Sun-Dried Tomato, Sweet Potato, Kale and White Bean Soup

This is a power packed super dinner!! And delicious!

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, ground if you can find them that way
1 medium onion chopped,
1 medium sweet potato, cubed
16-20 oz. fresh tomatoes, diced or 2 cans
6 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp fresh, chopped oregano or 1 tsp if dried
3-4 cups of kale leaves, chopped
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
sea salt
ground pepper

Note:  I chopped the onion, the tomatoes, the carrots, and the kale (separately) in my Ninja. Saved me a ton of time!!!

Heat a few tablespoons of stock in a pot over medium heat.  Add the garlic and fennel seeds.  Cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Add onion, potato and carrot, stirring for 5 minutes more. 

Add the tomatoes, stock, bay leaves and oregano.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat so that it continues at a simmer.

Add the kale, beans and sun-dried tomatoes.  Simmer until the vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes or however long you want to leave it on low.  Salt and pepper to taste.

This is also a great crock-pot soup, if you would prefer to do it that way!

Serves 8.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories-153
Fat-0.9g
Carbs-30g
Fiber-6g
Sugars-10g
Protein-6g

Expeirmenting with a Whole Food, Plant Based Diet (Meatless March)

 Last month Nate and I went on a 30 day experiment.   We had been doing some research and really started seeing the value of a Whole Food, Plant Based (WFPB) diet.  So, we decided to go for it hard core for 30 days and see what we thought.  So, that was our Meatless March that you may have seen so many posts about.  I sat down and planned out the monthly menu as I normally did, except it did not include meat, eggs, or dairy and very little soy.  Initially, we did try some of the "vegan" products on the market, most had soy in them and we quickly discovered that we did not digest them well at all!  To the point that I bought 2 packages of tofu at the beginning of March and one is still in the fridge, simply because I don't like to throw things away.  Technically they are not whole foods either, since we bought some of them already made, like the night we tried pizza with daiya cheese and tofurky pepperoni, no thanks!!  Not all of the recipes were stellar but boy most of them have been absolutely delicious!!!

So, what do we consider a WFPB diet?
Plant based foods with less than 5 ingredients is my rule of thumb.  No meat. No dairy. No eggs. My 5 year old breaks it down pretty simple with a question of "was it made or grown?"

Is it hard to follow?
It was challenging, but to me that is the fun part.  It has been a good educational process and a great way to push us to try new things and new recipes. The key has been planning ahead!!

What is the best part about WFPB diet?
The cooking and clean up is so CLEAN!  I absolutely love that I don't have to worry about raw anything!  The dishes are not greasy! I can lick my fingers or taste test when cooking without worrying about salmonella poisoning!

What benefits did we see?
We feel better overall, cleaner and healthier.  Way better digestion, after the first two weeks, which were kind of a crazy detox I guess.  I am noticing improvements in my skin!  It is easy to lose weight whenever you clean up your diet but especially when switching to WFPB, but we learned to still watch our portion sizes and the nuts.  We came into this from a pretty clean eating life style already, so didn't really expect to see the dramatic weight lose that most people see.  I actually gained 2 lbs. during the 30 days because I had increased my portion sizes so much, thinking that was okay and the food was SO good!  And nuts are such an easy snack.  But, after seeing that it has been pretty easy for me to dial it back and so now I am 2 lbs. below where I started. 

What was the biggest challenge?
Easter was probably the biggest challenge mainly because it involved eating at someone else's house and running the risk of offending them.  It was my mom and I don't think we offended her but I did feel as though we were being a bit rude by not eating the meat she had prepared.  We did have a small portion of the potatoes and corn that had prepared with a small amount of butter in them (we could certainly tell we had eaten it too! Our bodies did not react favorably to the butter). We brought several dishes that I made and knew would be okay for us to eat and appreciated by them, so as to hopefully counteract the not eating her meat part. This will be difficult for me going forward, because I do not ever want to seem ungrateful for what someone has prepared for us. :/

Do we miss meat & cheese?
Sometimes Nate does, but not on a daily basis, more on a "it would be good to indulge every now and then in one of my favorites" kind of way. I do NOT at all!

Is it worth it?
It was definitely worth it!  It was an eye opening challenge and we felt great afterward!

Did we get the nutrition we needed?
Yes! You do have to be sure you are eating a variety of foods, but that was no issue because I love that part!  The good thing is that when you are WFPB, not just vegan, you aren't eating ANY junk! There really isn't any junk that is WFPB, that I have found and if you are eating enough to be satisfied and a variety then you are getting the nutrition you need. Of course the addition of Shakeology was also beneficial for a nutrient and protein rich lunch.

