Mum's Amazing French Onion Soup

One of my favorite comfort foods ever. And this is by far the best recipe for French Onion Soup I've ever come across. Leave it to Mum. :)

Whatcha Need:
5 cups thinly sliced sweet onions (Vidalia are the BEST!)
2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive oil
1/2 of stick Earth Balance Marg.
3 tsp Worstershire sauce
1 tsp minced garlic (pre-chopped in jar)
10 cups of Vegetable Broth (Or 10 Cups of water 12 Veg Bouillon Cubes)
Large croutons or slices of french bread
Daiya Mozzerella Cheese for Melting on top (Or you can use Provolone or Swiss)
salt, black pepper & white pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme(optional-if used add while sauteing onions)


Saute onions & garlic in butter and oil, until transparent, add broth or water/cubes and worstershire sauce. Simmer for 30 minutes to an hour until onions are very tender. Taste and add water or salt & white pepper. To serve, put croutons or slightly dried slices of french bread in bowls. Ladle soup over bread, top with cheese and broil until cheese just starts to bubble.

Moroccan Wild Rice with Hummus

This rice dish is so awesome and super easy. I make it in a big batch and keep it in the fridge for random meals and grazing throughout the day! I got the wild rice, bean, and lentil mix from Nature's Bin in Lakewood from their bulk section... but if that isn't an option, just throw in a handful of red & green lentils and some navy beans into some wild rice. Then you're good to go. :) And if you're even lazier you can use Pampered Chef's Moroccan Rub... it's AMAZING.

Whatcha Need:

2 cups of Old World Pilaf from Natures Bin (OR Wild Rice, green & red lentils, and dried navy beans.)
1/2 cup of Sweet Corn
1/2 cup of chopped Spinach

Seasoned with: Sea Salt (i love Celtic Sea Salt), Black Pepper, Onion Powder, Raw Sugar, Paprika, Garlic & Dried or Fresh Lemon peel. (not a lot of lemon, just a TOUCH. you don't want that to be the main flavor. 'Tis why it's last on the list. :)

Stick your rice & bean mixture into the rice cooker and cook until done, usually about 25 minutes with wild rice. Toss into a bowl with corn and spinach.

With the seasonings, if you don't have pre mixed Moroccan spices, it is SO easy to throw together and keep in a jar for future recipes. In this dish, I spice to my taste.

Top with some homemade or store bought hummus, and NOSH!

Spicy Peanut Sauce with Noodles!

This is seriously, one of my favorite recipes ever. It's so easy, it's creamy, it's spicy, it's rich, it's delicious, and it's inexpensive! JACKPOT.

This recipe makes about 4 servings if you want to use up all the sauce. The sauce is also a pretty good veggie/chip dip if you're feeling sassy. :)

Whatcha Need:

1 can of Lite Coconut milk
3/4 cup of Peanut Butter (I like to use organic, no hydrogenated oils.)
Around 2 tablespoons of Soy Sauce/Braggs
Splash of Rice Vinegar
3 cloves of Garlic (mashed)
Half teaspoon Onion Powder
1 tablespoon of Siracha Hot Sauce, or regular hot sauce. (to taste, we like ours SPICY!)
Crushed red pepper

4 Packages of Ramen Noodles (Doesn't matter the flavor, we won't be using the flavor packet, only noodles!)


Blend all the ingredients together in a blender, (I use a Magic Bullet) and heat on the stove top, don't boil, just heat it up nicely. (If it's a touch thin, which is normal, add a bit of flour and wisk.) Boil water and make your noodles, takes about 3 minutes for noodles to cook. Once noodles are done, pour the sauce over the noodles and stir together.

Serve with steamed broccoli, crushed peanuts, and red pepper seeds!


NOM NOM NOM....

Baked Burritos!

You guys... seriously... AMAZING.

Whatcha Need:

For the Filling:
1 Can of Organic Fat Free Refried Beans
1/2 cup of corn
1 Jalapeno, diced (I didn't pit it, we like spicy!)
1/2 red onion, diced
Clove of Garlic (crushed)
Dash of Cumin
Salt & Pepper
Daiya Vegan Cheddar Cheese to sprinkle in the burrito over the beans. (Or Real Cheddar cheese, whatever floats your boat!)

5 Whole Wheat Tortillas
1 cup of cook white or brown rice
Tofutti Sour Cream (or the real stuff.), Avocado, Shredded Romaine Lettuce & Extra Cheese to top it off.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all the ingredients for the filling together in a medium sized mixing bowl.

In the center of the tortilla, do a spoonful of rice, two spoonfuls of beans, and a bit of shredded cheese.

Fold up like you would any other burrito, place on a baking sheet, and rub some olive oil onto the burritos and place in the oven for 25 minutes. If you want to, instead of baking these you can plastic wrap and foil them up and freeze them. Then just bake when you want a quick dinner.

Top with shredded lettuce, cheese, avocados (or guacamole), sour cream and hot sauce.

Mmm....

"Really Good Stuff" over Sushi Rice

This Asian inspired dish was too delicious for a name. :) But if you come up with anything after you try it.... Holla!

Whatcha Need:

1 cup of White Sticky Sushi Rice
1 shallot (minced)
8-10 Shitaki Mushrooms (sliced)
1 cup of collard greens, sliced long and thin strips (You can use kale or spinach if you'd like... or all three!)
1 cup of Edamame
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon of Sesame Oil
1/2 tablespoon of honey or brown rice syrup
1/2 tablespoon Sweet White Miso
1/2 cup of Soy Sauce
1/2 cup of Water
1/2 tablespoon of earth balance (or butter, if you use butter.)
White pepper
Ginger (Fresh or ground... just a TOUCH. It's not the main flavor here...just an enhancer.)

Heat your EVOO in a skillet, and add your minced shallot. Once shallots are clear, add your sliced shitaki mushrooms and sesame oil.

Once mushrooms are looking almost done, turn up your heat a bit, add in your soy sauce, honey, miso, water earth balance, white pepper, ginger and edamame. Once that's all mixed and heated, add in your greens and cook until wilted but still crunchy! (which kale and collard greens, they will need to cook a touch longer than fresh spinach.)

Serve of a nice ball of sticky white rice, tops with sesame seeds!

Mmmm.... Enjoy!



Serve over white sticky rice and top with toasted seasame seeds.

Zesty Quinoa Bean Salad

You can enjoy this Quinoa dish hot or cold, I like to make a big batch and keep it in the fridge to feed us through the week for lunch and snacks... Makes about 6 servings. (Roughly. :)

Whatcha Need:

1 cup of uncooked Quinoa
1 Can Organic Great Northern Beans (Black beans would be fun, too!)
3/4 cup chopped carrots
1 cup Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes (I get mine at the Mediterranean Store in the West Side Market... They'll change your life. I swear.)
1/2 cup of red onion (diced)
3/4 cup of slivered Almonds
1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper.

Cook Quinoa on the stove top or in a rice cooker, when finished, put in a mixing bowl.

Toss in ingredients... When I add my marinated tomatoes they're in a wonderfully seasoned oil, if you don't have this, add in a little oregano and garlic with your olive oil. I prefer fresh garlic but powder works, too.

Serve with avocado, extra almonds, and flax seeds!

Enjoy!