Hearty Vegetable Soup!

October 5, 2015October 5, 20156 Comments

Hearty Vegetable Soup!! ~ (Serves 10-12)

Hello everybody! It feels like it’s been awhile and it has been, sorry about that. It’s officially autumn and October, oh yes and my birthday is coming soon too, woot woot!
About this hearty soup…
Lovely fall and its cool and brisk mornings or chilly evenings. Not to mention all the rain we had last week which makes me want nothing more than a bowl of warm and filling soup. Without exaggeration this soup is as hearty as it gets, truly meal in itself. The veggies, beans and barley in this soup are very generous and easily serves 10-12 depending on portion/bowl size. This is the perfect make ahead, keeps well and we have leftovers for a few days 🙂 . I hope you enjoy – stay warm!

Hearty Vegetable Soup!

Servings: 10-12
Time: 1hr 20mins
Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:
2-3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large Sweet Onion, chopped
1 bunch of Leeks (4 total), white-light green parts only, sliced and rinsed well
5 cloves Garlic, minced
1 handful Fresh Parsley, chopped
4 Carrots, sliced
2 Red Potatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp Salt
1 Tbsp dried Oregano
½ Tbsp Pepper
4 Quarts Vegetable Broth/Stock
1 Cup Barley
1 (28 oz can) Diced Tomatoes
4 Large Leaves – Collard Greens, stems removed/chopped
2 heads of Fresh Broccoli, chopped/florets
1 Zucchini, chopped
6 White Button Mushroom, sliced
1 (10oz) Frozen Peas
1 (15.5 oz can) Red Kidney Beans
1 (15.5 oz can) Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans
1 (15.5 oz can) Corn

Directions:
-In large stock pot, heat Olive Oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
-Stir in Leeks and Garlic then sauté for another 2 minutes.
-Add carrots, potatoes and parsley – sauté for another 3-5 minutes. Then add Salt/Pepper and Oregano.
-Add Vegetable Broth/Stock and bring to boil. Stir in Barley, Tomatoes and Collard Greens – cover then reduce heat to simmer for about 50 minutes.
-Add mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, beans, corn and frozen peas – cover and continue a slow boil for another 10 minutes.
-Let stand for 10-20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

A Ladle of Love & Health!

Frittata – Vegan/Vegetable

April 7, 2015April 8, 20152 Comments

Vegan Frittata
(Serves 6) – Vegan / Gluten-Free

F-The Irony – F for Frittata, Frustration, Fail? Sure, history has proven that accidents and failures in the kitchen have resulted in many new recipes and flavor combinations. This is one that I’ll categorize under frustration. I’ve attempted the “Frittata” several times this past year tweaking here and adjusting or omitting there. Don’t get me wrong; the flavors are exactly where I want them to be, incredible and delicious. It’s the texture that comes out soft and in prior attempts, mushy even. The texture was better suited maybe as a dip :-). That is my only criticism at this time – the texture, is it that of a frittata? I’ll keep at it. It does taste great and we manage to devour it each time. This is one recipe I’ll repost in the future again once perfected. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Small Onion, diced
1 Small Red or Yukon Gold Potato, diced
½ Tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Pkg (1 lb) Silken Tofu
1 Handful Fresh Baby Spinach
2 Cups Fresh Broccoli Florets, chopped roughly
3 Whole White or Baby Bella Mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
1 Tbsp Potato Starch (or corn starch)
2 Tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer (powder only)
½ Tsp Turmeric
½ Tsp Garlic Powder
¼ Cup Shredded Daiya (Vegan Cheese)
¼ Cup Nutritional Yeast
1 Tsp Salt, divided
½ Tsp course ground Pepper
½ Red Pepper, sliced or diced

Directions:
-Preheat Oven – 425 degrees and grease 9-inch baking pan.
-Heat Olive oil in sauté pan over medium heat. Add diced Potatoes, ½ Tsp Salt, Paprika and sauté for 4 minutes. Then add chopped onions and heat through for another minute. Turn off heat.

-In Food Processor combine: Silken Tofu, Potato Starch, Egg replacer, ½ Tsp Salt and Pepper.

-In separate bowl combine: Baby Spinach, Broccoli, Mushrooms, Daiya and Potato mixture. To this add Tofu mixture and Red Pepper to combine.

-Add mixture to baking pan and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Reduce Heat to 350 and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes.

-Let Frittata rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.