cold remedies – SET the TABLE with LOVE

Vegan Gluten Free Mushroom and Sage Pizza with a Spicy White Bean spread

Published on February 19, 2015February 19, 2015 by Life with Lisa WashingtonLeave a comment

Enough is Enough. I had to go to the doctor and get my ears checked, bad cold. Lots of fluids, rest and some good soup and I will be back on the mend. I love my Emory doctors. They believe in helping me heal naturally. Well as I was driving through my neighborhood, I got to see all the winter wonder everyone has been talking about. The trees in our neighborhood is covered in ice. I feel like I am in the beginning of a Frozen movie. LOL. My granddaughter would appreciate that reference. Here is a few pictures I took today in my neighborhood.

It is still chilly and windy outside, so after my doctor’s appointment, I was very hungry and needed something warm and comforting. I wanted something that said wintery forest, like my neighborhood. So, I came up with this little gluten free and vegan pizza. It is so delicious. You will never miss the cheese or meat. The Spicy White Bean spread is smooth, spicy and full of flavor. It pairs well on the earthiness from the mushrooms, fennel, sage and garlic. Please save some the bean spread and use it as a dip later with cut pepper, carrots and celery. The mushrooms I used today were, baby bellas and porcinis. I love porcini mushrooms, they taste and smell like the woods to me.

Well here is the recipe. Enjoy! Oh yes, Please remember to Set the Table with Love.

Mushroom and Sage Vegan Gluten Free Pizza

Mushroom and Sage Gluten Free Pizza with a spicy white bean spread

Mushroom and Sage Vegan Gluten Free pizza

1 gluten free small pizza crust

1 can organic white beans

1 cup mushrooms. I used a mixture of baby bellas and porcini mushrooms

7 sage leaves, one to chop and add into bean spread. The rest for garnish.

1/4 cup red bell peppers, chopped for garnish

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 tsp dried fennel

1 tsp Montreal spicy steak seasoning, or cracked black pepper, garlic flakes, cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tsp salt for bean spread and season mushrooms and garlic sauté

1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Drizzle 1/2 tbsp olive oil over pizza crust and spread out to cover the crust. Add the remaining olive oil in a sauté pan and add mushrooms and garlic cloves. Sauté on medium heat until slightly tender. Drain beans and rinse. Add the beans to a pot on medium heat. Add Montreal spicy steak seasoning, salt, garlic and one chopped sage leaf. Stir and Cook for 10 minutes. Add beans to a food processor and blend until smooth. Allow the bean spread to cool then add bean spread onto pizza crust and spread out evenly. Add sautéed mushrooms and garlic. Garnished with sage and peppers. Pop in the oven on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven. Cut into slices and Enjoy.

What’s in the Fridge ~ French Onion Soup

Published on February 18, 2015 by Life with Lisa WashingtonLeave a comment

Onions are amazing . They are antibacterial, antioxidant, antiseptic and detoxifying. The crazy weather we are having in Georgia has many of my friends and myself sick with colds, headaches, body aches and the like. My son’s school is closed due to icy road, so I made him some Baked Gluten Free Vegan Cinnamon, Cardamom, and Ginger Glazed Donuts. Now that’s a mouthful. I will post that recipe later this week. Lots of detail. LOL. Needless to say my son ate four donuts in one sitting. Well back to the soup. This is my version of French Onion soup, because this is what I had in my fridge and pantry. I hope you enjoy this spin on French Onion Soup. The Parmesan and Herb Croutons are Gluten free and Vegetarian. If you read my blog, you know I love Belgioioso Vegetarian Parmesan.

French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp light brown sugar

1 garlic clove, crushed

3 cups organic vegetarian broth

2 tbsp sweet red wine

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Dash of nutmeg

Directions:

Heat the oil in a heavy pan and cook the onions slowly about 30 minutes until they are very soft. Don’t skip this. Slowly cooking the onions bring out there sweetness. Sprinkle the brown sugar and garlic over the onions and cook until the onions are golden brown. Stir in the vegetable stock and red sweet wine, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add your soup to a bowl and top with the Gluten free Vegetarian Parmesan cheese croutons or you can skip the cheese and just add your croutons. Enjoy!!

Gluten Free Vegetarian Parmesan Herbed Croutons

Gluten free Vegetarian Parmesan cheese croutons

Directions:
Break up some Gluten-free Multi grain Udi bread into rustic pieces. Add a tbsp olive oil in a sauté pan and sauté the croutons until golden brown. Add herbs if you like. Top with Vegetarian Parmesan cheese and stick under the broiler until the cheese is melted or for a vegan version skip the cheese.

