Breastfeeding Moms Unite » Lunch

Potato Leek Soup and Spelt Flour Biscuits

Melodie — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:51:53 +0000

Last weekend I went to the local Farmer’s market and picked up a bunch of seasonal organic vegetables. While the kids taste-tested honey and listened to a guitar jam session, I planned my week’s menu based on the tables of veggies I saw. Daikon for a Chinese stir fry, tomatoes for a hearty tomato sauce, potatoes, leeks, kale and dill for a yummy potato leek soup. Except when I was in the middle of making my soup I smelled the fresh dill and turned up my nose at the combination. Upon googling potato leek dill soup I hardly came across any recipes that included dill, and that was likely why. My dill has now wilted and I have guilty veggie-waster remorse. Although maybe I can rescue some of it for my easy veggie dip. But the soup turned out great and a batch of spelt biscuits turned out better than I could have asked for. In fact, they are the best biscuits I’ve ever made.

Potato Leek Soup

1 Tbsp organic butter
2 large leeks, chopped
5 cups potatoes, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 leaves kale, chopped
Enough water to cover veggies by 2″
salt, pepper, marjoram and thyme to taste
1 cup raw or organic milk or milk alternate (optional)

Directions: Fry leeks in butter until soft. Toss in the rest of the vegetables. Add water until it is 2 inches above the veggies. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add salt, pepper and thyme to taste. If you want, add one cup of milk or milk alternate. Using a blender, food processor, or blender wand, puree until soup is at your desired consistency.

Serves 6.

These biscuits were posted at my Vegetarian Foodie Fridays carnival last week by Who is Laura – Dr. Laura’s Adventures. I modified them a little but the original recipe is here.

Spelt Flour Biscuits

2 cups light spelt flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold organic butter

1/2 cup plain full fat organic yogurt

1/4 cup raw or organic milk

Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter until mixture is crumbly. Add yogurt and milk all at once and mix until the dough sticks together. Knead dough 10-15 times on a floured surface until its soft and smooth. Roll until 1/2 ” thick, cut as desired and bake for 10 minutes.

Serves 6

Serve the soup and biscuits with a big vegetarian chef salad (my version includes hard-boiled eggs, toasted seeds and chick peas) and enjoy.

Linked up at Vegetarian Foodie Fridays at Breastfeeding Moms Unite!, Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum, Recipe Swap at Grocery Cart Challenge, Fresh, Clean and Pure Fridays at Bella Vita, Friday Favourites at Simply Sweet Home, Friday Food at Momtrends, Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade, Food on Friday at Ann Kroeker, Wholesome Whole Foods at Health Food Lover, Friday Potluck at EKat’s Kitchen, Family Food Fridays at Get Healthy Cheap, Souper Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen, My Meatless Mondays at My Sweet and Savory, Just Another Meatless Monday at Hey, What’s For Dinner Mom?, Hearth and Soul Blog Hop at Frugality and Crunchiness With Christy, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays at Blessed With Grace, Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly The Kitchen Kop.

Vegetarian Foodie Friday: 3 Bean Salad

Melodie — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 03:01:59 +0000

I have to be honest. I did not make this salad. It is my mom’s recipe. Actually, it’s a recipe from my high school grad class’s recipe book. But since my mom is at the root of my foodie ways, it’s only fair that she deserves a shout out, no? My kids LOVE beans, and since there are few other protein-rich foods they enjoy these days, meals like this are very popular with the kidlets. This dish makes a fine vegetarian main or side dish. As well, it is great for potlucks.

3 Bean Salad

19 oz can of black beans (or 2 cups cooked from dry beans)
19 oz can of kidney beans (or 2 cups cooked from dry beans)
2 c fresh green beans – steamed til they are still a little crunchy
2 cups chopped celery
1 medium onion cut fine (red or white)
1 medium green pepper (any colour is fine)

Marinade

3/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/8 c olive oil + 1/8 c flax, hemp seed or other healthy salad oil
1/3 c dry or liquid sweetener
2 Tbsp water
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

If using canned beans, drain and rinse beans well. Put into large bowl, add other salad ingredients. Stir marinade ingredients until dissolved. Pour over salad. Toss well.
Refrigerate 6-24 hrs. (I only made it 2 hrs before serving and it was great) Leftovers just tasted better. Stir often to mix ingredients and flavour.

