Roasted Fennel Tomato Soup

05 Tuesday Apr 2011

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Well yesterday was the perfect day to have soup and sandwich’s due do the fact that it snowed 5″ at our house, seriously! Saturday was warm and beautiful and great fish taco weather and them BAM, more snow. Any one who lives in Utah just knows that this is spring time weather but I know I speak for many of us when I say “enough already”. But- it’s great to make one of my favorite soups and cuddle up with Billy on the couch and do nothing. Now the weather looks crappy again this weekend so maybe there is time for you to whip up a batch of this yummy soup. Enjoy!
-Roasted Fennel Tomato Soup-

1 large onion, skin removed, cut in half and both halves quartered (total of eight pieces)
1 large fennel bulb, leafy top removed (cut off), cut in half and quarter both halves
4 large garlic cloves, skin removed
2 carrots, chopped
7-8 c. pureed tomatoes, (I used 2 16oz jars of my canned tomatoes)
2 c. vegetable stock (I used homemade)
1tsp. coconut oil (for sauteing the carrots), you can use whatever oil you have
2 tsp. grape seed oil (to drizzle over the vegetables before roasting) whatever oil you have
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the chopped onion, fennel, and garlic on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with oil and season with a little salt and pepper. When oven is ready place the vegetables in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, turn the vegetables over once during that time.
2. When vegetables are done pull out of oven and set to the side.
3. In a large pot or dutch oven heat the coconut oil over medium heat, when melted add the carrots and saute until a little browned on both sides. Add the roasted vegetables and toss around for just a minute.
4. Add the tomato puree, veggie stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid askew. After those 30 minutes, puree the soup using a hand held blender or you can use your tradtional blender.
5. Taste for salt and pepper, and sevre hot.

Fish Taco Sauce

02 Saturday Apr 2011

Posted by in dips, dressing, Fish, vegan

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Who doesn’t like the yummy white sauce that comes on fish tacos? Well I wanted to come up with a healthier version, so mine is mostly made with avocado. This sauce rocks! It’s even good as a chip dip, our friends Don and Kim eat it that way all the time. Make it for you fish tacos and I promise they will be a hit. Enjoy!

-Fish Taco Sauce-

1 whole and 1/2 avocado, cut in half and remove the seed
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 purple onion, diced
1 lemon, juiced and zest
1 lime, juiced and zest
1/2 c. veganaise (this is a dairy free mayonnaise, I know that sounds weird but I swear it good!)
salt and pepper

1. Place the avocado, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, lemon and lime juice and zest into the food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.
2. Next add the veganaise and mix well in the food processor until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Let sit the the fridge for a least 2 hours to develop the flavor.

Fish Tacos

02 Saturday Apr 2011

Posted by in Fish

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Billy loves my fish tacos and probably request them every other week for dinner, so I thought tonight would be a great night to treat him since he’s been working in the yard all day! The fish is great grilled on the BBQ or you can bake it in the oven @ 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Which ever way is easiest at the time, both ways produce amazing flavor. Enjoy!

-Fish Tacos- Serves 4

1 lb. Wild Cod (you can use whatever fish you like or use shrimp)

-Marinade-

1/2 onion, sliced in half moons
1/4 c. cilantro leaves, pulled from the stem

All in a bowl:

1 lemon, juiced and zest
1 orange, zest, peeled and segmented
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
Salt and pepper

1. Place the fish in a baking dish.
2. Sprinkle the sliced onion and cilantro over the fish.
3. Mix all  the other ingredients in a bowl, mix well and pour over fish.
4. Marinate the fish in the fridge, covered. No longer than 8 hours, toss around the fish 1 or 2 times during the time it’s marinating.
5. To cook, either on the barbecue or in the oven @ 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Other essentials for the complete Fish Tacos:

Tortillas, (I like sprouted grain tortillas)
Shredded cabbage
Shredded carrots
fresh chopped onion
fresh cilantro leaves
fish sauce (recipe to follow)
lime wedges
sauteed veggies (I do this when I trying to sneak more vegetables into Billy, mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, onion, zucchini)

Warm Bulgar Soup- Thanks to my Whole Foods App

01 Friday Apr 2011

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Yummy! I made this soup at the beginning of the week and it was super easy and super delish! The blueprint for this recipe came from my Whole Foods App on my phone, I did add a few things of my own of course. Now listen it has been beautiful here (SLC) yesterday, today and hopefully tomorrow but then Sunday more rain and chilly. No big deal make a pot of this soup and some tuna sandwiches and it will be a great day. I think when I make this soup again on Sunday I am going to use Quinoa instead of the Bulgar. I’ll be sure to update y’all on which one is better. Good luck and Enjoy!

