Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Last weekend, we had the joy of hosting some very sweet friends. Josh and Sarah are getting married in just a couple months, and my childhood friend Tanner is helping with wedding plans! The weather took a delightful turn last week, and it tempted us with the thought that fall was here. We had all the windows in the house open to absorb the 60 degree temps, and soup seemed to be the ideal meal for the evening. I first discovered this recipe through Pinterest.This is a rich and hearty soup that warms heart and soul. Sarah brought a gorgeous kale salad to serve along side and I also served whole wheat mountain bread (store bought unfortunately) to dip in the soup and bring the meal together. We spent hours around our dinner table just sharing life with one another. I love our dinner table, first of all because it was a gift from our neighbors that I grew up with, and secondly, because it has benches rather than chairs. I love the closeness that benches create, and during dinner and the following hours, I sensed an openness and closeness being shared around our table. Joel brewed some delicious coffee to top the evening off.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
6 servings

4 pieces of bacon, chopped
3 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, diced
8 Russet potatoes, diced
2 T flour
2 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Garnish with cheese and sour cream

1. In a dutch oven over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp.
2. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving half for garnish. In bacon fat, cook shallots, garlic, and carrots until the caramelized. Add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Whisk in flour and stir constantly over low heat until the flour is cooked and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add chicken broth and half of the bacon. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Over medium-high heat, bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Mash or use an immersion blender for thicker, creamier texture. Stir in whipping cream and simmer for 5 minutes.Soup should have a creamy consistency.
5. Season to taste, and garnish with toppings.

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup

Today was one of those days that soup just had to be on the menu. I am in love with butternut squash this year.

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, cored and chopped into chunks
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 bay leaf, or 1 tsp crushed bay leaves
1/2 onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a dutch oven or large saucepan, combine garlic,  onion, and olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add squash, potatoes, and bay leaves and allow to remain on medium heat for 30 minutes or until squash and potatoes are tender. Using a blender or immersion blender, puree contents of the dutch oven (I added about 2 tablespoons of milk to make it smoother).

Serve with a salad and grilled cheese. Garnish with dry dill and sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste.

Because I LOVE Oriental Food

This week has been one of those weeks. The kind of week when you want to eat your favorite junk foods, and then your career, training, fitness, and clothes size tell you to hold off. So, in honor of caring for myself, I was all about some "healthier" satisfying foods this week. I am achieving my goal of "vegan until 6" that Mark Bittman recommends.

On Monday evening, I made Coconut Fried Rice! This was a google search recipe. I was craving fried rice, but was not about to order from a restaurant. I always struggle with the amount of oil and sodium in fast food or eating out in general. So, I found this recipe and adapted it!

I used brown rice, and it did perfectly. The coconut milk was a beautiful addition. I then did carrots, onions, lots of garlic, broccoli, and kale in the pan with only about 1-2 tablespoons of oil as opposed to her 1/4 cup. I made the recipe twice this week, so the first time, I did the 3 eggs and the second time did without the eggs. It was incredible. We both loved it!

Vegan Tacos

Well, the last month has looked a little different eating wise. I have decided to adhere to what Mark Bittman who wrote Food Matters calls vegan until 6. Over the last few weeks, we've been in a number of locations and had a number of different folks in our home. With that in mind, I've been thinking a lot about my purposes and reasoning behind eating more plant based meals. It's a long term goal that I want to continue implementing in my family's lifestyle, but within lower parameters.

Anyhow, on to the recipe that was dinner last night! My tortilla recipe is courtesy of my lovely sister-in-law.

Vegan Tacos with Whole Wheat tortillas

Soak 1 cup of chickpeas and 1/2 cup lentils for 4-6 hours
Cook two cups of brown rice in 4 cups water. Bring chickpeas and lentils to boil in their water and simmer until soft.

To prepare the tortillas, combine 2 cups whole wheat flour with 1 tsp. salt. Add 1/4 cup oil to mixture and combine. Bring 3/4 cup water to boil and pour into mixture and stir/knead until well combine. Separate dough into 12 balls and roll into tortillas on a floured surface. Heat a skillet and add each tortilla one at a time. Once the tortilla begins to bubble, it is time to flip. Allow to cook on the other side for 10-15 seconds.

Once rice and beans are ready, chop 2 large cloves of garlic and add to rice along with a combination or garlic powder, parsley, cracked black and red pepper, and oregano. Stir well. Add a diced jalepeno to rice. Cut up a fresh avocado and add to rice. Combine rice and beans in a large bowl.

Serve rice and beans on tortillas along with chopped tomatoes or salsa and fresh herbs or lettuce on top. Squeeze fresh lime juice to add a lovely finish. Enjoy!

Smoothies...

I am addicted to smoothies. I have been since high school. Boy, do I love them. They are so flexible. They can be super healthy as meal replacements,  a little sweeter as a dessert treat, or simply a great recovery drink after an intense workout. Over the years, I have modified many of my smoothies to attempt to make them lower calorie, higher protein, etc. I am adamantly opposed to adding sugar or any type (yes, that includes agave nectar, honey, syrup) to my smoothies, because I 100% believe that fruits, veggies, a little juice, coconut or almond milk will satisfy any craving. As you can see, I believe hardcore in my smoothies! :)

In college, I used to sneak every possible vegetable and fruit into my smoothies to make up for the immense lack of nutrition in our cafeteria. I have become famous for my several cups of spinach in one serving, and Joel wouldn't touch most of my smoothies for that shear fact. But it worked great for me!

I also like smoothies because I can buy larger amounts of frozen fruit for a smaller amount of money and have it at my fingers anytime without having to worry about shelf life. If you don't care for milk or yogurt in your smoothies, be intentional about adding a protein such as 1 tablespoon peanut or almond butter. Protein always needs to be present.

For each of these smoothies, combine all ingredients in the blender and pour the liquids over to soften the contents.

Berry Smoothie (serves 2):
1 cup almond/coconut/soy/regular milk
1/2 cup water or 100% orange juice
1 banana
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 T flaxseed
2 cups frozen berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries)
2 carrots
1 cup spinach

Citrus Smoothie (serves 2):
1 grapefruit, peeled of course
1 orange, peel this too
1-2 carrots
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/2 cup ice cubes
1 cup 100% orange juice

Veggie Power (serves 2):
1 cup 100% orange juice
3 cups spinach
2 T flaxseed
1/2 cup yogurt (yes, vegan yogurt exists!)
2-3 carrots

Dessert Smoothie (Serves 2):
1 cup vanilla sweetened soy milk/ almond milk
2 T unsweetened cocoa
1 T flaxseed
1 T almond butter
1 Frozen Banana
1/2 cup frozen berries