Corn & White Bean Chowder

Today the temperature dropped and with the cold front came strong, gusty winds. When my commutes get chilly, I find myself needing soup for dinner when I get home! Before Christmas it was pea soup (Peas, onions, spices, blend. Couldn't be easier!) but today I decided that I just had to have corn chowder. I chose to add white beans to thicken the soup instead of potatoes because white beans are a good source of complete protein. These thick pureed vegetable soups are a little heartier than your traditional vegetable soup, and they feel more satisfying while still providing a rainbow of micronutrients. Best of all, they couldn't be any quicker or easier. Just microwave some frozen vegetables & puree!

Soups are just so hard to make look pretty...

Corn & White Bean Chowder

1 can white beans
1 cube vegetable bullion
1 large onion
3c water
2.5c sweet corn
1T garlic
spices to taste (I used garlic, onion, paprika, & black pepper. Basil would also be nice)
Optional: 1-2T cornstarch for thickening

1. Chop onion.
2. Microwave onion and frozen corn until warm (~5 minutes).
3. Meanwhile, drain & wash beans.
4. Add all ingredients to large food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.

Enjoy with some crusty bread and a salad for a good dinner!

Cheesy Mushroom Soup

While thinking about making food for the Superbowl this year, I became obsessed with the idea of vegan nacho cheese made from carrots. Sadly, this could not come to fruition because I didn't have potatoes on the day of the game. Fortunately, a couple days after the game, my husband came through with some potatoes for me so I gave it a go. And Oh. My. Goodness! It's not nacho cheese, but it is really, really good. Rather than dipping, I found myself going at the dip with a spoon. In a moment of genius (as I was trying to restrain myself between bites), I realized that I had mushrooms in the fridge. The one and only food I miss as a vegetarian is a delicious beef burger topped with with mushrooms and swiss cheese. (Yes... red meat and cheese, definitely the healthiest omnivore food, I know!) This taste is hard to recreate, but I knew that by pairing this delicious cheesy liquid with mushrooms, I had a chance. I sautéed up the mushrooms with some onions, garlic, and black pepper and mixed it in with my cheese sauce. So freaking good! Only one bowl made it to a bowl on my first trial of the recipe... I'll be making this creamy, cheesy, mushroomy goodness again soon!

Not a looker, but man this soup is good!

Cheesy Mushroom Soup

6 large carrots
4 potatoes
2 onions
Garlic, paprika, and salt to taste
2 cubes vegetable bullion
1/4c apple cider vinegar
1/2c nutritional yeast
2 packages (8oz) mushrooms
2 more onions
more garlic & black pepper to taste

1. Peel & cube potatoes. Slice carrots and onions.
2. In a large microwave safe bowl,  add 6c water, carrots, potatoes, and onions. Microwave on high until vegetables are tender. (~10 minutes depending on microwave)
3. Meanwhile, wash and slice mushrooms and additional onions.
4. In a large soup pot, sautee mushrooms and onions with garlic & black pepper, until tender. I use water to prevent sticking.
5. When your microwave bowl is done, transfer the water and vegetables to food processor/ blender. (Do it in batches or use an immersion blender.) Add bullion, garlic, paprika, and salt. Process until smooth.
6. Add contents of blender to your mushrooms and onions in the soup pot. Stir in apple cider vinegar and nutritional yeast.
7. Add water to thin (if you desire) and enjoy!

Tomato Basil Soup

There's nothing more comforting than a grilled cheese sandwich coupled with a warm, creamy bowl of tomato soup. Trader Joe's Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper soup is incredible and has long been a staple in my cupboard. Consequently, it one of the things I was most disappointed to learn included milk when I started to cut down on my dairy intake. Dairy inhibits iron absorption and I also found that I'm really sensitive to my hormone levels and the extra hormones found in dairy are very unwelcome. I've spent a long time trying to find a way to balance the acidity of the tomatoes without the use of milk and believe me, it's tough! I'm not a big fan of cooked tomatoes by themselves, and I found that soy and almond milk add too much of their own flavor, and sometimes even precipitate out due to the acidity. Recently, I discovered that adding chickpeas to soup can add a nice smooth flavor. So I figured I'd give a tomato chickpea soup a go. Coupled with the familiar flavors of basil and garlic, this soup is a success! I hope you give it a go the next time you're craving tomato soup.

