Recipe - Ani Phyo's Raw Sweet Corn and Cashew Chowder

Oh my goodness, it's been too long people! The good news is that my back feels MUCH better. I still have no real answers as to what happened or why I was in so much pain, but I am very thankful to be able to move again and breathe without wincing. 


The last few weeks have been busy with social activities, working out with my new personal trainer (oh, my aching muscles) and flying home last week for my sister's wedding! She awesomely included lots of vegan options on her Lebanese-themed wedding menu like spinach afthiad (olive oil pastry stuffed with spinach and onions), garbanzo bean stuffed cabbage rolls, and hummus/ babaganoush with pita chips. My mom, dad, aunt and brother helped her cook the gigantic feast and every bit of it was so delicious! You could really taste the love. 

Early morning cactus. So pretty. 

Back in Tucson, I had so many people come up to me and tell me that they read and enjoy my blog. What a huge surprise! I often forget that what I write gets sent out into the universe for others to read and getting so much positive encouragement motivated me to get back to posting. I have lots of yummy foodstuffs to share with you. I'd like to kick things off with a simply scrumptious soup I made a few weekends ago. I followed this recipe by Ani Phyo who is a rockstar in the vegan/raw world. I'd never tried anything by her before, but I must say, this soup made me a fan! 

I'm not much into raw foods as my body simply seems to respond better to gently cooked foods. But I do like to add in some raw recipes and meals every now and then. The benefit is that so many of the vitamins and nutrients that would typically be lost in the cooking process stay intact with raw foods. I was a bit afraid that a soup with a base of raw corn would be way too starchy, but it wasn't at all. It was crisp, refreshing and nourishing. It's probably more suited for a hot summer day, but it did make for a perfect light lunch on an unseasonably warm autumn afternoon. The markets around here seem to be selling off the last of the summer corn for cheap, so it's cost effective, too!

I made a few changes to the recipe to cut down on the fat (reflected below) and added in some delicious fresh tomatoes. If you try out this recipe, be sure to use a blender and not a food processor if possible. I don't have a blender and my food processor ended up leaking out 90% of the water I put in. I just processed what stayed in and then added in water once it was in a bowl. You could also try using an immersion blender. 

Ani Phyo's Raw Sweet Corn and Cashew Chowder

Based on this recipe

Serves 4

3 ears of yellow corn, kernels removed

1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashews

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small garlic clove

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup water

fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tomato, diced

freshly ground black pepper

In a blender, combine 3/4 of the corn kernels, cashews, olive oil, garlic, salt and water and process until smooth. Divide the soup into four bowls and garnish with the reserved corn kernels, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, and pepper. Serve cold. (Can be chilled overnight.) 

Recipe - Spicy Chickpea Soup with Orzo and Lemon

Hi guys! It's been so damn long since I posted anything, but it's not entirely my fault! I've been wanting to post this recipe since last week, but I took a picture of the finished product with Johnny's cell phone and he went off on vacation before I had a chance to upload the pics to our computer. Anyway, I'll go ahead with the recipe and will add the pic in when he returns from Tucson.

I've been feeling a bit like the world has gone mad lately. What with pics of Anthony Weiner in various states of undress violating my vision, Casey Anthony's murder trial being dissected on every station, and reading that two dudes were arrested for conspiring to kill Joss Stone (ummm... really?), I've had the overwhelming urge to just unplug and get back to basics. Like Susan Powter needs to pop up and shout, "STOP THE MADNESS!" 

So while you may think I've joined the ranks of the stark-raving lunatics to be posting a soup recipe in the middle of such a cruel, cruel summer, but don't count me out yet. This is one of the easiest meals I have ever thrown together, and less time spent in the kitchen + only one stovetop burner used = a might fine summer recipe in my book!

Chickpeas, spinach, tomatoes, whole wheat orzo... simple and filling food, like the kind you should be eating everyday! This soup is very low in fat calories and is also a great source of protein and fiber. The lemony taste is unexpected and the tiny orzo noodles make it feel like comfort food. I served it with a toasted slice of Ezekiel Genesis bread buttered with a bit of Earth Balance and it was a very satisfying and healthy dinner. It also makes 8 servings so you can take the leftovers to work with a sandwich or wrap. I love soup for lunch because it satiates my hunger, but not so much that I develop narcolepsy in the afternoon.

