15 Bean Soup (Vegetarian)

 https://www.budgetbytes.com/vegetarian-15-bean-soup/

This soup doesn't look very appetizing, but it is really good.  I had some cooked potatoes that I put at the bottom of my bowl then put soup on top.  Yum!  You can also add parmesan cheese or sour cream on top before eating. 

1# 15 bean soup mix (I got in the bulk)

2 T coconut oil (I didn't use)

1 yellow onion

2 cloves garlic

4 carrots (added more)

3 celery (added more)

6 cups water (I also added 1 spoonful of vegetable broth concentrate)

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (did Italian big chunk)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano (I did 2 drops essential oil)

1/2 T (or more) smoked paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (didn't add)

fresh pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley (didn't add)

salt (didn't add any)

2 tsp apple cider vinegar (I forgot to add)

Soak beans overnight and rinse.  Original recipe does on the stovetop.  I did in the instant pot.

With a little bit of water in the bottom on Saute add garlic and onion.  Saute 3-5 minutes.  Add carots, celery and saute 5 more minutes.

Add beans, water, vegetable concentrate do high pressure 14 minutes.  Let is naturally release.

Add diced tomatoes and spices - pressure 1 more minute

Add any salt (after tasting) and apple cider vinegar.

DETOX SOUP

 DETOX SOUP

https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-detox-soup/

My whole family liked this.  We had with homemade bread.  I added pasta noodles and some of the italian pasta (what I use in blue zone soup) that I had left over.  Was really good as a leftover.  Liked with croutons as well.  I did on the stove top.  Had it simmering about 1/2 the day.

2 tsp olive oil (I didn’t use)

1 cup chopped onions

1 Tbsp minced garlic

8 cups vegetable broth (or 8 cups water + 8 tsp Better Than Bouillon vegetable base)

1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes

1 ½ cups frozen corn

1 cup diced celery

1 ½ cups sliced carrots

1 (12 oz) bag frozen cauliflower florets

1 (10 oz) bag frozen green beans

1 (15 oz) can black eyed peas (rinsed and drained) (didn't have so did a white bean)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp cumin

1 Tbsp chili powder

Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté setting. When the display says HOT add in the oil and swirl it around. Add in the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Then add in the garlic and sauté for 20 seconds. Pour in the vegetable broth. Keep the pot on the sauté setting while you prepare all the vegetables. The vegetable broth should be boiling or almost boiling when you add in the rest of the ingredients.

Add in the tomatoes, corn, celery, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, black eyed peas, salt, pepper, tomato past, cumin and chili powder. Turn off Instant Pot.

Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 1 minute. When the time is up let the pot sit for 5 minutes. Then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid.

Stir and then ladle into bowls and serve. 

Slow Cooker

Heat a pan over medium high heat and then add in the oil. Add in the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Then add in the garlic and sauté for 20 seconds. Transfer mixture to the slow cooker.

Add in the vegetable broth, tomatoes, corn, celery, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, black eyed peas, salt, pepper, tomato past, cumin and chili powder. 

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until vegetables are tender. 

Stir and then ladle into bowls and serve.

Some Substitution Ideas:

Diced fresh tomatoes can be used in the place of canned tomatoes

Canned corn or fresh corn can be used in the place of frozen corn

Fresh cauliflower florets can be used in the place of frozen

Fresh green beans can be used in the place of frozen

If you want to use dried black eyed peas you will need to cook them separately first. You can pressure cook them for 15 minutes with plenty of water and then drain and rinse. Use about ½ cup of dried black eyed peas for the equivalent of one can.

You can use any other type of cooked legume in this recipe in the place of black eyed peas. For example, white beans, black beans or chickpeas are all good options.

EASY CRUSTY VEGAN BREAD

EASY CRUSTY VEGAN BREAD
https://veggiesociety.com/easy-crusty-vegan-bread-recipe/

This was very easy and so yummy, but it did take some time to make.  I did it on a Sunday and started in the morning and we had with dinner.  I will definitely make again.  Would go perfect with any soup.  Lots of good tips and suggestions on the website.  Didn't have semolina flour so just used all purpose.  Next time I am going to try with 1/2 whole wheat flour.


