Rice Burgers with Fancy-Pants Cole Slaw

... I think that this was an excellent way to use up some old pineapple...

Yummm...

And, hah, nothing but teensy buns left in my freezer, so I elected to do an open face so I could have a decent amount of burger.

Adapted from HHL

For the cole slaw, mix together:

• finely diced pineapple
• shredded cabbage
• finely diced carrots
• pisachios
• sugar free maple syrup

For the burgers, blend until mostly smooth:

• ~1 1/4 cups chickpeas
• small handful sesame seeds
• ~2 tbsp nooch
• ~3 tbsp sugar free maple syrup

Stir with 1/4 cup dry brown rice cooked, ~3 tbsp chopped onion cooked, 1 scant tbsp flax meal mixed with 2 tbsp water, and enough maple syrup to make things stick together.
Shape into somewhat patties, and bake for 25 minutes at 350.
Stick 'em on buns, and top with cole slaw... I chose to do an open face, since my bun was sooo teensy!

Soba Noodle Salad

Adapted from Leafy Greens and Me

This was pretty easy: cooked soba noodles, tossed with shredded carrots and cabbage
The sauce was:
lime juice
mirin
soy sauce
sesame oil (a weeee bitty bit)
stevia extract
It was topped with tofu, drizzled with the sauce, and grilled on the panini press.

And no one will blame you if you top it all off with cashews.  Totally slipped my mind...

Peach and Corn Tacos

Taco shells are like hamburger buns...

EVERYTHING that goes in them tastes good!

Oh, gosh, I'm loving this fresh corn, though...

Adapted from The First Mess

Cabbage slaw:

~1/4 cup thinly shredded green cabbage

Juice of 1 lime

Tacos:

~1/2 cup chopped onion

~1/2 red bell pepper

kernels from 1 ear of corn

cumin

chili powder

chopped fresh basil

a handful of dried brown lentils, cooked

1 peach, finely diced (peeling is optional)

taco shells

For the cabbage slaw, just mix the two ingredients together.  Doesn't get harder than that!

For the filling, saute the onion and bell pepper for a few minutes, and then add the corn.  Keep sauteing until the corn is tender, about 3 more minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients and heat through.  Spoon the filling into shells, and top with slaw.

Easy Vegan Ramen Soup

Yay ramen noodles!  So good for the hot summer days...
Although, you really have to be careful.  Both M and I H-A-T-E seaweed.  We checked the ingredients list on the ramen to make sure it didn't have seaweed, and it didn't.  But it did have "dried vegetables".  So, I dumped the packet in the soup.. and spent the next 20 minutes picking out seaweed from the soup.  Blech.  Oh well, it was still pretty good.  I've made this soup sooo many times, and it's always tasty!

** update: I didn't use the seasoning packet with the next round.  No duh.  Instead, I added dried ginger, white sugar, chili bean paste, veggie bouillon, garlic powder, and vegetarian mushroom/fish sauce.  It was super yum - probably better than with the seasoning packet!  And I felt a BIT better eating it... no weird chemicals.

It pretty simple: saute carrots, onions, and cabbage.  Add in 2 cups veggie broth (to give the soup body), and then enough water to make soup.  Add in 2 packages ramen and their seasoning packets (not the oil packets), vegge bullion, dried ginger, and a little spicy stuff.  Cook until the noodles are done, and serve with fake meat.

Starring... Fresh Oregano!

This was yet another good soup.  Yay soup!  Adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen.
Sorry I haven't posted in a few days - I've been so swamped with homework.  AP exams are coming up, and I am going to have a LOT less time for the next few weeks...

The veggies were onion, carrots, cabbage, and garlic.  Spices were vegetarian beef bouillon, vegetable bouillon, fresh parsley, thyme, fresh oregano, chili powder, and cooking sherry.  Other stuff included tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, soaked red kidney beans, and potatoes.  At the end of cooking I added torn spinach and corn starch slurry to thicken.  Served with fake meat.

