EVOO for your Skin

Extra Virgin Olive oil makes an excellent skin moisturizer and can be used from head to toe.  It's natural and great for sensitive skin!  I use it without any worry or concern about chemicals; if it safe enough to eat then it's safe for your skin.

I like to add a few drops of my favorite essential oils.  Lavender is a favorite of many.  I have found a stress-relief essential oil blend that has several fragrances combined in one bottle - very convenient and it smells so nice.  Or you can go wild and mix your very own signature blend. Apply after showering as you would any body moisturizer.  A little goes a long way.  It can be used as a facial moisturizer and on dry lips.  I like to apply to my feet and then put on some white cotton socks - and don't forget the back of your hands, cuticles and nails!

Corn on the Cob

 ©Denise Kappa Photography

Sweet corn season is done for the year, but this sure looks like a great way to cook and clean corn on the cob at the same time. Best part - no pot to wash! Can't wait till next season to try this out!

Garbanzo Bean Cabbage Soup

©Denise Kappa Photography

A little different - delicious and satisfying. Perfect on a cool October day.

Sauté covered on medium heat until translucent.
1 TBS Olive Oil
1 yellow onion diced
3 large carrots - sliced rounds on diagonal
1/4 large head of cabbage shredded

Add:
2 or 3 cloves of garlic minced garlic
Season with salt and pepper

Add:
8 - 10 cups of hot water
3 tubes savory vegetable concentrate broth
1/2 cup rice
2 potatoes diced
1 15 oz. can Garbanzo Beans drained and rinsed
1 Sage leaf
Parsley - if available

Turn down to low and cook covered until rice and veggies are tender.
Add:
Fresh or dry dill to taste.

Butternut Squash Soup

'After reviewing a few recipes for butternut soup I put together my own vegan version. It's so creamy and satisfying. I think you will love it as much as I do!

Sauté until almost tender:
1 TB olive oil
2 carrots diced
1 onion diced
2 stalks of celery diced

Add:
2 potatoes diced small - continue to sauté for a few more minutes. Add a bit of the hot water if you need to.

Add:
6 cups of boiling water
2 tubes of vegetable broth  or replace half of water with liquid broth 

Cook until veggies are tender.

Add:
2 cups of roasted pureed butternut squash
Season with salt and pepper
Dash of cinnamon (optional)
Gently cook for another 10 minutes to meld flavors. Transfer to processor in batches and blend or use an immersion blender. Serve.

Soup will thicken once refrigerated. Add a splash of water, broth, or plant milk to thin.

Roasting Butternut Squash

I am in love with this vegetable. So creamy and yummy! It's very simple to roast a butternut squash. Just line your rimmed cookie sheet with foil, cut washed squash in half and remove seeds - saving them for roasting later. Next rub a few drops of olive oil on the cut sides, season with salt and pepper then place cut side down on pan and roast in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. Skin will be blistered and slightly brown. Test by inserting knife beneath the skin in to the flesh. Remove from oven and cool. The skin will now easily peel off, place chunks of cooked squash in the food processor and puree. It is now ready for incorporating into your favorite recipes.  Check out my next recipe - creamy, satisying, butternut squash soup.

Vegetable Broth

Shop At Amazon

I found some tasty convenient concentrated veggie broth packed in small tubes, twelve to a box, at Trader Joe's. Lately they haven't had it in stock. I did some on line scouting and found Savory Choice Liquid Reduced Sodium Vegetable Broth Concentrate at Amazon, and I believe it is made by the same company. Now I have plenty to make pots and pots of soup.

Margherita Rustica Pizza - In a Skillet!

©DeniseKappaPhotography 

It's too hot to turn on the oven. Experimenting with pizza dough made with my KichenAid mixer and "baked" in an electric skillet. Works if you preheat skillet to 375 - no oil just put the dough in the pan - cook till nice and brown on one side - carefully flip and add toppings, then continue to cook till the second side is brown. Recipe and further instructions are on the Ciao Italia website including video. I made it vegan, by omitting the cheese. I made it healthier by using white whole wheat flour for half of the flour. Next time I will have to remember to increase the water - whole wheat flour always seems to require more than a recipe with regular white flour.

How to Make Soup

Don't know how to make soup? Do you think it's hard to do? Don't buy it at the store - it's not healthy. Learn to make your own. Very simple, few ingredients - all of which should be in your pantry and refrigerator at all times. So if you've never made soup, pull out a big pot and watch this short video from About.com. The only things I would do differently is skip the cheese and if using pasta cook it separately, and then add it to bowls of the cooked soup. Soup freezes well, so keep some in the freezer for fast meals or in case someone is feeling a little under the weather.

Summer Harvest

©Denise Kappa Photography

Back from Jamie's Flea Market in Oberlin OH. Everything has been thoroughly washed and dried. Most of it will be sliced and/or diced, frozen and stored in freezer bags. I'll have lots of peppers, zucchini and squash for soups, chili and stews all winter long.

