It was a special day...

Today is my birthday. I love birthdays. Today is also the day of the year we turn on our A/C, which further makes my birthday special. It's been tough the last two weeks with our nest reaching 87 or 88 most days, but we persevered. So this morning after we continued to let the cool(er) morning air in, we closed up the windows and turned on the A/C to enjoy a lovely breakfast made by sweet Love. It felt so nice! It's amazing what difference 7 to 8 degrees makes! OH and my above breakfast was delicious...sprouted wheat waffles with banana, strawberries, coconut oil, a little bit of dark chocolate :), and some maple syrup. There was also tempeh and breakfast pototoes too! It was a very special treat from my typical raw breakfast.

Today, Lovebug and I worked in the garden a bunch, played in her dirt box, did laundry, dehydrated nuts, made juice, picked up, hung laundry on the drying racks, worked on reservations for an upcoming trip, played with/organized bottle caps, broke down boxes in our garage for recycling, colored, nursed ALOT, did yoga, made salad for lunch, read books, received a wonderful note from an old friend, played with cars, prepared many snacks, listened to alot of music, talked to or texted family members, finished a watermelon, went pretend "shopping" many times, laughed a TON, and had a grand ole' time together. I hurried off to soccer practice once my Love got home and after that we enjoyed the most wonderful dish of pasta for dinner. It was an avocado pesto on linguini...SOOOO yummy and just what I needed after all that sweating at practice. My Love also made these rosemary skewer things with zucchini and yellow squash from the garden ...oh my gosh, SO good! My Love is just the best!

The day ended with starting the finale of last season's Top Chef (we're still trying to catch up before the new season starts) and some leftover chocolate mint cake and mint ice cream - YUM!!

Hope you all had as special of a day as I did!

Mint Ice Cream

My birthday is this week so we had a party with my family this last weekend to celebrate. We had such a great time at my sweet baby sister and brother in-law's home! They had a yummy vegan chocolate mint cake for me but we brought along some plain mint ice cream to accompany it, mainly for Lovebug to partake of something. We made it for memorial weekend too and it was her first taste of ice cream...she really enjoyed it! Lovebug was so patient while I took some shots this afternoon but she didn't want to remove her hands from the bowl :). It was melting super fast in our hot nest which was further motivation to hurry.

I searched and searched for a suitable recipe and found this one. It was so easy and turned out great! It's very minty so just beware of that, but if you love mint like I do, then you'll really LOVE it. We used mint from our herb garden and then the rest of the ingredients are so simple - coconut milk, agave, and avocado! We also added some spirulina to make it a bit more nutritious and minty green. I really recommend this recipe - it's easy, healthy, and yummy!

OH and thank you to those of you who have welcomed me back to blogging! My absence was not because of any new addition to our nest though :)...

Alright, just a couple more days until A/C at our nest...it's going to be tough but we're going to make it. The mint ice cream is refreshing and helps cool us off...for a few minutes at least. Have a good one!

This week's meals

I hope everyone's week is going well! The weather has been really lovely for us and the time we have been able to spend outdoors has been most enjoyable. It's been an incredible food week too! My Love really outdid himself with a delicious lunch and dinner menu and I am SO in love with my lunch shown above. It's raw pecan "meat" with pico on romaine tacos served with carrots on the side. YUM!!! It's so so so good and all raw, which is a big goal for us in 2010. FYI, the tacos are inspired by Sara's walnut taco salad.

Lately, we've been eating raw throughout the day and then doing a cooked dinner, and it's been great so far. I gave up caffeine too so it's been different, but I feel really good and know it was something I definitely needed to do for the continual improvement of my health. Anyway, our cooked dinner this week has been roasted eggplant paninis on sprouted bread with basil, red onion, and mustard, with a side of roasted potato fries. See, I told you he outdid himself! It's so very delicious and I look forward to dinners every single day. My breakfasts have been sprouted raw buchwheat groats with homemade raw almond or pecan butter and a banana - YUM! I've been learning about and doing more soaking, sprouting, and other raw techniques which maybe someday soon I'll go more into. I'm really excited about this new mostly-raw road for 2010 and the good that will come of it...

