African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

Saturday, September 3, 2016 - Dinner
African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

I've been wanting to make this recipe for a while, so as soon as my local farm had fresh sweet potatoes, I jumped at the chance to cook up this stew.  I was not disappointed.  The stew smelled delicious while it was cooking, and it tasted fantastic.

It reminded me a little of the Saffron-spiked Moroccan Stew, but while that was sweet and spicy, this one was a hearty stew with a strong peanut flavor and a hint of sweetness.

I served the stew over couscous, per the cookbook's recommendation, and added some texture and made this meal even more filling and satisfying.

Carrot Ginger Soup

Sunday, December 13, 2015 - Dinner
Carrot Ginger Soup (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This soup was a unique combination of flavors that blended well together.  It was tasty, and really hit the spot on a dreary day.

Served with sweet and sour tofu and broccoli.  The sweet and sour sauce also turned out well, but was not a good combination with the soup - they were too similar and overpowered one another.  This soup would be a good appetizer or side dish with many other Asian meals. 

Split Pea Soup

Sunday, December 13, 2015 - Lunch
Split Pea Soup (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

I've made this recipe once before (a few years ago, before I started the blog). I liked it at that time, but I think I liked it better this time. I included the optional ingredient - liquid smoke - which added some flavor to the soup.  This is a hearty and filling soup, and I have plenty of leftovers for lunch!

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!

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!

Miso Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms

Tuesday, October 6, 2015 - Dinner
Miso Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms  (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This was an easy recipe to make. I combined the ingredients in a pot, then let it cook while I took a quick post-run shower. It was ready to eat shortly after I got back to the kitchen.

The soup was tasty. It wasn't particularly filling, which I suppose is why it's usually served as an appetizer. Next time I'll make something to go with it, or possibly add more veggies and/or some tofu.

The recipe makes 8-10 servings, so there are plenty of leftovers for me to eat for lunch the rest of the week. 

Red Lentil Artichoke Stew

Sunday, May 3, 2015 - Dinner
Red Lentil Artichoke Stew  (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This stew was very hearty and tasted great. It was very filling. The recipe said to serve the stew over rice or pasta, but I think I would have liked it even better in a bowl by itself.

It took a little longer for the stew to cook than the recipe suggested. In the future, I would probably start cooking the lentils separately while making the base for the stew, so that the lentils would soften earlier without the veggies getting too soft. I would definitely make this recipe again!

Served over Israeli couscous, with fresh-baked Italian bread.