Minestrone Soup

Last Sunday it was warmer than I thought it was going to be, but I'd planned on a big pot of soup to eat while watching the football games. I took a Minestrone and used the fresh produce I had and then used some canned goods. This was delicious and made a huge pot - use whatever fresh, canned or frozen produce  you have and make a pot.

• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes 
• 5 carrots, scraped and cut into chunks 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2 cups penne 
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes 
• 1 (15 oz) can red beans, undrained 
• 1 (15 oz) can English peas, undrained 
• 1 teaspoon dried basil 
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme 
• 1 large onion, chopped 
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into chunks
• 1 (5 oz) package fresh baby spinach 
• 6 cups water 
• 1 cup water (to be added later) 
• 1 (15 oz) can cut green beans, undrained 
• 1½-2 teaspoons dried oregano 
• ½ teaspoon dried tarragon 
• 1 bay leaf 
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Combine potatoes, onions, carrots, zucchini, garlic, spinach, penne and 6 cups water in a large Dutch oven; bring to a boil. 

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir tomatoes and 1 cup water into potato mixture. Add kidney beans and all remaining ingredients except Parmesan cheese and simmer 15 minutes. 

Remove and discard bay leaf. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese. Serve with bread or rolls. Yield: 5 quarts

King Ranch Casserole

I remember making King Ranch Casserole when we ate chicken and boy did I love that gooey Tex-Mex dish. Chez Cayenne, one of the blogs I follow on a regular basis had this Vegan King Ranch Casserole and I knew without a doubt I was printing it and making it. Ummmm - delicious is all I can say. I wanted to take my own pic but we've eaten it all. So no pic from me but be sure to check out Chez Cayenne's blog for good stuff.

Pic by Claire (Chef Cayenne)

I wanted to make a soup to go with this (although it is plenty filling on it's own) and revisited my Black Bean and Quinoa recipe. These two filling dishes were awesome.

Red Curry Chik'n

I found this recipe in Southern Living and made it before we went vegan. It was so yummy, I knew I wanted to attempt it as a vegan and here is my version. If you aren't a fan of heat you may want to start with less red curry paste.

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter (Earth Balance)
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups vegan chicken broth
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons red curry paste
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 bag Morning Star Chik'n Strips (or whatever your fav is)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 1" pieces (I only had frozen ones, so I thawed and used 'em)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges

 
 Prepare rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, milk, and coconut milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly.

Stir in curry paste and next 3 ingredients.

Stir chicken, green beans, and red bell pepper strips into curry mixture; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Serve chicken mixture over rice. Sprinkle with remaining chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.