I've been on a soup kick... I guess it's the cold weather and the storms - even here in Southern California. I hope you don't mind... I think you'll really love this one. It's a recipe from Julie Marie Sterner over at plantpurity.com and I didn't change a thing. I think it's awesome. And the cool thing is - it has no dairy! Instead, it uses a milk substitute (soy or almond) and nutritional yeast. Now if you've ever bought nutritional yeast, you know that it usually comes in a rather large container and can take a while to use. But this dish, uses 1 1/4 cups :) And, if case you've forgotten, if you're not eating meat, you'll need a good source of Vitamin B12. Nutritional yeast supplies 150% of your daily supply of it in 3 Tbl. What exactly is nutritional yeast, you might ask? It is yellow in color with a nutty, cheesy flavor and is made from an inactive yeast. It is a source of protein and vitamins, especially B-complex and is a complete protein. It is also naturally low in fat and sodium and free of sugar, dairy, and gluten. If you're interested you can read more about it at here.

printable recipe
Creamy Potato and Kale Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 box organic vegetable broth (32 ounces)
1 medium onion diced
1 large carrot diced
1 rib celery diced
1 cup of parsley chopped fine
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 clove garlic pressed or chopped fine
2 medium potatoes diced
3 large leaves kale cut into thin ribbons
1 box unsweetened soy milk (32 ounces)
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 cups nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
Method:
Soup Base
1. In a stock pot combine vegetable broth, onion, carrot, celery, 1/2 parsley, sea salt, pepper, garlic, potatoes, kale and caraway seeds.
2. Bring to boil until ingredients are tender.
Creamy Sauce
3. In a sauce pot bring soy milk to a boil.
4. Incorporate cornstarch with 3/4 cups water
5. Add liquified cornstarch to boiling soy milk. Whisk thoroughly until thick
6. Turn off heat and add yeast. 
7. Once potatoes are tender remove soup base from heat. Add cream sauce and remaining parsley. Stir to incorporate.

One of my favorite vegetarian dishes from the past - way before I was even thinking about going vegetarian - is from Lisa Heebner who use to teach cooking classes in her home and produced the cookbook, Cooking with the Seasons. I still use her book and I think you'll enjoy these vegetable wraps/burritos. There are no beans in this burritos, but it is chock full of plant-based nutrition. The surprise ingredient that's cooked along with all of the vegetables, is lettuce. Yes, you can cook lettuce. Use any way to get your greens in, right? I also added some steamed beets that I had on hand. I seem to be on a curry kick, but I have to say that it makes these wraps/burritos. Today, Lisa has switched gears and was recently mayor of our neighboring town, Solana Beach. Way to go Lisa :)

printable recipe
Lightly Curried Vegetable Wraps
Serves 8
Ingredients:
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp curry powder
4 Cups chopped vegetables, such as broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, steamed potatoes, green beans, or use any you have on hand.
4 cups red leaf or butter lettuce,cut into shreds
8 flour tortillas
1/2 cup hummus (or 8 tsp crumbled feta cheese - optional.)
Method:
1. Saute green and red peppers, onion, garlic and curry powder in a few Tbl. water for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the chopped vegetables and shredded lettuce, cover, lower heat and steam for about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, warm the tortillas, stove top in a non-stick skillet until pliable or in the microwave wrapped in wet paper.
4. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the vegetables in the middle of the warm tortilla. and spread about 2 Tbl. hummus on one side of the tortilla. (Or, use 1 tsp feta.) 
5. Fold over both sides of the tortilla and then roll.

You have probably had buckwheat pancakes, but did you know that buckwheat can be served like rice? And, actually, buckwheat is not a grain, it's a seed, just like quinoa is. And, it's gluten-free. You may have heard of Kasha and this is buckwheat groats that have been toasted or roasted and are quick cooking. We're using those in this recipe. And, to makes things more confusing, there is also Kashi (with an "i") which is the breakfast cereal and is puffed. For today, I'm presenting buckwheat "meatballs." Buckwheat is high in rutin, a flavonoid that protects against disease by strengthening capillaries and preventing blood clotting. Coupled with its high levels of magnesium (one cup cooked provides over 20 percent of the Daily Value), which lowers blood pressure, buckwheat is truly a heart-healthy food. These are easy to make and are from a yummy recipe by Heather Nauta at healthyvegetarianrecipes.net.

printable recipe
Buckwheat "Meatball" Spaghetti with Spinach & Carrots
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1/2 cup toasted buckwheat, aka kasha (dry measure)
1 cup water
pinch sea salt
2 Tbl ground flax or chia seeds
1/4 cup water
2 Tbl tomato paste
1 Tbl stone ground mustard
2 Tbl tamari (soy sauce - use wheat-free/gluten-free if needed)
1 Tbl mixed dried herbs
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1 egg (optional, but it does make them stick together better)
1-2 cups frozen leaf spinach
2 carrots, sliced
Pasta sauce of your choice
Pasta of your choice
Method:
1.Put the buckwheat in a small pot with the water and pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes. Note: If you use untoasted buckwheat, it will take more like 20 minutes to cook after boiling.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Mix together the ground flax with the 1/4 cup water and leave to sit.
4. Mix together the seasonings in a large bowl, then add the cooked buckwheat, tomato past, and soaked flax and stir to combine.
5. Add the egg if you're using at this time.
6. Shape spoonfuls of the mix into small balls, burger patties or a loaf, and put in the oven. As balls, they take about 30 minutes to bake. Burgers will take a bit longer, and a loaf even longer.
7. Once the meatballs are done, take them out of the oven, and let them cool for a few minutes before handling them.
8. Cook the pasta in salted water, drain.
9. Add pasta sauce to a pan along with the spinach and carrots and cook until carrots are just tender. Add the buckwheat balls and heat through. Serve over the noodles

