Creamy Potato Soup

Crispy fall weather brings with it evenings when all we eat for dinner is a bowl of hearty soup. Today was the first really chilly day of the year. We went on an approximately 4 mile hike (brr!) and came home and lazed for a few hours. Having been frozen to the bone earlier, both HOMY* and I wanted soup for dinner. I had some shredded potatoes in the freezer that I'd picked up on a whim and I decided to use those today. Simply potatoes has not added oils in their freezer packs so they're great to have in the freezer for on days you run out of fresh stuff.

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1. 1 x 12oz Simply Potatoes (Shredded Hash Browns) or 3 cups fresh shredded potatoes
2. 1 Medium Red Onion, diced
3. 1.5 cup Non-Dairy Milk
4. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
5. 1 tbsp fresh or dried Scallions
6. 2 tsp dried Basil
7. 2 tsp Brown Miso
8. 1 tsp Liquid Smoke
9. 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
10. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Line a stock pot with water and add red onion, minced garlic and scallions. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and cook until the onions are translucent. Add potatoes and non-dairy milk (of choice). Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Cover and allow to simmer for about 10 min. After the potatoes are cooked and beginning to break down, add basil, liquid smoke, soy sauce and stir.

Add more water to achieve the desired consistency (making sure to boil and simmer for a few minutes every time you add more water, else the soup will taste watery). Remove from heat when done, stir in Miso. Taste test for salt, and add more as needed.

Serve immediately with warm bread for sopping. Enjoy! We licked our bowls clean!! 

* HOMY = Husband of Many Years (term coined by my dear friend, Bindu! Thank you, Girl!)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 242 (Fat Calories 29)
Total Fat 3.2 g; Carbohydrates 44.5 g; Fiber 7.0 g; Sugars 2.6 g; Protein 5.7 g


If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Chickpea Hash

As part of a whole-foods lifestyle, it is my attempt to reduce our overall consumption of processed grains and grain products, especially white rice and white pastas. My husband is not a big fan of brown rice. He loves barley and bulgur but the mention of brown rice usually elicits a long face ;-) !!! So I'm always looking for different ways of substituting white rice in my recipes. Today, as I was getting ready to prepare dinner, I decided to switch white rice with potatoes. My initial thought was to just serve my chickpea recipe over steamed potatoes, but then I decided to try something different. And the result was actually phenomenal. Tony has 2 bowls full :) despite his initial reservations.  

Prep Time: 20-25 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 2 x 15oz cans Chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
2. 1 Small Red Onion
3. 4 Medium Roma Tomatoes
4. 4-5 Small Russet Potatoes
5. 2 tsp Garlic Powder
6. 2 tsp Onion Powder
7. 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
8. 1 tsp fresh diced or freeze-dried Basil
9. 1 tsp Paprika, to taste
10. 2 cups Water or Home-made Vegetable Broth 
11. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Dice onion and 2 tomatoes and set aside. Puree the remaining 2 tomatoes in a blender until smooth and set aside. Peel potatoes and shred to match stick fries or hash brown thickness using a food processor or julienne using a mandolin slicer (about 2 cups). I used a mandolin today as I already had it out for the baked chips I made earlier. Set aside until ready to use. Line a heavy pot with water and add onions. Saute on medium-high heat until onions are translucent and add tomatoes and garlic and onion powders and saute until almost all the water has evaporated and the tomatoes take on a deep red color from the caramelizing sugars. Add a splash of water and add hash potatoes. Toss well making sure that the potatoes don't stick to the bottom or burn. Once well mixed, add 2 cups of water or broth, and add chickpeas. Add remaining seasonings, mix well, cover and simmer on low for 10 min, or until potatoes are fork tender. As the potatoes cook, they'll release some of their starches and make the broth rich and creamy and starchy. Garnish with fresh basil and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy! 

My Assessment: This was a great way to sub out rice or even pasta in this dish. Loved the starchy feel of the potato and the shredded/julienned potato almost had a pasta like consistency in this dish. Tony loved it and so did I. :)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 271 (Fat Calories 17)
Total Fat 1.9 g; Carbohydrates 55.3 g; Fiber 16.2 g; Sugars 5.7 g; Protein 13.4 g

* Nutrition facts are provided for the water option as vegetable broth calorie content can vary.

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Chunky Potato, Broccoli & Mushroom Soup

This afternoon, I had broccoli and mushrooms in the fridge that needed to be used soon. I have often oven roasted the two together and they make for a great side dish. Oven roasting caramelizes the tips of the broccoli and adds a certain smokiness to the vegetable. Umm Umm Good!! Today however, I was making an Artisan Bread as well and wanted to make something which I could eat with bread. And what's better to eat with bread than a soup. 

