Not So Noodle Soup

 Not So Noodle Soup

• one package Tofu Shirataki "noodles"
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• one small onion
• one cup diced carrots
• salt and pepper to taste

Yes, it's summer and the thought of eating soup when it's this unbelievably hot may not have everyone running for their spoons, but admittedly, I can get tired of waiting for the cooler weather to come around to enjoy a nice bowl of soup.  With that in mind, I decided to try something new.  Of course, noodle soup is not a new idea, but for me, using tofu based noodles instead of pasta noodles was a little different.  Right?  For this, I used something called Tofu Shirataki (a pasta alternative using a blend of yams and tofu) to make this soup.  You don't have to worry about looking for it at some specialty food store if you're interested because I found this at Shop-Rite and it was pretty cheap.  Here's a photo of what it looks like:

The "noodles" are vegan, low-carb, low-calorie, and gluten-free, so if any of that sounds good to you, I'd suggest picking it up and seeing if you like it.  It doesn't taste exactly like pasta, but that's because it's not.   You know?  OK...first, you'll need to drain, rinse, and dry the noodles before adding them to the soup.  I did that and simply dried and pressed them on some paper towel.  Like this:

 

Let them hang out on the side while you get the rest of the soup going.  Add the broth to your soup pot and cook on medium-high.  Toss in the onion and carrot once you've diced them all up.  Let this cook for about 10-15 minutes or so.  Add in some salt, pepper, or other spices if you'd like.  

After the broth has been sufficiently simmering away, add the noodles to the pot and continue to cook on low for another 5 minutes.  The noodles really don't need long to cook, so after 5 minutes, taste one.  If you think it needs a little more time, give it some time.  Good things come to those who wait....or whatever. This is your call.  You're the chef! 

My thoughts:  the Not So Noodle Soup is a welcomed change and can be a healthier option for anyone interested in eating less pasta or adhering to a gluten-free diet.  Or maybe you're like me and you just want to try something a little bit different.  

Lastly, here's the finished soup...close-up style:

All-in Super Salad Bowl

All-in Super Salad Bowl

The ingredients are going to vary for this one, but for specificity's sake, the items pictured are:

• romaine lettuce (bagged)
• sliced onion (half of a small onion)
• mushrooms
• shredded carrots
• diced grape tomatoes 
• alfalfa sprouts
• sliced cucumbers
• goddess dressing (I love this stuff, but you can use any dressing you prefer)

This post is a dedication to those of you that like to eat salad (or want to eat more salad), but don't want to be all fancy about it.   Recipes that call for ingredients you have to get at a speciality market or involve crazy time consuming preparation are not the most accessible.  Don't get my wrong, a "fancy" salad is appreciated, but sometimes you just want to grab a bunch of ingredients from your refrigerator and dump them all into a bowl.  Which is exactly what I did.  The key is to make sure you will indeed eat more salad is to keep your fridge stocked up with fresh fruits and veggies.  Otherwise, you end up becoming bffs with your delivery guy who may or may not be judging you as you open the door in your pajamas for the 3rd time this week.  I'm not saying this has happened to me (it has), and that it won't happen again (it will), but in the summer months especially, I try to eat on the lighter, cooler side.  When there's a heat wave moving through your city and you spend all day feeling hot and gross, salads are seriously the way to go.  Having the ingredients ready and handy will do the trick.  

This is the All-in Super Salad because whatever was "all-in" the fridge, I put into the bowl.  Simple as that. Check out your local farmers market and see what's good and in season.  Stock up on whatever looks good.  If your favorite supermarket is having a sale on mushrooms or baby carrots, grab them! The Shop-rite in South Philly always has a good deal on bagged lettuce. so I buy as many as I can when I'm there because if it's in my fridge, I'll eat it.  My point is: eating healthfully doesn't have to be expensive, time consuming, or without flavor.  In fact, I like making this kind of salad so much, I'm thinking about buying a bigger bowl.  Now, eat and be happy!

