Roasted Chickpeas

• 2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 C olive oil
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tbs)
• salt and pepper to taste
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  After draining and rinsing, pat chickpeas dry with a paper or clean kitchen towel.  Toss chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl until chickpeas are coated in oil.  Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Roast 40 minutes, or until chickpeas are crunchy, stirring occasionally while roasting.  Cool 5 minutes, then serve immediately.

Fair warning: If left out on the table, these chickpeas may attract small, somewhat feral-looking children:

Red Lentil Hummus

Serve this dip with fresh bread or raw veggies, or serve as a sandwich spread with fresh tomato, spinach, carrot and thinly sliced red onion.  Adapted from a recipe in La Dolce Vegan:

• 1 C red lentils
• 1 1/2 C water
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 3 Tbs flax oil
• juice of 1 small lemon (about 1/4 C)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
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In a medium pot bring lentils and water to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes.  In a food processor blend the cooked lentils, oils, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt until smooth.  Makes around 2 cups.

This embarrassingly easy soup is vegan and gluten-free, but it somehow manages to taste like chicken.  Ben ate it, and that’s no easy seal of approval for a legume soup to earn.  Without further ado, the ingredients:

• 2 small onions (or 1 large onion), chopped
• 4 medium carrots, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 6 C veggie broth
• 1 C long grain or basmati brown rice
• 1 C yellow split peas
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp salt
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In a medium soup pot on medium heat, saute onions, carrot and celery in olive oil until the onions are translucent.  Add broth, rice, split peas and basil and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the rice and peas are cooked.  Add salt toward the end of cooking time.

Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to blend the chowder until smooth, or until you get the texture you want.  I left some pieces of carrot, rice and peas in ours tonight. It was delicious with a garden salad on the side. I’m guessing this recipe could very easily be adapted for a slow cooker.

Adapted from La Dolce Vegan

Hot and Sour Soup

• 4 C veggie broth
• 2 C water
• 3 Tbs tamari
• 2-in piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1-2 tsp garlic Asian chili sauce
• 2 small-med carrots, grated
• 3 oz oyster mushrooms, chopped
• 1/4 C rice vinegar
• 8 oz. package extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed
• 2/3 C frozen sweet peas
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In a medium soup pot, bring broth and water to a boil. Reduce heat and add tamari, ginger, garlic, sugar, chili sauce, carrots and mushrooms. Simmer for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and add vinegar, tofu and peas. Cover and let sit 5 minutes before serving.  Serves 4-6. We ate our soup with brown rice and veggie pot stickers on the side.

I *loved* this soup. It was even delicious leftover. Nathan said he liked the soup and would be interested in having it occasionally.  Other Sunrise Ruby family members ate only the tofu out of the soup. *Shrugs* Can’t please everyone all the time.

No, leafy greens are not even remotely in season here.  Pretty much nothing is, since we’re on our record-breaking, drought-loving 73rd consecutive day of triple-digit temps here in ATX.  But I make a mean pot of greens.  I can’t help it.

This recipe is adapted from one on Eclaire.  I’m calling it Left-over Pizza Packet Greens here, because I always seem to use the contents of a left-over packet of crushed red pepper, from the last time we ordered pizza, to make this dish.

1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches collard or turnip greens, washed, stemmed and chopped
3 C veggie broth
15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Heat olive oil and butter together in a medium pot until butter is melted.  Add onion and cook until softened, but not browned, 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and continue cooking another 2 minutes.  Add greens and saute another 2 minutes, stirring.

Pour veggie broth into the pot, bring to a simmer, and cover.  Simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until greens are softened and turning dark green.  Add tomatoes and salt, and simmer another 5 minutes.

Don’t overcook these, and they won’t be at all bitter, like those other greens you’ve had that you didn’t like.  (When I say simmer, I mean simmer, not hard boil.)  Maddie chows down whenever I make this dish.  Even Ben will eat greens this way, which is saying something.  Enjoy!

Tomato Soup

2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes
1/2 can tomato paste
1 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
2 stalks celery, diced
2 small carrots, diced
2 med onions (I used a yellow and a red), diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 C broth (I used veggie)
1-2 bay leaves
3 Tbs unsalted butter
1/2 C chopped fresh basil
1 C half and half

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Drain canned tomatoes, reserving juices.  Spread tomatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Season with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil (about 1/4 C).  Roast tomatoes until they are caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile heat remaining olive oil in a sauce pan over med heat.  Add carrot, onion, celery and garlic and cook until veggies are soft, about 10 minutes.  Add roasted tomatoes, reserved juices, tomato paste, broth, bay leaf and butter.  Simmer 15-20 minutes, until veggies are very tender.  Add basil and half and half.  Puree with an immersion blender until smooth.

Tonight we ate our tomato soup w sliced raw cheddar cheese and fried okra, both on hand after a trip to the farmer’s market over the weekend.  Fresh bread and a garden salad with this soup would make an even better (less rich) meal, I think.

• 4 apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 3/4 C water
• scant 1/4 C sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
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Combine apples, water, sugar and cinnamon in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook covered for 15 min, or until soft.  Mash mixture w a fork to make the sauce.

One of Ben and Maddie’s fave snacks.

Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes

• 2-3 lg sweet potatoes, washed and cut into 1-in cubes.  Leave the skins on!
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1-2 tsp salt, or to taste
• freshly ground black pepper

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Directions:

Toss potatoes with herbs, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.  Place potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 min.  These would be great tossed with rosemary, too, but I didn’t have any.

Cabbage & beans

• 1 head green cabbage, cored and chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 14.5-oz cans red beans, drained and rinsed
• olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 14.5-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp. salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste

Sauté onion in olive oil for about 4 min. Add carrot and water and cook over med heat 5 more min. Add cabbage, salt and pepper and cook 15-30 min, depending on how soft you like your cabbage. Add crushed tomatoes and beans. Cook 5 min. and serve over brown rice.