And best of all - Johnny was a fan! I knew going in it wouldn't be his favorite meal ever, but was pleasantly surprised by how much he liked it. Considering how easy to make and healthy it is, this will be a repeat offender for sure.

BTW, I am using the word "chickpea" rather than "garbanzo bean" because apparently that's the thing to do on the East coast. Wonder why the difference?

Look! I finally caught a picture of the elusive Chickpea Soup!

Spicy Chickpea Soup with Lemon and Orzo

Serves 8

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (get no-salt added if you can)

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed

4 tbsp powdered vegetable broth

7-8 cups filtered water

1 cup whole wheat orzo

3 cups fresh spinach

Juice of one lemon

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally. When the onions are cooked through (but not browned), add the spices and cook for a minute more. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and broth. Add about half the water and stir. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the orzo and continue simmering for another 20 minutes. As the soup cooks, add additional water as you see fit (depending on your taste, you may want a thicker stew or a thinner soup). Once the orzo is fully cooked, remove from heat and stir in the spinach and lemon. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes so the spinach wilts. Serve hot.

Nutritional info per serving: Calories 232; Total fat 5.5g; Saturated fat 0.5g; Trans fat 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 399mg; Carbohydrate 38.4g; Dietary Fiber 9.9g; Sugars 1.7g; Protein 9.5g; Vitamin A 17%; Vitamin C 13%; Calcium 3%; Iron 12%

A little bonus to tell you about my newest obsession... I've been hearing about coconut butter for years, but held off on buying any because of the cost. I finally made the leap and bought a small jar of Artisana Organic Raw Coconut Butter at Whole Foods this week for about $8.00. Thanks to the brilliant Jessica at The Domestic Vegan, I already knew what I wanted to do with it - stuff some into a medjool date for a tasty little dessert. I popped one into the micro for just 5 seconds to loosen up the butter a bit. And then I died and went to heaven! People, do not deny yourself this goodness! It was like a chewy date filled with coconut icing! Surprisingly sweet and even one was very satisfying (though I, of course, went back for a second). While coconut butter is pretty high in fat, you don't need much to pack a punch. Plus, it's got some protein, fiber, and fatty acid benefits to it that have made it all the rage in the health-food world. And if the cost is a deterrent to you, take a note from Matthew over at Vegan Heartland and make your own. Sometimes my fellow vegans are freakin' geniuses. Peace out!

Recipe - Mushroom Barley Soup, Lentil Loaf and Mashes Potatoes

Hello internets! Is everyone getting ready for Oprah's final show today? I plan to cry for one hour straight - well, not during the commercials, that might be overkill. My mother-in-law is visiting us so I also get to watch the "American Idol" finale with her tonight! It will be a nice change of pace from my usual watching partner - Johnny humors me, but the hour is usually punctuated by glares, frustrated yelps, and strings of profanity. :-) The top two this year are definitely not my favorites (miss you Haley and James!), but I've come this far and I'm not stopping now!

I wanted to share this scrumptious meal with you guys that I whipped up last week. There is a serious lack of green stuff on this plate, but I wanted some comfort food and that's what I got! The recipe for the Mushroom Barley Soup follows, I served it as a side, but it can easily be made a main dish by pairing it with a salad or wrap. It might be getting a bit hot for soup now, but it's good for a rainy day and sadly NYC has had lots of those lately.

I got the recipe for the "lentil loaf" from Christina Pirello's site - she calls it Not Your Mama's Meatloaf. Wowie zowie is this stuff good! I tried a lentil loaf once in the past with bad results (I didn't cook the lentils long enough and it was crunchy) but this one was another story! The oats and Daiya mozzarella really bind everything and it comes out so yummy. I ate mine with a bit of ketchup and some dijon mustard the way I ate real meatloaf when I was a kid. I'm sure it'd also be tasty with a homemade mushroom gravy.

