In this weekly series we have been discussing the benefits of a vegetarian diet including: better health, animal rights, global food crisis, food safety, frugal living and the immense contribution of meat/livestock production to climate change/water and land depletion
This from the History Channel
Solutions to this global crisis coming below the fold...
I was inspired to create this series by former Beatle and vegetarian advocate Paul McCartney(Macca) who partnered with the Meatless Monday campaign to promote less consumption of meat. We not only discuss the advantages of a less meat diet we also do some cooking, share recipes and listen to great Beatle/McCartney music!
Wow! Oprah and Harpo Productions join Meatless Monday campaign!. I love Oprah's big Meatless Monday cheer near the end of the vid! Friends, we're making a difference and having an impact. Our small steps to reduce our meat consumption is reverberating around the world. We can be the change that's needed to reduce the effects of climate change and to create a healthier population.
Living in Florida it's salad season all year long. But I know that many of you are shoveling snow, perhaps as I'm writing this..this one's for you.
When I cook soup I want it to be hearty, a one dish meal with just the addition of some crunchy bread...a soul and tummy warming hedonistic pleasure.
Here are some of my fave one dish meals..perfect for a cold or cool day.
MISO SOUP with EDAMAME
serves about 3
2 oz. bean thread noodles
3 oz. fresh shiitake or button mushrooms
2 tsp. canola oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced with white and green parts
1 small carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on diagonal
1 cup (6 oz.) frozen shelled edamame
5 oz. baby spinach
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
4 to 6 Tbs. dark miso (start with the lesser amount add more if needed to taste)
1/4 tsp. toasted sesame oil
Tamari soy sauce
Start with the smaller amount of the miso, and add more as needed, dissolving extra spoonfuls in hot soup liquid. If you have both dark and light misos on hand, use half of each for a more complex flavor. Bean thread noodles are readily available in many supermarkets. If fresh edamame are already cooked, add them to the soup at the last minute.
- Put noodles in a bowl with water to cover, and set aside.
- Trim mushrooms, and wipe off grit with a damp cloth. Snap off stems, and chop finely. Slice caps thinly, and set aside.
- Heat oil in a soup pot. Add scallion whites, mushrooms and carrot, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mushrooms begin to soften, for about 2 minutes.
- Add 5 cups water, and bring to a boil. Add edamame, and cook for 4 minutes. Drain noodles, and add to pot with spinach and ginger. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until edamame are tender but still firm, for about 1 minute more. Stir in scallion greens.
- Blend 4 tablespoons miso into 1 cup warm water, using a fork to mix. Reduce heat to low, and stir miso into soup, adding more miso for a more intense flavor, if desired. Add sesame oil and tamari to taste. Serve hot.
MINESTRONE SOUP
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium-size carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin
1 medium-size all-purpose potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium-size yellow or green summer squash(zucchini) (about 1/2 pound), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon dried basil, crumbled or about a handful fresh and shredded
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled or about 2 sprigs,fresh
2 large bay leaves
1 large can (28 ounces) crushed low-sodium diced tomatoes, with their juice or 3 medium fresh, cut into cubes
6 cups vegetable stock
1/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 ounces (about 1 cup) tiny shells or tubettini pasta
1 can Great Northern white beans, drained and rinsed (or cannellini)
Grated Parmesan cheese, if desired-stew is Vegan without cheese
3 tablespoons minced italian parsley
In a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil over low heat for 1 minute; add the onions and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Raise the heat to moderate and add the carrots, potato, squash, basil, oregano, and bay leaves. Cook, uncovered, 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil; adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles gently and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes longer. Add the green beans , cover and cook until the beans are tender but still crisp--about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
Add the pasta and cook until tender. Add additional water, if necessary. Add the white beans. Cook 3 to 5 minutes longer, until heated through. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with the cheese and parsley.
