Veggie Soup is Soooooo Easy!

More often than not, I refuse to make pre-packaged "meals." Even as an omnivore (I've been cooking for loved ones since I could boil water), I disliked ripping open a package of dehydrated noodles, vegetables and spices. Of course, when I was younger, that was what I was trusted to make. This was not ALL due to the time I put corn - the entire can - on pizza. (It's a fond memory for my entire family; if only because I failed to spread the corn over the whole pizza! Instead I left a large mound of yellow kernels, still cold, in the middle of the crusty tomato-covered bread. But that's a story for another post... Corn on Pizza = Yum!) As a busy family, we needed meals to be done quickly, which was one of the reasons why the youngest was making the meals. (I also LOVED to cook the most! Who would chose doing dishes over making the meal?!?) Still, it never takes that long to chop up a few veggies, saute an onion or two and cook noodles out of a box (hey, I'm not superwoman, nor a homemade noodle maker!).

With all of that being said, it IRKS me that so many people eat bad food just because its "convenient." Yes, I'm a foodie, tv dinners are my enemy! Leftovers, on the other hand, is a staple of mine! So, I encourage you to take the time to cook your own meal. It might take more than a minute in the microwave, but food tastes so much better after you've had your hands all over it! To start, try this SIMPLE SIMPLE SIMPLE veggie noodle soup:

I whipped this soup up at the end of last year, while suffering from my post-holiday sinus cold. I needed something light, filled with veggies and those cute little noodles necessary to make any broth soup complete! Plus, everybody always says the best cure for a cold is ______ Noodle Soup :-D

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion
2 medium carrots
4 stalks celery
any other random veggies left in your fridge
1/2 cup any kind of frozen veg you have in your freezer (I LOVE peas in my soup)
2 tsp veg. soup base
5 cups water
1/2 cup small (vegan) noodles

Dice onion into cm-cubed pieces. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions. Saute until soft, about five minutes.

Meanwhile, chop carrots into larger cubes (but not too big, either, as this is soup). Add them to onions, once onions are soft.

Chop celery into cm-cubed pieces (I slice the stalks once or twice length-wise and then chop horizontally). Once carrots are soft, add chopped celery.

Feel free to add any other left-over veg you have in your fridge at this time.

Dissolve 1 tsp of veg. soup base in 1 cup water.* Add to vegetables. Simmer for a minute or two on its own, then dissolve the rest of the veg. soup base in the other four cups of water and add to cooking vegetables. Bring to a boil.

Feel free to add any more frozen veg at this time, but then you will have to wait for it to boil again.

Add 1/2 cup small noodles of your choice (I love little bow-tie pastas!). Let them cook, approximately ten minutes, then enjoy your soup!

Makes four servings.

All done in less than a half hour!

*And, if you make your own veg soup base ice cubes, it won't have any of those gross additives you find in those "five minute" soup mixes. Next time you're cleaning out your vegetable crisper, just put everything into a big pot. Boil the "less than perfect" veggies in water, with your favourite soup spices. After about a half hour or so, filter out the larger veg pieces and pour the broth in freezer-safe containers. Freeze until necessary. Alternatively, freeze in your ice cube tray, storing your home-made "veggie cubes" in a freezer bag until necessary. Voila! So Easy!!!

Hey, it's your body - you deserve to give it 30 minutes out of your day!

Peanut Butter Barley Casserole

This recipe has been adapted from Alicia's Silverstone's Barley Casserole in The Kind Diet. If you haven't read that book, I highly reccomend it! She has such a peaceful approach to veganism. She's one of my heroes! My version features less organic ingredients, and not as much tahini. (Tahini is a fabulous source of calcium, but also quite high in fat, which is something I try to avoid. With the peanut butter, I found I could reduce the amount of fat...and with almond milk, I'm still getting calcium. Adding kale would be a great calcium-boosting idea!)

3 cups barley
6 cups water
2 medium onions
4 medium carrots
1/2 - 1 cup frozen peas
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 cup "milk" (my favourite is almond, but you can use soy or rice, just avoid the flavoured ones)
1/2 cup soy sauce

Cook barley in water until soft (about 40 minutes). Saute onions in 1 Tbsp oil. Dice carrots to about 1 cm; add to onions. Cook until just cooked (still crunchy, YUM!). Add frozen (or fresh, if in season) peas. Add all vegetables to barley once water it fully absorbed. Melt peanut butter in sauce pan. Slowly whisk in "milk." Once all of the milk has been added and the mixture is once again smooth, add soy sauce. Once smooth, again, pour over barley and mix well. You can serve this as is, or - to allow the flavours to soak in even more - cook at 350F for about thirty minutes. Enjoy!!!