Tortilla Soup
This uncomplicated, and tasty soup hits the spot and it is quick and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 8 cups Veggie broth,
- I cup cooked rice
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can Ranchero beans,
- 1 can crushed fire roasted tomatoes.
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
Spices: Cumin, Tumeric, Chile powder, salt, pepper
Instructions
Sweat the chopped onions and garlic in a little veggie broth. Add the spices (I used about a teaspoon each of the Cumin, Turmeric and Chile powder. You can add more later after tasting.
Add the broth and let simmer about 20 minutes. Drain the black beans and add to broth. Add the ranchero beans with sauce included. (I use the 365 brand from Whole Foods. It’s cheap) Add the tomatoes. Simmer another 20 minutes.
Add as much of the cooked rice as you like. Less rice makes it more “brothy.” Top with cilantro, a toasted tortilla and avocado.
Plant Based Paella
My version of this Spanish dish doesn't include meat, but you can add your own.
Ingredients
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (remove V shaped core)
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 0z green beans, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup short grain rice, uncooked
- paella seasoning (this is available in little sachets or in the Hispanic section of a grocery store)
- 1 cup fava beans cooked or canned
- 1/4 cup roasted red peppers
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1 lemon
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place large oven proof skillet over medium heat with a little vegetable broth (or 1 tablespoon olive oil). Add fennel, onion and garlic, sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring occasionally until softened . Add the rice, cook and stir til rice is glossy, about 2 minutes.
Add the paella seasoning and cook and stir until fragrant (1 minute). Add 2 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt and bring rice to boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes.
Trim green beans and cut into 2-inch pieces. In a large bowl, toss green beans, fava beans and red peppers, season with salt and pepper. Add the vegetables on top of the rice and spread evenly (after the rice has simmered). Place skillet in oven and bake about 15 minutes.
Toast the almonds in a small pan until lightly browned, then roughly chop.
When rice is finished baking, return to medium heat and cook until the bottom of the rice becomes crisp - 2 or 3 minutes. Halve the lemon and squeeze half over the rice. Sprinkle with the almonds.
Beans and Rice
Beans and rice are a staple in many cultures around the world and it certainly does not need to be boring! This grain and legume combo provides needed nutrients, so let's add more. This dish is low cost and filling and a great one pan meal. Extra vegetables and seasonings make it pretty tasty! Here is my recipe below, but you can modify it and make it even more spicy. Prep time was about 30 minutes. Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice (white or brown)
- 1 can black beans (UNDRAINED)
- 3/4 cup frozen corn
- 1 shallot or small onion, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 jar salsa
- splash of balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon dried cilantro
- salt and pepper to taste.
- 1/2 lime
Instructions
Add the diced onions to a large, hot skillet. Sauté and stir so that they do not stick. Meanwhile, start cooking your rice.* Once onions are a bit browned, add the diced red pepper. Stir and sauté for a few minutes. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Stir in the corn and about half of the vegetable broth. Stir and simmer for a few minutes. Add the undrained black beans and salsa. Stir. The mixture should be a bit creamy. Add the seasonings and squeeze in the lime juice. Add more vegetable broth if needed so that the mixture is creamy. Add in your cooked rice and stir. Add more broth if needed as the rice might absorb the moisture. Let simmer a few minutes to meld the flavors. Top with a few slices of avocado if desired.
*Rice cooking tip: I cook my rice like pasta, adding more water than needed. Once done, drain the excess water.
Easy Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 8 Cups Vegetarian Vegetable broth (2 cartons),
- 5 cups water,
- 1 small onion,
- 3-4 cloves fresh garlic,
- 3 carrots,
- 1/2 bag frozen peas,
- 1 cup orzo,
- Italian seasoning (I used oregano & basil or you can use the jarred seasoning),
- 1 bay leaf,
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- Dice onions and garlic and simmer in a small amount of broth until tender; add the seasonings and carrots and simmer until aromatic; add the broth and water; simmer about 30 minutes until broth is hot; add the peas and simmer another 15 minutes; add the orzo (uncooked). Add salt and pepper to taste. You can add more than 1 cup if you want more pasta. Simmer until orzo is tender.
The base for this broth is easy. You can sub any kind of pasta or potatoes if desired. Throw in some sliced zucchini or any other vegetable if you don't like peas.
Are you getting your rest?
I just returned from the Shenandoah mountains of Virginia. It was a restful week, with some hiking and trail riding, good dinners and great conversations with my daughter, and some time to read, journal and reflect on life. The picture is my view of the evening sunset during the week.
I won't lie, I brought my laptop, fully intending on doing some writing, planning, and tweaking of classes. I am so glad that God had other plans. So, I wrote some notes in my calendar (yes, I brought that as well) and put it away.
Do you find it difficult to stop and let go of the "have-tos"? I love what I do and love the planning and tweaking but had to admit that I do need to stop and look up at times. Even though I make a point of taking a weekly sabbath, I am not on a "full stop." There are still things swirling around in my head that I need to put away in order to get the restful sleep that I need.
When we are to the point of having foggy brain and soul fatigue, and just plain tired, then we need to actively work on soul rest, which facilitates mind rest, which in turn, facilitates body rest. We were created with this connection: body, mind, spirit. Rest in one area impacts the others.
In her book "Rest Girl", Jamie Amerine says "When our minds feel defeated and we live a restless existence, that is what we see and experience." She states that more than sleepless nights and busy schedules, the source of exhaustion has more to do with our deep-seated beliefs and our mindset based on those well-intended beliefs, and that fear is the thief of real rest.
What are you thinking about when your head hits the pillow? All of those what-ifs are basically fears of the unknown. Then you make the mental to-do list and wonder what you forgot or should have done. Then, when you finally do get out of bed in the morning, the weight of it all bears down on you, causing you to feel defeated before you even start.
Practicing mindfulness and spirit rest is a worthwhile endeavor and helps us bear the weight of life's challenges. Emotional and mental weariness can be harder to overcome than physical tiredness.
"Have you considered the difference between soul rest and self-care? These two concepts often overlap. When we need rest, we tend to think about self-care or even self-comfort solutions. Self-care has to do with caring for our physical, mental, and emotional needs. Soul care happens when we trust Christ with our needs, relying on his presence and help to sustain us." (Ginger Harrington)
Escaping by binging Netflix is not soul care. It might be a quick fix, but not a solution. Rest is important. The bible mentions it 548 times!
Here are practices that you can try:
1. Do a daily "soul check". A journal is a handy tool for this. Ask yourself, what are my burdens? What am I carrying that does not belong to me? Can you release it and trust God? What is the worst that can happen if something doesn't get done? Address your barriers.
2. Close out your day. Before bedtime, write down anything on your mind, what did not get done, what needs to be done the next day, who needs what, who you need to call, etc. Then close the calendar. Close the book on it!
3. Plan everything but be flexible. I have found that using my calendar with nice size blocks facilitates tracking what I need to do. I write down everything! Appointments, calls, classes, errands, exercise times, etc. It is much better than using your phone calendar.
4. Connect with others. Conversations with close friends and like-minded, positive people encourages and builds our strong values and ethics. Connections with others is a component of optimal health.
5. Inhale some essential oils before bedtime. I like Lavendar, Cedarwood and Orange.
6. Practice breathing exercises. We have taught this in some of our classes.
Mindset and habit change facilitates building new pathways in the brain as you develop new and better habits for yourself. I will be scheduling the Forming and Maintaining Optimal Habits class soon, so stay tuned. This class will give you more tools to learn how to strategize your daily habits.
Remember to breath, rest and not be hard on yourself because you are worth it.
Liz
