Instant Pot Southwestern Corn Chowder [oil-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan]

NOTE: The reason for cutting the jalapeno in half and removing before blending is simply because it will turn the soup a brown color if you don't do it this way. Also, it adds a nice fleck of green throughout the soup.

4 cups frozen corn, divided
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 red pepper pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, cored, seeds removed, cut in half lengthwise
1 small can of mild chopped green chiles
1/2 t chili powder
3/4 salt (more or less to taste)
1 t liquid smoke
3-4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
Fresh baby spinach, chopped (optional)
Cilantro, chopped (for garnish)


Place 3 cups of frozen corn, onion, garlic, jalapeno halves, red and yellow bell peppers, green chiles, chili powder, salt, liquid smoke, and 3 cups of broth into the pressure cooker. Cook on HIGH pressure for 4 minutes with QUICK RELEASE. Remove the jalapeno halves; set aside and let them cool. Chop finely when they are cooled. In the meantime, place the soup  (in batches if necessary) into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Return the blended soup to a large pot or back into the pressure cooker pot. Add in the chopped jalapeno and 1 more cup of frozen corn. If desired, add greens in now to wilt. Set the pressure cooker to WARM, and cover the top. Let it simmer for another 10 or so minutes before serving. Add chopped cilantro for garnish.

Spinach Mushroom Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche [oil-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan]

NOTE: This quiche can be made a day or two ahead and warmed up in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave.

Crust:
1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water, mixed together
1 cup almond flour
1 cup oat flour (gluten-free if desired)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 t salt
1-2 T water

Filling:
1 block (14-oz) firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 medium onion, diced finely
3 cloves garlic, crushed
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped and soaked in water for 30 minutes
3 handfuls of baby spinach, chopped
2 T nutritional yeast
1 t dried oregano
3/4-1 t salt (or less if desired)
a few shakes of black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

For the crust: Mix together flax and water mixture in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the almond flour, oat flour, oregano, and salt. Add in the flaxseed mixture and 2 T of water. Stir well. The dough will be somewhat crumbly, but it should stick together when you press it between your fingers.

Crumble the dough evenly over the base of a 9" pie dish. Press the mixture evenly into the pan, working your way outward and up the sides of the pan. Bake the crust at 350F for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden and firm to touch. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool while you finish preparing the filling. Increase oven temperature to 375F.

For the filling: Break apart the tofu block into 4 pieces and add into food processor. Process the tofu until smooth and creamy. If it doesn't get creamy, add a tiny splash of unsweetened non-dairy milk to help it along. Set aside.

In a large skillet, steamfry onion over medium-high heat with a little water until tender and translucent. Stir in the garlic, mushrooms, season with a few dashes of salt, and cook on medium-high heat until most of the water cooks off the mushrooms, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in the herbs, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast, oregano, salt, and pepper until combined. Cook until the spinach is wilted. 

Finally, remove from heat and stir in the processed tofu until thoroughly combined. Adjust seasoning to taste if desired. Spoon mixture into baked crust and smooth out with a spoon until even.

Bake quiche, uncovered, at 375F for 35 minutes, or until the quiche is firm to the touch. For best results, cool the quiche for 15-20 minutes on a cooling rack before attempting to slice. 

Instant Pot Creamy Potato Lentil Soup

This truly decadent, nutrient-loaded soup is one of my husband's favorites. A friend shared the recipe with me, not remembering the source where it came from. I have modified it some anyway, but I do wish I could give credit because it's really stunning!!

NOTE: This soup freezes and reheats REALLY well!

SOUP BASE:

1 yellow onion, diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups vegetable broth (more if needed)

2/3 cup dry green or brown lentils, rinsed and drained

2 medium red or yellow potatoes, peeled and small diced

1/8 tsp black pepper

2 cups chopped fresh spinach

CREAMY BASE:

1/2 cup raw cashews

2 medium red or yellow potatoes, peeled and boiled for 15-20 minutes until soft

15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 t salt

3/4 cup water

In the Instant Pot, steamfry the onion, celery, and carrots with a little water or vegetable broth for about 5-6 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add garlic, veggie broth, lentils, potatoes, and black pepper. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes with NATURAL release. Open the lid and stir in the chopped spinach.

While the soup is cooking, boil the potatoes for the sauce. Then, blend the ingredients for the creamy soup base (boiled potatoes, cashews, Cannellini beans, lemon juice, and broth or water) until smooth in a high-speed blender. Pour the sauce into the soup mixture and stir well to combine. Add salt to taste. Add more black pepper if desired. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add more broth.

