Clean Out the Fridge Soup

Each week, we end up with bits of vegetables here and there unused and leftover from the last shopping trip.   In preparation for the next grocery shop, I usually pull these out and turn them into a confetti salad or soup.   It's an easy way to be thrifty and healthy at the same time. 

This week's version used the following ingredients - portions of ingredients were determined by how much we had on hand, so your recipe will likely be very different:

• Onion, 1 medium
• Garlic, 3 roasted cloves
• Bell Peppers, 4 small
• Mushrooms, about 8
• 1 pound carrots
• 1/2 pound red cabbage
• Broccoli florets, about a cup
• Broccoli slaw, about a cup
• Greens
• Red lentils
• Nutritional yeast
• Seasonings (pepper, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne) to taste

First, I chopped the onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and water sauteed.  While this was cooking, I put the carrots, cabbage, and broccoli into the food processor and pulsed into small pieces.  Then, I added these to the pan and cooked about 10 minutes.

 

 

Lastly, I added the roasted garlic (leftover from hummus making), the red lentils, and water and cooked about 20-30 minutes. 

 

 

 

When the lentils were finished, I seasoned it with nutritional yeast and seasonings and served. 

 

It's a very thick soup without a broth because the lentils thicken so much, but you could easily add a broth or water to it to thin it. 



The last of the pepper harvest that I picked after the freeze killed the plants:

Healthier Cheese Dip

An old family favorite treat was the simple cheese dip made with a package of Velvetta and 2 cans of Rotel tomatoes with green chiles.  Recently, my husband came home from the camp with leftovers of this dip, and I had an idea to try to make this one a little bit healthier to see if it would pass muster with our extended family for the next time we go to the camp.  I didn't expect the result to be so close to the original taste, but you could hardly tell by taste alone that it was different.  Color, on the other hand, was definitely different, and there was a very slight texture difference.  I made a very small batch, so I have increased the ingredients proportionally below for a full batch.   You'll note that the post title is HealthIER, not HealthY, cheese dip. 

Interestingly, the dip made with just the tofu and vegetables had a very good flavor before adding the cheese.   It will definitely be something I experiment with to get a healthier spread or dip when I have the time to do so.   Adding something like nutritional yeast and other flavorings and then the tomatoes and spicy peppers would most likely create a close approximation of the cheese dip. 


Ingredients:

2 large onion
2 large bell pepper
16 oz mushrooms
5 cloves garlic
16 oz tofu
8 oz velvetta
1 can Rotel  (or 1 can diced tomatoes or fresh equivalent plus 1 large chopped jalapeno)


Saute onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic until onions are translucent.  

Remove from heat and add to blender with raw tofu and blend until smooth (add a very small amount of water if needed to blend).

 

 Return to pan, season with pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and heat on medium low for about 5 minutes.

 

 

Add to microwave safe pan with cheese and Rotel (or tomatoes/jalapenos) and microwave until melted.  Stir together and serve. 

Spicy Tacos

Inspired by a recipe description someone posted online, I decided to make tacos similar to the enchiladas we made a few days ago.

 

 

Ingredients :

8-16 oz mushrooms
1 large onion
1 bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
1 handful fresh spinach
16 oz tofu

Corn tortillas

Fresh tomatoes, chopped
Cilantro
Lime

Sauce:
1/2 cup cashew butter
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 lime or lemon
Seasonings (garlic, pepper, etc)
Poblano pepper

Broil the poblano pepper 10 minutes on each side.

Sauté the onions, pepper,  and mushrooms until the onions become translucent. I let them go a bit longer this time to give them a little more flavor and sweetness. Then, throw in the garlic and spinach, toss and remove from heat.

 

 

Scramble or bake the tofu, seasoning well beforehand.

Warn the tortillas. We use the microwave for 2 minutes for 4 tortillas...they get a little firm but not crispy.  3 minutes gets you crispy chips, if you want them.

Mix the cashew butter, squeeze of lemon or lime, almond milk, and the scrapings of the poblano in a blender or food processor, adding seasonings to taste.

Then, assemble your tacos and top with the sauce.  Enjoy!

