Hello old friends,
I'm in desperate need for some time off lately, I'm sure that this time of year you're all feeling the need for rest, relaxation and all day pajamas, I hear ya! I've been dreaming about my upcoming vacation to Mexico, pretty much counting down the moments until I feel the sand and sun. I've been recovering over the last few weeks from whiplash, after recently being in a car accident. Yes I'm going to completely skip over what happened because luckily nobody was hurt and thankfully it wasn't my fault, but I'm ready for some days off, like 14 of them in a row - at least.
In the meantime I crave flavors of spicy, smoky and sweet, you know anytime any day I'm ready to enjoy a big bowl of soup so I was super inspired when I whipped this deliciousness up.
I had some black beans I had cooked the day before, yes most of us health nuts actually cook our own beans, it's so much better then opening a can and way healthier. I wanted to do something satisfying, spicy and vegetarian. Soup is the ultimate way to pack vital nutrients into your body and it just happens to also be my favorite thing to cook as you've noticed if you've been following me the last five years. This soup takes roughly 30 minutes and will knock your sox off!
INGREDIENTS:
2 small carrots - fine chop
2 small celery - fine chop
1 large Spanish onion - fine chop
1/2 small butternut squash - fine chop
4 garlic cloves - minced
black beans - about 1.5 cups or a can
tomato passatta - 1/3 cup
1 dried guajillo chilies - fine chop
2 dried chili de arbol - fine chop
1L vegetable stock
fresh cilantro stems - 2 tbsp fine chop
dried Mexican oregano - big pinch crumbled
Miguelito - about 1 tbsp
cumin - about 1tsp
smoky paprika - about 1tsp
cinnamon - small pinch
tamarind paste - optional 1-2 tbsp
lime juice - 1-2 limes
Coconut oil - 1-2 tbsp
COOK:
Sautee the onion in coconut oil, add garlic and continue until translucent then add in the carrot, celery and squash. Cook until everything is soft about 5 -10 mins. Add pasatta, chillies, dry spiced and herbs and continue to cook for another minute then add stock, beans and cilantro. Simmer until veggies have softened then add in the tamarind paste.
SERVE:
A splash of lime juice and fresh chopped cilantro leaves.
I've literally tried to write this post three times. Sometimes technology isn't our friend and I have to say apple (iphones/computers) really aren't as streamline as you need them to be. For example why isn't there a "command z" short cut on your phone. It would really come in handy and yes I am blaming my phone, partially for not posting this sooner. Anyways as I'm averaging one blog post every three or four months, it seems like I'm due for a recipe. I will not apologize for being such an occasional blogger anymore. I hope you enjoy what I offer up, healthy easy to follow recipes, once in a rare blue moon. This one is the bomb dot com if I do say so myself. It's easy to digest, vegan and excellent for it's anti inflammatory qualities. I created this recipe on some wildly inspired whim a few months back, when I was trying to eat less meat (right now I haven't had meat in almost 2 months - WOAH!). No I'm not going vegan, but I am still on my journey to understanding how to heal my psoriasis. I'll try anything natural. Food is our most powerful medicine or our most perilous poison. What's good for one body can be lethal to another. Right now I'm off meat, diary, gluten, soy, eggs and.... ahh fuck it. I'm happy and I'm feeling good so hopefully my skin will acknowledge that. It's challenging when people invite me over for dinner or out to a restaurant but I'm just trying to go with the flow. Pushing myself as a chef by limiting my pantry is never a bad thing, I'm always up for a challenge.
Back to the important stuff, the recipe. This warm vegetarian stew uses Indian spices and is some serious comfort food, perfect for the cooler weather coming in. The dish also freezes well, so make extra. You will not be disappointed!
