SPICY VEGETABLE SOUP WITH LIME

Yesterday I Made:

SPICY VEGETABLE SOUP WITH LIME and AVOCADO TOAST for DINNER.

Recipe from Karina's Kitchen: Gluten-Free Recipes.

This is an amazing soup filled with zucchini, carrots, cabbage, fire-roasted tomatoes, roasted green chiles, and lime juice.

It's really one of my all time favorite soups.

If you like spicy soups, YOU HAVE TO MAKE THIS SOUP NOW!.

You can throw all the ingredients in a slow cooker or stove top.

Either way turns out a great soup.

For the toast, I bought a loaf of organic wheat toast from La Brea Bakery.

Lightly toasted with simple avocado slices.

KABOCHA SOUP WITH SPICED PEPITAS

I made this delicious KABOCHA SOUP WITH SPICED PEPITAS for DINNER last week.

Recipe from VEGETARIAN TIMES January 2009 issue.

I love to order squash soups at restaurants, but whenever I try to make it at home, they always turn out too thick and not so tasty.

THIS recipe has changed it all.

It has THE perfect consistency and it's full of flavor.

It also calls for a few simple ingredients:

-Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin, but you can use any other type of winter squash.)

-Onion

-Garlic

-Smoked Paprika

-Bay Leaf

-Vegetable Broth

The recipe also calls for Dry Sherry, but my husband doesn't care for ANY alcohol in any recipe, so I omitted it.

And it really doesn't need it.

The spiced pepitas are pumpkin shells roasted with olive oil, agave nectar, salt, and cilantro.

I paired the soup with leftover Toasted Quinoa with Raisins and Slivered Almonds from the previous day and Spicy Spinach with Minced garlic.

SCOTCH BROTH AND THE WORLD'S BEST CORNBREAD

Yesterday I Made:

SCOTCH BROTH AND THE WORLD'S BEST CORNBREAD for DINNER.

The SCOTCH BROTH recipe comes from none other than The Vegan Table By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

According to Colleen's description, this is a traditional Scottish soup served during the winter time.

Made with lentils, green split peas, barley, potatoes, carrots, leeks and onions.

It turned out to be more of a split pea soup.

Thick, hearty and perfect for a rainy day!

THE WORLD'S BEST CORNBREAD recipe came from the web.

But for the life of me, I can't remember from where.

I used whole wheat flour, earth balance, corn meal, green onions, minced jalapenoes, and garlic.

It turned out moist, spicy, and just plain mouthwatering!

BREE'S LENTIL-TOMATO SOUP

Today I Made:

BREE'S LENTIL-TOMATO SOUP for DINNER.

Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine.

This soup is one of our favorites.

So rich, thick and full of flavor.

Full of spices, heat, and protein.

If making this recipe for children, make sure to omit the chili powder and ground red pepper.

NO-QUESO QUESADILLAS AND TORTILLA SOUP

Yesterday I Made:

NO QUESO QUESADILLAS AND TORTILLA SOUP for DINNER.

Who would ever think to put hummus inside a whole wheat flour tortilla and cooking it until golden brown?

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau would!

Another awesome recipe from her latest cookcook:

This is actually the second time I make this recipe, but first time posting it.

It is such a great dish and versatile.

You can eat it as a snack or a meal.

I paired ours with homemade guacamole and green salsa.

The tortilla soup is tomato and chipotle based.

Easy, delicious, but really spicy.

I cooled it down by adding a dollop of Follow Your Heart Sour Cream

and our NEW favorite:

(sorry about the small picture)

CACTUS GUMBO

Today I Made:

CACTUS GUMBO for DINNER.

Recipe from THE ARTFUL VEGAN by Eric Tucker and Bruce Enloe.

Roasted cactus, carrots, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, and fresh corn in a mildly spicy broth and topped with thin crispy tortilla strips, avocado and cilantro.

This gumbo tastes more like a tortilla soup.

I LOVE IT!!!

The main ingredient in this gumbo is CACTUS, which is not found in many recipes, but works really well in this one.

When you cut into the cactus, a slimy discharge is released, which in turn helps to thicken the gumbo.

So in this recipe, the cactus replaces okra, the traditional thickening ingredient in gumbo.

AFRICAN PEANUT SOUP

Today I Made:

AFRICAN PEANUT SOUP for DINNER.

Recipe from REAL SIMPLE MAGAZINE.

Diced tomatoes, tomato paste, peanut butter, garlic, cayenne pepper, brown rice, vegetable broth, spices and topped with more brown rice and green onions.

This is a great example of a panty inspired dish that happens to be one of my husband's favorite soups.

I highly recommend trying this recipe.

I've been making it for years and every time I take my first spoonful, I always wonder why I don't make it more often.

CLASSIC MINESTRONE

Today I Made:

CLASSIC MINESTRONE and GARLIC TOAST for DINNER.

Recipe from EVERYDAY FOOD MAGAZINE.

Unfortunately I could not remember what issue it's from and I couldn't find it on their website.

Carrots, onions, celery, cabbage, green beans, cannellini beans, in a tomato based broth.

The broth has a hint of red chili pepper and rosemary.

Very clean soup and suprisingly full of flavor.

Lots of chopping, but well worth it.

LENTIL CHOWDER AND KINDA CORNY MUFFINS

Today I Made:

LENTIL CHOWDER AND KINDA CORNY MUFFINS for DINNER.

The chowder is another recipe from the Candle Cafe Cookbook.