3.25 cups all purpose flour + more for sprinkling (organic non-gmo)
1.5 cups warm water
2 tsp instant dry yeast
1 tsp sea salt

Instructions
Add the all purpose flour, yeast and sea salt to a large mixing bowl or your kitchen aid mixer. Mix in the water and stir well until incorporated. Cover the bowl loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. ( you may leave it overnight as well but it is not necessary )

After about 2 hours check the dough and you should notice the surface dotted with bubbles. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and sprinkle it with a little flour. Shape it into a round loaf by folding it over on itself a few times. NO KNEADING Allowed! 

Meanwhile preheat your oven to 450"F with a pizza stone inside. I If you don't have a pizza stone preheat a cast iron dutch oven with the lid on instead). Place a baking dish with a couple of inches of water in it on the bottom rack to help create steam inside the oven for a crispy crust.
Sprinkle a pizza peel or a cardboard box with some flour and place the bread loaf on top. Allow it to rest for 45 minutes while the oven warms up. Using a serrated knife make a few slits on top of the loaf.

Sprinkle the pizza stone with a little bit of the semolina flour then gently slide the bread dough onto it just like you would do with a pizza. Cook for about 30 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool down before slicing. For an even crispier crust allow to bread to cool inside of the oven with the door slightly open. 

SLOW COOKER/INSTANT POT WHITE BEAN SOUP

SLOW COOKER OR INSTANT POT WHITE BEAN SOUP
https://www.budgetbytes.com/slow-cooker-white-bean-soup/

We really liked this.  We had a 2# bag of navy beans so we doubled.  I like to presoak the beans and then cook for about 2 minutes in instant pot and then rerinse again.  Then make soup as usual. I think this helps with flactuation.  We didn't have quite enough of the carrots and celery so might be enough next time or it could have more. Made Easy Crusty Vegan Bread recipe.  Went really well with it.  Did in instant pot for 25 minutes and added less water because they were presoaked and cooked.  I just put enough until it covered the beans.  Did have some vegetable stock in the fridge so added as much as I had.  Forgot to add salt at the end, so we just put some in each individual serving.

2 Tbsp olive oil - didn’t add
4 cloves garlic - used minced 
1 yellow onion 
4 carrots (about 1/2 lb.) 
4 ribs celery 
1 lb. dry navy beans
1 bay leaf 
1 tsp dried rosemary - 1 drop essential oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme - 1 drop essential oil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika 
Freshly cracked black pepper (15-20 cranks of a pepper mill) 
6 cups water 
2 tsp salt, or to taste 

INSTRUCTIONS
Mince the garlic, dice the onion, slice the celery, and peel and slice the carrots. Add the olive oil, garlic, onion, celery, and carrots to a large (5qt or larger) slow cooker.
Give the beans a quick rinse in a colander and then add them to the slow cooker, along with the bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, paprika, and some freshly cracked pepper.
Add six cups of water to the slow cooker and stir to combine the ingredients. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
After 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, stir the soup and begin to mash the beans against the side of the slow cooker to thicken the soup. Once the soup is thickened to your liking, start adding salt to taste. Begin with 1/2 tsp and add more until the soup tastes flavorful to you. I used about 2 tsp total.  Serve the soup hot with crackers or crusty bread for dipping.

ARUGULA AND SPINACH STIR FRY

ARUGULA AND SPINACH STIR FRY
We doubled this but could of tripled it.  Cooked down a lot.  Scott made it and didn't add any curry, but it would have been so good with it.

1 cup chopped arugula
1 cup chopped spinach
1 large onion chopped (would not double)
3 green chilies chopped (used 1 can diced green chiles)
salt to taste
1 T oil (just use vegetable broth)
1 spring curry leaves
2 T grated coconut (used Trader Joe's chunks)
1/2 tsp mustard seed

Heat pan and add mustard seeds.  When they begin to splutter add the onion, green chilies and curry leaves and fry until onions are slightly brown.

Toss in greens.

Add salt and coconut.

