No-Chicken Noodle Soup

If you're in the cold that is Canada like I am, this is the soup for you. Hearty. Healthy. Delicious. No-Chicken Noodle Soup. You'll need:

Celery (I used half a bunch)

Carrots (I used a whole bunch of small organic ones)

Parsley (about a fist full)

Vegan Butter (I used Earth Balance)

1 tsp Habanero Powder

1 tbsp Dried Basil

1 tbsp fresh chopped garlic 

4 large white mushrooms, cubed 

4 cups of vegan chicken broth

2 cups boiling water

2 cups noodles of your choice

In a large pot, melt butter and add in garlic, basil and habanero. Then add fresh chopped parsley. Next, add celery and carrot and cook on low until the carrot begins to soften. Now add the mushroom, chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. Once boiling add in your noodles and cook until soft. Enjoy!  

There's always time for curry!

For any other working parents, or just plain busy parents this post is for you! 

In our house, one meal that is always met with smiles (and more importantly no whining or fussing) is curried anything. Tonight I needed to cook up something in a hurry...I'm inclined to rhyme here, but I suspect you know where I'm going. 

Ingredients: (use as many or as few as you need depending on family size)

Lentils

Spinach

Onions

Peppers

Potatoes (peeled, cooked, cubed)

Baby peas 

Tomato paste (to thicken)

Almond milk (to make it creamy)

For seasoning I used a mix that I've been using for years. There are no preservatives and the spices are delicious.

Directions:

In a large saucepan add a tablespoon or two of oil (any oil of your choice) and add in the peppers and onions. Then once they're mostly cooked add in the lentils, potato, peas etc. Cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes. If you're adding spinach add it as a last vegetable. Then add in the tomato paste and almond milk and let simmer for another 10 minutes and you're done. 

In 20 minutes you'll have a fragrant and delicious curry! While it was cooking I made some rice and added in a pinch of saffron threads for colour and flavour. 

As you can see, I tend to cook for a family of 10 or 12 rather than the 3 that we actually are. This way we have leftovers for lunch tomorrow or dinner another night which is really handy on nights that we have extra curriculars. 

Enjoy!   

Sweet Tooth in a Hurry

As you've probably gathered by now, the kiddo wants to help me in the kitchen. Like, really, REALLY badly. Desperately.

I am terrible at sharing my kitchen. Really REALLY terrible. Horrible. 

It is this conundrum that leads me to bake things that are 5 ingredients or less and take less than 20 minutes start to finish. That way we both win. She gets to help mommy, and mommy doesn't need to drink her weight in wine to make the left eye twitch go away. 

That lead us to tonight's mother-daughter dessert. Samoas Babies. (I didn't make the name, trust me.) 

To be honest, at the beginning I didn't really care whether or not they turned out. I just wanted to get it over with. But then I tasted one. BIG MISTAKE. These things are like crack. Trouble!!

Basically, add dates, chocolate chips, coconut, a pinch of salt and vanilla into a food processor and blend. Then roll into balls and enjoy. 

But why stop there? I somehow got the idea to make a coconut chocolate to add on top. Best idea ever!

In a double boiler I melted some coconut oil and added in some semi-sweet chocolate chips. Then instead of making balls of the cookies, I made them flat with a divot in the middle. Poured on the chocolate and BAM. Diabeetus! 

Side bar: Diabetes, when said with a strange "Southern" accent becomes Diabeetus and is so much fun to say! Just ask Cheryl. :)

Anyhow, chocolate coconut crack cookies look like this:

Cheers!!