I've been on a roll with potatoes. Since my local store only sells organic potatoes in a bag, I have a lot right now. And, as you may know, chard and kale are some of the most nutrient dense foods out there. Add a little light coconut milk and your on the way to Thai heaven... Protein worries? One medium potatoes has about 4.5 grams, 2 cups cooked chard, 6 grams. All veggies have some protein. Enjoy this tasty plant-based meal :)

printable recipe
Thai Curried Potatoes with Chard
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 large onion, sliced
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1 can diced tomatoes
2 bunches swiss chard, stems removed and rough chopped
2 tsp. red curry paste
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 -3/4 can light coconut milk
Method:
1. Saute onion in a small amount of water for a few minutes
2. Add all of the potatoes and the diced tomatoes, the red curry paste and about 1/4 cup water so the potatoes don't stick. Cover and continue to cook for around 5 minutes until potatoes start to soften.
3. Add the chopped swiss chard and continue to cook until chard wilts and softens, using a spatula to flip the potatoes over the chard.
4. Add the coconut milk and cook until potatoes and done and the sauce has reduced a bit. 

Perhaps you're craving a pizza right now, but don't want to blow your diet. I think you can rest easy with this soy cheese and veggie pizza on gluten-free crust. We made this the other night for our gourmet group and it turned out great so we tried it again to pump up the veggies with added zucchini. Of course, you can use a pre-made crust to make it easier, but then you won't have the fun of working with the dough :) And, for the cheese, you can use the Vegan Gourmet brand of soy cheese which is great for pizzas. This pizza calls for grilling on one side first, flipping and then adding the toppings and grilling again. You can cook it the traditional way in the oven at 400 degrees for if you prefer.

Veggie Pizza
Makes 2 pizzas. Serves 3-4 each
Ingredients:
1 package gluten-free pizza dough with yeast starter (Bob' Mill brand works well)
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/4 c. cornmeal
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
1/2 c. onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped or sliced
1 T. chopped basil
8 oz. fresh soy mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 zucchini, slice thinly the long way
3 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh basil, leaves torn

Method:
1. Preheat grill to meduim heat (350) Lightly sprinkle pizza pans with corn meal. 
2. Follow directions on the package for the pizza dough - add yeast to 1 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl. Let sit for a few minutes. Add 2 eggs and lightly mix. Add package of gluten-free flour and mix thoroughly. Divide in the bowl into two pieces and let rest, covered, for about 20 minutes. Dust work surface lightly with GF flour and roll each piece of dough into a 10" circle, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. Place each on the prepared pizza pans.
3. Sauce: saute chopped onion and garlic in a little water. Add crushed tomatoes, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce sauce until it is not watery. Set aside. 
4. Zucchini: saute zucchini in a small about of water until mostly cooked, but not too soft. Set aside.
5. Grill one side of the crust dough by placing it on the preheated grill sprayed with cooking oil for 3-5 minutes. It should release from the grill when cooked enough (look for grill marks).
6. Add topping: flip pizzas over so that the grill marks are on top and spread a thin layer of the sauce on each pizza. Top equally with sliced soy cheese, zucchini, tomatoes, and basil leaving about 1/2" of edge without any toppings. Season with pepper and a bit of salt.
7. Transfer pizzas to grill and close lid. Cook until bottom of rounds is cooked with grill marks and cheese is melted, 5-10 minutes. Remove from grill and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. 

Always on the lookout for tasty plant-based recipes, I saw this post by The Healthy Librarian. She works and does research in a medical library and has interesting nutrition / health related posts in addition to heathy recipes. So I'm sharing this with you. I added the tofu from my recipe here to pump up the protein a bit and I reduced the chickpeas to 1 can. If you don't like curry, try it without. It's just as good!


Curried Chickpea Rice Salad
Serve 6
Ingredients:
Dressing:
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
4 teaspoons lime juice
4 teaspoons curry powder
4 teaspoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
Salad:
1/2 cup seedless raisins
2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds, toasted briefly in a dry pan, until fragrant.
1 cans cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1 cup cilantro or parsley, chopped
2 cups of brown rice 
1 package firm tofu, drained, pressed for 20 minutes, cut into cubes and marinated with you favorite marinade for at least 5 minutes. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, turn and bake another 15 minutes - an asian marinade works great with this recipe or try my other recipe here.


Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, lime juice, curry powder, maple syrup and salt.
2. In a large bowl add raisins, cumin, chickpeas, bell pepper, onion and cilantro and toss to combine.
3. Pour on dressing, & mix well.  

