Triple Lentil Soup

This soup has such a deep savory flavor...it is almost umami-like. I love it! The red lentils completely cook down to thicken the broth, while the black and brown lentils retain some texture. This soup is easy to make and worth the hour in the kitchen. It is even better the next day when reheated, because the flavors continue to develop overnight. If you don't have all the lentils make it double, or single lentil. Soup is easy that way.

Triple Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup black lentils
1/3 cup red lentils
1/2 cup brown lentils
7 oz can diced tomato
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot. Add the diced onion and let it brown for 7-10 minutes. You want the onion to soften and turn translucent. Then add the chopped carrot and minced garlic to the onions and cook those for about 5 minutes.

Next, add the broth, lentils, tomatoes, and spices (thyme, oregano, coriander, black pepper, and bay leaf) let it simmer for 45 minutes until the flavors are well developed and all the lentils are cooked through. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve alongside a salad and fresh bread.

For 8 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 264 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 156 Calories from Fat 23

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 2.5g 4%

Saturated Fat 0.5g 3%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 629mg 26%

Potassium 542mg 15%

Total Carbohydrates 21.7g 7%

Dietary Fiber 9.5g 38%

Sugars 3.0g

Protein 11.2g

Vitamin A 55% • Vitamin C 6% Calcium 4% • Iron 15%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Farro and Magic Bean Bowl

I keep feeling inspired by Sayward and her blog Bonzaiaphrodite. Her recipes are so good, and always become staples of mine. A couple weeks ago she posted her lovely magic bean recipe and I added some farro and collards to the mix to make a complete meal. It was soooooo good. Enjoy, and check out Sayward's blog for lots of great vegan inspiration.

Farro and Magic Bean Bowl

Ingredients:

1 cup farro
pinch of salt
3 cups of water

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh collards (stems removed)

1 15 oz can kidney beans

2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp bragg liquid aminos (you can also use soy sauce, but this stuff is so good)
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Put the farro in a saucepan and cover it with three cups of water. Add a pinch of salt and bring it to a slow boil. Let it simmer for 15 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on it while it is cooking and add more water if necessary. Check the farro after 15 minutes. It should be chewy and firm, but not crunchy.

Drain off any excess water and add the 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh collards and the kidney beans to the farro. You can keep it on warm heat (your burner on the very lowest setting) to let the collards wilt, but be sure to stir it and not let burn. After just 5 minutes, take it off the heat and add the olive oil, Bragg, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and pepper. Give it a toss to combine and enjoy!

For 6 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 431 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 181 Calories from Fat 52

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5.8g 9%

Saturated Fat 0.7g 4%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 917mg 38%

Potassium 180mg 5%

Total Carbohydrates 277.4g 92%

Dietary Fiber 5.4g 22%

Protein 9.7g

Vitamin A 12% • Vitamin C 5% Calcium 4% • Iron 16%

Nutrition Grade A-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Mexican Frittata

This makes such a nice breakfast. Add some cumin roasted potatoes and you have a well rounded meal. Frittata is basically a crustless quiche, which is a good source of protein and a tasty vehicle for the veggies. I like to use garbanzo bean flour in this recipe as it is such a nice egg replacer, just don't taste the mix before it's cooked, because the flavor of raw garbanzo bean flour is not a good thing. It totally transforms when cooked.

Mexican Frittata

Ingredients:

1 block extra firm tofu, drained and pressed

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup bell pepper
1/2 cup tomato
4 oz can green chilis

1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Optional: sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, sliced tomato.

Directions:

Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until the onion is softened. Add the garlic and stir fry for a minute. Then add the bell pepper and tomato. Finally, add in the green chilis and let it cook down until all liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and reserve.

Put the drained tofu in a food processor or blender, and add the garbanzo flour, nutritional yeast, baking powder, soy sauce, oregano, parsley, cumin, turmeric, sat and black pepper. Pulse until it is well incorporated. Add the reserved sautéed vegetable mixture and pulse only to combine.

Put the tofu mixture into a lightly greased pie pan. Spread the mixture evenly in the pan with the back of a spoon. Put in your preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Once it is cooked through and lightly browned on top, take it out and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Serve warm with slices of avocado, sliced tomato and chopped fresh cilantro.

Makes 8 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 94 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 90 Calories from Fat 26

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 2.9g 4%

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 328mg 14%

Potassium 317mg 9%

Total Carbohydrates 9.6g 3%

Dietary Fiber 3.7g 15%

Sugars 1.1g

Protein 8.7g

Vitamin A 4% • Vitamin C 22% Calcium 13% • Iron 15%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Better Banana Bread

I absolutely love baked goods, and those baked with banana are at the top of my list. The banana flavor and the dense sweetness of the bread gets me every time. I literally will have a third of a loaf for breakfast, a third for lunch, and a third for dinner. Ridiculous right? Maybe it is overindulgence spurned from trying to control myself, or maybe I really love it that much. Either way, it is not pretty.

