Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
May is all supposed to be all about pies around here, my darlings. I’m starting out with a bit of an unconventional pie post, though, just to keep things exciting for you.. with whoopie pies!
Have you heard about whoopie pies? They kind of had a moment in the foodie world recently, and it seemed like everyone was making them. This was crazy to me! I grew up in Lancaster County, PA, the Amish capital and home of the best whoopie pies around. As a kid, no one I met outside of CenPenn knew what they were. Now they are super popular, and rightly so. They are so good!
The typical flavors for whoopie pies that I remember from home are chocolate and cream, pumpkin with cream cheese, red velvet, and chocolate peanut butter. We’d get them at bake sales or any of the good markets- Central Market in Lancaster City, Saturday’s Market or Root’s. Man.. I’m getting nostalgic/hungry.
The cookies are the cakey type, so if you love cookies or cake or frosting, these are for you. You really can’t go wrong with the red velvet and cream cheese combo, either. There is a little effort involved if you want them to look good visually, but if you don’t care what they look like, the recipe is fairly straight-forward.
I must admit to you that I have some real Amish whoopie pie recipes, but I’m saving them up for later. I liked what I saw on Annie’s Eats, and I think they turned out similar to my hometown type, but they aren’t quite perfect. Guess I’ll just have to do some more experimentation/taste-testing..
What do you think about whoopie pies? Are you on board or already over it?
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
http://www.annies-eats.com/2010/02/08/red-velvet-whoopie-pies/
Author: Annie’s Eats
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 oz. red food coloring
- 1 batch cream cheese frosting, recipe follows
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.
- Using something round, trace evenly spaced circles onto pieces of parchment paper sized to fit two cookie sheets. Place the parchment on the cookie sheets so that the side you have drawn on is facing down; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, beat in about a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk, beating each addition just until incorporated. Repeat so that all the buttermilk has been added and then mix in the final third of dry ingredients. Do not overbeat. Blend in the food coloring.
- Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe the batter onto the parchment paper using the tracings as a guide. Bake 7-9 minutes or until the tops are set, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets at least 10 minutes, until they can be easily transferred to a cooling rack. Repeat with any remaining batter. Allow cookies to cool completely before proceeding.
- Transfer the pre-made frosting (you can make while cookies are baking/cooling) to a clean pastry bag fitted with a plain, round tip. Pair the cookies up by shape and size. Flip one cookie of each pair over so that the flat side is facing up.
- Pipe frosting onto the flat-sided cookie of each pair, leaving the edges clear. Sandwich the cookies together so the flat sides are facing each other and press gently to help the filling reach the edges. To store, refrigerate in an airtight container.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Oven Love
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 1
Ingredients
- 8oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 5 tbs softened butter
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar (or more, if needed)
Instructions
- Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth (no lumps!). Add sugar until you reach the desired consistency and sweetness.
93 Good Years
There is no recipe in this post.
I hope you’ll read it anyway.
On Wednesday of last week, my sweet grandmother of 93 years went to be with Jesus. Her name was Ethel, and she was a gem of a woman. She was so much of what all of us women long to be.. she had a giant heart and room for everyone inside it. No one within a hundred mile radius of Gram was left unloved.
Gram and I, July 2009
My gram lived so much life, it’s hard to know where to start when you talk about her. She grew up in a small town outside of Pittsburgh. She was born here in America, but her parents were both born in (what was then) Czechoslovakia. She was a great cook and I have so many memories of her Slovak cuisine. She was also world famous (at least in our world) for her waffle cookies (similar to pizzelles). I loved watching her in the kitchen and remember telling her as a kid that I wanted to be a chef someday.
a young shot of Gram (maybe high school)
She was a natural beauty and a very classy gal. She believed in always looking your best, and was pretty particular about her hair and makeup. I loved going through all of her jewelry as a young girl and misting myself with her Chanel No. 5.
Gram as a girl/ stealing a sweet moment with my grandpa on their wedding day
She was also known for her skills on the piano. As a girl, she performed in traveling music shows with my great uncle. She had a full music scholarship to college and probably played for almost 90 years of her life. You could tell by her long, weathered fingers that she was a piano player. My favorite memories of her playing are at Christmastime- she loved getting all of us around the piano for our family singalong. It brought her such joy to have us all together.
