vegan slow fast food – The Vegan Love Project

Roasted Kobocha Squash Soup

Any squash can be used for this delicious creamy, and simple soup. Kobocha squash has got such a lovely, sweet but not too sweet taste that pairs perfectly with ginger. I picked a beauty up at the local farmer’s market this past weekend and roasted it and have been putting it in to many meals since. As a time saver, the squash can be roasted in advance. If the squash is already roasted, this soup literally takes 8 minutes start to finish. The roasting step may even be omitted and the squash simply peeled, cubed, and cooked along with the other vegetables. Roasting draws out the most flavors and brings the sweetness of the squash to life, but it is not a necessity.

roasted-kobocha-squash-soup

Roasted Kobocha Squash Soup

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2c roasted Kobocha squash*

1/4t chipotle powder *optional

1 fresh jalapeño or cherry bomb pepper, chopped

1t cinnamon

1/4t nutmeg

3T coconut oil

6c boiling water

1 vege bouillon

1t salt or to taste

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1/4-1/3c cashews

1″ piece of fresh ginger

1T raw agave

Bring 6c of water to a boil.

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Roasting the Squash: Clean the outer shell of the squash with cold water and pat it dry well with a dishtowel or paper cloth. With a sharp knife, split the squash down the middle, creating two halves. Seed the squash using a large spoon, scraping the stringy flesh and seeds from the center. With the cleaned halves, rub with oil and salt. Place face down on a cookie sheet or roasting dish and place in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the flesh of the squash is tender, yielding to the touch. Let cool. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the roasted squash.Place the cashews, ginger, agave and fresh hot pepper in a blender and set aside.

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In a large soup pot, add the oil and sauté the onions and garlic until golden and soft and aromatic. Add the yellow squash, the boullion (or powder) and the salt. Continue to sauté until the squash softens and turns bright yellow- about 3-4 minutes. Add the boiling water to cover. Bring to a rapid boil and reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 more minutes.

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In batches, in a blender or vitamix*, transfer the soup pot contents into the blender and puree the soup with the contents in the blender. Adjust the seasonings if needed.

*Caution: blending hot liquids can be extremely dangerous. Fill the blender only half way and proceed in batches if necessary.

Gingered(end of)Summer Squash Soup

So tasty!!!….I am still fighting this crud! I needed something warm and soothing for my throat, spicy enough to kill whatever’s left, and delicious enough to keep me happy. Sick all week meant there was only what was left after 10 days in the fridge and that was one lonely little Summer Squash and some cherry bombs…this soup came together SO QUICK…. Easily a new favorite irregardless of summer OR sickness.

Delicious.

gingered-summer-squash-soup

Gingered (end of) Summer Squash Soup

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large yellow summer squash

1/4t chipotle powder *optional

1 fresh jalapeño or cherry bomb pepper, chopped

1/2″ piece of fresh ginger

3T coconut oil

6c boiling water

2t raw agave

1 vege bouillon

1t salt or to taste

—

1/4c cashews

handful fresh parsley

Bring 6c of water to a boil.

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Place the cashews, ginger, agave and parsley in a blender and set aside.

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In batches, in a blender or vitamix*, transfer the soup pot contents into the blender and puree the soup with the contents in the blender. Adjust the seasonings if needed.

*Caution: blending hot liquids can be extremely dangerous. Fill the blender only half way and proceed in batches if necessary.

Vegetable Noodle Soup

So ya I got.. SICK!…. like….NAILED! After 26 hours of Yoga Teacher Training that for me was a HUGE milestone ( my first TT ever)…I am now resting and eating simple foods. I have made this soup for the past two days and I am convinced that practice is mastery- the more you do, the better it turns out- this broth is PHENOMENAL. It’s a simple broth- I didn’t want that tamari or soy sauce taste and I didn’t want bouillon- I wanted that full flavorful taste of asian broths that appear almost clear, nothing floating around in it, nothing to get in the way but this one has the antioxidant, antibacterial crud busting anti-inflammatory fighting properties of Turmeric. The first night I tried making it with garlic and I found that, tho it was tasty, it had that raw garlic taste that to me seemed a little bit overwhelming. Last night I omitted the garlic and stuck with the ginger and onions. I think I am in love. The broth takes less than 10 minutes to make- less even- then I added in beautiful local veggies; Sautéed Kale, sweet potatoes, and some Chipotle Baked Tofu I had in the fridge. You could definitely play with flavors by adding mushrooms or scallions etc- this was me, in the middle of a 27 hour training, sick- and it was

D E L I C I O U S.

broth

Simple Turmeric Broth for Vegetable Noodle Soup 2016

6c water

½ onion, coarsely chopped

2” fresh ginger, grated

1t turmeric

1t sesame oil

1t pink salt

Put everything in a pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve into a large heatproof pitcher (I use my Vitamix container) or bowl. Discard the vegetables. Pour the broth back into the pot and then proceed to add fresh veggies, cooked rice noodles. This is the simplest, clear broth and it is just so easy and perfect for a pick me up or when you are not feeling full force to sip on.

sick-girl-noodle-soup

Vegetable Noodle Soup

3-4c Simple Broth

1/2 steamed sweet potato, sliced

1c Sautéed Kale

Sliced Chipotle Baked Tofu

1 serving rice noodles or vermicelli

1t hot sesame oil

Hot Water for noodles

optional: you could add other veggies; mushrooms, baby corn, water chestnuts etc.

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In a bowl, add the uncooked, quick cooking noodles and cover with hot water. Cover and let steam. Set aside.

In a large skillet heat up the olive oil over medium high heat , prepare the Sautéed Kale by sautéing the garlic just until golden brown. Add the salt, red pepper, and then add the kale. With a fork or a pair of tongs, move the kale around the pan cooking the kale until wilted and tender. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add little bit of hot water and the already cooked sweet potatoes slices just to heat them through. Set aside.

In the same skillet, heat up the broth and bring to a low boil.

In a serving bowl, place the cooked noodles on the bottom of the bowl. Add the cooked Kale, the sweet potatoes and the slices of tofu. Ladle the broth over to cover.Drizzle in the hot sesame oil. Taste and adjust for saltiness.

Fricken delicious.

Chipotle Baked Tofu

chipotle-baked-tofu

Not feeling well and going through my fridge, I wanted something quick and delicious that I didn’t have to fuss over. This was so good I made it again today.In 35-40 minutes you have perfect yumminess that really does taste a lot like chicken. This is great to have on hand- in the fridge as a quick snack, to add to soups, sandwiches or to eat hot with veggies and quinoa or rice for a meal. I am cherry bomb everything right now but you could definitely use another pepper instead, hotter or more mild. The cherry bombs lend a sweetness that is incomparable, the chipotle adds a deep, mellow, spicy that is one of my favorite flavor profiles. I may or may not be having this tonight with smashed potatoes and kale… SIMPLE.

1 Pound tofu, thinly sliced in long cubes, about 1” thick, 2″ long

2-4T Olive oil

1/2t chipotle powder (more or less)

1/2t pink salt (more or less)

1 cherry bomb or jalapeño pepper, sliced, with or without seeds (seeds make it hotter)

2T nutritional yeast

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Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a roasting pan or dish, drizzle about 3T of olive oil on the bottom of the pan.

Place the tofu rectangle cubes in the oil. Sprinkle the top with the chipotle powder, then add the sliced peppers on top and then sprinkle the salt, then nutritional yeast. Drizzle the top with more olive oil.

Roast in the oven/ convection oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

This tofu is absolutely delicious, hot OR cold.

THIS SHIT TASTES LIKE SPICY CHICKEN

Blueberry Coconut Kefir Love Bomb Lassi

*Blue coconut kefir love bomb

Summer berries…I can’t get enough…this smoothie is also filled with belly loving probiotics, if you don’t have vegan kefir on hand, you can sub a non-dairy milk or a fruit kombucha for the liquid (mango or berry is amazing). It has an incredible tangy-ness that is so delicious, reminiscent of a Fruit Lassi and is my go to beverage post Hot Yoga.

Coconut Kefir Blueberry Love Bomb Lassi

1c fresh or frozen blueberries

1c prepared almond kefir or cashew milk

1T chia seeds

1t raw honey or 1 date

3/4c raw coconut yogurt

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1c ice

Blend all ingredients together except the ice and process until smooth- taste and adjust if needed

Add the ice and process just until smooth.

Simple Broccoli with Lemon

BROCOLLI WITH LEMON.jpg

This is one of those dishes that I forget how easily simple fresh ingredients can be elevated to extraordinary with almost no work. Did you know broccoli is filled with protein, 11 grams for every 100 calories? This was my Nana’s recipe, who cooked her broccoli way too long (but was still delicious), then my Momma’s recipe, who cooked her broccoli just right, then leveled up by using all organic and local ingredients to hit this side dish/snack/salad/meal/accompaniment out of the park.

Simple Broccoli with Lemon

1 bunch broccoli, washed, trimmed, and sliced long into spears

1 lemon, juiced

2-3T extra virgin olive oil

1/4t pink salt

1/4t fresh cracked black pepper

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1/2c water

bowl of ice water *optional

In a large pot, heat up the water until boiling. Add the broccoli and steam for 3-4 minutes or until bright green and tender.

Drain the broccoli, reserving the cooking liquid for veggie stock.

To stop the cooking, plunge the steamed broccoli spears into the ice bath and strain the excess water in the sink.

In a bowl, add the bright green broccoli and gently toss the floret spears with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. The acid from the lemon will discolor the broccoli a little bit but be assured, it is filled with vital nutrients and crispness.

Serve either warm or cold- both are delicious.

Cream of Zucchini Soup

Cream of Zucchini Soup

This is the perfect way to use them, showcasing their sweet summer flavor. Roasting the zucchini first enhances the entire flavor of the soup but it is also an additional step in the preparation and is not necessary for a delicious soup.

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 large zucchini, chopped

1/4t chipotle powder *optional

3T coconut oil

6c boiling water

1 veg bouillon

1t salt or to taste

—

1/4c cashews

1/2-1 whole fresh jalapeño

large handful fresh parsley or basil *optional

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Bring 6c of water to a boil.

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In a large soup pot, add the oil and sauté the onions until golden and soft. Add the zucchini, salt, and black pepper. Continue to sauté until the zucchini softens and turns bright green. Add the boiling water, the bouillon cube (or powder). Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

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In a blender or vitamix, add the zucchini mix, the cashews, and the jalapeño. Blend first at low speed and finally walking it up to full power. Let run for about 30 seconds.

Adjust the seasonings again after blending.

*Caution: blending hot liquids can be extremely dangerous. Fill the blender only half way and proceed in batches if necessary.

Raspberry Acai Berry Power Smoothie

Filled with natural anti-inflammatory ingredients, omega-3’s and recovery boosting antioxidants…this one is a winner!

Raspberry Acai Berry Power Smoothie

1c nut milk

1T hemp seed

1t raw agave or raw local honey

1T coconut oil

1/2c Raspberries (fresh or frozen)

1T Acai Berry Powder

1T chia seeds

1T golden flax seeds

1t vanilla

1 scoop protein powder

Pinch pink salt

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1c ice

Blend all ingredients together except the ice and process until smooth- taste and adjust if needed

Add the ice and blend just until smooth.

Amazing Chickpea Salad

Chickpea Salad

This is BOMB served in a wrap with fresh veggies and lettuce or in between your favorite sprouted whole grain or gluten free bread slices-

LOVE THIS! The celery really makes it taste like a mock tuna fish salad so don’t skimp! Feel free to choose other add-ins, like olives, herbs, fresh sweet peppers etc….

1 1/2c cooked chickpeas

2 stalks celery, minced

¼ red onion, super minced *opt

1/3c vegan mayonnaise

1t ume vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

2t dulse *opt (more like a tuna fish taste)

pinch cayenne pepper *opt

Place the drained chickpeas in a bowl and mash slightly with a fork or the backside of a large spoon. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined and well incorporated.

If you have a food processor, you can do all of the grunt work in it- start by processing the celery, then the onions- remove to the work bowl, then process the chickpeas by pulsing- not over processing, but letting the chickpeas stay somewhat intact- then add all other ingredients intot he work bowl and mix.

Summer Quinoa Salad

Summer Quinoa Salad

1 ripe avocado, pitted, and cubed

1 1/2c steamed quinoa

1T fresh basil

1/2c cooked, drained, chickpeas

½ tomato, small dice

2t fresh lemon juice or limejuice

1T Extra Virgin Olive oil

1/4t pink salt

Black pepper to taste

1T nutritional yeast

In a medium sized bowl, add the cooled quinoa (room temp is best), and all of the other ingredients. Toss well and season to taste. Serve with additional avocado and tomato slices. Summer Love.