Prep Time: 30-40 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 2 cups Broccoli florets
2. 1 Red onion, chopped 
3. 6 Large Cremini mushrooms
4. 3-4 Medium Redskin Potatoes, diced
5. 6 cups of Home-made Vegetable Broth
6. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
7. 2 tsp Dried Parsley
8. 2 tsp Dried Basil
9. 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
10. 1 tsp Liquid Smoke
11. Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients with the exception of salt, pepper, liquid smoke and diced potatoes in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 min until onions and broccoli are tender and breaking apart. 

Using an immersion blender, puree everything until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer carefully into a jar blender and blend until smooth. Once pureed, add diced potatoes and salt to taste and simmer on low until potatoes are tender (~10-12 minutes). Add liquid smoke, taste test for salt, garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and serve with fresh bread!! 

My Assessment: This is my green version of a hearty potato soup. When I first made it, it tasted fine but was missing something and that's when I was reminded of my little bottle of magic :) Liquid Smoke. This soup cried out to be eaten after that ;)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 196 (Fat Calories 7)
Total Fat 0.8 g; Carbohydrates 41.8 g; Fiber 6.5 g; Sugars 3.8 g; Protein 8.3 g

* Nutrition facts are provided for the water option as vegetable broth calorie content can vary.

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

In the past several weeks, I've come across several posts across several different plant-based groups and Pinterest boards raving about this One Pot Wonder Tomato Basil Pasta. The pictures were amazing as was the overall recipe. On this lazy Sunday morning it seemed like the perfect day to try out this recipe. I searched online for the original post so that I could appropriately credit the original author .. and here's how my version turned out!! 

One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

Adapted from: Apron Strings - One Pot Wonder Tomato Basil Pasta

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 8 oz Linguine (I used a rice-based gluten-free pasta)
2. 1 can Diced Tomatoes, with liquid
3. 1 large Sweet White Onion, julienned
4. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
5. 2 tsp Dried Oregano
6. 2 large Springs of fresh Basil, whole leaves
7. 4.5 cups of Home-made Vegetable Broth
8. 1 tsp salt, to taste
9. 1 lb fresh Baby Spinach

Directions:

Throw all the ingredients into a large pasta pot, including the uncooked pasta. I kept the spinach out because I didn't want the leaves to turn to mush. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 10-13 minutes until the pasta is cooked. There is no need to drain the pasta. The starch from the pasta is what gives this dish is characteristic warm soupiness. Don't leave the Basil out if you've worried about it losing its essential oils and flavors. Cooking it all in one pot mixes up all the flavors and gives it a awesome flavor which will be a wonderful thing to look forward to in the cold winter months. I added the Spinach once everything else was cooked and then covered everything and let it sit for another 5 minutes (to allow the spinach to wilt). Then I tossed everything together before serving in deep pasta dishes, with a generous sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper. 

Modifications from the original recipe: 

1. I did not use red pepper flakes as my 4y old was going to eat it
2. I added a pound of baby spinach
3. 1 did not use any oil (the original recipe called for 2 tbsp).

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 229 (Fat Calories 18)
Total Fat 2.0 g; Carbohydrates 43.8 g; Fiber 4.9 g; Sugars 4.7 g; Protein 11.3 g

Mushroom, Barley and Herb Risotto

Someone on Facebook posted a picture of their lunch - Creamy Mushroom Barley from Happy Herbivore Abroad. I decided I needed just that for dinner. Unfortunately, I'd loaned my book to a friend and didn't want to call and ask for a recipe ;) lest they feel like I was pressuring them to return the book. So I decided to Google a Mushroom & Barley risotto. I found a recipe online which I ended up adapting to the WFPBNO way. 

Mushroom, Barley & Herb Risotto

Adapted from: American Diabetes Association - My Food Advisor

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 1 cup Barley (Hull-less, whole berries)
2. 2.5 cups Vegetable Broth (or water)
3. 10-12 White Mushrooms, stemmed and halved. 
4. 1 Medium White Onion, diced
5. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
6. 2 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce, or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
7. 2 tsp Better than Bouillon Mushroom Base
8. 2 tsp fresh minced Oregano
9. 2 tsp fresh minced Parsley
10. 2 tsp fresh minced Basil
11. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Rinse barley until the water runs clean. Transfer barley to a pressure cooker with 2 cups Vegetable broth and mushroom base and cook on high for 22 minutes. Release steam (or allow to self-dissipate if you have the time). Meanwhile line a deep pot with more vegetable broth, turn heat to medium-high, and add onions and garlic. Saute until garlic is fragrant and onion is cooked down. Add soy sauce, and minced herbs and toss well. Then add mushrooms and cook for another 2-5 minutes. You want the mushrooms to warm up nicely but don't want them to cook down completely. 

