Rainbow Slaw with Agave-Lime Dressing

Memorial Day is just around the corner - wow, is it really almost June?!

Barbecues, cookouts, potlucks will ensue.  Burgers and dogs will be grilled.  Fireworks will be set.

Will you be ready?

This Rainbow Slaw has quickly become my favorite coleslaw.  Its colorful and beautiful and it tastes so fresh.  Plus, it doesn't use any mayo - just whole, real foods.  In fact, it's vegan.  Also gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and nut-free.  I think I have all my food-allergy bases covered with this one.

It makes a gorgeous side-dish to barbecued chicken or a delicious and unexpected hot dog topper.  I grilled some Applegate Farms Organic Chicken & Apple Sausages until nicely charred, then served them inside a French baguette, topped with the slaw and a little dijon mustard.  Summer grilling at its best.

I love serving hot dogs or sausages inside baguettes - it adds a little bit of class to an otherwise simple food.  You simply cut a piece the same size as the hot dog or sausage, then use a knife to split the piece  3/4 of the way through.  Place the dog inside and top as you wish!  It's great because it doesn't have any dough softeners or preservatives like most packaged hot dog rolls, and you can often find whole wheat baguettes at most grocery stores, too.  Plus, you don't have to worry about having buns that are too long for your hot dogs, because you cut them to size.  And while I don't like having extra hot dog buns leftover, I am totally ok with having leftover french bread.  I'm just gonna come right out and say it's brilliant ;-)

Try this slaw, I assure you you won't regret it one bit.  I should mention, it's infinitely adaptable.  Don't have agave?  Use honey.  Don't like onion?  Substitute a bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped.  It's ok to play with your food.  Just don't throw it, OK?

Rainbow Slaw with Agave-Lime Dressing
serves 6-8 as a side-dish
adapted from The Kitchn

1/2 head of purple cabbage, cored
1/2 head of green cabbage, cored
3 medium carrots, peeled
4 green onions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
juice from 2 limes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or a little more, to taste)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or a little more, to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or a little more, to taste)

Shred the cabbage finely using a very sharp chef's knife (or a mandoline or food processor shredding blade).  Using a box grater, grate the carrots (again, you could also use your food processor's shredding blade here too).  In a very large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, carrots and the thinly sliced green onions.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, agave, salt and pepper.  Pour dressing over the cabbage and toss well.  Season with additional salt, pepper and agave as necessary.

The slaw will shrink in volume over time as the cabbage releases its moisture.  I think its best to serve this slaw within 1-2 days, but it will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.


Serving ideas:

-  Use as a topping on grilled hot dogs or sausages
-  Serve on top of pulled/shredded barbecue chicken or pork sandwiches
-  Serve as a side-dish with barbecue chicken breasts or legs
-  Serve slaw on top of fish tacos (I like to use Mahi-Mahi but any white fish will work) with diced avocado, greek yogurt and lime wedges

What are your Memorial Day plans?  Headed to the Beach?  Does your family have a big cookout or set off your own fireworks?  Do tell!

Rainbow Slaw with Agave-Lime Dressing

Memorial Day is just around the corner - wow, is it really almost June?!

Barbecues, cookouts, potlucks will ensue.  Burgers and dogs will be grilled.  Fireworks will be set.

Will you be ready?

This Rainbow Slaw has quickly become my favorite coleslaw.  Its colorful and beautiful and it tastes so fresh.  Plus, it doesn't use any mayo - just whole, real foods.  In fact, it's vegan.  Also gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and nut-free.  I think I have all my food-allergy bases covered with this one.

It makes a gorgeous side-dish to barbecued chicken or a delicious and unexpected hot dog topper.  I grilled some Applegate Farms Organic Chicken & Apple Sausages until nicely charred, then served them inside a French baguette, topped with the slaw and a little dijon mustard.  Summer grilling at its best.

I love serving hot dogs or sausages inside baguettes - it adds a little bit of class to an otherwise simple food.  You simply cut a piece the same size as the hot dog or sausage, then use a knife to split the piece  3/4 of the way through.  Place the dog inside and top as you wish!  It's great because it doesn't have any dough softeners or preservatives like most packaged hot dog rolls, and you can often find whole wheat baguettes at most grocery stores, too.  Plus, you don't have to worry about having buns that are too long for your hot dogs, because you cut them to size.  And while I don't like having extra hot dog buns leftover, I am totally ok with having leftover french bread.  I'm just gonna come right out and say it's brilliant ;-)

Try this slaw, I assure you you won't regret it one bit.  I should mention, it's infinitely adaptable.  Don't have agave?  Use honey.  Don't like onion?  Substitute a bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped.  It's ok to play with your food.  Just don't throw it, OK?

Rainbow Slaw with Agave-Lime Dressing
serves 6-8 as a side-dish
adapted from The Kitchn

1/2 head of purple cabbage, cored
1/2 head of green cabbage, cored
3 medium carrots, peeled
4 green onions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
juice from 2 limes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or a little more, to taste)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or a little more, to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or a little more, to taste)

Shred the cabbage finely using a very sharp chef's knife (or a mandoline or food processor shredding blade).  Using a box grater, grate the carrots (again, you could also use your food processor's shredding blade here too).  In a very large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, carrots and the thinly sliced green onions.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, agave, salt and pepper.  Pour dressing over the cabbage and toss well.  Season with additional salt, pepper and agave as necessary.

The slaw will shrink in volume over time as the cabbage releases its moisture.  I think its best to serve this slaw within 1-2 days, but it will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.


Serving ideas:

-  Use as a topping on grilled hot dogs or sausages
-  Serve on top of pulled/shredded barbecue chicken or pork sandwiches
-  Serve as a side-dish with barbecue chicken breasts or legs
-  Serve slaw on top of fish tacos (I like to use Mahi-Mahi but any white fish will work) with diced avocado, greek yogurt and lime wedges

What are your Memorial Day plans?  Headed to the Beach?  Does your family have a big cookout or set off your own fireworks?  Do tell!

Chipotle Quinoa with Corn and Black Beans

I have another delicious quinoa recipe to share with you (!).  I don't know about you but I can never have too many quinoa salad recipes.  They are delicious hot, cold, or at room temperature. They are healthy, filling and make fantastic leftovers on top of a big green salad.

Prepared quinoa salads are a perfect side dish to take on a picnic or bring to a barbecue because they can be prepared ahead of time, and I actually think they taste better after sitting in the fridge for a day or so.  And they are a healthy alternative to the usual fare found at most barbecues and potlucks, like heavy mayo-laden potato and pasta salads, potato chips and creamy, cheesy dips.  I'm not saying you shouldn't try those other tasty foods, but just fill up on the quinoa salad first, so you're not so tempted to go back for seconds on the mac and cheese.

At this point, you may be asking yourself:  is this turning into a vegetarian food blog?  The majority of my recipes I've posted the last few months have been vegetable or grain-based dishes and meat has been making fewer appearances on our dinner table too, lately (although we are still eating plenty of sustainable fish).  Well, the answer is:  no, we're not vegetarians and I'm not making this a vegetarian blog.  It's just that we have adopted a more plant-centric diet and so naturally, that comes through on this blog, since it's a record of our successful home-made meals.

There are many reasons for eating fewer processed foods and less meat, especially the conventionally-raised sort.  I have been meaning to talk specifically about my food philosophies and how they came to be on the blog for some time now, but I haven't had the chance to really compose my thoughts into a concise manifesto just yet.  I will, I promise I will, because I think it's so important - in fact, it is coming to be one of the defining themes of my life.  But for now, I will leave it with just this:  in my opinion, the American obesity epidemic (and prevalence of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease) and much of the pollution of our environment can be traced to the same root cause:  the large amount of animal products and processed foods in American diets.

This recipe comes from Mark Bittman's The Food Matters Cookbook, which I absolutely love.  It's full of simple and flavorful dishes that emphasize the use of a wide variety of vegetables and whole grains and uses animal products in smaller quantities.  I really agree with Bittman's food philosophy that he describes in the book:  eat more plants and fewer processed foods and animal products, for this will not only shrink our waistlines but improve our health and that of our environment.

This Mark Bittman recipe for quinoa that I'm sharing today used one of my favorite flavor combinations:  chipotles and black beans.  (If it looks familiar it's because I've combined these flavors in patties, tacos and soup!)  Chipotles are smoked jalapenos, so they're spicy.  They come packed in adobo sauce, in a small can that can be found in the Hispanic foods aisle of the grocery store.  Since most recipes only call for 1-2 chiles, I save the rest of the can, the chiles and the sauce, in a freezer-safe ziploc bag in the freezer, then break and thaw pieces as needed.

We ate the Chipotle Quinoa as a side dish with a filet of MSC-Certified Sockeye Salmon and salad but in a larger portion, it would be a hearty entree as well, and tastes delicious on top of a bed of mixed greens too.

This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free.  For gluten-free, make sure to use certified gluten-free vegetable stock, a gluten-free beer (there are a few out there!), or water.   Also, make sure to check the label on your chipotles in adobo for hidden gluten (La Costena brand is gluten-free).

Chipotle Quinoa with Corn and Black Beans
serves 4-6
adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1-2 canned chipotle chiles, minced, with some of their adobo sauce (I used less than 1 chile because I'm a wimp - these are spicy!  Just go by your palate, depending on how spicy you like it)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup quinoa, well-rinsed and drained
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or use 1 can, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup corn (I used frozen)
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock (or beer or water)
lime wedges and 1-2 thinly sliced green onions, for serving

Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Once hot, add the onion and cook until just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.  Then, add the minced garlic and cook, stirring another 2 minutes.  Add the chipotles and adobo sauce (start with a little, and add more if you're braver than me), oregano and continue stirring for one more minute.

Increase the heat to medium-high, add the quinoa and continue to cook, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes.  Add the beans, corn, stock and some salt and pepper (start with about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of each, you can add more just before serving it, if necessary) and bring to a boil.  Stir, cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer, covered for 15 minutes.

Uncover the pot after 15 minutes and test the quinoa for doneness (if the quinoa is still crunchy, make sure there is enough liquid to keep the bottom of the pot moist, cover and cook an additional 5 minutes or so).  Once cooked, taste and adjust the salt and pepper, as necessary.

Serve warm, room temperature or chilled, topped with the green onion and lime wedges on the side.

Chipotle Quinoa with Corn and Black Beans

I have another delicious quinoa recipe to share with you (!).  I don't know about you but I can never have too many quinoa salad recipes.  They are delicious hot, cold, or at room temperature. They are healthy, filling and make fantastic leftovers on top of a big green salad.

Prepared quinoa salads are a perfect side dish to take on a picnic or bring to a barbecue because they can be prepared ahead of time, and I actually think they taste better after sitting in the fridge for a day or so.  And they are a healthy alternative to the usual fare found at most barbecues and potlucks, like heavy mayo-laden potato and pasta salads, potato chips and creamy, cheesy dips.  I'm not saying you shouldn't try those other tasty foods, but just fill up on the quinoa salad first, so you're not so tempted to go back for seconds on the mac and cheese.

At this point, you may be asking yourself:  is this turning into a vegetarian food blog?  The majority of my recipes I've posted the last few months have been vegetable or grain-based dishes and meat has been making fewer appearances on our dinner table too, lately (although we are still eating plenty of sustainable fish).  Well, the answer is:  no, we're not vegetarians and I'm not making this a vegetarian blog.  It's just that we have adopted a more plant-centric diet and so naturally, that comes through on this blog, since it's a record of our successful home-made meals.

There are many reasons for eating fewer processed foods and less meat, especially the conventionally-raised sort.  I have been meaning to talk specifically about my food philosophies and how they came to be on the blog for some time now, but I haven't had the chance to really compose my thoughts into a concise manifesto just yet.  I will, I promise I will, because I think it's so important - in fact, it is coming to be one of the defining themes of my life.  But for now, I will leave it with just this:  in my opinion, the American obesity epidemic (and prevalence of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease) and much of the pollution of our environment can be traced to the same root cause:  the large amount of animal products and processed foods in American diets.

This recipe comes from Mark Bittman's The Food Matters Cookbook, which I absolutely love.  It's full of simple and flavorful dishes that emphasize the use of a wide variety of vegetables and whole grains and uses animal products in smaller quantities.  I really agree with Bittman's food philosophy that he describes in the book:  eat more plants and fewer processed foods and animal products, for this will not only shrink our waistlines but improve our health and that of our environment.

