Quick Mixed Vegetable Soup

It doesn't get any quicker than this!

Darn! Can't find the original post. And I wanted to give credit where credit is due. But here's the soup recipe:

3 cups frozen mixed veggies (two cups makes this one big bowl) in microwave with a little water for 4-5 minutes.

In a blender, add 1 cup of veggie broth and steamed veggies. Add couple teaspoons of nutritional yeast and a few drops of Cholulu hot sauce. Blend until pureed. Reheat until piping hot.

Serve and top with salsa (and I had some tofu cream). DELICIOUS! And takes only a few minutes to prepare from start to finish.

YUMMERS!

Easy Tomato Soup

Our weather has finally moved into fall's cooler temperatures.  Days are shorter and winter solstice is just around the corner.  Time to heat up the kitchen and whip up some delicious hot soup.  

I take major shortcuts with the recipe so that I can prepare this tasty nutritious meal in a hurry.  

There's lots of wiggle room to accommodate your personal tastes.  Here's how I make mine:

Soup Base:

1  15 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes (low sodium, organic or no salt added, if possible)

1 11.5 oz. can V8 Juice Original, low sodium

1 small can of sliced mushrooms with juice

That's it for the soup!  See?  I did say it would be simple.

Empty contents of  these cans into a microwaveable dish, cover and heat thoroughly (heat in a saucepan on the stovepot, if you prefer).  Season to taste but the flavor of the fire roasted tomatoes comes through deliciously without any additional seasoning.  Try it without adding extras, see what you think.  Then adjust to your taste buds. I like mine soup chunky.  However, if you have an immersion stick blender, give it a whizz and make your soup base a puree.  And if you are in a REAL hurry, try eating the soup  sans any additions.  It's pretty darned good :-)

Now for the sauteed additions.  Go wild and stir fry your favorites.  My 'go-to' veggies are baby Portabella mushrooms-sliced in half or quarters, bell peppers--green looks nice in this dish, and onions sliced thin.  This is a good start.  Chopped celery compliments the flavors of this soup nicely...and water chestnuts, sliced and packed in water, also add a perfect crunch.  Zucchini?  Yum!  Throw it all in your non-stick pan, saute with a little veggie broth or water.....and let the flavors blend.  This is a good time to add your favorite spices.  Maybe some chopped garlic?  Cumin?  Celery seed?  Love them all.  And yes, I realize I have a double helping of mushrooms in this recipe.  I like mushrooms.  These FunGuys make me happy.

Zap your soup base for another minute in the microwave, so it is hot when you ladle it into bowls.  Spoon healthy portions of sauteed veggies into each portion of tomato soup and sprinkle with a bit of nutritional yeast flakes, ground flaxseed or a few sliced almonds and fresh ground pepper.

YUMMERS!

Not Your Grandma's Potato Salad

4 small baked **red potatoes, skin on, cut into cubes

2 cups cooked cauliflower florets (you can use an entire head of cauliflower in this recipe.  I have.   It still tastes like potato salad.)

Boil, bake or microwave (I nuke for speediness) the potatoes and cauliflower until done, whichever you prefer.  Keep a window open or a fan on in the kitchen since cooking  cauliflower  has its own special aroma.  This salad tastes great WARM.

Instead of the traditional mayonnaise (nope, not even veganaise)--- I add only spicy brown mustard, a few shakes of white wine vinegar, fresh ground pepper, parsley flakes and a pinch of garlic powder to the warm potato mixture.  Toss well!

Add chopped onion (1/2 cup) red (or green or both) bell pepper (one whole, chopped), dill pickles (just one large or two small, chopped), grated carrots (1/2 cup),  black olives (about 10, chopped), and 1-2 cups baby spinach leaves, sliced thin (this is not pictured in the collage above).  *Optional addition:  sprouted lentils (steamed for a minute or two before adding) or alfalfa sprouts.

Blend in all ingredients. Taste and add more mustard or vinegar if you need more ‘zest.’  Salad tastes great warm…and very good for leftovers.  I’m guessing there will not be much ‘leftover.’

YUMMERS!


**I have used all kinds of potatoes for this recipe.  I like the small red but the Yukon Gold and Idaho spuds are also delish.

Fajita Night!

This recipe was inspired after a visit to a local eatery in downtown Tulsa.  The best part of this dining experience was spending some time with my daughter on an open air rooftop, sipping an iced water and looking out over the city.  The fajita salad I ordered was very tasty but shy on vegetables (really?) and I thought I could make it amazing in my own kitchen.  It's my new 'best dinner for guests' recipe.

There is a lot of wiggle room in the preparation of this salad.  Go with your staple favorites and I'll share with you the produce I use most often.  The salad is a bed of your favorite greens and topped with your favorite sauted veggies.  If you allow yourself some whole grains,  add a side of freshly seared corn tortillas and my infamous 'guacamole' made with a bit of avocado and alotta fresh green peas.  

Recipe in a nutshell:

Fresh salad layer:

Prepare your bed of salad and lots of it!  I used a variety of greens (artisan, Romaine, baby spinach) and toss in a full can of chopped tomatoes (no sodium added) with juice, sliced cucumber, shredded carrots, chopped zucchini and a handful of cherry tomatoes.  Sprinkle with your favorite balsamic vinegar and no-salt seasonings, toss, and keep chilled!

