Leftover cabbage!

This week is full of school and sport windups which means pizza, pizza and veggie hot dogs.  Isn't June fun?  Today, though, we had nothing on and it was raining (green, greener, greenest!) so I thought I should use up the cabbage leftover from Monday and make a vegetable soup and a fresh baguette.  I literally just threw in what I had and so this is an "ish" recipe.  Nothing exact!  The kids loved it and now I have leftovers for everyone to eat tomorrow.  I am feeling very uninspired for lunches so this is a true blessing.  Luckily school is almost out ;)

Vegetable Soup

olive oil

1 chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

3 sliced carrots

2 chopped celery stalks

1/2 head of chopped cabbage
1-14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 can mixed beans, drained and rinsed

3-4 cups vegetable stock

salt and pepper

2 tbsp fresh chopped thyme

2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1 bay leaf

*Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft

*Add carrots and celery and cook for 5 additional minutes

*Mix in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Simmer on low for 45-60 minutes.

*Remove bay leaf and serve.

Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

So it seems that now that spring has finally arrived *fingers crossed* I have fallen behind in my blogging.  We spend the days outside and I guess it wears me out as much as the kids!  Here is our dinner for yesterday, posted after our burgers for tonight are already in the fridge, ha!  I'd never tried this recipe before (from the 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes cookbook) and I'm pretty sure I won't be making it again.  It was good, nobody hated it, but nobody loved it either.  I bought a loaf of garlic sourdough bread (who knew such deliciousness existed?!) to serve with it and had some leftover bean salad on some salad greens. 

Southwestern Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

1 can of chiles

 1 large chopped onion

6 cloves of minced garlic

6 cups vegetable broth

1 tbsp fresh rosemary

1 tbsp cumin seeds

salt and pepper

4 cups frozen corn

1 bay leaf

3 roasted red peppers, cut into 1" squares

2 cups whipping cream

parsley to garnish

*In a food processor, pulse together chiles, onion, garlic, 1/2 cup broth, rosemary and garlic until smooth

*Add to slow cooker with remaining broth, rosemary, cumin, corn, bay leaf, and salt and pepper

*Cook on low for 6-8 hours

*Add roasted red peppers and whipping cream, and cook on high for 15-20 minutes

*Garnish with parsley

Making seitan is way easier than I thought!

Anyone that lives in Manitoba knows that today was a miserable day.  The sun never came out, it rained and rained (and in some cases snowed) all day long.  Not the way that I like to say goodbye to April, especially considering that we haven't spent much time inside all week!  We've gotten used to the nice weather and now..   BAM..  All of that is besides the point though, today we needed exactly this kind of meal.  A seitan "meat and potato" stew, some garlic rolls, and a crisp green salad.  It really hit the spot!  I made the seitan from Veganomicon (thanks for the suggesting Heather!) and got the stew recipe from the Vegetarian Family Cookbook.  Please excuse the photo quality as my battery died right after the first (not in focus shot) and I didn't have time to recharge it (we were hungry!!!).

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Seitan Stew

 1 chopped onion

3 cloves of minced garlic

5 diced potatoes

3 sliced carrots

4 cups vegetable broth

1 lb seitan, cubed

1 tsp italian seasonings

1 tsp sage

salt and pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

*In a stock pot, saute onion and onion until soft.

*Add potatoes, carrots, broth, and seasonings (except parsley) and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

*In a frying pan, saute seitan until browned on each side

*Mash stew several times and then stir in seitan. 

*Cook for 5 more minutes and then top with parsley.

FINALLY! A real spring day!

I've been waiting for a day like today!  15 (celcius) and sunny, it was a perfect day to spend outside and not in the kitchen!  I must have sub-consciously known what it would be like today because I had planned on making quesadillas and a fast cooking soup.  I saw this recipe in a magazine a long time ago but I never made it.. and I never cut it out... and I couldn't remember any ingredients beyond the black beans and corn.. so I decided to just wing it!  The end result was pretty good, I might have made them slightly spicier if it was just for me but the kids seemed to enjoy them.  The tomato soup we had was the perfect side dish!

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

1 chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

1 finely chopped red pepper

1 finely chopped green pepper

1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup of frozen corn

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp cilantro

6 tortilla wraps

1 1/2 cups of monterey jack cheese

*Saute onion and garlic until translucent.  Add peppers and cook for 5 more minutes

*Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

*Place one wrap on a hot skillet, spoon in 1/4 of the mixture and some cheese, top with another wrap and cook for 4 minutes.  Flip once and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Tomato Soup

1 chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

2 chopped carrots

2 stalks chopped celery

7 chopped tomatoes

2-3 cups vegetable broth

1 tbsp chopped rosemary

1 tbsp chopped parsley

salt and pepper

*Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft.

