Slow Cooker: Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Originally uploaded by Marni Molina

First, allow me express my gratitude for the warm welcome back to blogdome. It means a lot to me that y'all are still here. Now, on with the show.

I love using my slow cooker. I love how easy it is. I love how the smell of whatever's bubbling away in there builds throughout the day to an olfactory climax 'round dinner time. Love love love. Especially when it's the type of recipe that allows me to dump ingredients into a pot, hit a button and forget about it for hours. I'm pleased to report that this is one of those recipes.

It's not, however, a perfect recipe. In fact, if I make it again, I have some planned alterations in mind. But I'll get to those in a minute.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Makes 6-8 Servings
About 10 minutes prep time

• 2 pounds butternut squash (or pumpkin), rinsed, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1-inch cubes
• 2 firm, crisp apples, peeled, seeded and chopped (whatever you've got laying around)
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 5-6 cups veggie stock
• 1 tablespoon curry powder, sweet or hot
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries (optional)

1. Add squash, apples and onion to the slow cooker.
2. Pour the stock, curry powder and cloves on top. Give it a gentle stir.
3. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 5-5 1/2 hours until the veggies are tender.
4. Using an immersion or traditional blender, blend the soup to desired consistency. Add salt and black pepper.
5. Garnish individual bowls with cranberries (optional).

I served mine piping hot with some ciabatta bread on a TV tray in front of the season finale of Being Human, the BBC version. Feel free to serve yours with whatever artisanal bread and television show you like.

This recipe was tasty. Not OMGdelicious, but tasty. As you may or may not have noticed, it's super healthy with absolutely no added fat, so it may be worth tinkering with. Which brings me to my planned alterations.

• I think adding a smooth-skinned potato would help make it more creamy and not so obviously broth-based, though the fact that I was cooking with canned stock didn't help.
• Also, I think the 1 tablespoon of curry powder may be better replaced with 1/2 tablespoon curry powder with 1/2 - 1 tablespoon cumin.
• I'd also cut the cloves from 1/4 to 1/8 teaspoon.

I hope your weekend was fabulous!

Sunday Night Dinner: Chowdah n' Puddin'

On last night's menu:

• Clam-Free Chowdah! from the Jan & Feb 2009 issue of VegNews (pg 60)
  
• Sourdough bread from a local bakery
  
• Homemade Chai Rice Pudding

We had a couple guests for dinner last night so I wanted something I could make in advance and just heat up when we were all ready to eat. The soup and rice pudding recipes fit the bill. I made them both Sunday morning which made for totally stress-free entertaining.

First, I apologize for not having any pics of the Clam-Free Chowdah. I've made it twice in the past week now and each time it has been inhaled too quickly for a food porn photo shoot. But trust me, it's worth it.

This recipe, which is published in the current issue (Jan/Feb 2009) of VegNews is another brilliant brainchild of Allison Rivers Samson. You know, the creatrix of my favorite vegan Mac n' Cheese recipe. I had high expectations for the chowdah and Allison did not disappoint.  If she continues to churn out these culinary gems I'll be forced to build an altar to her in my kitchen. 

Hey Allison, when's your cookbook comin' out?  :::hint hint:::

In this veganized version of chowdah, the clams are replaced by sauteed oyster mushrooms (yum!) which have a similar texture - chewy and delightfully meaty in that special mushroomy way. The soup gets its insanely creamy and silky-smooth texture and thickness from a base of pureed raw cashew nuts and cauliflower. Genius and delicious!

The only issue is that there is a typo in the recipe. The ingredients list calls for 2 cups of water, which are never accounted for in the recipe instructions. The first time I made the soup, the water was never added to the soup pot and we ended up eating stew, instead. Nummie, fantabulous stew, mind you, but stew nonetheless.

The second time I made the chowdah, I wised up and added the 2 cups of water when it seamed most logical: along with the remaining veggie broth, seasonings, cashew mixture, and salt in step #3.

I served the Clam-Free Chowdah in deep bowls, dished over hunks of torn-up, locally-baked sourdough bread. Oh yeah, baby. Now that's eatin'!

