What's for Dinner

This first recipe is absolutely the best. I have had it 3 times in the past 2 days and it get more and more delicious each time. The lime juice at the end is essential to the delicious-ity. I improvised this based on a recipe I found at:
http://www.mynewroots.blogspot.com/
I love this blog. Tons of great health information and also some yummy recipes. This soup requires that you soak and cook your own beans. This means that before making the soup you need to boil your beans and let them simmer about one hour. I used 1 cup black beans and 1 cup black eyed peas.

Bean and Sweet Potato Soup
4 cups cooked beans (from 2 cups dried) + 4 cups cooking liquid
1 large red onion
8 cloves garlic
1 large sweet potato
4 carrots
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground corriander
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. crushed red peppers
14 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. olive oil
sea salt
cilantro
2 limes

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add spices. Stir until fragrant.
2. Add chopped onion and cook for a few minutes until vegetables begin to wilt a bit. Add garlic, the rest of the chopped vegetables and tomatoes. Stir occasionally.
5.. Add cooked beans to the pot
6. Simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
7. Season to taste. Add the juice of 1 lemon, olive oil, maple syrup, and cilantro.
8. Serve immediately with a good squeeze of lime juice, sliced avocado, queso fresca, some chopped cilantro, and a chunk of toast. Store leftovers in the fridge; freezes well.

We got a bag of cole slaw from the food co-op. I wasn't sure what to do with it as I am not a big mayo person. Then I came across this recipe.
WARM CABBAGE SALAD
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 tsp. sucanat
Sea salt
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced
3 medium garlic, minced
1 package cole slaw mix (chopped cabbage, carrots, and radicchio)
¼ cup raisins
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
A bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to garnish

Roast the sunflower seeds in a dry skillet until they start to brown. Sprinkle on the sugar and salt and stir until the sugar melts and coats the seeds. Transfer immediately to a plate and set asie.

Now, sauté the onion in olive oil for a few minutes. Add garlic, cabbage, raisins, and vinegar. Stir just a few more minutes until cabbage begins to soften. Do not overcook. Remove mixture to a bowl. Add sunflower seeds and feta. Serve topped with parmesan

Indian lentil and sweet potato stew

Easy stir-fry- recipe to follow.

These baked apples are delicious. The secret ingredient here is vanilla bean. Everyone should bake everything with a vanilla bean just for the scent alone. Simply quarter some apples, then top with vanilla bean, almonds, raisins, pumpkin pie spices, lemon juice, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Serve warm with coconut milk ice cream.

Just a few of the many, many recipes I've made lately. All of them are delicious. The quality of these photos is poor and does not do the food justice. Trust me- they taste awesome. As for the other recipes, well, sometimes you're so hungry that you don't want to wait for a photo before eating.