Wild Mushroom-Barley Soup.

 Another Rachael Ray....

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms or mixed wild mushrooms

1 quart vegetable stock

3 cups water

3/4 pound cremini mushroom caps, wiped clean and quartered or sliced
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
2 leeks, trimmed, sliced, washed and dried or 2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons fresh sage, very thinly sliced
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
1 15-ounce can diced, fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup pearl barley
1 bunch kale or dinosaur kale, leaves stripped from stems
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

3 tablespoons fresh sage, very thinly sliced

splash of liquid smoke (optional)

Place dried mushrooms in a medium pot with stock and 3 cups of water. Bring to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer.

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat add mushrooms and bay leaf. Cook 10-12 minutes to soften and darken the mushrooms. Add leeks or onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook 5 minutes more. There should be enough water from the mushrooms for it to not stick, if not, add some water. Add sage, rosemary and tomatoes.

Remove softened dried mushrooms from the stock and chop. Add them along with their cooking liquids to the soup pot, taking care to leave behind any grit from the mushrooms. Stir in barley and kale, add a little freshly grated nutmeg. Bring soup to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Add splash of liquid smoke. Cook 20 minutes.

Taste to adjust seasonings and serve in shallow bowls.

Belly Biters

Ava - not.a.chance, Nolan & Coco - tore.it.up, Shayne & I - liked it

Chili Cheese Fries.

I had a craving for chili cheese fries... you'd think I'm pregnant - but I'm not. Who has those sort of cravings?! I worked up this little combo and loved it. We had a huge garden salad to make the not-even-naughty meal seem a little less not-even-naughty. It just felt like the right thing to do.

Fries
4 large Idaho potatoes, cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
grill seasoning

Chili
1-2 cups cooked lentils
1 large onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Hot sauce, to taste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
(adapted from Rachael Ray)

Cheezy Sauce
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of dried thyme (crumbled in your fingers)
1/4 teaspoon salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
(from Veganomicon)


Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Place the potatoes into a large bowl. Spray them with EVOO spray and sprinkle with the grill seasoning and combine. Using a cookie cooling rack on top a baking sheet, pour the fries on top. With the cooling rack it'll allow the air to circulate all around the fries so they'll crisp everywhere. Plus it won't be necessary to flip them. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

While the potatoes are roasting, place a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat... add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, chili powder and cumin to the pot. Cook until the veggies soften, 5-6 minutes, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the tomato paste to the pot and cook for about 1 minute, until it smells sweet and has caramelized slightly. Add the hot sauce, Worcestershire and broth to the pot. Bring everything up to a bubble, then reduce the heat and simmer the chili until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add in cooked lentils to warm.

Cook the cheese sauce... Combine the broth and flour in a measuring cup and whisk with a fork until dissolved.

Preheat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Place the oil and garlic in the pan and gently cook for about 2 minutes (or just steam-fry), stirring often and being careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 15 seconds. Add the broth, turmeric, and nutritional yeast, and raise the heat to medium. Use a whisk to stir constantly. The mixture should start bubbling and thickening in about 3 minutes; if it doesn't, turn the heat a bit higher.

Once the mixture is bubbling and thickening, stir and cook for about 2 more minutes. Add the lemon juice and mustard. The mixture should resemble a thick, melty cheese. Taste for salt (you may need more depending on how salty your vegetable broth is), turn off the heat, and cover the pan to keep it warm until ready to use. The top might thicken a bit while it sits, but you can just stir it and it will be fine.

Lay the fries out on a plate, pour over the chili and then add the cheese sauce. Yum. 

A perfect combo of Rachael Ray & Veganomicon

Butternut Squash Soup

Looking for a good crockpot recipe that I can put together before church, I found this one from my friend Brooke's food blog... which she got from Better Homes and Gardens magazine. It was perfect for after church and took no time getting it all together. I love butternut squash, and this creamy soup was sweet and different.

Belly Biters
[me: yum] [nolan:yummy] [shayne: alright] [coco: eh.] [ava: yuck]

with half and half, I'll for sure be making it again.

2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups vegetable broth
1 14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon shy maple syrup (brooke used brown sugar)
1 tablespoon fish sauce, soy sauce, liguid amino's1/2 to 1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce (Sriracha sauce) or crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 recipe Thai Gremolata, [recipe below]

In a 3 1/2 or 4-quart slow cooker stir together squash, broth, coconut milk, onion, brown sugar, soy sauce, and Asian chili sauce. Cover; cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

At this point, the the crockpot, it looks pretty nasty. But keep it together and use an immersion blender to carefully blend soup until completely smooth. Stir in lime juice. Ladle into bowls and top with Thai Gremolata (below). If desired, serve with lime wedges.

Thai Gremolata
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or cilantro
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1 tablespoon lime peel, finely shredded


In a bowl stir together.

Whole Wheat Penne with San Marzano Tomatoes

I was so excited to try this one out because I love fennel... knowing full well that I'd need to puree it before I fed it to the kids to avoid any nose turning ups. It was good but it didn't shine the way I thought it would... I think the pureeing mutilated the tastes. If that even makes sense. 

I'm not giving up on it that easily though... next time: I won't puree, cut the fennel really small, serve the swiss chard on the side, and go with regular tomatoes. I'm not convinced paying the extra bucks for the san marzano's is entirely worth it.

2 onions, quartered and sliced
2 fennel bulbs, halved and sliced
1 (28-ounce) can peeled Italian San Marzano tomatoes, drained
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup vegetable stock
½ cup white grape juice (wine)
4 cups roughly chopped Swiss chard
Freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
¾ cup Manzanilla (green) olives, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
8 ounces whole wheat penne, cooked al dente according to package

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 more seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. This will create a nonstick effect.

Add the onions and fennel and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, crushing each with your hand, along with the garlic, stock, wine, and chard. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and olives and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until the olives are tender. Fold in the tarragon, thyme, and parsley, along with the hot pasta. Serve immediately.

**Swap out anything you don’t like or don’t have on hand – chard for kale or olives for capers (which I did instead of the olives).

belly biters: Coco: awesome - Shayne, Nolan & I: good -

Ava: no way {she saw me cutting up the fennel and swiss chard}

The Conscious Cook

Tal Ronnen

Ancho Chili.

I've had this recipe in my arsenal since it aired on the Rachael Ray Show over 2 years ago. I figured it was about time because I was sick of seeing it, along with about 50 other bookmarks on my google homepage.

It was good... Ava loved it... but wasn't exactly worth the 2 year wait. Still trying to decide if it'll go into the much coveted rotation around this house. Although, while I was typing it up I realized that the avocado mixture was suppose to be use in the soup and not just as a garnish - which I omitted. So, I'll for sure be trying it again... and figured I'd throw it up here in case it suits someone else's fancy.

1 quart vegetable stock

4 ancho chilis (dried poblano peppers), seeded (next go round, I'll use 3)

1 red onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1/2 cup raisins, roughly chopped (sounds beyond weird, but trust me-or Rachael)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon {i omit}
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1-2 cans of black beans {3 cups}

1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 ripe avocado
Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese, for garnish {i used an almond pepper jack}

Yields: 6 servings

Place a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat with the stock and ancho chilies. Bring the liquid to a bubble then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes until chilies have softened. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor and -- very carefully, this mixture is very hot! -- puree it until smooth. Reserve.

While the chilies are simmering, place a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, steam fry the onion, garlic, raisins and spices to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until the veggies are tender, 5-6 minutes. Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook until deep golden brown and aromatic, about 1 minute. Add black beans.

Add the blended stock-chile mixture to the pot and bring the liquids up to a bubble.

While that's working, in a food processor {or just mash together} the cilantro, avocado, lime zest and juice. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, and puree until smooth.

Add the avocado mixture to the pot of chili stirring to incorporate. Serve the chili garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds and a little cheese with the quesadilla alongside.

Corn Chowder.

I am totally diggin on Tal's [as if I personally know him] book. Every recipe I've tried from it has been awesome! This one included. Knowing my texture obsessed family, I pureed it and then added the corn because I didn't want anything to stop them from lovin this one. I also added a splash of liquid smoke, because this recipe just kinda feels like bacon would be good in it too. ;)

2 cups Vidalia onions, diced

2 large carrots, peeled & cut into ¼ inch dice
1 celery stalk, dice
1 red bell pepper, dice

1 dried chipotle pepper (couldn't find, used a little chipotle in adobe sauce)

5 cups faux chicken stock (Better Than Bouillon brand - I used veggie)

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice

2 fresh thyme sprigs

Kernels from 6 ears of corn, plus 2 ears roasted or grilled corn (used frozen - about 3/4 cup to 1 ear of corn) & roasted earlier in the day

1 ½ cups thick cashew cream

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons minced chives

½ cup diced tomato
splash of liquid smoke [optional]

Place large stockpot over medium heat and steam-fry the onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper , and chipotle pepper. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the stock, potatoes, and thyme, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

[This is when I pureed.] With the back of a spoon, smash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot and stir to thicken the soup. Add the raw corn and cashew cream, season with salt and pepper to taste and add liquid smoke, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the chipotle pepper and thyme sprigs. Garnish with the chives, tomato, and roasted corn kernels.

belly biters: all - tore.it.up

Makes 6 servings

Prep time: 1 hour



The Conscious Cook: Tal Ronnen

Tomato Bisque.

You are going to loooooooove me for telling you about this soup. I saw Tal Ronnen on Oprah, he's a gourmet vegan chef. He sold me on how yummy his Celery Root Soup with Granny Smith Apples looked. I instantly put myself on the waiting list for his cook book at the library. When it came in months later, I picked it up and almost went right to the grocery store to buy the stuff for half of his recipes. Then I told myself to calm down... which I did... and then I calmed down a little too much because it's taken me 9 months to try any of his recipes. Other then the cashew cream & whipped cashew cream, I haven't tried a single one. Even the celery root one... crazy how that happens.

Shame.on.me... because this soup is amazing. So super simple, but it feels like you're eating a big bowl of naughtiness! Which, I like that feeling. Sure it has some fat in it from the cashew cream... but hey - would you rather be getting your fat from nuts or the cow down the road? I'll choose the nuts.

sea salt
4 tablespoons earth balance
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour (i used whole wheat)
5 cups vegetable broth
1 (28-ounce) can while fire-roasted tomatoes, juices included
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups regular cashew cream
parsley for garnish

Place a large stockpot over medium heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and head for 1 minute. Add the earth balance and stir until melted, being careful not to let it burn. This will create a nonstick effect. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and continue cooking and stirring for 2 minutes.

Add the stock, tomatoes with juice, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the cashew cream. Continue to simmer (do not boil) for 10 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf. Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, cover the lid with a towel (the hot liquid tends to erupt), and blend on high for several minutes until very smooth. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley.

The Conscious Cook
Tal Ronnen
page 94
makes 6 serving
time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

The same night I tried my hand at brussel sprouts. B.O.M.B. You can't win them all. I have never had them - or at least that I remembered. And I hear that you either love them or hate them. And in Veganomicon it said the only way to eat them is roasting them... so I did... and I still reside on the hating side. Funny thing is, Coco ate them. What a weird little girl.

Garden Bounty Tortilla Soup.

I got this recipe from Jami, who got it from her Peacocks on My Porch cookbook (read this if you're interested in what the name means... a clue: I loved it being the wife of a cyclist and somewhat of a cyclist myself). And I just veganized it. I love all the vegetables in here... but didn't quite understand why it was tortilla soup (maybe I copied it down wrong). Either way, next time I'm going to do the crisping and pureeing of the corn tortillas like I did in Brooke's soup next time (and probably take out the potatoes). I just love that flavor in the back of it. It's got a pretty sweet kick to it too, which Shayne loved.

8 cups vegetable broth
1 red onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2-4 potatoes, peeled and dice
1 can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
2 cloves minced garlic
1 ½ teaspoon canned chipotle in adobo (sliced)
1 teaspoon jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced
1 can corn, drained
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
garnish: avocado, limes & toritlla strips

In a large stockpot over high heat, combine broth, onion, carrots, potatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, garlic, chipotle in adobo, jalapeno, oregano and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. 

Add the salt and white pepper, zucchini, squash, bell peppers and corn. Bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add cilantro, lime and orange juice. Stir well and remove from heat. Garnish with fried tortilla strips, diced avocados, and lime wedges if desired.

If you don't like things very spicy, go easy on the jalapeno’s and chipotle peppers. If you find this out after making it - just add more broth.

Vegan Mexican Spaghetti.

So I updated a classic from about a year ago, which was originally a Rachael Ray... I just took out the beef, alcohol, cinnamon and added tomato. Turned out awesome.

2 ancho chili peppers, stemmed and seeded {i found a big bag of them at Wal-mart}
3 cups vegetable stock
3/4 pound soyrizo {Sprouts}
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 12-ounce can tomato sauce
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
Finely chopped scallions, cilantro or parsley, to garnish

Simmer peppers in stock for 15 minutes to reconstitute, then purée stock and softened peppers in a food processor.

Meanwhile, heat heavy pot over medium-high heat add soyrizo, brown 8-10 minutes. Then add onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and cook 8-10 more. Then add tomato paste and cook 1 minute, stirring.

Add tomato sauce, stir a minute more then add the stock and pepper purée. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

While sauce simmers, bring water to boil for spaghetti. Salt water and cook pasta to al dente. Serve in bowls with pasta, sauce on top, and garnish with scallions and cilantro or parsley.

Italian Fusilli with Sundried Tomatoes & Artichoke Hearts.

This stuff is goooood. Light and fresh - but fills you up as a pasta dish should. And don't even get me started on sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke combo... yum.

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1/2 cup white grape juice

sea salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil, thinly sliced

1 (10-ounce) package fusilli pasta, whole wheat {I used a veggie pasta combo that I got at Costco}

Cover the sun-dried tomatoes with boiling water in a small bowl and let stand for about 10 minutes to soften. Drain and slice tomatoes into thin strips. Set aside.

Heat the broth over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 3 to 5 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, grape juice, salt, and black pepper. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the oregano and basil.

Meanwhile cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain. Toss the pasta with the artichoke mixture. Serve.



page 106

Quinoa with Navy Beans and Almonds.

I'm a big fan of Dr. Neal Barnard. His book Reversing Diabetes totally gave me the last little push I need to get my family converted over to a plant-based diet. I've gone through a lot of his recipes from that book... and was totally stoked to see he had a new cookbook, the get healthy, go vegan cookbook, coming out. I got on the waiting list at the library (all of 1 person was ahead of me) and waited.

This is my first try from it, and it was yummy, simple and fresh. I made it that night because I had all the ingredients on hand. I can't wait to try more...

1 cup quinoa, rinsed in a fine sieve

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 (15-ounce) can white navy beans, drained and rinsed

kosher or sea salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon slivered almonds, toasted

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the rinsed quinoa, bring to a boil again, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable broth in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are browned. Add the lemon juice, beans, and cooked quinoa. Season with salt and black pepper and mix well. Garnish with the almonds and parsley, serve.

{{This is for you Lady... Makes 4 servings, 1/4 of the recipe has 50.9 grams of carbs. {It was in the book, I didn't calculate that one out.)}}

the get healthy, go vegan cookbook - page 109

Pasta Della California.

The kids loved this... they love broccoli. Too bad for Shayne who just thought it was just "eh." Because if the kids like it, like devour it like it... it's gonna be made again!

1/2 pound thin spaghetti
3 cups sliced broccoli (tops cup into small florets, stalks sliced thinly)
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white grape juice
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1 cup loosely packed arugula leaves
2 avocados; peeled, pitted, and sliced into 1-inch chunks

Bring a large pot of water to boil and prep all your ingredients while the water boils, because this dish comes together in no time. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, usually about 10 minutes. In the last minute of cooking you will be adding the broccoli, so keep that in mind.

Meanwhile, preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of of water, garlic, lime zest, and red pepper flakes, and gently heat, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Pour in the white grape juice and raise the heat to bring to a boil, to reduce the white grape juice, about 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, lime juice, salt, and pepper, and bring again to a boil. Once the sauce is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer. Add the arugula.

By this point the pasta should be almost done, so add the broccoli to the boiling pasta and cook for 1 more minute. Drain all into a colander.

When the arugula is wilted, add the broccoli and pasta to the pan and use a pasta spoon to toss it around, making sure to get everything coated in garlic. Cook for about 3 more minutes. Add the avocado and turn off the heat. Gently toss the pasta for another minute to incorporate the avocado without smushing it, just until it is warmed through.

Serve with generous grinds of black pepper. There is usually a lot of garlic left in the pan, so be sure to spoon that over your bowls of pasta.

adapted from Veganomicon

by: Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero

page 192-193

My changes: omited 2 tablespoons olive oil, subbed grape juice for white wine, and I only used a cup of spicy arugula instead of the 4 cups they had (way too spicy for us)

Cheezy Sauce.

Love this for nachos, pastas, to dip broccoli or steak fries in. Yum.

2 cups vegetable broth or water
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of dried thyme (crumbled in your fingers)
1/4 teaspoon salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

Combine the broth and flour in a measuring cup and whisk with a fork until dissolved.

Preheat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Place the oil and garlic in the pan and gently cook for about 2 minutes (or just steam-fry), stirring often and being careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 15 seconds. Add the broth, turmeric, and nutritional yeast, and raise the heat to medium. Use a whisk to stir constantly. The mixture should start bubbling and thickening in about 3 minutes; if it doesn't, turn the heat a bit higher.

Once the mixture is bubbling and thickening, stir and cook for about 2 more minutes. Add the lemon juice and mustard. The mixture should resemble a thick, melty cheese. Taste for salt (you may need more depending on how salty your vegetable broth is), turn off the heat, and cover the pan to keep it warm until ready to use. The top might thicken a bit while it sits, but you can just stir it and it will be fine. Serve warm.

Veganomicon, page 214-215

Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero

Lentil Stew. {The Kind Diet}

This stuff is really, really good. So simple and so filling. From the ingredients you wouldn't think it was anything spectacular... but it's scrumpy. First time I made it I pureed it... because my kids always eat better when they don't know everything they're eating. Next time I didn't, they ate, and I liked the way it tasted better. It's from The Kind Diet. It works awesome in the crockpot too! I usually amp up the spices and veggies... and love using sweet potato instead of regular.... and added kale.

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoons olive oil {i omit and steam-fry}

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large onions, cut into chunks

2 celery stalks, diced

1 carrot, sliced

1 potato or sweet potato*, cut into chunks

1/4 cup shoyu

5 cups vegetable broth

3 tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks

1 1/2 cups brown lentils

5 big leaves of kale*, chopped

2 slices of your favorite bread, cubed

extra-virgin olive oil {i omit}

Combine the garlic powder, paprika, salt, cumin, oregano, and basil in a small bowl. Heat the oil {i omit the oil and just add a little water on the bottom of the pan to steam-fry} in a large soup pot (you'll be adding a lot of liquid later, so make sure it's big enough) over medium-high heat, and add the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and potato. Stir in half the seasoning mixture and the shoyu. Cook, stirring frequently, for 7 minutes or until the onions are tender.

Add 5 cups of water, the broth, tomatoes, and lentils. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid askew for 30 minutes. Add the remaining seasoning mixture, and cook for 20 minutes longer or until the lentils are soft. Meanwhile, pan-roast the cubed bread in a dry skillet until nice and toasted. Ladle stew into the bowls, and garnish with croutons and a drizzle of olive oil {i omit the drizzle... and usually don't cook the croutons}.

*my additions

The Kind Diet - Alicia Silverstone