Cover and cook for a few minutes till all the water dries.

HOW TO COOK BEANS

Heard on a podcast it is always good to soak beans first and rinse them after cooking to help with flactuation.  Also always rinse them from a can.  I like to always add dulse to my beans as well.  You can't taste the flavor and it is suppose to help as well.

GARBANZO BEANS:
Soak for at least 8 hours.  Rinse and add enough water to cover.  Add 2 garlic clove (or garlic powder), 2 bay leaves, 1/2 - 1 T kosher salt
Stovetop: 20-50 minutes
Instant Pot: 4 cups water and high pressure 12-20 min

PLANT BASED CHEESE SAUCE

CHEESE SAUCE
Yum!  Easy to make.  Takes about 35-45 minutes to make.  Freezes good.

2-3 Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces
1 large carrot, chopped into bite size pieces
1 cup water, reserved from boiling vegetables
3 T nutritional yeast
2 T lemon juice
1.5 T olive oil (I only use 1 T and used avocado) - next time try without any
2 tsp salt
1 jalapeno, stem removed - didn't add
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8 cayenne powder - didn't add

Start by bringing a pot of water to boil.  Once boiling, add chopped veggies and cook until fork-tender (around 10 minutes).  Transfer veggies with a slotted spoon to a blender - SAVE 1 CUP OF THE WATER

Allow the veggies to cool for 15 minutes.

Next add everything else to the blender and process until smooth and creamy.  Keeps wells for 1-2 weeks in fridge.


CHEESE SAUCE
Javan said he likes this more than real cheese.  Lots of steps so I usually do the top one.  This one is darker than the one above and looks more like cheese.  Works really good for mac & cheese also freezes well.

2 cups water
3 medium white potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 cup garbanzo beans
1/4 cup aquafaba (bean water from the garbanzos)
1/4 to 1/2 cup cashews

2 tbsp tahini
1 tsp paprika
pinch red pepper flakes

Peel and cut the potatoes. 

In a medium pot, add the potatoes and carrots and about 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Boil for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. Set aside to cool until it can be handled. 

Add the potatoes and carrots and the cooking water to a high-speed blender. Add the salt, garbanzo beans, aquafaba, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Blend well for a minute, until smooth. 

Add the remaining ingredients and blend for a couple minutes, until the cheese sauce is uniform, glossy, and silky smooth.

Use on vegetables, chips, pasta, etc. Store covered in the fridge for up to three days.

ALTON BROWN LENTIL SOUP

ALTON BROWN LENTIL SOUP
We all really liked this.  Scott just started eating plant based so I did 1 can (15 oz) chicken broth and the rest vegetable broth that I made myself (frozen vegetable scrapes boiled down and some vegetable concentrate added)

Alton Brown Lentil Soup
https://www.food.com/recipe/alton-browns-lentil-soup-369791?utm_campaign=yummly&utm_medium=yummly&utm_source=yummly

2 tablespoons olive oil - didn't add
1 cup onion (chopped finely) - any onion will work
½ cup carrot (chopped finely) - used 1 cup
½ cup celery (chopped finely) - used 1 cup
2 teaspoons kosher salt - did 1 kosher and 1 iodized
1 lb lentils (culled & rinsed)
1 cup tomatoes (peeled & cubed)
1 quart chicken broth
1 quart vegetable broth
½ teaspoon coriander (ground) - at the end used 1 drop fennel and sprinkled in more cumin 
½ teaspoon cumin (ground)
½ teaspoon grains of paradise (ground) - can substitute black pepper/cardamom

with salt, sweat the onion, carrot, and celery in hot olive oil.
add the broth, tomatoes, lentils and seasonings.
bring to a boil.
reduce heat and cover, cooking about 35-45 minutes.
blend if desired (I do not blend).

CHOCOLATE BLACK BEAN SMOOTHIE

CHOCOLATE BLACK BEAN SMOOTHIE
You would never know there are black beans in here. So good. Even Abagail would drink some of it.

I doubled the recipe.  We all had plenty with some leftover.  I added cooked oatmeal to the leftovers and added some more spinach for breakfast the  next day.  Yum!  I think pumpkin would be a really good addition to this as well.

Put all the ingredients in a blender

1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen cauliflower (you can use fresh but it might not completely blend up as well) - I used spinach because I didn't have any frozen cauliflower
1/2 cup black beans
1-2 medjool dates, pitted (didn't have any on hand so used some blue agave maybe 1 T)
1 cup almond of other plant based milk
1 T hemp seeds or flax seed meal or chia seeds
1 T cocoa powder (I used dark)
1 tsp or less of cinnamon

Can sprinkle cocoa nibs over the top if desired.  Could also top with dairy free spray whip as well but not necessary.

DRESSING/MARINADE

I got this off the Food Network. I am going to be using it this week for a passover meal.

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

1/2 c. olive oil

1 tsp honey

2 garlic cloves or 1 if a big clove (just a reminder you can buy a single garlic at WinCo)

Smash the cloves with the back of knife. Add everything into a container and shake.

CHEF AJ's HAIL TO KALE SALAD DRESSING
This taste like a really good peanut sauce.  I liked it.

Put everything in vitamix:
1 cup raw almond butter (unsweetened, unsalted) can get bulk at WinCo
1 cup coconut or regular water (used regular)
1/4 cup fresh lime zest & juice (about 2) 
2 cloves garlic
fresh, peeled ginger (about 1" or 3/4 oz) - used paste
2 T low sodium Tamari
4 pitted dates (soaked in water if not soft) can get in bulk at WinCo
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (didn't add)

CORNBREAD

2nd edition McCleve recipe that Aunt Sharon submitted is really, really good.  That is the one I normally take to the coast.  Jenna really likes it.

PLANT-BASED CORNBREAD
We all really liked this.  Good topped with butter (I didn't do), honey, blue agave or maple syrup.  We had with homemade mac & cheese.  Would be so good with beans or chili.

Preheat oven to 400.  Lightly cover cast iron skillet with coconut oil or use parchment paper (I used the paper)

Using warm water, create flax eggs (2) (so 2 T flax and 6 T water)

In a separate bowl or glass measuring cup mix together 1 cup milk (almond or oat milk) and 2 T apple cider vinegar.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl combine 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, 1 cup corn meal, 1 T baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt.  Add 1/2 cup pickled jalapenos and mix (I used 1 can diced green chiles - we thought we would like it better with creamed corn).

In a large bowl, combine milk milk mixture, flax eggs, water and apple sauce.  Mix until well combined.

Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined being careful not to overmix.

Pour mixture into cast iron skillet.  Bake in oven for around 30 minutes or until the cornbread is golden and is pulling away from the edges of the skillet.

Once the cornbread is finished, let cool, slice and serve as a side dish with chili.

CHURCH CORNBREAD
We had this at a Chile dinner October 2016 before the trunk or treat at the church.  I did win 2nd place with Steve's chile recipe.  It had a sweet taste to it but not too sweet.

UPDATE: YUM!  Is great if you are craving something sweet!  I added a can of creamed corn (did less water than cake mix called for because of corn).

Mix together:
2 boxes Jiff cornbread mix
1 box yellow cake mix
anything that all the boxes call for (eggs, milk etc.)
creamed corn, optional

Cook in a cookie sheet or 9x13 depending on how thick you want it.  Baked at 375 (in 9 x 13) for about 30 min. 

CREOLE CORN BREAD

This was different, but we all liked it. Would be a good way to get rid of extra rice. Came from Taste of Home Contest Winning pg. 156

2 cups cooked rice

1 cup yellow cornmeal - plus a little more for the pan

1/2 cup chopped onion

1-2 T seeded chopped jalapeno peppers (I used 1 T green chilies)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 cup oil

1 can (16 oz) cream-style corn

3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (I had velveeta on hand so that is what I used)

In a large bowl, combine the rice, cornmeal, onion, peppers, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, beat eggs, milk and oil. Add corn; mix well. Stir into rice mixture until blended. Fold in cheese.

Sprinkle a well greased 10" ovenproof skillet with cornmeal (I used round stoneware). Pour batter into skillet. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm.