Packing more Flavor into Lentil Soup

If you love lentil soup as much as I do, then you will LOVE adding three things to it that will REALLY kick up the flavor:

·         Eggplant Garlic Spread: Thickens the broth and adds wonderful tomato and garlic flavor! It makes the soup taste like you’ve been stewing it on the stove all day!

·         Ready-to-Eat Lentils: These are quick and easy! Simply open the package, break apart the lentils, and add to the soup. Since these lentils are whole, they won’t break up and get mushy in the soup.

·       Lots of FRESH veggies: Carrots, Celery, Garlic, Zucchini, Mushrooms, YOU NAME IT! All of these will add wonderful FRESH flavor, texture, and nutritional benefits to your soup. Just be sure to sauté them for a few minutes in olive oil before adding your broth, eggplant spread, and lentils.  

Of course, you can get all of these wonderful ingredients at TRADER JOE’S!

Happy soup making to you!

KALE at its BEST: with Onion, Ginger, and Lime

This may just be THE BEST way you’ll EVER eat kale! J

The flavors of caramelized onion, ginger, and lime combined with the texture and heartiness of kale and sweet potato…OUT OF THIS WORLD!

You really won’t know until you try it…believe me, I was a bit confused seeing lime and ginger together…but you WON’T be disappointed!

Now I want to (and do) squeeze lime juice on (just about) EVERYTHING!!

This recipe is adapted from Anita Sharp, as quoted in the September 2007 Bon Appetit cooking magazine, under the article, “Too Busy to Cook?”

Mustard-Crusted Tofu with Kale and Sweet Potato

1 14-ounce package firm tofu

½ cup whole grain Dijon mustard*

4 tablespoons (total) olive oil, divided

½ medium white onion, sliced

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1 bunch kale, chopped*

1 red-skinned sweet potato (any size), peeled, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Cut tofu into eight ½-inch-thick slices.

Arrange on paper towels; drain 5 minutes on each side. Spread both sides of each slice with mustard.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and ginger; sauté 1 minute. Add kale, sweet potato, and lime juice.

Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until potato is tender and kale is wilted, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in another large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu; cover and cook until heated through and crisp, about 2 minutes per side (some mustard seeds may fall off tofu).

Arrange kale and sweet potato mixture on plate. Overlap tofu slices atop vegetables and serve.

*You can get it at Trader Joe’s! J

*Or ½ bag of pre-washed and chopped kale from Trader Joe’s.

Warm, Moist, and Comforting: The BEST Pumpkin Bread of the Season!

YES! This recipe DOES have a TON of sugar! I have to try making it with less…

You could try using half whole wheat flour and raw sugar in place of the white…

BUT…It is the BEST pumpkin bread I’ve EVER had! The chocolate chips and walnuts blow it over the top!

This is a modified version of the MOST HIGHLY RATED pumpkin bread on allrecipes.com. It has 5 stars and 4,590 hits! Stats don’t lie!

The only reasons (excuses...) I have to add this almost-sinful recipe to my blog are:

·        It’s fall, which means you have to slightly indulge yourself ;)

·        It has NO DAIRY: the only thing that prevents it from begin vegan is the eggs.

·        A SMALL slice is ultra-satisfying. If you have company over and serve this, it will prevent you from eating the entire thing! J

·        I LOVE it! And it reminds me of my childhood…my mom used to pack extra slices in my school lunches to share with my friends.

Keep in mind too…this recipes makes THREE LOAVES!

But we always pour all the batter into one bundt cake pan and bake it for about an hour and a half, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.

These can also be baked in two 12-cup muffin tins for about 25-30 minutes.

Pumpkin Spice Bread

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

3 cups white sugar

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 15-oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.

Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.

Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares: Happy Blog Anniversary to Myself!

Let’s think back…exactly a YEAR from today…

Where were you on November 5, 2010?

I KNOW WHERE I WAS! Right here, on the computer, publishing my first blog post!

Today, in commemoration and celebration, I have posted a variation of my first recipe, Natures’ Rice-Krispie Squares.

This variation uses peanut butter and chocolate instead of almond butter. YUM!

After you make these, check out the original recipe: http://cookingfromtheground.blogspot.com/2010/11/classic-recipe-redone-natures-way.html

Nature’s Rice-Krispie Squares

7 cups rice puffed cereal

¾ cup dried cranberries, optional

¾ cup chopped walnuts, optional

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ cup honey

¾ cup peanut butter (or almond or sunflower butter)

Stir together cereal, dried fruit and nuts (if using), chocolate chips, and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Put honey and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 1½ minutes. Stir well; then pour over cereal mixture. Stir to coat.

Dampen hands with cold water. Press cereal mixture firmly into 9 by 9-inch baking pan (or two smaller ones), re-wetting hands if necessary to keep mixture from sticking. Freeze 30 minutes.

Cut into 12-18 bars (depending on how large you would like them), and store in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Meals Under $10: Meatless Meatball Sandwhich

These past few weeks, I’ve felt like eating things that I don’t normally crave.

What do you do when that happens to you?

I keep seeing all this delicious-looking crusty bread everywhere! So I had to buy me some!

However, I limit myself to ONE roll at a time! In my mind, it’s better to eat what I want in a small portion that eat TONS of other things in an attempt to satisfy my craving. ;)

These are the crown rolls that I used in an earlier post of minestrone soup:

http://cookingfromtheground.blogspot.com/2011/10/easy-and-economical-minestrone-soup_16.html

THREE INGREDINTS (all from Trader Joe’s):

The tomato basil marinara is only $1.79! :)

Meatless Meatball Sandwhich

Meatless Meatballs

Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce

Crown Artisian Rolls

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the the meatless meatballs in a large pot with the tomato basil marinara sauce for 10 minutes.

Place the crown artisian rolls in the oven for about 5-7 minutes, or until warm and soft.

Using a bread knife, slice the rolls in half and scoop 4 meatballs with sauce on one half.

Place the other half of the roll on top, or use it as a dipper for the sacue.

If you have extra meatballs and sauce, save them and toss them with whole wheat pasta for another quick meal. J

Get messy! J

Raw Brownies: Dates, Cashews, and Cocoa Powder

Yes, I understand this is NOT the most appetizing-looking picture…

I PROMISE you though, these things are THE BOMB!

I mean, come on now…

DATES

CASHEWS

COCOA POWDER

ONLY 3 INGREDIENTS in a food bar!! You can’t beat that!

This recipe was inspired by my FAVORITE food bar: The LARA BAR. LARA BARS have only a few ingredients, consisting of nothing more than nuts, fruit, spices, and sometimes chocolate!

These bars take only minutes to prepare. Of course, they need some time to firm up in the freezer, but that requires no work on your part. J

You can use almonds, walnuts, a mixture of nuts, various dried fruits, coconut, or omit the cocoa powder.

The possibilities are ENDLESS! J

These are great as pre-workout or in-between-meal snacks!

Raw Brownies

1 cup cashews, raw or roasted (divided into ½ cup measurements)

1 cup pitted medjool dates

¼ cup cocoa powder

In a food processor, pulse ½ cup of the cashews a few times, or until the cashews are in small pieces (NOT POWDER). Set aside in a separate bowl.

Blend the dates and cocoa powder in the food processor until completely combined, using a plastic spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl between pulses.

Add the chopped cashews and pulse a few times to combine, without breaking the cashews up into powder.

Empty the mixture into a small brownie pan lined with plastic wrap and, with damp hands, press to cover the bottom of the pan evenly.

Place in the freezer for 30 minutes, cut into 12 bars, and ENJOY!

Easy and Economical Minestrone Soup

Did you know that you can make a week’s worth of soup for yourself for under $10?!

How, exactly, is this possible?

Thank you to: TRADER JOE’S!

Although the cost of the ingredients is a bit more than $10, you don’t use ALL of the garlic, celery, pasta, or olive oil (of course) for one pot of soup. So, after it’s said and done, it’s just about $10!

Ever since I’ve worked for Trader Joe’s, I’ve been DYING to try the crown artisan sourdough rolls. I FINALLY DID when I made this soup!

Simply pop them in an oven heated to 350 degrees F and bake for about 5 minutes or so, until they are warmed through and crisp on the outside! YUM!

AND NOW…on to the soup!

Seriously (no joke), I’ve made this soup THREE TIMES THIS WEEK!!

It’s really THAT easy! It doesn’t take more than 1 hour (30 minute of which you don’t have to do anything but sit back and relax!)

Feel free to play around with different veggies and pasta shapes.

I find it very helpful to keep a bowl on hand to throw food waste in while prepping the veggies.

Let’s hope for more rain soon! WE ALL KNOW the simple equation: RAIN + SOUP + ROASING FIRE = HAPPINESS J

VEGETABLE MINESTRONE

3 tbs Olive Oil

1 Onion, chopped

2-4 cloves garlic (depending on your desire), minced

1 Head of Celery, chopped

Sea Salt (to taste)

Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

One 16 or 18 oz can of Canned Tomatoes

2 tsp dried oregano

4 cups Vegetable Broth

4 cups Water

1/2 lb Pasta (any small shape-can use whole wheat or brown rice)

1 can Kidney Beans, rinsed

1 can Cannellini Beans, rinsed

After prepping the veggies, heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium heat for about 1 minute.

Throw the garlic, celery, and onion in the pot and sauté for about 8-10 minutes, or until tender.

Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste; then add the oregano, rubbing it between your fingers to release its flavor.

Pour in the canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, and water. (HINT: The vegetable broth comes in a container that holds 4 cups. After pouring in the broth, use the container as a measuring cup for the water.)

While the soup heats, boil a large pot of water, add a generous pinch of sea salt, and cook the pasta al dente, or until it’s almost done. If you cook it till it’s completely done, it will get soft and mushy in the soup. (YUCK!)

Once the soup has come to a simmer, skim off the foam on the top with a spoon.

Strain the pasta and add it to the soup along with the beans.

Add salt and pepper (if needed), and serve warm with a nice crown roll from TRADER JOE’S!  

Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Muffins

Here goes Saturday’s cook off---recipe number 2!

As I mentioned in my last post, my brother (who practically follows a Paleo diet), ate 5 of these little guys after I brought them out of the oven! Muffins have to be pretty good for him to go near them…so I think that says something about the taste.

Also, he knew they’d be as healthy as possible if I made them. ;)

These are great as a treat or as part of a fall-inspired breakfast!

1 ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flours (can use half white flour)

¾ cup raw sugar

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 cup pureed pumpkin

½ almond milk (or other nondairy milk, or apple juice)

¼ cup canola oil

¼ cup applesauce

2 Tbsp molasses

¾ cup chocolate chips

1 banana, mashed (optional)

Raw Sugar, for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, almond milk, canola oil, applesauce, molasses, and mashed banana, if using.

Gently fold wet ingredients into the flour mixture until almost combined. Add chocolate chips to and finish mixing, folding just until combined.

Fill the muffin liners till almost full, using an ice cream scoop for measurement. Sprinkle a pinch of raw sugar on the top of each muffin, then bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to complete cooling.  

Fall Back Into the Season: Cook Off with Me, Myself, and I

Last November, I posted a recipe for Roasted Vegetable Soup, which happens to be one of my FAVORITE fall recipes!

All week I’ve been watching customers at Trader Joe’s buy pumpkin, butternut squash, and chocolate, which inspired me to spend my Saturday afternoon cooking as much fall-themed food as I could manage!

Here’s the afternoon's eats:

Roasted Vegetable Soup

Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Muffins

Chocolate Coconut Granola

And they were a hit! There are only 2 muffins left! (I made 12, and then my older brother proceeded to eat 5! And he RARELY eats anything but fruit, fish, eggs, vegetables, and nuts!)

Instead of simply re-posting the Roasted Vegetable Soup recipe, I’ve provided some pictures and helpful hints to make the prep work easy.

After you’ve read these tips, check out the recipe:

http://cookingfromtheground.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-about-soup-recipe-in-preparation.html

Al-righty! First things first:

When pealing the butternut squash and other vegetables, hold them over a bowl in the sink---this way all the peals will collect in one spot, saving much clean up!

Careful when pealing that squash! It can put up a tough fight and you can easily peal something other than the squash… :/

Cut it in half, carefully, and then into quarters, eighths, and so on, until you have this: (with all the other veggies, of course ;)

MORE PICTURES (and recipes) FROM my FALL COOK OFF to COME!