Squash, kale & bean soup.


It's #vegansquashnight on the Instagrams! My pal Miranda (@irresistiblyvegan) and I are hosting an online hangout, where you post today's squash-filled meal, hashtag #vegansquashnight, and tag the both of us (@irresistiblyvegan and @ohhhcaitlin) so we can see just what you made. 

I really wanted to make something with roasted vegetables and kale. It's been snowing here in Winnipeg (but not sticking around, so far) and my circulation is, as always, total dogshit. Soup, it is. Onto the recipe, 'cos this snow is a massive bummer.

Serves 8

Ingredients I
2 butternut squash, cubed
1 small bag baby carrots (or 2 cups), chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 head of garlic
Olive oil for drizzling
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients II
1 - 14oz can of diced tomatoes
10 cups of water or vegetable broth
1 bay leaf

Ingredients III
1 - 14oz can of white kidney beans, thoroughly rinsed
1 bunch kale, chopped into bite size pieces


Method

Place your chopped batch of Ingredients I on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil and seasonings. Bake at 425F for 40 minutes, stirring about half way through.




Remove garlic from bulb. For more on roasting your own garlic, head here.


Toward the tail end of roasting, put all of Ingredients II -except the bay leaf- in a large pot, and blend with your handheld immersion blender. Then, bring to a boil. Don't season this just yet - your roasted vegetables will add all sorts of flavour once added to your broth. Right, now add your bay leaf.
Fun side note - it took me a few years of cooking to realize I can blend things on the stove in my cutoffs without getting burn marks permanent stories if I'd just blend things before turning on the stove.

Add your roasted vegetables to your new broth. Then, add in all of Ingredients III. Continue to boil for ten minutes, then let simmer for at least 15 minutes (or until your kale and beans are soft enough for you)

Now that your soup is done, give'r a taste a see if you'd need to add any seasonings! By now, the flavours have started blending nicely together. It's just up and up from here.



Creamy maple miso chicken salad.




Salads can be so gross. Gross and overdone and bland and sad. This here's a quick recipe and the dressing is killer.

Dressing
2 tbsp vegan mayo
1 tsp miso paste
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp mild oil
Salt & Pepper

Chick'n
1/2 package Yves chick'n
1-2 shallots
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp vegan margarine
1 tsp Lite Kikkoman soy sauce
1 tsp lemon juice

Lettuce
Almonds or other nuts


Make your dressing by combining the Dressing ingredients. Stir vigorously in a large enough bowl (a cereal bowl will do) 

Begin sauteing your Chick'n and shallot by heating up a pan with sesame oil and margarine. Saute until Chick'n gets crisp and lightly browned, then throw in the soy sauce and lemon juice. Saute a bit longer, so it remains crispy.

Top your lettuce with Chick'n, almonds, and drizzle with dressing.

Serves 2