Creamy Garden Vegetable Soup

 

     Sometimes I go on these crazy cooking sprees where I create dishes with interesting flavor combinations while dancing around the kitchen singing the song from Lady And The Tramp that plays when Lady and the Tramp fall in love over a plate of spaghetti... THAT'S AMORE!(You know the one).

(http://www.world-wide-art.com/Chris_Dellorco/Lady_and_the_Tramp_Thats_Amore_Suite_Original/vaid37916.html)

     Other times I make a big pot of soup so I don't have to cook for a week. Today was one of those times.

     I love soup year round, but there's something special about sitting down with a big bowl of soup in the middle of winter. I switched up my typical vegetable soup recipe just a little bit by blending it with an immersion blender to add creaminess to the soup.

 

Creamy Garden Vegetable Soup

 



(Makes: one big pot)
Ingredients:

-2 carrots
-1 stalk of celery
-1/2 onion
-2 small red or 1 russet potato
-6 cloves garlic
-8 cups veggie broth
-1 can(14.5 or so oz.) diced tomatoes
-1 can(6 oz.) tomato paste
-3 cups frozen veggies(mine contained corn, peas, green beans, lima beans and carrots)
-1 can beans(I used pinto because that's what I had)
-Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Place a large pot over medium-low heat. Chop carrots, celery, onion and potatoes into similarly sized pieces and mince garlic. Sauté in a little bit of olive oil for about 5 minutes or until slightly browned. Add remaining ingredients except for beans and cook on high until boiling. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about an hour stirring occasionally. Add beans and simmer for another half hour or so.  You can eat as is, or blend for a creamier soup. I used an immersion blender, but left the soup somewhat chunky. Alternatively you could also blend half the soup in a blender and stir back into the pot.

Raw Berry Chocolatey Banana Pie

Raw Berry Chocolatey Banana Pie

      This pie is berry chocolatey. Get it? Very chocolatey, but with berries. *Wink, wink*.

 

 

     I love raw things. I just feel better about eating a dessert that utilizes natural sweeteners such as banana's, and semi-natural one's like agave. And with my work schedule, school(thank God for my College's 6 week winter break) and everything else I have going on, sometimes I NEED dessert. Not want. Need. And I'm sure you do too. In fact you deserve it. Not only is this pie delicious(just look at that beut!), but it requires no baking(as raw foods tend not to), and it's packed full of fruit, chia seeds and nuts, so you can feel good about eating it.



Ingredients:

Filling:
-1 1/2 cups berries(I used 1/2 cup each: frozen blueberries, blackberries and strawberries)
-1 banana
-2 Tbs. coconut oil or coconut butter
-1 cup non-dairy milk
-5 Tbs.(1/4 cup and 1 Tbs.) cocoa powder
-3 Tbs. chia seeds
-1 Tbs. agave nectar
-1 tsp. vanilla
-Pinch salt


Crust:
-2 cups raw nuts(I used almonds and pecans)
-1 Tbs. coconut oil or coconut butter
-2 Tbs. flax seeds
-1 Tbs. agave
-1 tsp. vanilla

Raw Chocolate:
-1 Tbs. agave
-1/4 cup cocoa
-3 Tbs. coconut oil
-Pinch salt

Method:

For Filling:
Blend all filling ingredients in a vita-mix if you have one, or blender or food processer until smooth. Let sit in the fridge for at least an hour, preferably overnight to allow the chia seeds time to thicken the mixture into a pudding like consistency.

For Crust:
Pulse crust ingredients until the mixture has reached desired consistency. I like mine a little chunky. Press into a pie pan. When your filling is ready, pour into crust and freeze for a couple hours before serving.


Decorate with raw chocolate drizzle or raw chocolate covered berries.


For Raw Chocolate:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. I stir mine in a bowl set over a larger bowl of hot water to thin it out and make the chocolate possible to drizzle or dip berries in it.

-If not serving right away, I like to store in freezer, but let defrost for 20 minutes or so before I eat it.