No Chicken Soup with Potatoes

2 TBL Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion diced
3 Large Carrots cut into rounds
3 Celery Ribs sliced

1 Large clove garlic or 3 small cloves finely chopped.

10 Cups of boiling water (approximately)
3 tubes of vegetarian broth concentrate
Or substitute vegetarian bouillon.
1 Small bunch of Parsley finely chopped
4 basil leaves (optional) finely sliced
4 large sage leaves - leave whole
2 Plum tomatoes (optional) cubed
5 or 6 red skinned potatoes washed and diced into 1/2" cubes
1 or 2 cups of chopped frozen spinach.
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a heavy soup pot - add oil and sauté onion, celery, and carrots until onions are translucent. A little browning adds to the color of the soup if you would like to cook them a bit longer.

Add garlic and saute for about 60 seconds. Pour in hot water and add veggie broth concentrate or bouillon. Bring up to a boil and reduce to simmer.

Chop herbs and add them to the pot. Wash and dice potatoes and throw them in along with the spinach (I removed the sage leaves before I added the potatoes). Season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer until potatoes are fork tender. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Chili

A hearty vegetarian chili that pairs nicely with some whole wheat pasta shells or brown rice.

Sauté covered on medium heat until translucent.
1-2 TBS olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium-size diced green bell pepper
1 medium-size diced red bell pepper

Add: 3 large cloves minced garlic and continue to cook for about one minute.

Add: 
1 medium-size zucchini, diced
1 medium-size yellow squash
1 can (or frozen) corn kernels, or exchange for a can of kidney/pinto beans added later with black the black beans.

Cook stirring often until soft and the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown around the edges - about 6 minutes.

Add and cook about 30 seconds:
1 TBS of cumin
2 TBS of chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Add: 
1 cup vegetable broth
1 can (8 ounces)of tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

In a large, heavy pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Sauté until soft. Add the zucchini and corn- cook sirring until soft and the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown around the edges - about 6 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne stirring for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and sauce and stir well. Add the beans, and vegetable stock, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. Serve over cooked brown rice or whole wheat medium shell pasta.

Red Pepper Hummus

I love Hummus and it is so easy to make.  Once you have your pantry stocked you can whip up a batch in a matter of minutes. 

* 1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
* 3 tablespoons lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons tahini
* 1 cloves garlic, crushed and then chopped
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
* 5-7 shakes of cayenne pepper
* Roasted Red Peppers homemade or jarred
   or a few large spoonfuls of a red pepper spread. - I like Trader Joe's Egg Plant Red Pepper Spread.

Drain chickpeas and rinse. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Blend until completely mixed and smooth. Adjust any ingredients to your personal preference.

Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, raw vegetables, crackers or cover and refrigerate.

Favorite Stirfry

1 Cup Brown Rice - Since this takes longest amount of time to cook start the rice first.

Stir fried or crunchy steamed veggies - If I'm in a hurry, I will just use a bag of California Blend (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower). Tonight I started with fresh celery and carrots sliced on a diagonal - stir fry for a couple of minutes in some olive oil. Then added a whole bag of frozen broccoli and continued to cook. After about 5 minutes I added some beautiful string beans and finished off by throwing in some frozen tri-colored bell peppers. Those always go in last so they don't get over cooked.

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Yummy Orange Peanut Sauce

2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup orange juice
2 TBL Peanut Butter
5-7 shakes of cayenne pepper
Dash or two of garlic powder
Fresh orange zest (optional)
1/8 cup of Splenda or sweetener of your choice (sugar, agave, etc.)
1 TBL cornstarch mixed with a bit of water or orange juice

Put everything except cornstarch mixture in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer melting the peanut butter. Simmer for a few minutes and then add the cornstarch mixture and stir and cook until thickened.

Time to plate up. Scoop of brown rice, pile on the veggies and top with the sauce. Sprinkle with slivered almond for a nice crunch. Enjoy!

"Hearty" Oatmeal Pancakes

Quilt-free pancakes! After a few tweaks, this recipe is ready for any healthy diet and they are vegan! No flour - no eggs - no oil! I could eat these everyday.

In a blender combine the following ingredients.

1 Ripe Banana
2 cups Oatmeal
1 1/2 Cups liquid - I use a combination of water and soy milk. Adjust liquid as necessary.
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 TBS Sweetener of your choice - sugar, honey, agave....
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 TBS Flaxseed meal (optional)


Blend everything until smooth. Pour right from blender pitcher onto hot greased griddle. At this point you can toss on some blueberries* and then cook till edges bubble and bottoms are brown then flip.

They are moist and sweet and do not require syrup. just top with fresh fruit - berries and sliced banana are good choices. Leftover pancakes can be frozen or just stored in the refrigerator. This morning I warmed up a couple of them and spread with peanut butter and filled with long slices of banana. Made a great breakfast sandwich.

Hello!

Hoping to use this blog to share healthy and delicious vegan foods.