Meatless Monday's: Creamy Chipotle Potato Soup

I think that the food group people worry about missing the most when going plant-based is dairy. Which isn't surprising because not only is it actually addictive, the taste and texture is seen as hard to mimic.

Nowadays, this couldn't be further from the truth.

With the development of nut cheeses as well as the soy and tapioca based ones, there is a wide array to choose from on that end. They are great transition foods, and a treat now and again.

There are some things that can make creamy delicious dishes without any of them AND be low-fat. The magic is in the potatoes! (or cauliflower, but that's for another post)

I also used a little homemade coconut milk to make it even more decadent, but it isn't essential if you want to keep this meal fat-free.

You can choose to top this with any vegetables, but I found that roasted broccoli was the perfect compliment. Any wilted greens would also work very well.

Creamy Chipotle Potato Soup

-       10-12 medium potatoes (I used a mix of red and yellow)

-       2-3 cup of water or veggie broth

-       1 onion, diced.

-       ¾ cup nutritional yeast

-       1 tbsp chipotle flakes (or more depending on how spicy you like it)

-       1 cup coconut milk (I used homemade)

-       S/P

Toppings:

-       1 head broccoli, cut into florets

-       1 onion, sliced

Pre-heat the oven to 400F.

On a cookie sheet, spread out the toppings and roast for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.

In a large pot, boil the potatoes until tender. I always slice them into smaller pieces to speed up the process. Whole potatoes take an eternity.

Drain the cooking water and in batches, blend the potatoes with the rest of the ingredients, making sure to use enough liquid for each batch to get super smooth and creamy. Put it all back in the same pot, or soup container thing (see pictures, I can’t think of the proper name…). Either top the serving bowl with the broccoli mix, or each individual bowl.

Serve hot, with a simple salad.

Enjoy!!

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Soul Warming Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

There comes a time when you have to accept that it is officially winter. Yesterday was that day here in Ottawa. We got about 30 cm of snow overnight, which cast the entire scenery in a cold white glow, which I do admit is quite beautiful to look at from the warmth of the house.

It's not that I hate winter. I love the snow, at least in theory. When I'm bundled up and all, it's not so bad. But the cold winds and dirty slush aren't my idea of a good time.

I do have to say that this year I am very lucky to only having to endure live through a small part of it. My lucky partner on the other hand left this morning to the sunny and warm Costa Rica, where I'll be joining him after the holidays.  He only got about three days of it all, of which I am slightly envious.

Nonetheless, this cool weather has me in the kitchen concocting warm comforting dishes, without all the fat that is. I find that most people find themselves reaching for the higher fat food this time of year, probably because our bodies are searching for more energy to keep warm. Really, it's because our society chronically under eats carbohydrates, the fuel our body truly needs. The easiest way to fill that void is with very calorically dense, but not so optimal, foods.

This chili is a bit more protein dense than I usually go for, the bean provide more than enough for most peoples daily quota, along with a healthy dose of fiber to keeps things running smoothly. (pun intended!) Add some rice or quinoa to boost the carb load of the meal.

Soul Warming Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Ingredients:

- 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

- 2 bell peppers, diced

- 1 large onion, diced

- 3-4large tomatoes diced, or 2 cans diced tomatoes

- 4 cups tomato sauce

- 2 can each black beans and red kidney beans

- 1 package org. non-GMo frozen corn.

- Cumin

- Cayenne

- Black Pepper

- White pepper

- Paprika

- Chipotle chili flakes

In the biggest pot that you own, or well a large one in case you own any of those ginornmous ones used for extra large batches of foodness, sweat the onion with a little bit of onion. 

Add the peppers and sweet potatoes and allow to cook for about 5 minutes.

Now add the sauce, the diced tomatoes if you are using canned, if not wait until the sweet potatoes are almost done to add the fresh ones. Throw in all the spices as desired. Simmer on low heat.

When the veggies are half done, add the beans and the corn. Bring back to a low simmer and cook long and slow until everything is cooked through.

This stuff is even better the next day so I tend to make it beforehand if serving at an event. It's just one of those things that gets better everytime you reheat it (well within reason...). 

Serve as is, or over rice of quinoa.

Enjoy!

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Super Simple Collard Burrrrritos and Guilt Free Tortilla Chips

Sometimes you just have to take it as it comes and find a way to make it all work.

After a rather uneventful move from Toronto to our temporary home here in Ottawa, I came to discover that we don't have high speed internet, just an internet stick that quite frankly reminds me of dial up after having a crazy fast fiber connection at our condo. But hey, it's better than nothing.

With adjusting to my temporary life here, I've been struggling to get organized and get everything rolling again. Between prioritizing schoolwork so that I graduate before our big move to Costa Rica for the winter and working a new job with more hours than I had at the restaurant in Toronto, blogging has been a constant on my mind, but not something I've been very successful at apparently.

Hopefully I've gotten all under control now and post will return to their normal frequency.

Today's recipe is warming, simple and comforting. The three main things on my mind lately when it come to nourishment. Fruit quality and availability isn't really comparable here in Ottawa to what it is in Toronto, especially with the access we had to the Ontario Food Terminal. So we've been eating a bit more rice, potatoes and other whole food carbs to fill in the blanks.

When avoiding gluten and most flours, it may seem difficult to make certain dishes that used to be staples. When it comes to wraps, most ones on the market that are conveniently pre-made are either not to my taste or just full of things I'd rather not consume. The best part is that you don't have to settle if you feel the same way. Collards are the perfect replacement that are just as easy to use, plus you get a serving of greens in. There are a million ways that you can fill them, this one is easy, fast and bursting with flavor.

I chose to also include in this lovely meal, a side of home-made fat free tortilla chips that are so easy to make that they barely warrant a recipe. All you need to find is some 100% corn tortillas (I bought mine at Whole Foods) and cut them into triangles, bake at 450F until crispy. If you want them flavoured, you just need to toss the triangles with desired spices (maybe a bit of liquid to get them to stick, although I haven't tried this, so experiment at your own risk).

Super Simple Collard Burrritos

Ingredients:

- 4 large collard leaves, stem cut off.

- 3-4 cups of cooked rice

- 1 cup black beans

- 1 bell pepper, chopped

- Salsa, as desired.

- Chili powder

- Cumin

- Hot Sauce

Optional Toppings:

- Guacamole or avocado

- Refried beans

- Chopped red onion

- Cashew Sour Cream

Rinse collards well and pat dry with a kitchen towel, then gently slice off the thick part of the stem that runs through the leaf, being careful not to tear the leaf. Then at the top, where the stem was cut, slice off a bit of each corner of the leaf. 

Pile on the toppings, starting with the rice, spices, hot sauce, beans and finishing with the peppers and salsa, leaving a third of the bottom and sides empty

Fold closed as follows: 

Grab the bottom third and fold it over the toppings, then grab the sides and fold over, keeping it closed with a toothpick threaded through.

Serve with guilt-free tortilla chips and dip of choice.

Enjoy!

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Three Ingredient Chocolatey Milkshake

My dog ate my brownie.

Now other than the first reaction, of being concerned for her having eaten chocolate once again (I swear she's developed an immunity), I was sad. Mostly because baked treats are a rarity in my foodie life, by choice of course. I have them occasionally, but in reality I prefer the vibrance of a low fat, no oil lifestyle that enables me to feel my best.

So maybe she was doing me a favor more than anything.

After that incident, I figured why not make something that will satisfy that sweet tooth while being healthy in every way?

And so the Chocolatey raw vegan mylkshake was made, and it doesn't even involve any mylk!

I love simplicity, even more so when it's made of ingredients everyone has easy access to.

Raw Vegan Chocolatey Mylkshake

Ingredients:

- Bananas, both frozen and fresh.

- Coconut sugar

- Carob or cacao powder (I prefer carob here)

- Water

The amount of each ingredient used is up to you, if you want a thicker shake, use more frozen than fresh bananas and less water. 

You can also control the sweetness and chocolate factor, I used 1/3 cup coconut sugar and 1.5 tbsp carob powder for 10 bananas (6 fresh, 4 frozen).

Enjoy!

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