Healthy Chocolate Muffins

I've never attempted Dr. Fuhrman's Healthy Chocolate Cake recipe because it calls for ingredients I don't usually keep on hand (mainly, dates!), but we decided to revamp the recipe to fit our tastes and needs, and this is the delicious result. 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

 

1.75 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

 

4-6 tablespoons Cocoa Powder

1 tablespoon Cinnamon

 

1 large zucchini

5 large carrots

1 large beet, peeled

 

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks

1 large apple, organic or peeled

2 bananas

 

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup dried pineapple

1 tablespoon Vanilla

 

Walnuts, optional

 

 

Combine flour, baking powder, cocoa, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

 

In a food processor, process all fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, vanilla, and milk together until nearly smooth.  

 

 

 

Add to dry mixture and combine, adding walnuts if you use them. 

 

Spoon into muffin cups, filling the cups because these don't rise much as they bake.  Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.   This batch made 18 muffins. 



Served like this, they make a great breakfast muffin or snack. 

For dessert, you can top with a chocolate cream frosting (below) or just dollop some peanut butter on top for a delicious chocolate peanut butter moment. 


Chocolate Frosting:

1 cup cashews, made into cashew butter
1/2-1 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup dates, pits removed
2 teaspoons cocoa powder

Blend all or process in a food processor until smooth.  Use enough milk to get the consistency to your liking.  Less milk will give you more of a fudgy consistency and slightly more will make it thinner and easier to use less on each muffin. 

Enchiladas with Poblano Cream Sauce

We've made these enchiladas before and love them, but the addition of this sweet and spicy cream sauce really bumps the flavor into the incredible zone.   In addition, the recipe is extremely versatile as you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand and not worry if you are missing one or two because it's doubtful you'd miss them. 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Corn tortillas, 1 small package  



1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bell pepper, chopped
Mushrooms, 8-16 oz, chopped
16 ounces spinach or other greens, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped, seeds and juice removed

Other vegetables, shredded or diced, as many as you'd like.  We used 2 medium zucchini and 1 eggplant.

Cashews, 1 cup nuts made into cashew butter
Unsweetened almond milk (or other plant milk), about 1/2 cup
1 large poblano pepper
Lemon, about a teaspoon of juice
Seasonings, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, onion powder, etc. 

Directions:

Roast the poblano pepper on a baking sheet.  Broil 10 minutes on each side or until blackened. 

Chop all vegetables.  Saute the onions, garlic, bell pepper until the onions just start to soften, then remove about 1/4 cup of the cooked mixture and set aside for the sauce.   Add the mushrooms, greens, tomatoes, and other vegetables to the pan, and saute 2-3 more minutes, season the mixture, then remove from heat. 

 

 

Prepare a baking pan by rubbing it with olive oil using a paper towel or oil mister.  Layer corn tortillas along the bottom then fill with cooked vegetable mixture.  Put a few more tortilla strips along the top as another layer, then bake on 350 for about 15 minutes. 

While it's baking, assemble the sauce.   Add the cashew butter, milk, lemon juice, cooked onion mixture, seasonings, and the scrapings from the roasted pepper (no seeds, no skin) into a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.   We used black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and a dash of cayenne.

Remove the dish from the oven, top with sauce, and serve.  It tastes great reheated, if necessary.

I have some ideas on how to bulk this dish up a bit by adding more vegetables, perhaps even roasted vegetables, as well as black beans.   For now, we serve with black bean soup and salsa. 

Blackberry Cobbler Bars

After the success of the blueberry muffins, I decided to try a twist on the traditional blackberry cobbler that we grew up eating.  That was the dessert I always chose first when we had family reunions or any kind of mult-dessert offering.  

These aren't that, of course, but the flavor is very reminiscent. 

Recipe:

2 ripe bananas
1 large apple or pear, minced, or 1/2 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
1-2 eggs or chia/flax eggs
2.5 cups oatmeal
1/4c dried pineapple
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1/4 cup seeds (sesame or pumpkin)
8 oz frozen blackberries, drained of water
dash cinnamon and teaspoon of vanilla

Combine everything except the blackberries and mix well, then gently fold in the blackberries.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.   

Blueberry Muffins

also known as, The Muffins You Are Always Going to Make for Me, named by Ryder because they are so delicious.   

 

• 1-3/4 cup any flour (we used whole oats)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (optional - was fine without)
• 1 egg or 1 flax egg
• 1/2 cup plant milk (unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1 large apple, minced
• 1/4 cup dried pineapple, minced
• 1/2 cup concentrated orange juice (frozen)
• 1 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (or other nuts)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped seeds (pumpkin, sesame, etc)
• 1.5 cup frozen or fresh blueberries

If using oats, put them in the food processor and process into flour.  I was able to make the entire mix in the food processor, including chopping the apple in it, mincing the pineapple, and so on, folding in the blueberries by hand at the end.  Otherwise, mix the dry ingredients by hand, then the wet, then combine.  Add the blueberries last unless you want purple muffins.  Mix until just combined, bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Veggie Muffins

These are very similar to our Health Nut Cookies, in fact, I'm not sure there's much of a difference in the recipe at all except that they are made in a muffin cup instead of on a cookie sheet.

