Southwest Pumpkin Soup

This recipe was inspired by a soup made on Rachel Ray’s cooking show over 15 years ago! Over the years I’ve made some tweaks to the soup, which includes making it vegan, by swapping the heavy cream in the original recipe with full-fat coconut milk. If you prefer, you can omit the coconut milk completely to make a delicious, very low-fat soup. It’s totally up to you, but I highly recommend including the coconut milk. It adds a velvety creaminess that compliments the heat of the cayenne and the tang of the lime juice so nicely. Originally Rachel Ray served her soup with cheese quesadilla slices. If you would like to do the same but are looking for a healthier, plant-based alternative, here’s my quesadilla recipe HERE.

Southwest Pumpkin Soup - Serves 6

• 2, 15oz cans of 100% pure pumpkin puree ( not pumpkin pie mix )

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 1, 14.5 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1, 14.5 oz can of roasted diced tomatoes ( including liquid )

• 1.5 Tb curry powder

• 1.5 tsp cumin powder

• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper ( salt with 1/4 tsp and then check the heat level at the end before adding more )

• Juice of one lime

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro ( optional )

To Prepare

*In a large pot over medium-high heat, saute diced onion in a couple of Tbs of water ( or 1 Tb of olive oil ) until translucent ( approximately 5-7 minutes ). Add curry powder, cumin powder, and cayenne powder to the onion and saute for another 30 seconds to lightly toast the spices. Careful not to burn.

*Add remaining ingredients ( except the cilantro ) and bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the freshly chopped cilantro. Now, taste the soup and adjust salt, pepper, cayenne and/or lime juice if needed.

To serve

Distribute soup into shallow serving bowls. Topping suggestions include baked corn tortilla strips, chopped cilantro, chopped chives, THESE spicy pumpkin seeds, and/or a dollop of vegan sour cream ( sour cream recipe is under my dips/sauces )

This recipe freezes well if anyone is interested!

Late Season Spicy Gazpacho

For those of you that aren’t quite ready for “fall-themed” foods ( meaning, pumpkin spice on everything LOL ) This is a great way to use up those ripe, late summer tomatoes and make a delicious light lunch. I feel like this gazpacho is best when it has a few hours to sit and “marinate” in the fridge. If you aren’t into spicy foods, you can easily skip the sambal or sriracha that I’m obsessed with. No strict rules here so enjoy!

Late Season Spicy Gazpacho - makes approximately 6 servings

• 32 oz tomato organic juice

• 5 large tomatoes - scored, blanched, peeled, and diced

• 1 large seeded cucumber, diced ( I left the skin on )

• 1/2 large green bell pepper, diced

• 3 cloves of garlic minced

• 1/2 of a large red onion, diced

• 1/2 cup of Italian basil, chopped

• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped ( cilantro haters can omit )

• 2 Tbs aged balsamic vinegar

• 2 Tbs olive oil

• 2 Tbs sambal or sriracha for heat ( a finely diced jalapeno could work in space of this )

• juice of 1/2 of a large lemon

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

To Make

*Bring water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Score ( cut an X ) on the bottom of each tomato and place in boiling water for 30 seconds. Quickly drain tomatoes and place in an ice bath until cool. Peel skin off of the blanched tomatoes and finely dice and place in a large bowl

*Finely dice a seeded cucumber, 1/2 of green bell pepper, and 1/2 of red onion and add to the large bowl with the tomatoes. Pour in the tomato juice and add the remaining ingredients. Stir and taste. Adjust spice, salt, and pepper if needed.

***Optional - I like to take an emulsion blender to this recipe at the very end. I just submerge it in the finished soup and pulse it a few times to break down the veggies just a little bit more. This step is completely optional. You can get the same effect by pulsing just half of the finished gazpacho in a medium speed blender and then combining it with the unblended half.

To serve

*ladle gazpacho into a shallow soup bowl. Top with chopped basil and/or chives and drizzle a little olive oil on top. Cubed or sliced avocado is a nice addition as well.

