October 21, 2010

Carrot and Roasted Red Pepper Soup


I love red bell peppers, but they generally run at a cost of about $2.99 each, which I cannot afford. Three bucks for one pepper?! Nuh-uh.
But I was shopping at Kroger a few days ago and found a pack of nine gorgeous bell peppers (six red and three yellow) for only $3.99. Yippee!
So, here's a great soup I threw together from an abundance of carrots (it's the cheapest organic vegetable I can buy locally, so I use it as a base in a lot of my cooking) and my beautiful, affordable bell peppers. Give it a try!

5 large carrots, grated or sliced thin
1 large onion, grated or finely diced
2 to 4 cloves garlic (to taste), minced
2 large red bell peppers
2 cups veggie broth or no-chicken broth
2 cups unsweetened soymilk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons all-purpose seasoning (I used Simply Organic)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch of cayenne (optional)
Dollop of vegan sour cream for garnish (optional)
  •  In a large pot, combine carrots, onion, garlic, and broth. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until veggies are soft, about 15 or 20 minutes.
  • While your base is simmering, roast the red peppers. If you have a gas range, I highly recommend roasting them directly over the open flame, using metal tongs to gently turn as needed. I place my peppers right on the stovetop, over a medium-high flame, and let them roast until the skin is almost completely blackened. If you don't have a gas range, you can roast them under the broiler. Take them out when skin is black. When they're nicely roasted and soft if you poke at 'em, place them in a bowl and cover for about 15 minutes. Then gently peel the blackened skin off, cut them in half and remove the stem and seeds. After that you can chop them up and add them to your pot.
  • If you have a hand blender, I suggest you blend your base up right in the pot. If you don't, you can blend the soup in a regular blender, but you'll have to do it in batches. You can add a little of the milk to each batch if it's too thick to blend.
  • Add remaining ingredients to pot (except sour cream) and stir until well-mixed. Then cover and simmer for 15 or 20 minutes, until spices have had time to nicely flavor the soup. Keep tasting, and add more of your favorite spices as desired.
  • Top with a dollop of sour cream, and enjoy!
  • x

October 14, 2010

Perfect Party 'Dillas


If you're hosting a Halloween bash and want an easy (and very healthy) party food, try these homemade 'dillas! They're easy to make, totally cheap, and packed with lots of good fiber. Here's the recipe...

Large package of corn tortillas (I used a 36oz package)
1 can cannellini (a.k.a. white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 clove garlic (or more, to taste)
Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Blend together all ingredients (except tortillas) on high until nice and smooth
  • Spoon about 3-4 tablespoons' worth of bean mixture onto a corn tortilla and spread it around
  • Place another corn tortilla on top
  • Cook each side of your 'dilla in a lightly oiled (preferably cast-iron) skillet until warmed through. 'Dillas will have light golden brown spots on both sides when done.
  • Gently cut into quarters with a pizza roller or sharp knife.
  • Serve with salsa, veggie cream cheese, green onions, or anything else that suits your fancy.
  • Makes a LOT.
  • Enjoy!

October 13, 2010

Vegan Halloween Candy

If you are taking your little ones Trick or Treating or - as is the case with our family - "Trunk or Treating," you might be concerned about which candies are of the vegan persuasion, or you might want to know what you can give out because you don't want to be the lame house handing out toothbrushes and raisins. Anyhoo, here's a huge list of vegan candies, most of which are easy to find at your standard grocery store. I've also added links to buy them in bulk and save you some dough!   Happy haunting, everyone! P.S. I found a cute little Halloween-themed vegan website by the girl who runs Fatally Yours. It's called The Spooky Vegan and she features everything from film reviews, to Halloween music to recipes. Go take a look! P.P.S. If you click the "See All Coupons" tab on the banner below, and go digging around, you will find coupons for Truvia, 8th Continent Soymilk, and Muir Glen, as well as several different varieties of vegan Halloween candy, cereal, cooking oil, and supplements. (If you're not seeing "See All Coupons" the tab, try refreshing the page.)