Good Eats + Creamy Golden Mushroom Soup Recipe & an Awesome Green smoothie recipe!

I haven’t posted good eats in awhile. Let’s start with that mushroom soup I was raving about a few weeks ago. I promised you the recipe, so here it is! This was so rich and flavorful – I highly recommend making this if you are a mushroom fan 🙂 If you want a nice gravy, just use this recipe and cut down on the liquids and puree’ until smooth. Keep in freezer when you need a nice rich vegan gravy – better yet, freeze in ice cube tray so you have individual servings at your disposal! 

Creamy Golden Mushroom Soup

makes 4-8 servings 

adapted from this recipe.

1/2 small onion, diced

1 shallot, minced

8 oz. baby portobella mushrooms, sliced thick

12 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced thick

1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce

2 tsp. dried dill

2 tsp. salt-free lemon pepper

1 1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 cup flour (I used GF flour)

2 cups broth

3 cups unsweetened plain almond milk

1. Saute, or caramelize the onions in a little oil until they’re cooked enough to eat – it brings out the flavor. Do this in the pot you plan on using for the finished soup product, since this is a one pot kinda soup.

2. Add in all of the mushroom slices – this will be quite a quantity, and that’s alright. Cook them down for a few to several minutes; as they’re cooking down add the tamari, dill, lemon pepper, and paprika.

3. Once the mushrooms are quite cooked down and have released a substantial amount of liquid – yes, they will – stir in your flour. Do this quickly. It will form a sort of chunky mushroom paste.

4. Add in the first cup of stock immediately once you get your paste at an even consistency. Bring the mixture up to a simmer.

5. Add in the second cup of stock, and bring to a simmer once more. Follow the same procedure with the almond milk, adding one cup at a time. Be careful always to only bring to a simmer, never to a boil. If the soup boils, it will “break” – the flour will separate from the oil it has bonded to, and each will float at the surface of your soup in weird little bubble pods instead of infusing it and making it creamy.

6. Once all five cups of liquid have been added, let the pot simmer (simmer not boil!) for ten to fifteen minutes.

7. Turn off heat; let sit five to ten minutes before serving. I served over fresh steamed millet, raw kale and added diced scallions on top! 

One day for lunch I enjoyed a salad from a local organic cafe made from radicchio, kale, red cabbage, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, figs, apples, & pears. It came with a maple vinaigrette that paired perfectly with this Fall-like combo!

My favorite healthy soup to get is Butternut Squash from Quintessence, a raw restaurant near my work. They serve it warm with fresh parsley sprinkled on top. Its simple and so bright in color, just how I like it. 

Speaking of Quintessence, I have been getting their chef’s club sandwich for lunch lately. I crave it all the time! It has scallion cream cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, sprouts, caramelized onions, pickles, lettuce & avocado…mmmm!

Please excuse my excitement, but this was SOOO FREAKIN’ GOOD. I ate it in 5 minutes flat I think, and I never eat a lot of raw dessert in one sitting. It’s by Rockin Raw, a raw restaurant in NYC. They make kick-ass cakes/desserts. This was Pumpkin Spice Cake with Vanilla Frosting. Ohhh, I want more! 

Speaking of desserts, I picked up this golden white chocolate bar to nibble on when the sweet tooth hits. Its really good!

I also wanted to try something new at the raw store, so of course, these “fall-like” apple apple sticks caught my eye. (As you can tell, I’m into Fall flavors right now!) They are super-crunchy. Not sure if I would buy them again, for they are not too apple-y tasting. 

I have found some great stovetop “scent-recipes” on Pinterest so I tried it out for the first time last week. Made my house smell great – Here, I tried orange slices, vanilla extract, cinnamon sticks, and sage leaves. I also heard that lemon slices and rosemary smell really great together! 

I treated myself to little tart pans and a heart cookie cutter for raw desserts 🙂 I get so happy about anything “mini” Can’t wait to put these to use!

I also bought some mini mason jars for myself. These are perfect to take to work. I made a batch of raw coconut yogurt and topped with dehydrated raspberries and hemp seeds. Delicious as a morning snack!

Sometimes we all have cravings that we can’t resist. For the last few weeks mine has been PB&J. I don’t know why, but I have had a hankering for one everyday. I found a GREAT Gluten free bread that I absolutely love. Its waaaay better then Udi’s. It’s by Three Bakers. Unfortunately its NOT Vegan because it has eggs in it, but it doesn’t hurt my tummy, so I still eat it. For all you local readers, I buy it at Deans Natural Food Market in the frozen section 🙂

I’ve been trying to drink a green juice everyday. Either I will make it at home or buy a bottle in the city near work. My honey has been requesting these over green smoothies, so I try to make them in the mornings for the both of us. It gives us great natural energy to get our day going.  

Take note on this combo: this was one of the best green juices I’ve ever had! 

I need to try to re-create at home. 

Vanilla Chai 

Green Smoothie

Lastly I want to share with you a DELICIOUS green smoothie recipe. I was wowed by the taste of this and I think you will too! Its super simple if you have a good flavored protein powder like Vega One Chai flavor, which I highly recommend. Plain vanilla flavor protein powder would work great too. Just add a dash of cinnamon!

One big can of coconut water (8-11oz)

3 kale leaves//stems

3 frozen bananas

one packet of Vanilla Chai Vega One

Blend and enjoy!

Recipe: Pizza Squash

Yes folks, more squash being cooked over here! 

This dinner was soooo soooo good…. It was simple to make and healthy too-boot! Spaghetti squash in a vibrantly flavored homemade marinara sauce. I let the cooked squash swim around in the sauce for awhile to soak up all the wonderful flavors. I added minced basil and a teeny bit of Daiya mozzerella shreds. The cheese became melty and delicious all around the strands of squash. Crushed red pepper kicked the flavors up a notch, just perfectly. It reminded me of the wonderful flavors of pizza, so I call it Pizza Squash.

How to cook  

spaghetti squash:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 
Cut the squash in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. 

Be careful & go slow. 

2. Scoop out and discard the seeds.

3. Place squash halves cut side up on a heavy-bottomed 
roasting pan. Brush with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. 

4. Roast for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until a fork punctures the 

flesh of the squash easily. If the squash seems to be drying 

out while baking, brush with an additional tablespoon of olive oil.

5. Remove squash from the oven and allow it to cool just enough so you 

can handle it, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the flesh from the squash into wonderful, stringy “noodles” with a sturdy fork and place in a small serving bowl. If some of the strands clump or gather together, simply separate them using your hands.

Pizza Squash

I used a relatively small squash so this made enough for 2 large servings or 4 small servings. If serving more, use a large squash or two small squash and increase the amount of everything else to have more sauce. 

Ingredients
cooked flesh from one small spaghetti squash

1 lb. of fresh plum tomatoes 

olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup broth

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

5-10 basil leaves, chopped finely

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional – I like Daiya brand)

To get a nice smooth sauce, I peel the skins off of my tomatoes. Its really easy to do!  I make crosses at the bottom & top of the tomatoes with a small knife. I drop them into boiling water for one minute. Carefully remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and allow to cool until comfortable enough to handle. Peel and discard all the skins. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add to a pan with a “glug” or two of olive oil. Add minced garlic, red pepper flakes & broth. Let simmer for 20 minutes on medium-low heat stirring and breaking up the tomatoes as they cook. Add the cooked spaghetti squash so it can soak up all the flavors of the sauce. Cover and allow it to cook for another 10-15 minutes or so. You can add the chopped basil, (and cheese if you like, until melted. Mix well.) and a sprinkle of salt & pepper. Serve and enjoy!

Good Eats

HAPPY OCTOBER!!!
If you have been following me on Facebook you probably know I have been squash crazy! I love this time of year when the pumpkins and squash come into season. I went to my local farmer’s market and loaded up on every kind. 

One of my favorites is Acorn Squash…

I have been enjoying squash rings for breakfast. Perfect sweet & savory meal. 

Baked Squash Rings

With a large knife cut acorn squash into rings (leaving skin on). In a bowl toss rings with a splash of olive oil, salt & pepper. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes. The squash meat will peel right off the skin. 

I also was eating them as pancakes for breakfast with a little maple syrup drizzled on top. 

mmmmmm…..

Trader Joe’s came out with there seasonal items – and you know what that means! PUMPKIN flavored everything. Yaaaayy! This tea was a great find. Little almond milk, stevia and sprinkle of cinnamon makes this a heavenly cup of tea on a cool fall day.

Another thing that I love is warm soups! Nothing says Fall like simmering hot stews. A great way to get my greens in is pouring warm soup over a big bowl of raw kale. It wilts it just enough to keep it semi-raw. I feel so great when I add lots of raw kale into my diet!

This week’s soup was Quinoa Minestrone. I topped it with jalepeno kraut which gave it a nice little tangy touch. My friend Lauren posted it on her blog and it looked so good I had to make it. I omitted the beans because my tummy can’t handle them too well. It came out great. It made a lot so feel free to cut the recipe in half if only making for one or two people. 

I froze half of what I made to eat later in the season. 

Quinoa Minestrone

recipe adapted from here

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tbsp garlic, minced

1 large onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 zucchini, chopped into chunks

3 bay leaves

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 cup quinoa, dry

6 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 cup cannellini beans, soaked (or 1.5 cans)

black pepper

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 can (28oz) peeled roma tomatoes, chopped into chunks

2 cups fresh spinach or kale, chopped into thin slices

1. Saute garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, carrots, 

& celery in oil until soft, 5-7 minutes.

2. Add pepper and zucchini, 

sauté another 3-5 minutes.

3. Add 4 cups veggie broth, bay leaves, 

rosemary and black pepper and simmer 5 minutes.

4. Add quinoa and 2 cups of broth, cover and 

simmer 12 minutes, until quinoa is cooked.

5. Add tomatoes, tomato liquid and beans, 

cover and simmer 10 minutes.

6. Fill bowl with kale or spinach and pour 

soup on top to lightly wilt. 

This raw brand was a new product featured at my local health food store. I’m a sucker for Figs so I had to grab this Cashew Fig Carrot flavored bar. It was pretty yummy, not too sweet – 

reminded me of a fig newton!  

Speaking of figgies, I’ve been sadly searching for the last fresh figs of the season and can’t seem to find any. I LOVE putting them in my smoothies. If you haven’t tried this, you are missing out.

 It adds a perfect hint of subtle sweetness. 

I’m typically not a fan of raw pasta but for some reason I was craving pesto over zucchini. 

I gave in to my craving and made this one night.

Kale Pumpkin Seed Pesto

3 kale leaves

1 cup fresh basil

1/4 cup raw walnuts

1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1 garlic clove

1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp red pepper flakes

juice from one lemon

2 tsp nutritional yeast

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil or half an avocado

Puree all of the ingredients. If using oil, drizzle (about 1/4 cup) while processing until it reaches a creamy consistency. If using half of an avocado, add this in with all the other ingredients. Serve over your favorite form of pasta!

I served it warm over corn pasta for my non-raw eating honey.

For lunch this week, I indulged in one of my favorite raw club sandwiches from Quintessence in NYC. Oh boy, is this thing good. I crave it all the time.  Scallion cashew cream cheese, red pepper, cucumbers, pickles, olives, tomato, sprouts & lettuce on a raw bun. 

I splurged with a raw Pecan Pie for dessert. The white stuff is Vanilla (whipped) Creme, made from coconut meat and real vanilla. Heavenly with a bite of raw rich pecan pie. 

Speaking of indulgent. 

This BBQ “bacon” burger was delicious. My honey made a few jars of homemade BBQ sauce this week, so I had a good excuse to make this. I smothered a Hillary’s Veggie Burger with the sauce and topped with vegetarian bacon & sliced Bubbies pickles. Sides were a small raw kale salad and roasted curry cauliflower. 

A lot of people ask what supplements I take so I thought I’d share all of them…

Aloe Water (2oz./day)

Boswelia (3/day)

Raw One Multi-Vitamin (1/day)

Turmeric (2/day)

 Probiotic (1/day)

Probiotics for my teeth and gums

My honey surprised me with “just because” flowers this week! I love surprises like this – brought a huge smile to my face. 

As if the flowers weren’t enough – he bought me mums too for the front yard!

Be back soon! Going to be experimenting in the kitchen with lots of raw goodies this week!