Curried Squash Soup with Mung Beans

Curried Squash Soup
with Mung Beans

This time of year, everything is about pumpkin and squash. But instead of reaching for some packaged, spiced confection, that doesn't even have an ounce of real pumpkin in it, why not try something simple, homemade and warm, that will make your house smell great and your body strong?  Last year I made a Curried Pumpkin Soup with fresh kale from my garden and it was amazing.  So I changed it up a little this time around, added a little more richness with organic coconut milk, plain soy milk and a can of organic squash, and experimented with sprouted mung beans, that are quick cooking and extremely high in protein.  For some extra texture, I also added in four cups of cubed butternut squash. Besides opening all of the cans and keeping an eye on the stove, this meal was a snap, and made enough for three dinners for my husband and I.  I put a large portion in the freezer a few weeks ago, and am so thankful that dinner on this cold and rainy night will be as simple as heating this up on the stove.

Exotic Bean and Barley Soup

Exotic Bean and Barley Soup

As I get ready to take the left overs from this meal out of the freezer for dinner tonight, I figure now is as good a time as any to share the recipe for a delicious soup that highlights two ingredients I have honestly never cooked with before.  The only reason I added both mung beans and barley into this dish is that I had bought them after hearing Dr. Oz talk about their numerous health benefits on a couple of different shows and I was tired of seeing them in my pantry staring at me. So I figured, why not cook with them together?  The result is a rich and hearty soup, that although I did add a little chicken sausage to at the end, is a fabulous vegan meal all on it's own.  And since we are having such a ridiculously snowy and cold winter here in PA and I have barely gotten to the gym at all, this high protein dish is a perfect comfort food without extra calories.  And the recipe makes a lot so you will have plenty left over for another cold evening.

Indian Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Indian Slow Cooker Potato Soup

I have seen recipes all over social media recently for making potato soup in a crock pot.  One of those posts was the inspiration for making this meal as well, but of course I had to put my own twist on it and make it not only using more nutritious ingredients, but with a different set of basic flavors as well.  I am sure it would be delicious using butter, cream, cheddar cheese and bacon, and perhaps I will try something simpler another day,* but why be predictable when you can have an adventure in your kitchen instead?

All of the recipes I saw called for a can of condensed milk and it was that one ingredient, which I have yet to find an organic version for in my store, that made me want to try an alternative instead.  I also like to make recipes that are vegan for my followers who don't like to use any animal products, and although this recipe in its current form is not vegan, it certainly could be made that way by switching out the chicken stock for vegetable stock and using vegan versions of cheese, or omitting that condiment altogether.  Honestly, the rich Indian spices and flavorful, in season, organic potatoes are what make this soup so satisfying.  And like all crock pot meals, it takes only minutes to prepare, and the slow cooker does all the work for you.  You could certainly add a bit of turkey bacon on top afterwards, or some curried chicken even, but I love this soup with just a large helping of full fat plain Greek yogurt and a lot of fresh herbs.  And on a cool fall day like today, nothing tastes better.

* a potato soup recipe from last year: Baked Potato Soup

Homemade Nutella

Homemade Nutella

I know you love Nutella.  Everyone does, we just don't like to admit it, or admit that most of the time we eat it straight out of the jar with a spoon.  I am definitely guilty of that even though I know it is made with more sugar than hazelnuts and unfortunately doesn't use sustainable sourced palm oil.  It is just so delicious that although I have tried in the past to not buy it often, it has become a staple in my house because of it's ability to turn a healthy muffin into a "cupcake" and get my daughter to eat just about anything she can dip into it.  The recipe that follows is the best version that I have come up with so far, although I still have about four cups of hazelnuts to work with, so if I get a better tasting one that isn't completely made of sugar I will post that as well.  I honestly think that I am just not a huge fan of hazelnuts unless they are completely masked by sugar and fat, so I may try a similar recipe using walnuts or macadamia nuts (my two favorites).  Needless to say, this homemade chocolate spread is definitely delicious, although it doesn't fool my kids because it tastes more like nuts than sugar.  I have used it on cookies, baked donuts, in smoothies, and even on bread with peanut butter for a quick sandwich before working out.  And yes, I have eaten it with a spoon straight out of the container as well.  And I am sure you will too!!

Black Rice Breakfast Pudding

Black Rice Breakfast Pudding

As promised, here is my recipe for black rice, breakfast style.  I know some of you may think this is very weird, my mom included, but I promise you, it's delicious.  Black rice is very mild, so it takes on the flavor of whatever it is cooked in; in this case I used aromatic coconut milk so this dish is extremely rich and satisfying.  You can honestly think of it as an alternative to oatmeal and prepare it however you prefer to eat oats.  Usually I eat mine with bananas, maple syrup, and walnuts, so I sweetened this with maple syrup as well and garnished it with slivered almonds and flaked coconut to compliment the tropical nature of the coconut milk.  My nine year old son was pretty skeptical when I first told him what was for breakfast, but the delicious smell of it cooking convinced him try it and although not his "favorite" (it is hard to get kids to love something new the first time) he ate his whole bowl with no complaints.  My husband and I enjoyed ours as well and I definitely intend to make this again.  I had planned this out ahead and wanted to cook the rice in the coconut milk, but it would work with precooked rice as well, so long as it was boiled or steamed with only water or milk.  So the next time you cook black rice as a side dish for dinner, save the leftovers, mix it with a little coconut milk (or any other type you prefer), warm it up and top it with a serving of nuts and fruit for a hearty and nutritious breakfast with some fun exotic flare.

* Black rice contains 18 amino acids, iron, zinc, copper, carotene and vitamin E; as well as high amounts of fiber and protein.  It's dark, almost purple color is primarily due to its high anthocyanin content, the same antioxidant found in blueberries. (from my March 17, 2014 post)

Peanut Butter Cup Pudding

Peanut Butter Cup Pudding

This recipe is yet another twist on my family's favorite Dark Chocolate Protein Pudding. The inspiration for this version came from a large block of 70% dark chocolate that I received in a gift basket at Christmas.  Normally I would not have any trouble just eating a large amount of chocolate all on it's own, but this block was really big and every time I tried to cut a chunk off, it crumbled into tiny pieces.  I suppose I could have just gnawed on it, but unless the chocolate is in bunny form, I find that method a little gross.  So I figured I would melt it down and use it in a recipe.  And since I had recently bought some silken tofu and some organic coconut milk to try, I thought maybe I would combine the three and see what happened.  The result is a tasty pudding that is a bit smoother than my previous versions.  However, the chocolate flavor was a bit overpowered by the tofu and milk, so I decided to add the almond extract which was definitely an improvement.  I thought it was fine as is, but my chocolate loving daughter wasn't so sure, so I mixed her serving with some peanut butter.  I am so glad I did.  It was amazing. The pudding became rich and decadent, and since all I added was healthy all natural peanut butter, it was still fairly nutritious, and higher in protein and healthy fats.  Because this recipe makes a lot and I am obsessed with not letting things go bad in my fridge, I have been eating it for breakfast the last few mornings and it has been so much fun.  I guess I really do love chocolate more than most!