Creamy Dreamy Tomato Soup (DF)

 I love this soup. A great source of vitamin C, antioxidants, and also gets rid of those ugly free radicals in your blood stream. Remember ..."The redder the better". Think deep colorful foods. This also warms me up on those cooler days and nights!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. Olive oil (or vegetable broth for non oil recipe)

• 1 diced onion

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced.

• ½ cup raw soaked cashews ( soak in water for 30 min)

• 2 cups Vegetable broth

• 3-4 tsp. tomato paste

• 1 can whole tomatoes w/ juice

• ¼ cup oil packed of sun dried tomatoes, drained.

• ½-1 tsp. dried oregano

• ¼ tsp. fine grain salt

• ½ tsp. ground pepper

Instructions

1. Heat Olive oil (or broth) in Large saucepan, add the onion, garlic and sauté for 5-6 minutes until translucent.

2. In a blender, combine the soaked cashews and the broth and blend on high speed until creamy and smooth. Add the garlic-onion mixture, tomatoes and their juices, sun-dried tomatoes, and tomato paste and blend on high until smooth.

3. Pour the tomato mixture into the saucepan in which you cooked the onions and set the pan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then stir in the oregano, salt, pepper, and thyme, all to taste.

4. Gently simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the flavors have developed.

5. Chill if a cool soup is desired.

6. You can thin this out with some more veggie broth if needed. 

Creamy White Bean and Herb Dip

A creamy, delicious, refreshing dip that has highlights of lemon and herbs. Great as a dip or used in a wrap or sandwich.

Ingredients :

1 can (15oz) cannellini beans

1/4 cup tahini (best to use a thinner consistency)

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp salt

1-2 cloves garlic grated or pressed

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp of water if needed

1/4 cup chopped herbs of choice ( dill, basil, parsley, rosemary, or thyme)

Instructions:

In a food processor add drained and rinsed beans, tahini, lemon zest lemon juice, salt, garlic, and olive oil (reserve herbs for later).

Pulse to combine then blend until creamy (scrape down sides as needed) Blend less time if you like a chunkier texture. If you prefer smooth, blend for longer. Add slowly a tbsp of water at a time to thin if needed.

Add your chopped herbs and pulse again to combine.

Taste and adjust flavor as needed. Add more olive oil for creaminess, lemon for tartness, salt, or water to thin. (it will thicken when chilled)

Enjoy immediately, or you can chill. Drizzle olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and sprinkle herbs on top before serving.

Note: If you want to try this without tahini, just add another 1/2 cup of white beans and a touch more lemon, olive oil, garlic etc

Crunchy Cold Slaw

What a nice way to add crunch to any salad , side entree or added in a wrap. Healthy, creamy and crunchy all in one bite!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup vegan or regular mayo ( may adjust to preference )

• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• ¾ teaspoon celery seed

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 8 cups shredded cabbage( I like both red and green)

• 2 medium carrots, peeled into thin strips

• 3 scallions, chopped

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Sliced almonds (optional)

Instructions:

• Whisk up the dressing In a medium bowl .Mayo, apple cider vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, celery seed, salt, and a bit of pepper.

• In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, carrots, and scallions. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat. Season to taste with more salt and pepper as desired and add almond slices.

• Store in the fridge in a sealed container.