Black Bean Quinoa Vegetable Soup

Okay, so I pretty much just listed the ingredients, but I couldn't come up with a better name. :) My youngest son said, "Just call it soup." I guess I could have done that. It was tasty and made enough for three leftover portions - that's 3 days of lunches. I've started portioning out the leftovers, freezing them, and then sealing them in a food saver bag. This soup will work marvelously for that. It's high in fiber and protein and totally delicious.

7 cups vegetable broth*
3 large carrots
4 red potatoes
1 medium onion, diced
2 bay leaves
1 t. basil
1 1/2 c. cooked quinoa (cook 1/2 c. dry in 1 1/2 c. water for 15 minutes)
1 1/2 c. cooked black beans (rinse well if using canned)
1 12 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
Real Salt, garlic powder, and any other desired seasonings to taste
1 T. miso

Bring vegetable broth to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and add carrots, potatoes, onion and bay leaves. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.

Add basil, cooked quinoa, black beans and tomatoes. Continue simmering until heated through. Add other seasonings (Real Salt, garlic powder, etc.) to taste. Remove from heat and stir in miso. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8, 1 1/2 c. servings

*Note: if using vegetable broth powder or bullion (which is generally what I use), add it at the end of the cooking cycle just before the miso.

Random factoid: Miso is extremely delicate. It should never be cooked or boiled, or it will curdle, break down and otherwise become disgusting. Always add miso at the very end of the cooking cycle after removing from heat. Yum!

Mean Green Bean Soup

I wish I had thought of this while zucchini was in season, but it will certainly be a stand-by recipe next fall. In the meantime, this is a wonderful little treat to warm you up on those cold winter nights.

1 bay leaf
3 c. vegetable broth
2 T. olive oil
1 small white or yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 c. cooked white beans
2 c. sliced zucchini
1/2 of a 10 oz package frozen spinach (or use fresh)
1 c. cooked barley
1 T. dijon mustard
1 T. curry powder
2 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. miso paste

Put vegetable broth and bay leaf in a large pot. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and let stand 10 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is soft. If you prefer carmelized onion, which I love, cook a little longer until onion browns. Sometimes I carmelize some garlic along with the onion. :~)

Put onion and all remaining ingredients except nutritional yeast and miso paste into the large pot with vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook over medium heat about 3 to 5 minutes, or until zucchini is cooked and soup is heated through. Do not over cook! Mushy zucchini is nasty. :(

Remove from heat and discard bay leaf. Add nutritional yeast and miso paste, stirring well to combine. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

Random factoid: You may have noticed that when using nutritional yeast I always recommend adding it at the end of the cooking cycle after removing the dish from heat. I have read conflicting reports, but some suggest that nutritional yeast will break down when cooked. Personally, I have noticed that it becomes slightly bitter if boiled, so I add it at the end. The choice is yours.

Bean & Barley Weight Loss Soup

I call this "weight loss soup" because it's relatively low in calories, very low in fat, and high in both protein and fiber. It uses a few more processed ingredients than I usually like (canned corn, green beans, etc.) so feel free to substitute fresh or frozen if you have them. This is especially good for combatting the Christmas Hangover - you know, the time when in three days you eat more cookies and fudge than any person should eat over the course of a lifetime.

1 1/2 c. black beans
1 can (12 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (12 oz) white or yellow corn, drained
1 can (12 oz) green beans, drained
1 c. cooked barley (not pearled)
1/2 onion, diced
2 c. veggie broth
1 large or 2 small bay leaves
Basil, granulated garlic (or fresh garlic), and Real Salt to taste
2 T. nutritional yeast

Combine all ingredients except basil, garlic, salt and nutritional yeast in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add basil, garlic, and salt to taste. Continue simmering for 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Add nutritional yeast, stir well, and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove bay leaves.

Makes 4, 1 1/2 cup servings or 6, 1 cup servings.