Once barley is done, turn heat on medium-high and slowly transfer any liquid in the barley to the mushroom mixture first. Allow liquid to evaporate, not completely, but almost gone. Then add barley in slow scoop-fulls tossing everything in between, until all the barley is transferred. Allow any excess liquid to dry up completely. Serve warm with freshly cracked black pepper. 

My Assessment: We loved it!! Tony had 2 servings!! We both loved the chewy texture of barley in this dish and enjoyed the lovely mushroom flavor imparted by the fresh mushrooms as well as the mushroom base. A+ !!! Next step - when I get my book back, I'll need to compare it to the HHA version. I'd imagine it would be quite similar, as I have adapted my cooking style to match Lindsay's quite closely. (**Note: My barley was a little soupy (added too much water while PCing) so I added some pre-made Brown rice to the risotto to get it dried up and onto the table - we were starving!**). 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 204 (Fat Calories 11)
Total Fat 1.2 g; Carbohydrates 40.7 g; Fiber 9.4 g; Sugars 2.4 g; Protein 8.4 g

* Nutrition facts are provided for the water option as vegetable broth calorie content can vary a lot.

Basil, Avocado & Tofu Sandwich

Happy Memorial Day Folks!! Take a minute to remember all those brave men and women who've died for our country and say thank you to all those that have served. We didn't have a BBQ today unlike the rest of the millions of people in the country! We had a quiet lunch at home on this somewhat dreary, cold and rainy day in Ohio.

Before I go further with this post, I've got to 'fess up. I've been a herbivore for 17 months and Mexican food is my first choice in food .. and before this weekend, I've never ever bought an avocado in my life. I've had Guacamole aplenty in restaurants but never actually brought an avocado home. Multiple reasons .. I didn't know how to cut it .. I didn't know how to buy it (is it ripe, or over-ripe, or still too green) ... I didn't know how to use it in my dishes and since I was trying to lose weight, and avocados a high fat food ... I simply avoided buying them!! But this weekend, I threw all caution to the wind .. found this post on Pinterest on how to buy the right kind of avocado and then this post on Simply Recipes on how to cut it ... and just like that I had New Veggie #70. 

Basil, Avocado & Tofu Steak Sandwich

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1. 2/3 Block of extra firm tofu (about 9 ounces)
2. 1 Avocado
3. 8-10 fresh Basil leaves
4. 4 tbsp fresh Medium/Mild Salsa
5. 2 tbsp Hunt's Tomato Paste
6. Taco Seasoning, to taste
7. Ground Chipotle Peppers, to taste
8. Cholula Hot Sauce (optional)
9. 4 Slices of 12-Grain Bread

Directions:

Press tofu to remove excess moisture and slice into 6 pieces. Preheat a seasoned cast-iron pan to medium-high and then gently place each individual slice of tofu onto the pan. As it sizzles, each slice will form a skin which will then prevent it from sticking to the skillet. Once the first side is seared, flip each piece gently and sear the other side. As the tofu begin to take on color, brush the tomato paste (unsalted) onto each slice to give it some extra flavor. As the tomato sauce dries up, sprinkle taco seasoning and flip it over. Brush more tomato paste and add taco seasoning to the other side as well. Make sure to flip frequently to prevent burning. Just before removing each piece from the skillet, add chipotle pepper powder, if using. 

Separately, toast the bread and spread salsa on two pieces. Line two slices with fresh basil leaves and layer 3 pieces of tofu on top. On the other two slices of bread, spread a thin layer of Cholula hot sauce (or use more medium salsa if you prefer a milder taste) and then layer avocado slices. Sprinkle freshly cracked black pepper and flip one side over the other!!! Enjoy!! 

My Assessment: Spicy and Creamy!! Loved it! But this sandwich is rich and heavy (thanks to the avocado!). We just ate it by itself, no sides. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 515 (Fat Calories 217)
Total Fat 24.1 g; Carbohydrates 53.3 g; Fiber 13.4 g; Sugars 9.6 g; Protein 23.5 g

Crinkly Basil Carrots

This side dish is my 4-year old's favorite side dish. I know I can add carrots to his plate and he will eat - or at least he will eat his side, if not his entree. I use a pack of frozen crinkle-cut carrots, but you can also use fresh crinkle sliced carrots, if you prefer. I tend to use a lot of frozen vegetables as a matter of convenience. There are several articles online (such as these two articles on LiveStrong and EatingWell) which compare the nutritional value of fresh vs. frozen vegetables .. and frozen vegetables come out on top. So stock up that freezer. 

