Fall Pumpkin Leek Soup

 In my CSA share, I got leeks and pumpkin so I decided to make a soup out of it which turned out to be delicious and very hearty.

1 Whole Leek Chopped in rounds
Pumpkin, peeled and cut in cubes - 2 cups
Olive oil - 1 tablespoon
Garlic - 5 cloves
1 Tomato Chopped
1 Carrot chopped
1 Cup chopped Broccoli
1 Cup chopped Potatoes (red preferred)
2 hot peppers (optional) OR 1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 Bouillon cubes (soup seasoning)

1. In a deep pot on medium heat, saute leeks, garlic, peppers in Olive Oil.
2. Add all the vegetables and saute it until it becomes slightly soft.
3. Add 6 cups water or until the pot is 3/4ths full.
4. Add 2 cubes of bouillon soup seasoning cubes.
5. Let it cook for 30-40 minutes on medium heat or until the vegetables have become super soft.
6. Turn off the heat and let is sit for 10 minutes to absorb the flavor.
7. Serve hot soup with your favorite bread.

Egg White Frittata

 2 cups Egg White Liquid
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 green pepper
1/2 red pepper chopped
1 scallion chopped
1 bunch of fresh spinach chopped or 1 cup frozen chopped frozen spinach

In a deep dish pan, heat Olive Oil, add scallions and sautee until it starts to give out an aroma. Add peppers and spinach. Cook the veggies for 5 minutes or until they get cooked down to half their size.

Meanwhile mix in salt, about 1 teaspoon, to the egg white liquid.

Turn down the flame to low and spread the veggies evenly on the pan to make a layer at the base on the pan. Pour egg white liquid evenly on the veggies. Sprinkle the cheese evenly on top.

Cover and cook on low flame for 10 minutes. After 5 minutes, check if the eggs have started to firm. After 10 minutes, turn off the stove and let it sit.

Makes slices and enjoy it with your favorite plain or toasted bread.

Natural Sweeteners

I have three Natural Sweeteners to recommend.

Agave Syrup 

A low Glycemic Index natural sweetener that comes from the Agave plant and tastes fabulous. You can use agave to sweeten anything that you bake or you could use it in your beverages. The Glycemic Index of Agave Syrup is 15 as opposed to 64 that of white sugar. It only means that it does not spike your blood sugar the way white sugar does.

Brown Rice Syrup 

Made from brown rice :). It has a thicker consistency but works great to make sauce that calls for a sweetener.

Stevia

 
Not my favorite because I don't like the after taste but so much better than Splenda. If I need to sweetened my tea or coffee I would go for Stevia Sachets that are handy to carry and sweeten so much better than any other sweetener in a packet. GI of Stevia is less than 1 :) :)

Don't give up your sweet tooth just choose a healthy sweetener.

BBQ Tofu

Make this real quick BBQ Tofu and enjoy it in a sandwich.

Tofu - 1 packet , cut into 1/4 inch slices
BBQ Sauce - 2 tablespoons
Soy Sauce - 1/2 tablespoon
Olive Oil

In a skillet, heat the oil, add the BBQ sauce and Soy Sauce, allowing it to thicken a little. Layer the slices of tofu on the skillet and cover it with a lid. Turn the heat to medium and let it cook for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the lid and flip the tofu slices. Replace the lid and cover it for another 7 minutes. When the sauce completely thickens and sticks to the tofu, turn off the heat.

Remove tofu from the pan and enjoy it in a sandwich on a bun spread with yummy Nayonnaise (Dairy Free Soy Mayonnaise)

Beets

In my CSA share this week, I got beautiful ruby red beets with fresh beet leaves.

In addition to writing my experience with beets, I have some recipes I would like to share.

Beets are very high in sugar which makes them extremely alkaline. My experience of beet juice is extremely powerful. Drinking beet juice cleansed my body of not only physical impurities, but also deep emotional stuff. If you are looking to do a cleanse with juicing, you can consider juicing with beets but it is important to sense into how your body is reacting to it. If it gets too much, slow it down.

I like a root vegetable medley of carrots, potatoes and beets, baked with olive oil.

1. Grease a 9 inch tray with olive oil and layer 1 cup slices of a carrot, a potato and a beet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Check if the veggies are cooked by using a tooth pick or a fork. If the veggies need to be cooked further, then add about 1/8 cup water and cover them with a foil and bake for another 5-7 minutes. Once cooked, you can sprinkle some garlic powder, Herbamare, lemon juice and garam masala (optional) and relish the veggies.

2. I love steamed beets with goat cheese. A salad of mixed greens with steamed beets and goat cheese tastes delicious.

3. You can also add the chopped beet greens into yellow split pea soup.
- 1/2 cup yellow split peas dry
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup chopped beet greens or mustard greens
- 1 green pepper hot
- 2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
- salt to taste

Add all the ingredients in a pot, cover it with a lid and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check if the split peas are cooked. If they are, then turn off the stove and let it sit covered with a lid. Once the soup is ready to be served, optionally add butter or Earth Balance before serving.

Coconut Cilantro Chutney

To make yummy chutney that you can have as a dip or a spread, add all the following ingredients into a blender and blend it into a smooth paste.

1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 bunch cilantro
1/4 inch ginger piece
3 small hot peppers
1/4 cup water
1 tsp agave
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
5-6 cashews (optional)

It even tastes good on bread :)

Organic Kale sauteed with Avocado Oil

1 bunch of Kale
2 fresh carrots chopped
1/8 cup fresh basil leaves chopped (optional)
5 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 tablespoon avocado oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 tablespoon agave syrup

Heat avocado oil, add the chopped garlic and saute until brown. Add carrots, kale, basil and 1/4 cup water and steam the veggies by covering the pot. After about 5 mins, add soy sauce and agave syrup. Mix the veggies, cover the pot for another 5 minutes and turn the stove off and let the veggies steam.

Enjoy!