Gram with my cousin Cait, early 90’s
My gram was full of sweetness, but she was also one tough cookie. I don’t know how she managed to raise five boys (wild and crazy boys, from all the stories I’ve heard). She took so much pride in her role as a mom, loved being a grandma and was always keeping up to date on all of our lives. That’s five sons and their wives, eight grandchildren and their families, including four great grandchildren, plus all of her friends and ours.. but she was sharp as a tack and could remember it all. She could talk about anything- never lost a bit of her memory over all those years.
Her death was a peaceful one; she couldn’t have planned it better herself. She was surrounded by her sons and her sisters and simply breathed her last. She fought back through a lot of illness over the years, but this time she was ready and willing to go.
Grammy, our hearts are full of so much love for you. We can never repay you for all of the sacrifices you made for us and the love and wisdom you poured into our lives. We are so pleased to have had you for as long as we did- how lucky we are! We’re rejoicing now that you’re in Heaven with Jesus, and reuniting with Poppy and Richie and Joe. I can’t wait to see you again some day!
Corn, Crab and Tomato Salad
Happy May, ladies and gents!
I want to start of the month with a little giveaway for you.. how does that sound?
The lovely folks at Cooking Light have come out with a new cookbook called Way To Cook. This cookbook isn’t just your typical pretty food photography and written recipes. The book takes you through various food categories and explains basic techniques through pictures. And I have two to give away to you guys!
If you’re a fan of Cooking Light Magazine and their visual technique explanations, you will love this cookbook. Each section explains a technique and then shows a few recipe examples. It’s all about learning and growing as a cook. How cool is that? It’s so accessible. It actually reminds me of food blogging in a way- it’s like a collection of great tutorials.
I wanted to make a recipe from the book and I picked this fresh crab salad from the “way to assemble” section. If you click the picture below, you can see all of the extra nuggets of information you get in addition to the written recipe. I love that! This recipe is perfect for summer lunches, get-togethers and picnics. You can also use it for Cinco de Mayo this week, but I would change a few flavors- substitute cilantro for basil and lime juice for lemon juice- quick and easy.
The only thing I didn’t like about making this recipe was the price of crab! I guess I don’t buy crab very often.. but it is expensive! I cut down the amount of crab in the recipe by half and it still seemed like plenty to me. I served it over greens, but you could serve alongside a grilled sandwich or with some cool summer soup.
Looks good, right?
Would you love to win the cookbook for your shelf? (Giveaway is closed.)
Corn, Crab and Tomato Salad
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
adapted from Cooking Light’s ‘Way to Cook’
Author: Oven Love
Recipe type: Salad
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from about one large lemon)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from about one lemon)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or thawed frozen
- ¼ cup thinly chopped fresh basil leaves
- ⅓ cup chopped red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
- ½ pound (8 ounces) lump crabmeat
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- green lettuce, for serving
Instructions
- Combine lemon zest, juice, oil, honey, mustard, salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
- Add corn, basil, bell pepper, onion, crabmeat and tomatoes and toss to combine. Serve over green lettuce leaves.
Swiss Chard Dumplings in Chive Broth
It’s been quite a month over here. Lots of vegan and vegetarian recipes, some personal, vegan-related drama and some probably not veganize-able (what?) Nutella cookies. I’m closing out all of this nonsense today with a recipe that can work for all diets; carnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike.
I’ve made this recipe twice in the recent past. If you asked, my husband would tell you that’s pretty rare around here. I like to experiment.. almost too much, sometimes. These dumplings were so good and such an excellent use of our garden chard that I had to do a repeat. They’re also very popular with the little guy.
The directions look horrendous and long, but I think it’s worth the effort. This would be a good weekend meal, or something to make when you have extra hands to help in the kitchen. When you bite into the dumplings, what you taste most is the bacon/pancetta. You’ll never know you’re getting all of those vitamins and minerals from the chard. I haven’t tried making them vegetarian or vegan, but I believe they’d still taste excellent that way. Please let me know if you try it and how it works out.
This dish has a garden/fresh feel to it that I think you’ll enjoy during the warmer temperatures.
And if you don’t remember, May is all about pies in the Great Food Adventure! I can’t wait to dig in, find the perfect crust, and share all of those luscious summer pie recipes with you. If you have any favorites from around the web, feel free to link to them in the comment section!