Serves 6.

Linked up at Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum, Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade, Friday Food at Momtrends, Food on Friday at Ann Kroeker, Family Food Fridays at Get Healthy Cheap, Wholesome Whole Foods at Health Food Lover, Friday Favorites at Simply Sweet Home, Just Another Meatless Monday at Hey, What’s For Dinner Mom? My Meatless Mondays at My Sweet and Savory, Two For Tuesdays Blog Hop at Girlichef.

Welcome to Vegetarian Foodie Fridays! Where we’re not just Meatless on Mondays, but all week through! Hi! My name is Melodie and I’m a long time vegetarian who’s into real food, holistic nutrition, and healthy living but suffers from a sweet tooth! (I love homemade baked goods and ice cream). To learn more about why I became a vegetarian or why I choose to raise my children vegetarian please click on my links.

Carnival Guidelines

You do not have to be a vegetarian/vegan or have a vegetarian/vegan blog to participate.
Your dish must be completely meat-free (no fish or seafood and no meat based broths, etc). Eggs and dairy are fine. Desserts and other baked goods are welcome as are vegetarian friendly food-related and health posts.
Please link back to the carnival in your post.
Please use your best carnival manners.
Please try to visit others’ posts.
Have fun!

Vegetarian Foodie Fridays: Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad

Melodie — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:49:46 +0000

I have to apologize for anyone who notices, but this is a re-post. My goal to make new dishes this week completely failed. It’s been one of those eat-what-comes-easy kind of weeks. What with anticipating my last day of doing daycare, trying to sell our house and packing boxes, I just couldn’t get organized with my menu planning and grocery shopping. My intention was to find a couple of recipes I wanted to try, and build my meal plan around them, but basically, I just forgot. Except I did make these Healthy Granola Bars from Random Acts of Parenting. They were a bit too crunchy for my tastes, but my kids loved them. I would make them again but add more butter to soften them up (I used the lesser measurement of what is recommended) and less cinnamon. By Thursday evening I thought “Oh, no, I have nothing to link for tomorrow.” And then I looked at what I was making for dinner and thought “This is delicious. People will like this. Darn it, I already posted this. Oh well, that was before I did recipe carnivals. Hm. Let’s be lazy today and just post it again.” So here it is. Just as yummy as it was the first time I posted it. A sunny weather favorite.

If you like to interact with your food this recipe is for you. To really get the dressing into the noodles you pretty much have to use your hands. And rice noodles are such fun to play with! Just make sure you wash your hands really well or put on some clean gloves and no one has to know. If you have older kids, get them involved. As long as they are old enough to know not to wipe their hands on their clothes or the upholstery, they’ll love it. (Which means my kids at 3 and 5 do not help with this part).

The mint and cilantro are really what make this dish divine. If you don’t have any mint, wait until you do.

This light salad will make for a satisfying meal on a warm day. Enjoy!

P.S. There is fish sauce in this recipe. Which I just realized is breaking my own rules! Gah! Although you can substitute for salt. People say I’m missing out by not using the fish sauce. I say “Oh, well.” Those who like fish sauce will no doubt appreciate I left it in the recipe as an option. You’re welcome! (Gosh, I’m nice.)

This recipe comes from Didi Emmons Vegetarian Planet.

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad

4 – 6 garlic cloves

1 cup chopped and loosely packed cilantro

1/2 jalepeno or other fresh hot pepper (optional)

2-3 Tbsp natural sugar

1/4 cup lime juice (from about two limes)

3 Tbsp Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce , or 1 tsp salt

12 oz rice vermicelli

2 carrots, cut into julienne strips or grated

1 cucumber; peeled if it looks waxed, then halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced into thin half rounds

1/4 cup coarsely chopped mint

4 leaves from a nappa cabbage, sliced thin (optional)

1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts

4 mint sprigs

Directions:

To make the sauce by hand, mince the garlic with the cilantro and the hot pepper. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the lime juice, fish sauce or salt, and sugar, and stir well. To make the sauce in a food processor or blender, briefly blend the garlic with the cilantro, hot pepper, and sugar, until the vegetables are coarsely chopped. Then blend the lime juice and fish sauce or salt. Let the sauce sit for 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice noodles, and boil them for two minutes (but no more). Drain the noodles, and rinse them well with cold water until they have cooled. Let them drain again for a few minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the sauce, noodles, carrots, cucumber, mint, and if you’re using it, nappa cabbage. Toss well and serve the salad garnished with the peanuts and mint springs.

