Chunky Guacamole

A couple of days ago, I fed this yummy guacamole to a few friends who showed up to play Yomi with me and Rick. Today, I doubled the recipe and shared with Rick's co-workers. They all loved it!

Gamer approved.

I found this recipe last year in an issue of The Costco Connection. My dad is a Costco member and the magazine was in the house when I randomly flipped through the pages and found this recipe. Good find, Joanna, good find. =)

Chunky Guacamole
makes 2.5 cups

1 medium tomato, finely diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 small red onion, finely diced (about 3 tablespoons)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
2 large Hass avocados (one pound total), cut into 1/2-inch dice

1. In a medium bowl, toss the tomato with the onion, cilantro, lime juice, red pepper flakes and salt. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
2.  Add the avocado and gently mash it into the tomato mixture with a fork. Serve immediately with your favorite tortilla chips.

Nothing like a good ol' guac bowl!

Like nuts, avocados are high in fat and it's understandable that some people might want to avoid it for this reason. However, this lesser known fruit is high in all sorts of nutrients and the kind of fat that they contain (monounsaturated fats) is really healthy for the heart.
Avocados are a great source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and potassium (they have even more potassium than bananas!). The tomatoes in the dip help add a good dose of lycopene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and manganese. Talk about a healthy snack!

Nutrition Facts
(for every heaping 1/2 cup)

Calories: 175
Fat: 14.9g
Carbs: 12g
Protein: 2.5g
Fiber: 7.5g
Calcium: 21.1mg

If you ask me, these facts are pretty great for a heaping 1/2 cup serving. I usually eat less than that and many store-bought guacamole dips have much more calories in two tablespoons. Perhaps the tomatoes add a lot of bulk to this recipe, which lessens the caloric impact of the hefty avocados.
Nonetheless, I'm quite proud that my first attempt of making my own guacamole was a success!

Gluten-Free Chia Protein Bites

Lupini beans.

Among all the beans that I've ever eaten, lupini beans are the strangest. Even when cooked, they have a tough bite and texture and for some reason they taste somewhat... cheesy. Awkward. The first time I tried them was in this chili recipe (I used them in place of the lima beans).

So because of my first impression of the bean, a jar of lupini beans have been sitting in my fridge for a long, long time. But here I am again, switching ingredients in another recipe:

Chia seed protein bites! They are so cute. ^_^

This time, I used the lupini beans in place of the cannellini beans this recipe called for. The result was a success and I was so happy! Unfortunately, I didn't use enough sweetener so the bites turned out very plain. I'll make this again next time when I have a new bottle of agave syrup. ;)
This recipe is brought to us by Made Just Right, the community-friendly website owned by the Earth Balance brand. Click here for the recipe.

Chia seeds look like teenie, speckled eggs. =)

Chia seeds are a wonderful source of fiber, calcium, manganese, phosphorus, and omega-3's and 6's. The seeds are also known to add volume in our stomach which helps keep us full for a while.
The nutrition info below represents the use of maple syrup as a sweetener and Vega One Vanilla Chai as the chai protein powder. Let me know what you used and I can always calculate more accurate estimations for you.

Nutrition Facts per Bite
(makes about 30 bites)

Calories: 87
Fat: 4.4g
Carbs: 8.4g
Protein: 3.8g
Fiber: 3.1g
Sugar: 2.1g
Calcium: 68.9g

Pretty hefty but nutritious stuff for one little bite! They sure make a great snack for recovering after working out. Now that I think about it, I ate much more than just one...

African Sweet Potato Soup

What's sweet, nutty, spicy, has tons of potassium, and makes a great comfort food for cold nights?

This soup!

I made this soup today for lunch and thought it was pretty good; it had a very unique taste that I cannot quite describe. See, it contains peanut butter and I never really used the nut butter with the spices it called for! It was quite an interesting soup but it was yummy enough to clean my bowl until it was shiny.
Care to give it a try?
 
African Sweet Potato Soup
(recipe veganized from an old issue of Fitness magazine)
serves 3

1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon canola oil
4 cups vegetable stock
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 medium russet potato, cubed, skin on
3/4 cup diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter (I used smooth)

1. Saute onion and garlic in a medium soup pot with the oil for about five minutes or until onion becomes soft. Try not to burn the garlic.
2. Pour in the vegetable stock along with the diced potatoes, tomatoes, and all of the spices. Then, add in the peanut butter and mix until smooth. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes on medium heat until the potatoes become tender. Carefully ladle into bowls and serve with buttered bread or a side salad.

