Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Saturday, November 21, 2015 - Lunch
Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Soup (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This soup was a great lunch on a cool day.  It was a nice blend of sweet and spicy, and it was hearty and filling.  The leftovers were also very good.  The soup tasted like a delicious mixture of sweet curry and pumpkin pie!

Toasted Quinoa with Raisins and Slivered Almonds

Sunday, November 15, 2015 - Lunch
Toasted Quinoa with Raisins and Slivered Almonds (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This recipe was filling and tasty.  It had an interesting combination of flavors.  It may have been a little too salty, either from the added salt or from the vegetable stock used to cook the quinoa.  I think the leftovers tasted better the next day, once the flavors had combined a little more.  I also enjoyed how the raisins plumped up and absorbed water as they cooked.

Southwest Black Bean and Corn Pizza

Saturday, November 14, 2015 - Dinner
Southwest Black Bean and Corn Pizza (my recipe)

This was a yummy pizza, and an easy meal to make while watching football.
Here's my recipe.  The amounts of each ingredient are estimates, since I didn't measure, and you can add more or less of each as you prefer.

12" pizza crust, either store-bought or homemade - I used a store-bought thin crust.
Extra virgin olive oil (optional)
Tomato sauce
Fresh or dried cilantro
Cheese or dairy-free "cheese"
1/3 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 tomato, diced
8 green olives, diced small or chopped
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
Salsa and/or hot sauce
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F (or as directed on packaging)
Brush the crust lightly with olive oil.
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the crust.
Sprinkle cilantro on top of sauce.
Add a thin layer of shredded cheese - I used lactose-free mozzarella on 'my' side of the pizza (foreground), and the other side has a blend of cheddar and monterey jack cheeses.
Combine the black beans, corn, tomato, olives, and pepper in a bowl or colander, then spoon onto pizza.
Sprinkle a little more cheese on top.
Cook pizza in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust starts to brown.
Add a dollop of salsa on top of each piece, and add red pepper flakes to taste.

Saffron-spiked Moroccan Stew

Wednesday, November 11, 2015 - Dinner
Saffron-spiked Moroccan Stew (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This delicious stew had a great combination of sweet and spicy flavors.  The base of the soup was sweet potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, and chickpeas.  It had a variety of seasonings and spices, ranging from cinnamon to cayenne.  I used fresh ginger (after great results in the sweet & sour sauce).  The recipe called for saffron, which I have never used before - I was surprised at how expensive it was!  This pot of stew required $10 worth (about 1/2 teaspoon) of saffron threads, which are the dried stigmas of crocus flowers.  I'd like to make this stew again, because it was very good, but I would probably try it once without the saffron.

The stew was delicious and very filling.  Per the recipe's suggestion, the stew was served over couscous.  I used Moroccan couscous the first day (pictured), and larger tri-color Israeli couscous with the leftovers for lunch the rest of the week.  

If you left out the couscous and chickpeas, this stew would even work for my paleo friends!