CREAMY TOMATO SOUP

Easy & Yummy!

found on silk.com; (comments & pics by me below)

·         1 Tbsp olive oil

·         1/2 medium onion, diced

·         1-2 cloves garlic, chopped (I used 3)

·         1 tsp salt

·         1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes, undrained (I use Muir brand)

·         1 cup vegetable broth

·         1 bay leaf (I used 2)

·         1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I used 1 t. dried basil)

·         1 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme

·         1 cup Silk Original soymilk

·         1/4 cup Silk Original Creamer

·         Fresh ground pepper 

• 1. Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a 4-quart stockpot.
• 2. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
• 3. Add the garlic and sauté an additional 3 minutes.
• 4. Add the salt, whole tomatoes with juice, vegetable broth, bay leaf, basil and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to crush the tomatoes.
• 5. Remove the bay leaf; add Silk, Silk Creamer and a few grinds of fresh pepper.
• 6. Purée soup in 2 batches in a blender until smooth and creamy (use caution when blending hot soup).
• 7. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
• 8. Return soup to pot, heat gently and serve.

Voila! Enjoy on a cold wintry day!

A Quick Dinner

What a beautiful presentation! Have you ever created a meal for 2 & compared the two plates? Which one looked better? Clearly many of us need to remember to treat ourselves as well as we treat others & I'll admit, I am speaking from experience. :)

So our left-overs (or food available in the cupboard) included organic cans of 3-blend beans, garbanzo beans, fire-roasted tomatoes & tomato paste (we didn't use the paste), 2 sweet onions (we used 1), & a half box of baby portobella mushrooms. 

In addition I had brought over 2 soy rolls (vegetarian hot dogs) & health-food creme soda. Caroll had never tried either, so I was excited to share. I also brought over an Ezekiel sprouted grain tortilla & hummus. I figured my friend could whip up a quick soup, since she's an amazing impromptu cook & we could chat.  

I thought I had remembered everything, but alas, I forgot the vegetable broth. As a substitute she added a low-sodium can of V8 juice. Can you imagine why they would put 600 grams (milligrams?) of sodium in each can? Also, she added the juice of 1 whole lime & even threw in the skins. I had never heard of adding lime to bean stew before, as I usually add a sprinkle of fructose to balance the acidity, but I truly enjoyed the splash of island flavor. 

Always & I mean always rinse your beans well, whether they're from cans or beans you've soaked & cooked yourself. You will save on tummy aches! 

Now when Caroll brought out this pan, red lights went on! I thought for sure it was aluminum, but she assured me it was old, but steel. She said this pot melts down chocolate perfectly. I do not like using aluminium for 2 reasons:

1. The pores in the metal open up & expand during heat & contract during cooling actually capturing bacteria within its walls.

2. I read & heard enough times that cooking with aluminum adds to your chances of Alzheimers.   

We didn't even shed a tear...

She sauteed the onions in a spray of olive oil she had. 

Mushrooms, salt, pepper & Italian seasoning were added. 

& here comes the lime!

This cooked down to a very tasty winter meal - I hope you try it some cold winter night. By the way, I think adding cubed zuchinni would have added additional flavor too.