What's Cookin' on Monday?

[ReneeK]

JanTz

Thanks for the information. Sounds like they will be a nice treat when used in moderation.

[baron]

VeganRuthie: Congratulations on your first 100% McDougall Day!

B: banana
S: apple
L: 2 small yukon gold potatoes microwaved, sweet peas and corn, french style green beans, fresh tomato
D: steamed brocolli, hashbrowns
S: if necessary, bowl of puffed brown rice with rice milk in afternoon or evening.

[noodle]

Jan Tz - I love dates with apples too, YUM!

B - Cantalope and an apple and a few dates.

L - I'm making whole wheat pasta with maranara and zuccini for the boys, and I'm going to make some vegetale soup for me.

D - Salad and vegetable soup I made at lunch. I love soup so much I don't mind eating it twice a day.

[Puddy]

Jan Tz - I love dates with apples too, YUM!

B - Cantalope and an apple and a few dates.

L - I'm making whole wheat pasta with maranara and zuccini for the boys, and I'm going to make some vegetale soup for me.

D - Salad and vegetable soup I made at lunch. I love soup so much I don't mind eating it twice a day.

Noodle, I'm with you. I love soup soooo much I could eat it every day all year long. Some people, like my DH, only wants soup in cool weather, but I could eat it in 100F temps.

If you want to trade some soup recipes, let me know. My favorite for this time of year is Creamy Potato-Barley.

[Grateful]

I'm also a real soup lover! In winter it's a comfort food. In summer, I try to do raw cold soups.

Today:

B - whole grain bran bread, 'bacon", escarole, tomato
S - raw cocoa (1 tsp), honeydew, banana, flax, almond milk smoothie
L - Fantastic Hot and Sour soup, spinach, mushrooms
D - salad, celery sticks with guacomole, cherry tomatoes

[noodle]

Puddy, that would be great. I would be interested in having your potato barley recipe because I love potatoes and barley! You can post it here or private message it to me.

Here's the vegetable soup I make:

1 carton of Imagine Organic Vegetable broth
1 can of low sodium kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 large can of diced tomatoes, don't drain
1 cup of corn
1 cup of sliced carrots
1 sliced zuccini
1 cup of petite peas
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
I just throw it all in a big pot, and add some water if there is not enough liquid. I also many times will add some brown rice, maybe 1/2 a cup, or some whole wheat pasta noodles. I don't usually put any seasonings in. I like to just lightly drizzle some salt on the top of mine when I eat it.
You can really easily play around with this one putting in whatever vegetables or seasonings you like. This is just what I normally do. Oh yeah, I cook it until the vegetables are just tender, not mushy.

[Puddy]

Noodle, your soup sounds almost identical to the one I make. Sometimes I'll change out the beans with black or garbanzo, and I always try and add small broccoli florets and shredded cabbage or spinach.

http://vegsource.com/talk/mcdougall/messages/9915567.html

Additional notes on soup:
http://vegsource.com/talk/mcdougall/messages/9915570.html

I'm having this tonight and can hardly wait.

[funcrunch]

Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit and soymilk, tea

Lunch: Rice and lettuce salad from McD Quick & Easy

Dinner: Cucumber salad from McD Quick & Easy

I might go out and get some grapes for a snack also, though appetite diminished today since I'm getting over a cold.

[noodle]

Fantastic! Thanks for the links. I put them on my save list. Now I've got to get busy in the kitchen and start making all the wonderful recipes I've been getting on this board.

I noticed vegetable bouillon powder. That's a good idea. I'll look for that. The cartoned soup broth is EXPENSIVE.

Thanks again so much!

[Mrs. Doodlepunk]

Noodle, I have liked Vogue Vege Base, it is the stuff Lorna Sass recommended in the cookbook I have. I have trouble finding it though and have to ask for my HFS to order it for me. They say they get it in but it sells fast.

[noodle]

Boy, I feel pretty dumb. I'm learning all sorts of things here I didn't know about. Vogue Vege Base - I have never heard of it!

I suppose if I just learn to use my spices correctly, I wouldn't really need to use a broth base. Wouldn't the spices and vegetables blending together with just plain water be good enough?

As I have said before, I'm kitchen challenged. I am very blessed that my family is so easy to please - no picky eaters around here.

[Mrs. Doodlepunk]

That is what is so fascinating about cooking, there is so much to learn!

I think that some of the best tasting broth is vegetable broth. Just tonight I made chop suey from a recipe on Sandie's site. There was nothing in it but a bunch of vegetables, water, and soy sauce. I did add a pinch of fresh ginger and a clove of garlic, and the stuff was delicious. All the flavors came from the ingredients, there were no added broth or spices.

Sometimes you can imitate the taste of chicken if you use sage and marjoram and rosemary with onions and garlic. I also like to use fennel seed with things that need a "sausage" type flavor, along with sage. One of the best books I've bought is the one by Lorna Sass, Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure. She has taught me a lot about spices and herbs in cooking. There are also recipes for making your own curry powder and chili powder in that book. My own chili powder is by far better than any I've bought in the store.

I think the cost of the Vogue Vege base is less than buying the cartons of broth, but I've never compared it to make sure. It certainly takes up less space in the cupboard.