Chicken Noodle Soup

Also known in our house as Grandma's famous "chickie-noo-noo", chicken noodle soup is a staple. It's simple, satisfying, and the ultimate comfort food, right? 

You can use your own favorite pasta in this recipe. Wide egg noodles are a favorite, short vermicelli are a close second. 

I wanted to highlight one of my favorite vegetarian seasonings, Seitenbacher, on the blog today. I was looking for a chicken style broth base and my local health food store didn't have the brand I usually use. They did, however, have Seitenbacher. I decided I'd give it a try and it's become one of my favorites! It has a different combination of herbs and isn't as high in sodium as another leading brand. Look for it at your health food store. 

Also, if you're looking to add a meaty element to your soup, you could add a few diced chicken patties or reconstituted soy curls to your soup. I tend to leave the meat substitutes out. 

Ingredients:

1 Tb. oil of choice

1 small onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

8 cups water

1/2 cup vegetarian chicken seasoning (McKays, Bills Best, Vegetarian Express, Seitenbacher)

2 tsp. granulated garlic

1 TB. Nutritional yeast flakes

4-5 oz. vermicelli or angel hair pasta, broken up into 2 in. pieces

Salt, to taste 

Instructions:

In a large pot, sauté vegetables in oil until crisp-tender. Add water and seasonings and bring to a boil. Add noodles of choice and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer until noodles are cooked through and veggies are tender, about 10-12 minutes. 

Serves 6. 

My New Craze

It may seem like a small thing-everyone has already probably discovered this delicious treat-but I absolutely LOVE it. Like can't keep my hands out of the bowl love. It doesn't stay around very long so I've made it four times this week already. Kettle Corn. Better-for-You Kettle Corn, 'cause I use coconut oil instead of regular oil. 

Ingredients: 

2 Tb. Coconut oil, unrefined

2 Tb. Brown sugar or cane sugar

1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)

1/2 cup popping corn 

In a Whirly-Pop type mechanism, heat oil, sugar, and salt over medium high heat then add popping corn and continuously turn the handle until corn begins to pop and it gets too difficult/full to turn. Pour into a large bowl. I usually double this recipe for our family of six. 

Enjoy this super easy, super tasty snack! 

This recipe was inspired/created by my friend, Stephanie Howard, during an evening of fun fellowship.

Going Green

It's a brand new morning! There's nothing better than waking up early, spending time in quiet reflection and prayer, getting a good run in and rebooting my metabolism with an awesome green juice. 

I'd like to share my favorite green juice recipe with you. We invested in a Breville Juice Fountain a year ago, after watching a documentary on the benefits of juicing. I try to juice at least a few times a week, not as a weight loss method, but to add a nutrient boost to my diet. 

I call this Pineapple Limeade. 

Ingredients:

2 leaves curly kale, washed

Handful of mint, washed

2 small green apples

1 medium lemon, washed and half of peel removed

1 medium lime, washed and half of peel removed

Quarter sized 1/4-in. thick slice of ginger, peeled 

1/3 of a pineapple, peeled (of course!)

Feed through your juicer and enjoy the tangy sweet zinger! 

Makes 24 oz. 

Southwestern Quinoa Soup

This soup is pretty versatile. Swap chickpeas for black beans and add curry powder (to taste) for a different twist on flavor. Throw in a few handfuls of chopped kale during the last several minutes of cooking time for an added nutritional boost. If you're not fond of cilantro, you can omit that ingredient. 

2 Tbs. Oil

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/2 yellow or orange pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

6 cups vegetable broth or water

1 Tb. Vegetarian chicken seasoning 

1 tsp (or more) cumin

Salt, to taste

Dash oregano

Handful of cilantro, chopped

1/2 a lime, squeezed (opt)

Sauté all veggies (except beans) in oil until softened. Add quinoa and cook for a few minutes. Add beans, broth, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a medium boil until veggies are cooked through and potatoes and quinoa are tender. Add lime juice and cilantro during the last few minutes of cook time. Adjust seasonings to your taste. 

Serves 4-6

Monster Breakfast Cookies

As a busy wife and mother, I'm always looking for new ways to provide a nutritious and quick breakfast for my family. These breakfast cookies pack a protein punch with a combination of almond butter, chia seeds, and crunchy almond pieces. Plus, you get some hearty omega-3 action from the addition of ground flax seeds. I hope you enjoy these tasty, breakfast-on-the-run style cookies.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine (such as Earth Balance)

1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder (I use aluminum free.)

