Smoky Split Pea and Sweet Potato Soup by Whitney Lauritsen

capture_04112014_125414Whitney’s soup is filled with healthy ingredients and is very easy and economical to make.  This recipe can be made in a large pot or even a slow cooker for those who want to set it and forget it.  It’s healthy ingredients include vegetable broth, onions, carrots, celery, red bell pepper, garlic, dried oregano, smoked paprika, yellow split peas, sweat potatoes, bay leaf, green onions, frozen peas.  Whitney uses vegetable broth instead of oil to saute the vegetables.  As she suggests, you could add or substitute vegetables as you wish.  And, this is another recipe that can be made ahead for use later.  Enjoy. Continue reading

Roasted Vegetables with Pasta by Bob McD (Member Cook on AllRecipes.com)

capture_04112014_114724This is a very simple recipe tossing roasted vegetables with pasta.  It’s easy to make and healthy.  It’s ingredients include tomato, red bell peppers, roasted garlic, mushrooms, asparagus,  fresh rosemary, fresh oregano, olive oil, parmesan cheese, fettuccine pasta, and tapenade.  Serve this dish with hard crusty bread and a salad.  If you wish, you can substitute a vegan alternative for the parmesan cheese.  And, you could add or substitute different healthy vegetables.  Enjoy. Continue reading

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Eggplant & Mint by Rachel Ray

capture_02112014_143539Rachael shows how easy it is to cook quinoa.  She uses vegetable stock instead of water to cook the quinoa.  She then adds it to sauteed vegetables, and stuffs roasted red peppers with the mixture.   This recipe is very easy to make, and can be made ahead for use later in the week.  Like Rachael says, it is “delicious and super nutritious.”  Enjoy. Continue reading

Lentil Soup w/ Sun-dried Tomatoes & Spinach by Monique Koch

lentil soupMonique shows her technique for making sure the lentils don’t have any debris in them.  She soaks them, and adds them to a pot with sauteed onions, garlic and vegetable broth.  After the soup has simmered for about 20 minutes, she adds sun-dried tomatoes and spinach.  She usually serves her soup with rice.  This soup recipe is simple, healthy and delicious.  Enjoy. Continue reading

Yellow Squash Soup with Cured Strawberries by Edward Lee

capture_31102014_125013Chef Lee demonstrates a very easy to make chilled yellow squash soup.   He lightly sautes onions and chopped pieces of squash, then adds vegetable stock, simmers the mixture, adds sour cream and purees the soup with an immersion blender.  Simple and easy.  He also tops his soup with cured strawberries.  He cures the strawberries in a mixture of salt and sugar, which pulls the water out of them and intensifies their flavor.  This is an elegant, delicious, and healthy chilled soup, which will please you, your family, and your guests.  Enjoy. Continue reading

Pan-seared Tempeh in Lemon Caper Sauce, Garlic Mashed Potato and Roasted Vegetables by Chloe Coscarelli

capture_30102014_152414Chef Chloe demonstrates an easy to prepare and delicious meal.  Throughout the video, Chloe presents techniques for cooking the components of this meal.  From my point of view, the only thing missing from this video is Chloe preparing it together with some friends, all drinking glasses of wine.  Try making this meal yourself.  You’ll like  it. Continue reading

Vegan Fish and Chips by Candice Hutchings

capture_29102014_150637Candice uses eggplant as an alternative for fish in this recipe.  She uses a marinade of kelp granules, garlic powder, and lemon juice to make the eggplant taste more like fish rather than simply battered eggplant.  After the eggplant is marinated and coated with a similarly seasoned beer batter, Candice fries it.  She serves it with french fried potatoes and a vegan tarter sauce.  If you wish to reduce calories and the oil from frying, you could bake the fish and potatoes instead of frying them.  I’ll bet Candice’s technique for making eggplant taste like fish could be used to replace fish in other recipes.  This looks good. Continue reading

New England Glam Chowder by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

capture_28102014_154017Isa prepares a vegan version of the popular New England Clam Chowder using a mix of button and shitachi mushrooms as substitutes for the clams, and cashew cream for the dairy cream.  Add some other healthy ingredients, simmer the combination for a short while, and you have a delicious and inventive vegan soup.  This recipe looks luscious and hearty.  Try it.  It might become one of your favorites. Continue reading

Vegan Fried Chicken by Roberto Martin

capture_27102014_115846Roberto shows how to use store bought vegan chicken substitutes to create a delicious meal with the texture and taste of real fried chicken.  An interesting step in this recipe is when Roberto wraps the seitan and soy based chicken substitute with rice paper to simulate chicken skin.  Those, who wish to avoid the excess calories and fat from the frying process, could bake their chicken substitutes with a technique shown here and here.  As side dishes, he uses coleslaw and collard greens with tempeh bacon.  This is a flavorful dish that will certainly satisfy meat lovers. Continue reading

Lighter Eggplant Parmesan by Sarah Carey

capture_23102014_132851Sarah bakes her eggplant instead of frying it.  She uses a flour, milk, and tomato sauce mixture as a creamy filling replacing the ricotta cheese typically used in other recipes.  After she layers her pre-baked eggplant, she tops it with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.  This is an easy recipe for a healthier makeover by replacing the milk, mozzarella and parmesan cheese with vegan alternatives.  This is another easy to make and healthy recipe that can be made ahead for use later in the week. Continue reading