Vegan Chai Rice Pudding
Originally uploaded by Marni Molina

For dessert, I made the vegan version of Chai Rice Pudding from the Vegetarian Times website. Not only is this dessert hearty and delicious, it's low in fat and will cost you a mere 4 Weight Watcher points per serving.

I dished out the puddin' into pretty tea cups, topped each serving with whipped Soyatoo, and added a dusting of cinnamon.  Rich and delicious, just as rice pudding should be.

Hot chowdah and a hot, creamy dessert accompanied by freezing rain and storm that whipped our palm trees against the house ... it was pretty much the perfect combination and certainly a lovely way to end the weekend.

Hope yours was grand!

Master Recipe for Minestrone Soup

Soups are the perfect food to eat if you're trying to watch your weight.  They're satisfying, easy to make, take a while to eat, are extremely versatile, and consist mostly of liquid.  Though most soup recipes begin with a sauté of aromatics - typically onion, carrot, and celery (aka mirepoix) - the fat can be bypassed by eliminating the sauté oil and just cooking the aromatics in the soup liquid itself.  This is usually what I do when I'm trying to lose weight.

Master recipes are a passion of mine and I really enjoy finding and formulating them because of the culinary versatility they offer.  Once you have a template for a dish, the possibilities open up wide.  Having master recipes for various meals means I can pretty much shop my fridge and cabinet and gather enough miscellaneous ingredients to create a wonderful meal.  Sometimes, I even hit the jackpot and end up creating something so different and tasty, it becomes part of my repertoire.  The other main thing I appreciate about master recipes is that I can select in-season produce, making the same recipe over and over through the seasons, always with different results.

This is my master recipe for "skinny" (no fat added) minestrone soup.  I've used it countless times and it never fails.  

La Vegan Loca's Master "Skinny" Minestrone Soup

Serves: 4-6

• 1 medium onion, chopped (whatever kind you like or have on hand - white, yellow, red, and bunch of green onions, several shallots, whatever)
• 1-2 carrots, chopped
• 1-2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 4 cloves or garlic, minced
• about 2 cups of hard veggies (those that cook longer) like root veggies and winter squash varieties, peeled (if necessary) and rough chopped into 3/4-inch pieces - any combination adding up to approximately 2 cups will do
• 6 cups liquid (all water, all stock, 4 cups stock + 2 cups water ... whatever you've got)
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (Italian, unseasoned, again ... whatever is in your cupboard)
• about 2 cups of soft veggies and/or precooked and drained leftover or canned legumes (those that cook quickly) like corn kernels, green beans, summer squash, dark leafy greens, beans, lentils, etc. peeled (if necessary) and rough chopped 1/2 inch pieces - any combination adding up to approximately 2 cups will do
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped herbs (1/4 cup for dry, 1/2 cup for fresh) - use anything you may have that goes with your veggies (parsley is a given, basil, cilantro, sage, chives, thyme, whatever you have that makes you happy)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Throw the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and hard veggies into a soup pot and place over medium-high heat.  Stir often and when things begin to stick (and before you garlic burns), add the liquid and crushed tomatoes.
2. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil.  Cover the soup, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the veggies are a bit soft (but not totally mushy).
3. Add soft veggies and herbs and adjust heat (if necessary) to keep the soup simmering.  Continue simmering, uncovered, another 15 minutes or so until all the veggies are tender.  Taste and adjust the seasonings as you like.  Serve and enjoy!

If you'd like to add a bit of pre-cooked pasta or rice to your soup, I suggest placing 1/4 - 1/3 of a cup of it in the bottom of your soup bowl before you ladle your soup in.  That way, when you store the leftovers, the grains won't absorb all your soup liquid.

The measurements and times for this recipe are merely suggestions from years of experience.  If it looks too wet, add more veggies.  If it looks too dry, add more liquid.  Just keep tasting it and adjusting it and you'll be fine.

I, obviously, can't offer nutritional information for this one because of all the possible ingredient choices, but rest assured this is a healthy dish that just about anyone will love.

Other additions you may consider include pesto, hot sauce, tofu, tempeh, and seitan, but I almost never feel the need to add anything.

Have fun!

