I grew up with my mom making this soup and it makes me happy when ever I go over to my mom's house and she is making it. I now have a family that loves this soup too! I am making it tonight and thought others might want to also. Perfect on a day like today!
Vegan Potato Soup
1 medium onion chopped
1 lg. shallot chopped (you can substitute garlic 2teaspoons)
1 rib celery chopped
1 lg. carrot chopped
2 lg. leeks chopped
2 medium baking potatoes
1 tea. salt
1/2 tea. white pepper (you can use black it just looks like you have nats in your soup)
4C. Veggie stock
Saute onion, shallot (or garlic) for 5 mins. until tender and golden brown. Add leeks, carrots and celery cover and let sweat for 15 mins on low heat. Add potatoes, salt, pepper and 1.5Cups of the stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 more mins. Transfer soup to a food processor and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan and add the balance of the stock simmer for a few mins. Makes enough for 6...I would recommend at least doubling it. This soup freezes great.
When I was little I always had this soup with a grilled cheese. Now, I toast a crusty piece of bread. It's a comfort food with nothing bad in it... ENJOY!!!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
New Findings!
I have a friend who has been a vegan for years now and has helped me with my questions of what certain things are and then through research I have found some information of these thing.
Nutritional Yeast- Has a nutty cheesy flavor. It's a deactived yeast that contains B-12. Which is awesome for vegans because we need B-12.
How would you use it?
My friend suggested sprinkling it over hot popcorn. (delish) You can take a spoonful and put it in your pasta sauce, sprinkle it on some garlic bread.
You can buy it at Cornucopia in the bins.
Himalayan Salt- All the recipes I have been reading lately calls for Himalayan Salt and I have been wondering what that is. I just bought it today and came home and did some research on it. Himalayan salt is the purest form of salt that you are going to find. Basically, saying it's the least processed. It is very alakine and has extreme health benefits. I will just list a few of those health benefits.
1. Promoting a healthy PH in your cells
2. Absorbtion of food particles throughout your intestines.
3.Regulatin water content throughout your body.
4.Regulating your sleep and promotes sleep.
5.Prevention of muscle cramps
6.Raises you Libido
7. In conjunction with water it regulates your blood pressure.
These are just a few of the health benefits.
Tamari- This goes along the same lines of a soy sauce. It is made with more soy beans than soy sauce resulting in a smoother, more balanced flavor. Soy sauce is combined with soybeans and wheat. For those people that can't have wheat, tamari has little to no wheat. Depending on the brand really depends of the wheat content, but you can get wheat-free tamari.
Tahini- paste ground of sesame seeds. Can be used to thicken soups or salad dressings. Can be used as one of the main ingredients in hummus. Great used as a condiment for vegetables.
Hope this helps anyone that like me had not a clue on what these things were!
Nutritional Yeast- Has a nutty cheesy flavor. It's a deactived yeast that contains B-12. Which is awesome for vegans because we need B-12.
How would you use it?
My friend suggested sprinkling it over hot popcorn. (delish) You can take a spoonful and put it in your pasta sauce, sprinkle it on some garlic bread.
You can buy it at Cornucopia in the bins.
Himalayan Salt- All the recipes I have been reading lately calls for Himalayan Salt and I have been wondering what that is. I just bought it today and came home and did some research on it. Himalayan salt is the purest form of salt that you are going to find. Basically, saying it's the least processed. It is very alakine and has extreme health benefits. I will just list a few of those health benefits.
1. Promoting a healthy PH in your cells
2. Absorbtion of food particles throughout your intestines.
3.Regulatin water content throughout your body.
4.Regulating your sleep and promotes sleep.
5.Prevention of muscle cramps
6.Raises you Libido
7. In conjunction with water it regulates your blood pressure.
These are just a few of the health benefits.
Tamari- This goes along the same lines of a soy sauce. It is made with more soy beans than soy sauce resulting in a smoother, more balanced flavor. Soy sauce is combined with soybeans and wheat. For those people that can't have wheat, tamari has little to no wheat. Depending on the brand really depends of the wheat content, but you can get wheat-free tamari.
Tahini- paste ground of sesame seeds. Can be used to thicken soups or salad dressings. Can be used as one of the main ingredients in hummus. Great used as a condiment for vegetables.
Hope this helps anyone that like me had not a clue on what these things were!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Recipes...
When I first started on my quest to be a vegan, I was eating some pretty boring food. I would sit down for dinner with brown rice and broccoli, thinking I am never going to make it eating this food everyday. I had gotten in a rut in the first few days of starting ( I actually think that I started in a rut). Not exploring any creative options and only doing what I knew. I think that is what diets have always been to me, ruts that don't ever get better. All I do is think about food on a diet, thinking about the food that I am not suppose to eat. I finally convince myself that I can have a bite of something that is bad and yummy all in the same bite and then it's over. I have fallen off the diet wagon and from that point on my diet is over.
I made a decision to be a vegan for 30 days. I figured that I could do anything for 30 days and so I started. I wasn't eating any meat, animal protien, dairy, white flour, sugar or caffine. I am a couple weeks over my 30 days commitment and have decided I am going to take this day by day. I honestly have never felt better and this is something that I want to inspire others to feel as great as I do and enjoy a healthy eating lifestyle. I have come up with some staple recipes that keep me going in the right direction.
Here are a few of them:
Plain Granola
All my recipes arent measured out completely bc I kind of just throw stuff in as I go. So, I will try to give you the correct measurment.
4 C. Oatmeal (not instant)
1 or 1.5 C. Almonds (sliced)
1 C. Coconut (shredded)
Cinnamon to taste
Put on a stovetop
1 C. Honey
1/2C. peanut oil (this tastes much better than vegetable oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat the honey and peanut oil until have really mixed together and then add your teaspoon of vanilla.
Pour over the oatmeal mixture and mix until everything is pretty wet. Spray pan and put in oven at 350 degrees. Stir every 5 mins for 25 mins or so. Take out when brown and and let cool. If it is a little to chewy for you put back in oven but remember to stir. Cool completely before storing.
Sun dried Tomatoes
Take your tomatoes and deseed and core them. Then cut them up into pieces and spray your pan. Sprinkle salt over them before putting them in the oven and put them in the oven at 200 degrees. Depending on how many tomatoes you use, depends on the amount of time. Mine took 5-6 hours.
Pesto
This is my most favorite thing that I eat with the homemade sun dried tomatoes.
2 C. Fresh Basil
2 teaspoons minced garlic or 2 cloves
1/2 C. Pine nuts (they say you can use almonds also if you dont have pine nuts. I have never done this.)
Put in a blender and slowly pour olive oil in until the consistancy of pesto. Salt to taste.
Make some whole wheat pasta with pesto and sun dried tomatoes. YUMMMM!
Quick 30 second Salsa
3/4 of a can large tomato sauce
1 yellow can el pato (in hispanic aisle)
2 large slices of red onion
1 bunch of cilantro
Put everything in a blender except for cilantro. Mix together and add cilantro in the end and blend for a few pulses.
You can add chopped tomatoes and red onion if you like chunky salsa.
I use this salsa on quesadillas. I make myself cheeseless ones but my family has cheese.
Veggie Quesadillas
Zuchini
Black beans or pinto
Cheese (for my husband)
Guerro whole wheat tortillas or corn tortillas
I cut the zuchini in spears and sautee them in a little olive oil and season. I use a seasoning that has everything combined, but this is what is in it. Salt, garlic, onion and light with the red chili flakes. Sautee until you can put a fork in them, but not too easily. You still want some crunch to them. Put beans and zuchini and (cheese if you are eating dairy) in your whole wheat tortillas and grill them. Then mash up some avocado season it with some salt and garlic powder and serve with the quesadilla and salsa. What I do if you don't have cheese is I fold one grilled tortilla in half filled with the veggies and beans and then dip in the sauce.
Here are some recipes to try. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I am not use to writing my recipes down, so there might be something that doesn't make much sense. Remember, nothing tastes as good as being thin feels. And this is a double bonus because you are eating amazing tasting food and losing weight all at the same time!
I made a decision to be a vegan for 30 days. I figured that I could do anything for 30 days and so I started. I wasn't eating any meat, animal protien, dairy, white flour, sugar or caffine. I am a couple weeks over my 30 days commitment and have decided I am going to take this day by day. I honestly have never felt better and this is something that I want to inspire others to feel as great as I do and enjoy a healthy eating lifestyle. I have come up with some staple recipes that keep me going in the right direction.
Here are a few of them:
Plain Granola
All my recipes arent measured out completely bc I kind of just throw stuff in as I go. So, I will try to give you the correct measurment.
4 C. Oatmeal (not instant)
1 or 1.5 C. Almonds (sliced)
1 C. Coconut (shredded)
Cinnamon to taste
Put on a stovetop
1 C. Honey
1/2C. peanut oil (this tastes much better than vegetable oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat the honey and peanut oil until have really mixed together and then add your teaspoon of vanilla.
Pour over the oatmeal mixture and mix until everything is pretty wet. Spray pan and put in oven at 350 degrees. Stir every 5 mins for 25 mins or so. Take out when brown and and let cool. If it is a little to chewy for you put back in oven but remember to stir. Cool completely before storing.
Sun dried Tomatoes
Take your tomatoes and deseed and core them. Then cut them up into pieces and spray your pan. Sprinkle salt over them before putting them in the oven and put them in the oven at 200 degrees. Depending on how many tomatoes you use, depends on the amount of time. Mine took 5-6 hours.
Pesto
This is my most favorite thing that I eat with the homemade sun dried tomatoes.
2 C. Fresh Basil
2 teaspoons minced garlic or 2 cloves
1/2 C. Pine nuts (they say you can use almonds also if you dont have pine nuts. I have never done this.)
Put in a blender and slowly pour olive oil in until the consistancy of pesto. Salt to taste.
Make some whole wheat pasta with pesto and sun dried tomatoes. YUMMMM!
Quick 30 second Salsa
3/4 of a can large tomato sauce
1 yellow can el pato (in hispanic aisle)
2 large slices of red onion
1 bunch of cilantro
Put everything in a blender except for cilantro. Mix together and add cilantro in the end and blend for a few pulses.
You can add chopped tomatoes and red onion if you like chunky salsa.
I use this salsa on quesadillas. I make myself cheeseless ones but my family has cheese.
Veggie Quesadillas
Zuchini
Black beans or pinto
Cheese (for my husband)
Guerro whole wheat tortillas or corn tortillas
I cut the zuchini in spears and sautee them in a little olive oil and season. I use a seasoning that has everything combined, but this is what is in it. Salt, garlic, onion and light with the red chili flakes. Sautee until you can put a fork in them, but not too easily. You still want some crunch to them. Put beans and zuchini and (cheese if you are eating dairy) in your whole wheat tortillas and grill them. Then mash up some avocado season it with some salt and garlic powder and serve with the quesadilla and salsa. What I do if you don't have cheese is I fold one grilled tortilla in half filled with the veggies and beans and then dip in the sauce.
Here are some recipes to try. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I am not use to writing my recipes down, so there might be something that doesn't make much sense. Remember, nothing tastes as good as being thin feels. And this is a double bonus because you are eating amazing tasting food and losing weight all at the same time!
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