It’s getting to be that time of year when pumpkins, black cats, witches on brooms and harvest moons appear. As the leaves begin to show hints of autumn colors, the days get shorter and sweaters are pulled out of hybrination, I begin thinking of warm, soothing comfort foods. Stuffed peppers is a favorite cool weather meal in our household but tonight I made them a little different. Instead of the usual lengthwise cut I made them into little Jack-O’-Lanterns. I wish I could take credit for the idea. Instead it was a picture someone on facebook posted back in August and it has been on my mind ever since.
Traditionally, stuffed pepper recipes are made with ground beef. When you commit to a plant based way of eating, however, the source of protein becomes lentils, peas, chickpeas, edamame, beans, tofu, soy, spirulina, oats and sprouted whole grain bread. Plant based proteins that are prepared healthy contain the same chain of amino acids necessary to build and repair body cells without the extra baggage of “bad” fats. In this recipe, black beans are the star performer protein although kidney beans would also work very nicely.
Ingredients
4 orange, red, yellow or green bell peppers (make sure they can stand upright)
1 cup cooked brown rice (or quinoa)
1 can sodium free black beans drained (or kidney beans)
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cans reduced sodium condensed tomato soup
3/4 cup water
2 tsp. ground black pepper (more or less depending on preference)
3 small potatoes peeled
1/2 cup almond milk
fresh chives
Brown rice, black beans, onions, garlic, tomato soup, black pepper Mixed together becomes the yummy filling!
Directions
Slice off the tops of the peppers and set aside. Hollow the insides of the peppers removing the seeds and white parts.
Carve little jack-o’-lantern faces on the peppers
Arrange the carved peppers on a glass baking dish and microwave for approximately 5-8 minutes until slightly tender. Note: they should still be firm, not floppy.
Saute the onions and garlic in a large sauce pan with a small amount of water. Add the rice, black beans, tomato soup and pepper. Mix together and cook until warm.
Stuff the peppers and put the tops on.
Mix the remaining can of tomato soup with 3/4 cup water and a little black pepper and pour underneath and around the peppers.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
Peel, cube and boil the potatoes until soft. Drain then add the almond milk and mash. Garnish with fresh chives.
Making stuffed pepper jack-o’-lanterns special takes only a few extra minutes. The kids and adult kids will love this super healthy meal!I could use a bit more practice on the carving. My jack-o’-lanterns resemble little frankenstein monsters but they sure tasted good!Bon Appetite my plant based friends!
Yesterday was a freaky. During the day it was a sunny 65 degrees and I was out at the beehive watching the girls flying around and having fun. By late afternoon the temperatures dropped to 38 degrees and the wind brought gusts up to 60 mph all night long. One of the things I like best about NE OH is the unpredictable, dramatic and extreme weather that mother nature brings our way. So with the drama of the storm I went right into soup making mode. Piping hot soup seemed to pair perfectly with the sleety rain and horrific winds. I took an inventory of what I had in the fridge and pantry and, before you know it, the kitchen permeated with the smell of Vegan Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup.
This was the first time I made this soup. I wouldn’t change anything at all. It was hearty and very filling. The cashew, cannellini and broth mixture provides the cream base for the soup and wow is it delicious. It is hard to believe it is dairy, fat, oil and salt free.
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans
4 large carrots (cut in coins)
3 stalks celery chopped
1 onion chopped
6 garlic toes chopped
1 cup dry wild rice (thoroughly rinsed)
8 oz. fresh white mushrooms (cut in pieces)
6 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. fresh (preferred) or dried parsley
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp. miso paste
What is Miso Paste? Miso paste is made by fermenting soybeans with salt and koji (a mold that is also used to make saki). Miso paste is considered a green light substitute for salt. Although it has sodium in it the soy seems to counteract the hypertensive effects. An article published in Hypertension Research, “Long-Term Intake Miso Soup Decreases Nighttime Blood Pressure in Subjects of High-Normal Pressure or Stage 1 Hypertension” concludes by saying long term use of miso does not influence daytime blood pressure but does reduce nighttime blood pressure by promoting diuresis. Dr. Michael Greger, M.D. FACLM, an internationally recognized researcher and speaker on nutrition, states in his best selling book How Not to Die that miso paste is safe to use as a substitute for salt. Despite the research, I am still on the fence and use it only occasionally.
Why rinse the long grained rice? Arsenic in rice is a real concern. The FDA suggests thoroughly rinsing rice 6-8 times (until the water rinses clear) in order to reduce arsenic levels by 30-40 percent. I have read articles that recommend overnight soaking in order to reduce levels by 80 percent. Rinsing rice is also a great way to remove surface starch thereby lowering the carbohydrate content. This is a useful tip for individuals with diabetes.
Cannellini beans, raw cashews, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, vegetable broth, miso paste, black pepper, thyme, parlsey, bay leaves, garlic (not pictured)
Directions
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Pour in the cashews and cover the pot. Let cashews soak for 30 minutes (minimum) to 1 hour. Drain the water. Note: Soaking pulls the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors out of the cashews making the cream tastier and easier to digest. The longer you soak the cashews the softer they become and the smoother and silkier your cream will be.
In a large soup pot saute the onions, garlic and celery in some vegetable broth until onions become translucent.
Add 7 cups of the vegetable broth, carrots, wild rice, mushrooms, thyme, black pepper, parsely, bay leaves and miso paste. Bring the mixture to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 40 minutes stirring occasionally.
In a high speed blender add the cashews, cannellini beans and the remaining 1 cup vegetable broth. Puree for approximately 1 minute until mixture becomes smooth and creamy.
Pour the cashew cream into the soup, stir and simmer for 15 more minutes. The soup is done when the carrots are soft and the rice is completely cooked. Remove the bay leaves. Serve with your favorite. bread.
Silky smooth cashew cream
This soup is very filling and hearty. It is good alone or paired with your favorite vegan bread.
I love pumpkins. So much that this summer I tried to grow them for the first time. Happiness was watching my three healthy pumpkins get bigger and bigger by the week. Sadness was the day I went out to my garden and saw the scant remains of the fruits of my labor. My three babies were eaten by, more then likely, raccoons. Damn darn those cute little third degree felonists! Next year better fencing.
My addiction to pumpkins typically starts to manifest early October. Everytime I pass a pumpkin patch I try real hard to keep on driving past but my car seems to automatically put the turn signal on, slow down and then the next thing I know I’m turning into the parking lot. I need to take it to the dealership to get that checked out. Anyway, to date I have a total of 9 pumpkins. My husband says, “what are you going to do with all these pumpkins?” The answer is simple – pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin nice cream, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin custard and my most favorite of all – pumpkin soup – and lot’s of it!
Now before I got smart about the WFPB way of eating I bought a lot of Heinen’s Pumpkin and Roasted Apple Soup. Pumpkin and apples are healthy right? Roasting is healthy right? I’m eating vegetarian right? Then I got smart and realized one cup was loaded with 630mg of sodium, 11 g of saturated fat and 28 g of total carbohydrates. Well that ended my relationship with Heinen’s soups. I discovered that I could make my own healthier version of pumpkin soup without the added sodium, fat and carbohydrates and have my kitchen smelling awesome in the process!
In this recipe I use sugar pumpkins which are smaller, softer and sweeter. The larger carving pumpkins taste bland and this soup will not be the same using them. I add a honey crisp apple for a delicate sweet-tart balance. The fresh ginger is what makes this soup pop! I love the peppery sweetness that it adds and OMG the pungent spicy aroma will knock your socks off. Feel free to add more ginger if you like. I erred on the more conservative side for the posting of this recipe. Four cups vegetable broth will make a nice thick soup. Feel free to add more broth or water if you prefer a thinner outcome. Be creative and have fun with your garnishes! I like the pepitas and chives but have also used black cumin and parsley. But please do not omit the toasties! Speaking of the toasties I use Ezekiel bread which is, in fact, the only bread I eat (other then what I make). It is flourless, very low in sodium, and made from a vareity of whole grains, legumes and seeds. It has no peservatives which is why it is kept frozen.
Roasted Pumpkin and Apple Soup with Toasties
A little dabble of zero fat, zero sodium, 1 gram carbohydrate / 2 tbsp Reddi Wip adds a little creaminess and turns it into a “Roasted Pumpkin and Apple Pie” soup.
Ingredients
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups sugar pumpkin
1 small honey crisp apple and cut in wedges
1 small white onion finely chopped
3 garlic toes finely chopped
1 thumb sized piece fresh ginger peeled and grated
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
1/4 cup raw pepitas (hulless pumpkin seeds)
A few sprigs fresh chive
2 slices Ezekiel flax bread (found in freezer section of grocery store)
Carve off top of pumpkin around the stem. Place pumpkin in the microwave for 5 minutes to make it easier to cut. Cut in lengthwise sections and remove seeds and stringy pulp (see below).
Peel the apple and cut into wedges
Place pumpkin sections and apples wedges on a cookie sheet covered with a silicone matt (or parchment paper). The silicone matt eliminates the need for oil. Food will not stick to the silicone matt. Spray water over the pumpkin and apples. Place in a 450 degree preheated oven and roast for about 20 minutes until slightly browned. The pumpkin skins will easily peel off.
In a large soup pot sautee the onions and garlic in 1/4 cup water. Let the water cook-off and allow the onions and garlic to brown. Add a few more tbsps water to prevent them from burning and repeat 2-3 times until they are soft and deep brown.
Add the roasted pumpkin, apple, vegetable broth, ginger, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Place in food processor (small portions at a time) and puree until smoothe and creamy. Transfer everything back into the pot and simmer for 5 more minutes.
Using kitchen shears cut the Ezekial bread into small pieces and place on cookie sheet lined with the silicone matt. Place in 450 degree oven for approximately 5 minutes until toasted.
Garnish soup with papitas, chive and toasties
Microwaving for 5 minutes makes the pumpkin much easier to cut
Gorgeous roasted pumpkin and apples smell amazing. Look at the bright orange color of the pulp.It’s so magical how the skin lifts right off!
A Deep Dive at the Health Benefits
The star ingredient in this soup is pumpkin. The bright orange color of pumpkin screams health and nutrition. Pumpkins are loaded with beta-carotine which is an important antioxidant and what gives them their vibrant color. There are evidenced based studies suggesting that diets rich in beta-carotine reduce the risk of certain cancers, heart disease and protects against the degenerative aspects of aging. The body converts beta-carotine into vitamin A which supports eye health and prevents macular degeneration. Lastly, pumpkins are an excellent source of fiber. Fiber slow the rate of glucose absorption in the blood and promotes regular bowel movements.
Is canned pumpkin as nutritious as fresh? Typically fresh foods have a higher nutrient content then their canned counterparts. In the case of pumpkin, however, they are both cram packed with vitamins A, C and E, potassium and iron. If you buy canned just make sure it is 100% pure pumpkin and not the pie mix which has added sugars.
