Cream of Sweet Potato Soup

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     Soup, soup, soup!!!  I just love it, and what is wonderful about my Cream of Sweet Potato Soup is that you can enjoy it warm or cold.  Which means, as an added bonus, it is perfectly served summer or winter.  Lastly, this is a wonderful plant based vegan dish, a easy opportunity to incorporate a meatless meal into your week.  I think you will be surprised how satisfying this can be.  Try it and see!  ;)

Ingredients~

6 cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth

1 pound Baby Carrots, or diced Carrots

3 large diced Sweet Potatoes

2-3 chopped Zucchini

1 chopped Onion

1 Tablespoon chopped Garlic

Seasoning as desired (I used Salt, Pepper or Cayenne)

 2-14oz extra firm Tofu, broken up 

1 can Coconut Cream

Sliced Green Onion as garnish if desired

Everything Bagel Seasoning as garnish if desired

     Bring all ingredients to a boil except for Tofu and Coconut Cream, boil for 10 minutes, reduce to simmer with lid for 30 minutes.  When finished, stir in Tofu and Cream, use immersion blender to blend, or add to heavy duty blender and turn into soup in batches if necessary.  Feel free to serve over rice or just as is, garnish as desired!  Enjoy!  :)

Cream of Tomato Basil Soup

 

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     If you are looking for a simple easy delicious bowl of grub, keep reading!!!  This highly sensational bowl is good enough to keep for yourself, but there is plenty for two...even if you are the second person!  Each of the two servings are a generous cup and a half, each of them being 214 calories, 30g carbs, 7g fiber, 23g net carbs, 6g protein and 9.4g fat.  This is a perfect Vegan dish as it stands, but if you want to bulk it up feel free to add more vegetables from carrots, to broccoli to cauliflower, not to mention spaghetti squash.  And of course if you are not plant based, feel free to add cottage cheese, beef crumbles or diced chicken.  Let me know how you end up creating the perfect mouth full!  ;)

Ingredients for 3 cups~

2 pounds diced Tomatoes

1 medium chopped Onion

1 Tablespoon chopped Garlic

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (feel free to omit if desired)

Handful of fresh Basil Leaves

1/2 cup Oat Milk

Seasoning as desired

     Toss Tomatoes, Onion, Garlic and Oil, and spread on parchment lined cookie sheet, may need two cookie sheets so vegetables are not crowded.  Bake at 400 for 1 hour, remove, slightly cool and add to blender along with Basil Leaves, and blend to desired consistency, pour in Milk and Seasoning til smooth.  Enjoy :)

Travel Pancakes

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     I have an upcoming trip looming, and as always, I plan and prep my food even when out of my zip code.  So I bring with me what I can to keep myself safe...and quite frankly, I like my own food better than anyone else's.  Starting my day off right is of high importance, so creating my Travel Pancakes was a natural next step.  Not to mention, they are super good, and can hang at room temperature for several hours.  These sugar free beauties are only 302 calories, 27g carbs, 8g fiber, 19g net carbs, 25.5g protein, and 10g fat...did you pick up on that protein number!?  Macros don't include added fruit, add fruit to batter as desired, plenty sweet with Apples and Blueberries.  Simply satisfying!!!  :)

Ingredients for one serving~

1/3 cup Oats

1/3 cup Egg Whites

1/3 cup Cottage Cheese

2 Tablespoons Ground Flaxseed

Large handful of fresh Spinach Leaves, feel free to add as much as desired

2 Tablespoons shredded Carrots, feel free to add as much as desired

Chopped Apples, as desired

Blueberries, as desired

     Add first 6 ingredients to blender, and whip til smooth.  Drop by 1/3 cup on hot Pam sprayed skillet, add desired amount of Apples and Blueberries on top batter and slightly press down, flip Pancake when ready and cook other side.  As an alternate method, I made 3 batches at once when preparing for travel,  and baked the Pancakes at 375 for 15-20 minutes on silpat lined cookie sheet.  Either way works, making a large batch was easy for the oven, and the single batch was easy in the skillet.  Enjoy :)  

