HAPPY EARTH DAY!!
I know, I know. It’s been forever since I posted a recipe. In my defense, we had a lot going on. The last year has been the busiest, and best, ever. We were involved in a not-so-fun lawsuit (are they ever fun?); planned and executed an incredible destination wedding for our daughter and now son-in-law; put our CA home of 14 years on the market and sold it; purchased our forever home on Maui; packed up and/or purged many years of memories and other junk; moved to Maui!! So, while it’s all great as you can see, my head wasn’t really in the game for posting recipes, even though creating recipes and cooking is always a regular thing for me.
This particular recipe is one I came up with as a way to use a huge bag of broccoli I had gotten at Costco. It turned out great. I’ve made it a few times since and it really is yummy – the family loves it. It’s easy too. As with most healthy, plant-based dishes, there is prep and chopping involved but once that’s taken care of, the rest is a cinch.
And remember, while Earth Day is a great way to commemorate our amazing planet, we need to do it EVERY DAY! Do your best, every day, to avoid animal products (nothing damages the planet more than livestock production and over-fishing), minimize use of single-use products that pollute our oceans and harm sea life, use less electricity, walk or bike instead of driving, consider a hybrid or electric car, pay close attention to water usage and avoid using chemicals in your home. YOU GOT THIS!
I love this hearty soup! Easy to make, and so satisfying. Give it a try!! 
This rice dish was something I was able to throw together one night, using items I had on hand. Love it when that happens.
The tofu I used was a packaged, Thai marinated flavor. Feel free to use any flavor you like, or bake your own. I was on a mission to make this dish as quick as possible so I used the pre-baked kind. Nice and easy.
Also, in the spirit of ease and convenience, I used the frozen brown rice you can find at almost any grocery store these days, including Costco. I separately microwaved 2 bags, and spread the warmed rice out on a large plate in a thin layer to cool. This is important as the rice can get gooey and clumpy when added to the pan with the other ingredients if not cooled, and the grains somewhat separated.
Make sure to have, as they say in cooking school, your ‘mise en place’ ready (i.e. everything prepared and measured, ready to throw in the pan) as this dish is completed rather quickly. I served steamed Chinese broccoli alongside this dish. 🙂
Fresh corn would have made this thick, chunky chowder even better but I was unable to find organic. Corn is one of those items I always buy organic due to the possibility of GMO’s. A very small portion of domestic sweet corn in the produce section is actually GMO, but since it’s not the law for it to be labeled (lame), it’s better to err on the side of caution. Most of the GMO corn is used in processed foods (aka JUNK) and animal feed – just another reason to stay away from that crap and eat WHOLE plant foods!
Anyway, I digress. This soup is delicious….and even better the next day. For more intense and “zesty” flavor, add more cumin and chili powder, and use medium or hot green chiles – I used mild. Jalapeños would be good here too, but as I’ve said before, I’m a spice wimp. I used 2 teaspoons of chili powder and found it to be a bit too spicy, though the fam disagreed (told ya…wimp). One of the two teaspoons was chipotle chili powder since I love that smoky flavor. In one of the pictures below you will see something green in the chowder. I stirred in some steamed kale and it was super yummy.
Update 9/26/13: I made this without the cashews (accidentally) and it was every bit as creamy and delicious. So, I’ve changed the ingredient above to OPTIONAL.
One of my favorite restaurants Native Foods has an African Peanut Soup that I adore. It tastes very fattening though so I wanted to try and make something similar, but with less fat. As well, theirs is a very smooth soup and I prefer chunkier soups – I like chewing! This version is thick and chunky, while still being creamy. And this can vary depending on how much of it you want blended, using your immersion or regular blender. Feel free to play around with spices and amounts. Those listed here result in a mild flavor.
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.
Minestrone is easy to make, and there are a ton of recipes out there with different ingredients. I don’t know that there’s anything spectacularly different about this one but I love it, and wanted to put it out there. Feel free to play around with the types of veggies and amounts. The basil pesto topping is a MUST! You can find that recipe in Recipes on this site, or in the Forks Over Knives Cookbook.
I’ve served this dish to cabbage haters who loved it, and to meat eaters who went back for seconds. It’s a dish yet to disappoint, and another crock pot recipe – I love those! While it’s technically fall, it’s still really hot here but that didn’t hold me back from making this last night. I’m craving the feelings and flavors associated with autumn. If you think about it, a crock pot is a great way to cook without heating up the kitchen! Works for me.
I knew I wanted to make some type of noodle/stir-fry dish with a sweet-spicy-savory-tangy sauce, but I wasn’t thrilled about any of the recipes I came across. So, I threw a few things together – paying attention to amounts and making notes in case it worked out and I wanted to share with you, and it worked out! I love it when that happens! Love it even more when I’m not the only one in the house who thinks it’s yummy. For lack of a more creative idea, I’m calling these Asian Noodles. Any configuration of veggies would work, and you could add tofu or tempeh as well for extra protein. To make it super easy, Trader Joe’s sells packages of pre-shredded cabbage and carrots. I’d use two packages of cabbage. Typing this up makes me want to make and eat it again!
