Bullentin Boards. I had some leftover cabbage from Sunday's dinner and wraps/pitas from sat and mon and most of the other ingredients for this dish. This was easy to put together and DH liked it very much. It will be a repeater.

4 flamingos


Siam Stir-Fry Wraps
CL 1999 Annual p 48

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
2 teaspoons curry powder (dh picked penzey's hot curry)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16-ounce) bag cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw mix (I used 1/2 head of cabagge and several grated carrots)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 (12.3-ounce) package reduced fat extra-firm tofu, diced (I left this out)
1 (3.75-ounce) package uncooked bean threads (cellophane noodles)
4 curly leaf lettuce leaves
4 (10-inch) fat-free flour tortillas (DH had this, I used ww pita and it worked great)
Peanut Sauce

1. Heat oil in a large nonstik skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and next 4 ingredients; saute 4 minutes or until the cabbage wilts. Stir in soy sauce and next 4 ingredients; remove from heat.

2. Cook bean threads in boiling water 1 minute (it took closer to 5 minutes); drain. Place 1 lettuce leaf on each tortilla; arrange bean threads over lettuce. Place 1 1/4 cups tofu mixture over bean threads; stop each with 2 tablespoons Peanut Sauce. Roll up. Cut each wrap diagonally in half.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 halves).

Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey (I used maple syrup)
1 tablespoon chili paste with garlic
4 garlic cloves, minced

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Yield: 1/2 cup (serving size: 2 tablespoons)


And one old recipe that I had leftover- this was for DH only since it had cheese. I think I might play around with it to see if I can make it vegan. It is an unusual recipe but it has mostly items that are in the pantry so it is good for those "what am i making tonight" dinners. Tonights was used in a wrap with extra salsa to make burritos.

Easy Layered Beans and Rice
from "The Meatless Gourmet: Easy Lowfat Favorites"
1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
4 sun-dried tomato halves (not packed in oil), cut into small pieces
1 (8-oz) can corn, drained
1 1/4 cups boiling vegetable broth
2 cups reduced-fat, meatless spaghetti sauce
1 (1-lb) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (or 2 cups of cooked beans)
1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.Lightly oil a deep 2-quart casserole or spray with a nonstick cooking spray. Spread rice in the casserole. Sprinkle with sun-dried tomatoes. Spread corn evenly over rice. Gently pour broth over corn. Spoon half of the spaghetti sauce evenly over the corn. Spoon beans over the sauce, followed by remaining sauce. Cover tightly and bake 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with both cheeses, and return to oven until cheese is melted and begins to brown, 5-10 minutes.

Serve-again hint: Here's everything you need for a bean and rice burrito, including the cheese. Just roll leftovers in flour tortillas, heat in an oven or microwave, then top with salsa.
Makes 4 servings.

Here's a link with suggestions and other versions-
http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=78913&highlight=easy+beans

Hits and Misses for February

only one miss

Excellent- 5 Flamingos
Revolutionary Spanish Omelet with Saffron and Roasted Red Pepper-Almond Sauce Vegan with a Vegeance
Sesame Noodles with Napa Cabbage Adapted from Veg Times by Joe at http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/
New Potatoes with Herbes de Provence, Lemon, and Coarse Salt The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen
Sicilian-Style Broccoli The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen
Fruits of the Earth Bread KA Whole Grain *toasted*

Very Good- 3-4 Flamingos- will repeat or tweak
Tex-Mex Home Fries Horn of the Moon Vegan
Jamabalaya my own recipe
Egyptian Edamamae Stew Eating Well Jan/Feb 07
Rich Tofu Creme Cheez The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook
Braised Triple Cabbage Lasagna Blue Ginger- DH didn't like but I did- I still want to tweak
Green Beans with Sesame Paste and Garlic India Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cookbook
Hominy Chile with Beans CL Mar 00
Whole Wheat Bread The Bread Baker's Apprentice

Not for us- 0 Flamingos
Incredible Almond Creme Cheeze- The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook

Repeaters
Sante Fe Black Bean Topped Potatoes CL Apr 00
New Orleans Red Beans and Rice AYIVK

Scilian-Style Broccoli and New Potatoes with herbes de Provence

Two excellent recipes- they can be used together as side dishes or as a meal. Although I was concered about the herbes and spices matching, they go well together. I subbed veggie broth for most of the olive oil in both recipes. For the broccoli, I added more capers (I used some large-size capers that a friend gave me and wasn't sure that the measurements for larger sized capers would be equivalent to the reg sized.) I also easily doubled the red pepper flakes- DH and I like spicy-spicy. For the potatoes, I added a bit more herbes de Provence.

5 flamingos for taste and effort

Sicilian-Style Broccoli

The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen

This quick-cooking method of cooking broccoli in just a little liquid until it evaporates can be used with cauliflower as well.

Makes 4-6 servings

1 head broccoli (about 1 1/4 pounds)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup veggie broth

2 tablespoons drained capers, slightly crushed in a mortar and pestle or with the back of a spoon in a small bowl

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cut off and separate the broccoli florets. Trim the tough ends of the stalks; peel, if necessary, and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch thick slices.

In a large skillet with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and stalks, veggie broth, capers, and red pepper flakes, if using. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the hear to medium-low, cover, and copok until the broccoli is tender but still firm, 5-7 minutes.

Uncover, increase the heat to high, and cook, tossing and stirring constantly, until any remaining broth evaporates, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or room temperature.

Variation Instead of capers, add 2 tablespoons of dark raisins or zante currents that have been plumped in warm water for 10 minutes, then drained. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts just before serving.

New Potatoes with Herbes de Provence, Lemon, and Coarse Salt

The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen

Wild herbs grow in profusion throughout Provence. Herbes de Provence is a specific combination generally consisting of rosemary, thyme, basil, savory, chervil, mint, marjoram, oregano, and sometimes lavender. If you don't have some on hand, simply use dried rosemary; it's a safe bet. Try to get tiny new potatoes that are about 1 1/2 inches in diameter for this dish. If they're much bigger, cut them in half before boiling.

1 1/2 pounds tiny new potatoes, scrubbed and left whole

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence

juice of 1/2 medium lemon (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan or medium stockpot with salted water to cover; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes, depending upon size. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the herbes de Provence, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 10 seconds. Add the drained potatoes, coarse salt, and lemon juice; stir well to coat. Cook, tossing and stirring constantly, until the potatoes are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Advanced preparation You can boil the potatoes and let them stand for up to one hour at room temperature before completing the recipe. Or you can refrigerate the boiled potatoes overnight. Bring them to room temperature and finish the recipe.

Edamame

Eating Well had two delicious sounding edamame recipes in the jan/feb 07 issue. I made the Eygptian Edamame Stew for dinner tonight. It was very good although I think that it could benefit from sitting overnight to let the flavors mingle. The lemon added at the end brightened the dish but I think that I would add a bit less next time. This is a very good quick dish to make during the work week. DH made his own hamburger and fries and we were both very happy tonight.

3 1/2 flamingos for taste and ease

Egyptian Edamamae Stew

adapted from Eating Well Jan/Feb 07

16 oz pkg frozen shelled edamame (about 3 cups)

1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 large zucchini, diced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste (I forgot this!)

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add edamame and cook until tender, about 5 minutes or according to pkg directions. Drain.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and cook, covered, until the onions are starting to brown, about 3 minutes more. Add garlic, cumin, coriander, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

Stir in edamame and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lemon juice.

Makes 4 servings, about 2 cups each.

Serve over whole wheat couscous.