Kale and White Bean Soup

If you are like me, you have spent the last 4 days eating too much food, drinking too much wine, and generally living in a food coma state. For me, it all started Thursday morning with an ice cream sandwich for breakfast (don't judge me). It was all went downhill from there. Thursday afternoon led to too much food. Thursday night led to too much wine. Friday morning led to too much coffee. This sequence repeated for the next 3 days. Fast forward to last night. My wayward food ways had led me  to a full blown flare up. Feeling terrible and desperately craving some easy comfort food, I went to my happy place: soup. Soup is amazing because it's 1. easy to make, 2. tasty as all get out, 3. has the ability to soothe the most savage of GI tracts. Last night's coup du jour: lazy mom's Kale and White Bean Soup.

Kale and White Bean Soup:

Ingredients:
32 ounce of water
1 onion, finely chopped
8-10 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
2 cans of canneli beans
2 cups of kale, finely chopped
1.5 teaspoons of thyme
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1/3 cup of nutritional yeast
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
White wine
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Toss finely chopped onion and garlic into a hot pan with olive oil. Saute until your onions start to caramelize. Add enough white wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook down. 
2. Combine all remaining ingredients in a crockpot. Add the onions and garlic mixture to your crockpot and put on low to cook for 8 hours.
3. To plate, pour your soup over a grain of your choice. I chose barley because it was already cooked and sitting in my fridge (I didn't even warm the barley up. Told you, lazy mom). Rice, particularly the wild rice variety, also goes great with this. Salt and pepper your soup to your taste preference. Serve with some yummy bread and bam you have dinner within 5 minutes of getting home from work.

**Note, if you don't have a crockpot or want soup in faster than 8 hours, take step 2 to a regular soup pot, but allow all the ingredients to simmer for at least 30 minutes. No one wants crunchy carrots in their soup :)

Beans, greens, and a grain. A super easy, weekday night meal waiting to great you when you walk in the door. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Gone Vegan

One of the hardest things about following a plant based diet are the holidays. All of my family members are omnivores. While they do their best to humor my plant based bent (mashed potatoes with no butter?), I wonder how much they actually like and how much they give as lip service. In my on going quest to convert all the omni's that I know into recognizing how amazing vegan cooking can be instead of thinking that all vegan food is bland and dry, I put together my own amazing assortment of holiday dishes. Bear with me, it's a lot of food. Most of which is not healthy in any way (I know, my inner fat kid is showing). First we start with the appetizer...

Pumpkin Hummus

Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can white beans (canellini or other), drained and rinsed
1 cup pure pumpkin
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (try not to substitute lemon juice, the lime flavor really works here
1 medium-large clove garlic (adjust to taste, use smaller clove for kid-friendly)
1 tsp sea salt
1 – 2 tbsp tahini (to taste)
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp (rounded) ground allspice
1/4 – 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (if you don’t have smoked paprika, use another 1/4 tsp cumin – then go out and get yourself some smoked paprika!!)
1/2 tsp pure maple syrup
1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (see note for toasting; reserve about 2-3 tbsp for garnish)

Instructions:

In a food processor add all ingredients except pumpkin seeds (and starting with 1 tbsp tahini).  Puree until very smooth.  Taste, and if you’d like to add additional garlic or spices, add a little (and if you’d like a richer tahini flavor, add the other tablespoon).  Then, add most of the pumpkin seeds (reserving a couple of tbsps), and pulse through.  Transfer mixture to a serving dish, and top with remaining pumpkin seeds.  Serve with a vast array of veggies- bell pepper strips, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and if you must pita bread. But I would recommend saving the carbs for what's up next...

The Side Dishes

Sweet potato Casserole from the Fat Free Vegan.***This recipe is my coup de gras. This is the recipe that even the biggest sweet potato nay-sayer will gobble down with delight . It can easily replace that nasty marshmallow topping sweet potato dish with amazing results. Take this and mesmerize everyone you know.***

Ingredients:

4 large or 6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cooked 

2 tablespoons margarine

1/4 cup soy creamer or soy milk
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Topping:
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup unbleached white flour
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
4 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a 2 quart casserole dish with non-stick spray (or wipe with canola oil).
Mash the sweet potatoes with the margarine until smooth. Add the soy creamer, orange juice, vanilla, sugar, maple syrup, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour into prepared casserole dish.
Mix the topping ingredients together until well-combined. Spread or sprinkle over the casserole and bake for 45 minutes or until hot throughout.

Sourdough Stuffing from Vegan.sheknows

Ingredients:
1 pound whole wheat sourdough bread, torn into pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon minced rosemary
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup candied walnuts or pecans (you can also substitute roasted nuts)

Directions:
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
Spread bread out on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven until toasted, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened.
In the prepared baking dish, combine bread, vegetable mixture, broth, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper and let sit for 10 minutes. Add nuts and mix well.
Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 to 20 more minutes or until the top is slightly dry. Serve warm.

Green Beans Amadine (BTW, have I ever mentioned that green beans are seriously the best vegetable ever?) yum.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds green beans
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons earth balance butter
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1 teaspoon minced or crushed garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Put up a large saucepan of water to boil.
In the meantime, place a large, deep skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil or melt in the butter, and swirl to coat the pan. Turn the heat down to low, add the almonds, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 to 8 minutes, or until the almonds give off a toasty aroma. During the last couple of minutes, stir in the garlic. (Be careful not to let any of it burn.) Set aside.
Meanwhile, when the water from Step 1 boils, turn the heat down to low, and add the green beans. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the beans turn bright green and shiny, and are beginning to become tender. (This is imprecise.) Dump the green beans into a colander in the sink, and drain thoroughly.
Return the pan of almonds to the stove over medium-low heat. Add the green beans, turning them with tongs until they become completely coated (or at least well mingled) with the almonds. Sprinkle in the salt as you go. Serve hot.

Vegan Dad's Macaroni and Cheese (follow my previous post here)

Main Course

Then of course you can't be without a main dish. I usually make Harvest Pies, but this year I got lazy. And by lazy I mean I was busy working at the actual job I get paid for :) So we opted for a Field Roast celebration roast. It was delicious, but to some of my Omni's found it a little strange (texture thing). Next Holiday will mark the return of the Harvest Pies. Vegan Dad's Harvest Pies are the dreams that vegan holidays are made of. But I digress, on to dessert!

Dessert 

This year we chose Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookie Sandwich (from my previous post)  with Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream. I know this hardly seems like the pumpkin pie that we are all used to. However, my family is not much of a dessert family, so I tend to gear my desserts more towards the kids. And really, what's more amazing than ice cream sandwiches whether you are 4 or 94? Nothing.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Ingredients:
1 can coconut cream (or full fat coconut milk)
1 cup pumpkin puree (make sure it’s plain pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground allspice
Chopped pecans for topping

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients into your Vitamix (or high speed blender) until smooth. Freeze for about an hour. Place the Ice cream on one cookie and put in the freezer for 15 minutes, then adhere the other cookie to the top side. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve. 

Whew! That was a doozy of a post and one gluttonous plant based feast.  Now excuse me while I go into a food coma for the next three days...

Strawberry Banana Quinoa Muffins

It's only Wednesday night here at the Trippet house, and yet I feel like I have crammed 7 days of stress into three. The life of this working, solo parent makes for crazy days. Couple that with the insane stress at work, and I have found my head spinning. As a result, I have been on the hunt for an stress outlet. This has led to some tough sessions at the gym (don't punch me in the arm, I might faint), some hard, quick runs (my hip flexor is crying out in pain),  and of course cooking. What goes best for a sore, pressed for time, stressed out, 34 year old body and is still kid friendly? Protein packed breakfast muffins of course (veganized from this Poor Girl Eats Well recipe!

