The vegetables don't need to be chopped finely or perfectly, most will go in the blender anyway. Feel free to pass this along
Optional: My family enjoys this meal with sausage instead of the chickpeas. I just prepare the sausage in the toaster oven to bake while I make the soup and orzo. You could also opt to use any leftover over protein you may have in the refrigerator like tofu, beef, or chicken. I serve all the ingredients separately and let everyone make their own bowls with as much or as little as they would like.
Ingredients
16oz package of whole wheat orzo (I use Delallo Organic but feel free to use any other small shaped whole wheat pasta)
4 tbsp of Earth Balance Butter (however feel free to use regular butter or other butter substitute, ah, heck olive oil will do)
2 Celery Stalks, scrubbed and roughly chopped
1 small onion or 1/2 of a large onion roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
2-4 tbsp dried basil or 1/2 cup fresh basil (depends on how much basil you like, I go all in)
2 cups of vegetable broth (chicken broth will do)
2 cans of whole or crushed tomatoes (28 oz each can)
8 oz of vegan cream cheese (feel free to use regular cream cheese)
1-2 cans of chickpeas, rinsed
1 bunch of kale, rinsed and roughly chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions
Cook the whole wheat orzo according to package directions while you make the tomato cream.
Melt the Earth Balance Butter over medium heat.
Add the celery, onions and garlic and saute for approximately 5-6 minutes (add the salt and pepper here).
Add the basil and broth.
Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the canned tomatoes and cream cheese.
Puree the mixture with a food processor or blender (in batches) until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender, however remember it may have a chunkier consistency.
Return to the stove and reheat on medium setting. Once the soup boils, add the kale and continue to heat until the kale wilts.
To serve, plate approximately 3/4 cup of the cooked whole wheat orzo, 1/2 cup chickpeas and top with 1-2 cups of the tomato cream (add as much or as little as you would like).
Usually I take the time at the end of every December to write up a blog that gears me (and my readers) up for the year to come. I did not make any resolutions last year, and truth be told, I never do. Rather, I embarked on a journey into self discovery and converted to a more compassionate lifestyle including my diet and behavior.
In 2012, I learned to:
Toss away the storybook notions I thought dictated how my life should be. Instead, I embrace the uniqueness of how beautiful things have become no matter how tattered their appearance.
Accept the beauty of the hiccups and bumps I encountered in the road. I wear my battle scars proudly!
Go through life knowing things are going exactly how they destined to be. There is a purpose for all I experience.
Let the journey continue and happy 2013 to all of you!
It is that time of year again. Time for summer salads. Share often! I love making this recipe for parties because of all the bright and vibrant colors. It incorporates many of my favorite fruits and vegetables. It makes about 8 cups of dip. I usually save one cup to enjoy throughout the week. For example top 1/4 cup over a Veggie burger, have 1/4 cup over 1 slice wheat toast for breakfast or a snack, enjoy as a side dish, garnish over fish tacos, or use as a dip with tortilla chips, wheat crackers, rice chips, or a crusty sliced whole-wheat baguette.
Let me know if you make it at home.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 mangos, cut into cubes
2 Haas avocados (if using organic Haas avocados you will need 4), cubed
1 medium sized red onion, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
6 cloves of garlic, smashed and finely chopped
Juice of 2 limes (approximately 1/4 cup)
Cilantro (1/2 cup packed), finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt (1/4 – 1/2 tsp maximum) and pepper to taste
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours prior to serving (however can be served immediately).
Serve with sturdy tortilla chips, wheat crackers, crusty bread or toast.
Happy Earth Day! Do you know the best way to protect the planet? Eat more plants!
Today is a cold and rainy day in New Jersey, however yesterday we spent the bulk of the afternoon clearing the yard of leaves for the compost pile. This will be the year my garden is bountiful!
After a day of leaning how cheese and ice cream are made, we headed over to The Skinny Pancake in Montpelier for lunch. Funny thing is, this place used to be an ice cream shop when I was in graduate school. Thank goodness for hotel pools and gyms.
My wonderful lunch at skinny pancake (aka a crepe).
In celebration of EARTH DAY this year, the Hopatcong Community Garden is hosting Gardenfest: An Afternoon of FamilyFun on April 22, 2012 from 12-4pm (rain date April 29, 2012) at Modick Park. Please see picture for details.
The Hopatcong Community Garden is completely funded by fundraisers, donations (like from Nutrition Map) and grants. Come support a great project that is bringing the gift of good health to Hopatcong, NJ.
Nutrition Map will have a vendor table in support of the garden. Come by to learn how to use up all those fresh goodies from the garden.
This month we celebrate Earth Day on Sunday, April 22, 2012. We think about grand ways to decrease our “carbon footprint” while we are here on this planet. What often happens is we start making changes and then go right back to what we have always done.
This year consider the small changes you can make to make a huge impact. How about changing your drink to plain old water in a reusable, eco friendly bottle. While your at it, you will be saving loads of calories, sugar, caffeine and sodium that usually come along with what you usually have.
Not only do I get paid (most of the time) to talk about food all day, but thanks to food models, I get to play with it too.
When I am really lucky, patients bring me some awesome treasures from their gardens or from their favorite restaurants. Last night a patient brought me pico de gallo which tastes awesome on, well, just about everything. Had some this morning over cream cheese (vegan, but feel free to use the dairy variety) on top of a slice of wheat bread.
Nutrition Map 