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. 

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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.

3.3.3077

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This is for my mother, who taught me to love who I am and what I do,

Reading is my favourite thing to do beyond cooking, writing or photographing since books have been a wondrous habit of mine since I was young. My mom, a real champ about my book addiction, would stop at garage sales to look for new books for me, would fill out my order card for the book fair at school every year with at least three new books and we were frequent card users at our local library. She was a single parent for the majority of my life, worked two jobs to feed and clothe my sister and I but she never complained or questioned my need for books. Whenever we were at a family gathering and my social anxiety was at an all time high, she never pushed me to “go play with the other kids” since she knew I was most comfortable under a tree in the backyard reading a book. I had a bad habit of hiding in odd places to avoid my younger sister or cousins so I could read in peace. One of my favourite places to do this was the linen closet in the hallway. I would climb up the shelves, tuck myself in between the sheets or towels, turn on a battery-operated push light that my mom taped to the wall and read my book in a little space all to myself. It really freaked my mom out to see a small child’s head amongst the linen whenever she opened the closet. Her reactions were always very funny to me.

When I was eleven, I started reading the Harry Potter series and absolutely fell in love with the magical world, as I am sure all of us who read it did. Money was very tight during this time of my life but my mom, bless her heart, still bought me the newest Harry Potter books when they came out. She told me that there were worse things to spend money on than her daughter’s books and kept encouraging me to read. She hugged me when I sobbed over a character’s death and never once suggested that, “it wasn’t real,” even though I was sixteen when the seventh book came out. She knew that I was emotionally invested in the story and my feelings about it were very real to me. I will always appreciate her compassion. The Harry Potter series is still on my bookshelf, 17 years later, and I have refused to lend them out since they are my most special collection, thanks to my mom.

My sister and I played dress up quite often since we grew up with tinfoil covered rabbit-ear antennas and a VHS player that occasionally ate our beloved Disney tapes, we were left to entertain ourselves for the most part. For Halloween one year, I was Belle from Beauty and the Beast and I loved that bright golden dress with the matching gloves. I definitely pretended I was Belle and would hang out in the yard wearing that dress and reading a book. My mom never said anything about me wearing a Halloween costume in July but simply reminded me to bring out a blanket so I wouldn’t mess up my dress. 

My mother has helped me become a life-long reader and introduced me to my ultimate passion in life. She encouraged me to be myself, that odd book-reading kid who hides in the linen closest to catch up on her R.L. Stine and stood up for me whenever a family member questioned my desire of isolation. Sure, I was a weird kid that got really excited when I saw my mother carrying old dusty books in a grocery bag but she was more than happy to feed my addiction.

A special thanks to my mom for encouraging me to do the things that make me the happiest and allowing me to be myself, despite what others might think. Happy Mother’s Day to you.

Love, Jessica

This recipe is adapted from At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen: Celebrating the Art of Eating Well

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a *teeny* commission if you make a purchase using this link.

The post Mother’s Day Special: Roasted Tomato & Herb Quiche appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

Five months ago, I published a post about my Champagne Birthday, styled by the wonderfully talented soon-to-be-mama Holly Bowman. In the post, I wrote down some goals I wanted to accomplish before my next birthday. A little recap:

Some major goals I have for this year are:

-Write and develop an e-book   (To receive your FREE copy, subscribe along the sidebar!)

-A full layout redesign including my recipe index (HUGE thanks to Minimalist Baker for their video tutorials)

-Posting more frequently (this will much easier when I am not in school full time)

-Taking more photographs besides food

-Find a form of exercise I enjoy (just signed up for a ballet class! Yes I am going to be terrible but that’s ok!)

-Take an overseas trip

-No more buying coffee (especially since I buy excellent coffee beans for home) 

-Get my drivers’ license (yeah I know…)

I keep a little notebook with me everywhere I go so I can write down goals as I think of them and better yet, crossing them off as I accomplish them. For me, it is the best way to stay on track. Every few weeks, I write down my action plans to best accomplish these goals and it is wildly satisfying to cross them off my list in ink. So my progress so far:

-The eBook in is the works and I have an editor! I recently attended a “How to Build an eBook” seminar lead by David from The Healthy Maven which was an invaluable source of inspiration.

-The redesign is coming soon with a much better recipe index layout.

-With school officially done (for now), posts will be more frequent. I am aiming for twice a week minimum.

– The season has changed and green things are popping up all over the place. My camera will be making trips with me outside of my kitchen!

-Finding a form of exercise: I tried a 7-week ballet class and it wasn’t for me. I did sign up for hot yoga with my best bud. We actually became friends after working out together for a 5K run and it has been amazing to reconnect with her through this experience. Exercise regimes are made better with a support group or friend.

– My overseas trip has been cancelled but for good reason! I opted to go to Texas for Vida Vegan Con instead of an overseas trip. I feel that this trip would benefit my other goals better than a vacation. Plus, I get to meet some of my favourite vegan bloggers in person! I will probably fangirl so hard that I will be too shy to actually speak to any of them.

– The daily trip to the café near my house has been made much easier since they moved across town so no more coffees that I did not make at home. I have saved $60 a month times 5 months = $300!! 

– I have not done a single thing to get my driver’s license. Yikes!

But I have added the goal of writing at least 500 words a day and not just about food related things. I was recently tagged on Instagram by Amy Le to reveal some things about myself that may not have come up on my site. I confessed that I originally started this blog to become a better writer but because of school, my non-blog related writing has taken a backseat. With school being over now, this is the time to get into a writing routine and creating the habit of sitting down to write. No more excuses! This is my time to better myself and I plan use every moment I can.

This guacamole is a favourite among my friends that I work with (We are all too close to call each other “coworkers”). I brought it into work and we all devoured the container in a matter of minutes. Restaurant servers are always hungry since no one actually gets a break from work and our dinners usually consist of cold fries and maybe a slice of garlic bread with buffalo sauce. They kept asking when this recipe would make an appearance and their persistence has paid off. Roasting the jalapeño adds complexity to this guacamole but the avocado maintains its buttery taste. I originally added 2 full roasted jalapeños to this recipe but found it overpowered the fresh taste of the guacamole and left my mouth on fire. One jalapeño was still fairly mild so I used one and a half peppers but if you like it hot, feel free to add two.

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Roasted Jalapeño Guacamole

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

• 1-2 jalapenos
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large ripe avocados, pitted. 1½ to smooth and the other half diced.
• ½ cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1/3 cup diced fresh tomato
• 1 small shallot, minced
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt*
• Serve with:
• Corn chips*
• Veggie sticks
• Cherry Tomatoes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a small baking sheet with tinfoil or parchment paper. Drizzle the peppers with the olive oil on the sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, turning halfway through the cook time. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor add 1½ of the avocado, cooled roasted jalapeno, cilantro, limejuice and garlic and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and add the tomatoes, minced shallot, cubed avocado and ¼ teaspoon of sea salt. Mix until just combined.
3. Cover and press the guacamole with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavours meld together. *If you are serving it with salted corn chips, try some of the guacamole on the chip before adding more salt.

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Whenever someone at work bugs me, since I work in a restaurant this occurs as frequently as breathing, my friend Maeghan and I play the game “You know what grinds my gears?…” I think I saw it on a Family Guy episode though I am not crazy about the show. It is just a silly way to rant about the shenanigans that happen like:

“Why are we waiting on salad?”

“Oh em gee that kid barfed all over the table!”

“I AM MAD WEEDED!!”

“Yes, I will have a well done steak…” ordered five minutes before we close.

“That guy just snapped his fingers at me”

“Don’t ask me for my number and stiff me when I say no thank you….”

“That table just called me something really offence while speaking French”

As ridiculous as things seem, they happen on the regular. The last one happened to a friend of mine and she speaks fluent French so unfortunately heard all the nasty things that the table was saying about her.

It helps to say these things out loud to her since usually it is just ridiculous things that get my blood boiling. Sometimes I tell her to hop aboard the Complain Train when I feel like being a whiner. To you all reading this, hop aboard because we are going on a trip!! CHOO CHOO!!

My friend Katie was at Starbucks last week and ordered a fancy latte but with half of the sugary syrup they normally put it. The barista asked her, “Oh are you trying to be healthy?” She handled it better than I would have and simply said that she just didn’t like how sweet the drink was normally served. Katie told me that she was being judged for her size and this person was assuming she is unhealthy. Katie is a champ, does yoga and eats healthful meals all while working and going to school full-time. My gears were grinding so hard that sparks were flying!!  

This reminded me of a similar incident I experienced at the grocery store checkout when I first started my site. I was sipping on a mason jar filled with my green smoothie, cause that’s just how I do, and the rather buff man behind me questioned my drink. I told him what was in it thinking maybe he just wanted the recipe but instead he asked me if I had lost weight. I said no since I was just starting out and was just in shock that a stranger would ask me that.

 “Some people will try anything,” he muttered to his companion.

I said nothing, paid for my purchases, put on my sunglasses and cried the whole way home. It seems crazy that I let this strangers comment affect me in such a negative way but it did. At that time in my life, I was very self-conscious about my appearance since I did not look like the “typical” vegan.

I remember a few years back that I was probably the unhealthiest person ever; I chained smoked, drank only diet drinks when I wasn’t drinking huge quantities of coffee and took over the counter diet pills everyday. I was skinny but definitely not healthy and no one said anything about it, even when I had a cigarette between my lips and double-fisting a Diet Coke and a Red Bull. This image did not get a rise out of people enough for them to say anything to my face about how unhealthy I was because I was thin but as soon as a curvaceous girl has a green smoothie in hand, everyone seemed to have a damn opinion about it.

I have a high self-esteem when I am alone and this is common occurrence. I think I am beautiful and love my green eyes, bright smile and my great curvy body but this all goes down the drain when people make comments like that. I start to question my self-esteem, maybe I am not as pretty as I think? Maybe I could lose some weight?

I decided that I had to practice confidence for the sake of my self-esteem. People are always going to be rude and unforgiving but I needed to change my reaction. I would not longer beat myself up for not being their ideal, I am my own ideal person and I am enough and guess what?? So are you!! 

 I used this recipe for the sauce. To go nut-free, substitute the cashews for soaked sunflower seeds. 

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My brain has been drained a little bit lately as I get ready for another round of exams coming up and with the weather being particularly freezing lately I have wanted to go into full-fledge hibernation mode. Homework has been piling up because I am the worst at doing any sort of homework during Christmas break. As much I curse my procrastination, I did need the downtime to relax and not overthink everything to death. But now we are the second week of 2015 and I had to get right back into the full-schedule, juggling school and work full time. Blasted adulthood!

Mark has also returned to school and started his internship at a Toronto fine dining restaurant to complete his culinary degree. Nights at our house have become pretty lonely when I am not working and I usually have dinner by myself (with the exception of Barb snuggling on my lap). I haven’t really wanted to cook for myself too much since it always seemed like a waste but I asked myself why I thought like that. Perhaps I read too many women’s magazines in my youth (thinking that adults actually did these things) and thought that the phrase “Cooking for One!” was pathetic. Just because they put an exclamation point at the end and in a cheery bright font does not make the phrase any better. However the act of cooking a proper healthful dinner for myself should be a priority and I must devote some time in my evening to do so. A daily devotion to myself and my well-being. A dollop of hummus, peeled carrots and some pita sometimes doesn’t cut it as a proper dinner since I usually use the hummus container lid as a plate for the veg and pita. Oh how my mother would cringe.

Roasting vegetables with some chickpeas is pretty easy, comes together quickly and is versatile when you get tired of the same vegetables you have been eating all week. You can make this dish go even further when served on a bed of cooked grains like brown rice, quinoa or millet (all gluten free grains!). I cook my grains on a Saturday morning before work so I can eat them for my long shifts on the weekends and have some left over for school. I soak my grains on Friday night after work to get them all sprouted to cook the next day. Living it up. “Sorry guys can’t go out, I have to sprout my grains…” Don’t worry I have never said that.

Mark is appreciative of the leftovers he gets when he comes home late from his internship and I get an actual dinner. Double win.

P.S. I am digging this new addition to my pantry: za’atar, a savoury Middle Eastern spice blend that I have been sprinkling on everything. I also made this hummus with it.

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