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

6 Tb. chia gel (made from 2 Tb. chia seeds mixed with 1 cup water and allowed to set)

2 tsp. pure vanilla

1 1/2 cups Gluten Free flour blend (I used King Arthur's, but you can use your favorite.) or 

                regular all-purpose flour

2 1/4 cups regular or rolled oats (I used half quick, half rolled oats.)

1/3 cup ground flax seeds

1 heaping Tb. almond or peanut butter

1 1/2 cups dried fruit, nuts, coconut, etc.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium sized bowl, cream margarine and coconut oil together. A hand mixer works well for this. Add brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and beat to combine. Spoon chia gel and vanilla extract into mixture and once again beat to combine, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Beat in flour, oats, flax and nut butter until well combined. Stir nuts, dried fruits, chocolate chips of whatever combination you desire into the dough. (I used 2/3 cup chopped almonds, 2/3 cup dried cranberries, and a handful of unsweetened coconut flakes.) 

Using a large ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup measure, scoop dough out and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Using the palm of your hand, gently press each cookie into a 4-inch circle. 

Bake for 12 minutes or so, until the tops of the cookies are lightly browned. Cool on the pan for a minute or so. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. After cooled, wrap individual cookies in plastic wrap for optimum freshness. :-)

Yield: 11 cookies

Approx. 298 calories per cookie (This depends on the nut and fruit combos, too.)

Enjoy!

African Peanut Stew

It was the kind of day that merited a warm hearty stew: crisp and cool with the scent of autumn in the air. We spent the better part of the morning apple-picking as a family. I think my three-year old ate more than he picked, but that's to be expected! :-) We loaded bushels of apples into our car, turned on the heater, and headed home for some lentil soup. Later that afternoon, though, my daughter wanted to help me make something for dinner. She's actually been begging to make a really spicy salsa for her daddy, but we've put a delay on that project due to some jalapeño juice in the eye. But, I digress. She did a fantastic job carefully slicing and deseeding two jalapeño peppers for this fantastic stew.

The flavors are quasi African, and oh so delicious together. Especially when served over brown rice. There are many variations to this stew but this is the one I really enjoy. 

Ingredients

1 Tb. olive oil

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

1/2 green or red bell pepper, diced

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped (see below for substitution ideas)

32 oz. vegetable or vegetarian chicken style broth

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes, with juice

1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

1/3 cup smooth peanut butter

1/3 cup coconut milk

Handful fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (opt.)

Instructions

Saute sweet potato, garlic, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno peppers in olive oil over medium high heat until vegetables begin to soften. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, cumin and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes and quinoa are completely cooked. Add peanut butter and carefully stir to incorporate. It should melt into the stew and begin to thicken slightly. Add coconut milk and cilantro and continue to cook for just a few minutes more. 

Serve and enjoy! This yields about 4 healthy servings. 

Substitution / Add-in Ideas:

My aunt Carol gave me a similar recipe that included diced zucchini. You would just add it at the beginning with the rest of the vegetables. 

She also uses prepared salsa instead of jalapenos and canned tomatoes. I've used a can of Rotel Tomatoes and Green Chilies and eliminated the jalapenos, but it was really very spicy. 

BBQ Season ~ Vegan Style {Overload Alert!}

Oh me, oh my. It's been far too long! Have you been enjoying this summer holiday? It's been a bit cooler than I'd like, but weather can be very unpredictable. I was looking forward to cookouts with neighbors, picnics at the beach, and all the other joys that warm weather brings, but alas, it has been wet, cold (60's) and windy. I guess I'll just have to content myself with INDOOR outdoor fare. 

Earlier this month, I was invited to share some plant-based recipes for our local Living Healthy Supper Club. It was right after the 4th of July, and being rather in the mood, I chose to go with a BBQ themed dinner. Our menu was:

Appetizer ~ 

Garlicky Spinach Artichoke Dip with Toasted Pita Chips

Sides ~

Israeli Cous Cous Salad

Herbed Red Potato Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Roasted Brussels and Asparagus

Baked Mac and Cheese 

Main Course ~

BBQ "Chicken" Sliders with 

Coleslaw Condiment

Dessert ~

Very Berry Shortcake

Soy Whipped Topping

I thoroughly enjoy this food. Seriously. I want you to be able to enjoy it as well. I don't have photos of all of the recipes, but if you'll click on the links provided, you'll get a sneak peak of some of the dishes. 

