Minestrone soup is my favorite cool weather food. Yesterday it was rainy, windy, and cool all day, so I decided to make something tasty to compliment the weather. I had sweet potatoes on hand and searched on Allrecipes.com for recipes that have sweet potatoes in them and came across one for Sweet Potato Minestrone, yum! Of course I made a few changes, so here's the recipe I made that my family and I absolutely loved.
*I didn't this time around, but you can also add a 16 oz. package of cooked mini shells pasta to this soup
Sweet Potato Minestrone Soup
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 large stalks celery, chopped
1-2 Tbs. oregano (or to taste)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes (use Italian-style for flavor, or plain if you prefer)- do not drain
1 (15 oz) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (32 oz) box of vegetable broth, or 4-5 cups
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in a food processor
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 can of cut green beans
5 cloves garlic, minced
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, celery, oregano, red pepper, salt, and pepper until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans, broth, vinegar, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, and garlic. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. If adding pasta, add cooked pasta 5 minutes before serving.
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Recipe: Whole Wheat Vegan Bread
This is the simplest whole wheat bread recipe I have ever made and, after making it a couple of times, I have to say it is the tastiest I've ever made too. The original recipe, which you can see here, called for 1/2 cup of molasses, but even with mild flavor molasses, it was too much for me, it also used too much white flour for my liking. Below, I have the recipe with my tweaks.
Whole Wheat Vegan Bread
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons active yeast
1 Tbs. mild flavor molasses
3 cups whole wheat flour
a little less than 1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup nondairy milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 cups each unbleached white flour and whole wheat flour (this is in addition to the 3 cups listed above)
In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and molasses, stir until well mixed. Add 3 cups whole wheat flour and stir until it begins to form a dough. Cover mixture and let rise in a dry place for 20 minutes- up to 1 day.
Once it has had time to rise, add agave nectar, vegetable oil, milk, and salt, stir until combined.
Begin adding remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, alternating between whole wheat and white flour. After adding the first 2 cups of flour, it should be difficult to stir using a spoon, so place it on a lightly floured surface and kneed in the remaining dough- do not add in excess of 4 cups of flour. Dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
Split dough as desired. This recipe can make 2 loaves or 48 dinner rolls. Place split dough in greased pans or on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
For loaves, bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Cool in bread pans on a wire wrack for 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and cool another 15-20 minutes before slicing to serve or store.
For dinner rolls, bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Cool for about five minutes before serving so it has time to soften.
*I froze the dinner rolls and thawed them to serve at a later time and they were still soft and delicious, we just heated them up in the microwave.
Whole Wheat Vegan Bread
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons active yeast
1 Tbs. mild flavor molasses
3 cups whole wheat flour
a little less than 1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup nondairy milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 cups each unbleached white flour and whole wheat flour (this is in addition to the 3 cups listed above)
In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and molasses, stir until well mixed. Add 3 cups whole wheat flour and stir until it begins to form a dough. Cover mixture and let rise in a dry place for 20 minutes- up to 1 day.
Once it has had time to rise, add agave nectar, vegetable oil, milk, and salt, stir until combined.
Begin adding remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, alternating between whole wheat and white flour. After adding the first 2 cups of flour, it should be difficult to stir using a spoon, so place it on a lightly floured surface and kneed in the remaining dough- do not add in excess of 4 cups of flour. Dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
Split dough as desired. This recipe can make 2 loaves or 48 dinner rolls. Place split dough in greased pans or on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
For loaves, bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Cool in bread pans on a wire wrack for 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and cool another 15-20 minutes before slicing to serve or store.
For dinner rolls, bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Cool for about five minutes before serving so it has time to soften.
*I froze the dinner rolls and thawed them to serve at a later time and they were still soft and delicious, we just heated them up in the microwave.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Recipe: Vegan Korma (an Indian Dish)
I found this recipe on the Allrecipes.com iPhone app. If you haven't been to this website or used the app, I highly recommend both. I wasn't looking for a recipe for Indian food, I've never actually had Indian food before, but I put in some ingredients that I had on hand and this is one of the recipes that came up. The recipe I'm about to share is adapted from the one you can link to. The link is for Vegetarian Korma, I just made a few more changes to make it vegan and added some other spices and things. If you use the maximum amount of each spice for this recipe, it really won't be so spicy that it's overpowering or anything, but it will have a little kick to it. I used the maximum amount and found it was just fine for my husband and I, but too spicy for my kiddos, so we'll have to tone it down for us for the future- which we will definitely be having again because we all liked it so much (the kids just took big gulps of their drinks after each bite). I don't know how authentic this dish is, but it's yummy, so give it a try.
Vegan Korma (Spicy Indian Deliciousness)
I served this over brown rice. For a little something extra I cooked the 2 cups uncooked rice in 4 cups water with 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes, it was very good.
