Potato and Leek Soup

Potato and Leek Soup

This recipe was too amazing not to share. We've made it twice now, the first time without carrots and the second time with. It's good both ways but I'll probably continue adding carrots whenever I make it, which will be often, because this soup is so good.

Original recipe here

Potato And Leek Soup

I didn't stray too far from the original recipe, which was already a vegan one. I changed a couple of things but it's basically the same recipe, so I can't take the credit for coming up with it, but I changed some amounts, skipped the lemon juice, and added carrots.

Another thing I did differently than the original recipe was to not puree all the veggies. Instead, I divided the soup in half and pureed half and left the other half as chunky vegetables for our chewing pleasure. I make a lot of pureed soups, like squash and cream of broccoli, but sometimes you want a little bite.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegan butter
2 small onions, diced
4 leeks, cleaned well & thinly sliced
7 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, more to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
4 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup coconut coffee cream

Step 1:
Wash and slice the leeks, chop the potatoes, carrots and onions and toss them all in a soup pot on medium high with the butter.

Sauté the veggies

Step 2:
Mince the garlic and add to the sautéed veggies along with the seasonings about a minute before adding the broth.

Step 3:
Add the broth and simmer until all the veggies are tender, about 10 or 15 minutes.

Add the spices and broth

Step 4:
Take half the soup and blend in the blender or puree in the food processor then add back to the stock pot.

Puree half and add back to pot

Step 5:
Temper the cream by adding it slowly, while stirring, to 1/2 cup of the hot soup, then add the mixture to the pot, continuing to stir it in well.

Step 6:
Serve and eat! We served our with some lovely artisan bread. So yummy!

Leek and potato soup with bread

Enjoy!!

Vegan Pad Thai

Vegan Pad Thai

This recipe is always a hit at family gatherings and potlucks and I've been asked many times to share my recipe, so here it is.

I love it because it's simple and pretty quick and very easy to make. And it's also really versatile, so you can change it to suit your own preferences.

Here's how I made the one for a recent potluck at work:

The Noodles

I guess you could use any noodles you like for this dish, like a linguine or fettuccine wheat noodle or especially any rice noodle but for best results, I stick with this type of rice noodle from a brand called A Taste of Thai. They're amazing and hold their texture so well.

A Taste of Thai Rice Noodles

How to Prepare
You don't need to boil water for these noodles. You actually just soak them in very hot tap water for 3 minutes, drain well and then add to a medium-hot skillet with sesame oil.

Vegan Pad Thai Recipe

• 1/2 cup veggie broth
• 3 onions, cut in half and slice each half
• 4 carrots, cut in half or quarters lengthwise, then chopped in 1" lengths
• 1 red pepper, cut into large chunks
• 1 lb asparagus, chopped in 1" lengths
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp black sesame seeds

Sauté the veggies and stir frequently until you can just begin to pierce the carrots with a fork (like when you know they will be done in 2 minutes) then add:

• 1 package of bean sprouts

Remove veggies from skillet once they're somewhat tender but not too soft. Then add:

• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 package of A Taste of Thai rice noodles (prepared as described above). Let cook for a minute then stir, turning noodles and let cook another minute or so, then repeat one or two more times.

Add:

• 1/2 cup tamari (or soy sauce; I use tamari because it's gluten-free)
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch of red pepper flakes

Add the veggies back to skillet and stir everything together. Ready to eat! Serve with roasted peanuts and cilantro.

Pad Thai in Skillet

Versatility

You can use pretty much any vegetable in this dish. I nearly always make it with the above plus peas, green beans and spinach or kale, but you can use mushrooms, green peppers, broccoli or cauliflower too.

You can experiment with the sauce too; change the amounts to suit your taste and amount of sauce you like. Sometimes I use Sriracha sauce instead of hot pepper flakes. I have to be careful of the amount of heat I use because it causes rosacea flare-ups. Booo.

Sometimes I add 1 or 2 tbsp of peanut butter to the sauce.

You can serve it with roasted almonds or cashews instead of the peanuts.

If you want to make a healthier version, try using tahini instead of the sesame oil (and dry-fry your noodles) and use a low-sodium tamari or soy sauce. You can also skip the honey if you're avoiding adding sugars to you diet; I'm sure it would still be fantastic, and I'm sure I will find out soon enough. Or, if you just want to make it vegan, use coconut sugar or date sugar instead of the honey.