Will we continue?
We have decided to continue on about a 97% basis.  When I do the monthly menu, we are picking 3 meals per month that will not be WFPB.  This is simply because we feel like that will help us maintain this lifestyle without feeling like we are missing out on something or denying ourselves something that we really want.  And even those meals aren't going to be crazy, because we know how physically bad we will feel afterward and it just isn't worth it!

Did Nate lose muscle or have a hard time building?
Nate did not lose any muscle mass and is still seeing gains!

So, what were we eating?
Of course we had our Shakeology everyday for lunch!  Our favorite is the Chocolate Vegan. About half of the recipes we tried are under the recipes tab but I am also going to put together an E-book full of recipes for you guys! :)

Feel free to comment with questions, suggestions, opinions or whatever!
-Nicole

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Meatless March Day #20: Taco Salad (Vegan style!)

Taco Salad is one of our favorites! and the favorite meal of our 11 year old too! So, I was a little nervous about doing a meatless version of it, but it turned out very good!  This has a very fresh taste to it from the cilantro, which I love!

I forgot to take a picture, but this is what it looked like!!

 Ingredients 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernals, thawed
4 large tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice (see Tip)
1 15 ounce can black, kidney or pinto beans, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup prepared salsa
2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
2 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled tortilla chips
Lime wedges for garnish

1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese (optional-we did without)

Directions:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and corn; cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

Coarsely chop 1 tomato. Add it to the pan along with cooked rice, beans, chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato cooks down, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Coarsely chop the remaining 3 tomatoes. Combine with cilantro, salsa and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano in a medium bowl.

Toss lettuce in a large bowl with the bean mixture, half the fresh salsa and 2/3 cup cheese if using. Serve sprinkled with tortilla chips and the remaining cheese, passing lime wedges and the remaining fresh salsa at the table.




ENJOY!!


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original recipe from EatingWell

Meatless March Day #19: Raisin Nut Balls

DAY 19!

We have been talking a bit more about the difficulty of handling the expectations from others with this way of eating and that is what I may struggle with a bit. I never want anyone to feel like I don't appreciate food they have prepared for us and in my southern upbringing, that is kind of what I have been taught.  My lovely mother asked me today if we would be eating ham and pork on Sunday(Easter) or if we still "can't do that".  I told her that no and that we were choosing not to eat meat still. I am bringing lots of food to Easter dinner, so there will be lots to eat, but from the sounds of it, we may only be eating the foods we bring, and that seems so rude to me!  So anyway, that is a bit of a struggle.

I can't wait to write our 30 day review, by the way!! :)

Anyway, on Friday, day 19.  We ate leftovers for dinner!  But, I did make some Raisin Nut Balls for snacks, so here is that recipe.

Raisin Nut Balls

3/4 cup oats
2 cups raisins
2 cups walnuts
3/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Pulse the oats in the food processor until ground. Add all other ingredients and blend until a batter forms. Roll into 1" balls and refrigerate.  They will firm up a little more in the fridge.

These are a favorite in our house too!!  I used to flatten them out to make bars, but really like the balls better I think.  :)  Enjoy!

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Meatless March Day #18: Black Bean Veggie Burgers

These turned out really good! We topped with salsa and ate with a salad for the side, but anything would be good really.



Black Bean Veggie Burgers 

4 cups black beans (we use dried, but if you canned, it would be about 2 cans)
1 sweet onion diced (we used a food processor)
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 and 1/4 cup frozen organic corn
1 cup milk of choice (I used almond)
1/4 cup whole wheat
1/4 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Dice or food process the onion.  Saute the onions in the oil on medium heat until they are caramelized.  In a food processor, mix the beans and milk until the beans are mostly smooth.  Put the bean mixture, the onions and the remaining ingredients in a bowl to combine.

To finish lightly oil a baking pan, grab a quarter cup of the mixture at a time, flatten in a nice round patty and place on the pan.  Continue until the mixture is gone.  Bake in oven for about 45-60 minutes turning over once about half way through.  They go well with avocado or salsa!

Original recipe from: www.mywholefoodlife.com

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Meatless March Day #16: Broccoli, Macaroni & Cashew Cheese Bake

This was a hit and really easy!  I used the cashew cheese that I made for the creamy cauliflower recipe and just added broccoli and noodles and turned it into a bake.

 Note: We had about 1/2 oz. of daiya cheese left from Friday's pizza so I threw that on top, in case you are wondering what that is in the picture.

