Spiced Pumpkin Soup and Shrimp

I got this recipe out of my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. This soup is a wonderfully warm and delicious soup that is perfect for anytime of year in my book. The spicy pumpkin flavors in the creamy soup, combined with the shrimp, is perfect.

Spiced Pumpkin Soup w/shrimp

2 medium onions, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 T. fresh cilantro
2 tsp. fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 14 ounce can of chicken broth
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin
1 c. of soymilk
1 8 ounce package of frozen, peeled, and deveined cooked shrimp, thawed.
1/2 c. water for cooking

1. In a large saucepan, cook onions, carrots, ginger, allspice, and garlic in water. Let cook until tender, stiring a few times.
2. Transfer veggie mixture to a blender and add 1/2 c. of broth. Cover and blend until smooth.
3. In the same pot, combine the remaining 1 1/4 c. of broth, the pumpkin, and soy milk. Stir in blended veggie mixture and shrimp. Serve hot.

Tofu Alfredo Sauce

Here is a recipe for the tofu alfredo sauce I mentioned in another post. A lot of people wonder why the tofu subsitution for cream, and I will tell you why I choose tofu over cream. Dairy products such as milk, cheese, butter, and cream are full of saturated fats your body can do without. Saturated fats are a leading causes of heart attacks as well as some cancers. In addition, in today's world, there are so much abuse of hormones and steroids used, that I find it best to just stay away. So, with this tofu alfredo sauce, you can get the rich taste of alfredo sauce you crave. Not only is it delicious, but it is 100% dairy free. I even used vegan parmasan cheese I found at Good Earth to sub for the dairy parmasan cheese.

1 (12 ounce) package of silken soft tofu
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1/2 c. vegan parmasan cheese crumbles
1 1/2 tsp. fresh or dried basil
1 tsp. dried or fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1/4 c. plain organic soymilk
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
combine all ingrediants in a blender and blend until soft and creamy.
Transfer to pot on stove and heat. Add the salt and more pepper to your liking. Stir and then serve over noodles of your choice.
Tip: This alredo sauce is initially creamy, but tends to get clumpy once you stop stirring. I suggest you don't use this as leftoever the next day. It has it's best consistancy and texture immediately upon making.

Week One Of Whole Foods Challenge

So, I did a whole week of nothing but whole food. Okay, I slipped once, but that was sordive an emergancy. I made tofu alredo sauce (I will post recipe) and served it with whole wheat rice noodles in a very confined small container. I had to work that day, so come lunch, my noodles were mush, and I ended up throwing it out. So, long story short, I had to think of what I could eat fast food wise. I opted for Panda Express and got fried rice for 2 bucks. Big whopping mistake. Full of grease and yuck, I vow never to eat there again, even in emergencies like that.
So, that is the only time I ate something that was not whole food this week, and you all know why Panda Express's fried rice is not whole food, right? It is pre-prepared for the restaurant, and comes with all sorts of additives and preservatives. It is not whole!!
So anyway, this week has been fabulous! I am so excited about this new way of eating. I can't emphasize enough how much I love eating whole foods. This whole week has consisted of foods from Jeaneteshealthyliving.com. You can go to her site for recipes. Her blog is my inspiration and support for this challenge. I have made tons of soups this week off her blog. They include, pureed carrot and coriander soup, pureed cauliflower potatoe and leek soup, pureed cauliflower with soy yogurt, loaded veggie soup, chicken and rice soup, lots of avocados and gaucomole with organic chips, pumpkin soup with shrimp, pureed zuchinni and lentil soup, and much more. The only soup that I didn't nake off of Jeannette's blog was the pumpkin soup and I will post a seperate post for that recipe, as well as the tofu alfredo sauce.
This whole foods challenge is not really a challenge anymore. As I am familiarizing myself with how to cook whole foods, it is becoming easier . I am eating every few hours, and high calorie foods such as avocados really help.
So, that is my first week update of this whole foods challenge. I will continue to post at the end of each week about my experiences and foods I try.

Whole Foods Challenge and Cruciferous Vegetables

So a cruciferous veggie would be like cabbage, brocolli, and cauliflower to name a few. Veggies in this family are very good anti-cancer veggies, among other fighters of free radicals in the body. I made this wholesome soup with roasted cauliflower. My husband ate his, but he had to use saltine crackers. I feel for people who can't enjoy good nutritious food without the added white flour. Here is a soup that is pureed in a blender. It is filling, and wholesome.

Roasted Cauliflower

Whole Foods Challenge Continues

I hope some of you have decided to join me in my whole foods challenge. It is so exciting to be doing this. I wanted to share another recipe that I made, a soup, that is loaded with nutrients. My ingrediants were organic.

Loaded Veggie Soup

1 bunch of bok choy (use all the leaves, and only use about 2 of the stems) chopped
1 c. of cooked lentils
1 c. of brown rice
2 leeks, chopped
1 sweet potatoe, peeled and chopoped into cubes
1/2 c. yellow onion
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 zuchinni, skin on, and chopped
5 large mushrooms, chopped
6 c. of low sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp. of minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. of oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1.4 tsp. celery salt
water for cooking

Set aside cooked rice and lentils. In a deep soup pot, add about 1/2 c. of water and add carrots, onion, zuchinni, garlic, ginger, sweet potatoe, and the two chopped bok choy stems. Allow to cook until soft and tender. Add more water if needed. Once soft and onions are translucent, add the chopped leeks and mushrooms and stir well for about 3 more mintues. Next, add the veggie broth and seasonings. Add rice and lentils and stir well. Allow to simmer for about 30-40 min. Just before serving, add the bok choy leaves (try to remove all middle stems). Serve hot.

Join Me On A Whole Foods Challenge

In a continued effort to block all refined, processed foods, I am starting whole foods challenge. As seen on this blog here, it may seem I only eat whole foods. Well, now it's time to be strict. That means in this challenge, I am dedicating myself to be at least a 95% whole foods eater. It took a lot of recipe searching and food blogs to find a recipe source so I can make this challenge. It's not easy, and I have tried it before. In doing a whole foods challenge, you are not allowed to eat anything that is pre-packaged, or processed. This means, all the goodness of fresh ingrediants such as garden veggies, fruits and more. Today I started out with my typical oatmeal, followed by a pureed soup I made in my blend tec. I will post recipe below. I am following a food blog in which a woman named Jeannette eats only whole foods and has tons of recipe ideas for you to look at if you are interested. Her blog is amazing and it will be my resource for this whole foods challenge. visit: jeanetteshealthyliving.com

Here is the recipe for the soup I made today.

Potatoe and Lentil Soup

1 T. olive oil
1 c. lentils, cooked
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 of an onion, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and pre-baked
4 c. of vegetable broth
3 c. of water
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. tomatoe paste
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 T. fresh cilantro leavesWash the lentils and cook with one garlic clove in three cups of water. Once liquid is absorbed, they should be done. Set aside,
2. in a deep pot, saute onion, and remianing garlc in olive oil until soft. Add spices and tomato paste. Mix well
3. Add 4 c. of vegetable broth and lemon juice. bring to boil.
4. place soup, lentils, baked potatoe and cilantro into a blend tec or vita mixer*** and secure lid. Blend on soup mode. Serve hot.
*** If you don't own a blend tec or vitamixer, you can use a regular blender, but you may need to do several rounds depending on size of your blender.