Tomato Basil Soup

3 cans diced tomatoes, no salt added
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2c water
1 bunch fresh basil
1T garlic or 1 clove
sea salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Food process until smooth. (I used my new Ninja blender for this and it turned out great!) Transfer to the stove and heat. Serve warm, alone or with your favorite grilled cheese. (Yes, it goes well with toasted cashew cheese sandwiches too!)

Friendship Soup & Hot Cocoa

Sorry I missed the post yesterday! I'll confess... I thought this little DIY in the kitchen blogging bit was going to be extra fun, but instead it turned stressful! From now on, I'm going to keep blogging about what I do and like best... cooking purposeful food. And I'm also going to start talking a bit more about training and recovery because that's fun too. This week, I was so overwhelmed with things that I didn't even have the time to make my dinner soup... I bought my soup pre-made from Trader Joe's. Gasp! But anyways, I'm always one to finish what I started so here are my last two ideas, along with some links for other ideas I might try. I'll leave the write up to someone else though!

Today's idea is to take your repurposed jar and fill it with dry ingredients that look pretty and your recipient can easily turn into something delicious with the addition of water and/ or a few other simple ingredients. I chose to make jars of Friendship Soup and Gourmet Hot Cocoa.

Also, the chance to win is still available! Head over to Wednesday's post & comment so that you don't miss out. Your chocolate cinnamon sunflower seeds are waiting!

Friendship Soup

3/4c split peas
3/4c barley
2T garlic
1T sage
2T parsley
2T basil
3/4c red lentils
3/4c rice
4 cubes bullion

Layer the ingredients in the jar in the order above, tapping the jar after each addition to make sure that no settling will occur (just like packing a column, organic chemists. ha!). If you're using a smaller jar, scale back amounts accordingly. The spices will form the green middle layer you see above. You can also add some dried onion flakes if you have them. After adding the rice, add the bullion cubes on top and close the jar. Add a note that reads: "Add all contents to 10 to 12 cups water. Bring to a boil for 40 minutes. Add 1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables and additional spices to taste. Enjoy!"

Gourmet Hot Cocoa

1/2c brown sugar
1/2c unsweeted cocoa powder
3 candy canes, fully crushed in a coffee grinder (Peppermint Hot Cocoa)
                 or 1T cinnamon, 1T chili powder (Mexican Hot Cocoa)
mini-marshmallows to fill the jar.

In a bowl, mix cocoa, sugar, and spices of choice (I tested both options and can vouch for their deliciousness!). Add to a clean, repurposed jar. Fill the rest of the jar with mini marshmallows. Attach a note that reads "Add 3T mix to warm milk. Enjoy!"

My DIY gift-making station, still many more to go! Mexican hot cocoa and peppermint hot cocoa are front and center.

Other ideas:
- These brownies would be fun in a jar, if you add ground flax seeds instead of eggs. Just add oil and water!
- I bought some empty oil & vinegar bottles at the dollar store as well as some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I'm going to add fresh sun dried tomato, basil, and garlic to the oil and apples, cinnamon, and garlic to the vinegar. These will be great for dipping bread, marinates, or salad dressing!

And for the kiddies:
-Fizzy Bath Bombs
-Boo-boo bunnies
-Play-dough (this gift can be amped up if you add in small plastic cookie cutters and a small/ pastry rolling pin!)
-Gingerbread house kits (Use graham crackers, make up some icing, and buy some cool candy for decorating)

Enjoy! Back to our normal discussions next week, whew!

Butternut Chickpea Soup

As soon as the weather becomes remotely cold, I start eating soup for dinner. I usually get home from lab sometime around or after 9pm and the last thing I want to do before having dinner is fuss with a bunch of ingredients. Soup keeps well in the fridge and warms me up after a cold day in my office or a frosty ride home. Soups like this one, that are high in protein are especially nice because they serve as a "one pot wonder" where your vegetables and protein are conveniently combined into one dish. That way, I only have to worry about heating and eating one thing before I can think about bed! (or doing core, calling my fiance, fixing my bike... all the things that I guess are the reason normal people leave work at 5pm)

This soup has a nice smooth flavor from the butternut squash and chickpeas. I spiced it with cinnamon, chili pepper, garlic, and a touch of maple syrup. I made this soup with butternut squash, because I accidentally picked up an extra bag of the frozen cubed stuff at the super market. This could easily be made with pumpkin too!

Butternut Chickpea Soup

1/2 bag frozen cubed butternut squash
1 can chickpeas
3c water
cinnamon, crushed red pepper, garlic, and maple syrup to taste

Defrost the butternut squash in the microwave. Transer to food processor with chickpeas and spices. Food process until smooth. Transfer to large pot and add water. Bring to a boil. Taste test and add any extra spices you need. Enjoy! This recipe makes about 3 bowls, so if you want more, double it!

White Chili

Chili is delicious, but I've made the red chili already this season at least half of a dozen times. So this weekend, I decided that I would shake it up a bit and try to make a chili that was spiced with black and white pepper, rather than red. I had a few potatoes left from a giant bag I bought a few weeks ago and had been wanting to find a recipe for some yellow split peas, so I decided that I'd try to make a white chili. And it turned out well!

My white chili has yellow split peas, white beans, potatoes, butternut squash, and a base of cauliflower. I was really excited to use the yellow split peas because they are a source of complete protein, as are the white beans! Split peas also are a good source of oxalates and are known to stabilize blood sugar, like other legumes. I use pureed cauliflower as a base because of the antioxidants and other benefits of cruciferous vegetables.

White Chili

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 bag frozen cauliflower
1/2 bag frozen cubed butternut squash
1/2 bag frozen sweet white corn
1c dry (~2c cooked) split yellow peas
1c dry (~2c cooked) white beans
3.5c water
1 cube vegetable bullion
black and white pepper
smoke seasoning
garlic
dash basil and cinnamon
nutritional yeast to top

1. Cook the split peas and white beans by boiling them in a large pot of water or in the crock pot. This can take upwards of an hour, so have something else handy!
2. Microwave the cauliflower until tender. Transfer to food processor and process for a minute or so, it doesn't need to be completely smooth.
3. Peel and cube potatoes.
4. In a large soup pot, add the 3.5c water and dissolve the bullion cube. Add pureed cauliflower, corn, and potatoes.
5. Add spices and peas/ beans when they are ready.
6. Let cook until potatoes are tender, and flavors are infused.
7. Serve warm with a dusting of nutritional yeast. Enjoy!

Seitan Stew

Today's recipe calls for two unusual ingredients: Vegemite and seitan. I ordered some Vegemite last spring because it is highly recommended by one of my MIT cycling teammates who is Australian and very fast. Wanting to be very fast, I ordered some hoping that it was her secret to speed. Then I was at a loss as to how I should use it. Vegemite is a dark brown yeast extract spread that is rich in many of the B vitamins, magnesium, and potassium, and is definitely an acquired taste. Finally, I read somewhere that Vegemite could make a killer vegan broth that was almost beef-like and I knew what I was going to do with it! I got a little bit faster without it this season, we'll see if I get super fast now that I am incorporating Vegemite into my diet.