Swiss Chard Dumplings in Chive Broth
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Eating Well Magazine
Recipe type: Soup
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- Dumplings: 1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves and stems separated
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- ¼ cup water
- 2 oz capicola, pancetta or thick-cut bacon, finely chopped (remove for a vegetarian meal)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup part-skim ricotta cheese (remove for a vegan meal)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 36 wonton wrappers
- Broth: 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup thinly sliced fresh chives or scallion greens
- 8 teaspoons finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- To prepare dumpling filling: Finely chop enough chard leaves to measure 3 cups; set aside. Finely chop enough chard stems to measure ¼ cup. (Reserve any remaining leaves and/or stems for another use.)
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and the chard stems and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water and cook until the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in meat, if using, and cook until the mixture is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic, lemon zest and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and the reserved chard leaves and cook, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is somewhat dry, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in ricotta (if using) and salt.
- To prepare dumplings: You’ll need a clean, dry work surface, a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour and a small bowl of water. Cut the wonton wrappers in half on the diagonal. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out. Lay 6 wrapper halves on the work surface. Spoon about ½ teaspoon of the filling in the middle of each. Moisten a fingertip and run it along the edges of the wrapper. Fold in half to contain the filling, forming a smaller triangle. Press the edges to seal. Pinch the 2 farthest ends together, making a tortellini-like shape. Place the dumpling on the prepared baking sheet; cover with a damp paper towel until ready to cook. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
- To cook & serve dumplings: Bring broth and water to a lively simmer in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir the liquid while carefully adding half the dumplings. Cook, stirring once or twice, for 4 minutes. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and divide among 4 soup bowls. Repeat with the remaining dumplings, dividing among 4 more soup bowls as they are done. Ladle about 1 cup of the broth into each bowl. Serve immediately, sprinkled with chives (or scallion greens) and Parmesan, if using.
Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
I am a chewy chocolate chip cookie lover. There is just something excellent about biting into a soft, gooey, melty cookie. Sounds perfect already.. but add nutella, and I’ll eat the whole batch.
I’ve been a little light on the posting lately. That’s mostly because I got burnt out on all the vegan business. It took me a little time to get back into my normal routine.. I was not in the mood for any kitchen extravagance. But these were too good not to share with you!
These little gems are easy to throw together and perfect with a glass of milk. If you’re a nut person, you should try throwing in some chopped hazelnuts. That might just take things over the top. They’re great for crowds as well.
Ooh, and if you’re hoping these are vegan, they can easily be made so with Earth Balance margarine and vegan egg substitute.. wait, is Nutella vegan? I have no idea. Forget all of that and revisit my vegan chocolate chip cookies. (Just another reason I shouldn’t be a vegan.) Yikes.
Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
http://kirbiecravings.com/2010/08/nutella-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
Author: Kirbie’s Cravings
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 16
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup melted butter (or ghee or coconut oil)
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ tsp vanilla
- ¼ cup Nutella
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare two pans with parchment papers or silpats.
- In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl or your stand mixer, cream melted butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Next, add vanilla and Nutella. Stop the mixer and fold in chocolate chips.
- Use a small ice cream scoop or melon baller to scoop cookie dough on to the prepared sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until browning around the edges. Let cool on wire racks and eat up!
Spinach Kale and Pear Smoothie
Green drink!
Are you in, loves?
My last attempt at a green smoothie wasn’t exactly what I hoped for.
So, I picked myself up and found some more green inspiration.
Kale. Spinach. Pear. YUM.
This smoothie looks very green, but you don’t actually taste any of the green stuff. All I really tasted was the pear and banana- how crazy is that? This drink is packed with some serious nutrition and is the most beautiful green color. If you can get past the idea of drinking vegetables, you should give this one a try.
And, believe it or not, my spunky little one-year-old could not get enough of this smoothie. He literally drank six ounces without breaking a sweat. I’m pretty sure he’s the only baby on the block drinking kale smoothies.. maybe I should ask around?
Look at that little baby hand reaching up for his smoothie!
Adorable.
Try the green drink!
Spinach Kale and Pear Smoothie
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
only slightly adapted from Joy the Baker.
Author: Oven Love
Recipe type: Drinks
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed spinach
- 1 cup chopped, packed kale
- 1½ cups milk (dairy or non-dairy, you could sub fruit juice as well)
- ½ pear
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar (or honey)
Instructions
- In a blender, combine kale spinach and almond milk. Blend until no big kale bits remain. Stop blender and add banana honey and pear. Blend until smooth. Enjoy immediately.
