PUMPKIN MAPLE CHIPOTLE SOUP

#Pumpkin #Maple #Chipotle #Soup
Yesterday I baked a couple #sugar_pumpkins.  So far I've made some pumpkin soup and pumpkin chia pudding.  I'm also going to make some vegan pumpkin pie and vegan pumpkin muffins. 

INGREDIENTS:
3 lbs baked pumpkin chopped (I had two 1 1/2 lbs pumpkins)
1-3 T olive oil
1 1/2 bulbs garlic, roasted and chopped finely
3 large tomatoes, roasted (~2 c before roasting)

1 large onion, chopped small
1 T chili powder (I used ancho chili powder)
1 t coriander, ground
10 c fresh water
1 c red lentils, rinsed

1 apple, quartered and stem/core removed
juice of 1 large lime
1-3 T chipotle puree ( I LOVE spicy food so 
I use lots)
1 T  (or more) maple syrup
1-3 t sea salt
1/4 - 1/2 t fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS: 
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degree F.  
2.  Break the stem off your pumpkin(s).  Put your pumpkin on a cookie sheet on the middle rack in your oven.  Bake it for 30 minutes or more depending on the size of it.  A sharp knife should easily puncture the pumpkin if it is cooked.  Take it out and place it on a rack to cool.  
3.  Prepare the tomatoes and garlic for roasting.  Wash, core and cut the tomatoes in quarters.  Place the garlic on tinfoil, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and wrap.  Place the tomatoes in a preheated 400 degree F oven for about 30 minutes. 
4.  Fry the onion in a large soup pot on med-hi.  When the onion is soft and translucent add the coriander and chili powder.  Fry for a minute and then add the water and cleaned lentils.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer. 
5.  Peel and remove the seeds and pulp from the pumpkin.  Chop up the pumpkin into bite sized pieces and add it to the pot of soup. 
6.  When the tomatoes and garlic are finished roasting, chop up the tomatoes and peel and chop the garlic.  Add them to the soup along with the apple.  
7.  Let the soup simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked.    When everything is cooked add the remaining ingredients.  Ladle about half the soup (including 1/2 the apple) into your blender.  Making sure the lid is secure, puree until smooth and then add it back to the soup pot.  Taste and adjust lime, chipotle, S & P to taste.  

Serve with your favourite bread and salad!

      

PUMPKIN COCONUT CHIA PUDDING

#Pumpkin #Coconut #Chia #Pudding
I've been experimenting with pumpkin a lot in the past few weeks.  Over the next week, I'll try to add a few of the recipes.  This one I created a couple of weeks ago.  I made the mistake of writing the recipe on a scrap piece of paper and then I promptly lost it.  Today I found it in the recycling!  Yahoo!  

I love chia pudding because it is nutritious, gluten-free, vegan and could be served for everything from breakfast to dessert.  If you have an almond allergy you could substitute some other non-dairy milk such as brown rice milk.  

INGREDIENTS:
5 T chia seeds
1 c raw almond milk
1 c coconut milk, preferable fresh
1 c pumpkin puree
3-5 T pure maple syrup (depending on how sweet you'd it!)
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t each nutmeg and allspice
1 T fresh grated ginger (or 1/4-1/2 t dried)
1 t vanilla
pinch of cloves and sea salt

DIRECTIONS:
Put everything except the chia seeds in your blender.  Blend until smooth.  Add the chia seeds.  Pulse for a few seconds if you like a "tapioca' type consistency and blend if you prefer a smooth pudding.  Pour into a container with a lid (I like to use a large canning jar) and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  I have to hide it behind the kale or it is gone before it has set!  Drizzle a little extra maple syrup on top of each individual serving before eating!

DILL GREEN CABBAGE SOUP

THIS is our family's favourite soup!  Everyone LOVES it!  
Ingredients: 
1 large red onion, chopped
1 T olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4-6 potatoes, chopped in large bite-sized pieces
5-6 large carrots, chopped
6 cups water
1 c red lentils, rinsed well until water is clear
2 c diced tomatoes
1 apple, washed, quartered and cored
1 medium sized head green cabbage, chopped
1 c red lentils, rinsed

2 T dried dill (or 1/3 c fresh)

1 can coconut milk

1- 2 T lemon juice 
S & P to taste

Directions: 
1. In a large pot saute 1 red onion in 1T olive oil over medium heat.  
2. When the onion is translucent add the garlic and cook for a minute more.  
3. Add the chopped potatoes and carrots and saute another minute.

  
4. Add the water, lentils, tomatoes and apple and bring to a boil.  
5. Add the chopped green cabbage.  

6. When the soup comes to a boil again turn it down and let it simmer for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked.  
7. Turn the soup down to low and add the coconut milk.  Add more water if desired.  Gently heat for 3-4 minutes and then turn off the soup and add the dill, lime, S & P.  