SO, what have you been eating this week? Please do share!

What's Cooking

This week has been such a fun one! Lovebug and I got to visit both of my dear grandmas which was so wonderful and we've just been having a really great time together learning, playing, and living. She is constantly teaching me things and hopefully vice versa as well.

It's also been an incredible week of food at our nest (even more than usual)! My Love made two delicious fall meals that we've been enjoying all week. For dinner, it's been roasted acorn squash with polenta pesto. This dish is SO good and is our official "welcome fall" dinner that we typically have Halloween week. It's also one of my favorite meals EVER so I have been looking forward to dinner every day! :)


For lunches it's been the above carrot soup with homemade pumpkin bread, both of which are really good too. They compliment each other wonderfully and it's been the perfect meal for a fall week like this one! It's slightly sweet but slightly spicy too and it's a great sipping soup to just put in a mug. We have adapted it a bit, but the original recipe was torn out of an old Cottage Living and has been sitting in our soup folder for awhile so we decided to finally give it a try.

Sweet & Spicy Carrot Soup

(2) T - Olive oil
(1) large - Green onion, thinly sliced
(1) - Onion, diced
(1) 16-ounce package - Baby carrots
(1) - Garlic clove
(1) T - Fresh ginger, minced
(3) (or more if want spicier) - Jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
(1/4) cup - White wine vinegar
(6) cups - Vegetable stock
(1) medium - Sweet potato, peeled and cubed
(1/4) cup - Orange juice
(1) tsp - Ground cumin
(1/2) tsp - Ground coriander
(1) T - Agave nectar
(1/2) tsp - Celtic sea salt, plus more to taste

- Heat olive oil in large pot. Add green onion, onion, and carrots; saute until onions are tender. Add garlic, ginger, and jalapenos; saute a few minutes more. Stir in white wine vinegar. Add stock and sweet potato; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer 30 minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in oj, cumin, and coriander.

-Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Process in blender half at a time until smooth (or use immersion blender). Return mixture to pot and stir in agave and salt; cover and warm over medium heat until heated through. Serve and enjoy...

If anyone out there gives it a try, let me know what you think!

I'm so excited for the weekend! I look forward to handing out our FruitaBu's to the little trick-or-treaters and seeing what Lovebug thinks of all these kids in costumes coming to our door. Have a wonderful one!!!

OH and HEY, I was sad to see yesterday that I lost a "follower". I was really disappointed. Isn't that funny? I thought "Huh, why did they stop following my blog?...Did I bore them?...Did I offend them?". This blog stuff is humorous sometimes isn't it? :) Oh well, maybe they'll come back some day...

Beans 3 Ways

This last week my Love made a delicious bean ball mixture that we put together three different ways for lunches. The bean recipe and marinara sauce are from Veganomicon, which is an amazing cookbook I highly recommend. We first had them as a sub with homemade bread and spinach, which was good but I didn't love the bread I made. It fell apart way too easily although it tasted pretty good.


Then we just put the bean balls on top of pasta, which was really yummy. We tried them with both penne and angel hair, but I'm a penne girl so that was my favorite. We ate them cold (we don't use the microwave and the oven makes our house so HOT) but some people might prefer them warmed up. The bean balls are pretty fun and I think little ones would really enjoy them!


For lunch yesterday we had extra bean mixture and some random other ingredients leftover from the week, so my Love wanted to do something different. He came up with these bean patties on top of a corn pancake finished off with some sliced avocado and a dollup of homemade salsa. It was SO good and incredibly filling! We have really missed Top Chef around here by the way and are pumped the new season has started but disappointed they're only on itunes now online :(. Oh well...at least we get to still watch them. AND thank goodness Project Runway is finally online this year - YEA! :)


Anyway, wanted to share the bean mixture we enjoyed three ways this last week. Have an INCREDIBLE Sunday! I'm so sad the weekend is almost over...I love my little family all together more than anything.

The best pizza I've ever had!