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp. fresh ginger root, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 red potatoes cubed
4 carrots, cubed
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
3 Tbs. almond butter
1 (15 oz.) can unsalted, diced tomatoes
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 - 3 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 - 2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. red cayenne pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 of each red and yellow bell peppers, chopped
1 cup non-dairy milk (such as soy milk or coconut milk)
1 bunch fresh cilantro for garnish
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender. Mix in ginger and garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Add potatoes, carrots, jalapeno, almond butter, and tomatoes. Season with salt, curry and other spices. Cook and stir 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add peas, bell peppers, and non-dairy milk into the skillet. Cover and simmer 10 minutes more. Garnish with cilantro to serve.
Vegan Korma (Spicy Indian Deliciousness)
I served this over brown rice. For a little something extra I cooked the 2 cups uncooked rice in 4 cups water with 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes, it was very good.
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp. fresh ginger root, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 red potatoes cubed
4 carrots, cubed
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
3 Tbs. almond butter
1 (15 oz.) can unsalted, diced tomatoes
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 - 3 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 - 2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. red cayenne pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 of each red and yellow bell peppers, chopped
1 cup non-dairy milk (such as soy milk or coconut milk)
1 bunch fresh cilantro for garnish
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender. Mix in ginger and garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Add potatoes, carrots, jalapeno, almond butter, and tomatoes. Season with salt, curry and other spices. Cook and stir 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add peas, bell peppers, and non-dairy milk into the skillet. Cover and simmer 10 minutes more. Garnish with cilantro to serve.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Recipe: Black Bean Burger Patties
This is a really tasty recipe. Don't be afraid to use the amount of spices that are called for here, especially if you're used to beef burgers and are trying black bean patties for the first time because if you don't, these will taste bland. This recipe is tweaked a bit from the original (found here) and it's doubled because I like to freeze half of the patties before cooking so I can save them for a future meal- they keep for about a month. This recipe turned out to be the perfect consistency to form the patties, if you find yours come out too sticky or runny, add more bread crumbs, if they're too dry add a little ketchup to the mix. Once cooked you can fix these up with your favorite toppings; avocado slices, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. I hope you like them as much as we do.
Black Bean Burger Patties
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked black beans
1 cup quick oats
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
6-8 cloves garlic minced (depends how much you like garlic)
1 cup onion, chopped fine
1 cup green or red pepper, chopped fine
3 large ribs of celery, chopped fine
4 tsp. cumin
4 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped fine (or I use the kind you buy in a tube)
1/2 tsp. cayenne or chipotle pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2-1 cup dry bread crumbs of your choice
1. Mash and/or puree black beans, place in a large mixing bowl. Add oats.
2. In a skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until tender. Add bell pepper and celery, cook until soft. Add seasonings and ginger, stir over heat until well mixed.
3. Add onion mixture to the black beans and oats. Add soy sauce and bread crumbs a little at a time. Form burger patties. Cook in skillet or on griddle until browned on each side.
Black Bean Burger Patties
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked black beans
1 cup quick oats
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
6-8 cloves garlic minced (depends how much you like garlic)
1 cup onion, chopped fine
1 cup green or red pepper, chopped fine
3 large ribs of celery, chopped fine
4 tsp. cumin
4 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped fine (or I use the kind you buy in a tube)
1/2 tsp. cayenne or chipotle pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2-1 cup dry bread crumbs of your choice
1. Mash and/or puree black beans, place in a large mixing bowl. Add oats.
2. In a skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until tender. Add bell pepper and celery, cook until soft. Add seasonings and ginger, stir over heat until well mixed.
3. Add onion mixture to the black beans and oats. Add soy sauce and bread crumbs a little at a time. Form burger patties. Cook in skillet or on griddle until browned on each side.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Recipe: 3 Bean Chili
I've added a link to this recipe on the sidebar, but here it is for a quick reference. I've made this recipe for years now and it's one of our favorites. It makes more than our little family can finish off in one sitting, so we usually freeze the leftovers and enjoy again another night when we need a quick meal. I served this once while on a family vacation and one of my nephews, who was a bit leery of the idea of meatless chili, came to me afterward and said he "actually liked it." That's the highest compliment you can get from a teenage boy!
3 Bean Chili
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped, or 11/4 cups frozen chopped onion
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (141/2-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 cup canned great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups no-salt, fat-free vegetable broth
1 medium sweet potato, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan or pot set over medium heat. Add
the onion, celery, and green pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant,
about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then stir in
the chili powder and cumin. Cook another 20 seconds, until aromatic.
2. Pour in the tomatoes, beans, and broth and bring to a simmer.
3. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the sweet potato
into the chili. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer slowly,
stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 40 minutes. Stir in
the salt and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before
serving.
You can view the recipe here.
3 Bean Chili
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped, or 11/4 cups frozen chopped onion
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (141/2-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 cup canned great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups no-salt, fat-free vegetable broth
1 medium sweet potato, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan or pot set over medium heat. Add
the onion, celery, and green pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant,
about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then stir in
the chili powder and cumin. Cook another 20 seconds, until aromatic.
2. Pour in the tomatoes, beans, and broth and bring to a simmer.
3. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the sweet potato
into the chili. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer slowly,
stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 40 minutes. Stir in
the salt and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before
serving.
You can view the recipe here.
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