Canned Comfort

Amy's Low Fat Minestrone Soup
Originally uploaded by Marni Molina

So far, 2009 has not been a party. First thing New Year's day, we got a call from our neighbor informing us The Husband's truck had been broken into. The thief smashed the window and stole a lot of auto equipment and tools, none of which will be covered by insurance.

The rocky start to the day coupled with dealing with police and insurance agents just threw off our whole plan to enjoy the long weekend and we've felt rushed and out of sync since. I haven't posted my resolutions yet and I had some changes I wanted to make to this blog that I haven't completely parsed out because I haven't had the time.

And to add a layer of sadistic icing to my pity party cake, I spent the morning in the dentist's chair for root planing. I'll spare you the details but the end result is I'm sore from the injections and want nothing more than a little quiet and TLC. But, I'm a stay-at-home mom, so that'll have to wait. Once my face stopped feeling like a balloon, I did end up settling for something comforting to eat instead.

Can I just get a little amen for canned soup?

I started poking around inside my cabinet and saw several cans of Amy's organic soups and breathed an audible sigh of relief. While my soup was heating, I decided to treat myself to a little fine dining experience and broke out the table cloth which totally needs to be ironed, but that's so not happening today.

I also felt I needed flowers to round out my lunch. So I grabbed the empty can and headed out to my herb garden. A fistful of lavender completed the scene and I was eating (gingerly) and happy.

I'll get back to my normal blogging schedule and announce the exciting changes (at least they're exciting to me) I'm making here very soon, I promise. But for now, I'm going to sit down, put my feet up, and read.

I hope everyone had a happy New Year!  If you didn't, things can only get better.  That's what I'm telling myself, anyway.  

MoFo 12: Sunday Night Dinner

Tomato Soup
Originally uploaded by Marni Molina

The other day my neighbor, Mr. C, gifted me with tomatoes from his garden. Though I originally thought I'd make some of my beloved Oil-Free Vinaigrette with them, I actually ended up making some killer Pureed Tomato Soup instead. I made the soup with some of my homemade Roasted Veggie Stock (of-course) and served it over generous slices of fresh, skillet-baked Olive Oil Salt Bread.

Nice.

The Husband and I ate hunched over the coffee table as we watched our Chargers kick Patriot ass.

I love Sunday Night Dinner with a side of Sunday Night Football. Especially when we win 30 to 10. :::grin:::

MoFo 7: Some Final Words on Freezing Homemade Soups

Maple-Glazed Carrot Soup
Originally uploaded by Marni Molina

Okay, one last post on freezing homemade soups before we move on. While it's true that nearly all soups can be successfully frozen for a later date, I think I get the best results from simple, pureed soups. I'm talking about single- or two-veggie soups. Examples include any of the root veggie soups - carrot soup, potato soup, parsnip soup, celery root soup, beet soup, and even potato and leek soup. Also, tomato soup, pumpkin soup sans nut milks or creams, and the like.

Last night, I made a giant batch of one of our favorites, Maple-Glazed Carrot Soup, and today I'm going to freeze some for later. Not only is this soup super-easy to make, but it's also incredibly cheap. Giant bags of carrots can be purchased year-round and for only a few dollars. Given the current state of the US economy, these types of recipes are essential. Speaking of money, if you want to stretch out your homemade veggie stock, cut it with water when using in soup. For example, this one calls for 6 cups veggie stock, half of which can easily be replaced with water. Even diluted homemade veggie stock kicks store-bought veggie stock's ass.

Additionally, this soup is seriously tasty. It's amazing how a good foundation (homemade veggie stock) and a single veggie can produce a soup to rival any of the more complicated versions. Also, this recipe is easy on the waistline, employing minimal fat.

I've adapted this one from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. It's versatile, as the carrots can be easily substituted with other root veggies like turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, or celery root.

Maple-Glazed Carrot Soup
Makes: 4 servings (but can easily be doubled)
Time: 45 minutes

• 1 1/2 pounds carrots, cleaned and sliced
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
  
• 6 cups veggie stock (preferably homemade)

1. Put the carrots, oil, 3/4 cup water, and maple syrup in a large skillet or saucepan and turn the heat to high. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 5 minutes.
   