Tiny Potatoes, Tomatoes, and Asparagus...Oh My!

Sauteed Asparagus Spears

• asparagus spears (raw or frozen)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Asparagus is awesome.  My preferred way of cooking and eating it is grilled, but I don't have a grill (alas), so a quick sauté on the stove is what I went with.  All you need to do is mince the garlic and add it to the olive oil in a medium-sized pan.  Once the oil is hot, drop in your asparagus spears and sauté away.  Don't overcook it though; you don't want it to be weak and sad asparagus.  Make sure the color is a nice green when you're done.  When it's cooked too long, it loses its color as well as its nutrients.  Also,  it should still have some crispness to it.  

I paired up the asparagus with some adorable tiny potatoes I bought at Trader Joes, mixed them up with some tomatoes, and I came up with this pretty tasty side dish.

Tiny Potatoes and Tomatoes in Olive Oil

• 1 small bag of teeny tiny potatoes
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste

While shopping at Trader Joes, I came across a bag of these adorable, tiny potatoes.  I had to have them right away!  I love potatoes (hello, I'm Irish), but I had no clue what to do with ones this small.  I decided a good way to eat them would be with some cherry tomatoes.  This was a good, delicious decision.  Just mince the garlic, adding it in a pan with some olive oil.  Sprinkle in some salt and pepper. Next, add the potatoes and cook until tender.  I overcooked these a bit.  Oops.  (Don't talk on the phone and cook at the same time to avoid doing this).   While the potatoes are cooking in the pan, cut the tomatoes into halves and set aside. Once the potatoes are tender, turn off the heat and add the cut tomatoes.  Toss together with the Italian seasonings and serve.  As a side note, I have a strong feeling this side dish would be quite decent cold too.  If I didn't eat the whole darn thing, I would have put some in the refrigerator to chill.  Another time.  

Sorta French Onion Soup

Sorta French Onion Soup

• 5-6 medium onions 
• 3 cloves garlic
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• salt and pepper to taste

Got a lot of onions in need of a good home?  Try out this easy, vegan version of French onion soup.  It's "sorta" French onion soup because I sorta changed it up a bit.  I got rid of the cheese on top (which you can still add if you'd like) and used veggie broth instead of beef or chicken broth (which most recipes use).  Without the cheese, it's healthier, but if you're a cheese (or soy-cheese) fanatic, then go for it.

What to do....

Heat the olive oil (medium-high) in a soup pot while you dice the onions and mince the garlic.  Toss the onions and garlic in the pot and stir for a few minutes until the onions begin to become slightly translucent and somewhat soft.  Add a few pinches of salt and pepper, then cover the pot.  Let the onions cook down for 15-20 minutes.  Stir every so often during this time to keep things moving along nicely.  Once the onions are cooked down and are now completely soft, add in the veggie broth, flour, and soy sauce.  Stir together and let the soup sit for another 5-10 minutes.

To serve,  I recommend placing a piece of whole wheat/whole grain bread at the bottom of a bowl and then pouring the soup on top of it.  That's what I did and let me tell you, it's a good idea.  Trust me. This was my first time making this kind of soup and I think for next time, I will make some sort of totally awesome bread bowl version of it.  I used to really love French onion soup back when I still ate cheese and for some reason, I never thought to make it on my own (but veganize it).

I seriously love making soups, especially in the winter, so if you have any great soup recipes or ideas, send them my way!

Veggie Rice Soup

Veggie Rice Soup
6 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1.5 cups brown rice
1 chopped small onion
2 cups mixed veggies (I only had frozen for this soup)
salt and pepper to taste


This soup saved me yesterday when I was feeling very sick and needed something simple and nutritious to eat.  It doesn't take long to make, there are few ingredients, and it's perfect for cold days or days with a cold.  


I recommend making your rice in a separate pot while you work on making the rest of the soup.  Brown rice is best, so try to work that into the soup if possible.  Now, while the rice is cooking separately, add the olive oil into a medium-to-large soup pot with a dash of salt and pepper.  Dice a small onion and add that into the pot.  Sauté the onions for a few minutes and then add your vegetable broth and mixed vegetables.  Add additional salt and pepper to your liking, but don't overdose on the salt because most broths already contain a decent amount of sodium (unless you use the salt-free kind).  Let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes.  When the rice is finished, add it into the simmering soup.  Give it a quick stir and it should be all good.  


Also, if you have fresh vegetables in your refrigerator that would work well in a soup, then by all means, use those in place of the frozen vegetables.  I always have a bag of frozen veggies in my freezer as a quick back up just in case I want to make a stir-fry or in this case, a soup.  Winter can be brutal; soup can make it better.  Eat more soup!

Roasted Red Pepper and Hummus Sandwich

Roasted Red Pepper and Hummus Sandwich

whole grain bread

hummus (homemade or store bought)

roasted red peppers

spinach 

Since assembling this sandwich’s ingredients is a pretty straightforward act, I will instead tell you how to whip up some yummy homemade hummus.  Making your own hummus for sandwiches, spreads, or dips is really simple and there are so many different ingredients you can add into it to make it extra flavorful.  All I did was blend 1 can of chickpeas, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of tahini, and some salt and pepper (to taste) in the food processor.  That’s all.  Nothing else.  Good stuff.  If you’d like, you could add some olive oil to the mix for richness or as you process, add in a few splashes of water now and then to help smooth it all out.  

I left this batch of hummus a little chunky because I knew it was going into a sandwich, and I wanted it to have some form.  If you want to try something new with making this hummus, try adding in the roasted red pepper into the food processor to take it to a whole new, very delicious level.  Next time you go to the grocery store, look at the kinds of hummus you usually like to buy/eat and take a peek at the ingredients listed; they are super easy to recreate in your own kitchen and it will be more cost effective for you ultimately.  Happy eating!

White Bean Artichoke Dip and Wrap

White Bean Artichoke Dip

1 can of white cannellini beans

3-4 marinated artichokes

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

*add on: use some Italian seasoning to garnish the top

Drain and rinse the beans and put them into a food processor.  Toss the rest of the ingredients in there with the beans and process away.  Sprinkle on some Italian seasoning for a bit of color and added flavor.  I happen to love artichokes and in this recipe, they really add a richness to the white beans.  You definitely want to make and eat this.  It takes seconds, it’s cheap to make, and the end result is a pretty awesome and versatile dip.  Grab some crusty bread, raw veggies, or crackers and impress some people with your dip-making skills!

You can also use it as a spread for sandwiches and wraps…which is exactly what I did for this tasty, fresh, and healthy wrap I made.

White Bean Artichoke Wrap

whole wheat/grain tortilla wraps

spinach

broccoli slaw

white bean artichoke dip

Place the ingredients inside the wrap, roll it up, and enjoy!  Add any other ingredients you have in the fridge that might work to vary up the wrap and add extra flavor.  I have a feeling something like….roasted red peppers would take this to an even better place.  Next time.

Zucchini "Hummus"

Zucchini "Hummus"
2 raw zucchinis
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons tahini
salt and pepper to taste


I know this looks like straight-up mush, but I promise it tastes good.  It’s a hummus without the chickpeas.  I guess that makes it fall out of the hummus category, but it has the same consistency and purpose, so “hummus” it is.  

Peel the zucchinis to get rid of the green skin.  Chop them up and toss them in a food processor with the garlic, tahini, salt, and pepper.  Turn that baby on and blend until you have a nice “hummus” consistency.  Eat it with pita, veggies, in a wrap, crackers, etc.  

If you don’t have a food processor, you could use a blender, but really…why don’t you have a food processor already?  Go get one! You can find them for $30-40 in some stores, and you don’t need a huge, fancy one.  I hate that I waited so long to get mine, and it’s now seriously one of my favorite things in the kitchen.  I used to make guacamole by hand, but the food processor has single handedly changed that.  Get off the internet and go buy one now!