Vegan CocoNana Mini Muffins
Even though I’m not living the vegan lifestyle anymore, I’m still finding ways to enjoy vegan recipes in my diet. I saw this recipe this morning on Miss Mary‘s blog and I had to jump right in and make them! They looked delicious and simple, and they were.
The name CocoNana refers to the coconut milk, cocoa and banana in the recipe(the title of the original post was way too long and boring). I made just a few changes to Mary’s recipe- I used white whole wheat flour, added chocolate chips and upped the cinnamon a good bit. I also loved the idea of baking these as minis. They are a perfect small bite for the kids and you can easily pass them off as dessert.
The best thing about this vegan recipe is that you don’t have to use any strange, unfamiliar ingredients. You might have everything in your pantry (or an easy substitute). Thanks, Mary, for the excellent idea!
(adapted from The Food Librarian and Love&Olive Oil)
Vegan CocoNana Mini Muffins
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
adapted from The Food Librarian and Love&Olive Oil. Makes about 32 mini muffins.
Author: Oven Love
Recipe type: Dessert, Breakfast, Snack
Serves: 32
Ingredients
- ½ cup ripe banana (about 1 banana)
- ½ cup coconut milk (feel free to sub another milk if you like, dairy or non-dairy)
- ⅓ cup canola oil, melted butter, ghee or coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour (use all-purpose if you don’t have this on hand)
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line mini muffin tins with mini muffin cups.
- In a small bowl, mash the banana. Whisk in coconut milk, canola oil, vanilla and sugar. In a larger bowl, sift in white whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients in the center and mix with a spatula until just combined- don’t overmix! Quickly fold in the chocolate chips. Use a small ice cream scoop/melon baller to fill the mini muffin cups. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on wire racks and serve.
Part-Time Vegan, Day 5
Day 5 has just replaced Day 14 as the last day of this challenge.
Confused?
Let me tell you why I’m ending my vegan challenge early.
I know I’ve only been doing the vegan thing for a few days, but in the past 2-3 days I’ve noticed a change in Elliott’s eating habits that I’m not satisfied with. I didn’t subject him to the vegan diet this week with his table food- he was fed plenty of yogurt, eggs and cheese- but he is still consuming most of his calories from me (i.e. we’re still nursing).
E has been waking up hungry during the night and seems almost insatiable in his daytime feedings. I didn’t put it together until today that it is most likely the result of my diet. I’d love to keep this vegan challenge going, but it’s clearly affecting my son in a negative way. I feel blessed to have put the pieces together early on and not let it go on for two whole weeks.
So, for the rest of the month, I’ll continue to work in vegan/vegetarian dishes on the blog, but I won’t be a full-time vegan (or vegetarian for that matter). I knew going into the challenge that this could not be a way of life for me, but this solidifies things even more. The health of my family is taking priority here, even though I’m a little bummed that I won’t reach the finish line.
Don’t get me wrong, though! I appreciate produce-heavy cooking and produce-heavy diets and we’ll continue to eat that way. I also congratulate all you vegans out there for your commitment to your lifestyle- it’s really amazing to be that disciplined.
And lastly- thank you to everyone for the support, encouragement, recipes and advice!
I really loved hearing from all of you.
Part-Time Vegan, Day 4
I ate too many cookies today.
‘Cause, you know.. sugar’s vegan. (Woo hoo!)
Breakfast was a peanut butter banana wrap with almond milk.
Lunch was the salad bar at Lane’s.
Snack was (too many!!) vegan chocolate chip cookies.
Dinner was leftover pasta.
Let me just tell you about this banana wrap. I make this for breakfast ALL. THE. TIME. It’s my go-to, seriously. Thank goodness I can still eat it! I usually use honey, but I can handle the small switch to agave nectar. So, so easy and quick- a great snack, and a hit with the little ones.
And these chocolate chip cookies? Hold the phone. I didn’t know butter-less, egg-less cookies could be so yummy! They remind me of my pumpkin chocolate chip giants without the pumpkin. Where have these been all my life? Someone restrain me.
Things I learned today:
Vegan baking can be pretty awesome.