Black Bean, Sweet Potato, Rice Soup

This one was much better than I thought it would be.  Exceeds expectations!  Adapted from I Eat Food

Veggies were chopped leeks, carrots, lots of garlic, red bell pepper, cabbage, and sweet potato.  The soup also got tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, brown rice... let's see, the seasonings were ground fennel, smoked paprika, veggie bullion, liquid smoke... I believe that was all.  Obviously, I added fake meat - leftover corned setian, in fact.  There's still a LOT left... I'll be eating it for a week, at the rate I'm going!  Which might not be such a bad thing, after all...

Corned "Beef" Stew plus Setian

Yay St. Patrick's Day!

First up, the stew is adapted from Vegan Appetite... I made the seasoning mix down at the bottom of the page, omitting the yellow mustard seeds and subbing nutmeg for the cardamom.  Then I used Vegan Dad's fabulous sausage recipe for the setian, adding in 2 tbsp of the seasoning mix, and using mirin in place of the oil; the dough was shaped into 3 large patties and wrapped in foil, then steamed for 40 minutes.  The stew was 2 chopped leeks, lots of carrots, and about 3 cups chopped green cabbage all sauteed together.  I added 3 cups tomato sauce, 2 tbsp vegetable bouillon, 5 chopped red potatoes, 1 scant cup beer, 1 tbsp caraway seeds and 1 tbsp tamari.  It was rounded off with 2 tbsp of the seasoning blend and 2 cups soaked white beans.  I added a corn starch slurry to thicken, and served it with the setian.

Super flavourful!

Super Thick "Chicken" and Wild Rice Soup

Yum!  Wow, this soup was REALLY REALLY REALLY good (have I made my point?)

It consisted of sauteed carrots and onion and about 1/2 a medium cabbage, then lots of dried/soaked white beans, and several handfuls of wild rice.  The seasonings were about 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1.5 tbsp 'chicken' bullion, 1 tbsp sage, LOTS of parsley, Italian seasoning, and fennel (I think).  Simmered until beans are tender, and then finished with vegetarian chicken from the Asian market.  Ahh... :)

simple

I love summer break.  I really do.  I don't know what I would do without a three-month break from all of that greuling school-work and homework.  But, seriously, sometimes I just get so bored because there seems to be nothing to do.  I would love to be able to drive myself around to places (cough, grocery stores, cough), but I am too lazy to actually get in the car and learn to drive.  Plus, M is always working and can't really take me anywhere.  Isn't that pathetic?  So I end up mooching around food blogs for a couple hours a day.  Oh yeah, so productive.  What does everyone do on a lazy summer day?

But, come dinnertime I normally get really excited because there is always something for me to do.  Which is why there are always so many leftovers in the fridge, and I am panicking because they all need to be used up.  I've actually ended up making several rounds of this soup, too, because it is soooooo goooooood.  Don't ask me why I can't live without a giant, thick bowl of soup on a day when the temperature is upwards of 100 degrees. I'm just weird like that.... 

So, about the soup.  It originally was this sort of braised beef thing that I spotted on a non-vegetarian blog that looked rather good.  So I decided that I could add some ingredients and turn it into a pretty good soup.  And, yes, it did turn out to make a pretty good soup, if I do say so myself.  The balsamic vinegar adds a very nice tangyness that I have never had in soup before.  This is certainly a very filling dish, and very versatile as to what you put in it.  I think fresh herbs are a very nice addition too, so, if they are on hand then toss them in the pot!

Balsamic "Beef" Soup

Adapted from A Dash of Flavour


Serves 8

1 large onion, roughly chopped

3-4 large carrots, coined

3-4 cloves garlic, pressed

3-4 cups chopped cabbage

5 yukon gold potatoes, diced
½ lb dried pinto beans, soaked overnight

14.5 oz can tomato sauce

¼ cup balsamic vinegar or black rice vinegar
1 tbsp each chopped fresh oregano and thyme
1 tbsp brown sugar

4-6 cups water

1½ tbsp vegetarian beef bullion
3 cups vegetarian beef
2 tbsp corn starch mixed with ¼ cup water
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a large Dutch oven, coated with nonstick spray, over medium high heat with a bit of water. Sauté the onion and carrots for 2 minutes. Add in the garlic and cabbage, and continue to sauté for 5 more minutes, until the cabbage becomes wilted. Add in the potatoes though bullion, and bring to a soft boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook for 45 minutes, until beans are tender. Add in the remaining ingredients, and heat though. Serve piping hot.

