Acorn Squash and Apple Soup

One of my biggest knocks on Austin is the lack of seasons. There's a temperature change, sure- I'm actually sitting in a sweatshirt right now. But there is no beautiful display of jewel colored leaves, no snow days to pull a sled through, and no lush springs with English-style gardens. There is summer, and then there is some cold.

My recent yearning for autumn has led me to do two things:

1. Stay up to ungodly hours due to an intensive home search in Asheville, NC, where fall reigns glorious in the mountains. I even felt it necessary to poke Peyton in the ribs at three a.m. to announce our impending move. I've got some house contenders, so now it's on to finding the mister a job!

2. Make fall soup. I had this delicious soup in Baltimore from a recipe clipping that my mom has had for the past few decades, and decided to recreate it here. It's so simple to make yet has complex flavors and is good for you to boot. So what if we don't have leave piles to jump in or cool air to bundle up in? We have acorn squash soup! And until we pack the moving vans, that will just have to do. 

Here is my version of this super easy recipe, good for anyone looking to add some fall to their kitchen.

Ingredients

1 acorn squash

1 onion

1-2 green (or tart) apples

~1/4 cup margarine

3 cups vegetable broth

cumin

curry powder

nutmeg

salt

pepper

1. Cut squash into quarters or eighths. Scoop out seeds and place face down in 2 cups of broth. Simmer, covered, until soft, roughly 20-30 minutes. (I cooked it and left it for a few hours longer, so it was super soft. Was just as yummy!)

2. Slice onion and apple and saute in margarine until browned and aromatic and delicious looking, roughly 10 minutes. 

This is at the beginning, not the final browned stage.

3. Scoop the squash from the skin into blender and blend well with the broth. Return to pot.

4. Blend the apple and onion mixture with remaining 1 cup of broth, then combine in pot with squash. 

5. Add spices, salt, and pepper to taste. (I used more cumin, salt, and pepper with just a touch of the nutmeg and curry. You can switch it up as you feel, or use other spices all together.)

And you're done! We topped our with cashews add a bit of salty crunch. I think that some sweet chutney or coconut flakes would also be interesting, or a nice cranberry sauce swirled in to make it even more fall festive. 

Enjoy!

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Millet "Fried Rice"

I had some leftover millet on hand so decided to try making some asian "fried rice" out of it. It would also work with other grains or veggies that you are looking to use up. Yummy and healthy!

Ingredients:

2-3 cup Millet

2 Carrots, chopped

Half onion, chopped

Handful of mushrooms, chopped

1 cup peas

3-4 Green Onions, chopped

1-2 tbsp. Sesame Oil

Soy Sauce

Miren Wine

Sesame Seeds

Saute carrots, onion, and mushrooms in oil until soft. Add green onions, peas, and millet, sauteing for a minute to get a bit crispy. Add dashes of soy sauce and miren to taste. Sprinkle on sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

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Butterscotch Brownies

There are days that I feel like a super-wife. I've got dinner on the table for Peyton when he gets home, a clean not-so-dirty kitchen, an apron protecting my splendid clothing, and music wafting its harmoniuos tunes throughout the house. I conveniently forget the fact that I'm actually in running shoes with an old t-shirt and odd tennis skirt, that the house hasn't been vacuumed for far too long, and that the dogs haven't been fed. Or maybe I'm simply asserting my women's studies side and quietly fighting the wifely image shoved on us. Whatever it is, today I am super-wife. And here is why...

I made butterscotch brownies.

Heavenly, gooey, vegan brownies with just the right balance between sweet and salty. And they will win his heart all over again. Plus hide the fact that I've completely monopolized the bathroom counter with hair products that I rarely use, clothes that are mostly clean, three pairs of tweezers, two contact cases, and a pair of scissors. (Let me lovingly point out that if Peyton has noticed this takeover, he has been completely mum on the subject.)

But I digress.

These babies are good stuff. I can attest to this firsthand (the cook naturally gets to try things first.) I found them the other day on Your Vegan Mom and knew I had to give them a whirl. Her description is great, as is her recipe, and I have to say the pecans are my favorite part. Do not leave them out! I also added a few chocolate chips. Delicious, but not as jam-packed with flavor goodness as the pecans. Her recipe can be found here, and while there check out some of those other yummy-looking meals! This is the first I've tried, but I'm sure there will be many more. And maybe, if I'm lucky, next time I'll be sporting an apron with this bad boy:

Enjoy!

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Yummilicious Tofu Casserole

Coming home to a well-dressed husband making you dinner is pretty gosh-darn nice. Coming home to a well-dressed husband making you a certifiably delicious, can't-get-your-fork-out-of-the-pan dinner is even better. Earlier in the day I had spotted a yummy looking recipe on my friends' blog, Smalltimore Eats. I casually mentioned to P. that it looked like it would hit the spot that night, and lo and behold he not only listened but got on it! And let me tell you, we are sooo glad he did. It's a casserole with tofu, onions, red pepper, and corn covered by cornbread. I have never been a casserole fan, but this meal (that is a perfect size for a dinner party) was in our house for less than 24 hours. Seriously. Whether vegan or meat-eater, you will be missing out if you don't give it a shot.

 

So thank you Katie and Amy for the delicious recipe! In a food coma I completely forgot to take any pictures, so I just borrowed these from them and am sending you over there for the recipe. Enjoy!

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Sweet Potato Black Bean... Stuff

Peyton and I have had a wonderful time recently riding bikes to the Whole Foods to pick up some yummy goods. I ride along, hair blowing, curvy calves glistening, laughing away with the fresh vegetables sticking out of my beautiful wicker basket. (Ok, reality. Have helmet hair when I arrive, sweat dripping out of every pore, can barely breathe let alone laugh, and lug a heavy backpack full of orange juice, almond milk, and soon to be smooshed bananas. But ya know, I like to imagine it the other way... It's that whole Pinterest fascination (more on that here) that has me living my life through gorgeous (and imagined) images.) Anyway, even though they aren't picturesque, these trips truly are great. As always in life, there is:

The Good: Bonding time without any gadgets, fresh air, helping save the world, helping save the dollas, and most importantly, a good booty workout.

annnd...  

The Bad: We don't plan well, leave when hungry, and come home famished with no energy to put together any of the ingredients for recipes we just decided on.


Luckily, there is a meal that saves the day time and again by keeping us from eating frozen food good badness. It's quick, easy, and great for the ticker too. I learned about it from my lovely friend Jenn and none of us have come up with a name besides that "sweet-potato-black-bean-salsa-and-cheese-stuff." But the yumminess makes up for the lackluster title. (I mean, how much would we really sell from a menu with that one? Possibly lots if we added "Locally grown, free-range, grain-fed, and hormone-free potatoes." Hmmm...)

Sweet Potato, Black Bean, Salsa and Cheese Stuff

Ingredients: 

One sweet potato

Black Beans

Vegan cheese **We've decided that Daiya is the best after sampling almost every other out there**

Salsa

1. Bake sweet potato. Due to our lack of planning, we always use the microwave. Scrub that bad boy down, keep it wet, fork it a few times all over, then wrap it in a paper towel and microwave for around four minutes each side (or until soft.) **It can't just be me that was thinking this was getting "dirty" after the first few steps... can it? :) **

2. Chop and mash potato (we keep skin). Add beans, cheese, and sprinkle of salt and microwave until cheese is melted. 

3. Top with salsa and whatever else your heart desires! I sometimes add avocado or spinach and then have salad as a side.

It seriously is that simple. So simple, in fact, that I wonder if you are questioning my sanity over writing it down. But sometimes the simplest combos can be the best. And this sweet potato as taco (getting towards a name... hey hey!) thing hits the spot. So snatch up these versatile, long-lasting ingredients next time you're shopping and I bet that "stuff" will be beckoning you to try. 

P.S. Despite a post having nothing to do with our recent accomplishments, we have indeed had a very successful weekend in home business. I am totally giddy to share the details with you but have to finish the final touches... More soon!

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Thai Coconut Tomato Soup

After a week of catching up-- on work, school, sleep, you name it-- we finally headed out to Whole Foods yesterday to restock our empty fridge and pantry. The downtown Austin Whole Foods is the home of their corporate offices, and the store itself is an experience unlike any other. They have just redone their layout that includes extra wide aisles, an open market feel for fruits and veggies, a vegan/raw food bar, a clothing/household section, and a huge area dedicated to pre-made and made to order foods. It is so big and so different from other stores that I actually saw an associate giving a tour to some newbies, much like a large health club would to sell their services. In all of the hubbub and options, it is just glorious. The mecca to foodies near and far. It replenishes my soul the same way that stepping foot into WalMart zaps the life right out of it.

So to celebrate Sunday and our return to having a kitchen with edible elements, we made an event out of shopping. We ate our breakfast tacos on the second floor terrace looking over the other guests; took our time in making a list of recipes for the week; and meandered through the aisles to find just the right ingredients to tantalize our taste buds. Including a quick trip to Costco (probably where all soul fulfillment was immediately lost), our total time out equaled four hours. After this super long expedition, we decided we had to use some of the goodies we had just gathered, but sadly didn't have much energy.

Here enters thai coconut tomato soup. This quick and super easy dish was just what we were craving: fresh, tangy, and lightly filling. It takes very minimal prep time, so is perfect for an easy night. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Thai Coconut Tomato Soup

2 cups veggie broth

2-3 heads baby bok choy, chopped

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger (to taste)

1/4 cup Basil

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 cup mung bean sprouts

1 (45 oz) container tomato juice

3 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup coconut milk

Fresh lime juice (1/2 to 1 lime)

1. Combine veggie stock, bok choy, ginger, and basil in pot over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes.

2. Add mushrooms, bean sprouts, tomato juice, and soy sauce. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, roughly 10 minutes.

3. Stir in coconut milk (add extra if you'd like creamier soup) and fresh lime juice. Serve hot.

We also had some sauteed tofu on a bed of steamed spinach with peanut sauce for some protein and extra veg. You could add tofu directly into the soup also if you so chose. What a delicious, easy meal that takes you on a little trip to a beautiful place. Enjoy!

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