I need more nutrients (even with all my vitamins above, haha).. I’m tired! But that could also be all the running around after my baby, who knows.
The vegan trial is really making me think about what I’m putting in my mouth. If I’m not sure, I won’t eat it, but if I’m sure, I might overdo it (seriously, someone hide the cookies). I should really apply the discernment to my normal diet.
The vegan trial is really making me think about what I’m putting in my mouth. If I’m not sure, I won’t eat it, but if I’m sure, I might overdo it (seriously, someone hide the cookies). I should really apply the discernment to my normal diet.
Recipes below..
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
adapted from Steph Chows
Author: Oven Love
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 24
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup sugar (I used organic)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup canola oil, coconut oil, melted butter or ghee
- ¼ cup apple butter (apple sauce would probably work, too)
- ½ cup almond milk (or non dairy milk of your choice… or use milk, they just wont be vegan anymore)
- 2 Tbs cornstarch
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Mix sugars and oil for a minute, then add in milk and tapioca flour, beat until all incorporated. Add half the flour baking soda, salt and mix well. Add in remaining dry and then fold in chocolate chips.
- Drop rounded tablespoonfulls of dough onto parchment paper or a silicon baking mat, press down slightly with your fingers. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Peanut Butter Banana Wrap
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Oven Love
Recipe type: Snack
Serves: 1
Ingredients
- 1 soft whole wheat tortilla
- 1 banana, peeled
- 1-2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1-2 teaspoons honey or agave nectar
- 2-4 tablespoons granola or other crunchy cereal
- also feel free to switch it up, adding dried fruit and nuts is a good option, too!
Instructions
- Spread your peanut butter on your wrap, sprinkle with honey or agave nectar, granola and any extras. Wrap it up and enjoy!
Part-Time Vegan, Day 3
Today didn’t start out as hungry as yesterday.
Maybe I’m starting to get used to it.. maybe?
Breakfast was an avocado smoothie and jelly toast.
Snack was wheat crackers and a strawberry popsicle.
Lunch was asparagus soup and a slice of leftover tart.
Dinner was chickpea saute with onions and kale, served over rice.
I have to tell you, I was so excited for the avocado smoothie! People have really talked it up. I don’t know if it was just this recipe, but I really wasn’t a fan. At first I just didn’t like it at room temp, but I didn’t like it cold either. The flavor combo just wasn’t for me. Boo for a wasted avocado!
On a good note, I really liked lunch and dinner. Both were quick. Lunch was quick because I roasted extra asparagus while I was cooking the tart from last night, and dinner was just quick by nature. I love a veggie saute and this one hit the spot!
Things I learned today:
Beans make all the difference in a meal- praises for God’s genius, protein-packed creation.
I need to plan better snacks.. I keep eating carbs! Maybe fruit and PB tomorrow.
I still feel like something is missing in my diet.. maybe that will wear off, maybe not.
Enjoy the day’s recipes!
Avocado Smoothie
1 avocado
1 banana
1 kiwi
1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
agave nectar or honey to taste
Begin by cutting into the avocado and scooping out the flesh. In the pitcher of a blender, place the avocado, banana, kiwi (peeled), 2 teaspoons of honey or agave and about 1 cup of almond milk, to start. Blend it up, adding a little more almond milk until your desired consistency is reached (I like mine super thick). Divide between two glasses, and serve.
(serves 2.)
Lemony Roast Asparagus Soup
adapted from A Foodcentric Life
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 pound previously roasted asparagus, a few tips reserved for garnish, the rest roughly chopped
1 cup vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon, or more (to taste)
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic and cook a minute longer. Add the asparagus and broth and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Puree with a stick blender or in a stationary blender. When pureed smooth, add lemon juice and puree once more. Taste and season to your preference, adding more broth if you like your soup smoother (or cream, for a non-vegan option).
Chickpea Saute with Onions and Kale
by Oven Love, inspired by Ezra Pound Cake
serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1-2 teaspoons sugar
1 bunch kale, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
water, as needed
salt and pepper to tase
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium. Add onions and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add sugar. Cook, stirring, another 10 minutes or until the onions begin to carmelize and turn golden brown. Add kale and raisins, cooking until kale wilts, 3-5 minutes. Add chickpeas and warm through. Add water at any time if the vegetables being to stick. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately- alone or over a bed of pasta, rice, or even crusty bread.
This post is part of