Mock Tuna Salad (No Oil)

I've posted a recipe for Mock Tuna Salad before, but as I am currently avoiding oil I have had to modify the recipe a bit, and I thought I would re-post my new, improved, modified recipe.

Oil-free Mock Tuna Wrap

I was hesitant to even try this recipe without the mayo, and I admit, I just made it without looking at the original recipe, so it's a bit different, but it was fantastic! Filling and very satisfying. Satisfies that "I need a sammich" thing we get...

Side Note: I've been following the Engine 2 Diet since May 21, 2017 and it's been an amazing journey. I have lost 12 lbs in 3 weeks and I feel more energetic and motivated to keep going. The founder, Rip Esselstyn says, "The fat you eat is the fat you wear." Of course, plant fats such as those found in nuts, seeds and avocados are fine in moderation.

Recipe:

1/2 can chickpeas drained
Roast on baking sheet at 300 for 15 minutes then toss them into a food processor.

Add to chickpeas:
1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp ACV (with mother)
Pinch of freshy ground black pepper

Pulse a few times until chickpeas are about halfway mashed but not pureed. There should be lots of big pieces. Pour into a salad bowl and add:

1/2 carrot grated fine
3 tbsp minced red onion
1 apple chopped fine
15 green olives, minced

Stir and serve on a bed of fresh spinach in a tortilla.

Make it Gluten-Free

I am also eating gluten-free so I had mine on a gluten-free tortilla (made from rice).

Gluten-free Tortillas

I don't have an allergy to gluten, but perhaps a bit of intolerance or sensitivity and I find I feel better when I eat gluten-free. I tend to have symptoms such as bloating and gas, brain fog and lack of energy when I fall off that particular wagon, and that's no fun. Eating gluten-free is also no fun sometimes, but there are more and more options available now, and it's still worth it to keep feeling my best.

Erin's Squash Soup

Soup and bread

2014 Squash Harvest

Vegan Squash Soup Recipe

Cut in half, de-seed and roast in roast pan in 1/2 inch to 1 inch of water about 40 minutes:

• 1 Buttercup Squash – you can substitute Butternut, but it won't be as good. Trust me on this.

Saute until soft about 10 minutes:

• 1 Onion, Chopped
• 1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored and chopped
• 2 Tbsp Butter – the good kind
• ¼ Tsp Nutmeg
• ¼ Tsp Cinnamon
• ¼ Tsp Salt
• ¼ Tsp Pepper

Add to onion mixture:

• Cooked Squash
• 1 Box Vegetable Broth

Cook about 10 minutes until flavors meld. Cool and puree in food processor or blender. Add back to pot and add 1 cup of water; simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Slowly stir in:

• 2 cups cashew milk

Squash soup from homegrown buttercup squash

Minestrone Soup

Good any time of year, minestrone soup is especially good on a cold winter's day. I love it because it's hearty and filling and most of all, delicious. So good I always go for a second bowl.

Minestrone Soup

There is always so much soup in the batch that it feeds us a good two or three days, and that's having it for lunch and dinner both. When we make minestrone soup we cook the pasta separately and add it just before heating it so it doesn't get mushy.

Minestrone Soup Recipe

Minestrone is a pretty versatile soup in that you can pretty much use whatever kind of bean and whatever kind of pasta you want. You can use whatever type of vegetables you fancy too, for that matter: carrots, onions, potatoes, green or yellow beans, peas, celery, corn or cauliflower.

Here's the recipe I used for this one:

Ingredients:
1 cup dried lima beans
2 cups cooked pasta (gluten-free if preferred)
1 large onion, chopped
4 carrots, diced
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 cup frozen green beans, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1 can diced tomatoes
1.5 or 2 boxes vegetable broth
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt (or 2 tbsp tamari)

Cook the beans separately:
Rinse the lima beans under cold water, then bring to a boil in 3 or 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Turn down the heat, cover the beans and simmer them for about 45 minutes or until soft.

Healthy sauté onion and carrots in veggie broth until carrots begin to soften. Add potatoes and cook another 5 minutes. Add herbs, can of tomatoes and the rest of the vegetable broth and simmer until all the vegetables are cooked. Add cooked beans and pasta.

Bowl of minestrone soup