Cauliflower, Asparagus and Dill Soup

Appetizer, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Lighter Fare, Low Cal, Vegan, Vegetarian No Responses »

Jan 252013

Cauliflower, Asparagus and Dill Soup

I was sitting in the salon chair leafing through magazines last Friday at my hair appointment when I came across a variation of this soup in this month’s Martha Stewart Living.

The funny thing is that I also happened to be at my CSA/Farm Share – Vivian is one of the owners of KyV Farm so she is not only a hair stylist but she is also my farmer. She was a salon owner in Puerto Rico and now does hair on Fridays. Talk about a multi-talented lady! The cauliflower, green onions and garlic from this recipe are all from the farm.

This soup is creamy yet very light because of the cauliflower instead of cream base. It’s a perfect way to fill up before a meal, so for those of us trying to lose weight, this will naturally displace other calorie dense foods in your stomach. This would also be lovely to serve for a large group since it yields so much.

This soup has a creamy, smooth texture with the salty crunch of a bit of coarse ground sea salt on top; the signature tastes of asparagus and fresh dill balanced by everyone’s favorite base of onions and garlic. It is best when fresh and hot, right out of the pot. If you aren’t feeding a large group, I would suggest halving this recipe.

Cauliflower, Asparagus and Dill Soup

Inspired by Martha Stewart Living Magazine
Serves 8 1-cup servings
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe
**Items from KYV Farm

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 green onions, chopped**
3 cloves garlic, chopped**
3 small heads cauliflower with leaves on, chopped**
10oz asparagus, chopped
1 Tbsp tamari
6 cups veggie broth
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh dill

Sprinkle of coarse ground sea salt on each

Directions

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat, add onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add cauliflower and asparagus; cook an additional 5 minutes; add tamari and veggie broth; bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low; cook 20 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

2. Puree mixture with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. Add fresh dill and blend. Top with a few sprigs of fresh dill and coarse ground sea salt for garnish.

Nutrition Facts
8 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 67.5
Total Fat 2.0 g
Saturated Fat 0.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.3 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 862.0 mg
Potassium 430.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 10.7 g
Dietary Fiber 3.5 g
Sugars 1.5 g
Protein 3.3 g

Vitamin A 12.4 %
Vitamin B-6 15.1 %
Vitamin C 87.1 %
Vitamin E 4.8 %
Calcium 3.5 %
Copper 6.0 %
Folate 26.3 %
Iron 6.3 %
Magnesium 6.0 %
Manganese 15.0 %
Niacin 5.3 %
Pantothenic Acid 7.4 %
Phosphorus 7.3 %
Riboflavin 6.8 %
Selenium 2.4 %
Thiamin 7.7 %
Zinc 3.3 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

6 Satisfying Soups and a Recap of the 2012 “Know Your Vegetables” Workshop

Dairy Free, Egg Free, Farm Workshop, Favorites, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Lighter Fare, Low Cal, Main Meal, Snack, Vegan, Vegetarian No Responses »

Dec 202012

If the weather outside is frightful – hopefully these six satisfying soups will make your day delightful. Before I take a brief break from blogging until after Christmas, I leave you with some of my personal and fan favorite soups I have featured over the years.

Happy Holidays and Let it snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Florida Fall Harvest Soup

Best Eggplant & Leek Soup Ever

Rustic Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup

Chinese Five Spice Miso Soup with Shitakes and Edamame

Calming Kale, Carrot, Sweet Potato and Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup with Forbidden Rice

______________________________________________________

KyV (Know Your Vegetables) Workshop Recap 12-15-2012

KyV Farm is a local, organic farm in the North Florida area that offers a farm share/CSA. This is when a farm offers a share of their crop for a fee up front. You then get vegetables every week or every other week through the growing season – sharing in both the bounty and the risk with the farmer. There are SO many benefits to a CSA, aside from the obvious of getting a variety of veggies into your diet; it is less expensive, it is a great way to get kids involved with real food, it supports the local economy and a local business, it builds a sense of community in that area and provides a connection with the earth….just to name a few. I am sort of their self-appointed volunteer coordinator and event planner. I write recipes and help plan events because they are so busy between working the field and running the business, that they just don’t have a lot of time to do this sort of thing.

The concept of the Know Your Vegetables workshop came about from the many questions about some of the unique and interesting veggies such as kohlrabi, various greens, bok choy and watermelon radish. We received so many, that we decided to create a workshop to share information on identifying the vegetables, how to clean, store, prep and cook them.

For those of you that would like the recipes for the dishes prepared during the workshop – please click this link: Know Your Veggies 2012 Booklet

Vivian reviewed the prep and storage for each of the vegetables currently being grown at the farm….

….and I made a few recipes – including a bok choy saute, watermelon and carrot top salad, massaged kale and kohlrabi salad, roasted root vegetables and organic veggie broth.

Judging by all the munching and the scarce leftovers at the end, I should say we had great success with these recipes!

Special thanks to everyone that participated,
Heather Swoap for helping chop veggies, set-up and take-down,
Melanie Harris for providing our venue,
and Jaclyn Schweitzer for helping collect the money and check people in.

Oct 212012

Are you a Mila lover and need some recipes? This post is for you!

For those of you that are asking – what is Mila? I am 1000% passionate about this food and the company. Scroll down below this delicious gallery of recipes to find out….

Breakfast Oatmeal Cupcakes

Country Apples & Walnuts

Nutrient Packed Mila Cereal

Blueberry Pie Oatmeal with Mila

All Natural Zucchini Muffins with Mila

Mila Almond No-Blender Smoothie

Peanut Butter, Apple, Barley and Raisin Salad

Rustic Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup

Falafel-Stuffed Eggplant withTahini Sauce

Vegan Seven Layer Dip with Mila

Eggplant Leek Soup

Easy Mexican Tortilla Bake with Mila

Garlicky Bean Dip

Pear Apple Salad

Tropical Mila Crumble

There are two kinds of people in the world.

Those that want to treat their ailments with pills and pharmaceuticals that are ineffective or have serious side effects, and those that want to eat real, whole FOODS.

If you, a friend or family member is struggling with any of these issues, I have found something that may be able to help!

sleep problems
lack of energy
constipation and digestion problems
depression
excess weight
joint problems
skin issues
neurological disorders and a host of other ailments…

Even better, it’s not a mix of herbs, pill or potion, shake or powder. It’s simply a whole, raw food like apples, sweet potatoes or quinoa. It works with vegan, raw and gluten free diets.

[Tip: Go to google, type in the issue you are struggling with and Omega3's and Medical Studies - see what you can find!]

Please, please, please don’t be fooled by those folks that are representing supplements and calling them food. When have you ever pulled a leafy plant out of nutrient dense soil and seen a bunch of pills hanging off the roots?

Mila

How did I come across it? My mom has Multiple Sclerosis and it was her nurse practitioner, Megan, at her neurologist that sent me a sample – she loves to treat disease through whole foods instead of pills. After a few questions and some research, I became so impressed with the nutrition of this food that I agreed to try it out and fell in love. My mom is now eating Mila daily and the difference has been phenomenal. She can go for walks when she used to have to lay down and her energy lasts much longer throughout the day. This is the BIGGEST reason I’m now personally backing it and have even started a business that revolves around it. As for me – the first things I noticed were increased energy, even better digestion and, after three months, I was able to get off my antidepressants. Little did I know that the high dosages of these pharmaceuticals was causing my hair to fall out, so it is now growing back in crazy amounts.

Ok great, so what is Mila?

It’s a special blend of raw seeds that are cleaned and sliced to make them super easy for your body to suck up all the nutrients.

Gram per gram comparison.

This seed blend has 2x the potassium of bananas
6x more calcium than milk
More antioxidants then blueberries
2x the fiber of bran flakes
15x more magnesium than broccoli
4x more selenium than flax seed
6x more protein than kidney beans
9x more phosphorous than whole milk
8x more omega 3s than salmon
3x more iron than spinach

The FIBER in Mila is what helps with weight loss. AND, it absorbs tons of water to help you feel full and regulate blood sugar. As for the other ailments – it has 3000 mg of plant based Omega3′s and that is the key!

Talk about a PERFECT food to get tons of nutrition into our kids. Especially for busy moms like myself.

It is the best fuel for workouts. Do me a favor, next time you go to eat a protein bar, mix up a shake, eat something with a name like “goo”, read the ingredients. How many ingredients are there? Do you know what each ingredient is? No? Then why are you putting that in your body?!

Ask my fellow yogi, ultra-runner and friend Jen Vogel who just finished a 508 mile bike race a few weekends ago! No that is not a typo. Yes 508 miles. She rocks. You go Jen!

Mila is also amazing for pets!

According to Dr Guy Arad, Veterinarian “I am a passionate Veterinary Practitioner with special interest in orthopedic surgery, critical care and cardiology who nurtures the human-pet bond. I love using Mila in my patients, as I see a dramatic improvement in cases of arthritis, recovery from orthopedic surgery, weight loss, skin diseases, diabetes, GI diseases and more. Mila is the healthiest whole raw food and best vehicle of Omega 3s. It is easy to introduce to our companions’ diets, as it has no taste or odor.”

It’s got lots of backing from the medical world.

Dr. Bob Arnot, Dr. Gutierrez, Dr. Clement, Dr. Ford, Dr. Lamm are all behind this little seed.

In comparison to standard organic bulk bin chia, Mila wins out, hands down, every time. See this new research showing that this open blend is better than whole seed. I did a bunch of research to convince me of this but the reason I’m so confident is that I used myself as the guinea pig. In fact, I had been eating both flax and bulk bin chia daily and never noticed a difference until I began eating this seed blend.

Want to try some for yourself? Click here.

Supporting the small farmer is what it’s all about. REAL FOOD is what it’s all about. As you may already know, I’m all about promoting health and nutrition – hence all the CSA/farm share events I do. I volunteer to do that because I LOVE it and I want to make not only my family, but your family healthier too. This company gives back to the farmers that grow this seed along the equator. “The long-term World Vision consists of a program, called Farmer In A Box™, that will educate families and villages to sustain themselves by teaching them to grow the healthiest whole, raw food for themselves. Our access to this extraordinary seed gives us the opportunity to affect the well-being of those all around the world. Our goal is to not only change their health but also create an economical infrastructure for the benefit of their future generations.”