Spicy Corn and Poblano Soup with Honey and Sage Cornbread

Published on January 9, 2015January 9, 2015 by Life with Lisa WashingtonLeave a comment

This is the season for soup. Today I made a Spicy Corn and Poblano Soup. I wanted some bread to go with it. I was in the mood for some cornbread, but with a twist. I have had this idea in my mind for a week to make a Honey and Pistachio Cornbread. I did not have pistachios, but I did have some sage. It is a wonderful combination. Here’s the recipe and it’s gluten free. This version is a lighter version of this soup, still packed with lots of flavor.

Spicy Corn and Poblano Soup

1 large garlic cloves, unpeeled and minced

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 cup onions, roughly chopped

1/2 cup poblano peppers, roughly chopped

1/2 cup red bell peppers, roughly chopped

1 cup organic frozen corn

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp sea salt ( to taste)

1 tsp smoked paprika

4 cups vegetable broth

In a large sauce pan on a medium heat, add the oil and the cumin seeds and cook for a minute to release it’s natural oils, add the onions and sauté until transparent, then add the garlic and sauté until soften. Add your corn and spices. Stir and add 4 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil for a minute and lower the soup to a simmer for 15 minutes. Serve hot with the Honey and Sage Cornbread.

Gluten Free Honey and Sage Cornbread

Wet Ingredients

2 large eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature

1 cup unsweetened Almond Milk

1/2 cup Organic honey

1/3 cup Olive oil

Dry Ingredients

1/2 cup Bob’s Mills Tapicoa Flour

1/2 cup Bob’s Mills Sorghum Flour

1/4 cup Bob’s Mills Brown Rice Flour

1 cup Bob’s Mills GF Cornmeal

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Xanthan Gum

1 tsp Sea Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease cast-iron skillet. Set a side.

2. In a large bowl, beat the wet ingredients with an electric mixer on low speed until well blended.

3. In a separated bowl, whisk together dry ingredients until thoroughly blended. Gradually, with a blender on low speed, add in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until the mixture is thick like cake batter. Spread evenly in the cast-iron pan.

4. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until top is firm and edges are lightly browned.

5. Remove from oven and drizzle with olive oil and honey before serving.

Spicy Garlic and Onion Soup ~ Thy medicine

Published on January 9, 2015January 9, 2015 by Life with Lisa Washington4 Comments

It’s so cold here in Georgia and being a kidney transplant survivor, my immune system is compromised due the medications I have to take to keep my husband’s donated kidney alive. I am grateful to have a second chance at life, but it takes some education and skill to keep things balanced. I can’t take certain herbs or do anything that will boost my immune system up too much. So, I turn to food as Hippocrates quoted:

So this week I have been making healing soups. Now here’s thing about healing soups. They are made with the intention to make you feel better, so these soups are delicious but very powerful in flavor. Like my Red Soup on my blog for warding off colds and flus. It may have you growing chest hair, if you do not already have it, but it’s quite effective. This Garlic and Onion soup is delicious and packed with garlic flavor. A garlic lover’s dream.

Bubbling Garlic Onion and Red Pepper Flake Roux

Make this soup when you feel a little tickle in your throat or you just have to get your garlic fix on. Enjoy.

Spicy Garlic and Onion Soup

Ingredients:

4 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp olive oil ( to garnish soup) , 1 tbsp olive oil to make the roux

15 peeled garlic cloves

1/2 cup onions, roughly chopped

2 tbsp onions, diced and sautéed until golden brown ( to garnish the soup)

1 /2 tbsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp sea salt (or more to taste)

4 cups Organic Vegetable Broth

4- 6 large cubes of day old french bread

A blender, VitaMix or Ninja

Directions

In a large sauce pan add 3 tbsp of olive oil and place in the garlic cloves, cook for 3 minutes and then add the onions. Cook them on a medium low heat, until onions and garlic are light golden brown and tender. You do not want them to burn, so keep a close eye on them. Add red pepper flakes and a pinch of the salt, stir and allow to cook for a minute or so to infuse the spice from the pepper. Add the flour and tsp of olive oil to make a roux. Stir until all the ingredients are covered in the flour and oil mixture. You will allow this to cook for another 2- 3 minutes. Pull off the fire and set aside.

In another sauce pan add 1 tbsp of olive oil and the onion’s you will garnish the soup with on a medium low heat and cook until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.

Add garlic, onion and red pepper flake mixture to your Ninja, Vitamix or Blender until you have a creamy consistency. Add the 4 cups of vegetable broth and blend. The soup will be watery. Add the large cubes of french bread a couple of pieces at a time, blend. The bread is a thickening agent for the soup, so adding the bread a little at a time will give you the consistency you need. I used 6 cubes to get the thickness I needed. Once you have gotten the soup creamy add it to a pot and warm it up, stirring constantly. If it is too thick you can always add a little more vegetable broth or water. Add the rest of the salt to taste.

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