Serves 4.

Linked up at Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum, Friday Foods at Momtrends, Food on Friday at Ann Kroeker, Wholesome Whole Foods at Health Food Lover, Food Revolution Friday at Notes From The Cookie Jar, My Meatless Mondays at My Sweet and Savory, Two For Tuesdays at A Moderate Life, Tuesday Twister at GNOWFGLINS, Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly The Kitchen Kop.

Carnival Guidelines

You do not have to be a vegetarian/vegan or have a vegetarian/vegan blog to participate.
Your dish must be completely meat-free (no meat based broths, etc). Eggs and dairy are fine. Desserts and other baked goods are welcome as are vegetarian friendly food-related and health posts.
Please link back to the carnival in your post.
Please use your best carnival manners.
Please try to visit others’ posts.
Have fun!

Vegetarian Foodie Fridays: Curried Chick Pea Soup

Melodie — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:02:16 +0000

This soup is not very photogenic but I assure you it tastes great. (Also my fault for forgetting to take a shot before we filled our bowls!) This is another recipe from the Re-Bar Cookbook that I just tried for the first time this week. The broth was amazing – addictive really. I think anything with coconut milk, ginger, garlic and cilantro is a winner though. The only thing floating in the soup was the chick peas and some onion. So, yes, you do have to like chick peas to eat this soup. (My husband declined. He draws the line at chick peas in our house.)

Curried Chick Pea Soup

8 cups vegetable broth

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely diced

2 tsp salt

2 bay leaves

8 garlic cloves

3 Tbsp minced ginger

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded

1 red pepper

6 ripe tomatoes

1 tsp cumin seed

1 tsp coriander seed

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

1/8 tsp tumeric

3 cups canned/cooked chickpeas

1/4 cup prepared mango chutney

1/2 can coconut milk

1/2 bunch cilantro, minced

Directions:

Heat the oil in a soup pot and add onion, 1 tsp salt and bay leaves. Sauté until onions are soft and golden. Meanwhile., places the garlic, ginger, peppers, and tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until the vegetables form a rough purée. Set aside. Note: What makes this soup so good is the purée!

Next, grind the cumin and coriander seeds. Add these and all remaining spices to the sautéed onions and continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes. Add the vegetable purée and another tsp of salt and simmer until blobs of oil pool on the surface. Add the chick peas and vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Cook several minutes, then add the chutney and coconut milk. Using a potato masher, gently mash the chick peas against the bottom of the pot to break them up slightly and thicken the soup. If this is something you don’t care about, don’t do it, as mashing the chick peas will cause their skins to come off, which many folks, including me and my kids don’t care for on their own. Simmer and season to taste with salt and cracked pepper. Add chopped cilantro just before serving.

Serve with warm whole wheat chapati or pita bread and a salad.

Serves 8.

Participating in linkys at Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade, Food on Friday at Ann Kroeker, Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum, Food Revolution Friday at Notes from the Cookie Jar, Friday Food at Momtrends, Recipe Swap at Grocery Cart Challenge, Wholesome Whole Foods at Health Food Lover, Two for Tuesday at A Moderate Life, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace, Real Foods Wednesday at Kelly The Kitchen Kop

If you have a vegetarian recipe or vegetarian-related food post I encourage you to participate in my linky. Vegan or vegetarian dishes or desserts are welcome. Dairy and eggs are fine, just no meat and no meat-based ingredients (like chicken broth). I respect everyone’s choice to eat meat, but I would like to keep my blog meat free. Many thanks. To learn more about why I became a vegetarian or why I choose to raise my children vegetarian please click on my links. Happy eating!