2. Uncover and raise the heat a bit. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are cooking in the oil. Lower the heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are very tender, about 10 minutes more. If they start to stick or brown, add a tablespoon or so of stock.
   
3. Add the stock and turn the heat to high. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the syrup at the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat so that the stock gently bubbles and cook, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes more.
   
4. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pan or cool the mixture slightly, pour into a blender container, and carefully puree. (The soup may be made ahead to this point, cooled, and refrigerated or frozen. Serve cold or gently reheated.) Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve, garnished as desired.
   

MoFo 5: Sunday Night Dinner

Chickpea & Herb Dumpling Soup
Originally uploaded by Marni Molina

When I was trying to decide what to cook for Sunday night dinner, I had three requirements:

1. Must use some of the bad-ass roasted veggie stock I just made.
   
2. Must be comfort food.
   
3. Must be easy, preferably a one-pot meal.

And, of-course ... bonus points if the dish employs chickpeas.

I'm happy to say I hit all three req's and earned the bonus to boot. I adapted and veganized this recipe from one of my new cookbooks (I got two newbies this past week). It's called Homestyle Vegetarian and it's put out by Bay Books. It's full of comfort food recipes. Woohoo! Bay Books is in Australia, so the recipes are all a bit different than what we're used to in the States with regard to measures and language, but it's no big. This recipe was easy to veganize and the results were ... um ... lemme just say, dayum!

It's the dumplings. I can't resist a good dumplin'!

Chickpea & Herb Dumpling Soup
Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon oil
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  
• 2 x 300 g (10 1/2 0z) tins chickpeas (he he ... they say "tins")
  
• 875 ml (30 fl 0z / 3 1/2 cups) veggie stock
  
• 2 x 425 g (15 oz) tins chopped tomatoes
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
  
• 125 g (4 1/2 oz / 1 cup) self-raising flour
  
• 30 g (1 oz) vegan margarine, chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  
• 2 tablespoons mixed chopped herbs (chives, parsley, coriander)
  
• 3 tablespoons nondairy milk

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, and cook the onion over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic, cumin, ground coriander and chili and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the chickpeas, stock, and tomato. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the coriander.
   
2. To make the dumplings, sift the flour into a bowl and add the chopped butter. Rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the nutritional yeast and herbs. Make a well in the centre (he he ... centRE), add the milk, and mix with a flat-bladed knife (using a cutting motion) until just combined. Bring together into a rough ball, divide into eight portions and roll into small balls.
   
3. Add the dumplings to the soup, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes (mine took a bit longer), or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of a dumpling.

Yum. Just .... so so yum.

In keeping with this month's theme, if you wanted to make this soup and freeze it for later, follow the recipe through step one, cool, and freeze. Label the soup with all the appropriate info along with steps 2 & 3 and the corresponding ingredient measurements. This would be great on a cold winter night. Or a chilly autumn night. Or a humid, San Diego, post-tropical storm night like tonight.  :::grin:::

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

MoFo 4: Putting Up Homemade Soups

No matter what you call it ... "putting up soup" ... "putting soup by" ... or just plain ol' boring "storing soup," the effort is definitely worth the eventual convenience.  We're sticking with freezing here because canning soups can be tricky.  I most appreciate my stock of frozen soups when I'm sick because, let's face it, my mom's not around to make me soup with I'm feeling bad. I am the mom around here.  And for the record, even if my mom were around, she'd be serving me Panera takeout soup, not homemade.  Nothing against Panera, but ... you know.  My mother does not cook, which is probably why I love to cook so much.  But I digress.

