Budget Recipe: Vegan Corn & Potato Chowder (made with canned corn and potatoes!)

Vegan Corn and Potato Chowder

Sometimes you just want a cozy, hearty bowl of soup that won't break the bank, without going to the store, or spending all day in the kitchen. That was me this morning. I just returned home from a road trip. I am still unpacking, and have to head back to work today...but I really wanted a warm, creamy soup to pack up and take with me. I didn't have time to go buy groceries, and I didn't have a lot of time, so I looked through my cupboards and fridge to see what I could come up with...and this chowder was born.

Vegan Yaka Mein

Yaka Mein (aka "Old Sober") from my cookbook Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen.

UPDATE: This recipe was originally posted in February 2, 2013. I wanted to start a new tradition for New Year's Day and this is one of my favorite recipes from the book so I spent a little time retaking the photos when I made it today to celebrate the new decade. Happy New Year to you and yours.

Since I won't be traveling to New Orleans this Carnival, I am bringing Mardi Gras to me with a traditional Louisiana favorite known as Yaka Mein.

Easy Vegan Broccoli Cheese Potato Soup

Cold outside? Warm up your insides with this easy to throw together Broccoli Cheese Potato Soup!

"Happy Clam" Chowder Day!

New England Can Kiss My Clam Chowder from Going Vegan, photo by Celine Steen

In honor of National Clam Chowder Day I thought I would share my recipe for a truly "Happy Clam" Chowder which is featured in Going Vegan, which I co-wrote with Gerrie Lynn Adams.  No clams were harmed in the making of this chowder, yet this hearty soup is full of all of the seafood-y flavor one would expect from this classic soup.  If you want to get extra fancy, make up a batch of my virtually indestructable bread bowls to serve it up.

And in honor of the clams, I am giving away a copy of Going Vegan to one reader anywhere in the world.  Simply follow the prompts in the widget at the end of this post.

Vegan MoFo VII, Day 10: Potato Cheese Soup

Potato Cheeze Soup from Cozy Inside

Cheeze?  Oh, geez.

There was definitely a time when I thought it was super cute to purposely misspell the names of foods that were vegan versions of non-vegan foods, like cheeze and creem.

Yeah. I don't do that anymore.

Spelling it wrong, is like admitting that it's not real food, and vegan food is far from being fake.

Vegan MoFo VIII, Day 3: Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup from The COmplete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions (page 213)

Today's recipe comes from a little old book known as The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions: Veganize It! Foolproof Methods for Transforming Any Dish into a Delicious New Vegan Favorite. I say little, because this tome actually is little.  It's the size of your typical paperback novel, and fits easily into a purse or bag, so you can take it with you easily on shopping trips. 

Book Review and Giveaway! Fillet of Soul: AfroVegan

Fillet of Soul: Afro Vegan is Wheeler del Torro's (of Vegan Scoop fame) newest book.  Note that I say book, and not cookbook.  Because this is more than a cookbook.  Yes, there are recipes, and I will get to those in a minute, but this book is more of a personal look into the experiences del Torro has had with food as he has traveled around the world.

Fee Fi Faux Pho! Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen is out now!

Sloppy Joe Pho from Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen (page 73).  Photo by Wade Hammond 

Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen is finally out! (I think Barnes and Noble already has it in stock and is able to ship in time for Christmas.) I am so excited.  I am so in love with this book.  I hope all of you love it just as much.  You will be blown away with the photos, and the recipes aren't too shabby either.  I really think this book has more of "me" in it than just about anything else I've ever done.

Farmer's Market Soup and Sandwich

Farmer's Market Soup and Sandwich

Last Friday I headed out to the farmer's market on a whim, and with no plan.  I ended up buying a bunch of stuff that really didn't necessarily go together, but was cheap, and looked good. Anyhow, I plan on heading back tomorrow and needed to finish up what I had left from last week's haul so I made soup and a sandwich.

The Sandwich:

Farmer's Market Squaw Bread, Farmer's Market Red Leaf Lettuce, Farmer's Market Onion, Vegenaise, Tofurkey slices, and a sprinkling of my homemade Chipotle Ranch Dressing Mix (from Vegan Food Gifts coming out later this year.)

The Soup:

Farmer's Market Kale, Farmer's Market Red Onion, Farmer's Market Maui Onion, Farmer's Market Spring Onion, Farmer's Market Green Beans, Farmer's Market Yellow Beans, Farmer's Market Kale, Farmer's Market Celery, Better than Beef Base, minced garlic, soy sauce, water, sea salt, black pepper.

The end result?  Pretty dang tasty!

Sippity, Sippity, Soup, Soup

A little bit of olive oil, a whole bag of onions (roughly chopped), a can of white beans, a can of chickpeas, a half a bag of frozen broccoli florets, a head of garlic (minced), dried cilantro, red chile flakes, veggie broth powder, water, a touch of agave, a bit of lemon juice, and sea salt.

That's what's in my big ole pot of soup.  No measuring, just throwing it in there.  It shall keep me warm and cozy for at least a week. 



PS
My quest for a Mo Betta Chedda is well underway.  I have charts and notes and strategies and stuff, but man, that's a lot of flippin cheese!  I hope I can finish before the end of 'Mofo.

Traditional Childhood Classic Updated

It was raining all day yesterday, so knowing I was going to be off work today, I prepared to make soup...but wouldn't you know it? It ended up being sunny and 80+ degrees today. Still, I was determined to enjoy some home made soup.

I decided on Roasted Tomato and Garlic Basil. Served up with it's natural companion, a grilled cheese. (I promised I wouldn't post about Daiya anymore, so let's just concentrate on that soup, 'kay?)



To make the soup, I preheated my oven to 350 degrees F. I sliced about 10 roma tomatoes in half and placed them cut side up in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat. I liberally drizzled olive oil all over them and then sprinkled on about 2 tablepoons of dried basil, and salt and pepper. I also added about 12 whole cloves of garlic to the mix, and baked them, uncovered, for about 40 minutes. I transferred the roasted tomatoes and garlic to a pot along with any of the remaining oil left on the Silpat. I added 1 cup of veggie broth and 1, 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes along with their juice to the pot. I brought it all to a boil, reduced it to a simmer, and simmered for about 10 minutes. I used my immersion blender to puree the whole pot and it was done!