Barley and Veggie Minestrone

Barley Minestrone with “Ham”

Adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen

Serves 8

1/3 green cabbage, shredded
1 large onion, diced
1 1/4 cup coined carrots
1 tbsp pressed garlic
8 cups water plus vegetarian chicken bullion
1 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
¼ cup dried sherry
2 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp thyme
¼ cup chopped parsley
¾ cup pearl barley, rinsed
2 tsp rosemary
1 cup dried red kidney beans , soaked overnight
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups diced vegetarian ham
2 tbsp corn starch mixed with water
Parmesan cheese for serving

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onion and carrot with a bit of water, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and garlic, and sauté for 3-4 minutes more, until the veggies are tender. Add through the beans, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients except parmesan and cook through. Serve, topped with cheese.

Soup!! Again. (But it's WHITE this time...)

 More soup, I know.  But they're all different, right?  Sure, whatever.  But, no, really, this one is different because it has milk it it.  Yay milk!  Other than that, this is your pretty standard afair of delicious creaminess with chunks of veggies and potatoes and fake meat.  Just the thing to make you smile.

Potato Vegetable Soup


Adapted from Taste of Home

Serves 6-8

1 lg onion, chopped
1 cup coined carrots

½ small cabbage, shredded

3-4 lg Yukon gold potatoes

1 ½ tsp caraway seeds

1 tbsp Spike seasoning
A few dashes ground coriander
3-4 cups water
1 tbsp vegetarian beef bullion
2 cups almond milk
3 cups vegetarian ham, cubed
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp corn starch mixed with 2 tbsp water
1 ½ cups peas
Cheese, to top

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat with a bit of water. Add the onion and carrots, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the cabbage, and sauté for 3 more minutes. Add the potatoes through almond milk, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add in the remaining ingredients except cheese, and heat through for 5 more minutes. Serve topped with cheese.

Fancy Cabbage Soup

There's really not much to say about this soup - it just has tons of cabbage, along with a lot of other soupy things like potatoes and carrots.  The chickpeas were a very nice addition, I thought, and the noodles really topped this soup off as delicious and filling.

Fancy Cabbage Soup

Adapted from Fat Free Vegan

Serves 8

1 large onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, coined
5 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced
8 cups water
3 tbsp vegetarian chicken bullion
3 yukon gold potatoes, chopped
1 tbsp thyme
1 tsp sage
2 bay leaves
1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp corn starch
3 cups vegetarian mutton
2 cups spaghetti or other pasta, cooked
Parmesan cheese, to serve

Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat, and add the onion and carrots. Sauté for a couple minutes, and then add the garlic and cabbage. Sauté until the cabbage is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add through the bay leaves, bring to a boil, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Mix together the corn starch, miso paste, and a couple tbsps water, and then add to the soup with the remaining ingredients except cheese. Heat through, and serve, topped with parmesan.

Another Beefy Soup and Omelete Roll

I made this soup in honnor of St. Patrick's Day.  Ok, let me back up.  This soup showed up on the menu because of all the Irish themed recipes that popped up EVERYWHERE on every food blog that I know.  It seemed inevitable, then, that I would be making some version of vegetarian corned beef soup.  I just go with the flow... anyway, it turned out to be very delicious, but I had a hard time tasting the soup because it was so hot.  Not the spicy kind, but the steaming hot kind.  I think there was still steam comming out of my bowl even when I had finished... but, from what I gathered, it was quite good.  Caraway seeds really add so much to soups, and I just happened to spot the jar of them when I was digging through the spice cabinet, so in they went.  I think that this soup would have been even better with fake beef- not fake mutton.  But that was not to be, because none was in the freezer. 

About the omelete roll- it was fabulous.  Like, really, really fabulous.  I rarely eat eggs anymore, mostly because I would rather get protein from fake meat and beans, but I need to make a bento box for a school project, and this was one of the recipes that I had wanted to put in there.  Although the directions seem to be really complicated, it's not really, and totally worth the ten minutes to put together, because the eggs have an excellent, slightly sweet flavour.  I think next time I would roll up a few veggies inside of the omelete, too, which would jazz it up even more.