Some good bread is all you need with the Minestrone.
note: the pasta will soak up the broth as the soup sits, you might want to cook the pasta separately and add it just before serving, especially if you expect left-overs
TORTILLA SOUP
serves 4
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 small zucchini, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 1/2 cups cooked black soybeans (if canned, rinsed and drained or use regular black beans)
1 cup canned whole tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
4 Tbs. shredded Jack cheese (or use vegan cheese)
4 tsp. chopped cilantro (optional)
2 cups corn tortilla chips
Hot sauce for garnish (optional)
avocado for garnish
In large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, jalapeño and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is slightly soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add broth, oregano, zucchini, soybeans and tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is almost soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in lime juice.
Ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with some cheese and cilantro if using; top with tortilla chips and avocado, if using. Serve hot with hot sauce on the side.
COCONUT RED LENTIL SOUP
Serves 6
1 cup 200g yellow split peas
1 cup 200g red split lentils (masoor dal)
7 cups water
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder (best quality)
2 tablespoons butter,ghee (or coconut or olive oil)
8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1/3 cup 45g golden raisins
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
one small handful cilantro, chopped
cooked brown rice or farro, for serving (optional)
Give the split peas and lentils a good rinse. Place them in an extra-large soup pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/4 of the ginger. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.
In the meantime, in a small dry skillet or saucepan over low heat, toast the curry powder until it is quite fragrant. Be careful though, you don't want to burn the curry powder, just toast it. Set aside. Place the butter(or oil) in a pan over medium heat, add half of the green onions, the remaining ginger, and raisins. Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two more.
Add the toasted curry powder to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the simmering soup along with the coconut milk and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so. The texture should thicken up, but you can play around with the consistency if you like by adding more water, a bit at a time, if you like. Or simmer longer for a thicker consistency.
Sprinkle each bowl generously with cilantro and the remaining green onions.
PARMESAN CREAM CRACKERS
good with soup especially the Minestrone above
1 cup all-purpose flour, more as needed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup cream or half-and-half, more as needed
Coarse salt, pepper, sesame or poppy seeds, minced garlic or whatever you like for sprinkling (optional).
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly dust with flour. Put flour, salt, cheese and butter in bowl of a food processor. Pulse until flour and butter are combined. Add about 1/4 cup cream or half-and-half and let machine run for a bit; continue to add liquid a teaspoon at a time, until mixture holds together but is not sticky.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until 1/2-inch thick or even thinner, adding flour as needed. Transfer sheet of dough to prepared baking sheet (drape it over rolling pin to make it easier). Score lightly with a sharp knife, pizza cutter or a pastry wheel if you want to break crackers into squares or rectangles later on. Sprinkle with salt or other topping if you like.
Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack; serve warm or at room temperature or store in a tin for a few days.
About 4 servings.
CHOCOLATE SOUP
Okay, we're getting decadent here. But what's better than soup on a cold night? Hot Chocolate Soup..that's what!
4 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
5 tablespoons cornstarch
5 tablespoons cold water
Mini chocolate biscotti, for garnish
Fresh raspberries, for garnish (optional)
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish (optional)
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla bean. Bring the mixture almost to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let it steep for 20 minutes. Strain and return to the pan. (Rinse and dry the vanilla bean and save it for another use.)
Put the pan on low heat, add the chocolate, and whisk until the chocolate melts. Combine the cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Add the slurry a little at a time, whisking constantly, until the soup is thick and smooth. You will know it is ready when the bubbles are gone and the chocolate has thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with biscotti, raspberries, and mint leaves if using.
"Long Tall Sally" "we're gonna have some fun tonight" A live cover by The Beatles February 11, 1964 in Washington D.C. Rock On Paul!
"Somedays" Paul McCartney
What have you all been cooking? Please share your recipes and fave Beatle/McCartney music here!
Next week we'll be in the big unknown that is DK4..I hope we can find each other. I want to start a group up for us there and wrote about it here.. Let me know what you all think.