Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

Let's veganize it. Replace sour cream with Sour Supreme or coconut milk and butter with Earth's Best  or olive oil.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
• 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• salt to taste
• 1 large roma (plum) tomato, seeded and diced

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and lime zest. Set aside in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend.
2. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add sweet potatoes, and chicken stock. Season with cumin, chili flakes and ginger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
3. Puree the soup using an immersion blender or regular blender. If using a counter top blender, puree in small batches, filling the blender just a bit past half way to avoid spillage. Whisk peanut butter into the soup, and heat through. Stir in lime juice, and salt.
4. Ladle into warm bowls, and top with a dollop of the reserved sour cream, a few pieces of diced tomato, and a sprinkle of cilantro.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 207 | Total Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 11mg

FCBD Minestrone

This is from FatChanceBellydance's new vegan cook book Devotion.  It is delicious!

1 TBSP olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 med. onion
2 carrots, coined
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 1/2 cups potatoes,cubed
3 zucchini, cubed
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1 15oz can kidney beans
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans
1 cup pasta of choice
5-6 chard leaves (or spinach)
2 Tbsp dried basil (or fresh - yummy!)
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tsp. salt
1 28oz and 1 15 oz can water (use the cans to measure)

In a large pot on med. heat saute oil, onions, carroy, celery and garlic for 5 min.
Add tomatoes, beans including liquid, potatoes, water, herbs and salt.
Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender (10 min)
Add zucchini, card and pasta, bring just to a boil, then turn off heat.

Allow to sit on the stove for a few hours for full flavor.

Kids Fun Snack Balls

Low Sodium recipes contain less than 800 mg sodium

• 1/2 cup Millville corn flakes, or wheat cereal
• 1/4 cup Berryhill creamy peanut butter, creamy
• sheet waxed paper

Crumble the cereal in a bowl. Mix in the peanut butter, stirring thoroughly. Form mixture into small balls. Place on wax paper and put in freezer for 10 minutes or until hardened. Serve.

Calories	Fat	Carbs	Protein	Fiber	Sugar	Cholesterol	Sodium
107 Kcal	8.13 g	5.93 g	4.29 g	1 g	1.68 g	0 mg	74.3 mg

Spinach and Potato Soup

Serves: 6 • Prep time: 10 min • Cook time: 20 min

• 6 Tbsp. butter or Smart Balance or olive oil
• 6 small all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 or 2 finely chopped onion (do your kids like onion?)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 can (14.5 oz.) broth
• 12 cups baby spinach leaves or 3 or 4 pkgs frozen spinach
• 3 cans evaporated milk or plain soymilk (optional) 

Melt butter in 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and cook onion, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add potatoes and broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in spinach and cook 5 minutes or until wilted. Process soup with a submersible blender just until smooth. Return to saucepan (add milk) and heat through. Season, if desired, with freshly ground black pepper.

Super Easy Cheese Vegetable Soup

2 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot blend

2 quarts vegetable broth

3/4 lb. (12 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up (the 3 year old loves to do this with a butter knife.)

PLACE vegetables and broth in large saucepan; cover. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 min. or until vegetables are tender.

MASH vegetables with potato masher to desired consistency. I use a submersible blender.

STIR in VELVEETA; cook 5 min. or until VELVEETA is melted and soup is heated through, stirring frequently.

Non-Aldi Treats

  Ok, most of the time we are pretty broke and I buy all of our food from Aldi. But sometimes, if I am feeling rich, I may wonder into a health food store. Or just a HyVee Health Market. And when I do, here are the non Aldi foods I buy:

whole wheat flour (come on Aldi! Please start stocking this!)
textured vegetable protein (TVP)
Braggs Amino Acids
Red Starr nutritional yeast
popcorn
tofu
Ener - G egg replacer
tahini
flax seed oil
vegetable bouillon
coconut milk

15 Easy Aldi Vegetarian Meals

These are meals our family eats almost every week. They are simple and quick and all the ingredients can be purchased at Aldi.

Vegan:


noodles (whole wheat!) and sauce
burritos
canned vegetarian vegetable soup
navy bean soup*
stir fry and rice
lentil loaf *
boca burgers

Vegetarian:

frozen egg rolls
boxed macaroni and cheese
frozen cheese pizza
tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches
egg pie
cheese soup*
potato soup*
spinach soup*

* super simple recipes to come - check back soon!

3DB042A0-E06E-7B05-69B7-FA31A5802204

1.02.05

Portabello Mushroom Bake

   I love portobello mushrooms. They are wonderful as a side dish or even a vegetarian main dish. This is a dish from The Garden of Vegan (Arsenal Pulp, $22.95) by Sarah Kramer and Tanya Barnard. Bragg is similar to soy sauce.

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup tamari soy sauce (or preferably, Bragg sauce)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 6 large portabella mushrooms, stems removed
• 1 medium onion, sliced

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In blender or food processor, grind almonds until powdered.
Add oil, Bragg sauce, water, vinegar, garlic, rosemary and oregano; blend.
Place mushrooms upside down in baking dish, tightly in one layer.
Spread onion and sauce on top.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
To serve, slice thickly on diagonal.

Butternut Squash with Veggies & Black Beans

Servings: 4  Preparation: 15 min.   Cooking: 25 min.   Total: 40 min.

• 1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter or Smart Balance Butter Spread with Flax (vegan!)
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp cilantro, or parsley, chopped
• 2 tsp cumin seed
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained

Place squash in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover saucepan and steam 10-12 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside. Melt butter in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté next 4 ingredients in covered skillet 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender. Stir in squash, remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 5-10 minutes or until mixture is heated throughout.

Calories	Fat	Carbs	Protein	Fiber	Sugar	Cholesterol	Sodium
236 Kcal	6.51 g	39 g	9.3 g	9.82 g	5.01 g	15.3 mg	430 mg

Enfrijoladas

This recipe was inspired by our friend, Hector Garrido, who makes the best salsa around.

Ingredients:

-two cans of fat free refried beans
-1 to 2 cups of water
-one packet of taco seasoning
-one package of corn tortillas
-shredded lettuce
-diced tomatoes
-diced onions
-diced peppers
-jalapeños
-slice avocados

 Optional:
-shredded cheese
-sour cream

Add the beans, water, and taco seasoning to a skillet.  Stir, adding additional water until the beans have thinned.  In another greased skillet, fry the tortillas, one at a time, until the tortilla is soft.  Dip the fried tortillas in the beans until completely coated.  Place on each plate, folded in half.  Garnish with remaining ingredients.