Golden Vegetable Soup with Butternut Squash

This is a simple, versatile golden soup with chunky vegetables, easy to prepare in a slow cooker.

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 2-1/2 c), may substitute any fresh or frozen winter squash
1 c. carrot, sliced
1 c. celery, sliced
1/2c onion chopped
2 cloves garlic diced
1/4 med. granny smith apple, diced
1 tsp olive oil
4c low sodium vegetable broth (for lowest sodium, use no salt added bouillon or homemade stock)
fresh parsley/ lemon pepper to taste(optional)

Directions

To prepare butternut squash: Use a vegetable peeler to remove skin from squash. Cut squash in half lengthwise, and remove seeds. Lay each half cut side down to cut into cubes.

Heat onion,garlic, and celery briefly in olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots and squash are tender.

With a slotted spoon, remove one cupful of vegetables from the broth. Place in blender, using sufficient broth to puree. Add vegetable puree back into soup pot. Season to taste with fresh
herbs, desired spices and serve.

Variations: Add cooked beans such as garbanzos, red lentils or yellow split peas, whole grain pasta, rice or barley. May be prepared with chicken broth and meat if desired.

Number of Servings: 8

Vegan Low Fat Alfredo Sauce

Vegan, Low Fat Alfredo Sauce

2 heads garlic
2 blocks Mori-Nu soft silken tofu, drained and patted dry on paper towels
3 Tbs. olive oil (more or less if you like)
Some parsley, chopped (optional)
Salt
Pepper
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Cut off the tip-tops of the garlic heads, set on squares of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap and roast in the oven or toaster oven until fragrant and easily pierced with a knife. [The cheater’s way to do this is to at least start the garlic off in the microwave for a few seconds - no more than 20 seconds at a time - until slightly soft. Then either finish off in the oven or call it good enough.]

Meanwhile… You need to be draining your tofu blocks. Just set them on a couple thicknesses of paper towel and that should do the trick. They don’t need to be dry as a bone, just not dripping wet.

Oh, and start your pasta. This recipe is the perfect amount for 1 lb. (a normal box) of fettucine.

Chop up a bit of parsley. To be honest, I don’t really know what this ingredient adds to the dish (except an odd greenish tinge). You might do fine without it. Let me know how it goes. :)

When your garlic is roasted, drop the tofu into a blender or food processor, glug a bit of olive oil on top, then add the garlic cloves. (Be careful taking them out of their little “husks” - they’ll be quite hot.)

If you aren’t a garlic lover like me, start with just one head of garlic in the mix. You can always add more later.

[I smashed my garlic up with the edge of a knife before I dropped it in the blender. All my cooking shows say this helps enhance the flavor. Besides, it’s kind of fun. If you’re in a real hurry (or don’t want your hands to smell like garlic all next week), skip this step.]

Blend blend blend. It’ll get a bit frothy.

Throw in some salt and pepper. Parsley, if you want it.

TASTE A LOT AS YOU GO. - This is the key to all my culinary successes: Mess around a lot. When it tastes good, stop fiddling with it.

When your sauce is all blended up, pour it into a saucepan and heat it over medium-low heat until it’s warm enough not to cool off your nice hot pasta.

Dump the drained (but not rinsed!) fettucine into at serving bowl. Pour your warm Vegan, Low Fat Alfredo Sauce on top. Thar she blows!

Variations/Additions

• Use this as a less heart-stopping base for a gorgonzola cheese sauce. Just add a coupla handfuls of crumbled gorganzola cheese into the mix as you’re heating it up.
• Slice grape tomatoes in half and edge your serving bowl with them.
• Roasted red bell peppers might be nice
• Leslie suggested adding some green tabasco to give it a kick
• Snip some basil leaves on top, or add fresh pesto as a garnish
• Add crisp-tender vegetables for a pasta primavera
• Or cook some spinach right into it!
• Add artichoke hearts and serve warm with chips like a dip

Mixed Fruit Pizza

Here's the recipe for the dessert pizza that I took to the wine and dessert party at Angie Klee's house.

Ingredients:

~ 1 pkg refrigerated cookie dough
~ 1-8oz pkg cream cheese
~ 1/2 cup powdered sugar
~ 1-8oz container of whipped topping (thawed)
~ 1 tsp. vanilla extract
~ 1/2 cup fruit jelly (melted)
~ Assorted fresh fruit of your choice

Roll cookie dough to create a large pizza crust. Bake accourding to package directions, and cool completely. Combine cream cheese, sugar, whipped topping, vanilla, and beat until smooth. Spread filling over cookie crust, and top with fruit. Brush with melted jelly, and sprinkle sugar on top. Serve chilled.

Cook's Notes:
- I found the cookie takes a lot longer to bake than package directions.
- The cream cheese seems to work better if it's not so cold .

Toffee Bars

Here's the recipe for the toffee bars that I made for Angie's dessert and wine party.

35 single saltine crackers

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 16-oz package chocolate chips

1 cup ground walnuts (honestly any nut works)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line a jellyroll pan or cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with Pam.

Place crackers on pan in a single layer, sides touching.

Combine butter and sugar in saucepan. Bring to rolling boil, stirring frequently and boil for 2 to 3 minutes until mixture is thick and fluffy.

Pour over crackers. You'll need to use a spatula to re-align the crackers and spread this mixture evenly over all the crackers.

Bake at 400 for 6 minutes. Remove from oven. You'll need to use a spatula to re-align the crackers.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and let them melt, then spread.

Sprinkle top with chopped nuts and then put in fridge to cool. I usually let them sit a few hours. Then, break into irregular pieces.

Vegan Choco-Nana Ice Cream

Bananas
Hershey's Baking Cocoa Powder
Hazelnut Agave Nectar (or honey, but no honey for infants...)

1. Mash nanners in a bowl (or food processer)
2. Mix in some cocoa powder (about 1tablespoon for 2-3 nanners).
3. Drizzle in agave/honey, tasting frequently until the bitterness of the cocoa is gone.
4. Freeze.
5. Enjoy!

Mini Portobello Patty-Melt

Whole wheat dinner rolls
Mini Portobello mushrooms
Caramelized onions
Havarti Cheese
Dry BBQ rub / BBQ Sauce

1. Rub dry rub, BBQ sauce on mushroom caps
2. Grill til tender.
3. Slice dinner rolls. Set aside the tops, and layer the bottoms with mushroom, onions, and slice of cheese.
4. Broil on a cookie sheet til cheese is bubbly
5. Remove from broiler, add tops to the burgers.

Grilled Veggie Sandwich

Bread Dough
Spinach
Grilled Veggies (green zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, etc...)
Caramelized onions
Sun-dried Tomato Pesto (olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, sun-dried tomatoes)
Parmesan Cheese
Provolone Cheese

1. Roll out bread dough flat.
2. Cover with tomato pesto.
3. Layer grilled veggies, onions, spinach.
4. Cover with cheese.
5. Roll up the edges, and braid together.
6. Bake @ 350 for 1 hr.
7. Let rest for 10 mins, then slice.