Vegetable Puree

 

Ingredients

1 medium onion
1 shallot
6-8 cloves of garlic
4 carrots
2-3 stalks of celery
2 small potatoes or 1 large potato
1 inch cube of fresh ginger (optional)
1/2 cup cabbage
3/4 tbs vegetable/olive oil
1/2 tsp celery salt
3 green onions
6 cups vegetable stock
S&P

How to make Vegetable Puree

This puree is so lovely and warming, no one will believe it is so easy to make.  I love purees because you don't have to worry about chopping as uniformly or cooking each vegetable perfectly.  Instead, you can just throw everything in a pot and let it boil away!

In a large dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.  Add diced potatoes, carrots, celery, garlic, onions, shallot, ginger, salt and pepper.  Sweat for about 6-8 minutes until vegetables begin to color a bit.  Be sure not to burn the garlic.

Slowly pour in the stock, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spoon to pull up the yummy bits.

Bring to a boil and add in the cabbage, 3/4 of the green onions, and celery salt.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until all of the vegetables are very soft.

Puree with an immersion blender or a food processor in batches until smooth.  Taste and season with more salt and pepper accordingly.

Top bowls with remaining green onions and fresh cracked pepper.  Enjoy!

This is also a great soup for leftovers because nothing gets soggy or discolored.  I usually make it in such large batched because of that!

Pasta with Roasted baby Brussels

Ingredients

8 oz fresh, dry pasta
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1-2 tbs olive oil, divided
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4-1/3 cup vegetable stock
1 tsp lemon pepper (optional)
1 pinch red pepper flakes
6-8 grape tomatoes, halved
Asiago and Parmesan cheese
2 cups halved, baby Brussels

How to make Pasta with Roasted Baby Brussels

I happen to keep frozen baby Brussels from Trader Joe's in my freezer at all times, so I use those.  They work perfectly for when I'm craving that little bitter vegetable but they aren't in season.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  On a baking sheet, toss Brussels with oil, salt, and pepper.  Roast for about 10 minutes or until crispy.

In a medium pot, bring some salted water with a pinch of red pepper flakes to a boil.  Add pasta and cook  slightly less time than the package directions.  If you are using fresh pasta, it will only take a few minutes to cook, so plan accordingly.  Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and shallot and cook about 3 minutes.  Slowly pour in the white wine and add the vegetable stock.  Reduce heat to medium low and cover.  Add the pasta, tomatoes, roasted Brussels, and a bit of the pasta water.  Stir and adjust the liquid to ensure that it is not too soupy but that there is enough sauce .

Serve topped with cheese.  Enjoy!

Vegetarian Chik'n Noodle Soup Recipe

 

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 tbs olive oil (divided)
1 yellow onion (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
6-8 cups of vegetable stock
3 stalks of celery w/ leaves (chopped)
2 carrots (chopped)
1-2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 bay leaf
1 tsp marjoram
about 4 pieces of vegetarian chik'n strips
S & P

How to make Vegetarian Chik'n Noodle Soup

This soup was created when I was very ill and just wanted a big bowl of comfort.

In a large dutch oven, sweat the onions and garlic in 1 tbs oil for about 3 minutes or until fragrant.  Then, add the stock, marjoram, and bay leaf and bring to a boil.  Then add the carrot, celery, and noodles.  Reduce to medium heat.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat the remaining 1/2 tbs oil and add the chik'n strips.  Cook on both sides until lightly browned.  Cut into little pieces.

When the noodles and vegetable are cooked, add the chik'n and serve.

Vegetable Miso Soup

Ingredients

1 quart vegetable stock
2 tbs sesame oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 block of firm tofu
6 oz frozen Asian stir fry vegetable mix
5 tbs yellow vegetarian miso paste
1 tbs soy sauce
3 green onions
1/2 cup cilantro

How to make Vegetable Miso Soup

This super simple recipe only takes about 10 minutes to make and will feed everyone in your kitchen!

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat and saute garlic for about 3 minutes.  Add vegetable stock and about 14 oz of water, soy sauce, and bring to a simmer.  Add the frozen vegetables and tofu and cook for about 4 minutes.  Be sure that the mixture does not boil.

Add in the miso paste and heat for about 2 minutes.  Serve topped with green onions and cilantro.