My foodie friends will be horrified. I just made a taco soup using a package of taco seasoning mix. i usually use my own spice combination but not this time.  I first sauteed a diced red pepper, a yellow pepper and an onion in a little coconut oil, along with a chopped yellow squash, chopped zucchini and handful of fresh chopped green beans. I poured the package of seasoning on top, browned it in together, added 2 cups of chicken broth, 2 cups crushed tomatoes and simmered 20 minutes. I also like adding raisins to this soup, like 1/2 cup or more. Here’s the recipe for my natural taco seasoning blend… Continue reading →

Parboiling the sprouts for just 30 seconds takes away their crunch and their bitterness, leaving you with a vegetable that is softened, mellowed, and ready for action. Then comes the good stuff: Your sprouts lie face down in a hot, thin slick of oil until they turn almost-black. They’re best quartered, as more surface area means more flavor. You add a lot of salt.  Next, you push your brussels sprouts aside and add diced onions to the pan. It sounds like an afterthought, but keeps the onions from burning and turns them into soft, sweet bits that commingle nicely with the sprouts; they cling to each other once finally stirred together. A squeeze of lemon brightens everything up. You’re left with a vegetable which is soft, sweet, salty, and crisped in oil, but has not lost its identity. Continue reading →

A note on using nonfat milk, skim milk, rice milk, soy milk, almond milk: The flavors that make spices taste delicious are all aromatic compounds. Aromatic compounds are made of molecules that contain a structure known as a benzene ring, meaning they dissolve best in alcohols or fats. You may have noticed this when making drinks, that adding a twist of lemon to a martini adds significantly more flavor in a shorter amount of time than adding a twist of flavor to a glass of water. Similarly, if you make this chai with a non-fat milk, you won’t extract as many flavors from the spices as if you make it with a milk that has some fat. Coconut milk might be a vegan alternative, as it contains relatively high fat.

I decided to make small sweet peppers for Christmas Eve supper. I stuffed them with wild rice, black beans, corn, and soy cheese and served fresh green beans on the side. Jalapeno gives the Mexican style rice and beans a kick. Continue reading →

When dried herbs are substituted for fresh, the rule of thumb is one part dried, to three parts fresh.

Last night I roasted peppers, onions and potatoes in the oven with olive oil and fresh rosemary, thyme and tarragon. I separated and chopped small the onions and peppers, then roasted a pan of mushrooms. Oh yum the mushrooms were so fragrant and released such intoxicating juices. I was thinking of making a simple clearish soup with the roasted vegs thrown in, but end up making a White Bean, Roasted Mushroom and Kale Soup: Continue reading →

I use spices that have been proven to possess therapeutic and healing properties. Spices help you elevate any dish from the ordinary to a feast for the senses of sight, smell, and taste. Spice your meals to enhance your food with better taste and medicinal and healing properties without adding calories. Spices and herbs contain antioxidants, minerals and multivitamins. Because spices are nutrient dense, they are thermogenic, which means they naturally increase your metabolism. Centuries old eastern medicine and now recent studies and scientific research both boast the medicinal healing benefits of spices. My faves:   Continue reading →

About 4:00 am this morning I went outside for a beautiful 4th quarter moon meditation, and the moon was straight overhead. I picked some fresh rosemary while I was out there and went inside to make a roasted veggie soup. OMG the soup: roast a rough chopped onion, carrot, medium potato, red pepper, yellow squash drizzled with oil and 1/2 tsp each rosemary, basil, tarragon, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, smoky paprika 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes (watch it, don’t burn.) Separate roasted veggies and chop small. Place in a blender the potato, the squash and half the onion. From a 32 oz carton of Swanson vegetable broth, add enough to blend into a gravy consistency. Heat the rest of the carton of broth, stir in the gravy and the chopped carrot, red pepper and remaining onion. Season to taste with pepper and Bragg’s liquid aminos. I also added a handful of green beans and 6 cherry tomatoes, chopped.

The last couple of months, fresh watermelon has been my snack of choice. It’s the only thing I let myself eat when I’m watching tv.  The problem is I’ve been cutting up so many watermelon rinds to compost that I thought ” I need to try pickling some”.  I did and they turned out surprisingly awesome.  I am not one for complicated recipes or something that has lots of steps and keeps me in the kitchen for hours.  I went online and began looking at recipes for pickles and saw everything had to be soaked overnight and boiled and fermented for weeks.  Forget that.  I remembered an episode of Chopped where someone made a  pickled relish during one of the challenges, so I Googled “quick pickles” and began reading at the links that came up. Continue reading →

This pic shows carrot coins but there is NO carrot in this dish

Brown the veggies in 1 tbsp of coconut or olive oil on medium heat. Do not let the garlic burn. When the onions are golden, add the Veggie Ground and other ingredients,  cover and let simmer about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and let the extra liquid evaporate. Serve on rice or inside a tortilla. You can also add a diced potato or squash in with the vegetables if you like. See ingredients etc below. Continue reading →