I mentioned my Love recently made the "best pizza I've ever had"...well he was able to recreate it again on our anniversary! Oh my goodness, SO delicious! Have you ever made homemade pizza? We make it every Saturday night as a treat and it's always something we look forward to on the weekends! We call it our "farmer's market pizza" because we use whatever veggies the organic seller has that morning. Growing up, we made alot of homemade pizzas too, which was so much fun. My Mom would make little individual ones for each of us to then add whatever toppings we wanted. It was something she very often did for parties and sleepovers, which made it all the more special. I look forward to the day in the future when Lovebug can enjoy "Pizza Night" with us too and taste her daddy's delicious ones!

Anyway, I had some requests for more info on this incredible pizza and I was able to get some bits from my Love. He doesn't write his creations down, which makes it difficult. :) First off, he or I always make the homemade whole wheat crust using either whole wheat pastry, stoneground wheat, or a mixture of the two, in which we add some Italian seasoning. As far as the toppings, my Love has been roasting bell peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini in EVOO, salt, and some Italian seasoning. The sauce he has been making includes garlic, balsamic, and again, that Italian seasoning. He then layers the sauce and roasted veggies on the pizza and adds a ton of spinach and basil. We've also been adding some nutritional yeast on there too which we love. SO, there you go! That's the gist of most delicious pizza I've ever had! :)

SO, what do you put on your homemade pizzas? Alright, be back soon from the beach...

What's Cooking

Happy Monday to you all! So, I'm pretty sure I've posted this recipe before but a good friend recently requested it so I am reposting it. Did you notice there are labels now to the right? I'm working on labeling all of my past posts so we'll know soon enough if this recipe is a repeat or not.

Anyway, we call it our "Super Soup" because it is FULL of wonderful antioxidant-rich nutrients that are so incredibly vital for our bodies. My Love made it for me the day Lovebug was born once we got home, and for that, it will always hold a special place in my memory bank. It's just good and comforting, but best of all, perfect for a recovering or nutrient needing body (which is every day actually, isn't it?). It's a wonderful calcium and iron source, as well as full of B vitamins, protein, fiber, and vitamins A, C, and K! So see, it's pretty "super" :)!


Super Soup - 6 servings

(4) Leeks, white & green parts
(1) Kale bunch (we tend to add more)
(1) T - Olive or Coconut Oil
(1) 28-ounce can - Whole Tomatoes, drained
(6) cups purified Water
(2) Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
(1/2) cup - Brown Lentils (we've also done split peas and red lentils)
(1) T - fresh Thyme Leaves
(2) tsp - Kosher Salt
(1/4) tsp - Black Pepper
(12) fresh Basil Leaves (optional)

Slice each leek in 1/2 lengthwise, then slice each 1/2 into 1/4-inch-thick half moons. Place in a large bowl of cold water and swish to remove any grit. Drain and pat dry. Remove the stems from the kale; stack the leaves on top of one another and slice them crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips (about 3 cups worth). Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, breaking them up with a spoon, for 5 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil. Stir in the kale, sweet potatoes, lentils, thyme, salt, pepper, and basil (if using). Simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.

I do believe the recipe is from an issue of Real Simple from years ago...

OH, and how was your weekend? Ours was fun and family-filled! Well, have a wonderful week!

What's Cooking

Friends, this is my empty lunch bowl...It WAS Sweet Potato Lentil Chili and it was delicious! I have shared the recipe before, but it was long ago at the beginning of my blogging at which time many of you had not yet started to visit me here. SO I'm going to post it again in case you missed it! You know, I really need to start categorizing my posts...wouldn't that be nice? It's one of my 2009 goals for sure.

Anyhoo, the chili is one of our favorite dishes and my beautiful Love really outdid himself this time around by adding some additional spices and whatnot. But of course, it was just a little of this and a little of that with nothing written down :), but here is the basic recipe that we originally got from a VegNews issue I do believe.

Sweet Potato Lentil Chili (Serves 6)

(1) T - Olive Oil
(1 3/4) Cups - Onion, finely chopped
(1) Cup - Celery, finely chopped
(1) Pd - orange-fleshed Sweet Potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
(3) - large cloves of Garlic, minced
(1) tsp - Sea Salt (Celtic is very good for you!)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
(2) tsp - Chili Powder
(1) tsp - Paprika
(1/2) tsp - Nutmeg
(1/2) tsp - Cumin
(1/4) tsp - Cinnamon
(1/2) tsp - Red Chili Flakes
(1 1/4) cups - Red Lentils, rinsed (soaked is better for digestion)
(2 1/2) cups - Water
(1) - 28 oz. can crushed Tomatoes
(1) - 15 oz. can Black Beans, rinsed and drained (or dried equivalent, soaked and cooked)
(2) - Bay Leaves
(3) T - Lime Juice
Lime wedges (for serving) if so desired...

1.) In large pot over medium heat, add oil, onions, celery, sweet potatoes, garlic, s & p, chili powder, paprika, nutmeg, cumin, cinnamon, and red chili flakes. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 mins, stirring occasionally.

2.) Add lentils, tomatoes, water, beans and bay leaves. Stir and increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Then lower heat and simmer for 25 mins until sweet potatoes and lentils are soft (or longer if you want), stirring occasionally.

3.) If adding, stir in lime juice, and season to taste with s & p. Enjoy!

Hope everyone had a great weekend by the way! Thank you for everyone's comments on The Green Bible. It seemed like the overall consensus was that you thought it was a good thing as long as it was the same message, which it is, and which I wholly agree with!! More than anything I think, I'm just happy The Word is being printed on recycled paper now!

OH and a question that has come up a couple of times is about the hat Lovebug was wearing two posts ago...YES it's from an Etsyian (OF COURSE:) and to be precise, Comfed Out Kaiser . I love it too as the colors are beautiful and all the yarn was organic. Anyway, she was wonderful to buy from so check her out if you're looking for something similar. Happy Monday!

What's Cooking

As many of you know, I love breakfast. Awhile back we were doing whole wheat waffles every morning. We would make them in bulk on the weekend and then pop them in the oven come morning time. I still adore them, but a couple months ago I needed a change. I had seen this idea of quinoa for breakfast at Tiny Morsels and wanted to give it a try. Our nest LOVES quinoa - loves it. It has sort of a nutty taste we really enjoy and use it in place of brown rice in dishes quite often. We initially tried it as a "breakfast for dinner" one night - aren't those fun? :) Anyway, we both loved it, so it became my daily breakfast, and wanted to share.

We add a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter (yum!), a handful or two of raisins, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a tablespoon or so of ground flax seed, and a drizzle of maple syrup - and VOILA - a yummy healthy breakfast that will fill you up and provide the right start to your day. It's delicious! Same idea as oatmeal, but healthier and yummier (to my taste buds at least). We've also added fresh fruit and some nuts, but the above is my go-to combination because we always have all of that on hand.


I've talked about the health benefits of quinoa before, but it is extremely high in protein AND is a complete protein with all 9 of the essential amino acids. Quinoa is also high in magnesium, iron, copper, and riboflavin (B2). It's generally considered a "grain" but is actually the seed of plant in the same family as beets, chard, and spinach. Another huge plus to bulk quinoa is how fast it cooks as it only takes 15 minutes compared to the 50 or so our bulk rice takes. We buy our organic quinoa in bulk from Central Market but I am sure most grocery stores have it these days.

Give quinoa a try for breakfast and let me know what you think! OH and it's pronounced "KEEN-wah" :). Have a wonderful weekend!

What's Cooking

My lunch has been especially yummy this week! It was a sprouted grain tortilla filled with basil hummus, arugula, spinach, and a tomato, served up with some carrots on the side. It has been delicious, but unfortnately we finished it up today. Oh well, probably more to come next week with a different hummus.


Since we do hummus alot for lunches, we have to change it up quite a bit so we don't tire of a particular one...there's Spicy Garbanzo, Black Bean, Mexican, 3 Bean, and this Basil one. I'm trying to think if there are any others that we do, but I'm drawing a blank. There are tons out there though - so many different combinations of yumminess. There is an Avocado hummus that we've been wanting to try for awhile too, along with some others. We typically do sprouted tortillas or sandwich/pita bread along with our hummus and then add lots of veggies, or just raw veggies and maybe some chips with it. I've had hummus pizza before at Organicity which was delicious, so maybe we'll try that soon on pizza night at home. Hummus really is our go-to lunch, it's incredibly easy, pretty inexpensive, and it travels great! It's also extremely healthy for you with tons of protein, good fats, and calcium.

