Tag Archives: Tablespoon

Creamy Broccoli & Kale Soup

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Our 9 month old son is now walking along furniture, my how time flies! He’s still not sleeping well at night which means I am not sleeping well either so fast meals are my thing lately. I’ve been making dinner during nap time which means break time doesn’t really happen for me until both kids go to bed. I’m not always good about going to bed early because geez… that’s my only free time! It’s a vicious cycle but hey, it works.

I received a large bunch of broccoli in my CSA box this week and decided to make one of the broccoli soups I have bookmarked in my 1357 list of recipes I want to try. This turned out really good! It’s so easy to make and super healthy too. Our toddler loved it! First time we had it, I served it with brown rice mixed in to add in a serving of grain. The second time I added brown rice and a hunk of sweet potato I had leftover, that was a great combo! Both times I added a squeeze of lemon on top. So good!

Creamy Broccoli & Kale Soup

This recipe is from a unprocessed food blog For the Love of Food. I really like this blog and I’ve bookmarked several recipes to try. I like her unprocessed approach, so nice to be able to make a recipe without changing it a ton.

Creamy Broccoli and Kale Soup
Water, broth or bean liquid for sautéing
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable stock – I used low sodium
1 bunch broccoli, chopped (6 cups)
1/2 bunch kale, chopped (4 cups) – I added extra because I LOVE my kale!
2 Tablespoons tahini
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Heat water, broth or bean liquid in a medium pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté about 3 minutes.  Add stock and bring to a boil.  Add the broccoli and kale, turn heat to low, and let simmer for five minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in tahini.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Blend the soup by using an immersion blender or transfering it to a regular blender. (If using a regular blender, be very careful as the steam can sometimes cause the lid to blow off.  I recommend allowing the soup to cool for a few minutes, then blending small batches on medium speed while holding the lid down with a large pot holder or towel in my hand).
Squeeze lemon wedge over soup.  Serve hot.

Saute onions and garlic in water, bean cooking liquid or broth

Add broth and bring to boil. Add chopped broccoli and kale and simmer.

Add tahini. I used my immersion blender to puree this soup

 

Serve with lemon

Day 2: Served with brown rice and sweet potato

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Delicious Oil-Free Hummus

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Who doesn’t love a good hummus recipe!? It’s just so easy to make and such a satisfying alternative to junk food dips out there. We love it on Kale Lemon Sandwiches, dolloped on top of salads, nestled inside of collard wraps or next to a plate of cold, raw veggies. Our toddler eats hummus for her morning snack with carrots, jicama, sugar snap peas, celery, daikon radishes (raw, yep she loves them!), raw broccoli and well… most of the time she uses her hands to scoop it into her mouth when the skinny carrot sticks and pulled-apart veggies take too long.

Then again, who doesn’t love a good OIL-FREE hummus recipes!?! I know I do, I’m always on the lookout for good oil-free alternatives to foods that are usually full of it, and still taste good too! This is a good plain hummus recipe but we also love Oil-Free Buffalo Wing’ish Hummus too!

I really like this recipe because it uses sesame seeds instead of tahini… I don’t know what it is about me and tahini but I always taste something funky when I use it. Some recipes, I don’t notice it but in hummus recipes, I do.

Delicious Oil-Free Hummus

I found this recipe on The Veggie NP: Plant-Based Health Care ‘s Facebook page. I tweaked it a bit to suit our taste, it’s a really great recipe! I doubled it and send a big container to work with my hubby.

Delicious Oil-Free Hummus 

** Combine in a strong blender:

  • 1/2 c ground sesame seeds (or tahini if that’s all you have) – Put the sesame seeds in the dry blender first, and grind, then add the rest of the ingredients.
  • 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, reserve liquid OR 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans 
  • 1-3 clove garlic
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1-2 Tbsp parsley flakes
  • Juice of one + lemons (or 3-4 Tbsp lemon juice) – I like lots of lemon in mine so I added extra, start with one and test to see if you want more
  • Dash of cayenne pepper (optional but really adds a nice taste!)
Instructions:
  • Blend until smooth, and serve!
  • Note: Use enough liquid from canned Garbanzos to get the consistency you want: thick for sandwich spread, thinner for a vegetable dip, etc. If you’re using cooked garbanzo beans, use the cooking liquid or water if that’s all you have.