Sweet and Simple Egg Rolls

Serves 2

 Adapted from Chinese and Thai 400

2 eggs
1 tbsp sugar
½ tbsp soy sauce
A drop peanut or veggie oil

Lightly beat the eggs. Mix together the sugar and soy sauce and then add to the eggs.

Wipe a small frying pan with oil, and bring to a medium heat. Pour ¼ of the eggs into the pan to create a thin layer. When the edges have just set, fold the egg in half towards you, lifting it up with a spatula. Pour 1/3 of the remaining egg into the frying pan, and let it run under the cooked egg. Once the new egg has set, roll the omelet away from you, and lift it up again. Add in ½ of the remaining egg and let it run over the bottom of the pan, and do the same thing as before: roll the omelet in the opposite direction, towards you. When that has set, repeat with the remaining egg. Once all the egg is cooked, roll the entire thing up, and slice in half. Serve

hot.

Corned “Beef” Stew

Adapted from I Eat Food

Serves 8

 

1 large onion, diced, or 12 oz frozen pearl onions

5 carrots, chunked

½ small green cabbage, chopped

5 cloves garlic, pressed

12 oz fingerling or regular potatoes, cut in half if large/diced
5 cups water plus vegetarian beef bullion
¼ cup tomato paste, or 1 can tomato sauce
A bit of apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

Salt and pepper, to taste

Chili sauce, to taste

2 bay leaves

3 cups vegetarian beef, cut into bite-sized pieces

3 tbsp corn starch mixed with water

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, and add the onions and carrots. After sautéing for 2 minutes, toss in the cabbage and garlic. When the cabbage is tender, add in the remaining ingredients except “beef” and corn starch, and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Add in the “beef” and corn starch, heat through, and serve.

Spring Rolls

I have not made spring rolls in ages, but here they are on the menu again.  And they are better than ever!  I spotted an interesting recipe in my cookbook, and though that it looked like a good way to use up some rice noodles that M and I got for a prize a while back when we spent $20 at the Asian Market.  Odd, I think, to win free noodles, but there you have it.  Anyway, I loved these spirng rolls, and they came in handy for my lunch and dinner.  The egg on the outside really gave them a nice coat, and baking them really created a nice cruncy outside.  The really amazing thing, though, was that they are about 35 calories each.  That's what I call low calorie, especially if you think about all the oil that goes into other spring rolls.

Thai Spring Rolls

Makes about 20

Adapted from Low-Fat No-Fat Thai

About 2 oz cellophane noodles

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 carrot, shredded

1 small bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips

1 1/2 cups cabbage, shredded

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 small can bamboo shoots, drained

4 oz frozen tofu, thawed and chopped

2 tbsp vegetarian oyster flavoured soy sauce

2 tsp agave nectar

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

20 spring roll wrappers

2 tbsp flour mixed with water to form a thick paste

1 egg white

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the noodles.  Remove from heat, and let sit for 20 minutes.  Drain, and roughly chop.

Meanwhile, for the filling, heat a wok over medium high heat.  Add a bit of water, and then the garlic.  Stir for a couple seconds, and toss in the bell pepper and cabbage.  After those are tender, about 3 minutes, add the carrot, green onions, bamboo, and tofu.  Heat through, and remove from heat.  Add in the cooked noodles, soy sauce, agave, and cilantro, and mix through.

Heat the oven to 425. 

To make the wraps:  Place about 2 tbsp of the filling in a line in the middle of a wrapper, horizontal to you.  Fold the edge farthest away from you over the filling to cover it, and then fold in the two sides.  With your finger, add a bit of the flour paste to the edge closest to you.  Roll the edge closest to you up to create a roll (it should seal with the flour paste).  Brush with the egg white, and place on a baking sheet coated with nonstick spray.  Repeat with remaining filling.

Bake for 10 minutes, until heated through.  Serve with a dipping sauce.