Since we've covered how to make homemade veggie stock and how to store it for later, storing soup is the next logical topic up for discussion.  Here's what you need to know in order to freeze homemade soups and have 'em still taste great when the time is right:

• Almost any soup can be successfully frozen and enjoyed at a later date.
• Just like homemade stocks, soups will keep in the freezer about 6 months.
• Under-salt your soup a bit because saltier items take longer to freeze.  Just remember to salt your soup to taste upon reheating.
• If your soup has veggies in it, undercook them a little so they finish cooking, without getting mushy, upon reheating.
• If your recipe calls for soy or nut milk, soy yogurt, or any nondairy dairy-type ingredient, hold off on adding it until the soup is thawed and reheated.
• The same goes for carbs like taters, pastas, and rice.  These items will get all mushy while frozen.  Instead, add them when the soup is thawed and reheated.  As an aside, the same is true for longer stints in the fridge.
• If you are leaving any ingredients out per the above guidelines, be sure to add that information to your label.  (See below for example.)
• Adhere to all the general recommendations listed in yesterday's post on storing homemade stocks.  (Clean containers, labels, headroom, chill before freezing, thawing guidelines, etc.)

So, let's say I want to freeze some Chickpea Noodle Soup from 'Nomicon.  And why wouldn't I? It's like The Bestest Soup Evar when you've got the sniffles and it's cold outside.  Or when you're just feelin' down.  Whenever, really.  It's phenomenal.  I would undercook the veggies by a couple minutes, withhold the soba noodles, and cut off the last 15 minutes of cooking.  I'd then allow the soup to come to room temperature, chill it in the fridge, and then store it in the freezer.  My label for the soup would look something like this:

Chickpea Noodle Soup

Made: ??/??/????

Use by: ??/??/????

Thaw and bring to boil. Once the broth is boiling, break 6 ounces soba noodles into thirds and throw them in. Lower the heat to medium so that the soup is at a low boil. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Savvy?

Good.

Mexican Rice Soup

Mexican Rice Soup
Originally uploaded by Marni Molina

Pardon me for getting all Homer Simpson on you but ... mmmmmm ... avocaaaaadooooooo...

:::drools:::

I have the privilege of living in the avocado capital of the world. The World! Of course I love avocado. Who doesn't love avocado? Okay, there are two freaks that live on my street (we'll call them Mr. C and Big C) but I'm not talking to them. I'm talking to everyone else on this planet. Those of us that can appreciate the tasty, creamy, luscious goodness that only comes from a perfectly ripe avocado.

This is something for which I have a new appreciation. On my most recent trip to Denver, I witnessed firsthand the quality of avocados available there. Ew. All I gotta say is, I freakin' love living in San Diego. Y'all are missing out.

Needless to say, when I saw the article on avocados in the September 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, I had high hopes. So a few days ago, I ventured into my backyard, plucked a few avocados from our tree, said a prayer of thanks to the fates that ordained I be born where avocados are so plentiful, and waited until my little beauties were ripe and ready.

Tonight's dinner highlights avocado in one of The Husband's favorite dishes: Mexican Rice Soup. He took one bite and proclaimed it, "Incredible!" After that it was all a blur. I must concur ... this recipe rocks. It's also relatively low-fat, or at least it has the potential to be, since it's broth-based and you can control how much avocado you put in it. Lastly, it's heat-variable since you add your own spice via your favorite hot sauce. I ate mine straight from the soup pot, The Husband doused his with hot sauce. Perfect!

If you are neither a Big C or Mr. C (haters!) and want to party like a San Diegan, follow these easy steps:

BROTH

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
  
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
  
• 3 cups low-sodium veggie broth
  
• 1 Tbs. grated lime zest
  
• 1 tsp dried oregano

SOUP

• 1/2 cup short-grain rice
  
• 2 small tomatoes, seeded and diced (1 cup)
  
• 1/3 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels 
  
• 1 8-inch flour tortilla
  
• 1 avocado, diced (1 cup)
  
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (1/4 cup)
  
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  
• 6 lime wedges
  
• Hot sauce for garnish (optional)

1. To make broth: Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and saute 5-7 minutes, or until softened. Stir in garlic, and saute 1 minute more. Add veggie broth, lime zest, oregano, and 3 cups water; cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 10 minutes. Strain broth, discard solids, and return to saucepan.
   
2. To make soup: Add rice to broth. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, or until rice is soft. Stir in tomatoes and corn, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes.
   
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray four tortilla with cooking spray and cut into thin strips. Arrange strips on baking sheet, and bake 5-7 minutes, or until tortilla is crisp.
   