Ingredients:
cashew cheese to coat nicely
1 lb. frozen broccoli florets
4-6 oz. of whole grain noodles (I used spirals)
2 slices of whole wheat bread 
2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Steam broccoli according to package directions.
Cook noodles according to package directions. 
In a small food processor, add bread slices and Italian seasoning and process until you get crumbs.
In a large bowl mix broccoli, noodles and cashew cheese.When all is well coated and mixed, pour mixture into casserole dish and add breadcrumbs on top.  Bake 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy this super simple, healthy, kid friendly dinner!

-Nicole

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Meatless March Day #15: Easy Healthy Spaghetti

After a couple weeks of trying so many new things...Spaghetti! Yay!

Kind of a crazy week this week and I did not have any sauce previously made from scratch and wasn't up for doing it today.  I have found a good organic and additive free sauce at Trader Joe's that we like, so I got some of that when I went to the store this morning to do the shopping for the week.  I also picked up a pound of mushrooms and some chopped spinach to add.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp veggie broth
2 jars of additive free, organic, spaghetti or marinara sauce (or use my from scratch recipe!)
1/2 lb frozen chopped spinach
1 lb chopped mushrooms (my kids eat them better chopped)
1 onion, chopped
4 oz. whole wheat spaghetti noodles
4 medium zucchini, shredded

Directions:
In a large skillet over medium heat add veggie broth,onion and mushrooms and saute over medium heat until most of the juices from the mushrooms have cooked out. Add spinach and stir for a few minutes. Add sauce and simmer, covered over medium low heat, stirring occasionally.

Cook noodles according to package directions.  Shred zucchini, with a cheese or vegetable shredder and put in a small saute pan with a couple tablespoons of water and cook covered on medium high until it reaches soft desired texture.

I prefer all zucchini, but Nate and the boys like noodles with theirs!

This took such little effort that while it was cooking, I also made another batch of hummus, and boy was Nate happy about that!

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Meatless March Day #14: Pomegranate-Glazed Portabello Steaks

This, I thought, was absolutely SO yummy and I would have it all the time, except for the fact that Nate did not particularly care for the textures in it.  Seriously?!  It almost never happens that we are on such opposite ends with our opinion of dinner, but none the less that was the case.  I would love for you to give this one a try and let me know who you agree with!!

For the glaze:
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 tbsp xylitol or raw sugar or stevia powder
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp coconut oil

Other Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine or a substitute
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp sea salt (if mushrooms are thin, do a little less salt)
4 portabello mushrooms
2 lbs fresh spinach leaves
1 lemon
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
handful mirogreens or sprouts for garnish (I didn't do these)

Directions:
To make the glaze, combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.  It should thicken. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, red wine, red pepper flakes, garlic and salt.
Snap the stems off the portabello caps and discard.  Brush both sides of each mushroom cap thoroughly with the marinade.  Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and place the mushroom caps inside, ribbed side facing up. Pour any remaining marinade over the mushrooms in the pan.  Cook until the mushrooms are soft, about 5-7 minutes, flipping sides halfway through cooking.

While the mushrooms are cooking, wilt the spinach by either steaming lightly, or simply heating in a spearate non-stick pan fpor a minute or two until just wilted. Toss with the juice of one lemon and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble, place a bed of spinach on four plates.  Place mushroom on top of spinach.  Drizzle the top with pomegranate glaze, then sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and add sprouts.

Please let me know what you think!!
-Nicole

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Meatless March Day #13: Mexicali Burritos

We made a new "vegan" Mexicali Burrito recipe Saturday and were SO not impressed, so I am giving you the recipe for how we typically make them, minus the meat & cheese and amp up the veggies, because that is how we will be having them from now on.  Sometimes change doesn't really need to be so drastic! :)

Ingredieants:
1 can refried beans (oil free)
2 cups of frozen corn kernels (organic recommended)
1 cup salsa (homemade or carefully chosen otherwise)
1 small onion
1/2 cup veggie broth (water will also work)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups cooked whole grain brown rice (organic recommended)
whole grain totillas
shredded lettuce
guacamole & hot sauce optional

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the onion in the veggie broth for 5 minutes or until translucent.
2. Add the chilli powder, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne and saute for 1 additional minute.
3. Add beans and corn and cook, stirring until heated and smooth, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in flour and rice and cook another few minutes, until flavors are well blended and mixture has thickened enough to put on your tortilla.
5. Warm tortillas in a pan or the microwave for a few seconds.
6. Spoon mixture onto half of tortilla and top with shredded lettuce, if desired add guacamole, then fold into your burrito.


Note:  I have been using the veggie broth some to saute stuff, in the place of EVOO and it works great!

