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Written by Cassie
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Tuesday, February 3 2009 |
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 This soup is a variation of my split pea soup, using mung beans in place of peas, and creamy butternut squash in place of the carrots and potato. I finished the soup with a bit of miso, one of my favorite ingredients, to add more depth and a touch of saltiness. This soup was comfort in a bowl, and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as we did.
A little site update. First, I thank you all for your patience as we continue to work on the new site here behind the scenes. I've been posting frequently over at the new Quick Bites area where I share short posts on what I've got cooking up, along with recipe links and other quick items. After a few requests, I've gone ahead and created two new site feeds, one for Quick Bites only, and one for all of Veggie Meal Plans' updates, including Quick Bites. Have a lovely, lovely day. Mung Bean and Butternut Squash Soup 2 teaspoons oil 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 1 celery stalk, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 3 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash (1 pound) 3 cups light, low-sodium vegetable broth, or more as needed 1/2 cup split, hulled mung beans, sorted and washed 1/4 teaspoon dried savory leaves 1 small bay leaf handful of chopped fresh parsley 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste 2 tablespoons light miso, or to taste Heat oil in a 3-quart pot over medium heat. Add onions and celery and saute until soft and golden. Stir in garlic and cook one minute. Add the butternut squash, vegetable broth, mung beans, savory and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook soup, stirring occasionally, for about 35 minutes, or until mung beans are broken down and squash is very tender. If needed, add in more broth or water, in 1/4 cup increments, to thin soup to desired consistency. Turn the heat off. Remove and discard bay leaf. Take a ladle full of soup and put into a dish along with the miso. Whisk to combine and pour back into the soup and mix well. Stir in lemon and parsley. Give the soup a taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Makes enough for about 3 servings. Related Recipe: Split Pea Soup |
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Written by Cassie
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Wednesday, January 14 2009 |
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We're going through changes around here! Please bear with us as Veggie Meal Plans is in the process of being completely overhauled. In the meantime, I have set up an area called Quick Bites. I'll be using it as a space to share brief posts about what I'm cooking up along with other quick items I'd like to pass along. The latest Quick Bites entries can be found in the upper right corner of the site in the green box. Click on the "more" link at the bottom of the box and you'll be taken to the front page of all entries. I do hope to see you there. Wishing each of you a wonderful, happy, healthy new year!
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Written by Cassie
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Saturday, December 20 2008 |
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 A weekend breakfast to warm up and fill up before heading out on an extremely cold Canadian morning. This baked oatmeal is not meant to be a bar you pick up and eat with your hands. You'll want to put it in a dish. Sit, relax and enjoy it with a hot cup of coffee or tea. And if you like, pour a little soy milk over top, which is how my husband eats it. I think this has just the right amount of sweetness, but you can pass the maple syrup or agave nectar around the table for those who may like it a little sweeter.
This is a great dish to serve for brunch and can be scaled up for more servings. Baked Oatmeal with Cranberries and Walnuts This recipe is loosely based on the Baked Oatmeal recipe from Cooking Light. 1 3/4 cups unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk) 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 tablespoon ground flax seed 2 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking) 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1/3 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly coat a 7"x9" or 8"x8" baking pan with non-stick spray. Combine the milk, applesauce and flax seed and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine all remaining ingredients, stir in wet mix then pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm. This makes enough for about 6 servings, or 4 for heartier appetites. |
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Written by Cassie
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Thursday, December 18 2008 |
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 I've got a new slow-cooker I've been experimenting with and this week I've used it to cook up a tomatoey stew with white beans, lima beans, sweet potatoes, corn and basil.
I wish I had a picture of the stew to show you, but golly that sun is setting early these days, well before dinnertime, plus our dinners have been so late. It sure looked nice, especially with the sweet potatoes I cut into heart shapes - for my husband, as we haven't been able to eat many dinners together lately, and this would be one of those nights. But gotta love the slow-cooker convenience on those days as I can set it so dinner is cooked and kept warm until each of us can go grab a bowlful. And with the fairly large amount of stew this makes, we're now set with leftovers to get us through what will surely be a busy weekend ahead. Our dinner: slow-cooker stew with beans, sweet potatoes and corn and a little soy yogurt with frozen berries Slow-Cooker Stew with Beans, Sweet Potatoes and Corn I used a 6-quart slow-cooker for this recipe which filled the center pot about 2/3rd full. For the white beans, I used dry beans that were previously cooked with a little bite still left in them. You could certainly use canned, but consider adding them in towards the end. Ingredients: 1-28oz can of unsalted whole tomatoes, including the juice 3 cups sweet potato chunks 2 cups cooked cannelini beans 2 cups lima beans (I used frozen, but thawed them first) 2 cups frozen corn kernels 1 large onion, diced 2 large cloves of garlic, minced 3 cups vegetable broth 1 tablespoon paprika 1 tablespoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried thyme Dump the tomatoes into slow-cooker and crush with your hands or the back of a wooden spoon. Mix in the remaining ingredients, cover, and slow-cook until everything is tender. For me, that worked out to be 1 hour on High and about 7 hours on Low. Your cooking time and heat settings may need to be adjusted for your slow-cooker or for your own preferences. This makes enough for 8 servings or more. |
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