 

 

Just like the cookies, each batch of 24 muffins has a full, packed cup of carrots, one of zucchini, and one of apple, in addition to healthy nuts and seeds.  

 

 

 

RECIPE:

 

 

2 cups oats or oat flour

1.5 cups whole wheat flour (or, oats/oat flour)

2 eggs or 2 flax eggs

1 cup packed shredded carrots

1 cup packed shredded zucchini

1 cup packed shredded apple

1/2 cup raisins or dates

1/2 teaspoon baking powder, optional

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon

dash of ginger, optional

dash of clove powder, optional

1/2 cup crushed walnuts or pecans

1/2 cup chopped pumpkin seeds

 

 

Mix all ingredients together just until combined.   We like to process the raisins or dates with a bit of plant milk in the blender or food processor, but it's an optional step that you can skip. 

 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.   (Note: we had to bake ours longer than this, about an hour, so we will probably go back to making these as either bars or cookies, even though our son ate them all within 2 days). 

 

These freeze very well, so you can make extras and enjoy them later...unless you're here in our house, in which case none ever seem to make it to the freezer.  

 



 

Pumpkin Walnut Muffins

I'm finally getting around to trying out some vegan(ish) and nutritarian(ish) muffin recipes.  Mostly, these are for the kids' to have as breakfasts or desserts or to carry with them for on-the-go eating. 

Sorry about the picture quality - the iPhone and I are still getting used to each other. 

 

 

 

Up close, you can see the bits of pumpkin seeds and walnuts

 

 

 

RECIPE:

 

 

• 1-3/4 cup any flour  (we used 1/2 oats and 1/2 whole wheat for our first batch, all oats for the next)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder  (optional - was fine without)
• 1 egg or 1 flax egg
• 1/2 cup plant milk (unsweetened)
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (unsweetened)
• 1 large apple, minced, or 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup sweetener  (raisins, minced dates) or 1/4 cup concentrated (molasses, date syrup/sugar)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pumpkin seeds

Mix the dry ingredients, then the wet, then combine.  We like to blend the raisins or dates with the plant milk in a food processor or blender, but you don't have to take that step.   Mix until just combined, bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees. 

 



Burrito Bowls

This has to be the easiest dinner party we've ever had.  It was, as usual, a last minute get together, informal, with close friends.   We worked in the yard most of the afternoon, which left little time for cooking.

We threw this together in about 20 minutes, then let the beans and rice cook a little while longer while we pulled out the dishes and made Italian margaritas.

We made the individual layers, then let the guests assemble their own bowls to their tastes.

Bowl layers:

• Lettuce
• Black beans
• Brown rice or other
• Guacamole
• Salsa

Recipes:


Guacamole -

Avocados
Diced fresh tomatoes, chopped and juice drained
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp salsa
Garlic powder, dash of cayenne







Salsa - all ingredient amounts are to taste, so experiment away! 

• Fresh or canned tomatoes, or both.   I used both here including some new canned, organic, no salt added tomatoes I found at Walmart (Sam's Choice brand)
• 1 small or medium jalepeno, seeds removed
• 1/2 medium onion, more or less to taste
• 2 cloves garlic or 3-4 cloves roasted garlic
• 1 large bell pepper
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup cilantro*

* We make salsa often and find cilantro hard to keep fresh, so we've taken to washing it, drying it, and then freezing it.  It's very handy!  






Chopped lettuce






Beans - 

• 2 cans black beans or equivalent fresh cooked
• 1 medium onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 large bell pepper (we used orange, as you can see)
• 1/3 pound or more chopped mushrooms
• Seasonings (pepper, dash of cayenne, garlic powder, chipotle powder, etc)

Saute onion, garlic, peppers, mushrooms until onions are translucent, then add cooked or canned beans and 1 cup of water.  Season and let simmer until the flavors merge well, then turn on low until ready to serve.




Brown rice or corn kernels are the last ingredient in our bowl.   We love brown rice, flavored with a bit of garlic and cilantro for a Chipotle feel to the bowl. 



