Tortilla Soup
Tortilla Soup
I love tortilla soup and have for years. I think the first time I had it I was in high school and I've been trying to perfect the recipe ever since. While experimenting I came up with a vegan version that’s just as good if not better than one with chicken. For the broth, I like to use veggie bouillon cubes & hot wader. Usually, I add 2 or 3 types of beans and frozen corn. I like Trader Joe's taco seasoning or a combination of chili powder, garlic, cumin & coriander. I add carrots and zucchini, once I was out of carrots and used small chucks of butternut squash and my daughter said it was the best version I’d ever made. Basically use what you have. I add the zucchini towards end so they don’t get mushy. You can use fire roasted tomatoes if you want it a little more spicy.
Tortilla Soup
32 oz vegetable broth
1 onion diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 carrots chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
2-3 small zucchini chopped (optional)
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 bag of frozen corn
1/2 package taco seasoning
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4-1/2 bunch cilantro
Toppings:
cheese
lime
avocado
salsa
tortilla chips
In a large soup pot, saute with onion, carrots, and garlic until almost done. Add broth, tomatoes, beans, taco seasoning, salt, sugar, pepper, and corn. Bring to a boil and turn down to very low, after about 10 minutes and add zucchini and cilantro. Simmer for about 20 minutes, serve with your choice of toppings. Enjoy! It’s best when shared.
The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies!
When my kids were little, I kept dough in the freezer so I could make a few (or a dozen) for them after school. I have some serious chocoholics in my family, especially my husband!
I haven't made these amazing cookies since our family started eating more plant-based recipes.
A couple of months ago at Urth cafe in Laguna Beach Erskien tried a gluten-free, vegan chocolate chip cookie that he said was the best he’d ever had including my chocolate chip cookies.
Well, that’s completely unacceptable!
Mine are the best, but they're not completely plant-based so I set out to revamp our favorite recipe. This time, I opted for gluten-free flours and toasted nuts to improve upon the original flavors. Here’s the new update, better than ever.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup vegan butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 egg replacer *I used Follow Your Heart’s
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups oat flour
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips *I used Trader Joe’s semi sweet, they’re vegan
1 cup nuts toasted (optional) *Urth Cafe’s had pecans, walnuts work as well
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. LIghtly toast the nuts and set aside. Cream butter, add both of the sugars, once it’s creamy add the egg replacer and vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients together. Add the mixture a little at a time to make sure it’s all incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and nuts. Once everything is mixed together and refrigerate for 30 minutes. You can make the cookies as big or as small as you want, Urth cafe’s were big, I prefer normal sized cookies. Place cookie dough on a baking sheet bake for 10-12 minutes at 375. If you make giant ones you’ll need to increase the baking time to 15-18 minutes.