Crinkly Basil Carrots

Prep Time: 10-14 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 1 x 12 oz Frozen Crinkle-Cut Carrots
2. 2 tsp fresh Basil, finely chopped
3. 1/2 cup water or Home-Made Vegetable Broth
4. Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a deep sauce-pot, bring 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. Add carrots and a sprinkle of salt and cover and allow to simmer until fork tender (about 8-10 min). Halfway through this process, uncover, toss well and sprinkle chopped basil leaves on top. Once carrots are done, keep covered until ready to serve (this will help preserve the essential oils from Basil). Add salt, as needed and garnish with freshly cracked black pepper. 

Nik's Assessment: A+++ !! He ate his entire serving, without asking how many bites he needed to eat :)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 35 (Fat Calories 2)
Total Fat 0.2 g; Carbohydrates 8.2 g; Fiber 2.4 g; Sugars 4.0 g; Protein 0.8 g

* Nutrition facts are provided for the water option as vegetable broth calorie content can vary tremendously.

Herb Roasted Purple Potatoes

In my quest to try new veggies, I've often come across colored varieties of vegetables that we've all eaten in their normal color. This morning I posted a recipe for Orange Cauliflower and now I have the honor of introducing to you, the rather odd looking Purple Potato - my New Veggie #62.

Herb Roasted Purple Potatoes

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients: 

1. 2 lb bag of Purple potatoes 
2. 2 tbsp ginger/garlic paste 
3. 1 tbsp whole mustard seeds 
4. 1 tbsp McCormick's Steak Seasoning 
5. Splash of water/vegetable broth
6. Salt and Pepper, to taste
7. 2-4 Fresh Basil leaves

Directions: 

Herb Roasted Purple Potatoes - New Veggie #62

Preheat oven to 375-400 F. This recipe is almost identical to my Roasted Red Potatoes recipe which I posted earlier this month. The only difference, since I'm not cooking for omniviores, I removed all the oil from the recipe. Rinse and cut tomatoes into halves. Mine were all around the same size but if you have uneven sizes, you may need to cut some into quarters to ensure that all the pieces are about the same size. Add all the potatoes and spices into a gallon bag, add a splash of water or vegetable broth and toss everything together until the potatoes are well coated. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray (very light, just enough to prevent sticking). Spread potatoes in a single layer and roast uncovered for 10-12 minutes. Mine were tender in 8 minutes, and then I turned on the broiler for 2 minutes to add a touch of crispiness. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper, and fresh basil. Serve warm. 

My Assessment: Like every other colored version of a regular veggies, I could not tell a taste difference except that these were a tad less starchy than the red potatoes. Overall, A+

Balsamic Braised Beets

So after a year of psyching myself, I finally bought some beets over this past weekend. Somehow, I've been ultra nervous about trying them. I just don't good beet memories from my childhood. Over the past several months, I've had them on my new veggie list and I finally decided to pick up a bunch when I came across this  rather old article about the health benefits of beets. It may be a few years old, but the information has not changed much. Beetroot today becomes New Veggie #55.

Balsamic Braised Beets

Prep Time: 20-25 min

Ingredients:

1. 1 bunch beets (pick the small ones)
2. 1/2 cup diced white onions
3. 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
4. 4-6 Basil leaves, diced
5. Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Scrub beets using a vegetable brush and cut off green tops and tips. Cut into halves or quarters (try and keep all the pieces the same size). Add balsamic vinegar and onions to a cast-iron skillet and allow onions to wilt. 

Turn heat on high and move onions to the sides of the skillet. As the skillet heats up, place beets directly onto the hot surface to allow them to sear. Then add a splash (or two) of water, mix everything together so the onions are spread evenly in the pan again. Reduce heat to medium, cover and let simmer. After 10 min, turn each piece over, cover and continue to simmer until beets are fork tender. Mine took about 16 min today. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and fresh basil leaves.

My Assessment: While I liked the flavors of the onions and balsamic, mixed with the fresh basil, I must clarify that this preparation of beets did nothing to endear the beet to me. I'm not a big fan of radishes and beets gave me that same pungent aftertaste which I am not a fan of. So for me, this was a so-so recipe. 

Berry Nutty Delicata Squash

Berry Nutty Delicata Squash

This recipe is based on one I found online on the Eating Well magazine. I omitted all the oil and added Basil and sea salt to suit my tastes. It turned out really well.

