Super Delicious Veggie Stew With Dumplings

On a really cold day like today ( is it spring yet?) nothing is yummier that a nice warm bowl of soup.  My entire family loves this recipe, and any mother will tell you, when you can find something that everyone will eat you stick with it!  The greatest thing  is that this doesn't take very long to make at all.  You can have it on your table in about an hour :)


You will need:

8 cups of broth ( I use Better than Bouillon No Beef Base)

1/3 Cup of nutritional yeast

a few dashes of onion powder

1 bag of frozen peas

1 bag of frozen carrots

1 bunch of celery (preferably organic)- chopped

1/2 cup of plain almond milk

1/2 cup of unbleached flour

1/2 cup of water

1 Tablespoon italian herbs

1 teaspoon salt

black pepper to taste

For the scrumptious dumplings:

2 cups of unbleached flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of pink salt

1 cup of plain almond milk

2 Tablespoon of olive oil

a few dashes of italian herbs


1. In a large soup pot combine broth, nutritional yeast, onion and celery.  Bring it to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low.  Cover the pot partially and allow to cook for about 20 minutes.

2. While you're waiting for the broth to simmer,  in a bowl mix the milk,  flour and water.  Whisk it until it's smooth.  No lumps!  Then slowly mix into the pot, and keep mixing until the broth starts to get thick. Bring the stew to a simmer again, then add the carrots and peas.

3. While the soup is simmering, it's time to make the dumplings!  In a mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients and mix with a fork.  Then pour in the milk and olive oil.  Stir together until the batter is lumpy.   Make sure that you don't over mix!

4. Gently plop teaspoons of batter into the soup, cover the pot and reduce the heat.  Cook the dumplings for about 15- 20 minutes.  Only open the lid on the pot if the dumplings look like they are clumping and need to be broken up.

5. Take the lid off so that the soup can cool off for a bit because it's too hot to eat right away.  You can even test a dumpling to make sure that they are done to your liking.

This recipe makes a lot of food.  Our entire family will each eat 2 bowls and we usually have leftovers, which are of course fantastic the next day!

Chickpea Flour 'Omelette'

     Even before becoming vegan I was never a big egg eater, in fact if I wanted some, I always wanted someone else to cook them because I couldn't stand the smell.  Finding an alternative to scrambled eggs was so easy, there is nothing I love more than a  tofu scramble! To me it tastes 100% better than any eggs I ever had in my life, and I happen to be with the man that makes the best scramble ever!
 
      Once in a while however I do miss the idea of an omelette so I was determined to search for something that would be similar. After many internet searches and an experiment this morning,  I found my 'omelette'!

You will need:

° 1/2 Cup Chickpea Flour

°  2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast

°  1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds

°  1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

°  1/2 teaspoon Tumeric

°  Salt & Pepper to taste

°   2/3 Cup Water

°   Chopped onion

°   Any kind of veggies you'd like to put inside, chopped

°    Vegan cheese if wanted, I used a little bit of shredded cheddar from Daiya

1. First add all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix well.

2.  Next add water and onion, and let the mixture sit for about 10-15 minutes until thick. After that  if needed add more water by the Tablespoon until it resembles pancake batter.

3. Heat a non-stick frying pan, once the pan is hot turn the heat to low and pour half of the mixture into the pan spreading it out with a spoon.

4. Cover tightly with a lid and let cook for about 4 minutes or until the top looks like a pancake does when it's ready to flip.

5. At this point add cheese and veggies, then fold the omelette in half, put the lid back on tightly and cook for another 4 minutes.

After that its finished! The batter makes 2 good sized omelettes. Although I will admit I ate both of them this morning, mostly to conduct the full experiment ;)

There is no doubt this will become a breakfast favorite in my house! Plus the greatest part is that I found a way we can enjoy an "omelette" without any chickens being  harmed! :)

ASHA's Vegan Valentine Celebration

Last Thursday ASHA Sanctuary held it's first ever vegan valentine's celebration at the Red Mill Inn located in Williamsville, NY. The event was a fundraiser to help with the rescue and up keep of our future residents at the sanctuary. The evening featured an amazing vegan meal which included gourmet "cheese", soup & salad and a Mediterranean stuffed "chick'n" breast with an array of delicious sides. 

We also had marvelous desserts charitably donated by Orange Cat Coffee Co. and Wheatberry bake shop as well as an awesome candy donation for our guests upon arrival from Aletheas. Yes their dark chocolate is vegan!!

The whole evening was an amazing experience and we could not thank Red Mill enough for all of their incredible work and accommodations. We can't wait until next year!