The next strange ingredient is seitan. Seitan is quite literally wheat meat: it is concentrated vital wheat gluten, the protein that tends to cause a wheat sensitivity. Naturally, this stuff is off limits to people allergic to gluten, but for the rest of us it offers an interesting high protein vegan meat substitute. Wheat protein is low in the essential amino acid lysine, but all of the essential amino acids are there, making this a good choice occasionally when you're looking for something with a meaty texture. 1/4c dry makes a generously sized "cutlet" and contains 120 calories, 0.5g fat, 23g protein, and 10% of your daily value of iron. It also absorbs flavors very well, making it an excellent choice for incorporation into a vegetarian stew. If you are allergic to gluten, I would highly recommend trying this recipe with dried giant white lima beans. They are a complete source of protein, taste more like white beans than lima beans, and will absorb the flavor of the stew well!

Seitan Stew

For the Sietan
2/3c vital wheat gluten (you can find it on Amazon or at Whole Foods)
2/3c water
1T ground sage
1T parsley
1t garlic
1t black pepper
(OR 1c dried Giant White Lima Beans)

For the Stew
2 scallions
2 celery stalks
3 carrots
2 potatoes
1 can diced, no salt added tomatoes
1T Vegemite (you can find it on Amazon)
sage, parsley, garlic, and black pepper to taste
~4c water

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine ingredients for the seitan. Once the dough starts to cling together, kneed it a few times.
2. Meanwhile, combine tomato paste, Vegemite, sage, parsley, garlic, and black pepper with two cups water in the bottom of your crock pot. Whisk to combine.
3. Add can of tomatoes.
4. Slice and add celery and scallions and add to crock pot.
5. Peel the potatoes and carrots. Cube/ slice and add to crock pot.
6. Add additional water to fill your crock pot 3/4 full. Pull small lumps off of your seitan dough and add them directly to the stew. Stir to combine every few lumps so that they don't end up sticking together.
OR! To make this gluten free, wash your died beans well and add them directly. Add extra spices to the broth.
7. Fill your crock pot the rest of the way with water.
8. Cover and cook on high for ~8 hours (overnight or while you are at work/ school for the day)
9. Come home to a delicious smelling, warm supper!

Sweet and Spicy Three Bean Chili

With the cold front upon us... it's now chili season! Today I'm sharing a basic three bean chili recipe and highlighting red kidney beans as a Laudable Legume. In 1/4c dry, you can find 9g of protein, 9g of fiber, and 17% of your daily value of iron. The protein in kidney beans is even a complete source of all 9 essential amino acids! It's also a good source of folate and thiamin (two B vitamins), as well a plethora of other essential minerals. Legumes have also been shown to be effective for the long term stabilization of blood glucose levels. One thing to be careful about with kidney beans, is that there is a compound called phytohaemagglutinin that is in a higher concentration, which can be toxic. If you cook your own kidney beans, please be sure to boil them first to denature that toxin! Kidney beans are the one bean that I will use cans rather than dried.

As the weather turns colder, I love to make up a pot of chili to share with my friends. It's also a great recipe to double or triple and freeze up lunch-sized portions to take with you for lunch for the week or the future when you don't have time to cook. I'm never upset when I find that I have chili that I've forgotten about. My favorite part about chili though, is that it's a great crock pot recipe. You can throw all of the ingredients in the pot in the morning and when you get home from work, you have a warm, tasty dinner waiting for you. Plus your kitchen will smell amazing! There are many food to eat with chili, but my favorite accompaniment is cornbread. Yum!

Sweet and Spicy Three Bean Chili

5 cans diced tomatoes

1/2c dried black beans, cooked (or 1 can)

1 can kidney beans

1/2c dried beans of choice, cooked (I used leftover giant lima beans)

1c sweet yellow corn

1t maple syrup

sriracha sauce, chili powder, garlic, turmeric and cinnamon

Combine ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for up to 8 hours. Enjoy the luxury of coming home to a warm dinner!

Cornbread

1c whole wheat flour

1c cornmeal

2T brown sugar

1T baking powder

1t cornstarch

1T ground flax seed (pre-soaked in 3T warm water)

1/4c olive oil

1c water

Mix dry ingredients, and then add wet. Bake at 425F for 25 minutes.

