Real Food Day 17

I got this book from the library, and I am really loving it.  The pictures are lovely and inspiring, and most of the recipes are pretty simple.  She also has pictures on each recipe to indicate what season it is best to make that recipe in - handy!

Buy it here

Today I am making my own vegetable stock.  I will use it to make soup later, or possibly to flavour some rice or quinoa for a stirfry.  I used to think that making vegetable stock from scratch was wasteful (shouldn't I just eat those vegetables), until it occurred to me to just save the part that you don't eat...like onion peels, celery leaves, etc.  So, I did that for a few days, and now I have enough to make a good amount of stock!  It's really simple - and here is the recipe that I am using (from the above book).

Vegetable Stock:

Ingredients:

1 part vegetable scraps

2-3 parts water

Directions:

1 - Place the veggies in a saucepan or soup pot.  Pour in water so it covers the veg by about 2 inches (5 cm).  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.  Cover and cook for as little as 15 minutes or as long as 1 hour.

2 - Allow the stock to cool enough to handle (so you don't burn yourself).  Place a sieve over a large bowl, pour the stock through, and press the veg with a spatula or back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as you can.  Dispose of the scraps in the compost (your garden will love you!).

Vegetable scraps ready to cook for stock

Tomato Barley Soup

I just made this delicious soup in my crock-pot.  Matt liked it so much that he didn't even add hot sauce to it, and he adds hot sauce to EVERYTHING.  Peanut loved it too!  I just blended it up and gave it to her for lunch today, and it was a big hit.

Tomato Barley Soup

When I make soup, I almost never use a recipe - I just throw in whatever ingredients I have in my house, or happened to be a good price in the grocery store.  So, I didn't use a recipe for this either, but I'm really happy with how it turned out, so I'm going to kind of make it up right now.

Tomato Barley Soup (or Stew)

Ingredients:

1 can of no salt added crushed tomatoes

6 or 7 cups of low sodium vegetable broth (I use epicure)

2 or 3 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

2 or 3 potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup pot barley (or pearl barley, but pot barley is less refined)

salt and spices to taste (I used a few tbsp of Epicure Herb and Garlic Dip Mix)

(other suggestions - add some red lentils, sweet potato, or pasta [at the end] to change it up a bit)

Directions:

Put everything into a crockpot.  Cook on low for 8 hours (or overnight), or on high for 4 or 5 hours.

EASY!

Moroccan Tomato Soup - EASY

Today I am making Moroccan Tomato Soup in my Crock-pot.  I got this recipe from the November 2012 issue of Canadian Living magazine.  It is SO EASY, and it's making my kitchen smell amazing :)

Ingredients:

2 onions, chopped (I used my tupperware quick chef pro...I LOVE that thing)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp packed brown sugar

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp each salt and cayenne pepper

Pinch cinnamon

1 can chopped tomatoes (I used the Life Smart brand with No Salt Added)

2 C water

1/4 C tomato paste

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

3/4 C smooth peanut butter (EDIT - I know this seems like a weird ingredient, but believe me, it doesn't taste like a "tomato and peanut butter sandwich" as a friend of mine thought it might.  Give it a try - it's delicious!)

Directions:

In a slow cooker, combine all of the ingredients EXCEPT the peanut butter.

Cover and cook on low for 5 to 8 hours.

Add peanut butter; using immersion blender (stick blender...or whatever kind of blender you want really), puree soup until smooth.

THAT'S IT!  ISN'T THAT EASY???

And the other great thing is that this soup is totally freezer friendly, so go ahead and make a double batch!  (remember to leave 1 1/2 inches of head space in your air tight container because liquids expand when they freeze).

ENJOY!

Meatless Monday - Lentil Kale Soup

I did a bunch of batch cooking on the weekend: shepherd's pie, stuffed zucchini, cheesy "beef" noodles, stuffed pasta shells, and today's feature recipe...Lentil Kale Soup!  Look forward to enjoying some of the other recipes in future posts!

This soup is hearty, flavourful, and packed with protein and vitamins!  And it's easy to make!

Unfortunately, in all of my excitement over this delicous soup, I forgot to take a picture.  So, instead, here's a picture of my empty bowl (proof that I enjoyed it!).

Lentil Kale Soup (adapted from Today's Parent Magazine Sept 2012)
Ingredients:
1 small onion (chopped)
2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
2 stalks celery (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 tbsp paprika
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 C green lentils (dry)
8 C low sodium vegetable stock (I used epicure) (could use chicken stock)
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 C chopped kale (stems and mid-ribs removed)
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp chopped parsley (optional for garnish)

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large pot over medium.  Add onion, carrot and celery and saute for 5 min or until vegetables begin to soften.  Add garlic and paprika and saute for 1 min.
2) Stir in tomato paste.  Add lentils, stock, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
3) Cover pot, turn heat to low and simmer gently for 15 min.
4) Add kale and salt and simmer for 15 min longer or until lentils and vegetables are cooked through.
5) Sprinkle with parsley just before serving.