Some Soup and Lunch-ables

You'd better get used to soup posts because I make at least one pot a week!

Last week was the soothing carrot soup.



Lately I've been making a lot of 'stew-y' kinds of soup, so it was nice for a change, as the only 'meat' in this dish is the carrot. You'll notice in the picture that there are only three on a spoon- that's because there was nothing to hold them up! I usually cook with as very little salt as possible, so the carrots sunk straight to the bottom!

I sauteed some white onions with the carrots, poured on homemade broth and mixed in a pinch of salt, 1 cup of soy milk, a tbsp of Braggs sauce, a dash of pepper and, of course, tons of dried dill (okay, about a tsp).

I love, love, love dill. You'll probably find this seasoning in most of the recipes I use. It's got such a distinct taste that really brings out the flavour in most meals.

On to lunch-ables!

For work, there is absolutely nothing readily available for the munching. Not only do I prefer healthy, animal-friendly meals, but I like to save my money as well. No buying lunches everyday!

I used to find it difficult to pack wholesome lunches that would fill my tummy. I also hate using microwaves (I just don't trust the damn things) so that left out heating foods up. For the longest time I'd munch on plain rice and tofu or those sodium-filled soy cold cuts. While that can be exciting for a time, it's definitely not something your stomach should get used to. At last I began fingering through my recipe books for cold dishes, such as salads and sandwich spreads that can be easily tossed in some tupperware and carried to work. I couldn't believe how many choices there were to choose from! How could I have been snacking on processed junk for so long? Now I am no longer left starving and unhappy after lunch!

I usually make these meals on Sunday night to be as fresh as possible. I'll double or even triple recipes to make sure they last me through Friday.

Here are some of the more recent lunches I've made:

Cinnamon Rice



This dish is very sweet; it required simmering with a cinnamon stick for about 50 minutes. Included with the brown rice are mustard and cumin seeds, garlic, grated ginger (1 tsp), turmeric, cayenne pepper, green onions, carrots, peas and raisins. For the dressing, I used 2 tbsp of dark sesame oil, Braggs sauce and 1/4 of a cup of flax seed oil.

It was very nummy, but unless you are a huge fan of the spice, I would recommend removing the cinnamon stick about half-way through simmering time. It definitely had an over-powering flavour.

The next lunch-able I made was a bean and rice salad, a vegan staple if you ask me!



This was basically a smorgasbord of veggies and spices- red onion, tomatoes, red pepper, green pepper, corn, black beans, kidney beans, avocado, cilantro sprigs, cayenne pepper, tobasco sauce (just a dash to taste) and the juice of one lemon. I used an actual lemon for juicing, rather than the containers you buy at the store. It has much more intensity! Just mix all that with brown rice and 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar. I ate mine in a whole wheat wrap, using the homemade hummus and guacamole that was left over from that weekend. Mmm mmm good. And muy satisfying!

Lastly, for now, is the sesame noodle!



After boiling some buckwheat noodles, I mixed together cucumber, carrots, radishes, green onions, rice vinegar, Braggs sauce and sesame oil. I then topped it with homemade gomashio (a blend of raw sesame seeds, sea salt and kelp powder). The gomashio really made the dish happenin'. I had so much left over, I was throwing it in soups and on top of pastas for weeks!

Eating right and eating wholesome during the work day can keep you happy and on your toes. So get rid of the microwavable soup and cold cuts that have been sitting on the shelf for eons and make something! =)