This Mark Bittman recipe for quinoa that I'm sharing today used one of my favorite flavor combinations:  chipotles and black beans.  (If it looks familiar it's because I've combined these flavors in patties, tacos and soup!)  Chipotles are smoked jalapenos, so they're spicy.  They come packed in adobo sauce, in a small can that can be found in the Hispanic foods aisle of the grocery store.  Since most recipes only call for 1-2 chiles, I save the rest of the can, the chiles and the sauce, in a freezer-safe ziploc bag in the freezer, then break and thaw pieces as needed.

We ate the Chipotle Quinoa as a side dish with a filet of MSC-Certified Sockeye Salmon and salad but in a larger portion, it would be a hearty entree as well, and tastes delicious on top of a bed of mixed greens too.

This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free.  For gluten-free, make sure to use certified gluten-free vegetable stock, a gluten-free beer (there are a few out there!), or water.   Also, make sure to check the label on your chipotles in adobo for hidden gluten (La Costena brand is gluten-free).

Chipotle Quinoa with Corn and Black Beans
serves 4-6
adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1-2 canned chipotle chiles, minced, with some of their adobo sauce (I used less than 1 chile because I'm a wimp - these are spicy!  Just go by your palate, depending on how spicy you like it)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup quinoa, well-rinsed and drained
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or use 1 can, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup corn (I used frozen)
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock (or beer or water)
lime wedges and 1-2 thinly sliced green onions, for serving

Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Once hot, add the onion and cook until just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.  Then, add the minced garlic and cook, stirring another 2 minutes.  Add the chipotles and adobo sauce (start with a little, and add more if you're braver than me), oregano and continue stirring for one more minute.

Increase the heat to medium-high, add the quinoa and continue to cook, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes.  Add the beans, corn, stock and some salt and pepper (start with about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of each, you can add more just before serving it, if necessary) and bring to a boil.  Stir, cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer, covered for 15 minutes.

Uncover the pot after 15 minutes and test the quinoa for doneness (if the quinoa is still crunchy, make sure there is enough liquid to keep the bottom of the pot moist, cover and cook an additional 5 minutes or so).  Once cooked, taste and adjust the salt and pepper, as necessary.

Serve warm, room temperature or chilled, topped with the green onion and lime wedges on the side.

Cauliflower-Spinach Puree

Without a doubt, one of the best thrift store finds I have come across recently has been a collection of old issues of Gourmet, Cooks Illustrated and Bon Appetit magazines from 2-3 years ago.  Each magazine was being sold for $.27 and they were all in perfect condition - no pages torn out, no weird mildew smell, etc.  I narrowed it down to 10  (from at least 30) but I really wanted to take them all home.    

Since I don't subscribe to these magazines, it was a great buy as they are all full of awesome recipes, beautiful photography and cool kitchen tips and tricks.  Full of inspiration!

This side dish stood out immediately, as it was super healthy and quick to put together.  And I had all of the ingredients already so it didn't take long for me to put it down on our weekly menu.

I usually serve my Pesto Salmon with garlic mashed potatoes but we were really happy with this swap.  Served up with some nice tender asparagus on the side, this was an awesome meal, definitely worthy of company but easy enough for any old weeknight.

This really could have been plated much more attractively:  next time I would put the Cauliflower-Spinach puree on the bottom, then place the asparagus on top of that and stack the salmon on top.

Cauliflower-Spinach Puree

makes about 2 cups

adapted from Bon Appetit magazine (April 2009)

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into 1-2'' florets

1 large shallot, peeled and halved

1-2 small garlic cloves, optional

2 cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (I omitted)

Cook cauliflower, shallots and garlic cloves (if using) in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 8-10 minutes.  Drain well.  Complete the following steps in two batches if necessary (depending on the size of your food processor bowl): transfer the cooked vegetables and the baby spinach leaves into a food processor and add the olive oil.  Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a medium bowl and season with the lemon juice, if using.  Serve hot.

Went back for seconds (and thirds) on the Cauliflower-Spinach Puree!

What is your favorite way to eat cauliflower?

Mine would either be this version or oven-roasted cauliflower that has been tossed in olive oil and dusted with garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper and chili powder.  I can't decide, they're both so good!

Cauliflower-Spinach Puree

Without a doubt, one of the best thrift store finds I have come across recently has been a collection of old issues of Gourmet, Cooks Illustrated and Bon Appetit magazines from 2-3 years ago.  Each magazine was being sold for $.27 and they were all in perfect condition - no pages torn out, no weird mildew smell, etc.  I narrowed it down to 10  (from at least 30) but I really wanted to take them all home.    

