Roasted Red Pepper and Potato soup

This recipe was highly inspired by the New York Times Recipes for Health. This soup is silky smooth and bright red. Bell peppers promote optimal health by reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, increasing lung health and may even promote better eyesight.

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

Salt

4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

4 large red bell peppers, roasted, seeds removed and peeled

2 teaspoons paprika

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

4-6 cups vegetable stock

A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf, a bit of rosemary, thyme and parsley, tied together in a bundle

Freshly ground pepper

Soy milk (about 1/4 cup)

 

For garnish (optional) :

Garlic croutons (toast thin slices of bread or baguette and rub a cut clove of garlic)

Basil leaves or fresh thyme

Olive oil

 

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large soup pot, add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to soften, and then add 1/ teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes, and stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Stir for a minute or two, until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste has darkened, and then add the roasted peppers, paprika and another 1/2 teaspoon salt.

 

Add the potatoes, stock and bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste, cover and simmer over low heat for one hour. Remove the bouquet garni.

 

Blend the soup with a hand blender or in batches in a blender. Add soy milk, to taste and desired consistency. Heat through, add salt and pepper to taster, and serve.

 

Garnish with garlic croutons, fresh basil and drizzle with olive oil.

 

Serves 4

 

*To roast the bell peppers, cook in a 425F degrees for about 25 minutes, turning a few times, or until the peppers blackened on all sides. Set aside to cool, the blackened peel will then be easily removed

Vegan Baked Beans

When I was a child, my mother would always cook up a batch of baked beans during the holidays. I remember waking up in the morning and smelling the absolutely wonderful aroma of beans cooking slowly overnight in sweet and tangy ingredients such as tomatoes, molasses and/or maple syrup, vinegar, etc. I had to come up with a vegan of baked beans which my mom cooked with bacon of course. If you can find vegan bacon, it will give this dish a nice smoky flavor and aroma, but the baked beans will also be excellent without it.

Starting the new year with baked beans in the oven might just be my new tradition! Healthy and comforting. This is definitely my comfort food!

An added bonus : blackstrap molasses are full of iron and calcium and navy beans are full of fiber!

To a wonderfully healthy New Year!

3 cup dry navy beans
9 cups water
2 large onions, 1 diced and 1 left whole
1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
2 tablespoons agave nectar (or maple syrup)
2 tablespoons mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 strips of vegan bacon

Mix the beans and water in a large container and refrigerate them overnight or for about 7-8 hours.

Drain the water and replace it with nine cups of fresh water. Bring the mixture to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the beans aren’t quite done but are beginning to get tender. Drain the mixture again, setting aside 2 cups or the drained liquid.

Mix the beans, chopped onions, molasses, agave nectar, mustard, apple cider vinegar, diced tomatoes and salt in a large covered preferably ceramic casserole. Top the casserole with a whole onion pressing it into the bean mixture. Top with vegan bacon. Bake (overnight) at 250 degrees F for 6 to 9 hours. Remove the cover for the last hour.

Check the mixture a few times and add a little of the saved liquid if the beans are too thick.

Serves at least 8 for breakfast or brunch.

Salade fraîche de fruits d’hiver

A-t-il une meuilleure façon de débuter la journée qu’avec une magnifique salade de fuits? Évidemment, il est possible d’utiliser n’importe quels fruits. Attention, si vous utilisez des bananes, des poires ou des pommes, attendez à la dernière minute avant de les incorporer à la salade, sinon, ces fruits risquent de brunir.

Désolée si l’idée d’un chat près de la nourriture vous donne envie de vomir. Mon chat aime la salade de fruits, que voulez-vous!?

1 cuillère à soupe de nectar d’agave
Jus d’une demi lime
2 cuillère à soupe de menthe fraîche, hachée
2 clémentines
1 orange
1/2 papaye, coupée en dés
1 tasse de fraises, tranchées
Environ 10 pruneaux, tranchés

Combiner le sirop d’agave avec la lime, y ajouter la menthe hachée. Combiner les fruits frais et les fruits séchés dans un grand bol. Y ajouter le sirop à la lime. Couvrir et réfrigérer 30 minutes ou toutes la nuit. Garnir avec de la menthe fraîche.

Environ 4 portions

Orge du matin énergisant

Je n’ai pas écris de recettes depuis près d’un mois. Mon mini congé des fêtes me le permet enfin. J’ai décidé d’écrire mes recettes en français, suite à quelques commentaires m’influençant à le faire. Qu’en pensez-vous?

En ce temps de fêtes trop souvent additionné de plat gras ou de dessert trop sucré, pourquoi pas débuter la froide journée d’hiver avec un bon petit plat d’orge récomfortant? L’orge est une source très élevé de fibre et est reconnu pour réduire le taux de cholestérol et combattre les troubles intestinaux. En plus, ce petit bol du matin coute presque rien!

1 tasse d’orge perlé

1 cuillère à thé de sel

2 tasse d’eau

1 tasse de lait de soya (ou lait d’amandes ou de riz)

1/2 tasse de yogourt nature

1/4 tasse d’amandes effilées et grillées

1 poire coupé en tranches

Quelques framboises

Sirop d’érable

 

Porter à ébullition l’orge, l’eau, le lait de soya et le sel. Réduire le feu et mijoter environ 40 minutes.

 

Pendant ce temps, mélanger les framboises et le yogourt en écrasant légèrement les framboises.

 

Retirer l’orge du feu, servir dans 4 bols. Garnir de yogourt, framboises, poires, amandes grillées et sirop d’érable.

*Pour griller les amandes, les mettre sur une plaque au four à 350 degrés F pendant environ 10 minutes.

Easy Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna

What could be more satisfying on a cold weeknight than a hot, gooey Mexican ”lasagna”. Flour tortillas and a spicy bean-corn mixture compose this lasagna-like casserole. Black beans are the legume with the richest antioxidant content. When cooked, black beans have a satisfying velvety texture which almost melts in your mouth. You could use pinto beans instead of the black beans.

I served this dish with a simple guacamole and citrus based salad.

 

 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 green hot pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 18-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 cup stewed tomatoes

4 large corn or flour tortillas

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 green onions, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and a bit of salt and saute about 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic, bell pepper and hot pepper, saute for about 5 minutes more. Add chili powder, cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

 

Remove from heat. Add black beans, corn and stewed tomatoes.

 

Preheat over to 350 F degrees.

 

Place 2 tortillas in the bottom of a lightly greased rectangle casserole dish. Add half the corn-bean mixture, top with half of the fresh cilantro and spread 1/2 cup of the cottage cheese on top. Sprinkle with half the cheddar cheese. Repeat the layers. Top with green onions.

 

Bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, until bubbly. Broil for 2 minutes, if desired. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

 

Serves 4 to 6

Black Bean Millet Salad with Clementines, Peas, Almonds and Cilantro

This salad combines different colors and textures. The citrus burst of clementines, the fluffiness of millet, the smooth texture of black beans, the crunchiness of roasted almonds with the fresh, crisp addition of fresh cilantro. I make salads like this one often. Colorful, highly nutritious, fresh, tasteful salads. Combine any grain, fruit, bean, fresh herb and nut for an easy lunch. Millet is a grain that is still widely unknown. It is packed with magnesium which is, for example, known to help decrease symptoms of asthma and reduce the frequency of migraine headaches.

 
1 cup millet
1 cup black beans (canned is fine), rinsed and drained
2 clementines, cut-up in medium-size pieces (or substitute one orange)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/4 cup roasted almonds
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
 
Nutty Citrus Dressing :
2 tablespoons walnut oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Juice of one small lime
1 teaspoon agave nectar or honey
Pinch of paprika
Sea salt, to taste

Cook the millet according to the manufacturer’s direction.

In the mean time, prepare the dressing. In a large bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and whisk briefly with a fork. Add rinsed black beans, cooled millet, chopped clementines and peas. Mix until all ingredients are well combined. Add chopped cilantro and roasted almonds just before serving.

Serves 4

Lentil Mushroom Barley Soup

 

This is an amazingly tasteful, easy to make, inexpensive, energy-packed soup. It is extensively nutritious : loaded with fiber-rich barley, iron-rich lentils, antiviral and antibacterial onions and garlic and immune system boosting ginger. This soup will get you up when you are down. It is perfect on a cold winter morning.

 

1 onion, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped

2 dried hot chili peppers, chopped

2/3 cup black lentils, rinsed

1/2 cup pearl barley

10 button mushrooms, sliced

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup soy milk

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon olive or canola oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add chopped onion and salt, saute for about 5 minutes, until they become translucent. Add garlic and ginger, saute for a few minutes more. Add chopped dried chili peppers, ground cumin, cinnamon and coriander, saute for 3 more minutes, until everything becomes fragrant. Add vegetable broth and soy milk, bring to a boil. Add lentils, barley and freshly cracked black pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes, add the sliced mushrooms. Simmer for about 25 minutes more. Taste and adjust spices.

 

Top with chopped tomatoes, plain yogurt and/or fresh coriander.

 

Spinach Pomegranate Salad with roasted hazelnuts and maple-balsamic dressing

Today is my day off from work. I had planned to volunteer at a local restaurant (Robin des Bois). The owner donates all profits to non-for-profit organizations. Sadly, upon arrival, the manager kindly informed me that there was a mistake and that they already had enough volunteers for the day. They felt bad enough to give me coffee and lunch to go. Grilled artisanal bread topped with sweet and white potato, wild mushrooms, Emmental cheese and a white sauce (probably some kind of bechamel). I made the salad below to accompany the broiled open-faced sandwich. Perhaps I’ll try volunteering some other time.

 

 

 

Baby spinach

1 pomegranate

1/4 cup roasted hazelnuts

 

Maple-Balsamic Dressing

3 tablespoons walnut oil

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon maple sirup

Black pepper and fleur de sel

 

To remove seeds from pomegranate, cut fruit in quarters in a bowl filled with cold water. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds. The seeds with sink and the membranes will float.

Roast hazelnuts in a 375F degrees oven for about 10-15 minutes.

Divide baby spinach into 4 plates. Top with pomegranate seeds and roasted hazelnuts. Drizzle with maple dressing and sprinkle with  fleur de sel.

 

Serves 4

Dark and Intense Vegetarian Chili over baked potato

 

The secret ingredient making this chili so dark, intense and almost creamy is cocoa powder. It gives a nice aroma and helps thicken the sauce to a dark chocolaty texture. This dish can easily be made vegan by omitting the feta cheese topping. Instead, generously drizzle chili with olive oil.

 

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, grated or finely chopped
3 dried hot chili peppers, chopped
1 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
1-2 cups vegetable broth
1 16-ounce can kidney beans
1/2 cup black, brown, or green lentils (or combo), rinsed
1 cup meatless ground round (I used Yves Veggie)
1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

Feta, salted yogurt, olive oil, chopped cilantro or chopped fresh baby spinach, for garnish

1 baked potato per serving of chili

 

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onions stirring frequently. When the onions soften up and become translucent, add the garlic, ginger, red pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and cumin. Stir well and cook for a minute of so, until everything begins to slightly brown. Stir in the tomatoes, kidney beans, lentils, meatless ground round, cocoa powder and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 35-45 minutes until lentils are cooked and chili has thickened. Stir a few times during the simmering, taste and ajust spices and salt.

Serve over baked potato and top with feta and finely chopped fresh spinach.

*While chili is cooking, bake the potato. Rub the potatoes with olive oil and salt. Bake at 400 F degrees for about 40 minutes.

 

Makes about 6-8 servings

Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread

 

 

I don’t really have a sweet tooth. But I’ve been craving banana bread (cake?) for weeks. This cake is moist and fluffy, yet dense. For an extremely decadent dessert, reheat in a toaster oven and top with vanilla ice cream. 

 

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

½ cup wheat germ

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 eggs

1/2  cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup coconut (or soy) milk, room temperature

2 tablespoons canola or any other mild tasting oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch fine grain salt

3 medium, very ripe bananas, mashed

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 Lightly oil a loaf or square pan.

 In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

In another bowl, combine remaining ingredients, except bananas. Beat with a wire whisk until well blended. Stir in bananas. Add to dry mixture, mixing until all ingredients are moistened. Spoon into prepared pan.

Bake 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.