Chick Pea & Quinoa Soup

It's that time of year again when soup is- and should be- a mainstay in everyone's diet. It's quick and easy to make, warming and filling, and just plain yummy. Soups in general are one of those things that I don't understand why people buy the canned stuff. I mean, it's probably one of the easiest things to make and is definitely one of the most flexible "recipes" to play with... you can make as much or as little as you like, and it usually holds up well as leftovers.

Chick Pea & Quinoa Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 sm. onion, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
2 med. carrots, diced
1 tsp. herbes de Provence
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper, to taste
2 Tbs. tomato paste (feel free to use any other form of tomatoes; I've made this soup with diced tomatoes which turned out quite well)
1/2 cup quinoa
1/4 cup red lentils *optional
1 (14-ounce) can chick peas, drained & rinsed
2" piece of Parmesan rind
2 cups veggie broth (feel free to use chicken broth if you're so inclined, also feel free to use more liquid- I like a thicker finished soup)
1 cup butternut squash, diced
1 sm. bunch of kale, shredded

Directions:
In a large pot over medium heat, saute the onion/celery/carrots in olive oil until slightly soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add in all of the spices and tomato paste, stirring to coat, and continue to cook for another minute before adding the quinoa, red lentils (if using), chick peas, Parmesan, and broth. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes before adding in the butternut squash and kale. (Note: I like to wait to add these so they retain some shape and color in the finished soup, but by all means, add them with all the other vegs if you'd prefer.) Continue to simmer until the quinoa has bloomed, and the kale has wilted down, another 10 minutes or so. Fish out the bay leaf and Parmesan rind before serving.

Enjoy!

Lentil & Sausage "Stew"

"stalking" his prey...

Yes, I realize that the last recipe I posted was another lentil favorite... but this time of year, the produce available just screams to paired with lentils of any variety. ;)  Besides, if you don't like it, you can just go read something else... lentil hater. *shakes head sadly*

I suppose this would work well as a soup if you added much more liquid than I used, but I really like the texture of this dish as is; just enough liquid that you need to use a spoon instead of a fork. Maybe "stew" isn't quite the right word, but I'm going to stick with it unless someone has a better suggestion.

Even Micha was desperate to get his face into my bowl, so I must have done something right with this particular lentil recipe... because everybody knows that a cat has an incredibly discerning palate, um, right?

Lentil & Sausage "Stew"

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 rib of celery, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced (canned with the juice would be good too)
2 links hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed, crumbled
1/2 cup of lentils (I used just plain ol' brown lentils)
2 cups of liquid (I used chicken stock 'cause I already had an open carton)
1 cup butternut squash, diced (pulled straight from the freezer this time)
2 cups of kale, torn (I usually have this in the freezer, too, but used fresh today)
splash of acid of choice (lemon juice, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar) *optional
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

... going in for the kill...

In a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, saute the vegs (except kale & squash) in olive oil until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the turkey sausage and cook for another 4-6 minutes or until the sausage is mostly browned and the vegs have softened further. Stir in the lentils and liquid of choice, cover, and reduce heat to a low. Simmer on low until most of the liquid has absorbed, about 20-25 minutes, before adding the butternut squash, kale, salt & pepper. Cover slightly, and simmer for another 8-10 minutes. By this time, nearly all of the liquid should be absorbed. Add a splash of something to brighten the flavor- I used a shot of red wine vinegar- remove from the heat, and allow to stand, covered for at least 10 minutes before diving in... licking the bowl clean is definitely recommended, but optional I guess.

Enjoy!

*Cook's Note: These lentils were even better the next day! The remaining liquid had all but completely absorbed, making the lentils super creamy in texture. Yum!

Veg(etari)an Red Lentil & Tomato Soup with Kale

A far cry from my mother's bland lentil soup, this red lentil soup has become one of my favorites to make. I keep the spices fairly subtle, but feel free to boost the amounts as you like. Also, I've tried adding spinach instead of kale, but it just doesn't hold up quite as well.

Veg(etari)an Red Lentil & Tomato Soup with Kale

Ingredients:

chick peas are pretty good with this soup

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 cup butternut squash, diced *optional (I always have this in the freezer so it's easy to throw in and I like the color and sweetness it adds to the soup)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. curry powder
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup of red lentils
1 (15-ounce) can of tomatoes with the juice (dealers choice on whole vs diced- soup gets puréed so it doesn't really matter)
4-6 cups veggie stock (chicken stock is good too, if you don't care about it being vegan/vegetarian) *the amount of liquid you use depends on how thick you want the soup to be- use more for a looser consistency, less for a thicker one
salt to taste
1 big bunch of kale, torn

Directions:
In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, sautée the vegs and spices in olive oil until fragrant and slightly softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the lentils and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add in the tomatoes with their juice as well as the stock (I usually go with 4 - 4 1/2  cups for a thicker soup- it's easy to add more liquid if it's too thick), raise the temperature to bring to a boil, then drop the heat once more to a simmer and cook, slightly covered, for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils and vegs are tender. Remove from the heat and fish out the bay leaf.

Purée the soup using an immersion blender (one of my all time favorite kitchen tools!) or, if you're not lucky enough to have one of these nifty gadgets, use a blender or food processor and carefully purée it in batches. (Just remember that hot liquids can explode out of your blender if you put too much in and don't allow the steam to escape... um, not that I would know that first hand or anything...)

Once the soup is puréed to your desired consistency (you can always add in some more liquid at this point if it's too thick), add in salt to taste as well as the kale. Return to a low heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes or so, just until the kale has wilted and softened, but remains green. This soup is fantastic as is, but feel free to add in some chick peas for another hit of protein, and maybe garnish with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. It freezes beautifully if you actually have leftovers.

Enjoy!

Happy Friendsgiving!!!

Thanksgiving is, by far, my favorite holiday of the year. Why? The food, of course!

Having ditched my birth family years ago, I don't have "family obligation" holiday meals to suffer through which means I get to cook everything myself, exactly the way I like it. Now, despite the fact that I had to work on Thanksgiving Day and was too tired to come home and cook anything- let alone the full monty- this year was probably the best Thanksgiving I've had in years because I was able to share it with friends... and my friends are more important to me than pretty much any of the folks out there with whom I share a genetic link. You see, I am of the opinion that family is what you make of it... and I have a pretty cool family, if I do say so myself. And I'm pretty sure Kailan would agree with me since he had an awesome time playing- and begging for food- with his friend Tater Tot. :)

So what did we eat? Well, I spent a chunk of Saturday getting a jump start on the Friendsgiving Day feast I had planned, so to that end, I made a salted caramel apple pie (mostly) from scratch which was a first for me. Because I really don't enjoy making pastry dough, I see nothing wrong with using the pre-made, refrigerated pie dough. However, that doesn't mean I can't make the filling myself (no canned pie filling here!) and it was surprisingly easy.

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

salted caramel apple pie... all that was left

Peel and core 6 cups of apples (I used a mix of granny smith and golden delicious) and slice into 1/4" pieces before tossing them with 2 Tbs. of fresh lemon juice. Meanwhile, in a large heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium-high heat, cook 2/3 cup of sugar until it melts and turns dark amber, swirling occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 6 Tbs. of butter and 1 Tbs. of heavy cream, swirling to combine. Return the sauce pan to the stove over medium heat and add the apples, stirring to coat in the caramel. Cook the apples until softened, about 3-5 minutes and remove from the heat once more before stirring in 2 Tbs. of AP flour and 1 tsp. of sea salt. Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the pie dough from the fridge and bring to room temperature while the oven is preheating, about 15-20 minutes. Once the dough is room temperature, press one crust into a 9" glass pie dish before dumping in all of the apple mixture. Top with the remaining crust and cut several slits in the top to allow the steam to escape during baking. Now, I like to put my pies on a baking sheet for easier handling as well as to catch any drips if the pie bubbles over while it's baking... but you don't have to. Although, I'm pretty sure you're an idiot if you don't, but whatever. Put the pie on the middle rack and lower the heat to 375 degrees. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until the pie is golden brown. You may need to cover the pie crust with foil in the last 10-15 minutes of cooking to prevent over-browning, but surprisingly, I didn't need to this time. Cool the pie for at least an hour before cutting into it and enjoying the salty sweet goodness. Mmmmm....