Green Chili Potato Soup

 

     Winter or Summer, this soup is one that is sure to please.  In fact, I ate it hot as well as cold and enjoyed it just the same!  A perfect meatless meal, or feel free to add a little extra protein if you feel the need.  And the real beauty is you can add a little kick, or keep it on the mild side.  So many options in one little bowl.  But if you are looking for delicious bites of vegetables, all blended in a nice bouquet of flavor, this is one to try!  

Ingredients~

1 chopped Yellow Onion

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (sub with Water if desired)

1 Tablespoon chopped Garlic

Dash Cayenne Pepper, if desired, adjust to temperature preference

1 pound diced Potatoes

1 pound cooked Corn

1 pound diced Green Chilis, feel free to add 2 pounds if desired

Seasoning as desired

Oatmilk, to desired consistency of soup

     Add Onion, Olive Oil, Garlic and Pepper to skillet and saute til golden brown, low and slow.  Meanwhile, bring pot of water to boil, add Potatoes and simmer for 30 minutes, drain and allow to slightly cool.  Add all ingredients to large blender and blend to desired consistency, utilizing the Oatmilk as the gauge.  Enjoy  ;)

Mashed Yuca

      If you are not familiar with Yuca, it is the root of the Cassava plant, you might even call it the little darling of Latin America.  It is often boiled or fried like a potato and consumed as a snack or a side dish.  It is very starchy with a sweeter nuttier taste than potatoes.  For a 1/2 cup of Yuca it is  165 calories, 39g carbs, 1.9g fiber, 37.1g net carbs, 1.4g protein and .3g fat.  I started out trying to buy it in its natural form in the produce department, but it turned into a debacle when I tried to trim and peel it.  So I have opted to default to the frozen section where it is ready made, just waiting for Paige to prepare.  But you do you Boo.  ;)

Ingredients~

Yuca, frozen or fresh and peeled

Butter, Broth, or Milk as desired

Seasoning as desired

     Bring pot of water to boil, add Yuca and simmer for 30 minutes, or until fork tender, make sure water covers Yuca.  Drain, add Butter, Broth or Milk as desired, mash to desired consistency.  Season as desired.  Enjoy  :)

Avocado Cilantro Dressing

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     Do you try to avoid bottled Salad Dressings?  Do you realize that home made is so much better for yourself?  Do you prefer the taste of those fresh single ingredients?  Whelp, the only thing left for you to do is start preparing what you want to go underneath!  This whips together in a flash, and will be perfect all week long.  I used it to top with Salmon, Beef, Chicken, or my mixed Greens with Almonds.  And the beauty of this recipe is that you can double it, as well as alter the amounts to your desired preferences.  The biggest question is, does this go better with protein, or is it the key to taking your simple salads to the next level!?  Decisions, decisions.

Ingredients~

1 ripe Avocado, peeled and seeded

1 cup Cilantro Leaves

1/2 seeded Jalapeños

1/4 cup Lemon or Lime Juice, alter to desired level of consistency

1 slice diced Purple Onion, according to taste

Dash Lite Salt, to taste

     Add all ingredients to blender and blend til desired consistency.  Store in fridge, feel free to double or triple recipe, and alter quantities to taste.  Enjoy!  :)

  

Triple Roasted Potatoes

     Have you heard of the White Sweet Potato!?  Well, I hadn’t…until now!  Then I had an uppity idea to throw them together with plain ole’ spuds and the standard Sweet…btw, I enjoy Red Garnett Jewel the most.  My Triple Roasted Potatoes are a culmination of the saying the more the merrier, and I might even add the more the better.  So take a walk on the wild side, mix it up, and throw all those potatoes in one pot and see what comes down the pike, you might just like it!😊