Meatless March Day #9 & 10: Conquering Snacks!

So, here is what I made the last couple days to snack on and might I say, YUM!!

All of these turned out great and I will be making them again!!

Chocolate Chia Seed & Berry Pudding

Berry-Banana Chia Muffins

Hazelnut Balls

Hummus

Chocolate Chia Seed & Berry Pudding

1/2 cup chia seeds

2 Tbsp cocoa or cacao

2 cups almond milk

1 1/2 cups of berries (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry)

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for a couple hours.  Really good!

(original version from mywholefoodlife.com)

Berry-Banana Chia Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

3/4 cup of whole wheat or brown rice flour

1/2 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup raw walnuts, chopped

2 Tbsp chia seeds, ground or whole

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 c applesauce with 1/2 tsp cinnamon stirred in

1/4 c maple syrup

1/4 c almond milk

1 ripe banana, mashed

1 Tbsp grapeseed or canola oil

1 cup fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  

Whisk together the flour, oats, walnuts, chia seeds and baking powder in a bowl. Stir in the applesauce, maple syrup, almond milk, mashed banana and oil. It will be a thick consistency.

Fold the blueberries into the batter. Fill cupcake openings no more than 3/4 full. 

Bake 18 minutes.

Let sit 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Hazelnut Balls

2 cups of hazelnuts

2 Tbsp of cacao or cocoa powder

10-12 medjool dates

1-2 Tbsp almond milk

If using raw hazelnuts, you will need to roast in the oven on 375 for 7-10 minutes. 

Grind hazelnuts into a fine powder in the food processor.  Add the other ingredients and combine in the food processor until it forms a dough.  REMOVE the blade from your food processor before you start digging in to roll out the balls, just saying. Roll into balls and place in the fridge to set.

I made 24 balls with it.  Each-Calories: 85, Fat: 5.4g, Carbs: 8.5g, Protein 1.8g.

Hummus

3 1/2 cups cooked or 2 cans of chickpeas

1/4 c tahini

Juice from 1 lemon

2 tsp cumin

3 garlic gloves

1/2-3/4 tsp salt

1/4 c water

Grind the chickpeas in the food processor until a powder forms.  Add the other ingredients and process until it is all blended well. May need to add water to get the consistency you want.  I added about 1/4 cup.  I have never had it or made it before, but I thought it was delicious and so did Nate!  Used it as a dip with veggies for a snack and also put it on bread for a sandwich for Nate to take to work today. 

original recipe from www.mywholefoodlife.com

Meatless March Day #10: Massaged Kale Salad - my favorite salad!

So, Day #10!!  We are surviving very nicely! Who knew?!  Day 10 was a Wednesday and as discussed before that is our on the go day, so we will probably most often have something cold like a salad on that day.  The pizza they serve at church smells so good, but we have set a clear boundary and that is so important for me!  It really makes is a lot easier.  I don't even have to think, maybe just a bite or just 1 piece, because there is a clear boundary there.


Anyway, I packed Nate and I my favorite salad!  Massaged Kale Salad.


Did you know that kale is an  anti-inflammatory, low in calories, full of antioxidants, low in carbs, high in Vitamin K, Calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Potassium, Lutein. Per calorie, Kale has more iron than beef, more calcium than milk and 10% more vitamin C than spinach! 

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 green apple, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar/balsamic vinegar
*optional goat or gorgonzola cheese if you are a dairy eater

Directions:
-De-stem kale by pulling the leaf off of the stem. Wash and dry the kale leaves. Stack leaves, rollup and cut into thin ribbons. Sometimes you can find it already washed and trimmed and skip this step.
-Put kale and salt in a large bowl. Massage salt into kale with your hands for about 2 minutes or until it looks wet and broken down.
-Put kale in a fresh bowl and discard any leftover liquid.
-Stir in onion, cranberries, apple and sunflower seeds.
-Dress with oil and vinegar and toss.
-Add cheese if desired.

But beware this will give you major onion breath! :)

-Nicole

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Meatless March Day #8: Creamy Cauliflower & Tomatoes

Today was definitely and experiment! but it was one that Nate described as delicious, so I guess it didn't turn out half bad! :)

For the cream sauce I used about 1/2 cup of a cashew cheese recipe from Color Me Vegan.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 head cauliflower
1-1/2 lb. tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
4 oz. whole grain pasta noodles, cooked
1/2 cup cashew cheese

Directions:
Chop cauliflower into small pieces and steam with about 1/2 cup of water.
Heat oil in a large saute pan and add chopped tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes and add cauliflower, parsley, noodles and cashew cheese.  Cook for a few minutes until well combined and flavored. Salt to taste. 

  
Recipe for Cashew Cheese
Ingredients:
1/1/4 cups raw cashews
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 canola oil
1/4 cup light (yellow or white) miso paste
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

Directions:
Add the cashews to the large bowl of a food processor and using the pulse button, finely grind the cashews.  Don't allow the cashews to turn into a paste.  Add the nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, adn white pepper.  Pulse three more times to blend in the spices.

Combine the milk, cornstach, and oil in a heavy saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over high heat.  Decrease the heat to low-medium, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the cornstarch is dissolved.

Withe the food processor running , gradually add the milk/oil mixture to the cashew/nutritional yeast mixture.  Blend for 2 minutes or until very smooth and creamy.  Next, blend the miso and lemon juice.

The cheese will keep for 4 days, covered and refridgerated.

Meatless March Day #4: Sweet Potato 3 Bean Chili

So, on day 4 we had an obligation in the evening and would not have much time for cooking or eating really, so I was thrilled that on the menu, I had chosen something that I could make in the early afternoon and just let it simmer until dinner.

The only real cooking here is chopping everything up.  Nothing fancy here, just chop it up and throw it all in the pot on med-low.   It was really good too!  And there was enough left for Nate to take to work the next day and froze enough for another meal!!  This is my kind of thing!

Once again, the kids ate it and we felt full and satisfied.  I think I must feel the need to mention that after each meal (if it is true), because going into this a lot of people, myself included, wonder if you can really get enough to fill you up without the meat. And yes you can!  If it can fill up Nate, anyone can get full off of it! :)

Super healthy and super yummy!

Ingredients:
3 cups vegetable stock
2 cups black beans
2 cups kidney beans
2 cups pinto beans
28-40 oz. of tomatoes, diced
1 onion diced
1 cup corn, fresh or fozen
2 sweet potatoes diced
4 med-lg garlic cloves minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
3/4 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 T oil (we used grapeseed oil)
Salt & hot sauce to taste

Typically I do buy dry beans and soak them, but this week there was just so much going on, that I opted for can beans. So, I used 4 cans of beans, total: 2 of one kind and 1 of the others. For the tomatoes, I prefer to dice my own rather than use can tomatoes, but you can use a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes instead of fresh, if that is your preference it will still work.

Directions:
Throw it all in a big pot and cook on med low for about 3 hours covered stirring occasionally.  For the last 1/2 hour cook uncovered and you can also add about a Tbsp of flour to thicken the sauce if needed.

I would imagine you could put this in the crock pot on low all day and it would be really yummy also, possibly better!  Also, as stated you can freeze any leftover for another day when you may not feel like cooking.  This recipe makes a good amount!

Remember why you make healthy nutritional choices as you go into the weekend when you will be faced with a mound of temptation, at least I know we will!  This is a birthday party weekend for us! Evan is turning 3 and Zac just turned 10! So, we are celebrating!  I am making vegan chocolate cupcakes with chocolate moose and well of course there is now chocolate, peanut butter ice cream in my freezer for tomorrow.  We will also have company and family visiting, that will say we have lost our minds and "take the fun out of eating" since we do not make the same choices that they do. Temptation is everywhere! But, I remember why I make the choices I do, as far as my nutrition, and remember the commitment I have made with Nate.  We really want to see how our bodies are going to react after being meat and dairy free for a month and we won't be able to do that if we lose focus and start thinking about the short-term (chocolate) pleasure!

Have a great weekend everyone! Stay strong! :)

-Nicole

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Meatless March Day #1: Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

This of course is our dinner meal.  For breakfast was 3 whole wheat pancakes with 2 tsp maple syrup, lunch was Chocolate Vegan Shakeology, and an orange and homemade cliff bar were my snacks.

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
28 oz. diced tomatoes, canned or fresh work.  I prefer to buy and chop them!
1 (15 oz.) can white cannellini beans, drained & rinsed or equivalent from dry soaked beans
4 cups fat free vegetable broth
1 oz. chunk of good Parmesan cheese rind (optional-will add good flavor)
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (defrosted) spinach
2 cups small pasta (cooked al dente), like elbows or shells

Directions:
Rinse and drain beans. Puree beans with 1 cup of broth in a blender.

In a crock pot, combine broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, Parmesan rind, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Forty minutes before serving, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Add cooked pasta, cook 10 minutes more.  Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, Parmesan rind. 

Serve and enjoy!!  I like to double this recipe and freeze!  Makes a quick and easy meal next time.  Just freeze without the pasta in it, but I have forgotten and just froze with it before too.  It was still good!!

-Nicole

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