Grind those sesame seeds first! Or if you're using tahini, add with all other ingredients 🙂

Add chickpeas and all other ingredients and blend well

Adjust seasonings.... as you can see I added more cayenne, lemon and parsley flakes

Yummy!

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BEST Lite Goddess Salad Dressings (Oil-Free)

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I LOVE Dr. Joel Fuhrman and really respect what he has to say when it comes to nutrition and how to take care of your body. If you’re looking for a really great book to read, try “Eat To Live” or his other book “Disease Proof Your Child“… I HIGHLY recommend both! Our family takes his vitamins, DHA and EPA supplements too… you can purchase them from his site. All of his supplements are legit, I can attest to that. I’ve never felt better!

Dr. Fuhrman recommends everyone eat a LARGE salad for one of their daily meals since raw, uncooked veggies and fruits offer the most powerful protection against disease. Raw foods contain enzymes, some of which can survive the digestive process in the stomach and pass into the small intestines. In other words, they keep things moving the way they should be! 😉

Since I try to eat a large salad everyday for lunch I’m always on the lookout for new oil-free salad dressings. These two are our favorites! They are much less fattening than the bottled versions and are super easy to make. I make a double batch every week. I also LOVE topping our salads with Goaty Cashew Cheese… YOU HAVE TO TRY IT!

If you like oil-free dressings, you’ll also have to try Oil-Free Raspberry Vinaigrette!

Lite Green Goddess Dressing

Another delicious salad with Goddess Dressing!!

This first one is from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen, one of my all-time favorite vegan food blogs. If you haven’t checked out her site yet, I suggest you do. Be prepared to spend some serious time bookmarking recipes though!! I cook her recipes on a regular basis and we really enjoy them! What’s awesome about her site is she’s almost oil-free, low salt and no processed foods… right up our alley!

Susan’s Lite Goddess Dressing

6 ounces lite firm silken tofu (1/2 pkg. of Mori-Nu) – I’ve made this without tofu and it’s just as good
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon tahini
2 green onions, white parts removed, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, packed
1 large clove garlic

Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. (The Magic Bullet worked well for this.)

Makes 10 servings of 2 tbsp. each. Per serving: 19 Calories (kcal); 1 g Total Fat; (45% calories from fat); 1 g Protein; 1 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 164 mg Sodium

Magic Bullet works great for this!

Takes me about 10 minutes to make

Lite Goddess Dressing... THE BEST!!!

Here’s another version of Goddess Dressing, this one uses chia seeds as a thickener.

Recipe from Melomeals!

Goddess Dressing

  • 3 T Tahini
  • 2 T Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 T Braggs or Soy Sauce
  • 2 Green Onion
  • 2 Cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger
  • 1/4 t cumin
  • 1/2 t lemon pepper
  • 1 c veg stock
  • 2 t chia seeds
  • 2 dates
  • 1 T fresh parsley

Again... use your Magic Bullet!

Yummy!

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Buffalo Wing’ish Hummus

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I don’t know about you but I LOVE almost anything with buffalo wing sauce, there’s just something about it that makes everything taste better. You can imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon this recipe! All the taste of buffalo wings without the greasy meat and occasional cartilage/fat between your teeth! Sorry, but it’s true!

Buffalo Wing’ish Hummus

I found this recipe on PreventionRD.com. This is a really cool site and I’m looking forward to making more of her recipes!

Buffalo Wing Hummus

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I used 2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp paprika
3 Tbsp calorie-free wing sauce (I used 5 Tbsp Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce instead of these two different types of sauce)
2 Tbsp cayenne hot sauce
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
1/2 tsp Kosher salt (I only added a tiny pinch)

Directions:

Put the chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, paprika, wing sauce, hot sauce, vinegar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a food processor. Puree until smooth and creamy.

Yield: 12 servings (1/4 cup each).