Harvest Cheddar Apple Potato Soup

For me, fall weather means a few things: time to start base training for next summers racing, time to be cold for a few months, and time to start making soup! I love eating soup when there's a chill in the air because it helps me combat the second truth of cold season: that I will be cold. This morning was just gorgeous for a ride, with my fingers and toes bundled up, of course! With temperatures expected to be in the 60s today, today was pleasant. Tomorrow a cold front comes through, so I'm preparing by making this soup!

This soup combines a smoky cheddar flavor with apple and potato to make an unforgettable fall soup! Potato cheddar soup is a classic, but I decided to add in granny smith apples for the contrast of their lovely tart flavor. White potatoes have been getting a bad rep these days, but actually they have a ton of worthwhile nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin B6, iron, and potassium. Additionally, they make a wonderful creamy base for a soup without the cream. Hope you enjoy this soup!

Harvest Cheddar Apple Potato Soup

3 medium potatoes
4 medium apples (I like granny smith for their tart flavor)
3c water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1/2c nutritional yeast (or you can use real cheddar cheese)
garlic
black pepper
smoke seasoning

1. Skin and cube all 3 potatoes and two of the apples. Cut into small cubes and put in a pot of water. Bring to a boil and let cook until potatoes and apples are soft.
2. Cube the remaining two apples.
3. Drain potatoes & apples. Food process until smooth.
4. In a large pot, combine water, bouillon, pureed apples and potatoes, and nutritional yeast/ cheddar. Add uncooked apple chunks and garlic, black pepper, and smoke seasoning to taste. (This is also great done in a crock pot for a few hours, to really let the flavors come together.)
5. Serve warm, using extra apples as a garnish if you please!

Just passing by Mystic Lake on my ride this morning...

Green Soup with a Protein Punch

I decided that the highlight of last weekend's birthday feast (vegan chocolate cake with fudge filling and vegan buttercream icing, served with homemade blackberry coconut vegan ice cream) is worth a Friday post. So today I'll tell you about one of my quick, cheap, and nutrition packed weeknight dinners.

The weather's been getting cold awfully quickly up here in Boston. Just last week I was wearing my Birkenstocks and today I was forced to wear a jacket and gloves. The worst part about the impending doom of winter is the dark. One night earlier this week, I was very sad about this as I was peddling home from lab, cold and in the dark. Fortunately, I was greeted by a very welcome sight when I walked into my apartment. I had started split peas in the crock pot before I left for work that morning!

Now, before you hate on split peas, consider this...  pea protein is one of the best vegetarian sources of protein! The 9 grams of protein found in just 1/4c contain a full complement of amino acids, including significant amounts of branched chain amino acids and the essential amino acid tryptophan, which is relatively sparse in vegan protein sources. (Essential amino acids are so called because your body can not make them on its own, thus they have to be consumed.) The best part about this recipe though is that the entire pot of soup can be made for less than $1!

Green Soup with a Protein Punch (aka Split Pea Soup)

1c dried split peas ($0.50)

1 cube bullion ($0.20)

1 scallion ($0.10)

3c water

garlic

turmeric (the main component of turmeric is curcumin, which is a potent anti-inflammatory agent... there will be more on this powerhouse this later) 

salt 

pepper (spices all probably less than $0.10)

cilantro & nutritional yeast to garnish

Total: $0.90!!

1. Rinse split peas. Place in crock pot full of water on high and let is cook all day while you are at work/ school/ whatever it is you do.

2. Once the split peas are cooked and soft, drain the split peas and wash. (The fuzzy, bubbly stuff on the top is what gives you gas from beans, so make sure to wash them well!)

3, Add peas to food processor with bullion, scallion, dashes of garlic and turmeric, and salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 cup water and food process until smooth.

4. Add split pea mixture to large pot. Add additional two cups of water (more or less to taste). Heat while stirring. It will bubble and make you feel like you are preparing a witch's brew!

5. Garnish with nutritional yeast and garlic. Serve warm and enjoy!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's delicious chocolate cake and blackberry ice cream post!