A total of 10 ingredients went into preparing this chowder:

kabocha ( didn't have any butternut squash ), lentils, onion, tomatoes, potato, carrots, tomato, tomato paste, vegetable broth, and a few spices.

Since it requires no oil, it's super low in fat, close to being fat-free.

So hearty and simple to make.

You pour all the ingredients into a pot and cook for about an hour and a half.

Stirring once in a while or you can cook it in a slow cooker for 3 hours on high.

This recipe alone is worth owning this book.

The muffin recipe came from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan by Dreena Burton.

I have to say that this is my favorite cornbread recipe.

Especially since you bake them in cupcake liners, which makes them easier to eat.

No cutting required.

They are moist and perfectly sweetened and also easy to make.

I did end up topping the chowder with diced jalapeno for heat, which I highly recommend.

CAULIFLOWER STEAK WITH QUINOA

Two Days Ago I Made:

CAULIFLOWER STEAK WITH QUINOA, SPICY GARLIC SPINACH, CAULIFLOWER SOUP, AND GARLIC BREAD for DINNER.

Steak recipe from GREAT CHEFS COOK VEGAN by LINDA LONG.

Simply browned 1" cauliflower steaks atop a bed of creamy quinoa with leeks, zucchini, and chives.

This is another example of a fine dinning dish.

Hearing that, you'd think that this was an extremely difficult and time consuming dish.

But it wasn't.

It's all about being organized and having your ingredients ready to go.

It takes no longer than 10 minutes to brown the steaks.

In the meantime, you cook the quinoa in vegetable broth.

And while all this is happening, you cut the remaining cauliflower florets, blanche, then throw in a preheated oven for 15 minutes or until they have dried up.

Then you saute the leeks, shallots, and garlic.

Add the florets and puree.

In a large saute pan, saute the zucchini.

Add the quinoa and more vegetable stock and the rest of the ingredients, including 2 T of the cauliflower puree.

To plate, you place the cauliflower steak on a bed of quinoa.

The original recipe calls for BASIL OIL to be drizzled over and around the plated steak, but I used chipotle adobe sauce instead.

*With the leftover cauliflower puree, I made a simple soup just by adding vegetable stock, salt and pepper as suggested in the book. I topped the soup with even more chipotle adobo sauce.

For the SPICY GARLIC SPINACH, I used my usual recipe of olive oil, chili pepper flakes,minced garlic, salt and pepper.

And for an added crunch, our favorite garlic bread.

I highly recommend making this entire meal for a fancy dinner.

Your guests will be highly impressed.

KABOCHA SOUP WITH SPICED PEPITAS

Today I Made:

KABOCHA SOUP WITH SPICED PEPITAS, SALAD, AND GARLIC BREAD for DINNER.

Soup recipe from VEGETARIAN TIMES JAN. 2009 issue.

Kabocha squash, onions, and smoked paprika are the star ingredients.

This was THE best pureed soup I have ever made.

I was a little hesitant since my husband doesn't really care for creamy, pureed soups.

But at his request, I did leave it a little bit chunky.

The original recipe called for 2 Tbs. dry sherry, but since we don't care for alcohol in anything, I used orange juice instead.

The soup is sprinkled with SPICED PEPITAS.

Small pumpkin seeds tossed together with olive oil, agave nectar, smoked paprika, salt, and then baked until puffed and slightly darkened.

They added such a great crunchy mouth feel.

As far as the salad goes, it's our usual recipe... spring mix, julliened carrots, thinly sliced red onions.

I also threw in some dried cherries, avocado, and leftover SPICED PEPITAS.

This time instead of making my own dressing (Asian Miracle Dressing), I used FOLLOW YOUR HEART SESAME MISO DRESSING.

First time trying this bottled dressing.

It's good for emergencies.

I decided to round out the meal with our new favorite: GARLIC BREAD.

This meal turned out to be so comforting, so colorful, and so mutritious,I didn't want it to end!

UDON

Today I Made:

UDON for DINNER.

Our new favorite emergency dinner.

Done in less than 10 minutes.

Udon are thick Japanese noodles usually served in a soy sauce broth.

All you need is water, light yellow miso paste, packaged udon, green onion, and sesame seeds.

You can find all these ingredients at your local Whole Foods or Japanese market.

Boil the water.

Turn heat off and add 1 tablespoon miso per cup of water and whisk until completely dissolved.

Turn heat back on, add udon and cook for 2 minutes.

Serve in a deep bowl and add sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Fast, easy, filling, and so yummy.

Total comfort food.

GARLIC BREAD

Today I Made:

GARLIC BREAD AND SPICY VEGETABLE SOUP for DINNER.

Soup recipe from Karina's Kitchen.

Second time posting this super spicy, but oh-so good soup.

Cabbage, carrots, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, green chilies, and lime.

If you love spicy foods, you'll love this soup.

But the piece de resistance, was the amazing garlic bread.

You don't need a recipe to make it.

All you need is a good crusty whole wheat loaf, Earth Balance, and minced garlic.

Mix the minced garlic and the Earth Balance and smear it on as many slices of bread.

Then, just toast in a toaster oven until light to medium brown.

Goes perfect with soup and pasta dishes.

WINTER LENTIL SOUP

Today I Made:

WINTER LENTIL SOUP for DINNER.

Recipe from REAL SIMPLE magazine, March 2006 issue.

Leeks, sweet potatoes, kale, and lentils in a rich and flavorful tomato broth.

Perfect soup for a cold fall day.