I also made some decidedly not low-fat mashed potatoes, but hot damn were they good! I boiled 6 whole Yukon Gold potatoes until tender (about 30 minutes), then I mashed them, skin and all, with some Earth Balance, unsweetened soy milk, and salt and pepper. Johnny ate a serving the size of his head!

I certainly wouldn't recommend eating this way everyday, but if you're craving something filling, warm, and delish then this is where it's at! (I got two turntables and a microphoooooooone...) 

Mushroom Barley Soup

Serves 6

1.5 tbsp olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 10 oz. package of white button mushrooms, rinsed and sliced

splash of dry red wine

4 cups veggie broth

2 cups filtered water

3/4 cup pearled barley

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 7 minutes, until they've released their water and cooked down. Add the splash of red wine and cook for a few minutes more until the wine is absorbed. Stir in the veggie broth and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pearled barley and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the barley is tender.

Nutritional info per serving: Calories 163; Total Fat 4.1g; Saturated Fat 0.5g; Trans Fat 0g; Sodium 99mg; Carbohydrate 26.8g; Dietary Fiber 6.8g; Sugars 3.9g; Protein 4.4g; Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 5%; Calcium 3%; Iron 8%

Soup and Smoothies Make Us Jedis!

Do you believe that you are what you eat? I do. I know when I am concentrating on cooking healthy, whole foods, I feel better and have much more energy. Now that I don't get protein, iron, and calcium from meat and dairy, I am always searching for other ways to incorporate  these important nutrients. This has made me a more informed and creative cook and is one of the many benefits of being vegan!

One of my go-to blogs for new and inspiring recipes is Little House of Veggies. Morgan is super creative in cooking vegan food for her family and often posts pics and videos of her adorable kids helping out! Just goes to show that being a vegan can be healthy at any age. My favorite recipe that I've tried from her blog is the Tomato and Vegetable Soup with Pearl Barley. Vegetable soup is great when you're watching your weight, because it's so low-fat and you can eat a lot and not feel guilty!

Look at all those veggies!

I usually make a few swaps to the types of veggies I use in this recipe: the original calls for asparagus, but Johnny can't eat it, so instead I use a 1/2 cup of frozen corn and a 1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame. Johnny is a huge fan of the barley in this soup (much to my surprise!) he says the consistency reminds him of little shrimp... not sure I agree, but I'm just happy he's eating my food. :-) This recipe makes a TON of soup, so just freeze whatever you don't use. I served this with a few pieces of french bread that I buttered with Earth Balance and put under the broiler for a few minutes. Okay, not the healthiest, but it's hard to have soup without bread to dunk in it!

I have also been making a lot of smoothies lately and we've both really been enjoying them! What an easy way to get a bunch of fruit (and even veg) into your diet. They make me feel amazing, like I could move objects with my mind, or win in a light-saber duel with Darth Maul. I buy frozen, organic fruit like berries, pineapple, peaches, etc and then blend them with bananas and some non-dairy milk (I like vanilla flavored almond milk). It's like a little bit of summer in the middle of a dreary winter - what's not to love about that? I also throw in some ground flaxseed for the fiber and omega-3 fatty acids and kale for vitamin C and calcium. You honestly can't taste anything but fruit and these additions make this an extremely healthy meal!  I have been using my immersion blender (a.k.a. stick blender) and the cup attachment that came with it is perfect for blending smoothies. I would tell you to give smoothies a try, but as Yoda says, "Do or do not, there is no try."

Yoda Approved!
(It's really hard to make a smoothie look good in a picture.)

Jedi Knight Smoothie

(Serves 1)

1/2 cup frozen mixed berries

1/2 cup frozen pineapple

1/2 banana

1/2 cup non-dairy milk

1 tbsp ground flaxseed

2-3 leaves raw kale

Toss all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth, or use your immersion blender like I do. Garnish with a paper umbrella, maraschino cherries on a toothpick, and suntan lotion.

Nutritional info: Calories 304; Total Fat 4.4g; Saturated Fat 0.4g; Trans Fat 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 91mg; Carbohydrate 64.6g; Dietary Fiber 8.1g; Sugars 47.2g; Protein 4.8g; Vitamin A 109%; Vitamin C 119%; Calcium 18%; Iron 13%