*Add carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes.

*Add tomatoes, broth, and spices and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 30-40 minutes.

*Pour 1/2 of the soup into food processor, pulse until well blended.  Repeat with remaining soup.

*Return to pot to warm.

Broccoli and Red Pepper Soup

Because of my children's ages I can still get away with putting most of their activities in the daytime/evening, leaving our weekends free.  This session we do have swimming lessons on Saturday but otherwise we are obligation-free on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.  I love being able to spend the days reading, playing games, catching up on chores, and just being us.  I usually try to keep the meals pretty simple on those days so that I'm not spending too much time in the kitchen.  Today we had a really delicious broccoli and red pepper soup from the Garden of Vegan cookbook, cheese biscuits, and corn on the cob.  We ate super early because we are going to watch Diary of a Wimpy Kid, wish me luck! 

Broccoli and Red Pepper Soup

1 chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

4 cups chopped broccoli

2 chopped red pepper

3 cups vegetable stock

1 tsp braggs (or soya sauce)

1/2 tsp dried tarragon

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp black pepper

*In a large soup pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes

*Add broccoli, red pepper, stock, braggs, tarragon, thyme, and pepper and bring to a boil

*Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes

*In a blender or food processor, blend 1/2 of the soup at a time

*Return to pot and reheat.

Lentil and Carrot Soup with Coconut

 On most Tuesdays and Thursdays I have a very busy morning, particularly before lunch when I'm getting my daughter to and from nursery school and then getting my son from kindergarten. Today was different because my son had a playdate! In anticipation of a quiet, less hectic morning I decided to make things even easier by preparing the soup last night while I played cribbage with my husband. This morning I got up and put it in the crock pot and enjoyed a quiet(ish) morning just as planned (even if I didn't get the nap I had hoped for)! I got this recipe out of (surprise!) the 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes cookbook.  I love this cookbook but I'm starting to think I may need a couple more to choose from.  I served the soup with some garlic naan bread and a simple green salad, everyone seemed to enjoy it although it was a little spicy for the kids.  My husband had 3 bowls full though so I'm guessing he didn't mind :)

Red Lentil and Carrot Soup with Coconut

olive oil

2 chopped onions

3 sliced carrots

4 cloves minced garlic

2 cups red lentils

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1-28 oz can diced tomatoes

6 cups vegetable stock

1 can coconut milk

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 finely chopped jalapeno

*In a skillet, heat olive oil and saute onion and carrot until soft

*Add garlic, turmeric, salt, and pepper and stir for 1 minute

*Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil, add lentils and stock

*Transfer mixture to slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  

*Stir in coconut milk, lemon juice and jalapeno and cook for 30 minutes on high.

Non-cream Cream of Potato Soup

Does the name give it away?  Even though it is spring break the kids have some fun filled day with friends planned so we still had our slow cooker Tuesday.  I had planned on it being a cooler day and having a super fatty comforting potato soup.  As it turned out the weather was beautiful and I really didn't feel like something as heavy as that.  So we had an almond milk potato soup.. and it was so good you would never know that it wasn't made with butter, milk, or cream.  The perfect vegan dish :)  I, of course, ruined that with some cheesy bread sticks but at least the soup was vegan.  Ha!  We also had a plain green salad with walnuts and sunflower seeds, one of the kids favourite side dishes.

Cream of Potato Soup

Olive Oil

1 chopped onion

1 chopped shallot

3 cloves minced garlic

6-7 coarsely chopped potatoes (skin on)

2 cubes vegetarian "chicken-style" bouillon

1 sprig rosemary

2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
 1/2 tsp celery salt

freshly ground pepper

1 cup almond milk

*Saute onion, shallot and garlic in olive oil until soft

*Pour into slow cooker along with potatoes, bouillon, rosemary, sage, s&p and enough water to cover

*Cook on low for 7-8 hours

*Add almond milk and blend using immersion blender

Cheesy Bread Sticks

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup wheat bran

1/8 cup ground flax

2 tbsp vital wheat gluten

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup warm water

2 1/4 tsp yeast

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves minced garlic

fresh parsley and oregano

shredded cheddar cheese

*Combine flour, bran, flax, wheat gluten and salt in a large bowl

*Pour together water, yeast, honey and oil and let sit for 8-10 minutes

*Combine both mixtures, knead for 6-7 minutes, and let rest for 10 minutes

*Roll out into a rectangle, cover and let rise for 30 minutes

*Place on a baking sheet and brush with more olive oil, and spices

*Bake at 425 for 10 minutes

*Top with cheese and place under broiler for 2-3 minutes.