Nutty Breakfast Cereal

Okay, okay, if you tell me this is just decorated oatmeal you'd be right - but it is DELICIOUS decorated oatmeal. It's full of protein, fiber and Omega-3's, so it's not only wonderfully good for you, but it keeps you full. Perfect on mornings when you wake up to snow.

1 1/3 c. water
Scant 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 T. wheat germ
1 T. ground flax seed
1 to 2 T. agave nectar
2 T. almond butter
1 t. Sucanat
1/8 c. pecans, crushed

Bring water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add oats, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Add wheat germ and flax seed and cook an additional 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in agave nectar and almond butter.

Pour cereal into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with Sucanat and crushed pecans. Serve with almond or cococnut milk, if desired.

Note: When I make breakfast cereals, I usually only make 1 serving because the kids don't like it. They usually eat dry cereal with milk or bagels for breakfast. Any of my breakfast recipes can be doubled, tripled or more to feed a family.

Low Fat Vegan Muffins

These muffins take a little bit longer to make than their unhealthy commercially packaged counterparts, but they're totally yummy. Experiment with variations by adding vegan chocolate and peanut butter chips, raisins, craisins, nuts, coconut, dates or pretty much anything else you can think of - even fresh blueberries! Muffins are always a hit at our house.

2 T. ground flax seed
1 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. white flour
1/3 c. Sucanat
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. Real Salt
1/4 c. apple sauce
3/4 c. almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 12-count muffin tin with cooking spray, or line with paper cups.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine ground flax seed with 4 tablespoons water. Stir with a fork or wisk and let stand for about 5 minutes, or until gooey. Note: Most "flax-egg" recipes call for 1 T. flax to 3 T. water for each flax egg, but I have found that the 2:4 ratio works better for these muffins.

While flax is sitting, combine flours, Sucanat, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Make a small well in the middle of the flour mixture for the wet ingredients. Set aside.

To the flax mixture, add applesauce and almond milk, stirring to combine. Pour liquid mixture into the center of the dry ingredients. Stir in small circles, starting in the middle, slowly increasing the amount of flour mixture being pulled into the dough. Continue stirring until all dry ingredients are completely incorporated. It may be necessary to add a little more applesauce or almond milk. Mixture should be very thick. If using any add-ins, like blueberries or raisins, add them now and stir into the dough.

Portion dough equally between the 12 cups in the muffin tins. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before serving.

Mushroom and Rice Soup

The biggest debate we had here was whether to add diced tomatoes to the recipe. Ultimately we decided no tomatoes with the Pick-a-Number routine. It was delicious and filling. We had very large servings and there was enough for 3 bowls. We will definitely be making this again.

2 c. vegetable broth
4 large carrots, scrubbed and sliced into "coins"
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 bay leaves
4 large mushrooms or 6 to 8 small mushrooms, stems removed and chopped
1 c. cooked brown rice
1 1/2 c. cooked garbanzo beans
Real Salt, granulated garlic and basil to taste
1 T. white or yellow miso
1/4 c. nutritional yeast

In a very large saucepan combine vegetable broth, carrots, onion, garlic, celery and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves.

Add seasonings to taste. It is easier to do it at this stage of the cooking than at the end because there are more Chunky Things through which you must blend the seasonings. If you prefer to do it at the end you can. :~)

Add mushrooms, rice and beans. Return to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until mushrooms are soft. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Remove from heat and add miso and nutritional yeast. Serve immediately.

Variations: Like many things on this blog, the vegetables can be swapped out, added or otherwise changed. Zucchini and spinach are some that come to mind. However, the soup can be made creamier, if desired. To make creamier, blend garbanzo beans with about 1/2 cup of the soup broth before adding to the soup. You can blend all or part of the beans, depending on your preference.

