Winter Vegetable Soup & Beans with Rice (and Special Dessert)

This was our quick go-to vegetarian dish over the weekend. We try to abstain from meat at least twice a week, mostly for health reasons but also as a little reminder that just because you have access to all  the food in the world, others do not. Almost like a suffering in solidarity sort of spiritual thing.

The Coop had a handy-dandy bag of root veggies I had grabbed the other week, and we had black beans & tomatoes & rice in the pantry. Add garlic, onions, chicken stock, and some seasoning, and you’ve got a little feast. I think I diced up about 5 big cloves of garlic, two small onions, and added 2 bay leaves, basil & oregano. You know the drill: saute the onions  in olive oil, add the garlic, seasoning, and chopped-into-1-inch-pieces veggies. Let it all season & soften for about 10 mins gently stirring it around. Then add the 6 or so cups of chicken stock (or veggie stock) and bring it to boil, then down to a simmer until the veggies are soft all the way through. Then put into Vitamix, and voila! Pepper, salt, and you’re all set. The parsnips make it so sweet and delicious!

1) Winter vegetable soup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Beans with rice & tomatoes.

How can you go wrong here? Just season the heck out of your garlic & onions & olive oil, add beans & diced tomatoes, then pour over rice! I used cumin (lots), paprika (too much), kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, chili powder (too much, sigh), basil, and oregano.

 

 

 

3) Lemon bars: Ina Garten style.

Check out her recipe here. We had to cook them a little longer than it said, but they are so so chewy and delicious! Lent is rapidly approaching with Ash Wednesday on Wednesday and we always give up all sweets for the 40 days. That will be tricky for this pregnant lady, but I’m trying to get all my sugar in now.