Pumpkin Carrot Lentil Soup

Weekend meal scheduling is not my forte. Breakfast at 11, dinner at 7, and a lunch snack somewhere in between. Maybe it's the fact I only pack lunches for work days, leaving me scrounging for something resembling a lunch during the day when I'm at home.

I made this soup a few weekends ago completely from my pantry and fridge. It's really amazing how easily something great can be pulled together when you stock your pantry with staples.

Pumpkin Carrot Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 4 C veggie stock, separated
• 1 C green lentils, rinsed
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 1/2 C pumpkin puree
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 14 oz full fat coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp salt, to taste

Toppings, Optional

• Coconut milk crema
• Toasted pumpkin seeds
• Fresh chopped cilantro
• Sriracha
• Croutons

Method

1. In a large pot, bring the veggie stock to a full boil, then add the green lentils and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until softened.
2. Add the carrots and cook until tender.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until your desired texture is reached. Be careful to avoid splashing the hot liquid onto yourself!
4. Taste the soup, adjust any seasonings, and add toppings as desired before serving.

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Improved Almond Hemp Milk

So...I've been making my almond hemp milk for over 6 months now and have learned a trick or two that has resulted in an even better product! I didn't think it could get better before, but boy was I wrong.

Tip 1: Blend all the ingredients (including sweetener) before running it through the nut milk bag.

This should have been obvious to any seasoned nut milk makers, but I had not a clue. The result is a silkier, smoother milk which heats beautifully. Not to mention there's no pesky pulp left in the bottom of the glass.

Tip 2: You can add more water without compromising the flavor of the milk.

I have found that adding an additional cup of water stretches the milk at least another day for me and I don't have to make as many batches.

Tip 3: A masticating juicer can help you make nut milk.

If you have a masticating juicer like I do, I like to run the nuts and seeds through the machine with water like I'm making juice. This started out of laziness to avoid my least favorite task of milk making: straining the nut milk bag. But I also feel like it gets more out of the nuts because of how dry the resulting pulp is. I also like how much quicker the mixture strains through the nutmilk bag after adding sweetener.

I have updated the instructions below and included a second set method for making this delicious milk.

Almond Hemp Milk

Ingredients

• 1 C raw almonds, soaked overnight
• 3 tbsp raw hemp seeds
• 4-5 C water
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 3 Medjool dates
• Pinch of salt

Method #1

1. Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender, blending until smooth, about 45-60 seconds.
2. Strain the liquid in a nutmilk bag or fine sieve.
3. Pour in a pitcher or container for storage and refrigerate. Use within 5 days.

Method #2

1. Using a masticating juicer (such as a Breville Slow Juicer or Hurom), slowly run the almonds and hemp seeds through the juicer while pouring 2 cups of water through the machine.
2. Once the nuts and seeds are done, pour the remaining water through the juicer to flush out any remaining nut milk.

Pour the nut milk into a high speed blender along with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth, about 45-60 seconds.

3. Strain the liquid in a nutmilk bag or fine sieve.
4. Pour in a pitcher or container for storage and refrigerate. Use within 5 days.

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Almond Hemp Milk

I recently had the most amazing and inspiring meal at a local restaurant I had read about on a vegan blog. What I loved about Prasad was that they offered simple vegetarian/vegan food with minimal fuss, yet incredible flavor combinations I'd never have thought of on my own. While I only had a breakfast bowl and drink, I walked away feeling inspired to try making some of their menu items on my own.

This almond hemp milk was inspired entirely by Prasad. The iced dirty chai latte I had featured the milk which was incredibly smooth and delicious. I've been on the hunt for a non-dairy milk alternative for a long time now; store bought or homemade, nothing seemed to work well for drinking plain, putting on oatmeal, or serving with coffee until this! I love this recipe so much and have made 4 batches (including one double batch) in the past week. These two ingredients play so well together--the extra fat from the hemp strengthens the lighter almonds, and the almonds mask the flavor of the hemp. And best of all, it makes for a great latte, hot or iced.

Almond Hemp Milk

Ingredients

• 1 C raw almonds, soaked overnight
• 3 tbsp raw hemp seeds
• 4 C water
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 3 Medjool dates
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Combine the almonds, hemp seeds, and water in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth, about 45-60 seconds.
2. Strain the liquid in a nutmilk bag or fine sieve, then return the liquid to the blender and add the remaining ingredients.
3. Blend the mixture again until smooth.

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Ruhlman's Twenty Chapter 15: Roast

I think it's kind of funny that "roasting" and "baking" are the same thing; we just call it "roasting" when meat or vegetables are involved. Roasting meats makes me think of whole chickens going into the oven at fairly high temperatures in order to caramelize the skin. However, we also roast at low temperatures for longer periods of time to ensure the meat is cooked properly, like pork loin or prime rib.

• The lack of water in the process makes roasting tough meats impossible; water helps break down the connective tissues of these meats, so without it, you end up with dry, tough meat.
• For the best results, let your food come to room temperature and pat it dry.
• Ruhlman also suggests using the convection feature if your oven has it to prevent hot and/or cold spots in your oven.