Sauted Veggies (water and steam method):

**If you are going to enjoy some corn tortillas, you can warm these in another pan while you are sauteing your veggies.

My favorites for the sauted topping are Baby Portobello mushrooms,  lots of sweet onion, red bell pepper (use whichever color I have the most of!) and a small amount of black beans (cooked up in my crock pot and kept in the freezer until needed).  I like to add a small can of mild green chilies, too.  Sprinkle with healthy amount of 'make-it-yourself taco seasoning,' a little water or veggie broth and let cook for several minutes, until onions are slightly clear.  Put a lid on it and turn to very low heat until ready to serve.

Sauteing my veggies

Homemade salsa (recipe not included here) or your favorite  'go to salsa' in a jar

Kim's infamous guacamole (recipe not included here)

Time to put it all together:

Get out your BIG plates and serve up a healthy amount of salad.  Fillerup!  Heap it High!

Now spoon on a good cup full of sauted veggies.

For toppings, add a few slices of avocado, a few sliced black olives, some nutritional yeast or sliced almonds.

Add a heated corn tortilla, several tablespoons of guacamole and salsa...and dinner is served!

Yummers!

Roasted vegetables

Here's what it all looks like before roasting.

Sometimes a meal can be as easy as roasting some veggies.  Preheat oven to 375 and start cleaning and slicing & chopping your favorite vegetables.  If you want to add a potato to the mix, (sweet or russet, Yukon or red --all are good) scrub clean, slice into wedges (skin on) and cook potato first for about 15 minutes before putting the other veggies into the oven.

I spritzed the veggies with a bit of butter spray.  If you use oil, a teaspoon is plenty or even some vegetable broth, just enough to moisten the vegetables.  Toss them all in a baggie with your favorite salt-free seasonings.  I topped the raw veggies with some nutritional yeast and chili pepper.

I roasted these in two separate pans so I could switch them out as needed and remove one if one batch is cooking faster than the other.

This batch took approx. 30 minutes to roast.  The cauliflower and mushrooms cooked quicker.  The green bell peppers and onion have more water content so I like to keep them separate.

I've also roasted asparagus, fresh broccoli, red & yellow bell pepper along with these you see pictured. Everyone has their favorites.  Eat yours!

A little dish of my 'cheesy sauce' to dip these vegetables (or maybe a nice homemade salsa) and I've got the perfect lunch or dinner.   Yummers!

Cauliflower Soup

This is a simple soup to make.  A bit of time and the following ingredients are all that is required to achieve this 'scrumptiousness in a bowl.'

Here's what you'll need:

Soup Base

2-4 cups cauliflower florets and thinly sliced stems, fresh or frozen.  I use an entire head of cauliflower or one 16-ounce bag of frozen.  Cook the cauliflower until fork tender.  Use whatever method you are most comfortable with.  I get good results in the microwave.

2-3 cups almond milk, unsweetened (use whatever milk floats your boat)

Pour your milk into a blender and add 1/2 of your cooked cauliflower.  Liquify until smooth.
**Rev. 10/30/14:  I've started using my immersion blender instead of my counter-top blender.  So much easier! Remove a cup of your steamed cauliflower from the pot and set aside.  Add your milk and blend with immersion blender. Add the cup of cauliflower to your blended soup base.

Add 1/2 tsp. white ground pepper.  This pepper has got a little kick so use less to start and taste before adding more. 

Your soup base is finished.  See?  Easy!

Now, gather together the following vegetables:

Mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, spouted lentils  I like my mushrooms Portobello and sliced thickly, my onions, sweet....my bell peppers in all the rainbow colors and my lentils sprouted to about 1 - 1/2 inch.

Clean, slice, dice and saute them in your favorite way.  I use a bit of non-stick spray to coat my pan...and Parkay Spray on my veggies, along with a few of Mrs. Dash's no-salt seasonings.   I do not use oil or butter (apologies to all my Paleo family and friends).  I encourage you to use what tastes best to you.  If you have never tried the water saute method, this is the perfect dish for a 'first time.'

I like my veggies al dente and sauteed long enough to incorporate all the natural flavors.   You can cook them for as little or as long as you like and then turn the heat way down and cover with a lid. 

In the microwave or on the stove top, bring your cauliflower soup to a soft simmer.   Ladle hot soup into serving bowl.  Then scoop up and add 1-2 cups of cooked veggies.  Enjoy!

**Notes from experience:  The first time I made this soup, I kept it very simple, adding only a few bits of diced red bell pepper and some lightly sauteed mushrooms.  The next few times I made it, I started using different vegetables and lots more of them.  As you can see in the photo, may ratio of sauteed veggies is much greater than the amount of soup base.  Broccoli is another great veggie to add to this mix but it will change the flavor of the dish because of its own distinct flavor.  I eat lots of broccoli so decided to keep this dish broccoli-free.  Zucchini squash is another wonderful addition to this saute mix and I've used shredded carrots, too.

Final note:  When I make enough to have leftovers, I refrigerate the soup and the veggies separately...and reheat them separately, as well.  The soup presents more lovely when the soup is ladled first...and veggies added to the soup.  I'm just sayin'.