Hot potato, hot potato...

If you want to make this soup a little spicier you can add a few dashes of cayenne pepper to your serving. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, potassium. Russet potatoes are chock full of vitamin B6, iron, phosphorus, and potassium. Forget the low-carb stuff and eat your taters!

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories: 296
Fat: 12.5g
Carbs: 35.9g
Protein:  9.1g
Fiber: 5g
Calcium: 42.4mg

The nutrition info for a third of this recipe doesn't look that bad at all. I was expecting it to contain much more carbs and calories from all the potatoes and peanut butter! I'm going to have some leftovers for dinner tonight with a side of toasted, buttered bread. Yum. Oh, and Rick wants to watch a scary movie! I'm so down. Just got to be careful not to spill hot soup everywhere during the scary scenes.

Vegan Bread Pudding

Here's another sure fire way to use up stale bread:

Go green; save your bread!

Warm bread, plump raisins, fragrant vanilla, and spicy cinnamon. You'll never want to throw away "spoiled" bread again.

Vegan Bread Pudding
(inspired by this recipe)
serves 3

two slices of whole wheat bread, crumbled
1/2 cup unsweetened original almond milk
stevia or no-calorie sweetener, to taste
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins, unpacked
1 tbsp chopped almonds

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a shallow baking pan (I used a loaf pan) and stir well. Make sure the bread is covered evenly.
3. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve warm with a few dashes of cinnamon and ground flax seed.

Mmm... cinnamony...

The chopped almonds added such a nice nutty texture. Next time I'll add two tablespoons more. This pudding makes a great dessert, carby snack, or even a hearty breakfast (preferably if you double the servings).

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 146
Fat: 2.5g
Carbs: 28.3g
Protein: 4.8g
Fiber: 3.9g
Sugar: 10.9g (mostly from the raisins)

Some of you might find that the raisins are all you need to make this pudding sweet. Simply adjust the sweetness gradually by using stevia and taste test before setting the pan in the oven.

For another way to use up overdue bread, check out my last post on cinnamon French toast breakfast. Enjoy!

Cinnamon French Toast

Yesterday I decided to experiment a bit with making my own whole wheat bread. Even though I followed the recipe to a T it didn't turn out like I thought. What I expected to be fluffy and light actually turned out dense and heavy. Problem? The bread didn't rise before baking. Ugh.
So instead of throwing away the carb-loaded brick, Rick and I chose to cut it up and use it for a French toast breakfast.

They greatly resembled churros!

It made a lovely breakfast; the batter was sweet and generously spiced with cinnamon. The only "problem" was the bread I made! The denseness of the slices made it difficult for the sweet batter to soak in. Hopefully next time when I bake a better homemade bread I can use fluffy bread slices. Mmm... Click here for the recipe!

Top with a little more batter and dashes of cinnamon.

Since the ingredients for this recipe vary greatly, let's set up a scenario... The info below represents the use of the following: unsweetened vanilla soy milk, four tablespoons of whole wheat flour, and whole wheat bread. If you used different ingredients, let me know and I'll be glad to calculate the nutrition facts just for you.

Nutrition Facts per Toast

Calories: 165
Fat: 4.2g
Carbs: 24.2
Protein: 7.9g
Fiber: 4.1g
Sugar: 4.1g
Calcium: 75.4

Yummy stuff. I probably had less (or more) calories since I used the following: unsweetened original almond milk, white flour, and homemade whole wheat bread that didn't rise very well. Apparently, everyone says that stale or "bad" bread is best for French toast. What a great use instead of throwing it away. =)
I'm planning on using the rest for bread pudding...

Update: My 20th Birthday! / Chocolate Mug Cake

Surprise, surprise.

I was planning on typing up a hint post before today but my plan didn't work very well due to a recipe fail so all of you have the luxury of wishing me a happy belated birthday. ;)

So my day started off early with tofu scramble and toast for breakfast. Rick bought me a TofuXpress online a couple days ago and it showed up on our doorstep yesterday, so we were excited to use it for the first time!

This helps us save TONS of trees (aka paper towels).