Nutrition Information (per serving): 99 calories; 3.4 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 231 mg. sodium; 11.8 g. carbohydrate; 4.2 g. fiber; 4.6 g. protein

Process in food processor until smooth and creamy

Ready!

Serve with crackers and celery sticks

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Red Lentil Curry

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I love anything with curry and lentils! This is quick and easy to make and it makes the house smell awesome! Our toddler enjoyed this; I added a little plain soy yogurt to hers before I tasted it, thinking it would be spicy but it wasn’t.

Red Lentil Curry

Toddler approved! She insists on wearing a bib now like her little brother 😉

This recipe comes from Vegetarian Hostess.

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil – I omitted this and sauteed with leftover bean cooking liquid (my usual)
1 teaspoon mustard seed – I used black mustard seeds
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon fennel – I used ground fennel
1 tablespoon curry powder – I used Organic Tandoori Masala from Whole Foods
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon salt – I added less than 1/2 tsp, this seemed like too much
1 tablespoon brown sugar – I used a tiny scoop of Kal Brand Stevia instead
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger root, minced
2 large red tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup tomato puree – I used tomato sauce, all I had
¼ cup shredded coconut – optional but really good!!!
1   Wash the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear (this is very important or the lentils will get “scummy”), put the lentils in a medium sized pot with water to cover and simmer until lentils tender. This should take 10-15 minutes.
2   While the lentils are cooking: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the onions  and coat with oil, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until onions are browned somewhat.
3   While the onions are cooking, combine the mustard seed, cinnamon, fennel, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, salt, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a mixing bowl. Mix well. When the onions are cooked, add the curry mixture to the onions and cook over a high heat stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.
4   Stir in the tomatoes and tomato puree and reduce heat, allow the curry base to simmer until the lentils are ready. When the lentils are tender drain them briefly (they should have absorbed most of the water but you don’t want the curry to be too sloppy). Mix the curry base into the lentils and serve immediately garnished with coconut.

Cook lentils, saute onions

Mix garlic, ginger and seasonings together

I used Organic Tandoori Masala from Whole Foods

Add spice mixture to onions

Add lentils, tomatoes and tomato sauce/puree

Top with unsweetened coconut and serve over brown rice

 

 

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Easy Black Bean Soup

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Black beans were up next in our bean rotation so I decided to make this soup. It’s super easy to make and pretty darn good! Our toddler loved it! I mixed hers with a little leftover tricolor quinoa to thicken it up a bit.

Easy Black Bean Soup

This recipe is from Whole Foods.com. I love Whole Foods! My hubby calls it “Whole Paycheck” because it’s a little spendy. LOL! I like the salad bar the best! Ah the cold lentil salads, California Quinoa Salad and all the other goodies offered at your fingertips. YUM! I’ll be recreating those salads next so watch for those recipes soon!

Serves 8

Cooking dried beans is low maintenance and a great value. Make sure to plan ahead and allow time for soaking the beans.

Serve with hot sauce or salsa, if you like. I served this with Habanero Sauce… A MUST HAVE ADDITION!! I keep this sauce in the fridge at all times, it’s that good. Our toddler like a little in her food too so if she can handle it, so can you!

Ingredients

1 pound dried black beans (about 2 1/2 cups), rinsed
2 medium onions, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 ripe avocado, chopped

Method

Soak the beans overnight or 6 to 8 hours prior to cooking. Drain and rinse.

In a large pot, bring 1/2 cup water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in cumin and chipotle and cook 1 minute, stirring. Add drained beans and 10 cups water. Bring soup to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until beans are tender. Remove 4 cups soup and carefully purée in a blender. Return purée to pot and stir in cilantro, nutritional yeast and lime juice. Spoon into bowls for serving and garnish with avocado.

Saute onions, peppers and garlic

Add spices, beans and water, cook uncovered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours

Puree 4 cups of soup in a blender - I used my VitaMix (of course!)

Add pureed soup back into the pot - add nutritional yeast, cilantro and lime juice.

Serve with diced avocado and your hot sauce of choice!

Nutrition

Per serving: 120 calories (25 from fat), 2.5g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 15mg sodium, 20g total carbohydrate (7g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 7g protein

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