If you aren't on board with tofu, yet, try these yummy tofu bites. I think you'll find them very satisying. They are an excellent way to prepare tofu for just about any dish. There is not added oil. I used them, here, in the Asian Noodle Salad I prepared from left-over noodles from another dish. They would also go well mixed into a the chili on the Chili-Topped Potato recipe or served on top of a salad. Thanks to AllRecipes.com for this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 16 oz. container firm tofu, drained, halved crosswise and pressed for 20 minutes to remove some of the water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T. maple syrup
2 T. ketchp
1 T. rice vinegar
1 dash hot sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a non-stick baking sheet with oil.
2. Slice tofu into 1" cubes. 
3. In a bowl, stir together the soy sauce, maple syrup, ketchup, vinegar, hot sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper. 
Gently stir tofu cubes into sauce. Cover and marinate for at least 5 minutes.
4. Place tofu on the baking sheet in a single layover. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn tofu, and bake until it turn golden brown, around 15 minutes more.

I've been on a taco kick - tacos with corn tortillas, tacos for dinner or breakfast. Yes, breakfast. And, they are a great addition if you're trying to loose a few pounds. Corn tortillas have virtually no oil. Trader Joe's brand Ingredients: stone ground corn, water, traces of lime. Can't beat that! So I'm encouraging you to experiment with your taco ingredients. I like to substitute hummus for cheese. It adds the kick and creaminess that you get from a good cheese. It's always fun to top them off with chopped tomatoes, lettuce, a little avocado, and salsa, but a few sprouts works well, too. Here's a basic recipe for veggie tacos. I added crumbled tofu for the breakfast version. Try them, I think you'll really like them. Served with a fruit for breakfast tops off the meal and makes it uber plant-based :) OH, and to heat the corn tortillas, I like to put them into the toaster oven and "toast" them until they are just crispy and still easy to fold in half. 

Ingredients:
6 corn tortillas
1/2 red onion, diced
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 tomato, diced
3 leaves romaine lettuce, diced
1 avocado, diced
1/3 cup hummus recipe (see here)
salsa
salt & pepper
Tofu scramble: 1/2 block of tofu, crumbled in a town with a fork.
1/2 tsp. turmeric for color
Optinional: use broccoli sprouts as a topping or mango chutney as a "salsa"

Method:
1. Add red onion, mushrooms and bell pepper to a sauté pan with a little water. Saute until tender.
2. Toast corn tortillas in toaster oven until crisp but pliable.
3. Smear a tablespoon or so of hummus on one side of the corn tortilla. Fill the bottom with the veggie mixture. 
4. Top with the tomatoes, lettuce, avocado and salsa. 

For Tofu Scrambled tacos:
5. Add crumbled tofu to the veggies in the sauté pan along with the turmeric. Stir to combine. Fill taco shell and top with remaining ingredients.

Since we're eating less meat, I do try to get protein from other sources and tofu is a great one. See my post, "Is Soy Bad" here if your wondering about eating soy... This dish was inspired by Chez Cayenne's recipe, but it was a bit mild for my taste so I added extra spices and left out the margarine... No cheese, no eggs and it was a very satisfying dish. Top it with a bit of fresh salsa or enchilada sauce for a Mexican flavor. Serve with a salad or use crackers and eat it as a dip. 

printable recipe
Ingredients:
1 14-16 oz. block of firm tofu
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cup water
3/4 cup milk alternative like almond
1 pkg of frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
2 cans diced mild chilies
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ears fresh corn, taken off of cob, or  pkg frozen, thawed
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cumin 
1 tsp. Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Condiments: Store-bought Salsa or Enchilada sauce

Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Prepare cornmeal by heating 1 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan with 1/2 cup of the milk alternative until almost boiling. Slowly whisk in the corn meal and stir constantly until mixture thickens. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. To a food processor, add the garlic, tofu, 1 cup corn and remaining 1/4 cup milk alternative. Process until smooth. Stir into the cooked cornmeal in the large bowl.
3. Add the spinach, remaining whole corn, diced chilies, baking powder, spices, salt and pepper and mix well. This may take some elbow grease.
4. Bake for 60-70 minutes until crispy and firm at the edges. The middle will be a bit wiggly still. Let stand for 20-30 minutes before serving. 
5. Serve topped with salsa or enchilada sauce

Ingredients:
24 oz white and baby portbellos mixed mushrooms, sliced
1 red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, finely chopped in a blender or food processor
2 T. Worchestershire sauce
4 green onions, chopped
1 cup red wine
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
store-bought pre-made polenta or 3 cups potenta, prepared:

Method:
1. Saute onion in water until softened. Add garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms are tender and most of the moisture has evaporated.
2. Add tomatoes, Worchestershire sauce, green onions and wine. Continue to cook until reduced by about half.
3. Soften pre-made polenta by warming in the microwave. Add about 1 cup milk or stock and stir to combine until it's about the consistency of mashed potatoes.
4. Add chopped parsley at the last minute. 
5. Serve mushrooms with sauce over softened polenta.