Healthy Pumpkin Waffles

Happy October! Unfortunately, we don’t see much of a seasonal change out here in Hawaii but I gotta admit that I absolutely live for fall ( and especially winter ) in the islands. Temps start to drop a bit, white ginger is in full bloom and the surf starts to pick up big time. It’s magical.

As much as I love fall decor, it always seems a bit out of place in our lit’ tropical bungalow. So instead of spending money on ceramic pumpkins and fall-themed wreaths, I invest in my fall pantry. Squash, pears, apples, persimmons, pomegranates, dates, and sweet potatoes turn into my go-to ingredients. I tend to bake more, roast more, and overall eat more “cooked foods” during this time of the year as well. Because honestly, who wants to heat up the oven during a hot Hawaiian summer? Um, not me.

So here’s my first simple recipe of the season: Super healthy pumpkin waffles! I used oat flour here. You can buy oat flour in the grocery store but honestly, you can just make it yourself. I actually make a huge batch of it ahead of time and store it in my pantry. Just add quick oats to a highspeed blender and blend until you get a fine powder. So easy.

I purchased this cute little waffle maker at Target for like $10! However, if you are making several waffles at a time, I would purchase something larger. The waffles take about 5-6 minutes to bake so you don’t want them getting cold if you are making a larger batch.

Healthy Pumpkin Waffles - makes 3 mini waffles, feel free to double or triple recipe. Use 1/4 cup of batter per waffle.

• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tb oat flour

• 1/2 cup nut milk ( I used almond )

• 1/4 cup 100% pumpkin puree

• 1 Tb coconut sugar

• 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

*Add all ingredients to a highspeed blender and then blend until well combined. To make a mini waffle, use 1/4 cup of the batter and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions. A cooking spray might be needed. I used avocado oil. Cooking time is approximately 5-6 mins.

Heirloom Tomato and Asparagus Salad

Hi!

How you all doing?

It’s probably no surprise but let me tell you, it’s hot AF out here in the Mid-Pacific. I swear, the older I get, the more and more I crave the cooler months between November and March out here in Hawaii.

Almost there. I seriously CANNOT wait!

So, I’m assuming that most of you are pretty over meal prepping these days and even worse, having to heat up an oven? Am I right?

So guess what?! I have a perfect dish for you!

This deconstructed salad is quick, nutritious, full of fiber, has strong crave-worthy flavors and it even looks, kinda fancy. I’ll be making this several times a week now for sure. I mean, you really gotta take advantage of those amazing late summer tomatoes right now right?

Heirloom Tomato and Asparagus Salad

*This can make an individual plate for yourself ( like pictured ) or supersize it for a group.

• 1 large thickly sliced Heirloom tomato ( regular tomatoes are fine but make sure they are perfectly ripe )

• 1/4 large sweet onion ( Like a Maui Onion ), shaved

• 1 large handful of arugula

• 1/2 cup jarred or canned heart of palm, drained and sliced

• 1/4 cup mixed olives. I love the olives with the pits still intact at the olive bar at Wholefoods.

• 1/3 of a bundle of fresh asparagus ( don’t forget to snap off the tough ends )

Aioli

• 2 Tbs Veganaise + 2 Tbs Dijon mustard mixed with 2 tsp fresh lemon juice.

To Prep Salad

*For the asparagus - bring salted water to a boil and blanch trimmed asparagus for 30 seconds. Drain and then immediately dunk in a dish of icy water to stop the cooking.

*Slice tomato and heart of palm then arrange on a plate with the blanched asparagus and the olives. Add a handful of arugula, top tomatoes with shaved sweet onion, then sprinkle on flaky salt ( like Maldon’s ) and cracked pepper. Sometimes I add a little ( aged) balsamic vinegar to the thick tomato slices, but this is definitely optional.

*Serve with aioli for dipping!

Asian Noodle Bowl with Sweet Citrus Dressing

With the exception of some chopping, this salad is super easy to throw together and it makes a very satisfying lunch or dinner. I love making these on hot muggy days when I can’t bring myself to heat up the kitchen with a hot oven.

Feel free to add as many fresh veggies and herbs as you desire. I really love using red cabbage for some extra crunch and vitamin K, cucumbers are crisp and hydrating, carrots add some extra sweetness and vitamin A, bell peppers are colorful and add a great source of vitamin C. Experiment with what you like and have on hand. The more veggies and herbs the better.

For today’s salad, I used about 1/2 cup of each of the following:

• Shredded red cabbage

• shredded carrots

• sliced Persian cucumbers

• shredded romaine lettuce

Toppings

• about a handful of chopped cilantro, sliced green onions and fresh mint

• chopped peanuts

To make the rice noodles:

Cook according to the brand’s instructions and rinse with cold water to cool. My absolute favorite vermicelli rice noodles are by Dongguan Rice Vermicelli. Lotus Foods make a good one as well. I like the Millet and Brown Rice Ramen Noodles. Both brands come in perfect, one serving size dried bundles. They make about 1 cup of noodles once cooked.

To make the dressing: Makes about 1 cup of dressing. Keeps about 7-10 days in the fridge. Really good on rice or a tofu marinade as well!

• 1/3 cup coconut aminos

• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1 Tbs toasted sesame oil

To assemble:

Arrange the shredded veggies, cooled rice noodles, chopped fresh herbs and peanuts in a large deep bowl. Add about 3 Tbs of the dressing and toss. Sometimes I like to throw in a little sambal for some heat. Enjoy!

Japanese Sweet Potato Potstickers

How’s everyone doing?

Surreal times right?

Sorry I’ve been a bit M.I.A. I started working 5 days a week vs. a mixture of nights and days so photographing food in proper daylight has been a challenge.

I have some extra time now though…

So, I could go on and on about the impact of the Covid-19 virus here on Maui. Sadly, most of the island is out of work, or at least, we’ve been put on hold. To be perfectly honest though, I need a break from all the doom and gloom right now. I’m sure we all do right? So I’m not going to get into the icky stuff here.

So since I haven’t left my immediate neighborhood for the last 14 days, I’ve had plenty of time to go through my pantry, fridge, and freezer ( like so many people have I’m sure ) and take a solid inventory of what I have on hand. Going forward, I plan on doing my absolute best to grocery shop just once a week. Maui goes into full lockdown mode tomorrow, March 25th. This means only essential errands or solo activities are allowed outside the home. Lucky for us, this still includes surfing ( yay! ). My husband has actually been the one braving the grocery stores for the last 2 weeks and I’ve been doing the cooking ( per usual ). I honestly have not been around another human since March 13th and I gotta say, it’s been eye-opening.

Anyway, so these delicious Japanese Sweet Potato Potstickers… You don’t need many ingredients and they are so fun to eat. Plus, it’s sort of meditating when it comes to the actual folding part and since some of us have a lot of time on our hands now, why not?

BTW - I’ll let you look up how to do the potsticker folding on YouTube. There are tons of tutorials on there. It's probably easier than a written step-by-step from me anyway.

Stay safe and healthy my friends. A L O H A!

Japanese Sweet Potato Potstickers - makes about 30

• 1 large Japanese Sweet Potato ( purple skin, yellow inside ) a yam would work too.

• 1 large shallot, minced

• 1 clove of garlic minced

• 1/4 inch of fresh ginger, skin removed and minced

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 Tb sesame seeds ( optional )

• 1 Tb soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos

• 1 handful of chopped cilantro ( optional )

• 1 package of store-bought potsticker or wonton skins ( check the label to make sure there’s no egg added )

Dipping Sauce

• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

• 1/4 cup low-sodium tamari or low-sodium soy sauce

To make the potsticker filling, peel and chop the sweet potato into small cubes and steam until easily pierced with a fork.

In the meantime, saute the shallot, garlic, and ginger in sesame oil over med-high heat until translucent ( about 5 mins )

Mash steamed sweet potato cubes until creamy. Add shallot/garlic/ginger mix, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and cilantro. The mixture should have a similar consistency to cookie dough.

Place potsticker wrappers on a large cutting board. Place 2 tsp of the sweet potato mixture in the middle of each wrapper, rub water along the edges of the wrapper, fold, and seal.

Place in a steamer basket and steam until cooked through. About 3-5 mins.

*Or if not cooking right away, place all potstickers on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen, place potstickers in a zip-lock bag.

*Steaming will take slightly longer when ready to cook if potstickers are frozen.

ENJOY!

Plant-Based Mac + Cheese

Sometimes I just really crave some comforting carbs and this particular dish is perfect for those times! Not only does it check everything off my list ( warm, savory, and cheesy ) it’s shockingly low-fat, full of B vitamins, potassium, and probiotics. So yes, it’s good for you!

Toss in some lightly steamed kale or broccoli florets to add something green if that makes you feel better. I usually do and it’s delicious! Oh and don’t forget something spicy on top! I put sambal on practically everything and this dish is no exception. Enjoy!

Plant-Based Mac + Cheese

• 1.5 cups of water ( start with 1.5 cups and check the consistency before adding more )

• 2.5 cups white potatoes ( skinned and cut into 1-inch cubes )

• 1 cup carrots ( peeled and roughly chopped )

• 1/2 cup dried instant oats

• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast

• 3/4 tsp salt

• 1 tsp corn starch

• 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

• 1.5 tsp onion powder

• 1.5 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp turmeric ( optional but this adds color )

• 2 Tbs lemon juice

• 1.5 Tbs white miso

• 2 Tbs tahini paste

1, 12 oz bag of cooked pasta ( I like to use gluten-free organic brown rice pasta by Tinkyada ) Spirals, Shells, Penne, or Macaroni shapes work well with this sauce.

Steam potatoes and carrots until easily pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and place in a high-speed blender. Add all other ingredients and blend until very smooth. 

Cook and drain pasta and place back into the pot. Slowly add “cheese “ sauce to cooked pasta and stir until well coated. You might not need all the sauce so if you have leftovers, this makes an excellent cheese dip. Just add some jarred chipotle salsa!

Top Mac + Cheese with some smoked paprika or even better, some spicy Sambal!

*Feel free to mix in some chopped kale or some steamed broccoli florets for a bit of green.

Tofu Buddha Rolls

How pretty are these?! I gotta be honest though, I didn’t come up with this idea myself. Nope, I ordered something just like these pretty little rolls almost every time I dined at the Shady Shack in Bali. Lucky for us, these Buddha Rolls are fairly easy to re-create at home. No eighteen-hour flight required.

Tofu Buddha Rolls ( per serving )

• 1/2 cup shredded carrots

• 1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumbers

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red cabbage

• a handful of mint leaves

• a handful of cilantro

• a handful of chives or green onions

• coconut amino marinated + pan-fried super firm tofu. I love the high-protein, sprouted organic tofu from Wildwood

• 1 large English cucumber thinly sliced into long wide “noodles”. You can use a mandolin or you can thinly slice the cucumber with a sharp knife.

Coconut Amino Marinated + Pan-Fried Tofu ( one serving )

• 4 oz super firm organic tofu

• 2 tbs coconut aminos

• 1 tsp sesame oil

To make the pan-fried tofu, take about 4 oz of tofu and slice into 1/2 inch “sticks” . Then place tofu sticks into a shallow dish and pour about 2 tbs of coconut aminos over the tofu. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, turning once. Next, heat up a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with a tiny drizzle of sesame oil ( for flavor ). Add marinated tofu and pan-fry until golden brown ( A few minutes on each side ) Remove from heat and let cool to the touch.

To arrange the Buddha Rolls, lay cucumber noodles on a large cutting board. At one end of each cucumber noodle, pile on a tofu “stick”, whatever veggie fillings you desire and then roll to enclose fillings. Rolls can be secured with a toothpick if need be. Enjoyed with the Spicy Peanut Sauce below.