4. Place diced avocado, green onions, cilantro, lime wedges, and tortilla strips in small bowls. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Garnish with avocado, tortilla strips, green onions, cilantro, lime wedges, and hot sauce, if desired.
   

Theme Weeks

This month, I ate only raw foods for a whole week and through this blog, I shared my experiences and the recipes I used every step of the way.  I had lots of fun and I've received a lot of great feedback on my experiment.  So, I've decided to try another theme week next month.  If you all continue to enjoy this sort of thing, I'll make it a regular occurrence.

What's in store for next month?  Well, I'm thinking about a week of Soups and Stews in celebration of the Summer Solstice.  Soup and stew in summer?  Absolutely.  If I go with this idea, I'll do my best include a wide variety of chilled, raw, and traditional soups and stews.  Should be fun!

Tomato-Rice Soup with Roasted Garlic and Navy Beans

Nothing beats a good soup. When the rain's been tapping on the windows all afternoon, the wind chimes have been heralding the frigid winds, and the scent of a crackling hearth fire hangs in the air, nothing quite underscores the day like a steaming bowl of soup served with crusty artisan bread.

Such was the scene in our home just last night. It was perfect. In fact, were it not for the crunchy, grinding, angsty riffs of Earth Crisis that were ripping out of our home stereo speakers while we ate, I'd say it was practically Norman Rockwellian.

On the menu for the evening was Tomato-Rice Soup with Roasted Garlic and Navy Beans. Another winning recipe from Veganomicon. Low in fat, easy to make, and quite tasty. Check it...

But wait ... there's more! Literally. There's more. This recipe produced a huge pot of soup. We've been noshing it for a few days now. Most excellent.

The only change I'd make to this recipe is to add more roasted garlic. It keeps the tax man away.

In other news, I've been thinking of planting a Victory Garden. We don't have any good growing space in our back yard. It's postage-stamp small and doesn't get good sun exposure anyway. Our front yard, on the other hand, has plenty of space and faces east. We could plant a great garden there. But ... we have an HOA.

Boo! Hiss!

So, I think I'm going to plant a Victory Garden anyway, 'cept I'll call it an Anarchy Garden. Eff the HOA! Eff consumerism! Eff frankenfood (genetically engineered food)!

That's all for now.

Moroccan Harira

There was an article titled The Soup Cure in the Jan/Feb 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times all about healing soups from around the world. Included were 6 recipes for traditional soups from various cultures. Last night for dinner, we had the Moroccan Harira, which is served in Morocco to break the fast each night during the 40 days of Ramadan. Of the 6, I selected it because it had the lowest amount of fat and calories.

But last night, when it got close to dinner time and I was completely immersed in homework, I asked my husband to prepare dinner. He, bless him, is not a very good cook. Don't believe me?

Exhibit A: When we were dating, he served me his version of "Pasta with Marinara Sauce", which proved to be Top Ramen with ketchup.

I shit you not.

If there were ever a way to put a recipe to the ultimate test, having him prepare it would certainly be it. I'm happy to report we both loved this soup. If he can prepare it, so can you!


Moroccan Harira

The article says it serves 8 but I think it's more like 6. Or maybe we were just really hungry. Anyhow...

Harira

• ½ cup green lentils
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ½ tsp. ground ginger (we used fresh, grated ginger)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 15-oz. can chopped tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup vermicelli (my market didn't have it so we sub'ed fusilli)
• Lemon wedges for garnish

Tadouira

• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour (we used unbleached)
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. tomato paste

1. To make Harira: Cook lentils in pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes. Drain.
2. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, parsley, cilantro, ginger, and cinnamon; sauté 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Stir in tomatoes, and sauté 5 minutes more.
3. Stir in broth, chickpeas, lentils, reserved tomato liquid, and 3 cups water. Season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 45 minutes, or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. To make Tadouira: Whisk flour with 1 cup water in bowl. Whisk in cilantro, lemon juice, and tomato paste. Stir Tadouira and vermicelli into Harira, and cook 3 minutes, or until noodles are soft. Serve with lemon wedges.