VEGAN CAESAR SALAD DRESSING

This is one of my favourite salad dressings!  I adapted it from the Caesar Salad dressing in REBAR cookbook.  I substituted flax oil and water for some of the olive oil.  I added flax oil to get some good omega fatty acids.  I substituted water for some of the oil to reduce the calories in the dressing.  To make it vegan I use nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan cheese.  The nutritional yeast helps provide the hard to get B12.  Depending on the meal, I'll sometimes add some optional ingredients that compliment the other foods.  

INGREDIENTS:
3 garlic cloves
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 T capers 
1T caper juice
2 t Dijon mustard
1 t tamari soy sauce
1/4 t fresh cracked black pepper
1/3 c nutritional yeast (B12)
1/4 c flax oil (omega fatty acids)
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c water

Optional ingredient ideas: 
1/4 c fresh herbs (eg basil, rosemary or oregano)
2T pureed chipotle pepper 

DIRECTIONS:
Put all ingredients (except the water and oils) in the blender and blend until smooth. With the blender on low drizzle in the water and oils.  Store in the fridge in a container with a lid.  

CARDAMON PLUM CAKE

I came up with this cake late last night when I was trying to figure out what to do with all the plums we have left to eat.  We've already frozen about 30 lbs and made plum sauce and plum conserve.  It was gone just shortly after noon today so I know without asking that it passed the blog test.  SOME people were even arguing about the size of pieces that others were cutting for themselves!  

INGREDIENTS:
15 large prune plums
2c flour (I used 1c organic white and 1c organic whole grain red fife)
1tsp each baking soda and ground cardamon (~5 cardamon pods)
1c raw unsweetened almond milk (or any other milk)
1tsp balsamic vinegar
1c organic cane sugar
1/2c earth balance
1 1/2 tsp ground flax seed
2 Tbsp warm water
3/4 tsp pure almond extract

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Grease a 8 x 11 pan and set your oven to 350 degrees F. 
2.  Wash, half and pit the plums.
3.  Put sifted flour, baking soda and cardamon in a small bowl and set aside.  
4.  Put the milk and vinegar and another small bowl and set that aside.  
5.  In a medium sized bowl beat the earth balance and sugar until light and fluffy!  
6.  Add the ground flax, water and almond extract and beat for another minute or so. 
7.  Add the milk and vinegar mixture and mix together.  Don't worry about how it looks...
8.  Gently fold in the flour mixture and then spread evenly into the pan.  Dot the top of the cake with your plums leaving the skin side up.  

9.  Bake for 50-55 minutes.  When a toothpick comes out clean it is ready!  ENJOY! 

P.S.  I'm making this AGAIN tonight but I'm going to fold in 3/4 c of chopped walnuts.  

AUTUMN JUICE for 3 or 4

Now that the Fall is here it is time for one of my favourite fresh juices! Apples, pears, carrots and beets are plentiful here right now! 

INGREDIENTS:
6-8 large carrots
2 pears, quartered and cored
2 apples, quartered and cored
2-3 large beets, quartered
beet greens/kale ((~2c)
2-3 cm piece of ginger (to taste)

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Wash and cut up all your veggies and fruit. 
2.  Put it through your juicer.  I've found that putting juicy fruit after a handful of greens helps wash the veggies through!  

 

SOUTH INDIAN TOMATO COCONUT VEGETABLE CURRY

It's been TWO months since I've posted!  I broke bones in my leg and ankle on the August long weekend and life has slowed down a lot!  Ok....I was skim boarding!  

Having to have my leg up makes it difficult to do much!  Now I can stand up for 10-15 minutes at a time without much pain or swelling!  I'm back to cooking, baking, swimming and spinning on an indoor bike trainer!  Yahoo!  

Now that I'm back creating and the weather has cooled down in the Okanagan I'm craving warm foods like Thai and Indian curries, hearty soups, stews and hot desserts (like the plum almond crumble I made yesterday!).  

We still have lots of food in the garden but it will be time to winterize our square foot gardens soon!  Covering our beds with a portable greenhouse allows us to extend our growing season for a couple of months!  

So...the day before yesterday I decided to make a tomato curry because I had quite a few tomatoes to use up.  

INGREDIENTS:
6-8 large tomatoes, chopped
2-3 green chilies, seeds removed and chopped finely
1 tsp salt

1 1/2 c unsweetened organic coconut
2 tsp cumin seeds, dry roasted and ground
4 shallots or 1 large onion
1/2 tsp ground tumeric 
1- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder

3-4 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

4-6 large carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 c red lentils, rinsed until clean

3 T coconut oil
2 tsp mustard seed 
2 curry leaves

2 limes

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Prepare all your ingredients.  
2.  Put your tomatoes, green chilies and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Once boiling, turn down to minimum to simmer.  
3.  Meanwhile, put the next 5 ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.  Add them to the pot.  
4.  Add your chopped potatoes and carrots and rinsed lentils and stir.  
5.  While the veggies and lentils are cooking heat up the coconut oil in a small pan.  Add the mustard seed.  When they splutter add the curry leaves and saute for a minute.  Add the mustard mixture to the large pot. 

6.  Just before serving add the juice from one lime.  
7.  Serve the curry over long grain brown rice or brown basmati.  Cut up the other lime into small wedges and serve along side the curry.