Potato Leek Soup

Leeks are in season and this is my one of my favorite ways to use them. I picked up a bunch of them from the farmers market last week and was excited to turn them into one of my favorite soups. This soup is very healthy, easy to make and the leftovers taste even better. Plus it makes your house smell amazing while it cooks. Chris and I spent his day off making this for dinner :)

Ingredients:
about five medium size leeks
 *Usually leeks are large but mine were small, maybe since the season is early..or late?, if you find large ones I would only use about 2
2 tbl canola oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
5 cups of water
2 veggie bouillon cubes
3 large russet potatoes, cubed
pepper to taste

In a large pot add oil and garlic. Heat on low for a couple minutes. Then add onion and heat on medium low until translucent.

Cut off the round lighter green stalk of the leek, setting the dark green tops aside. Add the leeks to the pot and cook until soft.

Chop the top parts of the leeks and add with the potatoes, 4 cups of the water and the bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil.

Allow the soup to gently boil until the potatoes are soft and the soup becomes creamy. Stir frequently. Keep the extra cup of water handy in case the water level gets too low.

*I like to keep the water at a minimum because the soup will be creamier rather than brothy. When you add water initially only use enough to cover the ingredients by about an inch and then add water if too much disappears.

Serve in bowls with pepper. Enjoy!

Quinoa Sloppy Joes

These turned out great! They have pinto beans used as a binder for the quinoa and yummyness. I think they were really easy to make, quick and delicious. They were a little dry as leftovers so maybe save some of the tomato sauce to add more liquid or eat it all in one meal :)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans or 1 can drained
1 15 oz can tomato sauce, divided in half
1 tbl oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced (I think any color would be fine)
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 tbl tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
buns for serving

Place pinto beans and 1/2 can (~ 1 cup) of tomato sauce in a blender and pulse until smooth. Set aside.

In a large sauce pan heat oil. Add onion and saute on low heat until translucent.

Add bell pepper and saute on medium low until soft.

Add remaining ingredients: beans from blender, other half of tomato sauce, tomato, quinoa, soy sauce and spices). Stir together and heat on medium until warm.

Serve on toasted buns. Enjoy! :)

Veggie Shepard's Pie

I have had this recipe on my to do list for a while but it takes some time and I didn't have all the ingredients at once. After all the wait it was definitely worth it. I used sweet potatoes for the topping. Chris agrees that russets would taste a little better but sweet potatoes have some extra nutrients and it was what I had. I topped it with a homemade mushroom gravy...yum!

Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 tbl earth balance butter
1 tbl canola oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped (I used red but yellow would be good)
4 carrots, sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced
1 broccoli stalk, sliced
1 cup veggies broth (I used full sodium but I thought it was a bit salty...chris loved it though)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp italian seasonings
3 tbsp whole wheat flour

Dice the potatoes and boil until tender. Mash them with the soymilk and butter. Set aside.
In a large pan, saute oil with onion and garlic on low for 5 minutes.

 Add celery, carrot and broccoli to pan. Saute on medium low for 15 minutes.

In a medium size bowl mix together veggie broth, vinegar, seasonings and flour. Add to pan and cook for 5 minutes.

Place veggie mix in an 8x8 casserole dish.

Top with mashed potatoes.

Bake at 425 for 45 minutes (the original recipe said 30 but mine wasn't crispy for another 15). Top with gravy and enjoy! :)

Veggie "meat"balls

I found this recipe on a search for veggie meatballs. Since they are popular I thought they may be easy to make. I think I will try a different recipe next time but this one was still yummy. They come out very moist and taste like herbs...probably because of the parsley. They are great with marinara!

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked pinto beans or two cans drained
1 carrot, shredded
1 handful parsely, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp each of basil and oregano
*1/2 cup water
*The original recipe uses a tbl of oil but I left it out. The original also does not have the water but mine wouldn't blend without it. If you use a food processor you may not need it. 

Combine ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Roll minture into balls and place in a casserole dish. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Turn over and bake for an additional 20 mintutes or until crispy on the outside.

They taste better than they look. Serve on pasta or with marinara. Enjoy!

Curry Rice Salad

Yum Yum Yum! I love adding rice or quinoa to my salads. It makes it filling and hearty. This recipe only took 30 minutes and it tastes soo yummy. I wish I had lime and cilantro to top it off so that is definitely how I will be eating the leftovers.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa or rice or rice blend like I used
1 can pineapple cubes or slices
1 can of coconut milk (I prefer the lite one)
1 small piece of ginger
2 cups broccoli slaw
2 tbl red curry paste

In a medium size sauce pan bring 1 cup of rice and 1 3/4 cup of water to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer for 25 minutes or until cooked.

Allow rice to cool by moving it to a large bowl and stirring periodically. While the rice cools mix 1 can coconut milk and 2 tbl curry paste in a small bowl.

Chop ginger into small pieces, or grate. I like the chunks of ginger flavor. Drain pineapple juice, into a cup for drinking :) Cut pineapple slices into cubes or add as is if already cubed. Add pineapple, ginger, slaw and sauce to rice mix and stir together. I served mine with some cubed tofu and coconut flakes but lime would complete it. enjoy!

Spanish Brown Rice

This flavorful side dish can complement any meal. Chris and I stuffed it in our tacos but we could not stop munching on it before and after. I made double the recipe so I could have leftovers for quick meals.

Ingredients:
1 tbl cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used red but only because it was all I had)
1 cup raw brown rice
2 cloves garlic
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup veggie broth

In a large deep skillet heat oil on medium. Add onion and saute for a couple minutes. Turn heat to low. Add rice (I didn't rinse the rice) and minced garlic. Toast the rice for 5 minutes but stir frequently to avoid burning. Add canned tomatoes with sauce and veggie broth. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or until done. Enjoy!