Air-Fried Tofu Nuggets

NOTE: You have to plan ahead for this recipe by freezing the block of tofu for at least a day or two, then defrosting it in the fridge before you can make this recipe. See instructions below.

1 block of extra-firm tofu, removed from packaging and placed in a gallon ziplock bag in the freezer for a 24 hours or more, then defrosted in the refrigerator for 1-2 days
1 cup whole wheat (or GF) bread crumbs
1 t. Trader Joe's Chickenless seasoning - divided
1/2 t. poultry seasoning (which should just be spices and 100% vegan) - divided
1/4 cup aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
black pepper to taste
1/2 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
1/2 T apple cider vinegar

After removing the defrosted block of tofu from the fridge, cut into cubes. With clean hands, squeeze each cube out in the sink or into a bowl to get most of the liquid out them. Place tofu cubes in a bowl with 1/2 t of the Trader Joe's chickenless seasoning and 1/4 t of the poultry seasoning, some black pepper, and the aquafaba. Gently stir with a silicone spatula to coat the pieces. Add more seasoning if you desire. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the unsweetened plant milk with the apple cider vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes until it thickens and slightly curdles.
In another bowl, add the bread crumbs, 1/2 t of the Trader Joe's chickenless seasoning, 1/4 t of the poultry seasoning, and some black pepper.
Working with about 5 cubes at a time, drop them into the "buttermilk," then into the breadcrumb mixture. Use a fork to gently toss the nuggets in the crumbs until they are fully coated. Place on air-fryer rack (lined with parchment paper if you're using a convection-oven style of air-fryer.. Air fry at 375-400 degrees (depending on your air fryer) until they are browned and crispy on the outside and just barely press down to the touch -- about 20 minutes.
Serve with ketchup, BBQ sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce.

Instant Pot Creamy Potato Soup [Dairy-Free, Oil-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan]

1 large yellow onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, chopped finely
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large carrots, chopped into larger bite-sized chunks
3 lbs. of peeled Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into larger bite-sized chunks
1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk or canned coconut milk
1 T Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning or other salt-free seasoning
Salt and black pepper to taste

Steamfry onion and celery in the pressure cooker pot until tender (using SAUTE/BROWN setting), adding a small amount of water if the pieces begin to stick to the bottom. Add in the garlic and steamfry for one more minute. Add the rest of the ingredients, seal the lid, and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes with NATURAL RELEASE. Open the lid, let the soup cool a few minutes, then ladle out HALF of the soup, AVOIDING THE CARROTS, and blend in a high-speed blender until very smooth. Pour the blended soup back into the remaining soup into the pot. Stir well, taste, and add salt and/or pepper if needed. Top with chopped green onion and chopped avocado, if desired.

Baked Zucchini Hash Browns - [oil-free, gluten-free, vegan]

NOTE: You will need to place the bag of frozen hash browns in the refrigerator the night before you plan to bake this. You want them to be totally defrosted. 

Served 2 as a meal.

16-oz bag of frozen oil-free hash brown potatoes (only ingredient potatoes), defrosted overnight and excess moisture squeezed out
2 large freshly spiralized zucchini, roughly chopped 
1/2 yellow onion, sliced thinly
1-1 1/2 T Frontier Coop Pizza Seasoning (salt-free)
salt to taste
diced avocado (optional)
Cholula sauce (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Line a baking pan (with sides) with unbleached parchment paper.
In a large bowl, toss all of the ingredients together well.
Spread gently and evenly over the parchment paper-lined pan.
Bake for around 30 minutes, until the tops and edges are brown and crispy.
Serve immediately topped with avocado and Cholula sauce.

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Cheezy Broccoli Stuffed Potato Skins

6 medium-large Yukon gold potatoes
1 cup your favorite plant-based cheese sauce
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
salt and black pepper to taste
1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy plain milk

Wash, prick, and bake potatoes in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for about an hour, or until done. While the potatoes are cooking, steam your broccoli florets a little longer than usual, so they are pretty soft when finished. Set aside until the potatoes are finished baking and cooling. When potatoes are done, let them cool for about 15 minutes, slice each one in half, and scoop out MOST of the potato inside into a large bowl, setting the skins aside for the moment. Add the broccoli florets into the bowl with the potato filling. Add the plant-based cheese sauce and plant-based milk and mix together well. Salt and pepper to taste. Scoop filling back into the reserved potato skins. Place on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. If they are cold when you reheat them, it will take about 30 minutes to warm them. Top with vegan bacon bits and/or chopped green onions or chives.

