Organic Granny

When I first made this soup it was Spring and the most delectable fresh asparagus was popping up in organic produce bins in grocery stores all over our little city!  Depending on where you live, you might have these neat little tender twigs growing in your own garden.  Here is the perfect Spring-Early Summer soup-- you can use fresh succulent new asparagus, or take advantage of the flavorful (but older) frozen asparagus in your freezer.  Enjoy! Ingredients      2 lbs green asparagus     1 large onion     3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Coconut Oil     6 cups vegetable broth OR 6 cups water and 3 Golden Bouillion cubes     4 cloves minced garlic     2 teaspoons organic garlic powder     2 teaspoons organic onion powder     Celtic Sea salt to taste (mmmm... those minerals!)     grind a little fresh cracked pepper to taste     juice from half of a ripe fresh juicy lemon  ...

I have been in love with a particular brand of organic Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato soup for a long time but was rather embarrassed to see that it is not vegan (I am) and hadn't noticed!  So, I found a number of vegan roasted red pepper and tomato soup recipes online and began to improvise with what I had around here and with what I hoped would be a fairly close replication of the store-bought soup that I love so much. Here is the recipe for vegan Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup I finally settled on.  I may do some more improvisations of it.  Let me know what you think and if/how you made changes!  INGREDIENTS 1 can/796ml/26oz Organic Crushed Tomatoes 1 medium Organic Yellow Onion, chopped 1/4 C. Water or Vegetable Broth 1 small Organic Head of Garlic 3 Large Organic Bell Peppers (not green) 1 tsp./15 g Paprika Salt, Pepper to taste 1/2 C. Water  2 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar Almond or Coconut Milk Method  PEPPERS 1. Preheat oven to 500F/205C  Place oven...

T here was once a dental emergency-- I lost part of a porcelain crown in the front of my mouth-- and lovely Parsnip-Cabbage Soup recipe is part of a 'liquid' diet meant to create less stress on my exposed root and to help me get rid of a cold I had. It worked.   This soup is quite substantial and schmecht gut (as they say in my Duolingo German class)... filling and tasty. Anyone who has done a lot of cooking in the past can freely and intuitively spice up or spice down. For novice cooks, the recipe is quite satisfying, but you might want to add more of your favourite condiments if you find it too bland.   I, personally, love the flavour of parsnips. I have a bunch of them because they were in "the expiry" cart at Edible Island, our favourite health and organic produce shop.   I also love fresh green cabbage (and raw sauerkraut, but that's for another day).   Some of the recipes I looked at called for the inclusion of an apple. I believe that appl...

  This delicious mushroom and wild rice soup makes a very satisfying meal when it is chilly outside.  I was shocked at the cost of the wild rice(about $16/pound) but the cup we used in the recipe came out to costing less than $2 a bowl which is still pricey but quite worth the yumminess it imparted to the dining experience. INGREDIENTS 1 medium red onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 celery stalks, chopped 1 cup wild rice 2 medium carrots, chopped 1 large sweet potato, diced 1 cup baby green peas 250-500 g (1/4- 1/2 pound) Portobella and/or Crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 6+ cups of water 1 can full fat coconut milk 2 tablespoons Italian spice* 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 2 cubes Golden Bouillion  Salt and pepper to suit METHOD Soak the wild rice 6 hours, or overnight. Cook the wild rice prior to making the soup (or you can cook it in the soup, but you will have better results if you cook it in advance.) Clean, chop and set aside vegetables *You can make up your ...

  Enjoy this simple, creamy Zucchini-Basil Soup made with fresh or frozen zucchini and fresh basil—perfect for a light, flavorful meal! Here is a delicious recipe for fresh or frozen zucchini and fresh basil! INGREDIENTS: *1 tablespoon oil *1 yellow onion, medium  chopped *2 cloves garlic, crushed and/or minced *6 medium zucchini, chopped *3 cups water *2 teaspoons chicken-style seasoning or similar seasoning of your choice *2 teaspoons Monk Fruit or sweetener of your choice *1 tablespoon lemon juice *1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped METHOD: 1. Heat the oil in soup pot and add in onions and garlic, stirring over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until onion is soft. 2. Stir in all other ingredients except for chopped basil. 3. Bring to boil 4. Reduce heat 5. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes or until zucchini is tender 6. Stir in basil 7. Blend in batches until smooth.   8. Return to pot and reheat. 7. Serve with dollop of vegan sour cream.

