Category: recipe

Roasted garlic and beet soup

After being down with the flu for a couple of days, I was craving healthy, comforting food. Soups, lots of veggies. Recently, I started getting Whole Living magazine and I’ve been pretty impressed by its offerings so far. The January/February issue had a cleanse plan as one of its features. The recipes are mostly vegan and stick with pretty seasonal ingredients. Pretty impressive! This Roasted Garlic and Beet Soup caught my eye. I love beets, but Kevin does not. He was out of town this week, so the timing was perfect!

This was delicious. So good that I might make it again this week to take for lunches. Once blended up, it’s smooth enough to drink from a cup, but still has some body to it and feels fairly substantial. Of course with beets I always live in fear that I’ll get it all over my face or clothes. But what the hell, live dangerously! Also, beets are like $0.69/lb. at the farmer’s market so it’s super cheap to make. Leeks aren’t cheap, but I bet you could substitute green onions.

Italian polenta loaf with beans and kale

Diving back into World Vegan Feast, this time something with simpler, homier flavors, the Italian Polenta Loaf with Beans and Kale (scroll down). So, clearly that’s a big pile, kind of a patty, not really a fried up slice of loaf. The amount of polenta the recipe called for didn’t seem to envelop the rest of the ingredients well enough. It did set up pretty well in the loaf pan in the refrigerator, but when it was sliced to pan fry, it wouldn’t keep together. Not sure if the answer is to chop the greens finer, use less of them, or what.

This definitely wants a sauce or gravy, even if just a little bit. Instead of Bryanna’s recipe, I used the simpler Rich Brown Gravy from Vegan Vittles. It’s also low in fat so this turns out to be pretty healthy and satisfying.

Ugandan-style peanut butter stew

With bell peppers and tomatoes in the CSA box, I had everything I needed to make another recipe from World Feast Vegan, Ugandan-Style Peanut Butter Stew. I’m a big fan of peanut flavored foods. Usually they seem to have sweet potatoes. So this was a little different than the African stews I’ve made before.

The flavor was nice, but the bell pepper got kind of mushy. Next time I might cut it bigger or add it in a little later. A bed of brown rice soaked up all the tasty sauce.

On the side, that’s just kale massaged with olive oil and rice vinegar.

The pie potluck

Yes, yes we did. Pies savory and sweet. Pies, pies, pies.

I made the Scalloped Potato Pie from Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites.

And, the Gingerbread Apple Pie from Vegan With A Vengeance.

More pie goodies…. quiche, I think.

Frito Pie

Spanikopita

My plate o’ pie

Of course there’s a dessert plate. Duh. Steph made two different ice cream pies. Both needed to be tried. Plus the gingerbread apple pie. With ice cream. *BLORT*

Potato-Kale Soup with Sizzling Chorizo

How do you take a simple potato-kale soup to the next level? Toss some chorizo on top! Which is exactly what Terry Hope Romero does in the Potato-Kale Soup with Sizzling Chorizo recipe in Viva Vegan! It was so good I ate the whole batch over the course of a week for various meals. Instead of making chorizo, I just picked up some from Trader Joe’s. It worked great but I did use it more sparingly since it’s kind of oily.

Also, Kale is awesome. Cooked or raw.