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce - makes about 14 oz

• 1/2 cup creamy unsweetened peanut butter or almond butter

• 3/4 cup - 1 cup full-fat coconut milk ( depending on desired consistency )

• 1/4 cup of coconut sugar ( 2-3 tbs can be used instead if you want to reduce sugar content )

• juice of 1 juicy lime

• 1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce or tamari

• 2 tsp sambal ( or sriracha )

• 1/2 inch piece of fresh peeled ginger

• 1 clove of garlic

• Blend all ingredients in a highspeed blender until smooth. The sauce will thicken up ( a lot ) in the fridge. I’ve found that it’s better to reheat to thin out rather than adding additional liquids. Lasts for about 1 week in the fridge.

Hoisin Peanut Sauce - makes about 2 cups

• 1 and 1/3 cups of water

• 1 cup hoisin sauce

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1.5 Tbs minced shallot

• 1 Tb rice wine vinegar

• 2 tsp coconut sugar ( optional )

• 1 Tb sambal oelek or sriracha

*More water if needed for consistency

*In a small saucepan over med-high heat saute the minced shallot in a splash of water until translucent ( about 1-2 minutes ).

*Add water and hoisin and whisk until blended and bring to a low simmer. Add peanut butter, vinegar, sugar, and sambal and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.

*I like to serve this with crushed salted peanuts sprinkled on top. This makes a lot of sauce so feel free to cut the recipe in half. Stores well in the fridge for several days. Add more water to thin out if needed.

Truffled Potato and Leek Soup

Last weekend at the Upcountry Farmer’s Market I spotted a ton of fresh gorgeous leeks. Having no idea what I was going to do with them, I bought them anyway and figured I’d come up with something eventually.

It’s still hot as hell on Maui, and the last thing I’ve been wanting to do is heat up the entire house by turning on the oven, so stovetop cooking is about all I can handle these days. My husband suggested making a creamy soup with the leeks but I was thinking, “Really? A hot soup while you’re still sitting between 3-floor fans in the living room?” But ya, this is what he wanted, and he promised to do all the chopping so you gotta take advantage when you can.

I was too lazy to grocery shop for additional ingredients this particular evening, so I managed to throw this together with what we already had in the pantry and I gotta say, it turned out freaking amazing. I would imagine it would be even more amazing if the humidity level in my house wasn’t “Amazon Rainforest” so yes, sometimes I envy you people living in those bigger latitudes.

This soup is nutrient-dense, decadent, and bursting with crave-worthy flavors. Enjoy this on a crisp fall night with some warm sourdough smeared with vegan Miyoko’s butter. Delicious!

Truffled Potato Leek Soup

• 1 tbs olive oil ( or a few tbs of water if avoiding oils )

• 2 large leeks or 3 small ( white and light green parts only ) cleaned and sliced

• 1 large white onion, diced

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 4 Medium Russet Potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

• 5 cups vegetable broth

• juice of 1 lemon

• 2 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tsp sea salt ( or more to taste )

• 1/4 tsp of cracked black pepper

• 1/2 tsp or more depending on taste, truffle oil ( optional but so delicious )

Topping suggestions - chopped flat-leafed parsley, chopped chives, croutons, vegan sour cream, and/or additional truffle oil.

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat add olive oil ( or water ). Next, add leeks, onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Saute until wilted ( about 10 minutes )

Add vegetable broth, thyme, potatoes, lemon juice, truffle oil, salt, pepper and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, and then cover and simmer for approximately 15-20 mins or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.

Puree soup either by using a handheld emulsion blender or a high-speed blender. If using a high-speed blender, be very careful with a hot soup. Hot liquids can “explode” in a blender if the canister is overfilled or started on a “high-speed”. Either puree soup in smaller batches on low speed or let the soup cool first ( then re-heat on the stovetop ). Puree soup until desired consistency is reached.  Serve with topping suggestions listed above.

The soup should last about 5 days in the refrigerator.