Vegan MoFo: Friday Fridge Cleanup

In anticipation of our massive Thanksgiving grocery run, I wanted to prepare a dinner that would use most of the produce in the crisper drawers. Here’s what I had to work with:

Leeks
Kale
Beets
Carrots
Celery
Avocado

I also had open packages of smoked tofu and silken tofu that I wanted to finish.

The result of my self-imposed culinary challenge was quite tasty and very filling. The smoked tofu and avocado went into a sandwich on a sprouted grain bagel (from French Meadow) with some cashew cheese spread and olive tapenade. The beet roots made a lovely batch of chips. The beet greens and kale were wilted in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Everything else went into a stock pot to make a soup.

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Creamy Leek Soup Recipe

3 tbsp olive oil
3 leeks, white parts only, sliced and washed
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine
8 cups vegetable broth
salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
1 cup silken tofu

In a stock pot, saute vegetables in olive oil over medium high until brown. This will take about 15 minutes.

Deglaze pot with wine. Add broth and spices. Bring soup to boil, reduce heat and cover for 30 minutes.

Add tofu and puree soup with an immersion blender or transfer to regular blender or food processor. Be very careful when handling the hot liquid!

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Vegan MoFo: Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Creamy and cheesy soups often top the list of the most unhealthy foods you can order at a restaurant. A few florets of broccoli won’t undo the damage caused by a bowl full of butter, cream, cheese, and salt. Fortunately, it’s really easy to recreate the texture and taste of restaurant-style broccoli cheddar soup without the cruelty and cholesterol (you still need to watch the salt!)

This recipe comes together easily in 15 minutes.

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Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe:

2 tbsp Earth Balance
1 small onion, diced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup mori-nu extra firm silken tofu
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 bunch baby broccoli, chopped
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
cayenne, to taste
nutmeg, to taste
2 cups cheddar style Daiya

Melt Earth Balance in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, cook until brown.

Combine cooked onions, broth, nutritional yeast, and tofu in a blender. Process until smooth.

Transfer liquid to saucepan, add broccoli and seasonings. Simmer over medium heat until broccoli is tender. Add Daiya, stirring until melted.

The soup will seem too thin at first, but will thicken up after a few minutes of cooling.

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Mashed Potato Iron Chef Challenge: Sweet and Savory Frozen Sweet Potato Tarts

The mashed potato Vegan MoFo Iron Chef Challenge turned out to be a great way to clean out my fridge and pantry.

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For the Crust:

1/3 cup raw hazelnuts
1 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 clove garlic
fresh ground nutmeg, to taste
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
3 tbsp coconut oil

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until nuts are ground to small crumbs. Divide mixture in 4 mini-tart pans and freeze

For the Filling:

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 piece of ginger, grated
1/2 tsp kosher salt
dash cayenne
fresh ground nutmeg, to taste
fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Boil sweet potatoes in salted water until soft. Drain and rinse in cold water. Add remaining ingredients and mash, leaving mixture chunky. Transfer potatoes to bowl and chill in freezer for 1 hour. Churn in ice cream maker until firm. Fill crusts and serve.

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