Basil Hummus (originally from AllRecipes.com):

(1) 16-ounce can - Garbanzo beans (or dried equivalent - soaked and cooked)
(1/2) cup - Basil leaves
(1) clove - Garlic (tend to use more)
(1) T - Olive oil
(1) T - Balsamic vinegar
(1/2) tsp - Soy sauce (we use Tamari)

Combine ingredients and pulse in food processor...Use spatula to push mixture from sides of bowl. Add more olive oil to get consistency that you enjoy; Add S&P as desired. Enjoy!

We're always looking for new hummus recipes and variations to try so if you have any, please feel free to share. Have a lovely weekend everyone!

What's Cooking

Here's another delicious one from Vegan Planet...I'm telling you, this is a really great cookbook - you gotta get it! TONS of wonderful recipes! My Love made these for a couple dinners this week and I baked some vegan flax cornbread to go with it last night...added some organic avocado on the side and it was a delicious meal!


Black Bean & Sweet Potato Enchiladas - Serves 8

(2) Large - Sweet Potatoes - peeled and diced
(1) T - Olive Oil
(1) large - Garlic Clove, minced
(1) Small - Hot Chile, seeded and minced
(1.5) C - Black Beans cooked or (1) 15-oz. can, drained and rinsed
(1) 14.5-oz can - Diced Tomatoes (used jarred tomato sauce instead, but fresh diced would be good too)
(1) T - Chili Powder
(2) C - Salsa (make your own or buy favorite jarred)
(8) Large - Whole Wheat Tortillas
(1/4) C - Onion, finely chopped
S & P

1.) Preheat oven to 400. Arrange Sweet P's in single layer on lightly oiled baking sheet and roast until tender - about 20 mins. Turn once during roasting. Remove from oven and set aside.
2.) Reduce oven temp to 350. Heat Olive Oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chile, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beans, tomatoes, chili powder, and S&P to taste. Stir in Sweet P's and simmer for 5 mins.
3.) Spread thin layer of salsa over bottom of lightly oiled 9 x 13-in. baking dish.
4.) Place a tortilla on a flat work surface. Spoon a portion of Sweet P mixture down center of tortilla and roll it up - place in baking dish seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas and Sweet P mixture. Spoon any remaining Sweet P mixture over top of enchiladas, as well as any leftover salsa.
5.) Sprinkle with chopped onion - cover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 20 mins.

This filling would also be yummy just wrapped up in warmed tortillas as fajitas or you could even do an enchilada casserole instead of rolled up enchiladas, as well as many other variations. Next time, I think we might add some peas, corn, and maybe some bell peppers to get some more veggies in there. But, it was quite enjoyable and according to our nest's Top Chef "very easy"...

What's Cooking

Lately on the weekends we've been making whole wheat waffles in bulk to last the week...freezing and popping them in the oven for a few minutes every morning. I add a few spoonfuls of almond butter and sprinkle on some flaxseed...add a cup of coffee from our vintage glass percolator (my latest Etsy find that I *heart*)...and that's my current favorite breakfast (oh how I LOVE breakfast/brunch)! What's the fave meal you like to start your day with??



I got the recipe from here....it's so easy. We alter it a bit by doing all whole wheat pastry flour and rice instead of soy milk...and sometimes add a couple teaspoons of cinnamon or sliced almonds to the batter...you could also add cranberries, raisins, or chocolate or carob chips for a sweet treat - yummy!

Vegan Waffles - makes about 7 waffles

(1) cup - Whole wheat pastry flour
(2) T - Baking powder
(1/4) tsp - Salt
(1) cup - Rice milk
(1/2) cup - Applesauce

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt...Add rice milk and applesauce. Pour into lightly greased waffle iron (we use olive oil) and bake until golden brown...

