Simple Cabbage and Chickpea Soup with Fresh Basil

Right around the time my leg started feeling better, I came down with a cold. That was four weeks ago. My cold has worn out its welcome, but it is a rude visitor and doesn't care. It's also been cold. Really cold. As soon as the mercury dips below 50, I'm over winter.

Given these two factors, little else sounds as appetizing as yummy, comforting soup. This cabbage soup comes from Fat Free Vegan. It really is quite simple and so easy to put together, but it tastes amazing. Give it a go if you want a delicious, warm, comforting meal!

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

A week or two ago, I decided to start having green smoothies for breakfast every day. The upside to this is that I'm getting in way more raw greens than ever before (and have noticed a positive change in how I feel!); the downside is that I'm usually hungry two hours after I eat. While perusing FatFreeVegan, I came across these oatmeal bars. They sounded like a delicious and perfect mid-morning snack.

This recipe came together quickly and turned out really tasty. They were a little crumbly, but I think this was because I took them out of the oven prematurely. Another minute or two probably would have avoided the crumbly problem. These bars are a nice alternative to muffins in the morning, and also serve as a great snack. A dual purpose food in a single recipe? I'm sold.

Roasted Butternut and Cauliflower Soup

On Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring, and since the weather this week supports his prediction (sunny weather in the 60s? YES, PLEASE!), I'm trying to get in as many soups as possible before the weather becomes too warm to tolerate hot soups.


I came across this recipe on FatFreeVegan. The picture looked so lovely, I had to try it out. Although I was on the fence about cauliflower - my last go-round with it was when I was a child, and our interaction wasn't amiable - I love butternut squash! I omitted the sherry, and the soup wasn't lacking for it. And it turns out cauliflower and I actually can be friends.


If you're trying to make the most of the end of hot soup season, add this to your rotation!


You'll need:
1 butternut squash
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed or chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons mild curry powder (see note)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon sherry or vermouth (optional)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
dash cayenne pepper (optional)
juice of one orange (or 1/2 cup orange juice)


Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut the butternut in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds. Spray or rub a rectangular baking dish with oil (lightly) and place the squash in it cut-side down. Put the squash into the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the cauliflower florets into a small, oiled baking dish of their own. After the squash has cooked for 15 minutes, put the cauliflower in with it. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is beginning to brown and the squash can be pierced easily with a fork. (They will probably be finished at different times.) Remove from the oven and set the cauliflower aside.

Allow the squash to cool until it's easy to handle, and scrape the flesh out of the skin and into a bowl. Use a fork or masher to mash it a little.

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in a little water until it is translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for about 3 more minutes, adding water as necessary. Add the squash to the pan along with the curry powder and the vegetable broth. Using a hand blender, blend the soup to a smooth puree. (Or, if you don't have a hand blender, puree the soup in your blender in batches.) Reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 15 minutes.

Add the cauliflower to the soup. Taste for seasoning, and add sherry, salt, cayenne, and additional curry powder as needed. Cover and allow the soup to simmer until the cauliflower is tender. Add the orange juice, cook for 5 more minutes and serve.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving provides 234 Calories (kcal); 1 g Total Fat; (2% calories from fat); 6 g Protein; 58 g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 560 mg Sodium; 9 g Fiber

Quick & Easy Potato Soup

Source: Fat Free Vegan

Winter is getting to the point where it's no longer cute. The initial excitement of wearing wool-free sweaters and gloves has worn off; I now curse any time I have to leave the house because of the 10 minutes required to bundle up appropriately. If I get my scarf stuck in my zipper one more time, I'm turning it into a cat toy. The near constant clouds and/or precipitation are nothing short of depressing, and the occasional few hours (or sometimes, if I'm really lucky, entire day) of sunshine feels like Christmas in February. I'm sick of looking at mucky lawns and dirty snow.

In short: winter at this points leaves me with little creativity and energy at the end of a long work day. And the longer winter drags on, the longer each work day feels. I think my students sense my discontent with the current season/weather, and view this as the most opportune time to go crazy.

When I was browsing FFV last week, I came across this recipe and my only choice in the matter was obvious. Quick and easy? Potato soup? Must add to menu for next week. This came together so quickly and so deliciously; it even got the Omni Mommy Seal of Approval and earned a permanent spot in my recipe box.

This recipe was obviously a godsend from the Gods Who Aren't Fans of Winter in February.

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Chickpeas

Source: Fat Free Vegan

This was my first rendezvous with spaghetti squash, and it went amazingly well! I wasn't sure why its called spaghetti squash, especially since Susan at FFV said to not expect it to taste anything like spaghetti. Obviously, it doesn't, and equally obvious, once you cook it, is its insane resemblance to angel hair pasta!

This recipe required a wee bit of prep, but the bulk of prep is the hour used to roast the squash. I busied myself with laundry and making soup for lunch for the rest of the week while the squash was in the oven. Once the squash was finished, everything came together pretty quickly. The flavor was so yummy and the contrast in texture between the squash, chickpeas, and almonds was really nice.

If you're feeling adventurous or are an avid fan of all things squash, I say give this one a go!

Blueberry Muffins & How to Freeze Muffin Batter

Source: Fat Free Vegan

Muffins. So light and fluffy and yummy. Also portable and easy to eat while driving.

I am absolutely not a morning person. I sleep as long as possible, and therefore have minimal time to get ready for work in the morning. I'm not the type of person who can skip breakfast (prolonged states of hunger make me resemble teething toddlers), so muffins are the perfect solution to my "How can I sleep as long as possible and still get everything done before work?" dilemma.

These muffins in particular are one of my favorite varities because I love blueberries in baked goods. Over the summer, I bought probably twice my body weight in pints of blueberries, and froze nearly all of them. While my dad could not understand why I possibly needed 243 pints of blueberries, I knew exactly what I was doing: preparing for the end of blueberry season! Store-bought frozen blueberries are disgusting, and I refuse to pay for over-priced, bland, and sometimes mushy blueberries. My fresh-frozen blueberries make a world of difference in taste!

Another reason why muffins earn a gold star is because muffin batter is so easy to freeze. When I started regularly making muffins for breakfast, I found I either had to eat an exorbitant amount of muffins within a few days, or throw food away. Both options irritated me. I looked into freezing muffin batter, and discovered it's insanely easy. Now, I bake a day or two's worth of muffins at a time, and am able to prevent Muffin Monster from emerging and avoid throwing away food. The muffin papers tend to get a little smooshed in the freezing process, but my chief concern is taste, and that's never compromised. Win-win situation in my book.

To freeze muffin batter, you'll simply need a few muffin tins (I prefer the foil, six-muffin tins), freezer bags, and yummy muffin batter! First, make the muffin batter per usual. Line your muffin tins. Spoon muffin batter into tins. Freeze overnight. Once frozen, remove from pans. Sometimes the muffins get stuck in regular tins, which is why I prefer the flexible foil kind. Place frozen muffins in freezer bags. When you're ready to bake, follow baking directions per your recipe. So simple, right?

Now my only worry is my rapidly depleting blueberry supply... Come on, May!