Note: When adding miso to a soup, it is important that the miso not be boiled. If boiled, miso paste turns oily and icky and, quite frankly, doesn't taste very good. For best results, cook the soup completely and add miso right before serving, AFTER removing soup from the heat source. :)

**Can be made in the slow cooker.** :o)

Random factoid: Most people toss a significant amount of fiber by peeling the skins off veggies. Whenever possible, leave the skins on vegetables like carrots and potatoes. Just scrub 'em good.

Smashed Yams

My favorite part of Thanksgiving is Yams. I love yams. Historically my family has made them with marshmallows (not vegan) and cream (again, not vegan). This dish is vegan friendly. Believe me - you're not missing anything.

6 yams
2 T. Earth Balance
1/2 c. pure maple syrup (more or less for desired consistency)
1/2 c. coconut milk (more or less for desired consistency)
Cinnamon, if desired

Scrub and peel yams. Bring a very large pot of water to a boil. Cut each yam in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/2 in. pieces. Boil for 20 to 30 minutes or until yams are very soft.

Drain yams. Dump into a very large serving bowl. Add Earth Balance and about 1/4 cup each of maple syrup and coconut milk. Add desired cinnamon if using. Using a hand blender, mix yams until very smooth and combined (about 30 seconds to 1 minute). Add remaining maple syrup and coconut milk, using slightly more or less as needed. Yams should be moist and fluffy, but not liquified.

Pour yams into a 13x9 inch baking dish. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until yams are slightly bubbly. Serve right away.

Can be made ahead if desired. Prepare dish to the point of baking and then store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Remove dish from the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes before you are ready to bake it.

Variation: Add a small can of crushed pineapple (drained) before pouring in the baking dish.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I'm not disclosing any big culinary secret here - Sweet Potato Fries are simple and recipes are abundant. This is just how I made them. The only difference is that next time I will make more. :~)

2 large yams (I picked long, skinny ones - easier to cut into Fry Shapes)
2 to 4 T. olive oil
1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 t. ground cloves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet (or two) with foil and spray generously with cooking spray.

Scrub potatoes very well. Cut in half, then into 1/4 inch strips. Place potato strips in a large bowl or plastic bag. Add olive oil and toss to coat. Add additional olive oil if necessary to ensure that each fry is completely coated. Spread into a single layer on prepared baking sheets.

Mix seasonings together. Sprinkle evenly over all potatoes. Note: It is much easier just to sprinkle salt, pepper and cloves over the potatoes, so feel free to take shortcuts.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure even cooking. If you like a crisper fry, turn on the boiler for the last few minutes. Watch closely to prevent burning. Let cool slightly before serving.

Variation: Omit cloves and add granulated garlic for a more savory fry.

Serving suggestion: Serve with Sweet 'n Creamy Dippy Sauce.

Random Factoid: When most people think of sweet potatoes, they are actually thinking of yams. Sweet potatoes have a white flesh similar to russet or red potatoes. Yams have a dark orange flesh and are those traditionally served at Thanksgiving dinner. I personally have never made "real" sweet potato fries - I always use yams. To most people, they are one and the same.

Hearty Veggie Stew

The boys usually don't like soup for dinner, presumably because it's not very filling. The beans and barley make it stick-to-your-ribs-tasty. When I first started cooking, my almost-15-year-old said with a disgusted tone, "What has infiltrated our dinner?!?" Then when he ate it he said, "Dearest Mumsies, this soup is actually quite good!" I guess that's a compliment. :o)

1/2 c. dry barley
4 c. veggie broth
2 bay leaves
1 small onion, diced
1 T. granulated garlic (or use desired amount of fresh garlic)
2 t. dried basil
1 to 2 t. Real Salt
1 1/2 c. cooked garbanzo beans
1 12 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
2 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
2 large mushrooms, diced (about 3/4 cup when diced)
1/4 c. nutritional yeast

Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water, 2 cups or more, and bring to a boil. Sort and rinse dry barley. Add to pot, return to boil, and cook for 30 to 45 minutes or until very tender. Drain.