This morning I woke to three bananas starting to brown and I decided it was time to find a compromise.  I started with the great Isa Chandra's banana bread recipe. I have been using this recipe for ten years and it is sooooo good. It was one of the first vegan recipes for baking that I tried, and it was such a relief to know I could bake vegan and live happily ever after.

To make a bread that I could eat with abandon, I knew I needed to make healthier swaps for the sugar, margarine, and flour. I used dates, brown rice syrup, coconut oil, and whole grain flours. I like dates because they naturally sweeten while adding fiber and other nutrients. The brown rice syrup is a kinder, gentler sweetener for your body to digest. I chose coconut oil for the fat because it had one ingredient, was not hydrogenated, and had no GMOs. The whole grains contain more nutrients and fiber than white flour.

Granted, it is a bit more work to grind oats into flour and blend dates into a paste, but the result was amazing. This banana bread is tender, moist and really really good. I am in love and free to indulge. Although, I found that with the fiber and nutritious ingredients I did not have those crazy cravings anymore and was more easily satisfied.

Better Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup date paste (1 cup whole dates)
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil
3 ripe bananas (mashed)
1 tsp vanilla

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the soy milk with the apple cider vinegar and set aside to sour.

Use a powerful blender or food processor to process the dates into a paste with the brown rice syrup, and room temperature coconut oil. Add the soured soy milk and mashed bananas and pulse again to incorporate. In a separate bowl combine the whole wheat flour, oat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir or pulse until it is just combined.

Put the batter into a greased bread pan and bake for 1 hour. Let cool and serve.

For 12 servings. Nutritional info from caloriecount.about.com.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 92 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  255 Calories from Fat  89

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  9.9g 15%

Saturated Fat  8.0g 40%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  162mg 7%

Potassium  248mg 7%

Total Carbohydrates  41.9g 14%

Dietary Fiber  3.1g 13%

Sugars  21.6g

Protein  3.3g

Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 4% Calcium 2% • Iron 6%

Nutrition Grade D

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Cumin Roasted Potatoes

These potatoes are great alongside dishes that have a similar flavor profile. This week I made them to go with my Mexican Frittata and it was a very satisfying meal. Roasting potatoes at this high heat creates a perfectly cooked outside and a soft center in a fairly short amount of time. You can try any flavor combinations that sound good.

Add caption

Ingredients:

4 large russet potatoes, washed and cut into wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.

Wash and slice the potatoes into wedges. Once the potatoes are al cut, use a paper towel to remove any moisture from them. Then drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and toss to coat them evenly. Then add all the spices (salt, garlic powder, cumin, and oregano) and toss again. Spread the wedges evenly on a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, turning them over halfway through. At 20 minutes check to see if the larger pieces are done, if not then return them to the oven and check every 5 minutes.

For 4 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 374 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  288 Calories from Fat  36

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  4.0g 6%

Saturated Fat  0.6g 3%

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  314mg 13%

Potassium  1517mg 43%

Total Carbohydrates  58.5g 20%

Dietary Fiber  9.0g 36%

Sugars  4.3g

Protein  6.4g

Vitamin A 1% • Vitamin C 121% Calcium 4% • Iron 13%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Vegan Tempeh Tacos

We had these for dinner this weekend, and were very happy with seasoned tempeh and mushrooms as a taco filling. We used soft corn tortillas and a variety of toppings to build each one to taste. The leftovers were excellent the next day, too.

Vegan Tempeh Tacos

Ingredients:

1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 medium sized yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tsp salt

8 oz tempeh, crumbled
1/4 cup beer
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2-3 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp white vinegar

Directions:

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and add the chopped onion. Let that sauté while you mince the garlic. Once the onions have softened and started to turn translucent, add the garlic and stir it while it cooks for a minute or two. Next add the chopped fresh mushrooms and 1/2 tsp of salt. Turn the heat up to high and stir the mushrooms constantly until they start to release their juices and cook down. Once the mushrooms have cooked down, add the crumbled tempeh and all of the remaining ingredients. Let it simmer until all the liquid has evaporated.

Serve the tempeh taco filling with the toppings of your choice. I like daiya cheddar shreds, fresh salsa, tofutti sour cream, fresh cilantro, chopped onion, lettuce, tomato, and black olives.

For 8 servings. Nutritional information on filling from caloriecount.about.com.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 89 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  78 Calories from Fat  36

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  4.0g 6%

Saturated Fat  0.8g 4%

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  207mg 9%

Potassium  253mg 7%

Total Carbohydrates  5.3g 2%

Dietary Fiber  0.8g 3%

Sugars  0.9g

Protein  6.7g

Vitamin A 4% • Vitamin C 3% Calcium 4% • Iron 11%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet