Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

For some reason, I cannot seem to get enough soup lately. Usually, I'd blame the cold weather, but Kansas City has had an absurdly mild winter so far. This recipe, as the previous, is inspired by a featured recipe on Door to Door Organics for their Good Food Made Simple Contest. As always, I put my own spin on it. First, I opted to make this soup vegan. I've been experimenting with using more whole foods, which lead to the second big change: Eliminating pre-made stock. So far, I've been pleased with my stock/broth-free adaptations. Additional bonus? Less salt in the final product!

The soup is yummy topped with croutons, cheese, or additional basil. We went with a twist on the traditional and had it with basil grilled cheese.

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

2 large red bell peppers, cored and cut into fourths
1 lb tomatoes, cut into fourths
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
2 medium carrots, cut into 2 inch lengths
1 stalk celery, cut into 2 inch lengths
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into fourths
4 tbs light olive oil
1/2 tbs salt
5 c water
10 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 large bay leaves
1/2 c fresh basil, chopped
1 can lite coconut milk
additional salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450F.

Place peppers, tomatoes, garlic, carrots, celery,and onion in a large baking dish (I used a 10x13x3 lasagna pan). Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables start to brown.

Transfer the roasted veggies and the liquid in the bottom of the baking pan to a large stock pot. Add the water, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the thyme stems (if any leaves remain attached to the stem, strip them off and return to the stock pot). Remove bay leaves. Add chopped basil and coconut milk; purée the until smooth. Return the soup to stock pot over medium-low heat for another 10 minutes and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. Makes about 8 servings.

Estimated Nutritional Info: 217kcal, 19g fat, no cholesterol, 615mg sodium, 425mg potassium, 12g total carbs, 2.7g fiber, and 3g protein. Bonus: It's really high in vitamins A and C!

Raw January Day 6 - 11: Marinara Sauce and Orange Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

It's been a whirlwind of a week. No, I didn't fall off the raw wagon, but I did spend a couple of days not eating at all. I received news of the passing of a good friend on Saturday, and my appetite has been in the negative realm.

This blog is about food, though, and I have food topost! I've been embracing the lettuce wraps lately--mainly because I've been getting a TON of

lettuce from the organic co-op.

Shown here is a wrap with pickled herring (my local grocer let me watch it being made, so I know its rawness is intact), tomato, avocado, and red onion. Super tasty and super filling. This was a great meal to have at work.

Next on the list was to perfect the raw marinara

sauce. I've tried several recipes, and ended up

with this hybrid. I found it to be closest to how I

think marinara should taste. Plenty of herbs and garlic give it the Italian kick needed to meet my approval. We had it over a bed of zucchini, yellow squash, and red bell pepper noodles (shown right). Two zucchini, one yellow squash, and one red bell fed three of us with no leftovers, so adjust according to your family size.

In my meals I've also had a variety of salads, and for breakfast it's been almost exclusively smoothies. Today was an exception, however, as I (after 3 tries) have perfected the raw cinnamon to suit our tastes. The recipe originally came from The 30 Minute Vegan and is shown here. I appreciate the jumping off point, but I couldn't get their recipe to really taste like much more than a mouthful of sugar and cinnamon. I know, I know, what else is a cinnamon roll supposed to taste like? Well, my palate demands a little more challenge than sweet on sweet....on sweet.

So, below you will find my take on the raw cinnamon roll, as well as my marinara recipe. Enjoy!

Raw Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

3 c fresh tomatoes, diced

1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in water until

soft, liquid reserved

1/2 c fresh mango, diced

2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1/4-1/2 fresh jalapeño, deseeded and diced

1/3 c fresh basil, packed

1/4 c fresh oregano, destemmed

1/4 c fresh thyme, destemmed

1 red bell pepper, deseeded and deribbed

2 sun-dried black olives, deseeded

1 large shallot, peeled

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 c olive oil

1/4 c liquid reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes.

Directions:

Set aside one cup of diced tomatoes for later. Place remaining ingredients except liquid from sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor and purée. Add sun-dried tomato liquid as needed to smooth out the sauce. Adjust salt and pepper as necessary. Pour purée into bowl and stir in remaining tomatoes. Serve over pasta, marinated veggies, or as a dip for raw garlic bread. Makes about 7 cups of sauce.

Orange Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

1 c raw buckwheat groats (unsoaked, or soaked and dehydrated until dry)

1 1/2 c raw pecans, finely chopped

2 1/2 c Medjool dates, pitted, packed

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbs + 1 tsp honey

1/4 c orange juice

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tbs ground cinnamon

pinch of sea salt

1/4 c golden raisins

Directions:

Process the buckwheat groats for 40 seconds in a food processor, or until finely ground. Add ONE cup of the pecans and process an additional 30 seconds. Add TWO cups of the dates and continue to process about 30 seconds. Add ONE teaspoon of the honey and all the vanilla. Process for 30 seconds more, or until a sticky dough forms. If necessary, add an additional teaspoon of honey to achieve a dough that will form a tight ball and hold its shape.

Transfer the dough to a flat work surface covered with wax paper. Using your hands, press the dough into a rectangle 9" x 11" and 1/4" thick.

Process the remaining 1/2 cup of dates, honey, juice, vinegar, cinnamon, and salt in the food processor until smooth. Spread the mixture over the dough, leaving about 1" along the far long edge. Sprinkle raisins and pecans evenly over the cinnamon layer.

Roll up the dough by making a small fold along

the long edge closest to you, pressing it down, peeling back the wax paper, and continuing to roll in the same way, making as tight a roll as possible (similar to rolling sushi, if you've ever had the pleasure). When completely rolled, wrap entire log in wax paper and refrigerate at least 15 minutes.

Cut the log into twelve even slices. Makes 12 rolls. Top with icing if desired.

Orange Zest Icing

Ingredients:

1 c cashews

3 tbs almond milk

3 tbs agave

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp orange zest

Directions:

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Makes about a

cup of icing, enough to drizzle over 12 cinnamon rolls.

You can see my youngest spawn enjoying one of these breakfast rolls here. That's icing on her lip, not a snaggle tooth!

Tomato-Cauliflower Soup with Thai Flavors

'Tis the season....no, I'm not following the lead of certain radio stations and starting my caroling in November. The next line in this particular ditty would say something witty about soup, for that is what our new-found freezing temperatures has me in the mood for. Well, that and the (also new) sore throat....

This is a product of another fridge-busting attempt. It's easy, soothing, and satisfying. The cauliflower lends a creaminess and body to the soup, which was a nice surprise. I had my bowl with a grilled cheese sandwich that I also infused a bit o' the Thai into by rubbing the bread with garlic and lime, adding cilantro and garlic-chili sauce to the insides, and grilling in a mixture of coconut and sesame oils. Did I just create an Asian fusion comfort food? I think so!

Tomato-Cauliflower Soup with Thai Flavor

Ingredients:

2 tbs coconut oil

1 tbs coriander seeds

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp ginger, finely chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 -28oz can crushed tomatoes with basil

1/2 head of cauliflower florets

2 tsp garlic-chili sauce (more or less, to adjust heat)

1 tsp agave nectar

3 c water

2 lime wedges

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped (if desired)

Directions:

In a large stock pot combine the oil and coriander. Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add the onions and cook another 5 minutes, or until onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper; cook 3 more minutes. Transfer onion combination to a blender and pureé.

Return pureéd mixture to pot and add tomatoes, cauliflower, chili sauce, agave, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low. Cover and allow to simmer until the cauliflower is soft, about 20 minutes. Add lime wedges and simmer 5 more minutes.

Remove from heat and discard the lime wedges. In batches, pureé the soup in a blender until the desired consistency is reached (I like to leave about one-fourth of the soup "as is" for a chunkier texture). Season with additional salt and black pepper and garnish with cilantro, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes and Mushroom Hummus

It's party time! With all the talk of football parties, holiday parties, and back-to-school parties, I thought I'd post a couple of stand-by favorites to such occasions. Of course no party is complete without hummus, and posted here I have a variation on my Basic Hummus Recipe. Stuffed tomatoes make an appearance at most my functions; if I find myself function-less, then there is nothing wrong with using this as a side dish.

Speaking of parties, my vegetarian sister has kindly granted me permission to throw her a baby shower. It's not until the end of November, but rest assured there will be more party-friendly foods to come!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:

8 medium tomatoes

2 tbs olive oil

4 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 c diced zucchini

4 oz goat cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 tbs fresh oregano, chopped

1 tbs fresh thyme, stem removed

1/2 cup Italian-style bread crumbs

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/3 c Parmesan cheese, grated

additional salt and pepper, if desired

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Cut across the stem end of each tomato to create a flat surface. Using a melon baller, scoop out the pulp each tomato. Chop the pulp and then set aside on paper towels to drain.

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until mushrooms begin to soften (about 5 minutes). Add shallots and saute 2 mote minutes; add garlic and saute until shallots are translucent.

In a medium bowl, combine mushroom mixture, salt, zucchini, goat cheese, parsley, oregano, thyme, and drained tomato pulp. Gradually stir in bread crumbs, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan until mixture starts to come together.

With a paper towel, pat dry the inside of each tomato shell. Season inside of tomatoes with salt and pepper, if desired, then fill each tomato cavity with the goat cheese mixture. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top of the stuffed tomatoes and bake in preheated oven for 20 m inutes, or until tops are golden brown. Serves 8 as a side dish, or 4 as a main course.

Hummus with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1/4 c + 1 tbs olive oil

8 oz mushrooms of choice, sliced, dark ribs removed

2 cloves garlic, halved

1/4 tsp salt

1 can (15.5oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 tbs tahini

1/4 c water

zest and juice from 1 lemon

pinch cayenne pepper

additional olive oil, water

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat 1 tbs olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are soft. Add garlic and 1/4 tsp of salt and saute another 2-3 minutes, or until garlic starts to soften.

In food processor, puree mushrooms, garlic, beans, tahini, 1/4 c olive oil, 1/4 c water, lemon zest, juice, cumin, and cayenne to a medium-fine texture. Add about half a tsp each of salt and pepper to start.

While blending on medium speed, slowly add equal parts oil and water until paste smooths to desired consistency.

Transfer to a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve. Makes about 2 cups.