*Cut into strips and enjoy ;)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We all know that I love themes, so it should come as no surprise that I made a themed meal for St. Patrick's day!  It took me awhile to find a recipe for Irish stew that didn't have a flavoured soy fake meat product as the main ingredient.  I try to feed my children as little processed food as possible.  Do they eat it occasionally?  Of course, but I try to avoid it as often as I can.  I finally found this one with tvp and lentils which automatically made it the perfect recipe for me.  I made a few modifications but just for personal taste preference.  I remember when I first became a vegetarian (my reasons made for a GREAT story, lol) I survived on pb&j on rice cakes, and a friend used to sing the praises of tvp.  Being a teenager I never wanted to try it... it was toooo weird, but now... YUM!  We love it.  I couldn't find the chunks that this recipe called for so I just used flakes, they worked out just fine.  I served it with some homemade Irish soda bread which took a lot longer to cook than the recipe said it would.  The best part about this recipe was how easy it was, perfect meal for a dreary, wet day!

 Irish Stew

2 chopped onions 

1/4 cup unbleached flour 

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup sliced carrots  

1/2 cup chopped parsnips

1 cup chopped turnips

1 cup diced celery

1 cup split red lentils 

1/2 cup fresh parsley 

1/4 cup soy sauce 

1 bay leaf 

2 teaspoons marmite 

1 teaspoon sugar 

1/4 teaspoon thyme 

1/4 teaspoon rosemary 

1/4 teaspoon marjoram 

 salt and pepper  

1 cup textured vegetable protein

*Saute onions in oil for 5 minutes

*Add flour and stir quickly

*Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30(ish) minutes

South American Black Bean Soup

Its finally seeming a little spring like here, even though everything is still buried under many feet of snow.  It was a beautiful day for opening the windows and eating a delicious bowl of soup.  I took this recipe from the same slow cooker cookbook that I take most of my Tuesday meals from 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes.  I served it with a small green salad and some pita "chips" that took less than 10 minutes to make.  The kids were upset that they hadn't thought of dipping their chips in the soup (the REASON for the chips, lol) until after they finished.  This soup could have used a little more spice but the kids may not have liked it then.

South American Black Bean Soup

Olive Oil

2 chopped onions

3 chopped celery stalks

2 chopped carrots

3 cloves minced garlic

1 chopped jalapeno

1 tsp thyme

2 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cracked black peppercorns

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 can tomato paste

6 cups vegetable stock

4 cups cooked black beans

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

chopped cilantro

*Saute onions, carrots, and celery and cook, until softened, about 5 minutes.

*Add garlic, jalapeno, thyme, cumin, oregano, salt, peppercorns and cayenne and cook for 1 minute.

*Add tomato paste and stir to combine.

*Transfer to stoneware and add stock and beans and stir to combine.

*Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

*Stir in lime juice.

*In the cookbook it says to puree the soup in batches.  I skipped this step today!

*Top with chopped cilantro

My Focaccia Bread Recipe Mix-up!

To say my children were crazy today would be an understatement.  I tried to get them settled in some quiet activity so that I could start my focaccia bread but it just wasn't working out.  Finally I had a moment and tried to decide between several different recipes.  I chose this one but was also looking a lot at this one here.  Somewhere along the line I started accidentally going between the two and didn't notice until I was almost done.  Oops!  It turned out wonderfully but it could have gone very very badly.  I'm going to blame my children for distracting me... even though I'm sure I had a little to do with it.  I made the bread to go along with a red pepper soup that we all really enjoy and a green salad.  Yesterday my friend Heather pointed out this 1 ingredient "ice cream" recipe that we ended up having for dessert.  She is my new hero.