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Broiled Grapefruit with Ginger

Heirloom navel oranges and grapefruits are my favorite winter citruses, in fact, they are the only ones I eat. I'm again behind on the trends, this time it's broiled grapefruit. I tried it for the very first time, making it to accompany oatmeal for a weekday breakfast treat. I love ginger, so I was excited by this pairing with grapefruit. It's dead simple, so I will definitely try this as a light after dinner dessert throughout the season!

Broiled Grapefruit with Ginger

Adapted from The Candle Cafe Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 grapefruit, halved
• 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tsp coconut sugar
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat oven broiler. Meanwhile, top each grapefruit half with ginger, sugar, and salt, rubbing the mixture evenly around the surface of the fruit.
2. Place the grapefruit, cut half up, on a small baking sheet. Broil for 5-8 minutes, until bubbling.

For a tip on eating this especially messy grapefruit, see this article at TheKitchn for a handy trick! That or eat it over the sink :)

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Ruhlman's Twenty Chapter 14: Sauté

This chapter is a strange one in that it mostly discusses sautéing meat at high heat. Very little attention is paid to lower temperature sautéing, though the point was raised which I can appreciate.

Did you realize cooking bacon in a pan is considered sautéing? I hadn't given it much thought either, but it makes sense after hearing it! Some other lessons:

• The word "sauté" comes from the French word meaning "to jump"; think of those chefs you see on TV tossing veggies in a pan to stir while sautéing.
• Tough meats should not be sautéed; this method is reserved for tender meats and vegetables.
• To sauté meat, you want to heat your pan over high heat and then add the oil. Meat should be seasoned and patted dry before adding it to the pan. These two steps will help prevent the meat from sticking.

Related Recipes:

• Spring Veggies with Truffle Salt

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Cacao Brazil Nut Milk

I'm not going to lie...I intended to make a thick cacao shake with this one but it ended up more as a milk. Totally okay though, it still tasted great.

Cacao Brazil Nut Milk

Ingredients

• 10-15 Brazil nuts
• 4 Medjool dates, pitted
• 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 1/2 tbsp maca
• 1/2 tbsp cacao nibs
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 1/2 C ice
• 12 oz. water
• Pinch salt

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until smooth.

Makes 2 servings.

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Basic Three Ingredient Pizza Sauce

I recently started making pizza at home on a regular basis and quite enjoy it. The part I don't like conceptually is making the sauce. Simmering tomato sauce and herbs to make a thick pizza sauce requires a bit too much planning to make it into my rotation, not that it isn't worth the effort.

This recipe was born out of laziness, but I do enjoy the full, rich tomato flavor in the resulting sauce. Makes for a great sauce for my pizza crust! I love it too because I can make a double batch with one can of tomato paste and save it for next time. Dress it up how you like, fresh or dried herbs would be a lovely and welcome addition.

Basic Three Ingredient Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 oz tomato paste
• 2-4 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, to taste

Method

1. Place to tomato paste into a small bowl. Slowly whisk or stir the olive oil into the tomato paste until fully incorporated, adding as much or as little olive oil to achieve your preferred sauce thickness.
2. Season to taste with salt and add any other herbs/spices you desire.

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Sprouted Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I first discovered a new packaged sprouted whole wheat flour a few weeks back at Whole Foods. I had the intention of buying it that afternoon, but then noticed it would be on sale (along with all other baking items) the following day...needless to say, I went back to save 15%! It was surprisingly affordable even when not on sale, only about a dollar more for 5 pounds as compared to the other whole wheat flours available.

I've been using this flour a lot in the past few weeks, but mostly to make this pizza crust. The result is a dough slightly heavier than using all-purpose / white flour, but noticeably less dense than 100% whole wheat. I think it's a great balance between the two. I had previously tried soaking wheatberries, then drying, and grinding into a flour in the Vitamix, but the result was a bit lackluster (and a lot of work!), not forming a fine enough flour. No such issue with this.

Sprouted Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 tsp yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/3 C warm water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 - 4 C sprouted wheat flour

Method

1. Combine yeast, sugar, and water in a stand mixer bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, until the yeast is foamy.
2. Add the olive oil, salt, and sprouted wheat flour, mixing into the liquid with a spoon to combine.
3. Using the hook attachment of your mixer, knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add flour as necessary if the dough is too sticky.
4. Spray the dough and bowl lightly with oil, then turn the dough in the bowl, cover with a towel, and put in a warm place to rise for an hour.
5. Punch the dough down and cut into two halves. Roll your dough out thinly to form your pizza crust and store the other half for another day (fridge for up to two days or tightly wrapped and frozen). Use as you would any other pizza crust, including thickness, oven temperature, and time.

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Fresh Mango Margarita

The grocery store has been having a great special on champagne mangoes the past few weeks. Not wanting to serve them straight-up, a cool and refreshing drink sounded like a good idea! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find a recipe for a mango margarita using fresh mango (canned or frozen, sure), so I had to settle on my own.

Fresh Mango Margarita

Ingredients

• 1 champagne mango, diced
• 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp triple sec
• 1 1/2 tbsp tequila
• 3-4 C ice

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until smooth and thick.

Makes 2 servings.

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