One episode discussed food waste and it made me reflect on my own purchasing of produce. I hate to admit it but I have recently wasted food. During Vegan MoFo, I was creating new recipes too frequently to eat it all. 30 recipes in 30 days was too much food for Mark and I. Food was forgotten; a burger that I meant to put in the freezer was now two days too old, half an onion went bad, a cup of soup left unattended in its tupperware, and an avocado was now blackened in the back of the fridge. I did not mean to do this on purpose. I thought to myself that I would get around to it but I didn’t and food was thrown away. As a food blogger, I am purchasing food based on its looks and disregarding those knobby vegetables or sub-par looking fruits, despite the fact that they are good to eat. I want to move away from this mentality since I am a part of the issue. I have committed to a simplier lifestyle with a smaller ecological footprint by not consuming meat or dairy. If I continue wasting food, I am still contributing to the issue of global warming.

So what to do about it?

I took a hard look into my fridge and asked myself, “What do I eat?” Seems like an odd question but I noticed a few things; I had chard that was looking pretty wilted, dill that had definitely gone bad, and a container of soy yoghurt that was expired and I was too scared to actually open it. Turns out, I just don’t like these things and that is ok as long as I don’t continue to buy them. I wanted to apply the same method I use for “How to Stock Your Pantry” to my fridge. I asked myself what do I love to make and wrote down some ideas for what to use the produce for. For example, I don’t actually eat bananas on their own but I use bananas for smoothies, overnight oat bowls, and nice cream. For greens, I prefer kale and spinach over chard, rapini, and argula (I like argula but Mark hates it). I love most fresh herbs but I felt the need to give dill another chance. Nope, still hate it so I put it on my Don’t Buy list.

I have come to realize that it is ok to not like certain foods however it is not ok to buy things and then waste them.

My carrots don’t have to be the most perfect looking carrot for me to appreciate the work and resources that went into growing this carrot for me to eat. Food should never be taken for granted.

Waste not, want not and that is precisely what I mean to do.

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Golden Cauliflower Chowder

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Golden soup that is full of flavour, vitamins, and easy to make. This chowder has anti-inflammatory properties from the garlic, ginger, and spices to keep you feeling awesome despite the cooler weather. This recipe is vegan, gluten free, grain free, soy free, and nut free. It serves about 4 large bowls of chowder or 6 as a small side.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 3 small garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1.5 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 cups bite sized cauliflower florets, about ½ head
• 6 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas
• salt + pepper*
• 
  
• Garnish
• Chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook the cumin and coriander until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the oil and heat. Once the oil is heated, add the onions and carrots. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are softened.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the turmeric, cinnamon, and cauliflower and stir to coat the vegetables in the spice mixture. Add the vegetable stock, turn up to heat to high and bring to boil. Once the soup is boiling, turn down heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower is almost fully tender.
4. Add the chickpeas and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Serve with warm flat bread and enjoy!

Notes

* I added ¾ teaspoon of fine grain sea salt but the stock you use may have a different sodium quantity than mine. Start with ½ teaspoon and adjust to your taste. I adjust mine right before serving since the stock will reduce as it cooks. I added a little less than ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper.

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Tomatoes are, and always will be, my favourite thing about summer. The long days and warm nights are great but seeing the large bushels of summer tomatoes come into the farmer’s market makes my heart flutter. Even as a child, I could bite into a ripe tomato like an apple, adding a sprinkle of salt after each bite. This grossed out my picky sister so I was sure to do it in front of her every time.  Most of the year, I buy canned tomatoes, usually this brand, since winter tomatoes are tasteless. I was always told that roasting tomatoes was reserved for those bland tomatoes, but I am glad I did not listen to that advice. Roasting summer tomatoes concentrates its natural sweetness and intensifies its flavour.

If you are having a little deja vu about this post, you are right. Last year for Vegan MoFo I posted this recipe for a slow roasted tomato pasta sauce. A reader suggested it for a soup and that is where the inspiration for this recipe comes from. The problem with most tomato soups is the cream. I feel the extra fat from cream masks the flavour of the roasted tomatoes however adds some body to the soup. I wanted to keep this recipe nut and gluten free so I used a trick from an old recipe. Blended cauliflower adds all the benefits of cream but does not overpower the flavour of those sweet tomatoes. 

Some may think I am crazy for keeping my oven on for so long while the days here are still warm but it is worth it. While I enjoy quick meals as much the next person, there is something special about waiting for your favorite. The way your house fills up with a delicious scent, you check the oven on occasion to make sure things are going well, texting your loved ones that you are making something great for dinner, and perhaps even setting the table with some fresh bread or wine instead of sitting and eating in front of the TV. This is what summer tomatoes mean to me.

What is your favourite summer produce?

16 posts down, 14 more to go! See you tomorrow for Day 17: Local Eats. Missed Day 15? Check it out here.

Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  Made a recipe from this post? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media. 

5.0 from 1 reviews

Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup (Nut-Free)

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 min

Total time

21 mins

 

Roasted summer tomatoes are one of my favourites and this soup allows that sweet, intense tomato flavour shine though. This soup is made creamy with blended cauliflower so it is nut free, gluten free, grain free, and soy free. This recipe makes about 11 cups of soup.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten Free

Ingredients

• 5 pounds ripe on the vine tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2½ teaspoons fine grain sea salt
• 1 head of garlic
• 1 Spanish onion, peeled and diced
• 3 cup bite sized florets of cauliflower
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• ½ cup lightly packed basil leaves
• Cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cut the stems out of the tomatoes with a pairing knife. Cut the tomatoes in quarters and divide them amongst the baking sheets. Remove the outer papery skin of the garlic and cut the top of the head just to expose the cloves. Drizzle everything with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour, turning the tomatoes halfway through. The tomatoes should be shrivelled and sweet. Set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, add the onions and a few splashes of stock so the onions don't stick. Cook for 8-10 minutes until onions are tender.
4. Add the cauliflower and the rest of the stock and bring to boil. Cover with a lid and cook until the cauliflower is very tender.
5. Add the roasted tomatoes (reserving some for garnish) and roasted garlic (removed from their skins). Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the basil and stir.
6. In batches, blend the soup in a blender until completely smooth. Transfer blended soup to another pot or large bowl. Continue until all the soup is blended. Adjust seasonings if you like with cracked black pepper or red chilli flakes. Top with chopped roasted tomatoes and serve.

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The post Day 16 Vegan MoFo: Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup (Nut-Free) appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

I had Pomegranate Mushroom Fesenjaan at Pomegranate in Toronto for the first time on my birthday this year. My friends, Sarah and Sarah (yes they are both named Sarah), went out for a Persian feast for dinner to celebrate. The restaurant was dimly lit, the colours of the wall’s decorations were loud, and the smell coming from the kitchen was heavenly. We welcomed the warmth of the restaurant from the cold winter’s night.  We started with fresh mint leaves over hot water with a single sugar cube while we ate olive tapas, warm flatbread, roasted garlic, zeitoon parvardeh, and a dish called “Pickled Pleasures.” My friends know me so well.  Then, as I had just put an olive in my mouth, my newly engaged friend, Sarah, asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. I almost choked on the olive as I teared up and said yes. I cried, she laughed in the way only a good friend can laugh at you while you cry. I feel so honoured to be apart of her wedding. The server presented us with our entrees as I proceeded to happy-cry over this great news. This is the place I had this stew during that blissful freezing cold night in January. It was the best birthday.

6 recipes down, 24 more to go! See you tomorrow for Day 7: Meal Inspired by a Book or Film. Missed Day 5? Check it out here.

Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  Made this recipe? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media. 

Easy Vegan Pomegranate Mushroom Fesenjaan

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Author: Jessica

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Persian

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• Pomegranate Mushroom Fesenjaan
• 1½ cup pomegranate juice
• 1½ cups walnut halves
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered (about 6 cups of quartered mushrooms)
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
• ¼- 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• To Serve:
• White or brown basmati rice, cooked
• Pomegranate arils
• Fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Pour the pomegranate juice into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes until reduced to ¾ cup.
2. Meanwhile, toast walnuts in the pot you want to use for making the stew over medium heat for about 6-8 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Cool slightly and transfer to a food processor and process into a course meal. Leave the walnuts in the food processor bowl until ready to use.
3. In the now empty pot, heat add 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in 2 cups of quartered mushrooms. Cook until browned, transfer to a large bowl, add another tablespoon of oil, and cook 2 more cups of mushrooms; continue until all the mushrooms are browned.
4. Once all the mushrooms are browned and the pot is now empty, add another tablespoon of oil, heat, and add the chopped onion. Cook until soft, about 8 minutes.
5. Add the browned mushrooms to the pot with the onions and stir. Add the stock and bring to boil over medium high heat. Add the pomegranate reduction and cook for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium and add the seasonings and walnuts.
6. Simmer for 15-25 minutes or more, until desired thickness is reached. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. I add the salt near the end of cooking to ensure I don’t add too much salt before the stock is reduced.
7. Serve over rice and garnish with pomegranate arils and parsley. Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe is adapted from Minimalist Baker's Easy Fesenjan

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The post Day 6 Vegan MoFo: Pomegranate Mushroom Fesenjaan appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

 I am so sorry for the delayed post and I hope you can forgive me. My memory card broke inside my camera and my recipe pictures I wanted to post before the holiday were ruined. I was less than impressed with myself for being so technologically un-savvy. Between school and getting ready to go home for the holidays I had no time to reshoot the recipe. My apologies.

 As much as I enjoyed Christmas with my family and Mark’s, I am glad to be back home sleeping in my own bed and being in my kitchen again. I find getting out of the holiday meal groove and back into a whole food balanced diet. The holiday eating seems to drag on the extra week and ninety percent of people pledge to start eating right the morning of New Year’s Day. I am not a big believer in New Years resolutions and I have been known to roll my eyes at the phrase “New Year, New You!” on the cover of women’s magazines. Alas, here we are on January 1^st and you know you need some good cleansing food. At least I do anyways…

I made a simple banana, spinach, flax and almond milk smoothie coming home from Christmas and as I was drinking it my brain was screaming HOOORAY FOR VEGETABLES! After the unpacking (still from Christmas…yikes!) I got to work on chopping and freezing bananas, soaking chickpeas, brown rice and raw nuts to make some seriously nutritious meals for the week of work ahead of me. For the next few days it is all about getting those micronutrients into my body that have been completely absent from any meal that I have had in the past week. I always think I will eat like I normally do but as soon as the treats, cookies and mashed potatoes come out I turn into an unsupervised child in a candy store. Worst part was that it never is just one day, my holiday feasting lasted four days. My tummy is quite rumbly and my skin broke out in deep pimples over the holiday. These were all signs that I needed some good healthful food to get this bod back in order.

At the end of the grazing period, I felt like if you poked me with a pin I would deflate like a balloon. I needed to reconnect with my daily routine and get back into the swing of things before heading back to school. Soup therapy is the answer. I love the smell of mirepoix sautéing on the stovetop. Mirepoix is just a fancy name for the mixture of carrots, celery and onions sautéed in oil as an aromatic base stops, sauces and stews. I love when simple things have beautiful elaborate names like mirepoix.

 Soup is my go-to when I am feeling less than awesome. Tired? Soup. Burnt out? Soup and tea. Something about the steamy scents of everything coming together and warming your body down to its core that is so therapeutic. When the stock is cooking I like to take a deep breath of the steam from the pot, I find this to be cleansing in its own simple way. It also helps if you have something excellent to read as well. What is it about the combination of a hot mug of tea and reading that is so blissful?

I poured this miso-seasoned broth over some ribbons of greens (or thinly sliced raw vegetables) to lightly steam them and add more minerals to the soup. I chose this as my breakfast option instead of cooked grains and bananas since it was what my body was craving. This soup does have a teeny hint of ginger to it so if you aren’t feeling those ingredients for this cleansing soup feel free to omit.

I am not a fan of the “freezer bag compost” broth since they only provide a weak ho-hum broth and the frozen scraps of vegetables do not brown as nicely as fresh vegetables. I have tried to make that version of broth a hundred times and it is never as flavourful.

I tested two ways to enjoy this stock but they do have two different yields: the hour-long cooking process gives you a great flavorful stock that can be used for soups, risotto, cooking grains or wherever you like to use stock and yields about 6 cups of stock. The other cooking time (1:15 hours- yields 4 cups of stock) is the stock I like to have poured into a mug to drink on its own. This one provides a little more concentration so it can stand up on its own without any more flavours added to it.

 All the best in the New Year from Sprouts & Chocolate! Cheers!

Other cleansing recipes from S&C (all gluten-free):

Sesame-Citrus Zoodle Bowl with Chili-Lime Tofu (#1 recipe on my site currently!)

Hearty Vegetable Winter Salad with Spicy Maple Pecans 

Green Monster Milk 

Vegan Bloody Caesar (without the hooch! Has lots of vitamins and minerals from the citrus, tomatoes and seaweed)

Cucumber Chia Mojito (this is my hangover cure…best served well chilled so can be made the night ahead.)

The post Cleansing Vegetable Miso Broth w/Greens appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

Fall is a little early this year. Don’t get me wrong I love Fall but it is still sad to see summer go. There are definitely things to love in Fall: boots, scarfs, not shaving your legs everyday (or until Spring haha!), big cozy sweaters that you would never wear outside of your house, pumpkin spice everything and soups aplenty. Boots on, soup’s on! Thats my rule!

Soup is my most comforting food (besides something smothered in buffalo sauce) but I don’t eat it as much as I would like because Mark insists he needs to be in a soup mood. Who is this guy? Soup mood? The temperature being a single digit at night should get someone into a soup mood in my opinion so sorry Mark the weather has spoken!

Opening a can of soup is easy but canned soup is kind of expensive when you think about it. A few noodles and a couple of cubed veggies in an imbalanced stock is all you are really getting. Homemade soup is so easy and inexpensive per serving. This soup delivers on flavour, nutrients (vitamin B12 from the nutritional yeast) and makes a huge portion, 15 cups so you can freeze some for next week and enjoy some this week. As much as I love being in my kitchen, I also love not being my kitchen but still having a stocked fridge with yummy healthful meals.

I have two topper options with this soup in case you get bored of the same soup for a week. I like to serve this with either Garlicky Croutons and chives or Ultimate Nacho Cheese with an extra sprinkle of ancho powder to kick it up a notch. Hot curry powder would be a good option too!

I portion the soup into 500mL Mason jars so they are ready to go whenever my hunger strikes. Just a quick warm up with some hummus and pita and lunch is served.

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