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium Delicata Squash
2. 6 Dried Apricots, diced
3. 1/4 cup Dried Berries (cranberries, blueberries)
4. 1/4 cup sliced or slivered Almonds
5. 2-3 tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
6. 6-8 fresh Basil leaves, chopped.
7. 1-2 tsp Sea Salt, as a garnish
8. Pepper, to taste. 

Directions:

Wash the outside of the squash really well to remove any specks of dirt. Slice off the tips at both ends, cut the squash lengthwise into 2, remove all seeds and pulp with a spoon. 

Cut each half into 2 and then thinly slice each wedge. Place squash in a steamer basket and steam until tender (7-10 min). 

Meanwhile mix berries, almonds, apricots and minced basil in a bowl. Add maple syrup to the bowl and give it a quick toss. Set aside until squash is tender. 

Once the squash is done remove the steamer basket, let it drain (if necessary) for a couple of seconds and then cover the maple glazed berries and almonds with the steaming squash. Toss everything together, sprinkle some sea salt on top, and garnish with freshly cracked black pepper !! 

My Assessment: For being a preparation simply consisting of steamed squash and dried fruit, this dish was a stunner. Steamed Delicata had the texture very similar to sweet potatoes. I like the flavor of sweet and salt together but if you prefer to keep those separate skip the sea salt. I thought it added a certain something to the dish. Overall, a winner!!! I think this dish would be a great addition as a side to a plant-based Thanksgiving dinner!! I had it today as a warm salad but I'm sure its going to get better with age and the leftovers in the fridge will be great as a cold salad too!! Very impressed with this new veggie!! :)

Quinoa Chili

Every year on the last weekend before Halloween we visit with T's mom .. at the Indian Lake Campgrounds for The Annual Halloween Campout. Every year, the menu includes Chili, Beef & Vegetable Soup, Shredded Chicken sandwiches and cupcakes and desserts galore ... of course along with all the candy that you could possibly want to eat. Since both T and I are plant-based this year, I decided to bring along a plant-based Chili. I asked folks on our 'New Herbies' page on facebook what their most favorite Chili recipe was and I got a few suggestions ... and this one (Savvy Vegetarian) seemed the most interesting. Since we have to leave early tomorrow to get to the campgrounds, I decided to make it tonight on the stove top, although the website provides the crock-pot version as well. After making it as described, I decided that it didn't meet our expectations at all. My husband is a new herbie and I needed to live up to his expectations of "real" chili. The recipe below is my uber-modified version. The biggest change is 0% Added Fat. 

Quinoa Chili

Prep Time: 60 min, with prep time included.

Ingredients (12 servings):

1. 1 Medium Red Onion, diced
2. 3 Stalks of Celery, diced
3. 1 Jalapeño, deseeded, diced
4. 2 tbsp minced Garlic
5. 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
6. 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
7. 2 cups Quinoa, rinsed and drained.
8. 1 can (15oz) Black Beans, rinsed and drained
9. 1 can (15 oz) Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
10. 2 cans (15 oz) Dark Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
11. 1 can (15 oz) Hunt's Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, with Garlic
12. 3 cans (8 oz) Tomato Sauce, unsalted
13. 8 cups Water or Vegetable Broth
14. 3-4 tsp Cumin powder
15. 6-8 tsp Coriander powder
16. 3-4 tsp Italian seasoning
17. 2-4 tsp Taco seasoning
18. 2 tsp dried Basil
19. 1-2 tsp dried Cilantro
20. 2 tsp Paprika (add more, to taste)
21. 3 tsp Chipotle Pepper (add more, to taste)
22. 2 large Bay leaves
23. 2 tbsp Light Molasses
24. 4 tbsp Soy Sauce, or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
25. Salt and Pepper, to taste
26. Fresh Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions:

In a large pot, add diced onions, celery, jalapeño and garlic and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Cook until both onion and celery are translucent. Add diced bell peppers, and cook for another 5 minutes. Then add remaining ingredients and all the spices except for the 'hot' spices which should be added once the quinoa is cooked and even then mix in the chili peppers slowly and taste test frequently. Add water or broth as needed once the quinoa is cooked to get to the right consistency for chili. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and freshly cracked black pepper. 

Quinoa Chili

Our Assessment: Tony LOVED it!!! He's a 'real' chili guy and he LOVED IT!!!! I am so excited. He wants me to add this version (with my modifications) to our regular rotation and guess what? Winter is here ... we'll be eating a lot of it.  The pot is now sitting in the fridge. Tomorrow, I plan to transfer it to my crock pot first thing in the morning. I'll check consistency again, and add broth if needed. Let's hope someone in our Omni family, besides us, is willing to try it. It is truly yummy!!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 464 (Fat Calories 27)
Total Fat 3.0 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Carbohydrates 85.3 g; Dietary Fiber 18.3 g; Sugars 8.1 g; Protein 26.3 g

15-min Barley & Vegetable Soup - Take 2

Recently, Tony decided to go herbie with me :) for 90 days. Since his repertoire of veggies and grains is still rather limited, I've been attempting to try some of the things he might enjoy for his dinners and left-over lunches. He's told me often enough that he likes Barley and that he likes it in soup, so I decided to make another version of my 15-min Barley & Vegetable Soup by withholding some of the non-traditional items that I use in my original version (no TVP or lentils today). I added black beans to add back the protein that I lost by removing TVP and lentils and since those are T's favorite bean ... we were all set for a wonderful heart-warming dinner :)

Barley & Vegetable Soup - Take 2

Prep Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

1. 5-6 cups Vegetable broth, or water
2. 3/4 cup Barley 
3. 3 stalks of celery, diced
4. 2 carrots, diced
5. 1 bunch of Spinach, stems removed
6. 1 15oz can of Black beans, drained
7. 2 Portabella mushrooms, diced
8. 2 tsp dried Basil
9. 2-3 tsp Minced Garlic, to taste
10. 1 heaping tbsp Yellow Miso
11. 1 tbsp Ketchup
12. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients, with the exception of the last 3 in a pressure cooker and cook for 5 minutes under high pressure. I used "quick" barley since I am trying to get it eaten before I open my bag of regular barley, With regular barley, I'm guessing a 10-15 min high pressure would be enough. I'll have to update that when I've had a chance to try it out. Once the steam is released, open the cooker, add and mix in the miso & ketchup and salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste ... enjoy!! 

Roasted Belgian Endives

So here's New Veggie #44 - Belgian Endives. I've been noticing them in the store for a few weeks and finally decided to pick some up. I got on Google and mostly I found a lot of cold salad and appetizer recipes, but then I googled it again with 'Roasted' - surely, someone must eat these after they're cooked and viola .. I found this Three Tastes with a recipe that looked adaptable to my no-oil, no meat preferences.  

Roasted Belgian Endive

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients*:

1. 3-4 Belgian Endives, halved or quartered, depending upon the size
2. 1 tbsp whole wheat bread bread crumbs
3. 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast (or Parmesan cheese, if you eat dairy)
4. 1 tbsp freeze dried Basil
5. 3-4 leaves of fresh Basil
6. 1/4 cup Vegetable Broth

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375F. Mix bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, basil in a small bowl. Drop half a teaspoon of olive oil in a casserole/baking dish and use a paper towel to grease the whole dish and basically wipe off any excess oil leaving only a very slight layer of oil on the dish. Layer the endives, cut size up in a baking dish and sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper.

Pour vegetable broth in a slow stream over the endives, making sure to get a little bit on each piece. Most of the broth will pool at the bottom of the dish, which is fine. Add a thick layer of the dry ingredient mix on the endives. Cover with foil and bake for 15 min. After 15 min, remove foil, and broil on low, uncovered for another 15 min. The breadcrumbs become golden and crispy and the endives start to caramelize at the edges. Garnish with fresh basil and serve. I served these with hot sauce. 

My Assessment: This is the first time I've tried using nutritional yeast in a baked dish and it brings a lovely cheesy flavor to the dish. I really liked the endives too. I didn't think they were bitter, maybe because they had started to caramelize. Furthermore, the roasting process didn't make them limp and soggy, but they retained their crispness ... !! I'd definitely try these again! 

* This is a no-added-salt recipe. The nutritional yeast had so much flavor that I didn't add, or feel the need for, any salt at all. 

FFVK Creamy Zucchini & Basil Soup

This post is Part 2 of my efforts to use the Ginormous Zucchini I inherited from my babysitter. Earlier in the week I used half of it in a Zucchini Curry. I had the bottom half remaining and decided to try this soup someone suggested. FFVK stands for Fat Free Vegan Kitchen which happens to be Susan Voisin's awesome blog.  A friend sent me the link for the Creamy Zucchini & Basil Soup and I tried that tonight!

I loved it!!! It was super easy to make. Instead of the recommended cashews, I used about an eighth of a cup of Almond milk and I added a little more nutritional yeast to make it a little more cheesy :) ! Other modifications had more to do with kitchen appliances. I pressure cooked the zucchini and onions in broth for 5 minutes and I used a stick blender to puree the soup. Thank you FFVK!!! This was amazing!

