Month: June 2021

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This recipe was inspired by a fellow blogger whom I follow and enjoy reading, she always has such great recipes. Please check her out at Dorothy’s New Vintage Kitchen ( vintagekitchen.org)

Gazpacho is a great chilled Spanish soup that is a blend of raw vegetables so I guess that since half my vegetables are roasted then this isn’t a true Gazpacho some may say but you be the judge, it is very tasty and the base/main ingredients are bread, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, tomato, cucumber so I feel this is a Gazpacho.

I started with a variety of peppers and tomatillos to grill for dinner but I wanted to save half for this soup on the next day, so I will do a different post with my awesome roasted veggies to show how one quick night of cooking can turn out such completely different dinners that are good, easy and so versatile.

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Roasted Pepper Gazpacho:

Serving 4-5 adults, prep time about 20 minutes can be less, chill time for soup at least 4 hours

4 cups Tomato juice

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 plump tomatos cut in large bites

1 roasted poblano pepper sliced

1 roasted sweet red bell pepper sliced

1 jalapeno seeded and cut up the sized doesn’t matter at this point

3 roasted tomatillos sliced

1 large shallot sliced

4-5 cloves of garlic sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilontro

1 English cucumber chopped with peel left on,( I saved 1/4 of it to dice so that I could have some different texture in my pureed soup.)

The following seasoning per taste salt, black pepper, cayenne and ground cumin

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In a food processor or blender add fresh veggies (all except the 1/4 cup diced English cucumber) add roasted peppers and tomatillos. Pour tomato juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar and add your seasoning then puree the vegetables. Pour pureed mixture into a large container with the 1/4 cup of diced cucumber, chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

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Serve in chilled bowls with avocado toast then enjoy!

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I wanted to make a different taco the other night but as I got out my tofu and Greek yogurt I noticed I should have used them a few days before my taco Tuesday dinner. If you have read much of my blog you know I like curve balls so this wasn’t to much of a disappointment.

I had the vegetables but needed the protein, so without making a sauce with my Greek yogurt or using tofu I decided to make a faster dinner using a can of black beans.

I am not substituting the black beans thinking they are equal in nutrition to tofu but simply deciding on another healthy option for tacos. Black beans have more folate, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid. than tofu. Plus they have potassium and of course fiber so this still provides a decent amount of vitamins. Tofu does have less carbs than black beans plus awesome protein, calcium and iron.

I will have to make the tofu tacos on a latter date and maybe you can decided if you like one over the other.

Black Bean Taco:

3-4 servings, prep/cook time 20-30 minutes (depending on how fast you chop the veggies)

1 15 ounce can of Black Beans ( almost drained, leavening about a teaspoon to use when you cook them so they don’t get dry)

1 Jalapeno diced and if you prefer seeds removed

4-5 cloves of Garlic diced

1 small White Onion diced

1/2 head of Romaine Lettuce chopped

1-2 Tomatoes chopped

1-2 cups of shredded mixed Mexican cheese

1-2 Limes cubed for on top of tacos ( you can skip this if you don’t like lime on your taco)

Salt, Black Pepper, ground Cumin per taste

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

8-10 small white corn Tortillas

In a large frying pan add olive oil, diced jalapenos, garlic and onion sauté on med/high heat for about 5-8 minutes add the black beans, salt black pepper ground cumin turn down the heat to low simmering for another 10-15 minutes.

As the beans simmer cut up lettuce, tomato. Warm up tortillas and place cheese next to the rest of the toppings.

On white corn tortillas add the bean mixture then top with the cheese, lettuce, tomato then if you desire squeeze lime over the taco then enjoy.

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I can’t believe it is June already but with the heat wave that is sweeping across my area it feels like August. I was wanting something cool for dinner and decided on chilled cucumber soup and egg salad sandwiches, this time I took pictures of this refreshing soup so I thought I would give new life to this older post.

Chilled soup is so great at keeping a person cool and the chickpea sandwiches are a good different twist when you aren’t in the mood for egg salad.

Cucumbers are low in calories but offer so much help in the heat. They keep you hydrated, give comfort to sunburns or puffy eyes plus a great help with headaches and keeping your blood pressure in healthy range. Buttermilk has some great benefits too like reducing body heat and dehydration. Have some digestion problems? Buttermilk has been shown to help with digestion and even irritable bowels.

The benefits of the ingredients are so many, it’s just amazing how much this soup helps me on a hot day.

Hope this helps cool you down.

Todays recipe is another one to keep you cool and it is perfect when your appetite is a little smaller because of the hot weather. I grew up eating this with a nice egg salad sandwich but sometimes changing it up to chickpeas for protein.

I love the fact that I can make this first thing in the morning and let set in the refrigerator all day waiting for me to come home and just set it out then eat.

Based on your family size you may need to add or decrease the amounts but for a nice summer meal it’s great.

Chilled Cucumber Soup:

1 quart of buttermilk

1-2 medium cucumbers ( depends on size and how chunky you would like your soup)

Hand full of Green onions or 1 small purple onion ( white onions also work)

Fresh ground pepper and a pinch of salt to taste

Peel cucumber, chop green onions, great cucumber and if using purple onion grate this as well. In container add grated cucumber and onion, pour in buttermilk add seasoning. Chill for the entire day. Best if served in chilled bowls.

Chickpea Sandwiches:

1 Can of chickpeas washed and drained

Mustard, olive oil mayo ( vegan mayo)

Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Bread of your choice

Pour chickpeas into dish, mash with a fork then add the mustard and mayo enough to make a tasty paste ( think consistency of egg salad ) now season to taste. Refrigerate the when ready make into sandwiches. This will keep well for a few days in the refrigerator.