Fresh Ingredients
1 thick slice of onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1-2 T sour cream

Pantry Fare
2 cups broth
splash of balsamic vinegar

Oils and Spices
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil

Saute the onion and garlic until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes, broth, basil, vinegar, and sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes to blend flavors. Add salt and season more to taste if necessary. Add sour cream and blend the mixture.

Makes 2 generous servings.

Be healthy!

The Meatless Gourmet – Favorite Recipes From Around the World

Fresh Ingredients
1 cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small butternut squash – peeled, seeded, and cubed
chopped cilantro for garnish

PantryFare
1 cup yellow split peas
1 – 16 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

Spices and Oils
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 T curry powder
2 bay leaves
¼ tsp pepper
salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic. Sprinkle with curry powder and 1 T water. Cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Add ¼ cup water little by little to keep the onion from sticking.

Add 5-¼ cups of water and the remaining ingredients except salt and cilantro. Simmer 45 minutes until squash and peas are tender. Salt to taste and discard the bay leaves. Serve hot and garnish with cilantro.

1 – Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed in 1 inch pieces
1 Cup chopped onion
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

2- 15 oz cans white beans
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1 tsp sherry vinegar

Cook onion 3 to 4 minutes in oil heated in large pot at medium high. Add squash, spices and broth and simmer 20 minutes, until squash is tender. Add beans, juice and vinegar to broth. Once heated, transfer to your blender in batches and puree. Salt and pepper to taste.

Fresh Ingredients
2 large leeks, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup fat-free half ‘n half cream
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ cup water

PantryFare
1 can broth

Spices and Oils
2 T olive oil
2 cubes vegetable bouillon
½ tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp pepper
sprinkle red pepper flakes

Saute the leeks and garlic in the olive oil until tender. Add everything except the cream and simmer for 25 minutes. Puree 1 cup of of the soup in your blender until smooth. Add cream and pureed soup to the pan and reheat but do not boil.

Gazpacho ingredients

Here’s a nice summertime recipe for gazpacho that is a little different and very tasty. My first run at it included hot peppers but it was too spicy for me but you can add them at your own option.

Roast under the broiler or on the barbeque:
8 large plum tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 poblano pepper (or green pepper)
1 white onion
4 cloves garlic
4 green onions, trimmed

After roasting and peeling the skins from the vegetables, puree them in a blender and/or food processor. Add and blend:

1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
2 T olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Chill and serve garnished with tortilla strips or croutons, lime wedges, the greens from the green onions finely chopped, and if you want more texture, garnish with chopped peppers and onion.

To make the tortilla strips, take 4 corn tortillas and cut them into 1/4″ strips. Bake at 350 degrees, until golden.

 www.hungry-girl.com Soup recipe

I took 1/2 onion and 2 or 3 stalks of celery and sauteed them in olive oil.  Then I added 3-4 oz of sliced mushrooms.  Of course I was interupted so I turned off the heat and when I came back to it, I added 3 cups of broth and and 2 cups of water.  I grated all the ginger I had left – maybe it ended up being 1 teaspoon?  Added that.  Chopped up 3 stalks of bok choy, leaves included, and threw in some snap peas and 2 chopped plum tomatoes.  I seasoned it with 1 tsp of salt and some szechuan spice mix.  As the soup was simmering, I cooked some chow mein noodles (separately) and added some of them to the soup pot.

All in all, very succesful and I now have leftovers – both soup and noodles.

Oh, I also used 2 small green onions!

Heat oil in the pot adding

• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Stir in

• 3 quarts water
• 4 medium carrots, cut in chunks
• 2 small potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
• 1ea 16oz can stewed tomatoes

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then add

• 2 small zucchini, cut in chunks
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 cups shredded spinach
• 1/4 cup elbow macaroni
• 1/4 cup spaghetti, broken into 1-inch pieces
• 12 whole rigatoni
• 1/2 teaspoon each pepper, basil, oregano, and thyme leaves
• 4 tablespoons instant beef bouilion

Return to boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables and pasta are fork tender.  Season to taste with salt.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese at the table.

• 4 -6 Red potatoes, quartered
• 1/2 onion sliced thinly
• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/2 can chopped green chilies
• 2 Cups broth
• 2-4 cups water
• 1/4 no-fat sour cream
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• pepper to taste
• 1 box sliced mushrooms

Saute onion, garlic, celery, chilies, and potatoes until onion is soft.  Add broth and water to desired amount.  Cook 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.  Puree in blender.

Return to pot, add sour cream, seasonings and sliced mushrooms.  Cook until mushrooms are ready then serve with soup crackers and/or bacon bits.