MARCH 29, 2014
I do my marketing on Friday’s. Sunday’s I load up on fruits and veggies at a local farmers market. By the time Saturday roles around, whatever is left in my vegetable bin isn’t so pretty. Inevitably, these items end up in a soup or a salsa or something random.
Cleaning out the vegetable bin (to make room for the newest and the freshest) left me with a few string beans, broccoli, left over roasted cauliflower, sauteed leeks (I keep sauteed leeks on hand to put in weekday morning eggs), about 1/2 cup of cooked lentils (leftovers from a previous meal), a carrot, a few stocks of celery, and a minced shallot. A pot of soup was whipped up in less than 45 minutes and it was the perfect Saturday afternoon lunch. It is always so gratifying when I can create a healthy, whole meal without a plan or a recipe.
Soup, unlike baking, does not have to be exact. It’s not a science. Check your provisions, be creative, chop away, and make a double batch!
This week my family will be eating lots of good stuff:
Sunday 3/30/14:
Leftover Vegetable Soup
Grilled Rib Eye Steaks (salt + pepper only, squeeze a bit of lemon after they are grilled)
Cauliflower Fritters
Monday 4/1/14(Meatless Monday):
Spaghetti Squash Marinara
Roasted Fennel + Broccoli
Grain Free Cookies
Tuesday 3/31/14:
Sloppy Joes (made with ground chicken)
Grain Free Dinner Rolls
Baked Kale Chips
Wednesday 4/2/14:
Power Green Salad (I’ll omit the cheese)
Grilled Halibut
Roasted Butternut Squash
Thursday 4/3/14:
Grilled BBQ Chicken
Grain Free Mexican Rice
Green Bean Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
Friday 4/4/14:
Non-Cream of Tomato Soup
Grain Free Cauliflower Tortillas
Caesar Salad
Use It Up Vegetable Soup
ingredients:
1/2 cup leeks, shallots, or onions – diced fine
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
2 gloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh stringbeans, cleaned and diced
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup cauliflower, chopped
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow potato, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 – 1/2 cup lentils, cooked
1 can (15 ounces) white beans, rinsed and drained
6-8 cups homemade vegetable stock
2 tablespoons coconut oil
Celtic sea salt
fresh ground pepper
dash of red wine vinegar
instructions:
• in a large, heavy duty stock pot, heat coconut oil. add leeks, shallots, or onions. sauté on medium until soft, about 10 minutes.
• add garlic and sauté for 1 minutes. toss in carrots, celery, string beans, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and potato. stir to coat and saute for 5 minutes.
• add vegetable stock and tomato paste. bring to a boil. simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
• add lentils or white beans. season with salt and pepper to taste.
• right before serving add a splash of red wine vinegar.
* optional add ins: sauteed sausage (out of casing), chopped kale, chard, or spinach, and chopped basil.