Mushroom Farro and Brown Rice

If you don't have farro, just double the brown rice. It's better with the mixed grains, but still delicious with only rice.

1 cup brown rice, rinsed well
1 cup farro (this is a delightful whole grain!)
3 cups vegetable broth
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 t salt
2 shallots, chopped finely
18-24 oz Cremini mushrooms
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
green onions, chopped (optional)

Add brown rice, farro, vegetable broth, garlic, and salt to pressure cooker. Cook for 22 minutes on high pressure with natural release.
While grains are cooking, place shallots in a large skillet or wok and steamfry with a little water until translucent. Add chopped mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until the moisture is release and mostly evaporated. Add in the baby spinach, cover, and cook about 4-5 more minutes, stirring every minute or so. Turn heat off. Open pressure cooker, fluff the grains, and add them to the skillet/wok. Stir to combine well. Serve warm with green onions for garnish.

Veggie Coconut Curry

I prefer to make this veggie curry on the stove top and not in the pressure cooker to avoid getting that "burn" message. 😕 At first, it will seem like there is not enough liquid, but as the veggies cook, it comes out perfectly!

1 onion, chopped into small pieces
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 t cumin powder
a few dashes of cayenne pepper (or more if you like it spicy)
1 carrot, sliced thinly
about 10-12 broccoli florets
2 small zucchini, chopped (but not too small or they will get mushy)
1 red bell pepper, chopped into chunks
1 15-oz can of baby corn, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can of lite coconut milk
1 15-oz can of organic diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups (or 1 can) cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)*
1-1 1/2 T yellow curry powder
1/2 t coriander powder
1 T coconut sugar (brown sugar if you don't have it)
salt to taste
Cooked Jasmine or Basmati rice

* I think chickpeas cooked from dry have a MUCH better texture. If you can, cook them in your pressure cooked first, let them cool, then add them to this soup. Otherwise, just use a can from the store.

Cook the onions in a large pot with a little water over medium-high heat until translucent and tender. Add crushed garlic and spices. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for another minute or so. Add all of the rest of the ingredients except the salt and coconut sugar and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes--until veggies are fork-tender but not mushy. Remove from heat and add the coconut sugar and salt. You may want to start with 3/4-1 t of salt, and keep adding more a little at a time until your desired saltiness. Serve warm over cooked rice.

Salad Tutorial from Mrs. Plant

Making a healthy and satiating salad is done with a conscious effort. I try to have a 2-quart salad a minimum of FIVE times a week. Here are some of the deliberate decisions I make when I make my salads to make sure they are life-giving and nutritionally sound.
NOTE: My salads are 100% animal-free, made without dairy, eggs, or any other animal products.

Bowl Size:
I use a two quart-sized bowl for my salads. The ones I love came from Amazon. I bought this set of 2 porcelain bowls, and they are still like new even though I use them daily! I make sure to fill the bowl to the top first with greens -- Romaine or red-leaf lettuce, spinach, kale, or whatever I feel like for the day.

Greens:
As I mentioned above, I fill the 2-quart bowl with a mixture of greens or just Romaine lettuce, which is my fave. I chop it all into bite-sized pieces--not really super small like some people do. I think I get plenty of greens in this bowl without having to chop it into itty bitty pieces. I usually wash, spin to dry, and store lettuce for 2 days of salads at a time, leaving the top slightly open to keep them from getting soggy or turning pink. You can also use lettuce that is already washed, dried, and pre-cut in bags from your favorite grocery store. Whatever gets you to eat greens is the right way!

Cruciferous:
In order to get some cruciferious veggies into my salad, I generally add some shredded red cabbage (about 1/4 cup). However, you could add raw or cooked broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, or any other cruci-veg you like!

Veggies and Fruits:
I always make sure to add lots of chopped veggies and fruits with PLENTY OF COLOR. EAT THE RAINBOW! Tri-colored bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, and so forth. One of my faves is oil-free roasted, cooled, and chopped beets! Leftover roasted veggies that have been cooled in the fridge are also delightful added to a salad. I also love to add berries, chopped mango, or fruits like chopped apple or pear with the peel left on, or the sections of a couple of cutie oranges. If I don't add the fruit into my salad, I eat if after I finish my salad as my dessert (like a big apple or orange, or a bowl of melon).

Legumes:
I will also add 1/4 cup of oil-free (usually homemade) hummus, or 1/2-3/4 cup of cooked and cooled beans, lentils, or green peas. Legumes are full of healthy protein, low in fat, have the helpful resistant starch that our bodies need to slow down the absorption of glucose into the blood stream, plus LOTS of fabulous fiber! Fiber helps make you feel full and is crucial to keep you "regular" daily. 😊

Starch:
I don't always add starch into my salads, but a 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa, brown rice, farro, or other grains can be a delicious addition to a salad because it will add a new texture that makes your salad more interesting. Most of the time, I eat my starch on the side, like a small baked sweet potato  or some air-fried potato "fries" (about 200 grams).

Whole Plant Fats:
I like to top my salad with a nut or seed-based homemade dressing. This is where I get about 1/2 of my whole plant fat calories for the day. I especially love Spicy Peanut dressing (recipe below)! If the salad is more of a Mexican style, I may use salsa for the dressing and top with 1/4 of a chopped avocado or a scoop of guacamole. If the dressing is more of a vinaigrette, I will add 1 T of pumpkin seeds or chopped dry-roasted almonds or peanuts. You can also add sunflower seeds or other nuts and seeds that you like. Some people also add their daily 1 T of ground flaxseeds into their salad if they didn't get it into their breakfast. I usually get mine in during breakfast, so I rarely add it to my salad. Occasionally, I add some chopped olives to my salad, as well.

Fermented Vegetables:
I almost always add 1-2 T of garlicky sauerkraut (store-bought or homemade) to my salad or kimchi, if I have some available. Fermented veggies are great for positive gut health.

Salad Dressing:
Salad dressing is what keeps us coming back to salads, no? I just know that for me, really good salad dressing seems to be necessary to get me to consistently eat my produce. So, check out my oil-free salad dressings section of my website, or consider buying High Carb Hannah's "Let's Get Saucy" eBook or Dreena Burton's Oil-Free Dressings eBook.

My Favorite Spicy Peanut Salad Dressing:
2 scoops (or 1/4 cup) of Naked PB Peanut Powder (no salt, oil, or sugar added -- Non-GMO)
1 T tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
1/2-1T Sriracha sauce
1/2-1T date syrup, maple syrup, or agave
1/4 t ground ginger
1/4 t garlic powder or 1 small clove of crushed garlic
cold water to thin out


Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Cooking OIL-FREE in a Waffle Iron

The worst thing you can do when you buy a waffle maker with nonstick plates is to use oil on it or in the batter. Rather than being nonstick, they eventually become "gummy" and it will become impossible to remove the waffle. The key to oil-free cooking in a waffle maker is HOW you cook them.

Tonight, we made my typical Veggie Hash Browns, but this time in our relatively new waffle maker (which we absolutely LOVE, by the way!) I am including the ingredients I used below, but you will have to decide how many you want to make and how much of the ingredients of each. You almost can't mess this up. Anyway, the KEY to making this recipe is to PRE-HEAT the waffle maker, setting it between MEDIUM and HIGH HEAT. Then, fill waffle iron bottom plate right to the edges with the Veggie Hash Browns ingredients, close the top, and CAREFULLY press the top down with an oven mitt. Reduce the heat a bit on the waffle maker to just a little higher than medium, and set a timer for 25 minutes.
DO NOT OPEN THE TOP!
If after 25 minutes, your waffle won't come up pretty easily with a silicone spatula, close the top, and go another 5-10 minutes until the waffle can be lifted off with ease.
NEVER USE A METAL UTENSIL IN A NON-STICK APPLIANCE!

This is what I put in my Veggie Hash Browns:
Cooked and cooled whole Yukon Gold potatoes, shredded with a flat metal grater into a bowl
I gently mixed in:
Spinach, finely chopped
Carrots, finely chopped
Onion, finely chopped
Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, finely chopped
Paprika to taste
Garlic Powder to taste
Salt to taste

Here are the delicious oil-free waffles we made by Shane and Simple last week in our new waffle maker!

Check out the things I like to use in my cooking and kitchen in my AMAZON SHOP!



Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Soy Curls Chickenless Nuggets

UPDATED ON 1-23-2021

I wanted to come up with a chickenless nugget for my grandson to have for lunch when he gets old enough to eat solid foods. Instead of chicken nuggets (made from who knows what!), I wanted them to be made of healthy, whole plant foods. These are NOT just kid-friendly!

NOTE: These need to be in the oven almost an hour, so plan to be around to keep your eye on them.

3 handfuls of soy curls (the very small pieces work fine for this), soaked in warm water for 10 minutes, drained and squeezed out well
1T Better-Than-Bouillion No Chicken Base or Trader Joe's Chickenless Seasoning (add 1T of water if you use the dry seasoning)
1/2 t paprika
1/8 t black pepper
1/2 t garlic powder

3 shakes of liquid smoke
1 large carrot, cut into chunks
1/4 each of red, orange, and yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2 T nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs + 1/8 t salt

After soaking, draining, and squeezing the soy curls pieces. Then, mix them in a bowl with the Better-Than-Bouillion No Chicken Base, liquid smoke, paprika, black pepper, and garlic powder. Stir well to combine. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a food processor, add the carrot chunks and bell peppers. Process into tiny pieces. Add the seasoned soy curls. Process until the soy curl pieces are small like the carrots and peppers. Add the oats and nutritional yeast flakes. Process until all is combined well. Add some water 1 T at a time, to create a slightly sticky "dough" that will allow you to form the nuggets. Taste the batter and decide if additional salt is needed. Add a small amount if needed. In a small bowl or on a plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/8 t salt. Form the nuggets (about 2 T of batter for each), and coat with bread crumbs. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking tray.
Bake for 25 minutes, reduce oven to 350 degrees, flip the nuggets over and bake another 35-40 or so minutes until the nuggets are pretty firm to the touch. Eat alone or serve with your favorite dipping sauce!

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

ANOTHER Altering a Recipe for Health

You don't always have to make a recipe exactly as it is written! In this recipe, the dressing contained oil and a sweetener I didn't want to use. I simply replaced the sweetener with 4 pitted dates and used 1/4 cup water instead of the oil. I just blended the dressing ingredients in the Vitamix until very smooth. It came out perfect for my husband's lunches this week!

Here is the original recipe. It's a great one! Make sure to carefully read the recipe--there is only 8 oz. of whole wheat pasta and 24 oz. (2 bags) of broccoli slaw (plus all the other ingredients!).
https://www.wellplated.com/asian-noodle-salad/

Buffalo Tempeh Roasted Veggie Toasted Sandwich

Occasionally, we LOVE having toasted sandwiches as a meal. This is one of our absolute favorites!
Serves 2

1 package of organic tempeh, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce or Frank's Hot sauce
2-3 T non-dairy milk
1 red bell pepper, cut into 4 big pieces
1/4 cup oil-free hummus
1 small avocado
sliced tomatoes
sliced onions
baby spinach
4 slices of your favorite whole grain bread

Pour the hot sauce and non-dairy milk into a shallow pie plate. Stir to combine. Place pieces of tempeh into the Buffalo sauce mixture, turning over to coat both sides. Set aside.
On non-stick foil in the oven, roast the red bell pepper pieces and sliced onions at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Set aside. Reduce the oven to 375 degrees.
Place the Buffalo-marinated tempeh on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or non-stick foil and bake for about 20 minutes.
While the tempeh is baking, mash the avocado and hummus together in a bowl. Season it, if you like.
Toast the bread.
Spread avocado/hummus mixture on toast, add the baked Buffalo tempeh and veggies!

Asian Cruciferous Salad

Dr. Greger from NutritionFacts.org always recommends eating your daily dose of cruciferous veggies, and this salad makes it EASY! Super delicious!

1 bag of coleslaw mix
1/2 bunch of Lacinato kale, chopped finely
1 large pear, chopped
chopped dry-roasted peanuts  or lightly-toasted almonds
green onions, chopped
sesame seeds, optional

Dressing (will last for several salads):
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 T golden balsamic vinegar (or other vinegar you like)*
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2-3 T of date syrup (or blend all of the dressing ingredients in a cup blender with dates to sweeten)


Mix slaw mix, kale, pears, and peanuts in a large bowl.
Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and date syrup for the dressing.
Drizzle some dressing on the salad, tossing it well as you do. There should be plenty of extra dressing for one or two more salads.


* This is the one I used:

http://www.napavalleynaturals.com/Organic-Golden-Balsamic-Vinegar/p/NVN-GOLD&c=NapaValleyNaturals@BalsamicVinegars

Potato Leek Soup [iPot Recipe]

4 small leeks, white part only, sliced into rings
3 stalks of celery, cut into very small (1/4-inch) pieces
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup water
1/4 t black pepper
4 cups vegetable broth (if using low-sodium or salt-free, add salt to recipe)
5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
salt, to taste
vegan bacon bits, optional
green onions, chopped

In the Instant Pot, add leeks, celery, garlic, and water. Set to saute/more mode and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so. Add in the black pepper and veggie broth and bring to a boil (still on saute mode). Let cook another 5 minutes AFTER it begins to boil. Add the potatoes and put the top on the iPot. Set to sealing and cook for 6 minutes on high pressure with QUICK RELEASE. Stir in nutritional yeast flakes and blend smooth with hand blender (or regular blender if you don't have a and blender). Serve with vegan bacon bits and chopped green onions a top.

Pueblan Roasted Pepper Chowder

1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped into 1 1/2-inch chunks
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2 -inch wide strips
3 cups frozen corn
2 medium-sized yellow potatoes (or you can use sweet potatoes), diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 container (4 cups) of low-sodium vegetable broth
1 T. cumin
1 t. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. Ancho chili powder (or your favorite chili powder)
a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper
salt (to taste, if desired)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place pepper and jalapeno pieces on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes (until the edges are beginning to blacken).
While the peppers are roasting, add the corn, potatoes, broth, and seasonings to a large saucepan.
Bring mixture to a low boil and cook for 10-12 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Turn the heat off.
Place HALF of the soup mixture into a high-speed blender along with all of the red/yellow peppers (but NOT the jalapeños). Blend until very smooth. Pour mixture back into the soup pot and stir well.
Chop the jalapeños into small pieces and add to the soup pot, along with the black beans.
Warm over medium-low heat for another 5 minutes and serve!

Creamy Sweet Potato "Coconut" Soup

I try not to use coconut milk or eat coconut often as it is quite high in fat and has saturated fat, as well. But, I LOVE the flavor. Taking on an idea I got from Mary McDougall, I made some "coconut" milk for this recipe that TASTES like it but without the extra fat.

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large celery stalk, diced

2 lbs (3 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 t. dried thyme leaves

1 - 1 1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. ground black pepper

1 cup unsweetened soy milk

1/4 t. coconut extract

raw pumpkin seeds to garnish (optional)

NOTE: This soup could easily be made on the stovetop. By following the directions below, but instead of pressure cooking, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20-25 minutes before blending.

Pressure Cooker Instructions:

Add coconut extract to the soy milk and set aside.

Steamfry onion and celery in the pressure cooker pot until tender, adding a small amount of water if the pieces begin to stick to the bottom. Add in the garlic and steamfry for one more minute. Add in the sweet potatoes, veggie broth, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes with QUICK RELEASE. In batches, blend soup in a high-speed blender until smooth. Return soup to the pot and stir in the "coconut" milk. Serve warm with raw or toasted pumpkin seeds atop (optional).

Inspired by Natashaskitchen.com and Madison Fredrick

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I made a modified version of the Baked Macaroni and Cheese from Dr. McDougall's book The Healthiest Diet on the Planet. It is DELISH! I changed a couple of things out of convenience and because of our personal tastes. I used half the onion powder and I left out the pimientos because I didn't have them. It would have been orangy color if I had used them. It didn't matter! It's still WONDERFUL!

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Chickpea Sweet Potato Curry

This is one of the tastiest curries we have made thus far. So good that my hubby wanted it again this week and we just had it last week!

1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 cups of cooked chickpeas
5 small purple or white-skinned sweet potatoes (with white flesh), chopped into 3/4" pieces
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup lite coconut milk (either in can or carton)
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 T. yellow curry powder
1/2 cup water
1-2 t. coconut sugar
1/2 t. salt
3 handfuls of fresh baby spinach


NOTE: You could replace purple or white-skinned sweet potatoes with orange if you cannot find them in the store. However, purple-skinned, white-fleshed potatoes are extra delicious and have a firmer texture in this curry.

PRESSURE COOKER INSTRUCTIONS:
Steamfry onion in the pressure cooker until tender, adding a small amount of water if the pieces begin to stick to the bottom. Add all other ingredients EXCEPT the spinach. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes with QUICK RELEASE. Stir in spinach leaves, close the pressure cooker top for 5 more minutes (leaving heat on LOW). Serve!