We soaked the tofu overnight and the consistency came out perfect in the morning. I can't wait to see how the tofu turns out in stir-fry next time.
After breakfast, Rick took me to the UCSD Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. I've been there many times, for field trips and otherwise, but I never actually had a chance to enjoy myself there. Today really made a difference.

Woot!

I realized how much I have in common with a 20-year old leopard shark, age- and height-wise.

Does anyone see Dory? Time to find Nemo.

There he is!

I like my gifts useful and memorable. A Birch Aquarium magnet, please. =)

I had such a great time! The aquarium is such a responsible place and I love how they stress the importance of going green and respecting sea life. I took tons of more pics and I'd love to share them but I don't want to flood this post with all of them. ;)

After the aquarium, we had an amazing lunch at the new, super healthy and eco-friendly restaurant in Fashion Valley Mall called True Food Kitchen. We ordered Shiitake & Tofu Lettuce Cups as an appetizer and two freshly-juiced drinks on the side. Rick got the nectar sweet Hangover Rx and I ordered the deliciously spicy Kale Aid.

Eat (and drink!) natural colors.

For our entrees, Rick chose the "Banh Mi" Wrap and I picked Andy's Favorite "TLT". We had pan-fried diced sweet potato and a fresh kale salad on the side.

In case you were wondering, no, I couldn't finish it!

Their food was so great! The tempeh in my sandwich was smoky and crispy and surrounded by ton of veggies. Unfortunately, before ordering, Rick and I didn't realize the kale salad is prepared with grated cheese. Next time we go, we'll kindly ask them to not add that. But all in all, I loved the food and the restaurant is an awesome place for date nights. Definitely going there again.

And, last but not least, what's a birthday without cake?! I made a teenie one just for me.

No frosting; just a sweet cherry on top.

Many thanks to Emma from the fairly new vegan blog, Barefoot Baker; this chocolate mug cake was fantastic and it's great for satisfying a rich chocolate craving. In her post, she mentions her 20th birthday and how she made this cake for herself; and now it's me who's trying out her cake and talking about my own 20th birthday! How very peculiar! Click here for the recipe.
The info below represents the use of white flour, unsweetened almond milk, and only one tablespoon of sugar.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 278
Fat: 15.5g
Carbs: 33.5g
Protein: 3.7g
Fiber: 2.6g
Sugar: 12.3g

What a great treat. The cake turned out wonderfully in just a minute in the microwave. Like Emma said on her post, you can use applesauce instead of oil but the flavor won't be as good. There's always room for experimenting though. ;)

I had an amazing and very happy birthday. Many thanks and hugs to my readers, friends, family, cats, and (of course) Ricky. <3

Ta ta for now!

Blueberry Celery Smoothie

Recently I've been searching for ways to use up the last of the organic celery that I bought on impulse not too long ago. My first and intended use for the veggie was for that chickpea "tuna" sandwich that I made last time.
And here's what I did with the leftover celery:

There's always a healthy solution. :)

After a quick search online, I stumbled on a site called Wishful Chef, which is where I found this smoothie recipe. I tweaked it around just a little bit; you can see my alterations below.
Honestly, I usually can't stand celery because I think the flavor is way too strong for me. In fact, I was afraid to make this smoothie with it! But this drink was so great, I had it twice already and used up all the celery in my fridge. Mmm, mmm. It made a lovely, high-energy, pre-yoga breakfast.

Blueberry Celery Smoothie
serves 1-2

1 cup frozen unsweetened blueberries
1 medium banana
4 medium stalks of celery
1 cup cold water

1. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Serve immediately and enjoy!

It's a green smoothie in disguise!

All of the ingredients work synergistically to make this smoothie high in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and manganese.

Nutrition Facts
(for one serving)

Calories: 206
Fat: 1.7g
Carbs: 51.3g
Protein: 3g
Fiber: 9.8g
Calcium: 82.3g

Check out all that fiber! I'm definitely going to be turning to this smoothie again.
Oh, and before I publish this post, I want to say thanks to everyone on Facebook who gave me ideas on how to use up celery! I should try some of those ideas out next time I buy a new bunch. ;)

Chickpea "Tuna" Salad Sandwich

When I was growing up, my mom used to prepare tuna sandwiches for me. At the time, nothing beat that creamy yet chewy texture of the combination of tuna fish and mayonnaise.

But now, for many reasons, that doesn't sound very appetizing anymore... and this is not unfortunate.

By searching online, I was able to find a simple "tuna" sandwich recipe that could easily be veganized. So what replaces the tuna?

Chickpeas!

Oh, chickpeas, you are so versatile. I had this sandwich for early lunch with sweet potato chips from Food Should Taste Good. Yum, yum.
As a tip, make sure you use either umeboshi vinegar or crumpled nori (seaweed) sheets to reach that fishy flavor or else it may end up tasting more like an egg salad sandwich. But then again, either flavors are win-win!

Chickpea "Tuna" Salad Sandwich
serves 2

1.5 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 can (15-oz) of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard (I used plain yellow mustard)
1 1/2 tablespoons umebochi vinegar (I subbed half a crumpled nori sheet)
2 teaspoons celery seeds (did not use this)
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons sliced scallions
ground pepper, to taste
a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

four slices whole grain bread
a couple of tomato slices
a few lettuce leaves, washed and dried well

1. Place chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor and pulse two or three times to roughly chop. Add remaining ingredients and pulse two or three times more to incorporate.
2. Lay out the bread and place the lettuce leaves on two slices. Spoon on the "tuna" salad and top with the other slice of bread. Cut in half and enjoy!

No tuna fish were hurt in the making of this sandwich.

I really liked how not too much mayonnaise was called for in the recipe. Unlike Rick, I have a thing for mayo but you never want to get too crazy with it, especially since it's high in calories (unless you're using a fat-free version). I remember when my mom, bless her, used to make me tuna sandwiches; she always added tons of mayonnaise! Oh, those were the days.

Nutrition Facts per Serving
(serves 2)

Calories: 301
Fat: 11.9g
Carbs: 39.3g
Protein: 13.3g
Fiber: 10.5

These calculations do not take into account the kind of bread used, tomatoes, or lettuce, but it does assume you used regular vegan mayonnaise (not fat-free).
Chickpeas are a great source of fiber, protein, B vitamins (especially folate), vitamin K, iron, magnesium, manganese, and zinc.

Anyway, this sandwich was great and I predict Rick would refuse to touch it, as he always hated tuna... and mayonnaise. Oh, well. More for me! Next time I'll add sliced tomatoes and spinach.

Oh, one last thing; when Rick and I were up in San Jose, we went to the Westfield Oak Ridge Mall to eat at Loving Hut. We ordered...

vegan pho soup for him...

...and a tuno melt for me!

Both orders were very delicious. Rick said this was the best vegan pho he's every had! As for my tuno melt, it was very yummy and it was brimming with melted cheddar Daiya cheese. I gave it five stars on the first bite.

Have a great one, everybody.

Oat Flour Blueberry Muffins with Sweet Potato Puree

I had a can of sweet potato puree in our cupboard for months. I also read that July 11th is National Blueberry Muffin Day and, knowing me and my adoration for blueberries, how could I voluntarily miss out on such a day?
I made these muffins this afternoon:

Yum!

Thanks to SnackGirl.com, I was able to get this recipe from one of her posts where she talked about Forks Over Knives, the amazing documentary that stresses the importance of a plant based diet (I absolutely love that film and everyone should watch it!). In fact, the recipe came from the Forks Over Knives cookbook, which I do not own, unfortunately.

A pretty mess.

So I really liked these muffins. They came out quite heavy and dense but they were delicious. I was also a little hesitant to use sweet potato puree in the batter but it added a nice touch along with all of the pumpkin pie-like spices (I had to remind myself I was making blueberry muffins, haha).
Note: if you have not made baked goods with blueberries, make sure you mix them in the batter slowly and gently or else the end result will turn out grey in color!



Nutrition Facts per Muffin

(out of the standard 12)

Calories: 101
Fat: 0.9g
Carbs: 22.2g
Protein: 2g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 10.5g

Isn't it handy to know that one muffin contains only 101 calories? That's great for easy counting if you eat more than one. ;) And even though most of the sugar comes from the use of maple/agave syrup, the blueberries and banana also add to that total. Guilt-free goodness. ^_^ I'm totally going to make these again but with freshly steamed sweet potato puree instead of canned.

To start the day off right, I think I'm going to have some blueberry walnut oatmeal tomorrow morning. =)

Citrus Banana Blueberry Smoothie

Do you remember when I said I was getting into running?
Yeah, that didn't last very long.

Although I grew up in this neighborhood my entire life, I can't believe it took running to find out it's a dangerous place. Perhaps it's just me, but I don't feel safe when I'm alone and some random guy hits on me. Quite honestly, I hate that and it got really, really annoying. So no more running for me unless I'm with a friend or in a very public area.

So what am I doing to keep fit and healthy nowadays? I turned to jump rope, which is still a great cardio workout but it burns much more calories than running. In fact, just ten minutes of jump roping is more effective at burning calories than 30 minutes of running! I'm sold.
Another thing I'm doing is simply practicing more yoga everyday. I usually practice at least 30 minutes but lately that changed to 45. Soon enough, I'll be at one hour every day! *giddy*

And this is what I'm doing in the morning either after yoga or before cardio:

I'm loading up on the fruit!

Usually when Rick has an opening shift, I treat myself to a good, fruit-only smoothie. It provides me with a lot of carbs, which is essential early in the day and for increased energy. I've also been reading about how fruit digests quickly in our bodies if we eat them alone and not with other kinds of foods since this may slow digestion (but this argument is up for opinions). However, when Rick is home in the morning, we eat together and I'm most likely to make waffles or oatmeal. Variety is the spice of life, you know. ;)

Citrus Banana Blueberry Smoothie
(a recipe from Vitamix)
serves 1

3/4 cup water

1 medium orange, peeled, halved

1 small banana, peeled, frozen

1/2 cup frozen unsweetened blueberries

1. Throw it all into a blender. Blend until desired consistency is reached. You can also add more ice if needed but be careful to not dilute the flavors.

A change from my usual green smoothies.

I love this smoothie. It's simple, delicious, and bursting with nutrients. Oranges are a great source of vitamin C; bananas are high in potassium and vitamin B6; frozen, unsweetened blueberries are known for their memory-improving effect and are a great source of vitamin K and antioxidants.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 191
Fat: 1g
Carbs: 47.9g
Protein: 2.7g
Fiber: 7.9g

As you can see, this smoothie makes a lovely, quick, high-fiber, low-calorie breakfast. As a suggestion, you can drink it before a workout and then have a heavier meal with more protein after you're done.

Speaking of when to eat, I have also been getting into small fasting bouts. For instance, I fast for 12 hours overnight. Rick thought I was already doing this but, truth is, I snack a lot after dinner (especially in front of the TV)! Sometimes this left me feeling bloated and gross before going to sleep but choosing not eating after 9PM was such a great decision. As you may have predicted, since my short fasts are for 12 hours, I wait to eat until 9AM the next morning. You should try it! I feel great to know my body is working on me and not on the food I eat all the time! Just remember to drink lots of water between meals so your body understands the difference between food hunger and dehydration.

Take care, everyone. <3

Lesley's Simple Spinach with Olive Oil

She made this for us last year and we fell in love with it. Here I am now, posting it up for all to see.

(Leslie is Rick's mom, by the way!)

We like to call this a spinach dip but it's nothing like it especially since it uses no vegan mayo and the consistency is different. Either way, we love it and it reminds us a lot like our favorite warm chickpea salad, except it's much easier to prepare.

Lesley's Simple Spinach with Olive Oil
serves two, unless using as a condiment

10 ounce packages of frozen spinach, thawed completely
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas), whole or chopped to desired consistency
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve however you please!

Ricky and I ate everything. ^_^

We ate the spinach with tortilla chips and everything was gone within five minutes. Guess we're going to have to make more tomorrow to use in our falafel sandwich lunch. Mmm... can't wait!

Nutrition Facts
(if serving two)

Calories: 205
Fat: 14.5g
Carbs: 10.8g
Protein: 5.3g
Fiber: 3.3g

You can save grams of fat by just using one tablespoon of olive oil or only serving the finished side as a condiment, like on sandwiches. Frozen raw spinach is a great source of vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, folate, magnesium, manganese, and potassium. Spinach even contains a little bit of omega-3's and has tons of lutein, which is great for keeping eyes healthy. Go Popeye and eat a bunch!

Tomorrow, Rick and I are leaving San Jose and driving all the way down to San Diego again. I'll miss it up here so much and I do hope we can visit again for Christmas. At least I'll have more time to cook in my little kitchen again.

Update: Fourth of July 2012

I hope you all had a great Fourth of July! Rick and I finally arrived at his parents' house in Newman, CA for the holiday.

We spent this year's Fourth of July party at our friend's house (Kim and Lance; check out Kim's family blog!). Rick's mom and sister prepared delicious olive pasta salad, fruit salad, and grilled corn, while I made the snickerdoodles that Rick wanted! We also had vegetarian baked beans on the side. This is what my plate looked like:

We're all about side dishes. ;)

On the table were chips, hummus, salsa, pretzels... All of the little snacks that we all know and love.

Too bad there weren't any baby carrots for the hummus!

 After Rick opened many gifts for his birthday (he loved my gifts), we had dessert:

Pardon me, I had to use flash for this one. Heheh.

Rick took two out of the many snickerdoodles I baked and made mini ice cream sandwiches with them using Tempt Vanilla Bean ice cream and fresh strawberries. It was a simple yet genius idea. I savored every little bite. ^_^
Finally, we went outside in the warm night and watched our friends light some street fireworks (don't worry; they're legal). Fireworks are pretty difficult to capture on camera!

The fireworks were very fun to watch, though I was nervous for our friend who was lighting them. We then stayed up past midnight playing Yomi and Apples to Apples with our friends and hosts of the party. It was a great Fourth of July!

Oh, by the way, Rick and I found many vegan options up here so far. Take a look for yourself and see the foods we've eaten lately!

Veggie burrito from La Victoria Taqueria in the southern part of San Jose

This burrito was really yummy. It had rice, beans, salsa, guacamole, and potatoes which were wrapped in a spinach tortilla. It had a great spicy sauce on the side.

Hummus and fresh veggie wrap from Togo's, also in south San Jose

My first order from Togo's ever! This wrap was also bundled in a spinach tortilla, like the burrito from La Victoria Taqueria, though this one was lightly grilled. It's originally made with Feta cheese but we simply ordered extra hummus instead. On the side was a yummy vinaigrette.

Fruit Tangos from Casa de Fruta in Hollister, CA

Ah, Casa de Fruta; dried and fresh fruit, vegetables, on-the-road snacks, teas, and miscellaneous doodads galore. We picked up some of these fruit tangos, which are blended dried fruit rolled in dried coconut shreds. They were pretty good! I bought them because I was craving homemade Larabars. ;)

Rick and I only have a couple of days left until the long drive back to San Diego, so I still can't really cook or bake with freedom right now. Chances are, I'll be posting yet another update before then. However, I think Rick's mom has a recipe for us...

Kale & Tomato Soup

Besides smoothies, soups are my second favorite way to get in a lot of vegetables.

Just chop them up and throw them in.

I made this soup before Rick and I went to San Jose, which is exactly where we are at the moment (having a great time!). We really needed to find a way to use up our perishables which, in this case, were our vegetables. I found this recipe from AllRecipes.com but I altered it so much that I decided to type out the way I prepared it. Enjoy. ^_^

Kale & Tomato Soup
serves about three

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 cups kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
2 diced Roma tomatoes
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot and cook the chopped onion and garlic until soft.
2. Toss in the chopped kale and cook until wilted, about two minutes. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
3. Stir in the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, broccoli florets, Italian seasoning, and chopped parsley. Simmer on medium heat for 25 minutes so that the flavors combine. Adjust with salt and pepper as needed.

Nothing like the warmth of good-for-you soup.

This soup was a great choice for using up all the veggies I had. The cooked kale, broccoli, and tomatoes all adds tons of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese as well as calcium, fiber, and iron. Tomatoes are also a great source of the antioxidant, lycopene. Eat up!

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories: 134
Fat: 5.5g
Carbs: 19.4g
Protein: 4.2g
Fiber: 4g

As you can see, this soup is very low in calories. If you wish, you can toss in some cooked beans to the soup to add more protein and fiber, or you can serve cooked brown rice on the side for more sustenance.

By the way, since Rick and I are in San Jose, we are more likely to stick with eating out more than cooking, especially since we aren't at home and visiting friends and family are our main priority right now. So I'm not sure what we're going to do for the Fourth of July. I'm predicting we're going to be treated to a home meal from Richard's lovely mother. Either way, I'm still planning to publish an update post after the holiday, like I mentioned last time. I think Rick wants snickerdoodles or our favorite brownies for his birthday this Thursday..!
Stay tuned!