When the autumn and winter seasons approach us, I find myself strongly desiring comfort, warmth and ooey gooey cheese. The winter is when most people seem to gain weight and let’s face it, we ALL know it’s because of all the goodies that come with the season. Thanksgiving, Christmas and family gatherings full of decadent desserts, hearty meals and CHEEEEEEESE (and booze).

Moving on, I wanted to satisfy my comfort food craving for something lighter, vegan, nourishing and easy to make. This tomato basil bisque soothes the soul, warms the bones and really hits the spot. Making your own croutons (pumpernickel is what I chose) removes the suspicion of what ingredients are used to make your crunchy bites of deliciousness. Another plus? Your house smells delicious as a result. Now get cracking and write this recipe down and try it tomorrow!

Tomato-Basil Bisque with Pumpernickel Croutons (modified from Chloe’s Kitchen)
Serves: 4

What You Need:
For the Pumpernickel croutons:
4 slices of fresh pumpernickel croutons, cubed
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the soup:
1 can of whole tomatoes (unsalted and its it liquid-READ THE INGREDIENTS)
4 Roma tomatoes, quartered
1 red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice (half a lemon)
1 teaspoon dried basil
Sea salt & Black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil for garnish

How You Make It:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl (or even on the baking sheet), toss bread cubes with oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. On a separate baking sheet, spread tomatoes, garlic and onions. Drizzle olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Put both baking sheets in the oven. Roast veggies for up to 30 minutes or until tomatoes are lightly browned and caramelized. Bake croutons for 25 minutes, turning with spatula every 10 minutes.

4. Transfer roasted veggies and canned tomatoes to blender. Pulse until a desired consistency is achieved. Transfer soup mixture into a large pot and add broth. Simmer for 10 minutes. Mix in brown sugar, basil and lemon juice. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

5. Serve garnished with croutons and basil. Enjoy!

October 8, 2012January 8, 2014Leave a comment

tastyveganadventures:

Avocado and Tomato Sandwiches

These are my default lunch if I have no idea what to make since avocados and tomatoes are staples in my house. I like to mash up the avocados on the bread, spreading it around like it’s butter or mayo or (for supervegans) hummus 🙂

I put some large grain salt and herb salad mix that I got from Switzerland. Sometimes I whip up a quick vegan pesto if I can’t get my hands on this childhood herb taste by finely chopping some basil and mixing it with olive oil, salt, pepper, and (if I’m in that certain mood) nutritional yeast.

MUST MAKE THIS!

The Best Pesto You’ll Ever Make

October 5, 2012Leave a comment

I’m on week two of my vegan challenge and I was CRAVING something creamy, comforting and delicious. I simply adore my cookbook by Chloe Coscarelli, Chloe’s Kitchen and have had a post-it on the page with Avocado Pesto for over a month now. I decided, that I just HAD to make it. No more excuses! To my surprise? This was probably the most simple and delicious pesto I have ever made.

Okay enough fooling around, here is the best pesto you’ll ever make:

What you need:

1 pound linguine (or spaghetti- I don’t use white flour pasta, I opt for spinach, brown rice, or whole grain)
1 bunch fresh basil, reserve some leaves for garnish
½ cup pine nuts (I left this out, but that’s you’re decision!)
2 avocados, pitted and peeled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cloves garlic (3 for pesto, 1 for sauteing baby broccoli & tomatoes)
½ cup olive oil (save an extra 2 tablespoons for sauteing)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes or sliced sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
1 bunch baby broccoli or adult broccoli, chopped (whatever you can find)

How to make it:

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside. (Cook to AL DENTE- leave a little bite to it. You don’t want to over cook the pasta.)

2. Meanwhile, make the pesto by combining basil, pine nuts, avocados, lemon juice, garlic, and oil in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper.

3. In saute pan, add olive oil and 1 clove of chopped garlic. Let the oil get fragrant and add broccoli. Saute a couple of minutes before adding the tomatoes. Turn off heat.

4. Toss pasta with pesto and broccoli and tomatoes. Divide pasta among serving bowls and garnish each serving with a basil leaf.