Black Quinoa Loaf with Lentils, Sundried Tomatoes and Cashews

Black quinoa, green lentils, cashews and sundried tomatoes combined together to make a fabulously delicious and flavourful vegetarian loaf that your whole family will love. Gluten free, hearty, filling, and loaded with protein, fiber and you won't even miss the meat.

120 g Black quinoa 80 g French green lentils 1-2 tbsp Olive oil 1 Onion, finely chopped 2 Garlic cloves, crushed 1 Long red chilli, finely chopped 150 g Raw cashews, plus extra to serve 1 tbsp Tomato paste 120 g Carrot, coarsely grated 70 g Sundried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped, plus extra to decorate 1/2 cup Fresh herbs (parsley, savoury & coriander), finely chopped 2 Large eggs Yoghurt dressing and salad to serve

1. Grease and line the base and two sides of a 25cm x 11cm loaf tin, allowing the paper to overhang on the two sides.
2. Place the quinoa in a bowl, cover with cold water and set aside to soak for 15 minutes. Cook lentils in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes. Drain the quinoa, then add to lentils and cook for 15 minutes or until the lentils and quinoa are tender. Rinse and drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 200C/400F.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, chilli and cashews and cook, stirring for 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes, or until the onion is tender.
4. Place the lentils and quinoa in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture, grated carrot, sundried tomatoes, fresh herbs, eggs and season with salt and pepper. Mix well to combine and press into the loaf tin.
5. Arrange extra sundried tomatoes and cashews on top and bake for 40-45 minutes, (covering if browning too quickly) or until golden firm. Leave to cool in the tin. Cut into slices and serve with some yoghurt dressing on a bed of salad.

SIMPLE LEMON PASTA

The simples are the best ! Here is a lemon pasta dish that is easy to make in a cinch. It's full of light, bright flavors leaving you feeling refreshed and satisfied. I used quinoa pasta noodles here but you can use rice, spelt, whole wheat or any pasta that fits your dietary needs. Here I have selected sweet lemons but any lemon will do. The parsley adds extra brightness as well as some freshness. I also added in some red pepper flakes for spice and color. Hope you'll enjoy this simple dish as much as I do!

Simple Lemon Pasta

Ingredients 

• 2 - 3 lemons, juice and some zest
• 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
• himalayan salt & pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 8 oz. package pasta of choice
• chopped parsley, to garnish

Cook pasta according to package. 

In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice, oil, salt, cracked pepper and red pepper flakes. 

Place pasta in individual serving dishes, top with half of lemon juice mixture, chopped parsley, lemon zest and extra of the spices if you like. Simple and delicious...

Notes:

Would be nice garnished with some sliced chives or scallions (green onions) as well.

Enjoy the simplicity!

Pineapple Veggie Lover Pizza - Gluten Free

It's been ages since I've had pizza and have been wanting to make one for a while now. It's always fun to make your own and this one came out so colorful & yummy! I picked up a package of Bob's Gluten Free pizza crust and thought I'd give it a go. I'm not gluten intolerant but do try to keep my recipes along those lines as much as possible. Feel free to use any pizza crust you like. I've heard Trader Joe's has a great pre-made crust I want to try later. This one was surprisingly easy to make. Once you get the dough together it sits for 20 min to rise and then about 7-9 min in the oven so you can chop up your veggies while waiting. Everything flows together nicely. After pizza is topped and in the oven you'll have about 20 min till ready. 

As usual, this is one of those dishes that can be adapted to your own flavors. These are mine!

Ingredients

Dough:

• Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Whole Grain Mix
• 1 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons flax seed meal & 6 tablespoons water, mix and let set for 10 min)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Yeast packet, included in pizza mix
• fresh herbs or spices, optional (I didn't use any this time but it would be nice to spice it up with something)

Pizza topping:

• marinara sauce or any pizza sauce of choice 
• 1/2 cup pineapple
• 1-2 jalapeno
• small handful mushrooms
• 1/2 bell pepper, I used orange
• 4-5 grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 small red onion
• 1 scallion
• 5-6 big leaves of basil, chopped

Directions

Prepare and cook pizza dough according to package, layer with pizza topping when called for. I cooked mine on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Try adding a little Almond Parmesan topping if you want to add a bit of cheesiness. It's really easy to make and a great pantry staple!

Enjoy!

I can finally check this off my 'to do' cooking list. After making this pizza I had a wonderful idea....'Pizza Pasta'...a little quirky but very tasty. If you can load all these gems on a pizza, why not on pasta! Pineapple adds a whole new level to this dish, I found myself searching for those sweet pineapple pieces, along with the mushrooms too....pretty good. 



Cheers to quirkiness...

Rustic Baked Potato Chips

Once you go homemade......there is no turning back ! 

Forget the bag, this is so simple and delicious. I used to love potato chips and had no real problem eating them before but now a days I eat a few and feel not so good to my tummy. My clean eating habits have dramatically altered my system. It knows when something is processed and not close to nature as it should be. Funny how we adjust. I prefer my new habits and feel terrific so there is no way back to the old ways for me.

Here is my grand solution. I can finally enjoy potato chips !

These can be made any way you want....simple as salt & pepper, or spice it up with some cayenne or chipolte powder. Other spices you can use are garlic salt, onion powder, any special blends you have....just about any spice or herb you can think of will work ! Maybe salt & rosemary will be my next batch ?!

I started with two potatoes, clean and ready to slice. I don't have a slicer so everything was done by hand with a shape knife. The whole process was simple and took about 10 min or so to prep. Once you get them on the cookie sheet your ready to go ! 

Rustic Baked Potato Chips

(recipe and photos inspired by The Talking Kitchen)

 Ingredients

• 2 medium potatoes, I used gold, organic from Sprout's ($2.99 for a big bag)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• himalayan salt, to taste...go easy as they can get too salty

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper, a rack would be great too and you would need less cooking time. That's next on my list !
3. Using a sharp knife, food processor attachment or mandolin, thinly slice the potatoes. 
4. Toss with oil and salt in medium size bowl. Or you can go to step five and lightly coat each side with oil while on the cookie sheet using a silicon brush. One less thing to wash this way, which was my way. 
5. Place in a single layer on the baking sheet. 
6. Bake for 10-17 minutes, turning after 10 min. Remove any that seem ready or about to burn completely. 
7. Once baked, remove from oven and let cool for 2 - 5 min.  Makes two servings.

Enjoy !

Southwestern Tofu Scramble

I've been on a tofu scramble kick lately...I will eventually get around to trying some other yummy breakfast foods I have in mind one of these days. I really love this combination, the tofu is light and fluffy with a nice yellow coloring from the turmeric, which by the way is a great spice...very healthy for you! It is one of the top spiced for natural healing in the spice world. I'm also pleased to say this passed the picky eater test. My daughter loved this one! 

Southwestern Tofu Scramble

Ingredients

• 1/2 block firm or extra firm tofu
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• tomatoes, scallions, mushrooms, spinach & broccoli, as much as you like
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salsa & avocado
• himalayan salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 or 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional...for a cheesy flavor!

Drain and slice your tofu, I like to cut mine into thirds. Place the slices between a few paper towels or clean cloth. Press it between your hands or press tofu while lying on a hard surface, using the paper towels/clean cloth to absorb excess moisture. Set tofu aside.

On medium-high heat, begin warming your oil. Add the mushrooms, broccoli, scallions in the oil until lightly softened. Add in the spices, mix again. Add tofu to the pan while crumbling the slices between your fingers. Add spinach and continue cooking over medium high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Cook until spinach starts to wilt.

Remove pan from heat. Serve with salsa, avocado and season with more seasoning as desired.

• • •

Makes two servings, or if you're like me it's one serving. You can add/subtract any veggies you like, I just happen to love them and usually use all kinds. And remember, tofu has appx. 9 grams of protein per serving so it's a great source for vegans. It's very wallet friendly too, I find Non-GMO tofu for .98 cents (16 oz with 5 servings) and fully organic tofu for $1.70 (10 oz. about 3 servings)...pretty amazing ! 

Enjoy !

RAW VEGETABLE PASTA

We can all benefit from a raw meal at least once a day, whether it's a salad or something like this raw vegetable pasta. Adding a fresh, raw dish to your daily meal plan is good for your system in countless ways. So with some marina'raw' sauce I had left over from a previous recipe, I decided to put together this raw vegetable pasta dish. I started with just the usual zucchini 'noodles' and decided to try some cucumber 'noodles' as well. Turned out to be a nice combo! I added in some fresh vegetables that I happen to have on hand and the result was a complete success. Adding a layer of almond parmesan over top will take this to the next level of deliciousness while adding protein....it's amazing over top! This complete dish is simple, delicious and refreshingly filling! 

Feel free to use any vegetables you like. These are what I had on hand and threw together. 

 

On the left are the zucchini noodles and on the right are the cucumber noodles. Very refreshing and filling. 

RAW VEGETABLE PASTA

Ingredients (serves two)

• handful mushrooms, diced
• 1/2 each red & yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 - 2 carrots, diced
• 1 - 2 scallions, sliced
• fresh chopped cilantro, basil or parsley (optional)
• mineral salt & cracked pepper, to taste

Noodles 

• 1 small zucchini (1 per person)
• 1 small cucumber (1 per person)

Marina'raw' Sauce

• recipe here

Spiralize your zucchini and cucumber, set aside. You can also julienne by hand or use a julienne tool but the spiralizer is really fun and easy. I highly recommend having one if you make raw noodles often. (check notes below on spiralizer options)

Dice up your veggies, using as much as you like. Now you can either mix everything together in a separate bowl and transfer to individual serving dishes or you can serve and mix right in your serving dish. Top with sliced green onions, fresh herbs of choice, mineral salt & cracked pepper to taste. Extra Aaamazing topped with a dusting of Almond Parmesan!

Notes:

Depending on the size, I generally use 1 zucchini & 1 cucumber per person. You can use half of each if they are on the larger side but even then it won't hurt to have a little extra on your plate.

You could also use raw nut meat with this as well. The nut meat is a combination of walnuts and mushrooms...really delicious! You can find the recipe here. Since this is for an Italian style dish, I recommend subbing the spices to be more of an Italian flare...sage, thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram and sun-dried tomatoes. Use your best judgment on which ones to use and combine.

This could easily be prepared for to go lunches. Make a batch of the marina'raw' sauce, cut up some vegetables and store for quick access to preparing a 'to-go meal' or anytime when your at home. A little preparation goes a long way. The sauce will last up to 5 - 6 days and the fresh chopped veggies should last about the same.

If you're in a pinch, try subbing in bottled organic tomato sauce of choice. It won't be considered 100% raw but it will still be delicious!

I use the Paderno Spirooli which is around $35 on Amazon, lots of features compared to others (you can wait for sales and purchase for cheaper). You can also use a julienne tool which is much less cumbersome and can easily fit into your utensil drawer.

Enjoy often!

MARINA'RAW' SAUCE

This marinara sauce has been a great recipe to come back to again and again. I've used it on salads, zucchini & cucumber noodles, and even on cooked pasta. This is a great recipe to play with and come up some different variations using herbs and spices you prefer. This will serve three generously. Also, the cherry tomatoes I added at the end, they are so sweet and I thought it may be a nice add, and it was. I think you'll find this recipe to be flavorful, fresh and so easy to put together!

MARINA'RAW' SAUCE

Ingredients 

• 4 - 5 roma tomatoes
• small handful cherry tomatoes, optional
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, softened
• 1 - 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons shallots
• 1/2 cup cilantro, parsley or basil, medium packed
• 1/2 teaspoon mineral salt

Place ingredients into food processor/blender, and blend until mixture is fairly smooth. You can also leave it a little chunky if you like.

Serves three.

Notes: 

This can be served with salad, 'noodles', or whatever you want. 

Sauce should last up to five/six days in the refrigerator. 

Feel free to substitute any herbs and spices in the sauce, make it your own. You can use parsley, thyme, basil, cardamom, cumin, red pepper flakes to spice it up, etc.....Have fun creating! 

Here's a few serving suggestions...

Farmer's Market Salad

'Raw'sta Pasta 

Enjoy often!

'Sweet Tang' Smoothie

Sweet pineapple, tangy plum and chia seeds make for a smoothie that will give you plenty of extended energy that tastes great any time of day. It's a 'Sweet Tang' Smoothie.

 Chia seeds are not just for the 'chia pet' that I remember growing up with, in fact, they are a 'superfood'. They contain omega-3 oil (a great source for vegans), its protein is complete to raise your energy levels and they expand with liquids to keep you feeling fuller longer. It contains a lot of nutrition in a little package. A serving (two Tbsp) of chia seeds has 60 calories, 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein and 4 grams of healthy fat. They have no flavor and are so little you really can't tell they're there. They are a staple in my kitchen these days. Great To sprinkle on salads, fruit dishes, add to smoothies, cereal...all kinds of places to sneak these in!

'Sweet Tang' Smoothie

Ingredients

• 6 plums
• 1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks
• 1 cup coconut water
• 2 tablespoon chia seeds

Directions

1. Wash and remove seeds from plums. 
2. Place all ingredients in blender and blend to desired smoothness. 

* Makes approximately 24 oz., a glass and a half, which was a serving for me.

* To make this a 'Fiber Blast Smoothie' add an extra serving of chia seeds. You can also replace the coconut water with other water if like.

Enjoy !

Farmer's Market Salad w/ Marina'raw' Sauce

 A trip to the farmer's market is always a good day ! I have access to the best tasting corn this season and am incorporating it into whatever I can. It is so sweet, I eat it raw right of the cob. I am not kidding it is that good! Tonight I included it in this wonderful salad that I topped with a raw marinara sauce. This sauce is very versatile, you can use it to top raw 'noodles' such as butternut or zucchini, or you can use it like I did to top a variety of salads. 

My Farmer's Market Salad Included

spinach, 5 oz

pea shoots, handful

corn off the cob, 2 ears

zucchini, 1/2 small

red bell pepper, 1/2

avocado, whole
dash of himalayan salt & cracked pepper 

Use a much as you want of each veggie or add/subtract whatever you wish !

This was for myself alone. :)

Now on to the marina'raw' sauce....

Marina'raw' Sauce

4 roma tomatoes

small handful of grape tomatoes, optional

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp shallot

1/2 cup cilantro

1/2 tsp himalayan salt

 Directions

Put all ingredients into a food processor, or blender, and blend on high until mixture is fairly smooth. You can  leave it a little chunky too. 

• • •

This is a great recipe to play with and come up some different variations. This will serve two/three generously. Also, the cherry tomatoes I added at the end, they are so sweet and I thought it may be a nice add, and it was. 

May you always be healthy and well. Enjoy !

Note: I started out with the intention of this salad being fat free but I couldn't resist the avocado. So omit the avocado for a fat free meal. :)

Skillet Gardener's Pie

This is not the type of meal I typically eat but was craving something savory with that old home style feel. When I came across this recipe for a vegan version of Shepard's Pie using kidney beans as the main protein, I was off to pick up the few ingredients I needed. This is comfort food that I really get into. I love potatoes in all forms, they go so well with all vegetables. In this dish, I added a few extra veggies then the recipe called for. For one, I had some asparagus that I needed to use up. And the other was corn since it's in season and full of wonderful flavor and light color, it's a nice compliment. This dish hit the spot. Looking forward to the left overs, I imagine they will be even better. 

Skillet Shepard's Pie

• Ingredients
• 
  
• For the mashed potatoes 
• 2 pounds Yukon gold or red potatoes (I used gold)
• 1/2 cuunsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• mineral salt and pepper to taste

• Fillng
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup asparagus, sliced in 1" pieces
• 1/2 cup green beans, cut in 1″ pieces
• 1 corn off the cob
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves, packed
• 1 can (15oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp tamari, soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced (or 1 tsp. dried)
• 1/4 teaspoon sage
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch...add more as needed
• 2 tablespoons water (or veg. broth)
• extra rosemary or thyme for garnish
• mineral salt & pepper to taste

Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with water. (I added a few springs of thyme to the water.) Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes, add milk and oil, mash and stir until desired consistency. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and set aside in a warm place.

While the potatoes are cooking, start the filling. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high, add onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic, carrots, celery and mushrooms, sauté for 3 more minutes.

Turn heat to medium, add the vegetable broth, tamari, kidney beans, green beans, corn, asparagus and herbs, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until all vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. There should still be some liquid in the pan, but if it has become too dry, add a little of the potato-cooking water. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts.

In a small bowl, mix the corn starch with water until smooth, add to the pan. Cook, stirring, until mixture has thickened.

Spoon the potatoes evenly over the top of the filling and sprinkle with chopped rosemary. If potatoes have cooled, put the skillet under the broiler for a minute or two. Serve immediately while hot.

Notes:

I usually just fill my bowl with the veggies and top with the potatoes and rosemary, salt & pepper. Seems simpler to me for this party of one.

Enjoy !

P.S., This would serve six as the original recipe says, I had tons of left overs even though I ate alot. At least I'm set for a few meals. :) 

Source: Fat Free Vegan Kitchen 'Skillet Gardener's Pie'

Black Bean, Roasted Corn & Tomato Salad

Simple, everyday food that is healthy and delicious! Sweet roasted corn, juicy tomatoes bursting with flavor and black beans all together making this a great summery salad. I also added some avocado as an after thought, so be sure to add some of that if you like...it was so good. This would also be great topped with a cashew cream like this one, Cilantro Cashew Cream or this Sriracha Cashew Cream. Enjoy this often and be well!

Black Bean, Roasted Corn & Tomato Salad

Ingredients (serves two)

• 2 heads romaine lettuce
• 1 can (14 oz) organic black beans
• 1 corn on the cob
• 1 dry pint grape or cherry tomatoes (or about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 jalapeno, diced and seeds removed
• 1 small shallot, diced or 1/4 cup onion of choice
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional)
• cilantro, as much as you like
• lime wedges, to serve
• avocado, diced (optional)
• Cashew Sour Cream or Lime-Cilantro Cashew Cream, optional
• mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roast your corn either by wrapping in tin foil or if using corn in the husk, soak for 5 min and cook in the husk. Add tomatoes and corn on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 25 min. 

In the meantime, heat black beans on low together with the jalapenos, shallot, garlic and optional cumin. Clean your romaine lettuce and chop.

When corn is done, cut off the cob, add corn to the black bean mixture. Serve bean mixture on top of your chopped romaine adding some of the juice for extra moisture and flavor if you like. Top with tomatoes, cilantro, salt and pepper and a big squeeze of lime. Would be fantastic with a dollop of the cashew sour cream or lime-cilantro cashew cream!

Enjoy!

Raw Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Raw banana ice cream! Why have I not known of this before, what a great dessert or meal (I had this for dinner the other night). It's super delicious, fat free, no refined sugars and dairy free which means it's cruelty free. You can do so many things with this...be creative and have fun experimenting with what works for you.

Raw Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients

• three frozen bananas
• 1 heaping tablespoon raw cacao/cocoa powder
• fruit or chopped nuts for topping, optional

Break frozen bananas into small pieces. Place bananas and cocoa/cacao into blender or food processor, blend until desired consistency scraping down the sides every now and then, will take anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes. 

Scoop into your bowls, top with fruit or nuts and eat right away. 

Serves one generously with enough to share if you like. :)

Notes:

You can also freeze this ice cream by storing in an air tight container. Keep in freezer for at least six hours or overnight, let thaw 10 min or so before scooping. Double this recipe and freeze for convenience. 

I just received a new processor for Christmas and it works so well compared to my old one. The extra time spent will depend on the power of your processor/blender. A good blender will be a good friend to you when making this ice cream.

Instead of throwing out bananas I always freeze them for making smoothies later and this will be a new reason to pull out a frozen banana or two. Doesn't get much simpler that this.

Enjoy !

You may also enjoy this Almond Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

Inspired by this recipe at Rawified.

Stuffed Avocados

Avocados are so versatile and can be served with so many dishes. I eat them almost every day. Today it was served stuffed and as you can imagine it tasted amazing !

Ingredients

grape tomatoes

cucumber

jalapeno

shallot

garlic

hummus or tahini

himalayan salt & pepper

Dice ingredients, place in small/medium bowl, add just enough hummus to bind. Fill avocados and top with salt & pepper.

Let this just be a starting point for you. You can add/subtract whatever you wish. You can even double stuff yours. Go stuffing nuts and enjoy every minute !

Hope this inspires something wonderful within ! xo

ROASTED FENNEL & POTATO SOUP

I have made this soup a couple times now. It's really wonderful! If you're one of those who enjoy warm, velvety soups, this is perfect for you. And if your a mashed potato lover, this soup is definitely for you! The fennel gives such a nice flavor. I've always loved the look of fennel with its frilly fronds, so delicate. If you've never cut fennel before take a look at this guide: How To Chop Fennel. This soup is great all year around and especially for the winter holiday menus. It makes for a great starter soup to your holiday celebrations that aren't adorned with mashed potatoes. I'm also contemplating turning this into a mashed potato dish using less liquids. This is a keeper for sure and I know you'll agree! Recipe adapted from the ladies at PPK.

Very few ingredients go into this soup. Once vegetables are roasted, add them with your liquids and blend. Your home will smell wonderful and your taste buds and tummy will be happy!

ROASTED FENNEL & POTATO SOUP

Ingredients 

• 2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks 
• 2 large or 3 small fennel bulbs, sliced into 1 inch slices (reserve some fronds for garnish)
• 1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 2 cups water or vegetable broth
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Roast: Using two large rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silpat, place potatoes on one, and fennel & onion on the other. Add a light drizzle of oil to each sheet and toss vegetables until evenly coated, spread evenly on the sheet. Add a sprinkle of salt & pepper over top. Place in oven on separate racks and cook for 30 minutes or so, tossing half way through and rotating sheets as needed. Potatoes should be fork tender. Reserve a few fennel pieces for garnish if you like.

Puree: In a large pot, add water/broth and milk. Add vegetables and using an immersion blender, puree until desired consistency, add more liquids as needed. You may like your soup a little chunky or smooth. You may also use a blender/food processor to puree the soup (this method may take two batches to complete). Taste for flavor adding more salt & pepper as needed.

Warm: Bring the pot to the stove and heat soup over medium low until warmed through.

Serve: Fill individual bowls and top with reserved fennel and fresh cracked pepper. Pairs well with crusty bread of choice. 

Serves 4 - 6.

Notes:

I didn't peel my potatoes. I happen to like the fiber and chunkiness it adds to the soup. If you're looking to make this super velvety, I would suggest peeling the potatoes before roasting.

A quick guide to cutting fennel: How To Chop Fennel

The smaller you chop the vegetables the quicker they will cook and vice versa.

A way to measure the potatoes: I always use about 1 medium potato per serving or person. This soup serves 4 - 6, so I suggest always using the highest serving size to accommodate....six potatoes. This is also a good guide for when making mashed potatoes, at least 1 medium sized potato per person. 

Cinnamon Baked Apple Crisps

Celebrating 4th of July with these yummy baked apple crisps served warm from the oven with vanilla soy ice cream, granola and a sprinkle of cinnamon. What is not to love!

Fuji apples are my favorite…they always surprise me with the different flavors each one has. Sometimes I bite into one and it tastes like a caramel apple, other times it tastes exactly the way a red rose smells…so divine is the Fuji apple!

Baked Apples 

• 1 or more apples of your liking
• cinnamon 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• To core or not to core ? You don’t have to but I did. I have seen them without coring, if you do this just remove the seeds after slicing and you will have a pretty little star in the middle. 
• Thinly slice your apples and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Bake for about 15 min. I like mine a little soft. If you like yours crispy, bake for 45 min to an hour, checking your apples in between.

Eat as is or add to your favorite ice cream, oatmeal, cereal…let the healthy ideas come to you and enjoy !