3 Rice, 3 Berry, 3 Herb Salad

Summer Days call for chilled salads, Summer Days are Berry Days, and Summer Days are Fresh Herb Days as well. We had a 3x Birthday party in the family today and I wanted to make sure I had a plant-based dish to take along. I wanted to try Chef AJ's Quinoa Salad with Currants and Pistachios - but our niece is allergic to nuts and I wasn't sure if she'd ever been tested for Quinoa. But now, my mind was hooked on to memory of that salad :) !!! I decided to make a variation of it. Here's what I came up with. 

3 Rice & 3 Berry Salad

Prep Time: Overall 30 min, or so in 2 stages.

Ingredients: 

1. 1/2 cup White Basmati Rice
2. 1/2 cup Brown Basmati Rice
3. 2-3 tbsp Long grain Wild Rice
4. 2-3 tbsp Raisins
5. 1 cup fresh Red Raspberries
6. 1 cup fresh Blackberries
7. 1 cup fresh Strawberries
8. 2 tbsp Agave Syrup, or Honey
9. 1/8 cup Soy milk
10. 2 tbsp fresh chopped Basil, 
11. 2 tbsp fresh chopped Mint 
12. 2 tbsp fresh chopped Oregano

Directions: 

Boil rice, all 3 kinds together, in ample amounts of water until tender. Add the raisins to the boiling water for the last 2 minutes (this helps plump them up!). Drain and spread thinly on a cookie sheet and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (chill completely). Meanwhile wash and drain berries and slice strawberries and set aside. Put Agave syrup (or honey) in a small microwave safe bowl with the non-dairy milk and heat for 10 seconds to dissolve it in the milk. Once rice is chilled, move to a mixing bowl, add agave/milk mixture and toss well. Add chopped herbs and berries and give a final toss. Do a quick taste check - the rice should be just slightly sweet - add more 'agave in milk' if needed.

Cover and chill until ready to serve. The longer it sits, the better the flavors combine - the berry flavors and juices penetrate the rice, the herbs release their essential oils and flavor the rice and the berries! This is a salad where the wonderful aromas invite you to dig in.

My Assessment:  Loved it. What's not to like! The family liked it too :)

Herb Fresh Quinoa Pasta

I started a herb garden this year and right now, despite constant and very regular pruning, I've got an herb-garden-gone-wild situation. An abundance of Basil, a ton of oregano, insane amounts of mint and spearmint and a sage bush :) The only 2 that aren't going so crazy are the rosemary and the cilantro. Anyhow, I knew that I wanted to use a lot of 'something' for dinner tonight, and this is the concoction I came up with. Pretty darned good if I may say so myself!! :)

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients: 

1. 1 10oz Pk Ancient Harvest Quinoa Spaghetti
2. 1 16oz bag of frozen french-cut Green beans (or use fresh beans).
3. 1 tsp minced garlic
4. 1/2 to 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
5. 1/8 cut fresh chopped Basil and Oregano
6. 1-2 tsp white Miso
7. 1/4 cup Daiya Mozzarella style shreds
8. Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Boil spaghetti according to package directions and set aside. In a skillet, add a third of a cup of non-dairy milk and add minced garlic and Miso. Once the milk begins to boil and the miso dissolves, add green beans and cook on medium until tender.  Then add the remaining milk and bring to a quick boil. Add most of the cheese to the milk and allow a minute or so to melt. Then add spaghetti and give it all a good toss. Cover and let sit for a few minutes to allow the spaghetti to absorb any remaining liquid. Uncover, mix chopped herbs in and give another quick toss. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and salt, if needed, and top off with mozzarella shreds.  I didn't add any salt at all today as the Miso provided quite a bit and the dish had a slightly sweet refreshing flavor of the fresh herbs. I tried Miso for the first time today and loved the sharp cheesy flavor it imparted to the dish. Um Um Good!! 

Coder Household Assessment: Li'l Nik loved it!!  More than the pasta, he picked green beans from his plate. Tony had enjoyed this dish so much the first time I made it that he actually requested I make it again today!! Overall, a hit!!

What is Miso? Happy Herbivore has done a couple of different posts about it. Here's a link. 

Spinach & Barley Pilaf

This dish makes for a great side 'one pot meal'. I use Barley instead of rice, as it is a high-fiber, high-protein grain, Spinach for all the lovely benefits of leafy greens. Finally at the very end, I add mushrooms for a ton of flavor and a lot more protein; the whole dish is done in about 15 min with quick-cooking barley and makes for a wholesome filling dinner.

Prep Time: 15-20 min

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup Quick Barley (I use Quaker Oats)
2. 1 14-16 oz can of vegetable broth, preferably with no added salt
3. 1 tsp Garlic
4. 1 tsp Parley flakes
5. 1/8 cup fresh minced Basil leaves
6. 1 cup Baby spinach
7. 0.5 oz Dried Porchini Mushrooms
8. Salt and Pepper, to taste.

Directions:

In a deep soup pot, bring the vegetable broth to boil and add garlic. Once garlic becomes fragrant, add the barley and bring to a full boil before turning down the heat to medium low. Simmer for about 10 minutes and then add the spinach and allow to wilt.

Meanwhile, soak the dried mushrooms in hot tap water, change the water a couple of times to make sure that any dust is removed. Drain and add to the pot.


Stir everything together, add in Basil leaves and turn heat to low. Cover and allow to simmer/steam until all the water is evaporated.

Serve with a side of steamed vegetables, or enjoy the pilaf all by itself. I love this quick and easy dinner!

Mung Bean Sprout Chaat

Growing up in India, our diet was primarily vegetarian, with the occasional indulgence in meat. Our diet however, was never lacking in protein. Everyone that eats a plant-based vegetarian diet gets asked that question "... but where do you get your protein?" - the answer is quite simple: Vegetables, Leafy Greens, Grains, Lentils, Beans ... all have wonderful amounts of protein. And we don't need to eat 600% of the RDA of protein like most people on a Standard Western Omnivorous diet. 

One of my uncles (Bade Dad), was very conscientious and made sure all of us kids ate a healthy diet. He was a wonderful cook and was often found in the kitchen futzing around with various recipes. One of the things he often did was soaked lentils or beans so that my aunt and mom knew what to cook for the next meal. He often also had them make mung bean sprouts. We typically ate this dish for a snack or even for breakfast. It has no added fat and is full of nutrition - protein, minerals, vitamins and even Iodine from the red onion ... all that fun stuff!!

Prep Time: 2 days for sprouting the beans; 10 min of actual dish prep time.

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup Mung Beans
2. 1 medium Cucumber, Seedless, diced
3. 1 medium Red Onion, diced
4. 2-3 tbsp minced, mixed, fresh herbs
5. 1 lemon/lime (juice of).
6. 1-2 tsp Chunky Chaat Masala, to taste (optional).
7. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

The first step of this recipe requires some patience. Rinse mung beans and transfer to a large bowl. Soak overnight in ample amounts of water:

Time = 0 hours

The next morning, the beans should look nice and plump:

Time = 12 hours

Fill the bowl with tap water and rinse the beans again. The plump beans should rise to the top and any that did not absorb water will sink to the bottom (discard those).

Line the bottom of a colander with a folded paper towel or cheese cloth. transfer the beans and allow the excess water to drain out the bottom:

Soak another large piece folder paper towel, or cheese cloth with tap water and cover the beans completely. Place the colander in the same bowl, and cover the whole set up with saran-wrap or aluminum foil. This will prevent the beans from drying out. Leave the bowl on the kitchen counter. 

Time = 24 hours

After another 12 hours, remove the top cover, run a gentle stream of tap water over the beans. By this time most beans should have a small seedling (2-3 mm). Once the water drains out, replace the wet cover and saran wrap. 

Time = 36 hours

After another 12 hours, repeat the steps above. Most beans at this stage should have a 8-10 mm sprout. 

Time = 48 hours

On the second day, the sprouts should be close to 15mm long and that is when we typically stopped growing them further. After sitting for 2 days at room temperature, despite repeated washes in between, there is a chance for fungus etc. so I didn't want to risk it anymore. A lot of oriental dishes have sprouts that are far longer. I soaked the beans at this stage in a fresh bowl with a lot of tap water, and picked up the floating sprouts and transferred them to a fresh colander. Once well drained, I kept them overnight in the fridge. 

This evening, I transferred the sprouts to a pressure cooker and steamed them for less than 2 minutes. Bring 1/2 cup water to boil, add the sprouts and close the lid. Start the timer and as soon as 2 minutes is up, whether or not full pressure has been achieved, take the cooker off the stove and release the steam and drain immediately (mine were a little over-done today!). 

Meanwhile, dice onions and cucumbers:

And then in a large bowl, toss everything together. For fresh herbs, I used basil, cilantro, mint, oregano, thyme and spearmint, all chopped finely. I used Chunky Chaat Masala in my recipe, but if you don't have it, this is equally as enjoyable with just salt, pepper, and lemon/lime juice. 

Another way is prepare this dish is to wilt the onions in a skillet, with just a little bit of water, and then add the sprouts, and spices. Toss everything together for a couple of minutes, remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl and toss in fresh diced cucumber (and even tomatoes). Enjoy!!!

My Assessment: This is comfort food for me ... miss you Bade dad!