Bell Pepper Soup

olive oil

2 chopped onions

3 cloves minced garlic

6 chopped red pepper

2 chopped green pepper

2 grated potatoes

1 tbsp cumin

2 tsp basil

red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

4 cups vegetable broth

*Saute onion, and garlic for 5 minutes

*Add peppers, potatoes, and spices and saute on low for 45-50 minutes

*Use immersion blender on low

*Add stock and bring to a boil

*Simmer for 5-10 minutes

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

1 package dry yeast

1/3 cup warm water

2 1/4 cups tepid water

 2 tbsp olive oil

7  cups all purpose flour

5 tbsp vital wheat gluten

4 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, divided
2 teaspoons coarse salt
Fresh grated romano cheese

*In a small bowl mix together yeast and warm water, let sit for 10 minutes

*In a large bowl combine tepid water and olive oil.  Add yeast mixture

*Sift in flour, wheat gluten and salt.  Fold in half of the rosemary.

*Knead for 10 minutes

*Cover with damp cloth and let rise for 90 minutes in a well oiled bowl

*Place on parchment paper and press down into 2 ovals (1/2 inch deep).  I used a rolling pin on top of the parchment paper.  Cover with damp cloth for 30 more minutes

*Cover with remaining rosemary and cheese

*Heat up baking stone in 450 oven.  Place bread on stone and bake for 10 minutes.

*Lower heat to 375 and bake 15 more minutes

Banana "Ice Cream"

5 chopped very ripe frozen bananas

*Place in food processor and mix for 6ish minutes on high

the end

Tomato Chickpea soup

I've only made this soup a couple of times now but its quickly becoming one of my favourites.  I served it with some fresh cheese biscuits (modified from a great recipe from my friend Michelle) and an avocado salad that I found online a few days ago.  Very filling!  I got the recipe originally from the Savvy Vegetarian website, it has the best vegetarian slow cooker recipes.

Tomato Chickpea Soup

1 chopped onion

4 cloves of minced garlic

a little bit of grated ginger

3 stalks of chopped celery

3 chopped carrots

7 chopped roma tomatoes

3 tsp cumin

1 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp sugar

1 can of tomato paste

1 tsp basil

2 cans of chickpeas

4 cups vegetable stock

*Saute onion, garlic, ginger, celery, and carrots until soft

*Mix in slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 8-9 hours

*Use an immersion blender or food processor and blend until slightly chunky

Cheese Biscuits

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached flour

4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp garlic and herb seasoning

*Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl

*Cut butter in with pastry cutter and add milk

*Fold in cheese and form into balls

*Bake at 400 for 15 minutes

Shannon's French Onion Soup

Yes, this was another dinner that my husband was pining for and I was really happy at how it turned out, especially how it made my house smell. I served it with a spinach salad with walnuts, apples, aged white cheddar cheese and seasoned tofu. I brought a big serving over to my neighbour and she thought it was so pretty she should take a picture. And she did! Maybe I'll post that one too.     

French Onion Soup

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

6 onions (I used 3 yellow, 2 white, 1 sweet, and a shallot)-sliced thinly

a handful of fresh sage leaves

8 cloves of garlic, minced
sea salt and black pepper
2-3 litres of veggie broth
8 sliced of good quality stale bread, 2 cm thick
grated aged white cheddar cheese
(vegetarian) worcestershire sauce

*Put the butter oil, and sage leaves in a heavy pot on very low heat

*Add onions and saute slowly for at least 90 minutes, stirring occasionally (covered)

*Add the garlic for the last 30 minutes

*Add in broth, salt and pepper, worcestershire sauce and simmer for at least 30 minutes

*Place in bowls with bread and top with cheese

*Broil until desired crustiness ;)

Lentil Love

I looked for a good vegetarian slow cooker cookbook for a long time.  A lot of them called for either too much processed foods, or had recipes that only needed to be cooked for 2 hours or so.  Neither one of those kinds worked for me.  I needed something I could leave in all day, and something with more fresh foods.  I finally came upon 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes, it isn't perfect but I think its pretty close!  This lentil soup recipe is one of my favourites.  I remember when my third child was born, I ate this soup every day for weeks!  I was lucky tonight, my Mom had just dropped off some fresh bannock to go with it!

Mediterranean Lentil Soup with Spinach

 1 cup dried green lentils

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, peeled and chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds (crushed)

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1 potato, peeled and grated (I don't bother with peeling)

6 cups vegetable stock

8 oz fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

*In a colander, rinse lentils thoroughly under cold running water.  Set aside.

*In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions, celery and carrots and cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, cumin seeds and lemon zest and cook, stirring for 1 minute.  Transfer mixture to slow cooker.  Add reserved lentils, potato and stock.

*Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on High for 4-6, until vegetables are tender.  Add spinach and lemon juice.  Cover and cook on High for 20 minutes, until spinach is cooked and mixture is hot and bubbling.