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups moong dal (yellow split mung beans)
2 sweet onions - fine chop
4 cloves of garlic - minced
2 tbs ginger - minced
1- 2 red bird chilies - fine chop
2 tbs of tomato paste OR 1/2 c. chopped tomatoes
2 tbs cilantro stems - fine chop + leaves to finish
1 can of coconut milk
1L of water or vegetable stock
Tbs coconut oil
1 tsp cumin
1tsp turmeric
1 tsp mustard seed
1tsp coriander seed
1/2 tsp fenugreek
Celtic sea salt to taste
1/2 lemon - juice (optional)
METHOD:
Rinse the dal three times, I like to soak them for a few hours but it's not necessary. Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in coconut oil add the chilies and spices then the dal. Add the liquids, tomato, pinch of salt and cilantro stems, then simmer until the lentils are tender, you may need to add more liquids, monitor it.
TIPS:
keep ginger in the freezer and grate it in using a microplane, you can also keep the bird chilies in the freezer, one of my favorite cooking hacks.
SERVE:
You can add a spritz of fresh lemon once the dish is cooked, some chopped fresh cilantro leaves are nice too. I like to serve with blanched broccoli or wilted greens and a side of brown Jasmin rice.
Make this and let me know if you love it as much as I do.
Chow for now!
So it seems it's almost summer and I think I'm going to rename this blog The Lazy Tomato Snob, or perhaps in the spirit of being a total douche bag TLTS, cause acronyms are oh SHRN (so hot right now). I might have just made that up, but probably it exists. Anyways this is an awesome springy, green, rawish soup recipe and If you like Thai flavors you'll swoon for it.
INGREDIENTS:
Medium sweet onion - chopped
4 garlic cloves - minced
1-2 Thai bird chilies - chopped
1 tbs grated ginger
6 dried kaffir lime leaves
1 tbc minced lemongrass
1 large bunch of asparagus - tough bottoms trimmed off and rough chopped
1 cup frozen sweet peas
1/2 can coconut milk
1L vegetable stock
1 tbs coconut sugar (honey or maple syrup can be used instead)
Celtic Sea salt - pinch
1-2 tbs coconut oil
1 lime - juiced
GARNISH:
toasted peanuts
toasted, shredded coconut (sweetened)
fresh cilantro leaves - optional
extra section of lime
finely sliced red bird chili
COOK:
On medium heat sautée onions, garlic, ginger in coconut oil until translucent. Add a pinch or two of salt, chillies, kaffir lime, lemongrass and continue to cook for another minute or two. Then add asparagus and cover to allow them to slightly steam only until they go bright green (1-2 minutes). Add in coconut milk, and stock, stir to combine, and remove from heat immediately. Add the peas and blend everything until smooth.
TIPS:
Freeze your ginger and grate it into the pot using a wrasp or microplane. Gourmet Garden makes a great organic line of minced herbs and spices, I always keep the lemongrass to throw into soups, dressings and even juices. You can find their products in most Canadian grocery stores.
So here's the deliciousness that went down a few days ago. I believe this is my first blog post about raw vegan desserts. Really, I just got up to eat one mid blog- not kidding! Just that good! The perfect amount of sweet, they are super satisfying, healthy, oh right...and they're vegan, if you're into that sort of thing.
No official recipe, but here's what I did.
recipe makes about 50
-
Made coconut butter - pulverised shredded unsweetened coconut in my Cuisinart (about 2.5 cups for about 10 minutes.
- Softened 1 cup of chopped, pitted dates in a 1/3 cup of hot water, heat until they started to fall apart.
- Add crunchy natural peanut butter (about 1/2 cup, 1 cup raw cocoa, 1/2 cup maple syrup, date paste, 1 tbs cinnamon, 2 tbs vanilla extract, 3 tbs coconut flower.
- Pulse everything together and check that they are able to hold the shape of a ball, they may or may not need more, coconut flower or moisture -- Sorry I'm sharing this after the first time, it was so wonderful I had to share it right away.
- Turn out in to a bowl and fold in a handful or two of shredded sweetened coconut.
- Chill mixture for an hour at least before balling and dust them in powdered sugar. You can do this days in advance or right before serving.
Check out Twenty Toes Fitness BLOG tomorrow for a healthy - and meaty holiday app with my all time favorite holiday proteins, the mighty bird Turkey.
- chow for now