Since I don't subscribe to these magazines, it was a great buy as they are all full of awesome recipes, beautiful photography and cool kitchen tips and tricks.  Full of inspiration!

This side dish stood out immediately, as it was super healthy and quick to put together.  And I had all of the ingredients already so it didn't take long for me to put it down on our weekly menu.

I usually serve my Pesto Salmon with garlic mashed potatoes but we were really happy with this swap.  Served up with some nice tender asparagus on the side, this was an awesome meal, definitely worthy of company but easy enough for any old weeknight.

This really could have been plated much more attractively:  next time I would put the Cauliflower-Spinach puree on the bottom, then place the asparagus on top of that and stack the salmon on top.

Cauliflower-Spinach Puree

makes about 2 cups

adapted from Bon Appetit magazine (April 2009)

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into 1-2'' florets

1 large shallot, peeled and halved

1-2 small garlic cloves, optional

2 cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (I omitted)

Cook cauliflower, shallots and garlic cloves (if using) in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 8-10 minutes.  Drain well.  Complete the following steps in two batches if necessary (depending on the size of your food processor bowl): transfer the cooked vegetables and the baby spinach leaves into a food processor and add the olive oil.  Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a medium bowl and season with the lemon juice, if using.  Serve hot.

Went back for seconds (and thirds) on the Cauliflower-Spinach Puree!

What is your favorite way to eat cauliflower?

Mine would either be this version or oven-roasted cauliflower that has been tossed in olive oil and dusted with garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper and chili powder.  I can't decide, they're both so good!

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Soup

Soup was ON for dinner tonight.  I've been totally obsessed with the combination of sweet winter vegetables (for example butternut squash and sweet potatoes) and black beans lately.  Remember my Chipotle-Glazed Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos?  Oh no?  Get into your kitchen and make them.  Now... just do it.

This soup is crazy-good.  It'll make you feel like snuggling up in a blanket in front of a roaring fire.  It is smokey and savory.  Oh, it's good.  And it's vegetarian and vegan (and even gluten-free if you leave off the crispy wonton strips).  I adapted the recipe just slightly from Sprouted Kitchen.  I added smoked paprika because I love the smokiness with black beans.  If you don't have smoked paprika, you could add a bit more ground cumin or some chipotle powder.

I didn't have tortillas for garnish so I used an open package of Nasoya wonton wrappers that I had in the fridge.  They worked like a charm, crisping up beautifully.  Use whatever you have, even some broken-up tortilla chips would work in a pinch.

Something else cool about the soup: it's inexpensive and quick to make.  How many more reasons could you possibly need?

So hurry up and make this soup before springtime.  Because when spring arrives, soup just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Since Brian has been working late the last few days, I was dining solo this evening so I decided to have two of my GFs, Joy and Tracy, join me (OK, so what if they don't know they're my GFs).  I listened to a couple of the Joy the Baker Podcasts while I ate dinner and it felt just like dinner with friends...except they did all the talking and I mostly just laughed along.

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Soup
serves 4-6

adapted from Sprouted Kitchen

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small head of cabbage, chopped (I used purple cabbage, you could use any variety at all)
3 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1'' chunks)
4 cups vegetable broth
2 level teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder (I used dark)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 (15.5 oz) can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
salt, to taste

For crispy wonton strips:
10-12 wonton wrappers (I use Nasoya wontons).  If you don't have wontons you can use 2 or 3 small flour or corn tortillas)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste

For garnish:
avocado, chopped
cilantro
green onion, thinly sliced
crispy wonton strips

In a heavy pot or dutch oven over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and add the chopped onion and saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and saute another 1 minute, stirring.  Then, add the cabbage, squash and broth and bring soup to a boil.  Cover the pot with the lid and lower heat to a simmer.  Simmer 15-20 minutes or until the cabbage and butternut squash are nearly done.  Meanwhile, make the crispy wonton strips (see method below).

After the soup has cooked about 15-20 minutes, add the spices and beans to the pot and stir.  Cook soup another 5-10 minutes, taste and season with additional salt as necessary.  Then turn off the heat and using an immersion blender, pulse several times to puree the soup just slightly in order to thicken it, leaving some of the vegetables and beans intact.  (If you don't have an immersion blender, remove 1/4 -1/3 of the soup liquid and vegetables to a blender and puree.  Then return pureed portion back to the soup pot and stir.)

Serve soup warm topped with the chopped avocado, cilantro, green onion and crispy wonton strips.

To make the Crispy Wonton Strips:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil and spray with a light mist of olive oil cooking spray.

Stack the wontons (or tortillas) on top of each other and slice into thin matchsticks.  Spread them out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.  Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Bake 8-10 minutes until light and crispy (if you use tortillas in stead of wontons, you may need to leave them in the oven for an additional 4-5 minutes).  Remove and season strips with additional salt, if necessary.  Use to garnish the soup.

What foods are you the MOST excited eating this Spring?

My favorites are strawberries and asparagus!  Love Spring Time!

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Soup

Soup was ON for dinner tonight.  I've been totally obsessed with the combination of sweet winter vegetables (for example butternut squash and sweet potatoes) and black beans lately.  Remember my Chipotle-Glazed Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos?  Oh no?  Get into your kitchen and make them.  Now... just do it.

This soup is crazy-good.  It'll make you feel like snuggling up in a blanket in front of a roaring fire.  It is smokey and savory.  Oh, it's good.  And it's vegetarian and vegan (and even gluten-free if you leave off the crispy wonton strips).  I adapted the recipe just slightly from Sprouted Kitchen.  I added smoked paprika because I love the smokiness with black beans.  If you don't have smoked paprika, you could add a bit more ground cumin or some chipotle powder.

I didn't have tortillas for garnish so I used an open package of Nasoya wonton wrappers that I had in the fridge.  They worked like a charm, crisping up beautifully.  Use whatever you have, even some broken-up tortilla chips would work in a pinch.

Something else cool about the soup: it's inexpensive and quick to make.  How many more reasons could you possibly need?

So hurry up and make this soup before springtime.  Because when spring arrives, soup just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Since Brian has been working late the last few days, I was dining solo this evening so I decided to have two of my GFs, Joy and Tracy, join me (OK, so what if they don't know they're my GFs).  I listened to a couple of the Joy the Baker Podcasts while I ate dinner and it felt just like dinner with friends...except they did all the talking and I mostly just laughed along.

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Soup
serves 4-6

adapted from Sprouted Kitchen

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small head of cabbage, chopped (I used purple cabbage, you could use any variety at all)
3 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1'' chunks)
4 cups vegetable broth
2 level teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder (I used dark)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 (15.5 oz) can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
salt, to taste

For crispy wonton strips:
10-12 wonton wrappers (I use Nasoya wontons).  If you don't have wontons you can use 2 or 3 small flour or corn tortillas)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste

For garnish:
avocado, chopped
cilantro
green onion, thinly sliced
crispy wonton strips

In a heavy pot or dutch oven over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and add the chopped onion and saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and saute another 1 minute, stirring.  Then, add the cabbage, squash and broth and bring soup to a boil.  Cover the pot with the lid and lower heat to a simmer.  Simmer 15-20 minutes or until the cabbage and butternut squash are nearly done.  Meanwhile, make the crispy wonton strips (see method below).

After the soup has cooked about 15-20 minutes, add the spices and beans to the pot and stir.  Cook soup another 5-10 minutes, taste and season with additional salt as necessary.  Then turn off the heat and using an immersion blender, pulse several times to puree the soup just slightly in order to thicken it, leaving some of the vegetables and beans intact.  (If you don't have an immersion blender, remove 1/4 -1/3 of the soup liquid and vegetables to a blender and puree.  Then return pureed portion back to the soup pot and stir.)

Serve soup warm topped with the chopped avocado, cilantro, green onion and crispy wonton strips.

To make the Crispy Wonton Strips:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil and spray with a light mist of olive oil cooking spray.

Stack the wontons (or tortillas) on top of each other and slice into thin matchsticks.  Spread them out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.  Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Bake 8-10 minutes until light and crispy (if you use tortillas in stead of wontons, you may need to leave them in the oven for an additional 4-5 minutes).  Remove and season strips with additional salt, if necessary.  Use to garnish the soup.

What foods are you the MOST excited eating this Spring?

My favorites are strawberries and asparagus!  Love Spring Time!