Find out even more reasons I have fallen in LOVE <3 with the company. Click here to watch a short movie.

I’ll admit, at first I was skeptical, but from what I’ve learned since I started this business in May, never have I met a more genuine and supportive leadership group and corporate support/customer service group. This movie was actually filmed to be part of another video and the emotional parts were to be edited out – but when the owners watched all the footage they changed their mind. The stories are what it’s all about, so they decided to bear their hearts and just let it all hang out.
My own experience. I have had to call in to customer service several times – once for an event I had WAY overpaid on accidentally. A real person answered the phone and they refunded my money on the spot – no questions asked. Why can’t all companies be like that?

For so many years I have wanted to start my own business so I can eventually work for myself. Should I open a food truck? Have a farmers market store front? You name it, I thought of it. When I found this food and the business behind it, I jumped at the chance. It may not be for you, but it could be huge. Do you want the next three years to look like the last three?

I am 1000% passionate about this food and the company. Questions? Contact me at chefdawn@hotmail.com

Calming Kale, Carrot, Sweet Potato and Bean Soup

Dairy Free, Egg Free, Favorites, Gluten Free, Lighter Fare, Low Cal, Native Sun Recipe, Quick and Easy, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian 4 Responses »

Oct 022012

Kale, Carrot, Sweet Potato and Bean Soup

I am convinced that most of what is thrown at us in life is to teach us something – to teach us an appreciation for what is to come. Why does this happen? Because if it came easily then we wouldn’t really appreciate it when we got to our destination. Every experience, the struggles, the unknown, and the anticipation, are part of the joy of reaching our goals. Instead of feeling despair and desperation, we need to celebrate where we are and make peace with it but at the same time keep sharp focus on our aspirations.

There will be bumps in the road that will try and derail us, but we need to hold fast to those things that we seek, put the “bumps” behind us and leave them there. Don’t dwell on the bumps. In fact, we NEED those bumps because otherwise we are like the child that is given everything he could ever want and more. When he does get that thing he wants, it took no work and in fact, it doesn’t even make him happy. He just asks, well where is the next thing?

How am I supposed to make peace with where I am now?
By stopping to smell the flowers. Enjoy and have grattiute for the little things in your life now. Maybe you have your health, there is a roof over your head, you can see a beautiful sunset, your home has running water or you step into a pair of fuzzy slippers each morning. Whatever it is, stop. Think. Be thankful.

The moral of this story is; the path to true happiness is to make peace with where you are now but to not lose site of your purpose; continue driving along but stop every now to enjoy some fuzzy slippers. And when you hit that bump in the road, let it go, and make calming soup. I promise you will feel better.

Carrot, Kale, Sweet Potato and Bean Soup

Calming Kale, Carrot, Sweet Potato and Bean Soup

Serves 4, about 1 ½ to 2 cups each.
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe
**Items on sale now at Native Sun Sept 7-Oct 6^th

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
½ small onion
2 large carrots**
1 sweet potato
2 cloves garlic
4 cups (1 carton) vegetable broth, for salt free use homemade
1/4 tsp Cajun Seasoning
2 cups cooked red kidney beans (or 1 14.5oz can, rinsed and drained)**
3 curly kale leaves
Optional 1 cup cooked white beans

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a stock pot over medium high heat; chop onion, carrot and sweet potato; remove kale leaves from stem and chop stems; mince garlic finely. Add vegetables to heated oil and sauté until softened. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning; add vegetable broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are soft but not mushy, about ten minutes. Chop kale and stir in chopped kale leaves and beans. Simmer about two to three minutes or until kale is softened.

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 197.3
Total Fat 4.3 g
Saturated Fat 0.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.6 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 1,393.1 mg (to cut back on this use home made salt free broth)
Potassium 620.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 32.9 g
Dietary Fiber 10.3 g
Sugars 4.1 g
Protein 8.4 g

Vitamin A 384.1 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 12.7 %
Vitamin C 78.3 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 7.2 %
Calcium 11.1 %
Copper 18.3 %
Folate 19.3 %
Iron 15.9 %
Magnesium 13.5 %
Manganese 39.9 %
Niacin 6.5 %
Pantothenic Acid 3.8 %
Phosphorus 14.9 %
Riboflavin 12.0 %
Selenium 3.7 %
Thiamin 13.2 %
Zinc 6.5 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The Best Eggplant – Leek Soup Ever!

Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Lighter Fare, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian 2 Responses »

Aug 242012

Eggplant Leek Soup recipe at the bottom!

_______________________________________

There were a few things about growing up in Massachusetts that I wouldn’t trade the world for.

Cape Cod

I got to bring my baby there back in 2009. Yikes – my hair was not at its best that day, but my daughter sure looked psyched.

I think I was about 8 lbs heavier then than I am now

(thank you to my plant based diet and Mila!).

The marsh – Sandwich Cape Cod that I used to jump off this bridge at high tide in the summers.

My mom’s best friend Martha.

Mom, My daughter and Martha

After having tons of pregnancy problems prior to having my daughter, including a loss at 8 months pregnant with my first baby and two miscarriages, I made a “Vision Board”. I pasted a photo of a healthy baby girl and a picture of a baby in Cape Cod. I dreamed of bringing her back home to Cape Cod to visit.