While barley is cooking, combine veggie broth and bay leaves in a very large pot. Bring to a very low boil and cook for about 2 minutes. Add onion, garlic, basil and Real Salt. Stir to combine. Simmer about 10 minutes. Add garbanzo beans and tomatoes. Reduce heat to very low, just enough to keep warm, and simmer until barley finishes cooking.

Add barley, zucchini and mushrooms to soup mix. Stir to combine. At this point it may look like there is too much "stuff" for the broth, but resist the temptation to add liquid. The zucchini and mushrooms will cook down and it will turn out perfect. Cook for about 7 to 10 minutes or until zucchini and mushrooms are very tender. Remove from heat and add nutritional yeast, stirring to combine.

Serve immediately. Makes 4 very generous portions.

Faux Lox Bagel

This isn't really a recipe, just an idea I had for making a bagel a little more interesting. I used to really enjoy lox on a bagel, and the capers to boot were just to die for. I still eat fish on occasion(I could never give up sushi completely), but if red peppers do the trick, why use salmon? You're welcome, little fishy.

1 bagel (vegan, of course - check the ingredients)
2 to 4 T. vegan cream cheese (you can make your own from the UnCheese Cookbook or use store-bought)
1 T. capers
6 thin strips roasted red pepper - make your own from the instructions on this blog! :o)
1/2 small avocado, sliced

Toast bagel. Smear with cream cheese. Top with capers, peppers and avocado. Serve open faced or sandwich-style. Yum!

Variations: Add thinly sliced onion. Add spinach if going sandwich style (I didn't have any, sad).

Tip: Have trouble with avocados and getting them out of that annoying little peel? Here's what you do: Slice in half, then whack the pit with a large butcher knife. Twist gently to remove the pit. Keep the pit if you're not using the whole avocado - if you stick it in the container with the leftover avocado it helps keep the avocado from turning brown. While the avocado is still in the peel, cut gently with a knife, either in strips or cubes, all the way down to the peel - but don't go all the way through! Use a small spoon (like what you would use for cereal) to gently scoop the fruit away from the peel. Easy!

Veggie Mac N Cheeze

I already have a recipe for Mac N Cheeze on this blog, but I think this one is my New Favorite Thing. It's a great way to get kids to eat cauliflower - without having any clue they're eating it. It takes some time to make, but it is well worth the effort.

1 head cauliflower, core removed and sliced into large chunks
2 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
2 c. dry macaroni noodles (whole wheat is best)
2 T. olive oil
1 T. dijon mustard
1 T. yellow or white miso paste
1/4 c. nutritional yeast (less if you find the taste of nutritional yeast to be too strong)
1/4 t. nutmeg
Real Salt (if needed)
Bread crumbs

Fill a large pot with hot water and bring to a boil. Put cauliflower pieces in boiling water and cook for 25 minutes, or until very tender. While cauliflower is cooking, bring broth and bay leaves just to a boil in a small pot. Once just starting to boil turn off heat and let sit while cauliflower finishes cooking.

Remove cauliflower from pot with a slotted spoon and put directly in blender. Keep water boiling and add macaroni noodles. Cook five minutes, drain, and soak in cold water to stop the cooking.

Add olive oil, mustard, miso, nutritional yeast, nutmeg and salt (if using) to the cauliflower in the blender. Add broth (remove bay leaves first) and process on medium speed for about 1 minute or until completely combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Coat a 13x9 cooking dish with a small amount of olive oil or with non-stick cooking spray. Pour sauce over macaroni noodles, stirring to combine. Pour noodles and sauce into baking dish - the sauce will be runny and there should appear to be a little too much sauce for the noodles (remember, they're not totally cooked yet). Top with bread crumbs - about 1/2 cup or less should do it.

Bake macaroni in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until macaroni is tender, sauce is bubbly and bread crumbs are starting to brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.