Vegetarian Foodie Fridays: Broccoli & Potato Soup

Melodie — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:06:09 +0000

This broccoli and potato soup has been a staple in our house for the past few weeks. What with getting our house ready for selling and moving boxes to the new house, I haven’t been feeling very creative. Plus, everyone likes this soup so it’s been an easy choice. I like it because I only need to add cream or milk if I want to and even when I do it isn’t too rich. (I’m not a big fan of rich creamy soups.) All you need is some broccoli, onion, and potatoes (nice and frugal) and you’re pretty much set.

If you have a vegetarian recipe posted this past week, please feel free to share it by linking up. Dairy and eggs are welcome, but please refrain from posting anything with any meat ingredients. While I respect everyone’s choice to eat meat and am a fan of the #realfood movement, I would like to keep this blog meat free. Thanks for understanding. To read about why I became a vegetarian or why I choose to raise my kids vegetarian please see the links.

Broccoli and Potato Soup

1 bunch of broccoli, chopped

2 medium potatoes, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

4 cups of vegetable broth

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4-1/2 tsp salt

pepper to taste

1/2 cup cream or milk (dairy or substitute or optional)

Directions: Chop vegetables. Simmer in broth with garlic, salt and pepper until tender. Puree in blender or with blender wand. If adding cream or milk stir in after the soup has been blended.

Serves 4.

Linked up at Food on Fridays at Ann Kroeker, Foodie Fridays at Designs by Gollum, Fight Back Fridays at Food Renegade, Food Revolution Fridays at Notes from the Cookie Jar, Friday Feasts at Momtrends, Pennywise Platters at The Nourishing Gourmet, Recipe Swap at The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Now it’s your turn to link up with me! Please share your vegetarian recipe here. Sweets are welcome too! Just no meat!

Easy Veggie Dip

Melodie — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:58:08 +0000

I put out a plate of veggies for my kids just about everyday. Because it’s standard practice, my kids love vegetables. Like most kids, they also love dip. I don’t always offer them dip but when I do I try to make sure it’s homemade.

Luckily there’s this recipe I have that kicks the butt of ranch dressing, in taste and ingredients. And if you don’t like the herbs and spices I use in mine, this recipe is very cool in the sense that it has a base that you can work with and put in anything that you like! If you are making this for a large group of people make sure you double it. But if it’s just for your family, this dip is best eaten within a couple days so I keep it on the small side.

This dip also makes a great, albeit thick, salad dressing and goes pretty well with chips too.

Easy Veggie Dip

1 cup plain yogurt, or ricotta cheese, or sour cream, or a combination

1/2 cup natural mayonnaise

2 tsp dill weed

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Serve chilled.

Linked up at Designs by Gollum, Ann Kroeker, Food Renegade, Grocery Cart Challenge, The Urban Momtographer, Cookie Notes, The Nourishing Gourmet, and Momtrends.

Nettle Pesto

Melodie — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 05:14:12 +0000

I actually posted this recipe for stinging nettle pesto last year, but since nettle season is upon us again and it’s my best nettle recipe, I thought I should post it one more time! Next year I’ll try to be more creative – I promise!

Other ways in which to use your nettles include soups, stews, spanakopita, quiches, and stir-fries. Basically, any place you would use spinach or other dark leafy greens, you can use nettles. You can also dry it and infuse it in teas or put the dried nettles in your dishes too. I also like to add a little of the dry stuff to homemade gomasio.

Nettles make my blood feel clean. I drank them in quantities after my births to replenish my iron stores and drank it throughout my pregnancies for increased health benefits. Nettles are a highly recommended and gentle health-inducing herb. To read more about nettles, how to recognize, handle, harvest and prepare them, see this post.

Nettle Pesto

3 packed cups of fresh stinging nettle

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup raw cashews, almonds or pine nuts

3/4 cup fresh parsley

3/4 cup parmasan cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup melted butter

salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and whir until a desired consistency is reached.

Are you familiar with nettles? What do you like to do with them?

Posted at Food Renegade, Designs by Gollum, Ann Kroeker, Momtrends, and The Urban Momtographer.

Foodie Fridays: All About Nettles!