What's Cooking

Just realized we haven't done a recipe in 4-EVER...well people, this is a good one...scratch that - a GREAT one...got it from Vegetarian Times awhile back...it's so summer-y (a word?) and refreshing! We made a big bunch of it this last weekend after a trip to the local farmer's market...I finished the last of it yesterday and boy am I sad! Quinoa, spinach, cucumbers, almonds, and cranberries...what more could you want?!

Spinach Quinoa Salad - Serves 6

(1/4) cup - Sliced Almonds
(1.5) cups - Quinoa - rinsed and drained (we typically don't rinse ours)
(2) cups - Spinach leaves
(2) cups - fresh Cherries*, pitted and halved (*did about 1 cup dried cranberries instead)
(1) - Cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice
(1) 15 oz. can - Chickpeas*, rinsed and drained (*didn't include this in it)
(1) small - Red Onion*, finely chopped (*did a white instead b/c of availability at market)
(1/4) cup - Plain low-fat yogurt* (*def omitted this and it was wonderful w/o it)
(3) T - Olive oil
(2) T - fresh Lemon juice
(2) - cloves Garlic, minced

1.) Preheat oven to 350...Spread almonds on baking sheet - toast for 7-10 mins, shaking pan occasionally - until golden brown. Let cool.
2.) Bring 3 cups lightly salted water to a boil over medium high heat - Stir in quinoa. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer 15 mins or until liquid is absorbed.
3.) Remove from heat and cool, covered, in pot.
4.) Lay 5 or 6 spinach leaves flat on top of each other on cutting board - Roll tightly into cylinder, then slice into slivers. Repeat with remaining spinach.
5.) Toss together quinoa, chickpease (if using), and red onion in large bowl. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and yogurt (if using) in small bowl. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Season with s & p...and chill for 30 mins to allow flavors to develop (optional)...

Really easy and really yummy!!

What's Cooking

This was the entree we made last week for dinners and it was awesome! I know I said "delicious" many times every time we ate it. Plus it was fun to have a "burger" of sorts and fries here in our vegetarian nest! We did a cilantro pesto on the whole-wheat burgers, some mustard, and some arugula greens...we ran out of buns one night and had them by themselves as well and still were great!

Black Bean & Walnut Burgers - Serves 8

(2) 15 oz. cans Black Beans, rinsed and drained
(2) tsp Ground Cumin
(3) tsp Chili Powder
(1/8 to 1/4) tsp Cayenne Pepper
(1/2) cup cooked Brown Rice
(1/2) cup chopped Walnuts
(1/3) cup chopped Red Onion
(3) T canned Corn
(1/3) cup Cornmeal

1.) Puree 2.5 cups beans w/ cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper until smooth. Add rice, walnuts, onion, corn, and remaining beans, and pulse 2 to 3 times to mix (mixture should be stiff but not dry). Add 2 to 3 T water to moisten, if necessary. Season to taste w/ s & p.
2.) Divide mixture into 8 burgers. Dredge burgers in cornmeal. Chill 30 mins.
3.) Coat nonstick pan or grill w/ cooking spray. Cook burgers over medium heat 4 mins. Flip, and cook 4 mins more, or until heated through. Serve.

Chili-Roasted Sweet-Potoato Wedges/Fries - Serves 4

(1.5) pds Sweet Potatoes
(2) T Olive oil
(1) T Sugar or we use Sucanat
(1) tsp Chili Powder
Salt & Pepper

1.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut each pototo lengthwise into 8 wedges; halve long wedges crosswise.
2.)On a lge rimmed baking sheet lined w/ parchment paper, toss potatoes w/ oil, sugar, chili powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp ground pepper, until coated. Arrange wedges, cut sides down.
3.) Roast potatoes until browned and tender, 15-20 mins. Season with additional salt, if desired, before serving.

For the cilantro pesto, we just substituted cilantro for basil and omitted the parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!!

What's Cooking

This is a delicious hearty soup that is extremely healthy and good for you. It has protein-rich lentils in it and kale, which is very high in fiber and calcium, as well as beneficial sweet potatoes and tomatoes. My Love made it right after I delivered Lovebug and it was the perfect post-labor food with all of its many nutrients. We make a big pot and enjoy it for a whole week...and it's great down to the last spoonful!