Strawberry Banana Quinoa Muffins

Ingredients
1 1/3 c quinoa flour (or whole wheat pastry flour. You can also use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All purpose flour to make this a Gluten Free recipe )
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c turbinado sugar
1 tbsp black strap molasses
2 egg replacers (2 tbsp of ground flax or chia seed combined with 6 tbsp of hot water)***
2 T melted Earth balance
1 t vanilla extract
2 medium overripe bananas, mashed
1 c cooked quinoa
1 c finely chopped fresh organic strawberries
1-2 strawberries, thinly sliced (optional for garnish)
Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 375°.  Prepare a muffin or cupcake tin with cooking spray or muffin liners.  In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside.  In a separate, larger bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, egg replacer (flax or chia mixture). black strap molasses, & vanilla and whisk until smooth.  Mix in the dry flour mixture a couple tablespoons at a time, stirring together until completely incorporated.
2.  When all the flour has been mixed in, add the mashed bananas and the quinoa, and mix well.  Add the chopped strawberries (juice & all!) and fold into the muffin batter.  Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups.  Place one strawberry slice on top of each muffin, and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.
3.  Remove from oven and cool for a couple of minutes before removing muffins from pan.  Cool on a rack for about 10 minutes, or until ready to serve. 

 *** when using ground flax or ground chia as an egg replacer, make sure that you mix with hot water to create a binding effect. And, as always, use all organic ingredients where you can.

This recipe makes 12 muffins. Enjoy your powered up breakfast!

Nutrient Round up:
Quinoa: A good source of Protein, Fiber, Folate, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Manganese.
Flax/Chia: good source of Omega 3, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Thiamin and Manganese.
Black Strap Molasses: excellent source of manganese and copper. It is a very good source of iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6 and selenium.
Strawberry: good source of Folate and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C and Manganese.
Banana: good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Potassium and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin B6

Epic French Toast

First let me start by apologizing to all of you about my self imposed quasi blogging retirement. It was surely not by choice. My confinement, er, retirement, just so happened to coincide with the kids summer break and JT being out of state for the remainder of the summer. This summer was all about survival mode, and by that I mean the kid's surviving and me hanging on to what shred of sanity I had left. Fast forward to this weekend. It was my Saturday with the boys. Normally, they spend Saturday morning with JT (who is an omnivore) doing who knows what. I have a don't ask, don't tell policy because I know nothing good will come from me knowing. Anyhow, on this particular Saturday morning the boys were with me and I decided to take them out to breakfast to a local vegetarian restaurant. We were in luck, they had cinnamon French toast on the menu. Unfortunately, said French toast did not live up to the hype and I learned that they preferred Omnidad taking them McDonalds. Not to be outdone and let them think that vegan French toast is crap, I decided that I would make the most epic vegan French toast to ever cross their paths for dinner tonight. For those of you who have had the pleasure of me cooking for you (yeah, not cocky at all), you know that I only make vegan food that make omnivores not miss animal based food at all. And with that hyped up lead in, I give you Chubby Vegan Mom's French Toast Casserole...

Vegan French Toast Casserole Bake
(Serves 6-8)
Ingredients:
1  stick of butter (melted)
1 1/2 cups vanilla almond milk
3/4 cup brown sugar (and a little more for sprinkling purposes)
1 loaf of deliciously perfect bread, sliced thick (I used Trader Joe's Multigrain bread)
1/4 block of silken tofu
1 TBS vanilla extract
Cinnamon (for sprinkling purposes)
Powdered sugar (for sprinkling purposes)
Maple Syrup (for delicious purposes)

Directions:
Cut your bread into thick slices (we did about an inch thick) and lay out the pieces on the bottom of a sprayed casserole dish (I used a 9X9 glass one). Melt 1/2 stick of butter and stir in brown sugar. Once all the sugar is dissolved, pour the butter goop on top of the bottom layer of bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

In a small bowl, mix the melted half stick of butter, almond milk, vanilla extract and silken tofu. Blend in a food processor until all the little tofu lumps are gone. Place the rest of your bread on top of the gooey sugar and butter covered layer, then drizzle the butter, milk, vanilla and tofu mix over the entire casserole.

Now, I know this isn't exactly the food that good health is made of, but it will dissuade any vegan naysayers. Next time I promise I will health it up for you, but for now enjoy this food bomb gift.