Mild "Chicken" and Rice Soup

Here's another soup.  One of about five thousand that I have made recently.  And this one is also really good.  What's different about it is that it's simple to make, and it's nice and mild.  So no spectacular burst of flavour, but it has a subtle taste that's unique, from the sage.  I loved the rice in it too, which doesn't really go in my soups all that often.  And no tomatoes for once, which seem to always end up in my soups.  I liked the chicken, for a change, too.

"Chicken" and Rice Soup with Cabbage

Adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen

Serves 8

½ cup rice, cooked
1 onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, coined
1 tbsp. dried sage
6 cups water plus vegetarian chicken bullion
3 yukon gold potatoes, chopped
½ smallish cabbage, shredded
1 vegetarian chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces
3 tbsp corn starch mixed with ¼ cup water
1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
2 T balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, add a bit of water, and then the onion and carrots. After 2 minutes add in the cabbage. When it has mostly shrunken, about 5 minutes, add the sage, bullion, water, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, and then simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the remaining ingredients, heat through, and serve.

Japanese Pancake...

These pictures turned out aweful.  I guess my camera didn't like the okonomiyaki.  But I did.  This was really quite a weird dish,  mainly, I think, because I used whole wheat flour.  But it was also interesting, and a nice change from the norm.  What I thought was really funny when I was making the batter was that there was more egg that flour, and that seemed really unbalanced.  Again, the photos do not really do this dish justice, because it was quick, and good to eat.  A good dish to use up eggs, too, which I am really bad about.

Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pizza)

Serves 2

Adapted from eCurry
1 cup cabbage, finely shredded
3/4 cup finely chopped white and tender green leeks
1 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 tsp baking soda
Water
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Egg, beaten
1/2 tsp peanut oil
2 tbsp bbq sauce
2 tbsp tamarind juice
Toasted almonds
Chopped green onions
Opt: cheese, fake meat, noodles

In a small bowl, mix together the bbq sauce, ketchup, and tamarind juice. Set aside.
Mix together the flour with the water, and add the baking soda with the salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Stir in the leeks, cabbage, and half the carrots.
Heat a large frying pan coated with nonstick spray over medium heat.  Add the oil, and then add the flour mixture and use a spatula or back of a spoon to press into a round shape. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until the bottom has become solid. Spray the top with nonstick spray and then flip it over. Flatten the other side with the spatula, and then cook for 3-5 more minutes. Remove from heat and spread some of the bbq sauce mixture on it. Top with remaining carrots, almonds, green onions, and whatever else floats your boat. Cut into wedges and serve.

Two Simple Recipes

Once again, I feel like I am struggling to keep up with my huge appettie, and no matter how much cooking I do, it always disappears.  Whatever.  That just means that I can cook more, which is, of course, no problem with me.  However, that does mean that simple recipes are starting to become more appealing to me, and these two fit the bill.  I have to say, as time marches on I am becoming less and less fond of mushrooms, probably because I was eating so many for days for a while.  So I was not too big on this soup.  But it was still really good, and I would absolutely love it without the mushrooms.  And simple roasted veggies have risen on my list of favourites.  This simple cauliflower thing is so simple, and tastes beyond amazing.  I mean, it's blow your socks off good.   Maybe I'm just weird or something, but I could eat this every week for months on end, and still like it.  I just wish that the heads of cauliflower weren't so small right now, because it get rather pricey.  The leftovers are not as good as the first day, but they still reheat just fine, and I would not hesitate to say that leftovers are still excellent.

Porky, Mushroomy Soup

Serves 8

Adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen

1 onion, finely chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, pressed

1 lb crimini mushrooms, washed and cut into thick slices

3 cups cabbage, chopped
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp caraway
1 28 oz can petite dice tomatoes
3-4 yukon potatoes, diced
1 ½ tbsp smoked paprika

3 cups water plus vegetarian chicken bullion

1 lb vegetarian pork, cut into bite sized pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat with a bit of water. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the bell pepper and garlic, cook for another minute, and add the mushrooms and cabbage. Sauté for 5 more minutes, until the cabbage has shrunken, and then add the seasonings, tomatoes, potatoes, water, and broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Add in the pork, and cook until heated through.

Serve with salt and pepper.