The following “raw” flax crackers (they are dehydrated at 115 degrees F. over a lengthy period of time…. until you think they are crisp or chewy enough for you…18-24 hours)  have 6 cloves of organic garlic in them. You can vary that, as you can all the additions to the basic flax seeds. Yeah, I like garlic. I like garlic a lot.  I like its astringent pinnng and its heady fragrance. It’s also very good for you because of the natural antibiotic effects of its constituents. So, start by soaking in filtered water, for 12 hours: 4 Cups of organic  Flaxseed  in a Large Mixing Bowl 1 Cup of natural, raw  Almonds  in another bowl After you have done this, then drain the almonds and spin them up in the Vitamix along with the following: 2 large, juicy, ripe, organic  Tomatoes 3 stocks of organic  Celery 6 cloves of organic  Garlic 3 medium organic  Carrots 1 small organic  Zucchini 2 T.  dried Italian herbs OR handfuls of fresh herbs suc...

This quacamole is another one of my garlicky recipes.  You might want to adjust it a little to suit your tastes and circumstances! Combine together in a large bowl: 4 ripe chopped (or mashed)  Avocado 6 fresh-grated organic  Garlic  cloves 1/2 organic  Sweet Red Pepper , chopped fine 1 large ripe-ripe organic  Tomato , chopped 1/2 thumb-size organic  Ginger root piece , grated Celtic Sea Salt  or natural Dulce Flakes, to taste The power is in the  fresh grated garlic …. use as much as you like (or dare). If the person you are chatting with across the table is also eating this, neither of you will find the other offensive..hehehe. Tip for keeping the Guacamole Green …. slip a pit from one of the avocados in with the guacamole– remove at serving time. Goes great with dehydrated flax crackers or corn chips, etc. Eat in tandem with  Mango Salsa  and other luscious fruity summer dishes. To your living health! *image from pixabay Please n...

This is the perfect pesto for anyone who is short on the standard basil and has fresh oregano taking over the yard   But you could still use basil, or arugula, or your fave other green. Add the olive oil to your blender  And then all the other ingredients.  Salt and pepper to your preference  but I suggest you start with a 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt.  Less is more  right? Spin up and store in a jar or other container with a lid in the fridge. Delicious on pasta, crackers, bread, celery sticks, quinoa, wraps. See these 3 high nutrition, gluten-free pasta suggestions HERE See 7 Things you Can Use Oregano Flowers for HERE

Lovely lemon-y Carrot-Lemon Soup This recipe for Carrot-Lemon soup was inspired by a Greek soup recipe.  When I was a kid, almost every local upscale eatery-- what we labeled "fancy restaurant" --was operated by Greeks who had emigrated to my town or city from the Old Country.   We all learned what was in a 'Greek salad' and were quite fond of the way seemingly all the Greek dishes were enrobed in melted mozzarella.  I realize now that the restaurateurs probably quickly tumbled to the fact that Canadian prairie people were dazzled by melted cheese, and they accommodated us.  And we-- or at least, I-- really loved the lemon rice soup that generally preceded a hearty meal of mozza-covered whatever.   But try as I did, I could never quite achieve that tangy citrus flavour... until now. The original vegan recipe I was looking at for a similar soup used tofu .  Well, I like tofu well enough but we are in the midst of our 'take' on the COVID-19 "c...

Braised Red Cabbage over Sweet Potato  I recently purchased Anthony William's Medical Medium Life-Changing Foods: Save Yourself and the Ones You Love with the Hidden Healing Powers of Fruits & Vegetables  and although I am a skeptic around the "medical medium" tag, I was excited by the book's layout.  He introduces what he calls the Holy Four: Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs & Spices, and Wild Foods (Raw Honey being the only departure from the vegan whole foods listed as life-changing). Each "life-changing" item, example: Cranberries, contains an Introduction explaining why the food is included, Conditions (such as allergies, staph infections, etc.) that eating the food can help with, a section on Symptoms (that could point to conditions that can be healed), Emotional Support and a Spiritual Lesson (for those who follow Louise Hay and other New Age gurus). There is also a section on Tips and a RECIPE that uses the various life-changing foods, ...

This is a delicious and easy-to make recipe, and I vouch that the crust for this veggie pie is absolutely not able to be a disaster (from a person who always fails at pie crusts). I suggest that you might want to make the following ahead of time: 1 1/2 Cups of White Beans (or you can just opt out and buy a 15.5 oz can) 1 1/2 Cups of Cooked Quinoa 1 Cube of   Best Golden Soup Bouillion   (or 1/4 Cup of your usual vegetable broth)   Here is the list of other ingredients that go into this pie: 1/4 Cup NonDairy Milk (unsweetened works best) 2 T. Nutritional Yeast (NOT brewer's yeast or baker's yeast) 1 T. Almond Butter 1 T. Corn Starch 1/4 teaspoon Smoked Paprika 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked (ground) Black Pepper 1    small Onion, minced 4 cloves    Garlic , minced 9 ounces Baby Spinach 6 ounces Cremini (brown) Mushrooms, finely sliced 1/2          Red...

We had a pretty simple vegan Christmas dinner, basically the veganized ideal: Turkeyless cutlets (by Gardein), mashed potatoes, a stovetop dressing made of chickpeas, onions, some crumbs, mushrooms and the usual poultry seasoning, a home-made cranberry sauce (frozen cranberries, frozen cubes of Meyer Lemon juice, a sprinkle of sugar, and about 6 chopped dried apricots), and Brussel's Sprouts. Boxing Day Veggie Stew: Today there weren't many leftovers (which suits me fine). I put the following into the Instant Pot on sauté: 1/2 C. Water 2 Onions , sliced 4 Garlic cloves, roughly minced 2 crowns of Broccoli and stems, chopped 2 C. (about one 16 oz can) of Red Beans 3 C. Leftover cubed Potatoes (cooked) 1/2 C. Frozen Corn Kernels (organic) 1 tsp. Hungarian Smoked Paprika 1 Best Golden Bouillion cube 2 T. Hickory Liquid Smoke 1/2 tsp. Chipotlé Ground Pepper After the sauté, I put on the lid, and pressed the Stew button, adjusting the time to about 20 mi...

Today I was out doing some tentative Spring gardening (cleaning up the plot, seeding some baby lettuce).  I was hanging out with our "kale trees"-- tall, gnarly tree-like plants that snake along the surface of the garden and then abruptly shoot upwards.  They grow for many seasons like this.  They bolt to blossom and seeds fairly early, but there are always lots of somewhat leathery, small leaves. I love these "kale trees" and decided that it was time for a kale soup-- so this Black Bean-Kale Soup was born! INGREDIENTS: 1 T.   Coconut Oil (or Olive Oil) 1       Organic Onion , chopped 1       Organic Red Pepper , seeded and chopped 3       Organic Garlic cloves, chopped 2       Organic Carrots , peeled and shredded (or chopped) 1       Organic Sweet Potato (orange flesh), chopped 2      Large handsful of organic Kale , slightly chopped 2  C. "Simply Natu...

Lazy Enchilada Casserole (Vegan and Gluten-Free) I am all for wonderful lazy casseroles (one of my faves is lazy cabbage rolls)-- this enchilada casserole means that you get the same wonderful flavour and texture without actually having to mess around with making the enchilada rolls (unless you are really great at doing them, in which case, go to it!).  You just put down a thin layer of the vegan cheese (queso or kay-so) on the bottom of the casserole pan (either covered already covered with parchment, or oiled), a layer of tortillas, the enchalada filling, a top layer of tortillas, and then the rest of the queso!  You can see how it is pretty much a piece of cake / pastel(?)  Have fun, and enjoy this luscious recipe!  It makes a fantastic potluck entree that will be much appreciated! To make this again I would start by assembling the ingredients the day before, and I would cook the beans (separately, the white beans and the pinto beans) and put them ...

Roast Pepper-Potato Comfort Soup This roasted pepper-potato soup is a delicious, nutritious, warming comfort food that everyone will love. It is vegan (although you are free to plug in your animal products as subs) and gluten-free. The fragrance while it is cooking will draw everyone in the neighborhood on a cool day. My dog is also much attracted by the fragrance. INGREDIENTS: 3 T. Coconut Oil or Ghee (if not vegan) (Optional: Use an Extra Virgin Olive Oil spray) 3 - 4 Organic Red and/or Orange Bell Peppers 1 Medium or 2 Small Organic Yellow Onion (s) 1 Large Organic Potato , peeled and diced (1 1/2 cups) 3 Cloves Garlic , minced 1 Liter / Quart Organic  Vegetable Broth (or use 2 Organic Vegetable Bouillon Cubes in 1 Liter of Water) 1/4 C. non-dairy Milk , (unsweetened almond, soy, etc.) Cayenne, Celtic Sea Salt and Pepper to taste   METHOD: Roast the Peppers :   Wash and dry them.  Place them each in the oven, close together under the grill o...

--> Okay, I'll admit straight off that today I was craving a big old cheese sandwich (maybe grilled havarti with a dill pickle on the side).  Cheese is currently off-limits for us.  We might get a snip of it when we eat out, but that's about it.  Ed is particularly allergic to dairy, etc.  Anyhow, never one to pout (or not for long) I came up with this flavourful (as in ZING-BING-ZING-BANG) sandwich that satisfied all my salt and fat hankerings (because apparently that is what is behind a cheese crave) and is, I think, pretty healthy.  Here is what is in the above sandwich (and don't judge it by its colour until you taste it!): BREAD: Your favourite bread.   In the sandwich above I used a chia bread that is no longer available. AVOCADO:  Ripe, organic.  Open it up and scoop flesh into a small bowl. Mash. RAW GARLIC: to your taste-- I skin & blend about 20 heads of garlic and then freeze in a jar so just use about a 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ...