Middle Eastern Chickpea Soup

(From Vegan Fire and Spice - shared with me by my friend, Eleanor) 

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs olive oil

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 bay leaf

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• ¼ tsp ground coriander

• ⅛ tsp turmeric

• 3 cups vegetable broth

• 3 cups cooked or 2 (15.5 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp cayenne

• 1 or 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

• 2 Tbs minced parsley

• 2 Tbs minced fresh mint (can use 2 tsp dried)

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cover and cook until the onion softens, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in the bay leaf, cumin, coriander, and turmeric. Cover and cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add the broth and chickpeas. Cover partially and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool. Discard bay leaf. Add salt, cayenne, lemon juice, parsley and mint.

2. Process the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan.  If the soup is too thick, add a little water. Serve with buttered rice on top (truly necessary, not amazing on its own but great with the buttered rice!)

Brocolli and Cheese Soup

SOUP-er yummy!!!

1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup margarine or 1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt ( or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon white pepper ( or to taste)
1 cup chicken broth
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups chopped broccoli, cooked crisp-tender
1 -2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped celery

Saute onion and celery in butter in saucepan over medium heat until tender.

Add flour, and salt and pepper, cooking and stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly.

Add broth and milk (all at once), stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken.

Add cooked broccoli (I like to steam mine then cool in cold water to preserve color), stirring until all is heated through.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted and smooth (place back on heat briefly if necessary).

Crockpot Hot Apple Cider

I made two batches of this for a gathering of 20 people (including children), and we drank most of it.  This is a very yummy spiced cider that doesn't require tea bags or cheesecloth for the spices, thanks to the cloves-studded orange.

12 cups apple cider
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
3 sticks (3") of cinnamon 
1 orange (studded with whole cloves)

Combine the apple cider, brown sugar, ground cloves, ground allspice, cinnamon sticks, and the orange studded with cloves in a 4 to 5 quart slow cooker. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve in mugs.

You can keep this beverage warm for about 2 hours after it is done cooking. Just turn the slow cooker to "keep warm." This recipe can be cut in half for a smaller gathering.

Original Recipe from The Spruce

Slow Cooker Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal

A few notes: 

Rolled oats are not as sturdy as steel cut, so I don’t cook them as long. If you want to make these into overnight oats, either use steel cut, or be prepared for mushy oatmeal.

If the oatmeal is too thick, add a little more milk or water when heating.

Make this oatmeal ahead of time and store in single-serve containers for a quick, hearty breakfast!

Serves: 8

3 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups milk
4 cups water
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker.
Cook on low for about 4 hours.

OR

Replace old-fashioned oats with steel cut and cook on low for about 8 hours. 

Lemon Yogurt Poppy Seed Muffins

1st bowl:
2 cups white whole wheat flour (or about 1 3/4 cup wheat and about 1/4 cup white)
3 Tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon zest (1-2 LARGE lemons)
1 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

2nd bowl:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

3rd bowl:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain yogurt (or Greek yogurt)
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup whole milk (just shy)

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare muffin tins by greasing or lining them.

Whisk together the first 6 ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Whisk the oil, applesauce, egg, and vanilla in another bowl.

Mix the sugar, yogurt, lemon juice, and milk in another bowl.

Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the egg and stir.  Add about 1/2 the milk, repeat ending with the flour.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tins and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Recipe from Happily Unprocessed

Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken

3.5 lbs bone-in chicken thighs and/or drumsticks (or breasts!)
18 oz barbecue sauce
1 whole onion small diced
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Lay all your chicken pieces in your Instant Pot.

Combine the barbecue sauce, onion, water, honey, salt, and pepper in a bowl and whisk well.
Pour sauce over chicken.

Place Instant Pot lid on and set to either the poultry button or manual pressure for 15 minutes. Preheat broiler.

When time is up, do a quick release. Remove chicken and place on a tin foil-lined baking sheet. Keep sauce in instant pot and press saute button. 

Place chicken under the broiler for 3 minutes until the skin has crisped up a bit. Leave sauce on saute setting while mixing for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Pour sauce over the chicken and serve.

Recipe slightly adapted from Eat Live Run

Blueberry Oatmeal

Serves 2

1 ⅓ cups water
⅛ teaspoon salt (optional)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons mild honey
⅔ cup rolled oats or oatmeal
⅓ cup blueberries
½ teaspoon finely chopped or grated orange zest
½ cup low-fat milk, soy milk, almond beverage or rice beverage

Bring the water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Add the salt, cinnamon, honey and oatmeal. Reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for five minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed. Add the blueberries, orange zest and milk (or alternate beverage). Bring to a simmer, and simmer five more minutes or until the oatmeal is thick and creamy and the blueberries have begun to pop. Cover and let stand for five minutes, then serve. (I drizzle lightly with honey to sweeten as needed, especially if using frozen blueberries!)

Recipe from the NY Times