Roasted Cauliflower with Cheese

Serves 4

Adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen

1 head cauliflower, core cut away and cut into bite-sized flowerets

1 tbsp olive oil (enough to coat all the cauliflower)

salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
2-3 tbsp cheese – I used parmesan, and then mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 400. In a bowl combine the cauliflower and oil, and stir to coat. Or shake the two in a container with a lid or plastic bag. Put on a baking sheet coated with nonstick spray. Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until nice and browned. They should smell lovely too.

Serve, topped with cheese.

Zippy Lime and Burger Crumble Soup

Wow, this soup has such a different flavour from anything that I have ever tasted.  The lime is what does that.  It's such a hearty, warming, tangy soup.  Which a person really does not expect when they go to take a bite of soup, but this one quickly rose up among my ranks of favourites.  The boca crumbles were really cool too.  A very nice change of pace.

Tangy “Beef” Soup

Serves 8- 10

Adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, pressed

3 yukon gold potatoes, chopped

1 medium head cabbage, chopped

1 T ground cumin
1 tbsp Spike seasoning
2 tbsp oregano
4 cups water plus bullion (vegetarian chicken is what I used)
2 T tomato paste
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 tbsp corn starch mixed with 2 tbsp waer
3 cups cooked beans
12 oz vegetarian burger crumbles, defrosted
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or more)

2 T fresh squeezed lime juice

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat with a bit of water, and sauté the onion and garlic. Add the cabbage after 3 minutes, and sauté until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add through the diced tomatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer for 35 minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients, mix well, and serve with salt and pepper, and parmesan cheese.

More Soups - Cabbage, Potatoes, Etc...

This soup is rather interesting, but still really good.  I think the addition of the lime really livens things up, and this is certainly not your average winter soup.  Of course, it's chock full of veggies and other healthy things.  That's what I love about cooking healthy.  Nothing unhealthy.  No duh.  But still.  The burger crumbles were rather different too, and added a differnet flavour than what M and I are used to.  This is certainly something out of the ordinary as to what a person expets when they taste a winter soup, but it fits the bill of being warm and filling.

“Beef” and Bean Cabbage Stew

Adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen

Serves 10
3 cups cooked white beans
1 tbsp. Spike seasoning

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, pressed
½ head cabbage, shredded
3 yukon gold potatoes, chopped
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 T ground cumin
4 cups water plus vegetarian chicken bullion
¼ cup tomato paste
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 tbsp corn starch mixed with 2 tbsp water
1 lb. fake burger crumbles
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 2 small limes

Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic with a bit of water, and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the cabbage, and saue until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients through cornstarch, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the corn starch, and cook for another couple minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, and then serve with salt and pepper and parmesan cheese to top.

A Monster Batch of Soup

 I really cannot believe how fast paced my life has become in these past few days.  It seems like I barely have any time for blogging any more, and I am getting rather concerned that I will just be forced to stop.  But for now, I really am trying my best to stay caught up with blogging and life in general.  Which is rather impossible, but there you have it. 

As for this soup, well... it made so much that I had to use two kettles, and then still all of the ingredients would not fit.  But the funny thing is that the soup was gone in about 5 days, because I have been eating two bowls a day almost.  That's how good it is.  I mean, this soup is really, really thick, and so filling.  And it has setian, which I seem to be getting more and more addicted to.  And this soup is rather easy to make too, for the large amount of leftovers it produces.  I just needed a bigger kettle...

Setian, Bean, and Cabbage Stew

Adapted from Fat Free Vegan

Serves an army, 12-ish

1 large onion, chopped

2 portobellos, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 head cabbage, chopped
4 carrots, slice

4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, chopped

1/3 cup pearl barley
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon thyme
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 tbsp dried rosemary
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 cups water plus vegetarian chicken bouillon to match
3 cups cooked white beans
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 tbsp corn starch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
4 cups vegetarian ham, chopped

salt to taste

Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onion with a bit of water, and sauté for a minute. Add the carrots and garlic, sauté for another 2 minutes, and then add the cabbage and portobellos. Sauté for 5 minutes, until tender. Add the potatoes, barley, seasonings, broth and bullion, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for ½ hour, until the potatoes are tender. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve.