Disclaimer

Before I post any more recipes I should say that, so far, I haven't invented any of them. I've been keeping a collection for a while. Some new, some old. I've found that it's hard to find all the good recipes in one place, which is my goal here :) I have made minor modifications to quite a few of them. I'll try to site sources if I remember where they came from! Thank you to the many sources who contribute to my collection.

Savory Potato Leek Soup

I found the base of this recipe on the care2.com website. They include rosemary which I omitted because I don’t happen to like it, but feel free to toss some in towards the end.

I’ve made this a few times and it is turning into one of my favorites!

There’s no need to follow the recipe exactly. I’ve made it with 1 or 3 leeks instead of 2. Or 4 potatoes instead of 2. Whatever you have on hand.

Oh, and seriously, get yourself an immersion blender if you don’t have one already. It will make your life a lot easier! Around $30 on Amazon.com. It’s worth it! The basic model will do just fine.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts washed and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
2 cups (or 1 large) chopped yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cubed into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups vegetable stock (Better Than Bouillon – No Chicken Base is fantastic!)

To Make:

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and add the oil.
2. Add the leeks, onion, and sea salt and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion begins to turn translucent.
3. Add the garlic and stir well. Cook for 1 minute more.
4. Add the potatoes and vegetable stock, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook 20 minutes.
5. Remove the soup from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it's smooth and creamy in the pot.
6. Serve hot.

Let's start with dessert!

Coconut Rice Pudding

Getting my sweet fix is a high priority. This is so creamy, indulgent, and delicious! You will be hooked from the first bite.

You will need:

1 quart Soy Milk (I recommend EdenSoy)
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup sugar (turbinado is best)
1 can unsweetened coconut milk (I use lite to cut back on the fat content)
2 cups water
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional, but delicious!)
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, combine soy milk, rice, and sugar, and water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat, stirring frequently until rice is tender and sauce begins to thicken, around 30 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, vanilla extract, and shredded coconut. Stir and cook for about 10 more minutes until liquid is thickened. Let cool slightly.
Spoon into bowls, serve, and enjoy!

Going Vegan

After reading numerous books on vegetarianism, veganism, health and wellness, and sustainable living, I’m considering going vegan…again. I say “again” because I’ve experimented with veganism before. I got the idea from a PETA website where you can take a pledge to be vegan for 30 days. Even though I’d been vegetarian on and off for the past 15 years (16 now), I thought that sounded like a good amount of time since going vegan forever didn’t sound like something I was ready for at that point. I made it for a couple weeks and then gave in. I think it was because I didn't prepare myself well and simply didn’t have the right recipes. I looove food! So, if I am going to commit to being vegan, then it better be tasty! I also need recipes that are easy, healthy, and can be made with recognizable ingredients.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been experimenting with some vegan recipes, and have found a few that are pretty darn good by anyone's standard. Even my fiancé, an omnivore, thinks they are delicious!

Will I make it this time as a vegan? We'll see!