Ingredients~

White Potatoes, diced

White Sweet Potatoes, diced

Sweet Potatoes, diced

Scant amount Olive Oil

Seasoning as desired~I use Chili Lime, Salt, Pepper, Garlic

     After dicing potatoes, toss with scant amount Olive Oil, season as desired.  Put White and Sweet White Potatoes on parchment lined cookie sheet, bake at 400 for 20 minutes, stir, then add Sweet Potatoes to pan and continue to roast another 40 minutes, stirring half way thru.  Enjoy:)

Parmesan Crusted Carrots

 

     If you are looking for a fun little twist on those orange sticks, then read on.  This is a simple leveled up recipe with Bugs Bunnies favorite food.  This can fall into the fancy category, or will hold its own as a simple side.  Heck, even perfect as a healthy snack.  So your biggest decision will be how and when to serve!  ;)

Ingredients~

1 pound Carrots, peeled and trimmed into sticks

Scant amount of Olive Oil

Seasoning as desired:  I used Cumin, Chili Lime Powder, Salt, Garlic, Pepper

2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan

     Peel, trim, and slice Carrots into “Matchsticks”, toss with scant amount of Olive Oil, sprinkle with seasoning as desired, top with Parmesan.  Bake on parchment lined cookie sheet at 400 for 30 min, remove and enjoy! 😉 

Sweet Potato Grains and Hummus

                                                                                      

 

  If you like a nice combo of flavors, this is a great opportunity to try out a bouquet of nuances.  Perfect as a side dish, but hearty enough for a main!  Not to mention, this can be done in bulk, and divided up to use all week long.  Definitely worth a try, and would be appropriate any time of year! 😉

Ingredients~

2 Sweet Potatoes, diced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 medium Yellow Onions, diced

1 Tablespoon chopped Garlic

1 cup dry Lentils

1/3 cup dry Qunioa

2/3 cup dry Rice

1 Tablespoon Cumin

Salt, as desired

Pepper, as desired

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

1 can Garbanzo Beans

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

1/4 cup Tahini

1 Tablespoon chopped Garlic

Cumin, as desired

     Toss diced Sweet Potato with 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, bake at 400 for 40 minutes, toss half way thru baking time.  Meanwhile, toss Onion and remaining Tablespoon Olive Oil, add to skillet with Garlic, sauté til golden brown on medium heat, as slow as possible.  Lastly, add three grains to large stock pot with 8 cups water.  Side Note:  feel free to add whatever combination of 2 total cups of the grains if you prefer different ratios.  Bring water to boil, add Lentils, simmer for 15 minutes with lid,  then add Quinoa and Rice and simmer another 15 minutes with lid.  Let rest for 5 minutes, if there is any excess liquid, drain off.  Lastly, stir in Cumin til fully combined, then stir in Onions and Sweet Potatoes. Season as desired with Salt and Pepper.  Serve as is, or top with Hummus.  To make Hummus, drain Garbanzo Beans, reserve 1/3 cup liquid, add Beans and reserved liquid and remaining ingredients to heavy duty blender and whip til smooth.  Enjoy as desired! 😋

Avocado Forever

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     Have you ever found yourself needing just a little bit of Avocado, but you don't have any on hand or what you have is too ripe or too firm!?  It's a conundrum...  Whelp, I have a miracle answer that will make your head spin.  Spoiler alert, ...did you know you can freeze Avocado!?  Yep, it's true.  Try it, and see for yourself, follow along for more details!!!

Ingredients~

Ripe Avocado

     Peel, and mash Avocado, and drop in small mounds on wax or parchment paper.  I dropped by 2 Tablespoons portions, which is about 50 calories each.  You can do whatever portions you desired.  Freeze mashed Avocado for about 2 hours, remove, peel off paper, add to freezer zip lock bag and store all mounds in freezer til ready to use.  Great for impromptu Guac, or top a Salad, or spread on a sandwich.  Just let your imagination be your guide.  Enjoy ;)