Category: appetizers

carrot soup

1 Comment

Temperatures are starting to spike but we’re not in the clear yet, it’s only May. Actually this soup is great at room temperature too….that’s how I’ve been eating it to prevent dirtying a pan (lazy).

Feeds 4-6. You will need a blender.

  • 1 # organic carrots
  • 2 medium/small leeks
  • 3-4 celery stocks (1 1/2 cups chopped)
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 T butter
  • 1 qt of low sodium Vegetable Stock
  • 1/2 cup 1/2 and 1/2
  • kosher salt
  • pepper
  • olive oil
  • Garnish
  • 6 oz low fat sour cream or creme fraiche
  • chopped fresh dill
  • chopped fresh mint
  • beet horseradish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel carrots, remove ends, and cut into 1-2″ chunks. Place carrot chunks on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper. Toss around to coat carrots. Place in oven and roast for 15-20 min until fork tender. While carrots cook, clean and chop celery, garlic and leeks, using only the white and lightest green part of the leeks. Place celery, garlic, and leeks in a soup pot with 2 T butter, a sprinkle of kosher salt and cracked pepper, cook on med/low until tender. Add stock and roasted carrots. Simmer on med/low for 20-30 minutes. Get out the blender. In batches, blend warm mixture until smooth, then return to pot. Once all soup is pureed, stir in 1/2 and 1/2, taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly. For garnish, mix 2-3 T of chopped dill, and 1-2 T chopped mint, into creme fraiche or sour cream. Place a dollop on each bowl of soup and top with a dab of beet horseradish (available in the refrigerated case near dairy products). This can be served warm or cold.

Loaded Vegetarian Taco Dip

Leave a comment

This is probably Taylor’s boyfriend’s favorite snack. Super Bowl anyone? I use the word “dip” reluctantly because it is fully loaded and requires more of a “shovel” than a “dip” of the chip. Buy strong chips to serve with. Don’t be put off by the, seemingly, long list of ingredients or instructions. This recipe comes together easily and is worth the effort.

May take 45 min-1 hour. Gluten Free and Vegetarian (substitutions can be made to make vegan). You will need a serving dish with sides a few inches deep. 

Perfect Super Bowl snack. I bet Taylor Swift would LOVE.
  • 1 package of tempeh
  • 1 T coconut aminos
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 3 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 packet low-sodium taco seasoning
  • 1/2 c chopped onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/2 c tomatillo salsa
  • 2 T canned, chopped green chilies (optional)
  • 2/3 cup grated, sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 roma tomato diced
  • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 avacado
  • 2 T light sour cream
  • salt and pepper
  • Tortilla chips

Start by boiling the tempeh to temper it’s bitter flavor. In a small sauce pan combine 2 1/2 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp brown sugar, 1 T coconut aminos, stir and put over med high heat. While you wait for water to boil, open tempeh package, and slice tempeh into 4 pieces. When water boils, add tempeh to the pan and cover loosely, reducing heat to a simmer. Allow tempeh to simmer for 7 min, then drain and set aside to continue draining and cooling. While tempeh boils and cools, prep the ingredients that will be used as toppers (cilantro, cabbage, tomato). In a small bowl, mash flesh of the avacado, then stir in the 2 T sour cream. Season with a little salt, stir and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1 T oil and add the onion and garlic. Warm until fragrant but don’t burn. Crumble the tempeh into the skillet, add taco seasoning and another 1 T oil. Stir to combine, then add 1/2 of the drained beans. Stir with a large spoon mashing most of the beans with the back of the spoons. Add the rest of the beans, chilies, and the salsa, stir to combine. With the heat on low, cover, and let the mixture heat through for a few minutes. Taste mixture adding salt and pepper to taste. Add hot sauce if you’d like, as well.

Transfer bean mixture to your serving dish and top with shredded cheese. Cover the dish, allowing cheese to melt. When cheese has melted, lightly spread avacado and sour cream mixture over cheese. Next, sprinkle with red cabbage, tomato and cilantro. Serve with at room temperature with chips. Touchdown.