Tomato Vegetable Soup.

Ah, yes...another "clean out the fridge" soup turned "new recipe for the blog." SCORE! Enjoy!

            Tomato Vegetable Soup. 

       All that veggie goodness! Yum!

Tomato Vegetable Soup. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. 1 cup no salt added canned tomato sauce

2. One small carrot, chopped 

3. Two stalks celery, sliced

4. 1/2 cup frozen green peas

5. 1/2 cup frozen corn

6. 2/3 cup frozen pearl onions

7. 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth

8. Onion and garlic powders to taste

9. Black pepper, to taste

10. Dried parsley

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium size soup pot and mix well. 

2. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium. Simmer 15 minutes, until carrots are soft. Serve warm with crusty bread for dipping. 

Grain Free Spicy Mushroom Pea Risotto.

Ok, so I have a confession...I've never actually had risotto before. And risotto is not necessarily what this dish was supposed to be! But I kept adding ingredients as I went (totally FUN if you've never done it before!) and ended up with this risotto-like yummy dish. Quick and easy as usual and nice and spicy. Hope you enjoy! 

 Grain Free Spicy Mushroom Pea Risotto. 

              The essential close up!

Grain Free Spicy Mushroom Pea Risotto; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients 

1. 1 T bragg's liquid aminos

2. 1/2 cup frozen green peas

3. 6 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced

4. 1/4-1/2 tsp chipotle powder

5. Garlic and onion powders to taste (approx. 1/4 tsp each)

6. 1/3 cup TVP granules

7. Scant 1/3 cup water

8. Romaine lettuce for garnish

Method

1. In a medium microwaveable bowl, combine TVP and water and microwave for one minute on high. Set aside. 

2. In a non stick skillet, eat the liquid aminos and sauté mushrooms and peas for about 2-3 minutes until mushrooms begin to exude their juices. Add spices and fold in. 

3. Add now cooked TVP and a splash of water. If you want to add more chipotle spices, add it here. Fold in and cook for about 4 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. 

4. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with lettuce, and enjoy! 

Sweet Green Pea and Mint Soup

I love spring. Absolutely love it. The sights, the smells, the colors. Ahhhh, so refreshing. This soup epitomizes spring. The loveliest shade of green, combined with the luscious aroma of fresh mint. Yum, yum, yum. Perfect for a light meal when you don't want to heat the kitchen up. Enjoy!

Sweet Green Pea and Mint Soup.

Sweet Green Pea and Mint Soup; Vegan, Gluten-Free. Serves One.

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 cups frozen green peas
2. 1 cup almond milk
3. 4 fresh mint leaves
4. 1/2 tsp stevia

Method

1. In a medium size bowl, place peas and cover with water. Microwave for 2 minutes. 
2. Drain peas and place in Vitamix along with milk and 3 of the 4 mint leaves. Blend on HIGH until smooth. 
3. Pour into a bowl and top with remaining mint leaf. 

Holiday Post!: Easter Salad

I'm all about spring-themes food. It's just so pretty! And what vegan doesn't love a big, raw SALAD?! MMMM.....
I've had a head of purple cauliflower in the fridge for a while...I've been waiting to use it until it got close enough to Easter so I could be festive. You all should know by now...I'm cheesy like that! This is a quick, delicious, and beautiful meal you can serve/eat on Easter, and any time of year for that matter! It takes all of 10 minutes to prepare, but it's both pleasing to the eye and the tastebuds. Sounds like a win-win to me!

Easter Salad.

Easter Salad; Vegan, Gluten-Free. Serves One.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 a medium head purple cauliflower
2. 5 cherry tomatoes, halved
3. 1/2 cup green peas, steamed if desired
4. 3 oz. carrot "matchsticks" 
5. onion and garlic powders, black pepper to taste
6. 1-2 T apple cider vinegar (varies depending on how tangy you want it)

Method

1. Place your cauliflower chunks into a mini food processor and process until  the texture of rice. DO NOT OVERPROCESS!
2. Add cauli rice to a large bowl. Top with green peas, carrots, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with spices and drizzle with apple cider vinegar. 
3. Serve!

                                                                                           

Easter Salad, all mixed up and ready to eat!

Chickpea-Beet Crusted Pizza with Green Pea Cream Sauce

I love creating different pizza crusts. It's so fun to experiment with all the veggies you can turn into a pizza base! This crust, for example, was totally random. Usually I will start thinking of a recipe, take a couple days to mull over in my head what spices would work best, and finally, after about a week or so, try and create it. I'm not a very "fly by the seat of your pants" type girl. I like to have a plan.
THIS recipe, however, was VERY "fly by the seat of your pants". It was Saturday night. I had gotten home later than planned (this usually is the case on Saturdays!) and needed to make something quick. I was planning on my "go-to" (raw veggies, tofu, oatmeal, and chia pudding), but when I opened the fridge door, I saw the beets I had bought earlier that week staring at me just BEGGING to be used. I looked at the clock, looked back at the beets, and grabbed them. I needed to use them anyway, so why not be a little adventurous. Turns out adventurous is good...really good.

Crust, pre-garnish

Chickpea-Beet Crusted Pizza, dressed with Green Pea Cream Sauce and sliced mushrooms


Chickpea-Beet Crusted Pizza with Green Pea Cream Sauce; Vegan, Gluten Free. Makes one Pizza

Ingredients-Crust

1. 3/4 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2. 1/2 cup steamed, sliced beets
3. 3 T almond meal/flour
4. onion and garlic powder, to taste

Cream Sauce

1. 1/3 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2. 2 T coconut cream
3. splash of water for ease of blending

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. In a food processor, place beets and process until finely chopped. Add chickpeas and process until well combined...almost pureed, but still slightly chunky. Scrape sides as needed as you process.
3. Transfer to a bowl and add almond flour and spices. Stir to incorporate.
4. Roll into ball and flatten out onto parchment. Your crust should be about 3/4 inch thick. 
5. Bake uncovered 25 minutes.
6. While crust is cooking, prepare your sauce. 
7. Place peas and coconut cream in food processor and process until smooth, adding splashes of water as needed. 
8. Remove crust from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Prepare any desired toppings.
9. Spread cream sauce over crust and top with desired toppings. Slice and enjoy! 

Crust, pre-garnish