Leek and Potato Soup

 1 roughly chopped onion

1 thinly slice leek 

1 finely chopped carrot

1 stick celery finely chopped

1 large or 2 medium potatoes (small cubes)

1 cup red lentils

2 bay leaves

6-8 cups vegetable stock

Pressure cooker:

cook for 20 minutes at pressure and slow release. 

Alternately water-sauté the first 4 ingredients until onion translucent and leek is soft. add the remainder, bring to boil and simmer covered for at least 30 minutes (check to make sure potato is soft). 

Serve with a spoonful of nutritional yeast and some fresh ground pepper. Accompanied by toast and hummus. 

As with most soups the flavour continues to develop and is often even better the next day. 

QUICK GUILT-FREE CREAMY TOMATO BASIL SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

1 large onion chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

2 tsp dried sweet basil

2 cans chopped tomatoes

1 cup vegetable stock (or 1 tsp vege stock powder to 1 cup of boiling water)

1 can cannellini beans

2 tsp Dr Greger's savoury spice blend *

fresh ground pepper

chopped fresh basil for garnish

METHOD:

Heat the pot and sauté the onion, adding a little boiling water to deglaze the pan so it doesn’t stick. When onion turning clear add the garlic and basil, stir for 1-2 minutes. 

Add the tomatoes, stock and spice mix, cover pot and leave to simmer on low heat to blend the flavours 20-30 minutes.

Remove at least 3/4 of the soup and put into the blender.

Drain the beans and add to soup, blend until smooth

Add the creamy blended mix back to the pot and reheat. taste and season further if desired.

To serve garnish with fresh ground pepper and chopped basil. 

Lovely with wholegrain toast and hummus. 

• Dr Greger's Savory Spice Blend

Thai Style Pumpkin soup

I had been given a BIG pumpkin which needed using so I chopped and seeded it and baked it in the oven on baking paper until tender, when it cooled I skinned the pieces and divided it into lots - used some for this soup and froze the rest for later yummy winter soups. I adapted this recipe from the book "Fat Free & Easy" by Jennifer Raymond - hers was an indian spiced soup - to be honest I was feeling a bit lazy and instead of looking out multiple spices - it was just easier to add some green thai curry paste especially as I had some coconut milk already opened! Quick, easy and tasty - who can complain? Add to that - it's low fat and healthy!


2 1/2 cups vege stock
1 onion
2 garlic cloves minced
1-2 tsp green thai curry paste (vegan - no shrimp/fish)
2 cups cooked mashed pumpkin
2 cups of plant milk of choice - (great if you have some coconut milk, or add a few drops of coconut      
                                                     essence to yr plant milk to have a low fat version)

Coriander (cilantro) or parsley for garnish - optional.

Heat 1/2 cup stock in a large pot and cook eat onion and garlic until the onions is soft (about 5 minutes)
Add curry paste and cook 1-2 minutes over low heat to infuse the flavour.
Add remaining stock and the pumpkin and simmer 15 minute

Add the milk and puree the soup in a blender (or food processor or you could use a stick blender).
Return to pot and heat until steaming (don't boil).

Quick Rice and Beans

1 cup brown rice - cook in 3 cups water
1 can tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans
1-2 tsp onion flakes
seasoning to taste - smoked garlic seasoning or salt and pepper
few drops of hot sauce

I just added the other ingredients to cooked rice and reheated it. Served in a bowl with steamed broccoli it made an appetising, quick and cheap meal. ( I used onion flakes because I couldn't be bothered chopping and sautéing an onion to add but that would work just fine).

Tahini salsa dressing

Serendipitous discovery - there was leftover salsa & a little bit of leftover tahini dressing in the fridge - mixed them - magic!

Tahini dressing - can be as simple as tahini mixed with lemon juice and thinned with a little water, I think I had added some mustard and maple syrup to that one. 

Italian inspired stir fried rice

My food choices at present are dictated by a couple of things - my fridge is virtually useless and things are keeping very poorly in there and have to be used up quickly and secondly my planned shift in a few weeks means I am trying to empty my freezer.

today I had leftover brown rice, 1/2 chopped onion and 1/2 courgette& 1/2 a capsicum (bell pepper) in the fridge to use and a packet of frozen spinach - there were also sundried tomatoes, olives and capers jars in the fridge and half a pot of "gloriously garlic hummus"  & I had discovered several jars of dried mushrooms in my pantry ... so here goes

soak the 1/4 cup dried mushrooms (mine were chanterelles) in hot water

saute 1/2 chopped onion

add chopped capsicum & courgette, sauté until onion brown and caramelised 

1 tsp of crushed garlic (or 1-2 gloves chopped fresh garlic) 

add 1-2 tbs chopped sundried tomatoes

4-5 chopped black olives 

1-2 tsp of capers

stir in 1 cup of thawed frozen spinach

add 1 cup of cooked brown rice

season with tuscan seasoning and truffle salt (if you have it) and fresh ground black pepper

warm a tortilla, spread with gloriously garlic hummus and fill with the rice mixture

or serve the rice mixture in a bowl topped with the garlic hummus

or both!

New Year's Dessert

A variation on Banana Nice Cream
Banana, Cranberry & Rum Nice Cream

1 frozen banana                         }Blend
1/2 cup frozen cranberries         }

then add:

few drops vanilla essence
1-2 tsp Rum
Plant milk - a dash at a time & keep blending until it is the right consistency

Photo doesn't do it justice - it looked really pretty - scattering cacao nibs on top would have been nice if I'd had some but this tasted wonderful as is.