-Warm Bulgar Soup-

2 tsp. Coconut Oil (this is what I saute with)
1 carrot, diced
1/2 c. leafy celery, diced
1/2 purple onion, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 jar tomatoes (I used my own canned tomatoes), or 14oz can
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. Bulgar (I get mine in the bulk section at Whole Foods), this is also what you use for tabbouleh
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1 T. fresh thyme, chopped
1 lemon, juiced and zest
3 c. chicken stock (I used my homemade stock)
2 c. vegetable stock (I used my homemade stock)
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil and Parmesan Cheese, for garnish

1. In a large pot or dutch oven warm the coconut oil over medium heat, when it starts to sizzle just a bit add the onions and start to saute. After about 2 min add the carrots, cook for another 2 min then add the celery and garlic and saute all together for about 5 min. Salt and pepper lightly.
2. Next add the coriander and cinnamon and stir around to coat all the vegetables. When the spices start to stick to the bottom of the pot add the tomatoes and make sure to scrape the spices off the bottom of the pot. Next add the chicken and veggie stock (side note: you can use all chicken stock or all veggie stock, whatever you have) and bring the mixture to a boil. Salt and pepper lightly.
3. Add the Bulgar, turn stove to a simmer and cook with the lid on for about 10 min, check to see if the Bulgar is softened if not cook another 5 min. Taste the broth for salt and pepper, add more if needed.
4. Remove lid and add the fresh herbs, juice and zest of lemon and stir to combine. Turn the heat off and get ready to serve.
5. Ladle the warm soup into individuals bowls and drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle a bit of Parmesan cheese on top, VIOLA! Mangie, Mangie! (that means EAT, EAT in Italian)

Spinach, Beet and Quinoa Salad- It’s What’s for Lunch

29 Tuesday Mar 2011

Posted by in dressing, quinoa, salad

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We have been having some fun meals for lunches the last couple weeks Lentil Stew, Lentil Salad and now this one!  We are starting to move out of winter vegetables and moving toward spring veggies. Bring on the beets, spinach, onions, radishes and so on. I can’t wait to get these vegetables going in my garden, I bought the seeds today!
-Spinach, Beet and Quinoa Salad-
2 c. fresh baby spinach
1/4 c. cooked quinoa
2/3 c. beets, roasted and diced
1/4 c. goat feta cheese
1/4 avocado, diced
1 T. walnuts, chopped coarsely
1 wedge of lemon
fresh ground pepper
*Tomato Vinaigrette
1. All of this in a bowl or travel container with a lid for easy lunch travel.
2. Top with Tomato Vinaigrette, or put into a container with lid for easy lunch travel.
3. Enjoy!
P.S. I also packed carrots and hummus on the side for an afternoon snack. Yum! (hummus recipe is on the blog)

Coconut Granola- DIY

28 Monday Mar 2011

Posted by in breakfast, DIY, Snack, vegan

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This is the third attempt to get this recipe on my blog, not sure what the problem is so I’ll just get to the point. The blueprint for this recipe came from a blog I follow called ‘Kath Eats Real Food’, with a few favorite ingredients of my own and another that I love about a friends granola- VIOLA, homemade granola! Enjoy.

-Coconut Granola-
2 c. raw thick rolled oats (there are gluten free ones available)
3/4 c. raw buckwheat groats (these are gluten free, and they are what we use for our raw cereal)
1/4 c. raw macadamia nuts, chopped (these remind us of Hawaii and for some reason I have a surplus of them in the fridge)
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

1/4 c. coconut oil (if its solid, melt gently so it becomes liquid)
1/4 c. brown rice syrup
1/4 tsp. Celtic salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. cayenne (our friend Gwen puts this in hers and we loved it)

3/4 c. raw unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 c. chopped dried fruit (I used papaya, this also reminds us of Hawaii)

1. Preheat the oven to 300, mix the first five ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Toss together.
2. Mix the next six ingredients in a separate bowl, you may want to whisk to ensure that all the ingredients are well mixed.
3. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and toss all together making sure to coat everything well.
4. Pour mixture into a baking dish (I used my Le Creuset casserole dish because the first batch I used a cookie sheet and the granola got a little toasty) and place on the middle rack in the oven.
5. Bake for 1 hour tossing every 20 minutes.
6. When done baking, take granola out of the oven and toss in the last two remaining ingredients. Toss well and let cool completely, store in jars or containers with a tight fitting lid.

Quinoa- For Breakfast (Cosmo Hippie Chef Alert!)

25 Friday Mar 2011

Posted by in breakfast, quinoa, vegan

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For the last two weeks I have been doing a spring cleaning menu for Billy and I. Since we are trying to transition seasons I wanted to switch up our eating to get us out with the old and in with the new. We usually start our day with a pretty rich antioxidant protein shake and raw cereal, but the new menu has been raw juice (green apples, lemon, ginger, celery) and Quinoa Cereal. It always takes Billy just a few days to get used to something new, but now he loves this recipe. I think it will be our weekly morning cereal for spring and summer, and the cool thing is I will just switch the fruit for whatever is in season. Enjoy!

-Quinoa Cereal- I make a big batch of Quinoa (1c. soaked overnight in water and then cooked) and portion it out for the week, this is a individual serving.
1/2 cooked quinoa (I soak mine overnight, drain and cook. The ratio is 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa, but I go just a little less on the water since it has been soaking overnight.)
1/4 c. fresh organic blueberries
1/4 c. fresh pineapple, chopped
1 tsp. raw pumpkin seeds
1 T. walnuts, chopped
dash of cinnamon and nutmeg (freshly grated)
drizzle of agave or honey
*optional: 1/2 c. organic goat or Greek yogurt (this is how Billy likes it)
1. Scoop the quinoa into a bowl or container and put all the other ingredients on the top, it’s ready to eat.
2. I mentioned that I portion this all out for the week, when I do this it’s just the cooked quinoa and the cinnamon and nutmeg. Then every morning I take two containers out of the fridge and top it with the other ingredients.
Quinoa- Is highly appreciated for it nutritional value, and it’s protein content is very high. Quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods. It is a great source of dietary fiber, phosphorous and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA’s Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long duration manned spaceflights! (How cool is that?!)
*I obtained this info form Wikipedia

Tofu Sour Cream- DIY

21 Monday Mar 2011

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I used to buy Tofutti sour cream but just like some of the other DIY recipes I make (Almond Milk, Kale Chips), I can make this for less money AND with better ingredients. So I was lucky to find this recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks ‘Clean Food’ by Terri Walters. Enjoy!

-Tofu Sour Cream- Makes 1 Cup (I doubled the recipe)

8 oz firm or extra firm silken tofu (I have found this sprouted tofu that I like, so I used that)
2 T. lemon juice
3 T. canola oil
2 t. brown rice vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar, and I used just a little more to give it that sour flavor)
1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, chopped

1. In a food processor, whip tofu until smooth.
2. Add remaining ingredients and process until pepper is mixed in and all the ingredients are well combined.
3. Chill before serving.

Cosmo Hippie Chef Burrito

21 Monday Mar 2011

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So I made a fresh batch of refried beans (posted Nov. 8 2010) for burritos tonight for dinner and maybe one during the week. We are still experiencing cold weather but transitioning into spring. What’s a Cosmo hippie chef to do? On the cold nights we’ll eat the burritos, and on the warmer nights I’ll make something lighter. This is just a blue print of the burrito we made but feel free to use the beans you make any way you like. Enjoy!

-Cosmo Hippie Chef Burrito-

Refried Pinto Beans with Green Chilies (posted Nov. 8 2010)
Cooked forbidden rice (this rice is black but turns purple when cooked! High in nutrients!)
Chopped fresh baby spinach, chopped
Chopped fresh cilantro, chopped
Fresh avocado
Grated local Beehive cheese
Sprouted tortillas
Tofu sour cream (I’ll post this recipe)
*optional- enchilada sauce (homemade, from the store or your favorite Mexican restaurant)

Parmesan, Arugula Cottage Cheese Dip

21 Monday Mar 2011

Posted by in appetizer, dips, Snack

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This recipe was inspired by one I saw in Sunset Magazine during the holidays. I thought it would still appeal to having a rich dairy dip but be a little more balanced, due to the fact that it is made from cottage cheese and not sour cream and cream cheese. It’s great for a dip or a great topping for a baked organic russet potato (this is how Billy and I enjoyed it yesterday for lunch). Try it out for your next get together. Enjoy!

-Parmesan, Arugula Cottage Cheese Dip-

16 oz organic cultured cottage cheese (I use low fat)
5 oz baby arugula or baby spinach (I use a combo of both)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lemon, juiced and zested
salt and pepper

1. Place the contents of the cottage cheese tub in the food processor, season with a little salt and pepper. (If you like pepper, use a little extra) Pulse a few times to smooth out just a bit.
2. Lightly saute the arugula or spinach in a little oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute just until the greens start to wilt, but are still green.
3. Add the greens and garlic to the food processor along with the lemon juice and zest. Pulse enough to mix well together.
4. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and pulse again to mix in. Taste to check salt and pepper, add more if needed.
5. Scoop into a bowl and refrigerator for a few hours, serve when ready.