Potato Chowder

Whenever I serve this thick and creamy potato chowder to guests (non plant-based), they can’t believe it doesn’t contain dairy or cheese.  For an even lower-fat version, leave out the cashews.  The result will still be delicious.

Whole Grain Bread! Bread Maker Recipe

Several years ago, I asked hubby for a bread maker.  My big plan was to make lots of fresh-baked loaves of bread and never have to buy another loaf again.  Ah, to be young with such lofty goals.  I baked one loaf, it wasn’t great, and the unit was stored in the garage for several years.  My older, and much wiser self decided to dust that bad boy off and give the whole bread-making thing another shot.  SO glad I did!  My amazingly wonderful friend Donna makes bread all the time and is always telling me how fun and easy it is – and how great it makes the house smell.  She was so right!

I did some research and played around a bit with ingredients and ultimately came up with this whole grain treat.   If you don’t have a bread maker, ask Santa or whomever to bring you one.  You literally dump the ingredients in the metal “bowl”, and walk away.  Definitely the lazy man’s way to make bread (though not as lazy as buying a loaf at the store!).

Savory Pumpkin Soup Recipe! Heavy on the Rich Flavor, Not the Fat!

I had never made pumpkin soup before.  Shocking, I know, considering what a pumpkin freak I am.  Well, I gave it a go recently.  As per normal, I was determined to listen to my culinary instincts rather than follow a recipe…not sure if that’s big ego or just a can-do attitude talking :).  Either way, my instincts paid off, big time!!!  This soup rivaled any pumpkin soup I’d ever had, including the non-vegan, really fattening varieties I’d had in years past.  Try it!  As you know, I don’t cook with oil as a rule, but the small amount of truffle oil stirred in just prior to serving MAKES this soup, in my opinion.

Tofu Scramble!

This recipe comes from Lindsay Nixon’s cookbook Happy Everyday Herbivore.  This is the basic version; feel free to experiment by adding potatoes, spinach, peppers, anything you’d throw in with scrambled eggs.  It calls for Himalayan black salt, or Kala Namak.  You can find this product on Amazon.  I couldn’t believe when I opened the jar!  Smelled just like eggs!  So strange…and cool! Try it!