In addition to the pie, I also made (vegan) sweet potato gnochi which was a first for me. Because I wanted to make sure they would be a success, I needed to do a trial run with them first so once I made the dough, I cooked up a small batch- definite success!- and ate them for dinner. Again, these were surprisingly easy to make, although I have to admit that I'm not a fan of working with sticky dough and these certainly fell under that heading.

(Vegan) Sweet Potato Gnochi

vegan sweet potato gnochi dough

Bake 2 pounds of whole sweet potatoes (2-4 potatoes, depending on size) in a 425 degree oven for 45-55 minutes until fork tender. Set aside until cool enough to handle then slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out all of the flesh into a large bowl, discarding the skins. While the potatoes are still warm, mash them (I just used a fork) with 1 tsp. of salt, 1 tsp. of nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp. of black pepper. Once the sweet potato mash has cooled, stir in 3-4 cups of AP flour in 1/2 cup increments, stirring after each addition until the dough reaches a rather sticky consistency but comes together to form an actual dough. (I think I used a little more than 4 cups, actually.) Once the dough comes together, divide it roughly into 6 parts. On a floured surface, roll out each part of the dough into ropes about 10-12 inches long and about 1/2 inch in diameter. I can't stress this part enough: Make sure you've got plenty of flour on your work surface AND your hands because this shit is sticky! Flour a knife and cut the ropes into 1 inch pieces, pressing each piece gently with the tines of a (floured!) fork to make decorative ridges.

... sauteed in vegan butter

Once the gnochi are formed, you can either cook them right away or store them in the fridge (for up to 3 days) or in the freezer (for up to 1 month). To cook them, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Dump in about 20 gnochi at a time and reduce the heat to a simmer, cooking the gnochi until they float to the top, about 4 minutes. Transfer the floating gnochi to a separate pan over medium heat and saute them in butter (or vegan butter as the case may be) with your favorite herbs (I used sage and thyme), turning them every minute or so to brown/crisp all sides. It's a bit of a process having to cook them in batches, but it's totally worth it...

So the rest of the meal, I put together on Sunday. To ease myself into it, I started with my favorite cranberry sauce which is more like a relish or chutney: Bring to a boil 1 bag of whole cranberries + 1 cup each of sugar and water (I actually use apple juice) and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Once the berries start popping, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until most of the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thickened, about 15-20 minutes. Cool before serving.

roasted turkey breast, already carved

Keeping in mind that I had carnivores, vegetarians, AND vegan guests coming, I only had to make a few small adjustments to keep the majority of the dishes suitable for everyone. Of course, there's no way to veganize actual meat, so the herb roasted turkey breast and whole roasted chicken were the (tasty) exceptions to that rule. Oh, and my traditional sausage-bread stuffing with dried cranberries was the other exception, but I also made a vegan version with mushrooms and pecans which turned out pretty damn good if I do say so myself.

sausage stuffing, green bean casserole, vegan stuffing

In addition to the stuffings (yes, I still call it "stuffing" instead of dressing even though the only thing it's stuffed in is a casserole dish), I also made chunky mashed potatoes (skins still on- I don't peel potatoes) with parsnips, veganizing them with vegan cream cheese and butter, plus a whole bunch of fresh herbs. There was also a green bean casserole (not vegan) as well as the more vegan friendly version of sauteed green beans with mushrooms and onions. To round things things out, I also roasted some chunks of butternut squash and fresh Brussels sprouts, both simply dressed with a little vegan butter and salt & pepper. Nothing terribly difficult to make, but juggling the timing of everything was a little challenging and dinner started about 45 minutes later than I had originally planned.

Eh. No big.

(vegan) sweet potato gnochi, roasted butternut squash

roasted Brussels sprouts, vegan sauteed green beans, vegan mashed potatoes & parsnips

And, because I was feeding a dozen people, it was easier to just put all the dishes out buffet-style so everyone could help themselves before getting comfortable and settling in the living room to eat while watching football. See? And you thought Friendsgiving wasn't the same as Thanksgiving...

vegan mixed berry crisp... again, all that was left...

After food and drink, there was even more drink and games (Apples to Apples and Scattergories) before we dove into dessert: salted caramel apple pie, (vegan) mixed berry crisp, and pumpkin cheesecake (an oft-requested specialty of one of my guests).

A good time was most definitely had by all... the only downside being that there weren't nearly enough leftovers for me to enjoy the rest of the week! ;)

Winter Squash & Chick Pea Stew

Winter Squash & Chick Pea Stew

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 pound of squash (recommended: butternut or pumpkin, though I'm sure others would work just as well), diced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground corriander
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
1 or 2 red new potatoes, diced
1 (15.5 ounce) can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
2-4 cups of vegetable stock (depends on your desired texture/thickness)
4-6 ounces of spinach (fresh or frozen)

Directions:
In a large soup pot over medium-low heat, cook the onion and squash (I used butternut squash straight from the freezer and threw a lid on the pot to sort of steam everything) until softened, about 7-9 minutes. Stir in all spices, making sure the squash mixture is well coated in spice before adding the potatoes and chick peas. Stir to combine, then add enough stock to reach your desired thickness, keeping in mind that the potatoes will absorb some of the liquid as they cook. (I used just over 2 cups for a thicker consistency.) Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are slightly more than fork tender. Stir in the spinach at the last minute, adjust the seasoning as desired, and simmer for another few minutes until the spinach has wilted but still retains its bright green color.

Enjoy!

Autumn Gardener's Pie (aka Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie)

Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with minced lamb and vegetables in gravy, topped with mashed potatoes. (Shepherds herd sheep... makes sense, right?) What I grew up eating was made with ground beef instead of lamb, which is actually called Cottage Pie, even though it is still commonly referred to as Shepherd's Pie and I daresay that's what most people think of when Shepherd's Pie is mentioned. When I started making the dish for myself, it was always with ground turkey or chicken instead of beef, and the mashed potatoes frequently had parsnips, turnips, or cauliflower mixed in. Delicious, yes. But in the last few years, I've discovered just how easy it is to translate this dish into a vegetarian one, both as a single size casserole like today's recipe, or a larger casserole to feed a crowd as I've brought to work several times to share with the techs. Either way, it measures up to the traditional recipe, and it's incredibly easy to throw together since it's made with ingredients I always have in my pantry and fridge/freezer.

Autumn Gardener's Pie (aka Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie)

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 small onion, diced (I was out of shallots which would've been my go-to, so I used frozen instead)

eggplant, diced (I had some leftover in the freezer)

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 sun dried tomatoes, diced (I like the sweetness these add)

1 small zucchini, diced (fresh or frozen, whatever you have on hand)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

pinch of dill

salt & pepper to taste

1 Tbs. AP flour

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

2 ounces of tofu, previously baked (I had some leftover in the fridge, otherwise I probably would've left this out)

1/4 cup sweet corn (I always have this in the freezer)

1/4 cup peas (again, always in the freezer)

dash of Worcestershire sauce

8 ounces butternut squash, diced (I had a bag in the freezer which made it super easy)

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

sprinkle of Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a saute pan over medium-low heat, cook the onion, eggplant, carrot, tomatoes, zucchini, and all spices (except nutmeg) in olive oil for 6-8 minutes, until slightly softened. Sprinkle in the flour, stir to coat the vegetables, and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes before adding the vegetable stock. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a bubble, stirring for 3-5 minutes until "gravy" has thickened. Add in the tofu, corn, peas, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, then turn off the heat and allow everything to come together.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook the butternut squash in a small amount of water (omit water if using frozen like I did) until heated through and soft enough to mash, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat, mash with a fork, and stir in the nutmeg.

Pour the veggie mixture into an individual size casserole dish and top with the mashed butternut squash. Sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the top is slightly browned. Cool for at least 15 minutes before diving in.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash, Two Ways

When all of the autumn squashes made their annual appearance at the grocery store a few weeks ago, I did a happy dance and stocked up on not only the fresh gourds, but also frozen butternut squash and canned pumpkin. I posted this recipe for butternut squash soup back in the day, and I still like to make it but my palate has definitely evolved over the last few years and I've made some major adjustments accordingly.

Indian Inspired Vegetarian Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
1 lg butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 sm head of cauliflower, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder (no fresh in my house, remember? induces migraines)
1 tsp. cumin (so I may have put more in than just 1 tsp... I really like cumin!)
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. turmeric
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
6 cups of vegetable stock (vegetarian, remember? so no chicken stock this time)
1 cup of red potato, diced in bite-size pieces
1 (15 ounce) can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spread the butternut squash and cauliflower on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil and salt & pepper to taste. Roast at 425 degrees for 15-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is softened and slightly caramelized around the edges and the cauliflower starts to brown.

Meanwhile, in a large stock pot, saute the onions in olive oil until slightly softened. Stir in the roasted butternut squash, cauliflower, and all spices. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the spices become very fragrant. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil before adding the potatoes. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes. Add in the chick peas and apple cider vinegar and let the soup simmer gently for another 5-7 minutes while you reach for the immersion blender. Buzz the soup until it reaches your desired texture and consistency; I like to still have some discernible vegs floating in the now creamy soup base. Finish with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream for that extra bit of creaminess and tang.

Enjoy!

**************************************************************************************************************

So, originally I made this second dish for a Welcome-to-Fall feast at work the other night. The ER doc and all the techs made food to share, and my contribution was this baked pasta inspired by the soup I had made the previous week. Since I had some soup leftover in the freezer, I thought about buzzing it until it was completely smooth and tossing it with pasta before baking the whole thing. But. The more I thought about it, the more tweaks I made to the recipe in my head before deciding to start from scratch. I actually made 2 versions of this dish for work, a vegetarian one AND a vegan one so that all of the techs I work with could enjoy it.

Veg(etari)an Butternut Squash Pasta Bake

individual size casserole

Ingredients:
1 lg butternut squash, peeled and diced (I cheated and used a bag of pre-diced, straight from the freezer)
1 medium onion, diced (I happened to have some Vidalia onion in the freezer, already diced)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
salt & pepper to taste
4 oz. goat cheese (although I suppose cream cheese would work) *omit for vegan recipe*
1/2 cup milk (I use soy or almond milk... hello? lactose intolerant here) *non-dairy milk for vegan recipe*
1 pound of pasta (any short-cut pasta will do: penne, rigatoni, ziti)
1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup bread crumbs (soft or Panko, dealer's choice)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Over medium-low heat, saute the onions, butternut squash, and all spices in olive oil until soft and the squash practically falls apart. Stir in the milk and goat cheese (omit the cheese and use non-dairy milk to keep it vegan), cover, and turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot of heavily salted boiling water, cook the pasta just shy of al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid before draining the pasta and tossing it with the butternut squash mixture. Add in the pasta water to loosen the sauce and dump everything into a casserole dish. Top with the chopped walnuts and/or bread crumbs along with another sprinkle of whatever herbs float your boat and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Enjoy!

This dish was such a hit that there were no leftovers for me to take home so I ended up making the single-size mini casserole for my dinner tonight. I added in some leftover diced chicken breast (I only eat vegetarian about 75% of the time) and the scaled down recipe was just as tasty as the original.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ok, so this is an actual recipe with (mostly) actual measurements. This butternut squash soup is one of my all-time favorites and I’ve made it several times with a few different variations. Fortunately for me, it freezes very well… as a matter of fact, the attached photo was snapped after I defrosted a pint of the soup that I made a few months ago and stashed in the freezer to enjoy another day. It’s the perfect thing to sip on and savor as the weather changes to a cooler climate… and it does a bang up job of soothing an allergy-induced sore throat.

1 large butternut squash, peeled and diced (I’ve cheated and bought the stuff already prepped at the grocery store, but the texture is better if you use fresh and start from scratch)
1 medium onion, diced (a sweet onion is best)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 quart vegetable or chicken stock (veg for vegan, of course)
1 tsp. rosemary (I used dried, but I’ve also used fresh which is just as good)
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ - ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
In a large soup pot over medium heat, sauté the onion and butternut squash in the olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Add the stock (enough to cover the veggies) and bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to a simmer for 18-22 minutes until the butternut squash is soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before transferring soup to a blender. Of course, if you have an immersion blender, just use that instead. Puree until desired consistency. Return soup to pot over medium low heat and stir in rosemary, cinnamon, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. You can always stir in additional stock, milk, or cream if a thinner soup is desired, but I prefer a thicker consistency (it’s almost as thick as baby food). Simmer for 8-10 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve hot.

Enjoy!