Italian White Bean & Kale Soup - Gluten Free and Vegan

I love soup, especially on drizzly days like we've been experiencing in Portland lately. Although "drizzly" does not even begin to describe it... because it has been pouring buckets. The crazy (usual) weather was making my soup-pot look mighty attractive and within no time I had visions of carrots, celery and beans dancing around in my head. I was dreaming up something warm and hearty, something brimming with leafy kale and italian herbs, something to make me forget all about the rain and be thankful for soup weather.

White Bean and Kale Soup

Serves 4

2 tbs Canola Oil

1 cup Yellow Onion, diced

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 Celery Stalks, halved lengthwise and sliced

2 Large Carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced

32 oz Low Sodium Vegetable Broth

14.5 oz Italian Diced Tomatoes

14.5 oz Cannelloni Beans

4 cups Kale, chopped and packed, tough stems removed

1/2 tsp Dried Sage

1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary

1/4 tsp Paprika

Blacker Pepper, to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, heating until fragrant, about another minute.

2. Add the carrots and celery, sautéing for 5 - 10 minutes until tender.

3. Add the broth, tomatoes and beans (both undrained) and kale. Add the sage, rubbing it between your fingers, rosemary and paprika. Stir to combine.

4. Bring the soup to a boil then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the veggies are cooked enough.

5. Crack fresh pepper to taste and serve.

I have been on a kale kick lately, so I knew I wanted a soup with this powerful green as the star ingredient - and I think it shines.

GF Vegan Pesto and Vegetable Lasagna!

Oh. my. goodness. Can I just say that eating this GF and vegan lasagna felt like heaven?! Oh. my. goodness.

Layers of noodles, eggplant, portobello mushrooms, spinach, pesto, "cheese" and marinara sauce made this one of the best meals I have ever made. My husband and I ate half of the whole casserole in one sitting! It tastes too good to be true - but it is! It is!

So my secrets? Tinkyada GF Lasagna noodles, Follow Your Heart mozzarella cheese and homemade pesto!

And it's so simple!

Here are the Ingredients:

8 Tinkyada lasagna sheets
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp thyme
4 cloves minced garlic
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
2 portobello mushrooms (sliced 1/4 inch think)
2 cups blanched spinach
15 - 20 eggplant cicular slices
1 shredded block of Follow Your Heart mozzarella "cheese"
1/2 cup pesto sauce

Directions:

Pre-heat oven 350 degrees.

*Pesto Sauce Directions*
(You can certainly omit or use store bought if you prefer, but this recipe is dairy free)

- In a food processor blend 2 cups of fresh basil leaves, salt, black pepper, 4 fresh garlic clove. Then add olive oil and pine nuts (start with a little of both and add until you get the consistency you want).

*Lasagna Directions*

1. Pre-cook 8 Tinkyada lasagna sheets until they are al dente (careful not to over cook).

2. Heat 2 TBS oil in a saucepan over medium heat.

3. Add chopped onion and saute about 5 minutes until soft.

4. Add garlic and saute until fragrant.

5. Add basil and parsley and tomato puree and simmer for about 15 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.

6. While the sauce is simmering, place the sliced mushrooms and eggplant onto a baking sheet. Mix 1/4 olive oil, 1 tsp of garlic and thyme and brush it onto the vegetables. Bake them for 5-8 minutes.

7. Line a casserole dish with 4 cooked lasagna sheets.

8. Put down your first layer of eggplant and mushroom slices, spinach and pesto sauce. Top with half of the tomato sauce and half of the cheese.

9. Repeat the layer and sprinkle all the remaining cheese on the top.

10. Bake 30-35 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

And enjoy... !

Spring has Sprung

Tiny blossoms have burst from our cherry tree, the wildflower seeds we planted in the flower bed have started to sprout and the sun is lingering well into the evening. Spring has finally sprung.

I have also started my last full term of school, which is bittersweet. I am taking five classes; one of which is photography 2 and another which is poetry seminar II. I am slightly (translates to: extremely) intimidated by my poetry class, since I have not taken any poetry... ever. Yikes. I am taking this class because I watched the movie "Bright Star" which is about John Keats and I fell madly in love with the idea of being a poet. Silly girl...

Ok, enough of that. Lets get down to business. The business of eating. It is April and I wanted something light and nutritious (yet still warm and cozy) for dinner. So what better to have than a hearty bowl of soup! I love soup. I could eat soup for every meal for the rest of my life, but as winter fades, so does my desire to make it. However, I pulled out the latest edition of Vegetarian Times and found a recipe for a spring vegetable minestrone soup (click for the link). Personally, I would have put the word "garden" in the name somewhere, but eh, whatev. This soup is really good. It's packed with treasures like turnips and snow peas and has a kick of cayenne in it too! I think it's the perfect soup for this time of the year and it makes a huge batch, which is always a good thing.

So give it a try.

Oh and happy birthday to my best friend Mo (aka Amanda)!! She is my soul mate, my Witch Baby and one of the biggest lights in my life. One day our friendship is going to grace Dollywood and then my life will truly be complete.