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Basil Tomato Bisque
This Basil Tomato Soup is easy to make, nutritious and so delicious! Fresh basil and sweet potato is key to making this soup rich and flavorful without adding any cream or oil. I prefer to use the Bionaturae bottle tomatoes not only because they taste amazing but because they are in glass so you are don’t getting the potential heavy metal exposure from the can. I can find these at my local health food store. See note below for alternative.
You can find a quick video of this soup on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube @health4lifecooking.
1 cup water
1 28 oz. can tomatoes (or 24 oz bottle “Bionaturae)*
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (“Jewel” yam)
1 T honey or maple syrup (optional for more sweet)**
1 cup fresh basil
Blend tomato with water, garlic and onion until smooth. Add sweet potato and blend till creamy. Add basil and briefly chop. Transfer to a sauce pan. Cook over medium high heat until steamy. Simmer 10 minutes. Add more chopped fresh basil if desired. Thin with more water if needed. Salt and pepper to taste.
*I use the 24 oz bottle of Bionaturae pureed tomatoes and they have a richness that canned tomatoes don’t. If using canned tomatoes, I recommend adding a spoonful or two of tomato paste to increase the rich tomato flavor.
**If your sweet potatoes are in season (I find the stores don’t start selling the new crop of sweet potatoes until around January) and super sweet, you wont need to add the honey or maple syrup.
Whole Foodie Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite, especially when they include oatmeal. Make them vegan with no oil or processed sugars and you’ve got a cookie I wont pass up. I love these so much, I only make them when I have a lot of friends to share them with because I will eat the whole batch!
Check out my YouTube “short” video here.
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1 cup rolled oats
1 cups walnuts
1 tsp baking soda
1 cups dates soaked in 1/2 cup water until soft
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 t vanilla
Sweet Mustard Vinaigrette
This is a delicious dressing for a leafy green salad. Find my fun Instagram video at Health 4 Life Cooking Also on YouTube and Facebook @Health 4 life cooking.
Recipe from Whole Food Goodness.
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 T cashews or sunflower seeds
2 T prepared mustard
For easier blending, soak dates and nuts/seeds in vinegar and water for at least 4 hours. Blend all ingredients until smooth. Store dressing in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
Vegan Pumpkin Pie
This is a healthy and delicious version of a Thanksgiving favorite. I love the crust so much better than a traditional crust! It’s like an oatmeal cookie. There are no ingredients in the pie that have to be cooked so technically you could eat it without cooking it. It will set up a little as it cools. But cooking the pie firms it up and concentrates the sweetness and flavor and makes it so decadent! Adjust the cooking time for a less dense or more dense pie.
1 3/4 cups cooked pumpkin
1 1/4 cup almond, soy or oat milk
25 soft pitted deglet dates (1 cup)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour into a prepared pie crust and bake at 275 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn off oven and leave in for another 20 minutes.
Oat Date Crust
1 2/3 cups rolled oats (not thick)
5 small pitted dates
1 medium banana
1 t vanilla
Soak dates in 1/4 cup water for at least 4 hours to soften. Using a food processor fitted with an “S” blade, process dates with soak water, banana and vanilla until smooth. Add oats and pulse until a sticky dough if formed. Be careful not to break down oats too much. Evenly press into a 9” pie pan. Bake at 300 for 20 minutes just to firm up and brown slightly.
For less banana flavor, use a banana that is not spotted. It’s mainly used for binding.
Sweet Red-Hot Pepper Sauce
This Sweet Red Hot Pepper Sauce is great with any Mexican dish.
See my YouTube video here.
1 cup dates or dried figs
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 onion, chopped
1 – 2 cloves garlic
3 – 4 red jalapeños chopped
Soak dates or figs in vinegar until soft, about 4 hours. If using figs, remove stem.
Cook onion, garlic, and peppers in about ¾ cup water until tender. Blend cooked vegetables with figs or dates and vinegar until smooth.
Mexican Kale and Cabbage Salad
Any combination of cruciferous veggies work good for this Mexican Kale Salad. I’ve used young tender collard greens from my garden and have used store-bought collards although they are a bit tough so I only use 1 or two leaves if using them. Same with broccoli. It’s a little tough raw so I’ll add a small amount. I’ve also used kale and green cabbage each on their own and they are great!
Check out my YouTube video for this salad here.
3 oz. kale, finely chopped
3 oz. cabbage, shredded
3 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 of large avocado, mashed
1 1/2 – 2 cups whole grain of choice
1/2 – 3/4 cup salsa
Sweet Red-Hot Pepper Sauce to taste (optional)
Salt to taste
Place chopped kale and cabbage in large salad bowl. Add vinegar and mashed avocado. Using hands, massage kale and cabbage until tender.
Stir in whole grain of choice, salsa and pepper sauce to taste. Serve in lettuce leaf or add desired amount of chopped romaine lettuce
Easy Apple Crisp
Fruit Filling
6 cups chopped apples, divided
3 dried figs or dates soaked* in ¼ cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
Chop apples with chop wizard (if available or use other chopper or by hand). Place 4 cups in a large mixing bowl. Place remaining 2 cups apples, soaked figs or dates, water, spices and vanilla in food processor or blender jar. Blend until smooth. Pour over bowl of chopped apples. Mix well and transfer to an 8 X 8 cake pan.
Crust
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups chopped apples
4 dried figs or dates soaked in ¼ cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
Place oats in a mixing bowl.
Blend apples with figs or dates, water, cinnamon and vanilla until smooth. Pour over oats and mix well till all oats are moist. Carefully place crust over apple filling and spread to cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes.
No Sugar Peach Cobbler
When peaches are in season and there is an abundance, I love to make this No Sugar Peach Cobbler made with only a few whole-food ingredients and is simple to make. There’s no sugar, no oil or flour. Only whole food goodness! Check out my YouTube video here.
Fruit Filling
6 peaches, divided
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
3 dried figs or dates soaked* in ¼ cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Cut 3 peaches into bite-size pieces and place in a bowl. (I buy local non-sprayed peaches and use the peel.) Add blueberries. Place 2 peaches (remove pit) and spices into blender jar. Drain water off soaked figs or dates. (I save this for smoothie or oatmeal.) Blend until smooth. Pour over bowl of cut peaches and blueberries. Mix well and transfer to an 8 X 8 cake pan.
Crust
2 cups rolled oats
2 peaches
4 dried figs or dates soaked in ¼ cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
Place oats in a mixing bowl.
Blend peaches with figs or dates (include soak water) and cinnamon until smooth. Pour over oats and mix well till all oats are moist. Carefully place crust over peach filling and spread to cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 – 23 minutes. I like to slightly brown the crust.
This is best eaten the day it is made. The crust will soften as it sits.
Vegan Potato and Kale Soup
This Vegan Potato and Kale Soup is simple, nourishing, and delicious. It’s pretty heavy on greens so If you are not used to that much green, you can cut back or use a softer more mild green like spinach. Feel free to add more herbs like bay leaf, thyme, marjoram etc.
8 – 10 oz. cauliflower
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups water
1 1/4 cups white potato, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 t dried rosemary
1 bunch kale, chopped
Juice from 1/2 lemon or 1 T apple cider vinegar
Steam cauliflower in a small amount of water until tender. Blend smooth with 1/4 cup of rolled oats adding a little water if needed to blend. Set aside.
Sauté onion until it starts to brown. Add garlic and cook for 1 minutes. Add water, potato, rosemary and kale. Cook until potato and kale are tender.
Add blended cauliflower and lemon juice or vinegar. Salt to taste.
Broccoli Potato Stir Fry (Broccoli Aloo Sabzi)
The only green I had in the fridge was broccoli and I was in the mood for Indian food. I had never used broccoli in Indian food so I went to the internet and found this recipe for Broccoli Potato Stir Fry (aka Broccoli Aloo Sabzi) at www.indianveggiedelite.com. She used oil so I left that out and made a few other changes, including increasing the amount of broccoli and adding some brown rice. I love this dish!
1/2 t cumin seed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cut in small cubes
1 T bottled medium heat green chilies
1/4 t turmeric
1/8 t hot chili powder (this is straight chili powder not mixed with salt and other spices like most chili powders are)
1/2 t coriander powder
1/2 t cumin powder
1/2 t garam masala
1 cup tomato sauce
3 cups small broccoli florets
2 T apple cider vinegar (I add this to decrease the amount of salt)
Toast cumin seeds in a sauté pan over medium high heat until fragrant. Add onion and sauté until they start to brown. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Add 1 cup water and potatoes. Cover and cook until they begin to soften. Stir in spices and tomato sauce. Add broccoli florets and cook until tender. Stir in vinegar and salt to taste. Serve as is or mix with brown rice.
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