List of the food you'll need for all of this:

• Corn tortillas, tortilla chips for starters (with the salsa and guac so make enough for the bowls and the starter course)
• 3-4 large avocados
• 2 medium onions
• 1 bulb garlic
• 2 large bell peppers
• 1/2 pound mushrooms
• Jalapenos
• Cilantro
• 2 cans beans
• Canned and fresh tomatoes
• Lettuce
• Brown rice
• Seasonings

Success!

After two years of trying, he is finally eating a salad with his lunch.  A real, grown up salad with vegetables and green leafies.  So happy!







His salad:

Greens (romaine, spinach, etc)
Grated carrots
Chopped red cabbage
Chopped (finely) broccoli
Cucumbers
To,atones

Dressing:
Olive oil
Lemon juice
And EVERY seasoning in the pantry, just about.

Mushroom, Eggplant Pitas

Quick and easy lunch we threw together for an outdoor party.  They were delicious, and we enjoyed them fully while everyone else had hotdogs.



In a skillet, sauté portabellas sliced mushrooms, onion slices, and strips of eggplant.

Season well with garlic, pepper, and so on.

Drain and load into a whole wheat pita half.

Easy!






While they sautéed in the skillet, we made fruit cups for the party.

Multi-seed crackers

We wanted a healthier cracker option for our daughter's lunch on the go than boxed ones, so I set out to find a good, basic recipe.   As usual, we combined a few to come up with one for our needs.  The first batch was softer, delicious on their own but not firm enough to hold up to dipping into hummus. The second batch was firmer and crisp, perfect for the job at hand.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour (we used whole wheat but any will work)
1 cup whole oats
1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/4 c chia gel
5 Tablespoons water
Pinch of fresh rosemary, minced
1 large clove of roasted garlic
Dash of salt, optional
1/2 cup seeds (ground flax, pumpkin, sesame)

Mix together all ingredients except seeds in a food processor, pulsing until mixed well.  Then stir in the seeds.

Roll out very thin on a smooth surface to desired thickness and cut into desired shape with a pizza cutter.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes for softer crackers.  (They do crisp more as they cool).  For crisp ones, we baked for 20 minutes, shut off the oven, and left the crackers to cool inside the warm oven.

Other flavor variations we will try:

Pesto
Cheezy (nutritional yeast)
Roasted red pepper
Tomato and olive oil

The flavor possibilities are endless.

Peanut Butter Energy Balls

I made these for my daughter to eat on the go, but my son gobbled up half the batch in one day.  They are very calorie dense, so not ideal on a reglar basis for those looking to lose weight. For my purposes, feeding an active and thin teen on-the-go, they are great.




Ingredients:

1 cup oats
1/2 cup peanut butter or other nut butter
1/2 cup ground flax
Teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup raisins and/or other dried fruit
1/2 cup seeds, assorted (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower)

Mix all together well and form into ball or bar or cube shape.

Red Lentil Soup

Unfortunately, no creative name for this soup.  It's a no-nonsense, GBOMBS friendly workhorse in our house, getting lots of nutrients into us in a short time.  We make it on Monday and eat on it for a few days.




Ingredients:

Large onion, diced
Bell pepper, diced
3 -5 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound carrots, shredded
1/2 pound red cabbage, shredded
1 pound mushrooms, sliced or diced
1/2 - 1 pound kale or other green, chopped

Optional - other vegetables like snap peas, cauliflower, etc.

1 pound red lentils
1/2 pound organic corn kernels, frozen
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons cashew butter
1 pound frozen broccoli

Sauté the onions, garlic, peppers, in water or two teaspoons of olive oil in a soup pot for about ten minutes, chopping the other vegetables meanwhile.   Add carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, kale, etc. to the pot with 2 cups of water and continue to cook for 15 minutes.  Add lentils and 3 more cups of water, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.   Remove from heat, stir in the corn and yeast.   Remove a half cup of broth and whisk in the cashew butter, then return to the soup pot.   Serve individual servings over steamed / cooked broccoli. 

Miscellanea, Part Two

A few random things today ~


In my ongoing attempt to control the chaos, an organized refrigerator.  Post it notes show what foods go on what shelves.  I'm taking bets on how long it will stay this way....




Dogs who cannot stay out of the street do not get to help their 8 year old owner take out the trash.  Then, they pout...




My workout is done in front of an audience ....




Hubby's lunch, to go... He is easy to please...




A plant STRONG boy (checkout those calf muscles)...