Lentil stew

I made this last night and it was pretty yummy.

What you need:

1 cup lentils checked and rinsed

1 can vegetable broth

2 cups water

2 TBSP. oil (olive, canola, etc.) I used organic coconut

2 TSP Cumin

1 TSP cayenne pepper (more if you like it HOT)

1 TSP nutmeg

1/2 cup diced onion (white or red)

1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut (yep, the kind you use for cookies and stuff)

1 large potato like yukon gold cut into small cubes. About 1/4 inch

6 oz. fresh spinach. I clean mine up but taking off the stems and roughly chopping

What you do:

Combine lentils, broth and water in a sauce pan. Heat until boiling. Once boiling, turn down to medium heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat oil until shimmering. Add spices, onion, and coconut. Toast over medium heat these until the onion gets a little transparent and the coconut starts to get brown and toasty. Add the potatoes and cook for about 2 more minutes.

Add the lentils to the skillet and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Check the potatoes with a fork or knife. When they are soft it's time to add the spinach. Add a little salt according to your taste and cook just long enough for the spinach to wilt

Eat up!!

This makes 4 main dish recipes @

estimated:

305 calories

17g protein

47g carb

7g total fat

20g fiber

0 cholesterol

420mg sodium

If you are veg not vegan you can top with some Parmesan cheese before serving serving.

vegan pumpkin risotto

Still going along vegan as much as possible.
I found a recipe for vegan pumpkin risotto. This was my first time making risotto but to my surprise it came out great.
Here is how I did it:

What you need:

1 onion. diced
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups arborio (risotto) rice
1 cup white wine
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup canned pumpkin (unsweetened)
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil if you have it on hand
1 tbsp margarine
salt and pepper to taste
How you do it:

Sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for three to five minutes, or until soft. Add the rice.
Allow to cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Slowly add the wine.
Start to add the vegetable broth, 1/2 cup at a time.
Allow the moisture to cook off before adding the next 1/2 cup. Stir frequently. **note**
++ Keep checking you rice texture while doing this. I needed more moisture so I added a little water when the broth was finished.++
Add pumpkin, ginger, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
Add the margarine and stir in.
Add the Basil (if you have it) last right before serving.

**note: I learned by watching Lidya's Italy that you should keep the broth (or water) warm when adding. It works better than if it's cold.**

It's been a while

Yeah, it's been a while but I have only 2 followers.
I know it's because this is not exactly interesting stuff here.
So on we go about right now.

So, I was planning on going vegetarian because I was getting depressed when I ate. Mostly thinking that I was consuming animal corpses. Well, one step further and I'm vegan. It is quite a challenge after eating and cooking with animal products for so long. I must say I felt a difference within a week. I don't feel so weighed down and sluggish. It's so nice to have so many resources available now for recipes and options in other products that do not use any form or animal products.
I'll try to keep you up on how things are progressing.

Happy 4th. b safe.

Good afternooon June,2nd

Well Mai Fest was decent. The normal brats, beer, and oompah bands. I was able to spend some time with my brother and sister-in-law. I saw my friend Heide and her son on our way out. Right after I was talking about them. We normally run into them at Mai Fest.
It's a busy week at work so this will have to be short. Time to get back to the grind.

Happy Friday

Well it's Friday. Weeeee!!!
It's actually sunny today instead of the gloomy weather we have been having. Even though it won't last long.
Tomorrow we'll probably head out to Maifest in Lincoln Square. We have been going for the last few years. Where else can you enjoy everyone singing "Zigge, Zagge, Zigge, Zagge.....Oi, Oi, Oi!" together under a tent to an Oompah band?
I just hope we don't get rained on too much.

Happy Thursday everyone

It's close to another weekend. Not a long once but still a couple of days to relax.
Last weekend was fun even thought the Red Stars did not win on Sat.
My trees from the Arbour Day Foundation came and I have no room around our house for trees. Luckily some co-workers are taking some. I'll still have the lilac and possibly 2 crabtrees. I figure I can get them up a few feet high and see if the park by my house can use them somewhere in the park. It's a pretty large park.
Moving on, I bought a pair of Crocs. I have always disliked Crocs. You know the standard clog rubbery looking jelly looking things with the holes all over. But, these are pretty cool. They look like normal Mary Jane style shoes. Gotta give them a wear and report back.

Happy Memorial Day weekend

It's Friday and on the way to an extra day off this weekend.
My boyfriend's brother is coming over tonight from Wisconsin to stay over and go to the Red Star's game tomorrow. I hope it does not rain on us at the game.
Time for some grilling and having a few beers. Not on the eating plan but what the heck.
Be safe everyone.

Three mushroom soup

Here is my mushrom soup recipe.

Ingredients.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium leek chopped and washed. Use the white and light green parts only.
1/2 cup sliced shallots
1 pound button mushrooms cleaned and sliced
1/2 pound shitake mushrooms cleaned and sliced
1/2 pound cremini (baby portabella) mushrooms cleaned and sliced
1 Tpsb Thyme
3/4 tpsb kosher salt
1/2 tpsb black pepper
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth. If you make your own stock, even better.

Use a large stock pot.
Satue the leek and shallots in the olive oil until soft. Add the shrooms, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Cook another 10 minutes. Add the broth, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Let this cool. You can use the blender in batches to puree or use an imersion blender to "cream" this soup.

I normally leave a few mushroom slices out and add later to the soup for some added texture.
If you want a creamier soup, add a small potato with the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms and potato are tender, The potato will add a velvety texture without adding heavy cream.

Wow it's been a while since that last post. Well I have been "cheating" a little here and there with the food thing. I have to have tortillas for my tacos ya know.
I have found out how easy it is to make soup from scratch. Those canned soups are so full of sodium it's crazy.

Here is one of my favorites.

Creamy cauliflower soup.

ingredients:
1 head cauliflower chopped up pretty small
2 leek chopped and cleaned white and light green parts only
1 small potato washed and chopped into cubes
4 cups low sodium chicken or veggie broth. If you make your own stock even better.
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt, black pepper, and red pepper to taste

Directions:
saute leek in olive oil until soft.
add cauliflower, potato, and chicken broth. Bring to simmer. Cover and simmer until cauliflower and potato are soft.

Let cool enought to put in the blender. You'll probably need to do this in batches.
If you have one of those handy imersion blenders this is a good time to use it.

Add salt, black and red pepper and you're done.

Next up creamy (without cream) mushroom soup.