Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I purchased some broccoli at Ward's that was on clearance. When I got home with it the big question was what will I do with this. So I decided to make a big pot of soup. This is so delicious and comforting. Serve with a slice of Garlic Bread or make bread bowls to serve the soup in . This serves 8+ people depending on how hungry you are. Go check out the Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck where this soup and many other great vegan dishes are shared.

• 1/4 cup Earth Balance
• 2  sweet onions, diced
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 quart soy creamer or any other non-dairy creamer
• 5 cups no-chicken chicken stock (I love Better than Bouillon)
• 4-5 bay leaves
• 2 pounds broccoli florets (you can also use the stems just cut them small so they cook quickly)
• 4 carrots, diced
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• a dash of nutmeg
• 1 package Daiya cheddar cheese, grated

Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Whisk in flour and cook 2 more minutes.

Slowly whisk in soy creamer and chicken stock. Stir until smooth.

Add bay leaves, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered until thickened, about 20 minutes.

(No your eyes aren't deceiving you, I had to pour the above mixture into a bigger pot before I could add the veggies.)

Add broccoli and carrots and cook another 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Remove the bay leaves.

Puree soup with your immersion blender. (If you don't have one you can use a regular blender and puree in batches.)

Return soup to pot over medium heat. Add cheese and stir until melted. Serve with some form of bread, crackers, or in a bread bowl.

Enjoy ... this is so good!!!

White Chick'n Chili

Yeah, I'm getting ready for cooler weather in sunny Florida. I can eat chili and soups year round. They are one of the ultimate comfort foods. Even though this chili has a lot of fresh peppers in it the chili isn't that spicy. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did. I've linked my recipe up over at the Weekend re-Treat Link Party, come check out all the goodies.

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 Vidalia sweet onions, finely chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 poblano peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 cubanelle pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups no-chicken chicken broth
• 3 (15-ounce) cans cannelini beans, rinsed, drained and divided
• 1 package Beyond Meat Chick'n flavored strips
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Garnish: lime wedges, cheddar cheese (Daiya), cilantro, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until it is shimmering. Add the onions, peppers, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and cayenne. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the flour and stir until no raw flour remains about 1 minute.

Slowly stir in the broth.

Add one can of the beans, using a potato masher, mash the beans in the pot, creating a thicker texture.

Stir in the remaining beans, the chicken and the lime juice. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the sour cream and warm for about 5 minutes longer.

Serve with desired garnishes.

Enjoy!!!!

Skillet Rotini with Chick'n & Broccoli

This one dish meals comes together quickly for a week night dinner.You probably have everything needed to make this dish in your pantry and frig. It serves between 4-6. However, my son moved back home last month and he is a big guy and we don't have many leftovers these days. LOL - we had a small serving leftover and it will reheat easily.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil b
• 1 package Beyond Meat chicken strips, slightly thawed and cut in half
• salt and pepper
• 1 medium Vidalia onion,chopped fine
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 8-ounces Rotini
• 2 1/2 cups no-chicken chicken broth
• 1/2 cup Tofutti sour cream
• 1 bunch brocoli (1 1/2 pounds), stems discarded & florets cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup jarred roasted red pepper, rinsed & sliced into strips
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Once the olive oil is shimmering, add the chicken pieces and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is just starting to browne, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and set aside.

Add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the onion, oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 a teaspoon salt. Cook until the onion is softened and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the rotini to the pan followed by the the chicken broth and sour cream. Give it a quick stir and cover, bringing to a boil, taking about 5 minutes.

 Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the broccoli and roasted red peppers. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta starts to soften and broccoli turns bright green, about 8 minutes.

Add the chicken. Cover and continue to simmer until everything is hot, about 3 minutes longer.

Stir in the nutritional yeast and season with salt and pepper.  I served this with a piece of toasted bread.

Enjoy!!!!

Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom Pasta Bake

I've seen several variations of this recipe online. I made this vegan by using Beyond Meat chicken strips and Daiya mozzarella shreds. This was such a warm, comfort dish. This is definitely a "make-again". Serve with a side salad and/or some bread for a complete meal.

• 2 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine
• 1 (5-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach
• 1 (8-ounce) package fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups no-chicken chicken broth
• 1 (16-ounce) box penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
• 1 package Beyond Meat chicken strips, slightly thawed and cut in half (or even thirds)
• 1 package Diaya mozzarella shreds
• 1 cup jarred roasted red pepper, drained and cut into 1/4-inch thick strips
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1-1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast.

 

 Preheat oven to 350. Spray at 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large Dutch oven, melt margarine over medium heat. Add spinach; cook, sitrring occasionally, just until wilted. Remove from pan; set aside. 

To the same pan, add mushrooms and onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. 

Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. 

Stir in broth, and cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. 

Remove from heat, and stir in spinach, pasta and next 6 ingredients. Spoon mixture into prepared pan, and sprinkle with nutritional  yeast.

Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Enjoy!