Both came true!

Martha got to meet her in 2009!

We flew up to visit when my daughter was 10 months old and stayed at her cottage on the Cape where she lives in the summer and in Louisiana in the winter.

Each morning while visiting I would push my daughter in her stroller on the short walk to the ocean in the cool morning air. I love the weathered shingles, hydrangea and smell of the salty sea.

I’m so thankful for my best friend Jenny; she is the one of the only friends I keep in touch with, other than on facebook, from my childhood.

You have already met her in this post, remember? She came down for a visit in July.

The house I grew up in. It looks WAY different. Someone came in and bought it and made major renovations adding the front entryway there and the whole addition above the garage and we had a glorious garden off to the right.

It used to be “the white house with yellow shutters”.

Number 9……

The house I grew up in.

……and Jenny’s house was number 4, so we could run to each other’s house to play.

I’ll admit I don’t miss the long, cold winters, but there were many memories I treasure and experiences I’m so thankful for.

It was Jenny that told me about this recipe. Martha makes it in huge batches and freezes it.

I can see why it’s Jenny’s favorite soup…..eggplant, garlic, onion, leeks and red wine give this soup a hearty texture and flavor but it’s actually super light!

I guestimated at the serving size but this makes a lot.

For those of you Mila lovers out there, this is PERFECT to stir Mila into. Simply stir 2 Tbsp into your bowl of warm soup.

What is Mila?

Mila is an organically grown, non-genetically modified blend of chia seed that is cold pressed and sliced to make it more bio-available.

It is RAW, GLUTEN FREE, AND VEGAN, perfect for cooking and baking.

It is super high in OMEGA 3s – equal to 6 to 10 fish oil pills per serving.

A single serving also has FIVE GRAMS OF FIBER, more antioxidants than blueberries, more iron than spinach and many more benefits.

This little seed has anti-inflammatory properties, is excellent for brain function, energy, elimination, sleep and the best part? It’s a FOOD!

Try some for yourself – Here!

Eggplant Leek Soup

Inspired by my mom’s best friend Martha

Serves 8 – 10

Vegan, Gluten Free

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 Tbsp avocado oil, or oil of choice
1 large leek, chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 onions sliced
2 lg. for 4 small eggplants diced, skin on
1Tbsp chopped garlic, (about 4 lg cloves)
1 can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 bay leaf
1/2 Tbsp salt, or to taste
1 dash red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp Earth Balance Butter
3/4 cup red wine
3 cans vegetable broth
1Tbsp fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 T cocoa power
Juice of 1 lemon

Optional
2 Tbsp Mila per serving

Directions

1. Preheat a pan over medium high heat. Add 2 Tbsp oil; sauté leeks, onions, eggplants and bell pepper until softened, about 7 minutes; add garlic, saute an additional 2 minutes; add all ingredients except cocoa powder, Earth Balance butter and lemon juice; reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes to 1 hour. Add butter and cocoa powder; cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes; stir in lemon juice; purée until smooth.

Nutrition Facts
8 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 162.4
Total Fat 6.8 g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.6 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 862.8 mg
Potassium 542.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate 21.6 g
Dietary Fiber 5.5 g
Sugars 3.4 g
Protein 3.0 g

Vitamin A 19.0 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 16.5 %
Vitamin C 44.7 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 3.0 %
Calcium 5.4 %
Copper 10.2 %
Folate 15.4 %
Iron 10.6 %
Magnesium 11.0 %
Manganese 31.5 %
Niacin 6.6 %
Pantothenic Acid 5.1 %
Phosphorus 7.3 %
Riboflavin 5.4 %
Selenium 2.0 %
Thiamin 9.0 %
Zinc 3.0 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

With 2 Tbsp Mila
Calories 232
Fat 10g
Chol 0.0mg
Sodium 862.8mg
Fiber 10.5g
Protein 6g

Wine Down Wednesday – Rustic Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup

Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Lighter Fare, Six Ingredients or Less, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian No Responses »

Jun 062012

Florida Coastal Cooking

Welcome back to Wine Down Wednesday where I review a vegan dish paired with two different wines from Broadbent Selections.

To pair wines with a meatless dish we must look at the spices and main flavors of the recipe.

In this case we look at the rich, ripe tomato and roasted garlic.

The rating info:

Categories

Category #1 – How well my dish turned out.

Category #2 – How well I like the wine.

Category #3 – Pairing notes – How well this wine pairs with the dish.

Rating Scale

Bleck -This wine is pretty bad.

Ho Hum- I could drink it if I was at a football game and there was nothing else in the cooler.

Nice -Good table wine. I would keep this in the wine cooler if it was a good value.

Yum – This is good, I would pay a fair bit more and have it for a special occasion.

Damn that’s Good – Self explanatory.

** We will use the same terminology for how the dish turned out and how well it paired.

Category #1 The Dish

Rating of Yum

I chose this Rustic Roasted Tomato Soup when my friend Melanie, a fellow KYV Farm member, posted photos of her version of tomato soup on facebook. Thanks for the idea Melanie!

Fresh tomatoes are one of the best things about summer – they taste best warmed by the sun and straight from the vine. The ones I used were no exception as they were directly from local farms, Wendy’s Organic Herbs and KYV Farm.
One thing I learned with this recipe is that it takes a lot of fresh tomatoes to make a tomato soup.
1 lb fresh = about 4.7 oz or 1 cup cooked so you’ll need two full pounds. This versatile soup would also would be awesomeover pasta or in any instance you would use a tomato sauce. I left out the oil because I felt it just didn’t need it. Keeping it simple, only a little salt, let the tomatoes do the talking.

Category #2 The Wines

Casa Ferreirinha, Esteva Douro 2010, Portugal rating of YUM

Casa Ferreirinha, Esteva Douro 2010, Portugal

Ferreira is known as “the Portuguese Brand” due to the high quality and recognition. After one taste I could see why; this wine was smooth and silky and had lots of fruit. The deep, rich color was beautiful. I drank the wine only a bit chilled, to about 60 degrees and it was the perfect red for drinking on the patio.

Musar Jeune Rose, 2010, Lebanon Rating of YUM

Musar Jeune Rose, 2010, Lebanon

Possibly because my new favorite wine is a dry rose, I found this one very appealing. It was light and refreshing – I tasted raspberry and strawberry. Perfectly drinkable for the heat of summer.

Category #3 The Pairing
Casa Ferreirinha, Esteva Douro 2010, Portugal rating of YUM
This wine goes well with richer meat based dishes, dinner salads and pasta so pairing it with this tomato based soup and roasted garlic was a perfect match. In fact, the wine made this soup seem luxurious and filling, though in reality it is actually very light.

Musar Jeune Rose, 2010, Lebanon Rating of Damn That’s Good
As I said in the review above, this dish IS very light. If you are having a tapas party and this is one of your choices, or you just want a light lunch, this rose is a perfect pairing. It will highlight that sweet fresh taste of the ripe tomatoes and remind you of summer. Mouthwatering!

Where to buy

All the wines will be for sale locally at the Grotto in San Marco. You can contact Mitch Woodlief, grottomitch@aol.com with questions and pricing and anyone outside the Greater Jacksonville area can contact E-MAIL: info@broadbent.com PHONE: US +1 415-931-1725.

Mila

If you are a Mila lover, or want to try and aren’t sure how to eat it, this is the perfect solution. I simply mixed my serving of 2 Tbsp into my dish, stirred and enjoyed. It did change the texture a bit by making it thicker, but the taste of the Mila is so mild that the tomato still shone through.

Mila has tons of Omega 3′s, fiber, calcium, iron and all kinds of other goodies. Try it for yourself by clicking here.

Rustic Roasted Tomato Soup

Rustic Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup

Serves 4 1/2 cup servings

Vegan, Gluten Free

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs of fresh tomatoes, skin left on, quartered (I used KYV Farm and Wendy’s Organic Herbs) This will cook down to about 2 cups.
1 bulb garlic
2 onions, sliced (I used KYV Farm)
Salt, to taste
2 cups vegetable broth (salt free, such as Vivian’s)

Optional
Fresh basil for garnish (I used Wendy’s Organic Herbs)
Fresh toasted bread of choice (Gluten free, if gluten allergy)
8 Tbsp Mila

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray two baking sheets with cooking spray; add tomatoes, onions and sprinkle with salt. Cut the top of the garlic off and wrap in foil; add to one of the baking sheets with tomatoes. Bake 1 hour.

2. Heat broth in medium pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Add roasted tomatoes, onions and 3 cloves of the roasted garlic, reserving the rest for another use. Cook 1 minute. Using an immersion blender, pulse until just combined. Stir in 2 Tbsp Mila per soup bowl if desired, and top with fresh basil.

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 42.3
Total Fat 0.4 g
Saturated Fat 0.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 593.1 mg
Potassium 323.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 9.5 g
Dietary Fiber 2.0 g
Sugars 0.0 g
Protein 1.6 g

Vitamin A 14.1 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 8.2 %
Vitamin C 24.3 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 2.4 %
Calcium 1.8 %
Copper 5.7 %
Folate 6.2 %
Iron 3.6 %
Magnesium 4.3 %
Manganese 10.6 %
Niacin 3.9 %
Pantothenic Acid 3.4 %
Phosphorus 4.4 %
Riboflavin 3.8 %
Selenium 1.4 %
Thiamin 5.9 %
Zinc 1.4 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Think eating healthy is too time consuming? Try my Zucchini and Squash Soup for Lunch!

Dairy Free, Egg Free, Low Cal, Quick and Easy, Six Ingredients or Less, Tips, Vegan, Vegetarian No Responses »

Jun 032012

Happy Sunday Quick Post.

_____________________________

Think that eating healthy takes too much time? This recipe is perfect for anyone in a rush AND anyone that wants a really light meal. In fact, I took this photo on my phone at work since I hadn’t planned on blogging this. After the previous day of big meals at both lunch and dinner I wanted something super light.

Adding broth and added veggies adds lots of volume for minimal calories, helping to both fill you up and loose weight.

Try this if you have frozen zucchini, squash and beans, a can of soup and some broth.

Super Fast Zucchini and Squash Soup

Zucchini and Squash Soup

Serves 2

Vegan

Ingredients

1 can vegetable barley soup, such as Amy’s

1 cup veggie broth

1 cup frozen zucchini and squash

Directions

1. Divide the soup between two bowls; add 1/2 cup broth and 1/2 cup frozen zucchini and squash to each bowl. Heat to desired temp.

Nutrition Facts

2 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 79.0
Total Fat 1.1 g
Saturated Fat 0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 581.1 mg
Potassium 148.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 14.9 g
Dietary Fiber 3.6 g
Sugars 6.2 g
Protein 2.7 g

Vitamin A 52.3 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 6.2 %
Vitamin C 36.0 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 0.3 %
Calcium 4.8 %
Copper 1.4 %
Folate 4.1 %
Iron 7.1 %
Magnesium 2.4 %
Manganese 4.9 %
Niacin 1.4 %
Pantothenic Acid 0.9 %
Phosphorus 2.1 %
Riboflavin 4.7 %
Selenium 0.2 %
Thiamin 1.8 %
Zinc 1.1 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Wine Down Wednesday – Sweet Corn and Pattypan Squash Chowder

Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Lighter Fare, Low Cal, Main Meal, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian No Responses »

May 022012

Welcome back to Wine Down Wednesday where I review a vegan dish paired with two different wines.

To pair wines with a meatless dish we must look at the spices and main flavors of the recipe – In this case, the Vinadloo spices – a mixture of coriander, garlic, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne, mustard, black pepper and cloves.

Broadbent Malbec and Tierra De Antes Chardonnay

I chose this dish because pattypan squash and fresh, sweet corn are just coming into season in North Florida. I was amazed at how the chowder actually tasted like a cream based chowder – and growing up in New England, I know my chowder. This dish would be great with a wide variety of spices – keep it simple with some salt and pepper, try herbs such as thyme and rosemary, or, if you like Indian flavors, you’ll love this Vindaloo version.

Sweet Corn and Pattypan Squash Chowder

The Wines chosen to pair are:

Broadbent Malbec and Tierra De Antes Chardonnay.

Broadbent Malbec, (Mendoza, Argentina)

The Malbec grapes for this wine are grown in the desert-like conditions of Argentina and are irrigated with mountain spring water that flows through a series of canals that date back to the Pre-Columbian Incan Empire. Broadbent’s description is, ” This Malbec is fresh with delicious fruit character, spicy plum notes and a silky and seductive finish.”

Tierra De Antes Chardonnay, 2010 (Mendoza, Argentina)

The Tierra De Antes vineyards are planted in Barrancas, Maipú & Mendoza in Argentina. There is a portion of the Chardonnay that spends 8 months in oak. The emphasis of this wine is the fresh, tropical fruit character that Chardonnay can achieve in a moderate to warm climate as found in and around the Mendoza region in Argentina. An article in the Washington Post lists this wine as an excellent palate cleanser or “party white”

The rating info:

Categories

Category #1 – How well my dish turned out.

Category #2 – How well I like the wine.

Category #3 – Pairing notes – How well this wine pairs with the dish.

Rating Scale

Bleck -This wine is pretty bad.

Ho Hum- I could drink it if I was at a football game and there was nothing else in the cooler.

Nice -Good table wine. I would keep this in the wine cooler if it was a good value.

Yum – This is good, I would pay a fair bit more and have it for a special occasion.

Damn that’s Good – Self explanatory.

** We will use the same terminology for how the dish turned out and how well it paired.

Category #1 – The Dish

Rating of YUM – This soup is super fresh and creamy – though there is no sugar in this dish, the coconut milk and corn give it a mild sweetness and the Vindaloo is a bit spicy from Cayenne. This is perfect for spring or the start of summer.

Category #2 – The Wines

Broadbent Malbec – Rating of YUM

Juicy! Buttery! Raisin and stone-fruit flavors. Delicious with the perfect body and sweetness – the down the middle of the road - not too heavy and not too sweet – I would definitely buy this one again.

Tierra De Antes Chardonnay – Rating of Ho Hum

This wine was to mild and light it didn’t appeal to me. The body was too thin for me and, though I tasted tropical flavors, it didn’t win me over. In the context of the aforementioned article that listed this wine as a great ”palate cleanser” or “party wine” this would work well.

Broadbent Malbec and Tierra De Antes Chardonnay

Category #3 – The Pairing

Broadbent Malbec – Rating of Damn That’s Good

Though I’m not as much of a fan of red wines any more, the Malbec definitely won out – the buttery texture was really nice with the creamy soup. It balanced the dish out beautifully.

Tierra De Antes Chardonnay – Rating of Nice

The wine with the dish was a bit better. It enriched the sweet corn flavor in the chowder and was nice and cool with the warm spicy soup.

Where to buy

All the wines will be for sale locally at the Grotto in San Marco. You can contact Mitch Woodlief, grottomitch@aol.com with questions and pricing (please call prior to heading over to ensure they are in stock) and anyone outside the Greater Jacksonville area can contact E-MAIL: info@broadbent.com PHONE: US +1 415-931-1725.

Sweet Corn and Pattypan Squash Chowder

Serves 6

Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 large sweet onion, diced

1 Tbsp Vindaloo seasoning (or curry powder)

2 cups yellow squash, I used summer squash and pattypan squash (I used KYV Farm)

1 about 3 to 4 fresh ears, kernels removed, or one 10-oz bag frozen sweet corn

1 14-oz can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
with Green Chiles, drained (I used Muir Glen Organic)

3 cups salt free vegetable broth, ( Iused Vivian’s Vivacious Vegetable Broth)

Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

½ cup nutritional yeast
1 14-oz can light coconut milk

Optional Toppings

Fresh Cilantro or Culantro

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a stockpot over medium high heat. Add onion and sautee about 7 minutes or until soft. Add Vindaloo seasoning, squash and corn; cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, salt and pepper (if needed), bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, about 10 to 15 minutes or until squash is soft; stir in nutritional yeast and cook an additional minute. Remove from heat and stir in coconut milk.

Nutrition Facts
6 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 134.9
Total Fat 3.9 g
Saturated Fat 1.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.8 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 103.7 mg
Potassium 479.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate 20.7 g
Dietary Fiber 5.0 g
Sugars 3.9 g
Protein 8.1 g

Vitamin A 7.1 %
Vitamin B-12 88.7 %
Vitamin B-6 329.4 %
Vitamin C 30.0 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 1.7 %
Calcium 2.5 %
Copper 6.7 %
Folate 48.3 %
Iron 7.5 %
Magnesium 9.2 %
Manganese 11.6 %
Niacin 191.7 %
Pantothenic Acid 8.8 %
Phosphorus 17.5 %
Riboflavin 382.5 %
Selenium 22.1 %
Thiamin 431.6 %
Zinc 17.2 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Wine Down Wednesday – Black Bean Soup and Forbidden Rice with PARES BALTA Ros de Pacs and CRASTO Douro Red

Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, High Protein, Main Meal, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian 3 Responses »

Apr 042012

Welcome back to Wine Down Wednesday where I review a vegan dish paired with two different wines.

To pair wines with a meatless dish we consider the spices and main flavors of the recipe. For black bean soup we need a wine that nicely compliments Bragg Liquid Aminos, chili powder and cilantro.

The wines chosen to pair.

PARES BALTA Ros de Pacs 2011, (Penedes, Spain)

PARES BALTA Ros de Pacs 2011, (Penedes, Spain), is a family owned organic winery about half an hour south of Barcelona. The winemakers are two young women, Maria Elena Jimenez and Marta Casas. Pares Balta has a National Park as part of its land holdings, the vineyard photo below is of a clearing in the park. Pares Balta has their own colony of bees to pollinate the vines and a flock of sheep to eat weeds in the vineyards and provide a natural compost. These vineyards have never seen chemicals. I have decided I must visit this winery. It is definitely right up my alley. You go Maria and Marta. Girl power!

A clearing at the winery – beautiful.

Parés Baltà

CRASTO Douro Red 2009, (Douro, Portugal)

CRASTO Douro Red 2009, (Douro, Portugal) is from Quinto do Crasto whose vineyard dates back to the 17th century. A few of their grape varieties are soon-to-be organic! The grapes are primarily farmed on these picturesque terraces.

The grapes are both fermented in this state of the art part of the winery and they also crush grapes the old fashioned way - by foot! Because the foot has padding whereas stainless paddles don’t, it’s a much gentler way to extract the juice.

My friend Gregg from Broadbent who is providing the wines.
A little yoga and wine. Tough day at the office, poor guy.

As an update to two previous wine posts, I actually had the privilege of meeting Adi, the wine maker of the BADENHORST ‘Secateurs’ Chenin Blanc 2011, (Swartland, South Africa) and BADENHORST ‘Secateurs’ Red 2010, (Swartland, South Africa). Gregg brought him to our yoga class and, amazingly, he held up pretty well – he didn’t pass out or leave. We figure it’s because he must wrestle lions in Africa.

Nothing like a photo after a 90 minute heated power yoga class.

BLACK BEAN SOUP WITH FORBIDDEN RICE

Black bean soup is such a comfort food that you would never guess how healthy it is. It is filling and flavorful with the saltiness from the Bragg Liquid Aminos (tastes like soy sauce), creamy cool avocado, and super fresh cilantro. This is a SUPER simple recipe and, if using leftover rice, will take you less time than it takes to go get fast food. I love quick and easy meals!

Categories
Category #1 – How well my dish turned out.
Category #2 – How well I like the wine.
Category #3 – Pairing notes – How well this wine pairs with the dish.

Rating Scale
Bleck -This wine is pretty bad.
Ho Hum- I could drink it if I was at a football game and there was nothing else in the cooler.
Nice -Good table wine. I would keep this in the wine cooler if it was a good value.
Yum – This is good, I would pay a fair bit more and have it for a special occasion.
Damn that’s Good – Self explanatory.
** The same terminology will be used to rate the dish and how well it paired.

Category #1 – The Dish
Rating of Damn That’s Good
After my last experience with an E2 diet recipe, I knew I needed to add a little bit of fat. I added a tablespoon or two of olive oil and added and amended a few ingredients. The result was absolutely delicious. I was unsure how the Liquid Aminos would taste in a black bean soup, but I loved the saltiness with the tang of soy. The avocados and cilantro really cooled the soup down. Next time I might actually make this spicy although this time I abstained because my three year old isn’t too keen on cayenne. I added the forbidden rice because I had it on hand – it was perfect because it mirrored the hearty texture of the black beans.

Category #2 – The Wines

PARES BALTA Ros de Pacs

PARES BALTA Ros de Pacs -Rating of YUM. It both looks and tastes like strawberries. I LOVE the color – like cherry red lipstick. It has a very light body and would be perfectly refreshing on a hot day.

Crasto Douro Red

CRASTO Douro Red 2009- Rating of YUM (but possibly higher if I was a “red” girl like I used to be.) I loved the color of this one as well – a deep purple/burgundy. My first thought was a really light port and come to find out, it is made from the same varieties that are used in a Port wine, but it is fermented dry and not fortified.

Category #3 – The Pairing
Rating of Damn that’s Good for the Pares Balta highlighted the avocado and cilantro flavors and, during the meal the berry flavor intensified. It was really refreshing.
Rating of YUM for the Crasto along with the black beans made me think of coffee, chocolate and mole sauce. If you like a rich red wine, this is perfect.

Where to buy

Black Bean Soup with Forbidden Rice

Inspired by E2 Black Beans and Rice

Serves 4, 1/2 cup beans and 1/2 cup rice

Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups cooked black beans (of using canned, be sure to rinse and drain well)
1 to 2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup canned, undrained fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp braggs liquid aminos or gluten free tamari or soy sauce
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 cups cooked forbidden rice or brown rice

Garnish
1 avocado, seeded and cubed
Fresh diced tomatoes (from KYV farm)or extra fire roasted tomatoes
Lost of fresh cilantro (from KYV farm)
Fresh lime juice (about one lime)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a small pot, sauté onion about five minutes; add garlic, sauté an additional minute. Add black beans, vegetable stock, tomatoes, liquid aminos and chili powder. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes, or thickened to your taste.

2. Serve black beans over rice; top with 1/4 avocado, a dollop of diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 394.5
Total Fat 16.0 g
Saturated Fat 2.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.1 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 566.7 mg
Potassium 362.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 70.1 g
Dietary Fiber 23.1 g
Sugars 2.6 g
Protein 15.1 g

Vitamin A 13.7 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 7.3 %
Vitamin C 24.9 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 4.6 %
Calcium 8.4 %
Copper 2.1 %
Folate 2.6 %
Iron 20.4 %
Magnesium 2.1 %
Manganese 6.7 %
Niacin 1.2 %
Pantothenic Acid 0.7 %
Phosphorus 2.4 %
Riboflavin 1.6 %
Selenium 1.0 %
Thiamin 2.0 %
Zinc 1.1 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Forbidden Rice and Indian Spiced Lentils

Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Main Meal, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian No Responses »

Apr 022012

Forbidden rice is a black/purple, nutrient dense heirloom rice – with lots of vitamins and amino acids. But the real reason to try this rice is the taste and color. When cooked it becomes a gorgeous dark eggplant color that makes a striking presentation, perfect for a special occasion. I got this in the bulk bins at my local natural food store, Native Sun, for $3.89 per pound. (Not bad when you consider how many people a pound of dry rice would feed.)The taste is nutty with a touch of natural sweetness and the texture is firm and dense – like that of sticky rice used in sushi rolls. In fact, it is sometimes used as a replacement for the sticky white rice.

If you can’t get your hands on forbidden rice, simply sub anything you have on hand. It will still go perfectly with the warm, chewy lentils with that hint of aromatic curry. Next time I will be making a double batch as I had this for lunch, dinner and lunch the next day.

Also on sale I found this interesting coconut vinegar. Since I love all things coconut and have saved quite a bit since deciding to forgo meat, I decided to splurge and try it. This is not necessary for this dish but I added a splash and really enjoyed the hint of coconut in the background. Another thing you could try is to stir in a bit of coconut milk at the same time you add the parsley.

Forbidden Rice with Indian Spiced Lentils

Slightly Adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Serves 4
Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 Tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
3/4 of one onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 cup yellow split lentils (or any lentils you prefer), rinsed well
2 cups vegetable broth
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tsp coconut vinegar (optional)

Forbidden Rice

1 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 cup forbidden rice
1/4 of one onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cups vegetable broth
Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat EVOO in a medium pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute three minutes or so; add forbidden rice, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 50 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

2. Heat EVOO in a second medium pot over medium high heat. Add onion, saute about five minutes; add garlic and curry powder, saute 2 minutes; add lentils, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes or until lentils are soft to your preference. Remove from heat, stir in parsley and coconut vinegar. Divide rice and lentils evenly into four dishes. Garnish with additional parsley if desired.

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 244.9
Total Fat 11.4 g
Saturated Fat 1.4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 7.6 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 84.4 mg
Potassium 286.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 30.7 g
Dietary Fiber 6.0 g
Sugars 0.7 g
Protein 7.7 g

Vitamin A 13.0 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 8.1 %
Vitamin C 21.2 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 7.3 %
Calcium 3.5 %
Copper 8.3 %
Folate 26.7 %
Iron 17.0 %
Magnesium 7.0 %
Manganese 19.4 %
Niacin 3.6 %
Pantothenic Acid 3.8 %
Phosphorus 10.8 %
Riboflavin 3.2 %
Selenium 3.0 %
Thiamin 7.1 %
Zinc 5.6 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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