Spinach Artichoke Dip

(adapted from Chef Chloe Coscarelli)

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 onion, finely chopped 

3 cloves garlic, minced  

a few pinches crushed red pepper (optional) 

2 cups chopped spinach 

1 (14-ounce) package soft tofu, drained 

½ cup nutritional yeast flakes 

2 tablespoons lemon juice 

1 Tb. fresh basil, torn or coarsely chopped 

½ - 1 teaspoons sea salt 

1 Tb. Good Seasons Garlic Herb Dry Salad Dressing Mix

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained (can also use marinated or frozen) and coarsely chopped

1/3 cup water chestnuts, drained and chopped 

Pita or tortilla chips and fresh crudites for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 1-quart baking dish. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté onions until soft. Add garlic and red pepper and let cook a few more minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add spinach. Let cook, stirring gently, until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and add chopped artichokes and water chestnuts.  In a food processor, blend tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, basil, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add artichokes and spinach mixture, and pulse about 15 times. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Let cool slightly, then serve with pita or tortilla chips and vegetables. Can also be served cold. 

Herbed Red Potato Salad 

(adapted from Taste of Home)

3 lbs. Red potatoes, washed well

1/3 cup olive oil

3 Tb. fresh squeezed lemon juice (about one lemon)

2 Tb. fresh dill, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 Tb. whole grain mustard (opt.)

1 1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)

1/3 of a large red onion, finely chopped

Instructions:

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are fork tender but still firm and skins split slightly. Drain and set aside. 

In a small bowl whisk together oil, lemon juice, herbs, lemon peel, salt and whole grain mustard (if using). 

Dice slightly cooled potatoes and place in a medium bowl; add red onion. Drizzle dressing over potatoes and onion and toss to coat. This salad is best if served the next day to allow the flavors to deepen.

Israeli Cous Cous Salad

2 cups dry Israeli Cous Cous

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 English cucumber, peeled, quartered, and chopped

1 large red tomato, diced

2 Tb. diced or thinly sliced red onion

1/4 cup, fresh basil, cut into ribbons (julienned)

Juice of one lemon, freshly squeezed

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt

Instructions:

Pour water into medium sized pot, salt generously, and bring to a boil. Add cous cous and once again bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 8-10 minutes. (Check to make sure cous cous has not absorbed all liquid and is sticking.) Remove from heat, pour into a colander, and rinse with cold water. 

Peel, quarter and dice cucumber. Wash and dice tomato and onion. Wash and slice basil into ribbons. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk freshly squeezed lemon juice with 1/4 cup olive oil. 

In a large serving bowl, combine cooled cous cous, vegetables, and dressing. Stir well to break up any clumps of cous cous and incorporate all of the zesty, fresh dressing. Season to taste with salt. Serve!

Optional add-ins: 

Kalamata olives

Tofu feta (You’ll want to reduce the amount of dressing in the salad if using)

BBQ “Chicken”

4 cups Butler soy curls

1 Tb. chicken style seasoning

1 Tb. dehydrated onion

Olive oil

salt, to taste

2/3 cup prepared barbecue sauce of choice

Instructions:

Place dry soy curls in a medium bowl. Add chicken seasoning and dried onion to soy curls and stir to combine. Boil enough water to completely cover soy curls, and rehydrate for about 5 minutes. 

Heat about 1 Tb. olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Drain and squeeze excess water from soy curls and transfer to pan. Season with a little salt, to taste. Sauté curls for a minute or two until they begin to dry slightly and turn light golden brown. Add 1/3 cup of barbecue sauce and stir to incorporate. Turn down heat and continue to sauté, adding the last 1/3 cup of barbecue sauce when it looks a bit dry. 

Remove from heat, toast some burger buns, heap some BBQ Chicken on your bun, layer some fresh coleslaw on top and you’ve got a delicious main course for your vegetarian outdoor cookout.