Per Serving: 179 cal; 7 g prot; 3 g total fat (0.5 g sat fat); 33 g carb; 0 mg chol; 537 mg sod; 6 g fiber; 5 g sugars

It was cold and rainy here yesterday and this soup warmed us up, filled out bellies, and tasted pretty damn good, too! The cinnamon stick pushed the flavor and aroma over the threshold of just good to ... mmmmm, are there going to be enough leftovers for dinner tomorrow night? The chickpeas (and you know how I love me some chickpeas) added lovely morsels of chewy texture to each bite. The only thing we both thought it needed was a bit of salt. If I were preparing this for someone with a head cold, I'd amp up the ginger to clear out the sinuses and perhaps add some garlic to power-punch the cold into submission.

Tastes great. Healthy. Low fat and calories. We'll be making this one again. Soon, I hope. Think I can get him to cook again next weekend? Hmmm, I feel more homework coming on!

French White Bean and Cabbage Soup

Of all the recipes I've made from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, this one is my favorite so far. It was easy to put together, very low in fat, quite tasty, and didn't require a flurry of chopping or other cooking just before serving (some of the other recipes in this book do - kinda takes the fun out of crock pottery). No, this is a true slow cooker recipe - I dropped the ingredients in the pot and dinner was ready 8 hours later. It's also a great basic recipe, and will lend itself nicely to altering or enhancement at some point in the future.

The soup called for Liquid Smoke, which I couldn't find at two different stores, so we substituted Frontier Bac'Uns because they are quite smoky and pretty damn tasty.

We enjoyed this recipe with giant salads and fresh French bread. The French theme of the meal moved me to pay verbal homage to one of my favorite 80s flicks, Better Off Dead. C'mon, say it with me now...

Fraunch Bread.

Fraunch Soup.

I want my two dollars!

Chickpea-Noodle Soup with Fresh Rosemary Focaccia

It's been cold and raining all day, we have a crackling fire in the fireplace, and this afternoon the Chargers beat the Titans to advance in the AFC playoffs. Just when one might think the day couldn't possibly get any better, we had another amazing dinner courtesy of Veganomicon. Tonight we slurped and mmm'd our way through healthy helpings of Chickpea-Noodle Soup:

Chickpea-Noodle Soup

Serves 6
Time: 50 minutes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
• 1 cup peeled, thinly sliced carrots (or chopped baby carrots)
• 2 cloves garlic (I used 3 … mmm garlic)
• 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
• ½ teaspoon celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed in your fingers (I used fresh)
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons mirin (optional)
• 1/3 cup brown rice miso
• 6 cups water or vegetable stock (I used water with vegan veggie bouillon)
• 2 cups cooked dried chickpeas, or 1 (15-ounce) can, drained and rinsed
• 6 ounces soba noodles (I used whole wheat spaghetti)

Preheat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and carrots in the oil for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and herbs, and sauté for another 5 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the mirin (or just slash of water). Add the 6 cups of water and the chickpeas. Cover and bring to a boil.

Once the broth is boiling, break the soba noodles into thirds and throw them in. Lower the heat to medium so that the soup is at a low boil. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the miso and stir until it’s incorporated. Taste and adjust the salt, and add a little extra miso if you would like a stronger, saltier flavor.

We thought the salt was perfect - no need to add additional miso. The noodles slapped our faces as we ate which made us feel naughty and was delightfully messy. However next time, I'll break the noodles up into smaller pieces. This soup has the best flavor! It's almost good enough to inspire us to look forward to our next cold, just so we can eat it all day in sweats and fuzzy slippers. Almost.

With the soup, we ate Fresh Rosemary Focaccia:

Earlier in the day, I roasted garlic to add to this recipe. But even with the garlic and fresh rosemary from the garden, we thought it was a little bland. It was very good, as fresh bread almost always is, but not spectacular. In all fairness, however, it clearly states in Veganomicon that this recipe is "very basic" and would do well with altering and tinkering or served with hummus or some other sort of spread. I'll definitely make it again, because it was easy and yielded a beautiful loaf of bread, but next time I'll play with the recipe more. Herbed Focaccia? Cranberry Nut Focaccia? Apple Cinnamon Focaccia? Why not?