Winter-Lentil Soup: 6 Servings

(4) Leeks, white and light green parts only
(1) bunch Kale
(1) T Olive Oil
(1) 28-ounce can Whole Tomatoes, drained
(6) cups Water
(2) Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
(1/2) cup Brown Lentils
(1) T fresh Thyme Leaves
(2) tsp Kosher Salt
(1/4) tsp Black Pepper
(12) fresh Basil Leaves (optional)


Slice each leek in half lengthwise, then slice each half into 1/4 inch-thick-half-moons (about 2 cups). Place in a large bowl of cold water and swish to remove any grit. Drain and pat dry. Remove the stems from the kale. Stack the leaves on top of each other and slice them crosswise into 1/2 inch-wide-strips; you'll need 3 cups. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for 3 mins. Add the tomatoes and cook, breaking them up with a spoon, for 5 mins. Add the water and bring to a boil. Stir in the kale, sweet potatoes, lentils, thyme, salt, pepper, and basil (if using). Simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 mins.

Enjoy.

What's Cooking

This is the entree we made last week...The cinnamon and spices in it w/ the sweet potatoes are delicious, and the lentils make it hearty!

Sweet Potato Lentil Chili
Serves 6

(1) tablespoon - Olive Oil
(1 3/4) cups - Onions, finely chopped
(1) cup - Celery, finely chopped
(1) pound - Orange-fleshed Sweet Potatoes, washed, peeled, and cut into 1-in. cubes
(3) - large Garlic cloves, minced
(1) teaspoon - Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
(2) teaspoons - Chili Powder
(1) teaspoon - Paprika
(1/2) teaspoon - Nutmeg
(1/2) teaspoon - Cumin
(1/4) teaspoon - Cinnamon
(1/2) teaspoon - Red chili flakes
(1 1/4) cup - Red Lentils, rinsed
(2 1/2) cups - Water
(1) 28-ounce can - Crushed Tomatoes
(1) 15-ounce can - Black Beans, rinsed and drained
(2) - Bay Leaves
(3) - tablespoons - Freshly squeezed Lime juice
Lime Wedges for serving if so desired

In a large pot over medium heat, add oil, onions, celery, sweet potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, nutmeg, cumin, cinnamon, and red chili flakes. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 mins, stirring occasionally.

Add lentils, water, tomatoes, beans, and bay leaves to pot. Stir, increase heat to high to bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer for 25 mins or longer, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes and lentils are soft.

Stir in lime juice, season to taste with additional salt and pepper, and serve with lime wedges if have them.

Enjoy!

What's Cooking

Here's one of our fave pasta recipes we recently cooked and wanted to share:

Baked Penne w/ Roasted Vegetables - this is a great dish that's easy to make!
Prep: 25 mins; Cook: 40 mins; Yields: 6 servings

(2) - Zucchini, quartered lenghtwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
(2) - Red Peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
(2) - Summer Squash (since it's winter now, we do more zucchini), quartered
lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
(4) - Cremini Mushrooms, halved (we always add more mushrooms though)
(1) - Yellow Onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
(1/4) cup - extra virgin olive oil
(1) teaspoon - Salt
(1) teaspoon - Ground Black Pepper, divided
(1) tablespoon - Dried Italian herb mix or Herbs de Provence
(1) pound - Penne (preferably whole wheat)
(3) cups - Marinara Sauce
(1.5) cups - Frozen peas, thawed
(1) cup - Grated Fontina cheese*
(1/2) cup - Grated Mozarella*
(1/4) cup - Grated Parmesan*, plus 1/3 for topping
(2) tablespoons - Butter*, cut into small pieces

*We don't do ANY cheese or butter to make it vegan and healthier, and it turns out wonderful!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions w/ olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender - about 15 mins.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook for about 6 mins. Pasta will be cooked a 2nd time in oven so make sure the inside of pasta is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In large bowl, toss drained pasta w/ roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses (if doing), peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Use a wooden spoon to gently mix this until all the pasta is coated w/ sauce and ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top w/ remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter (if doing either)...Bake until top is golden and cheese (if doing) melts, about 25 mins.

Enjoy!