Monday, January 16, 2017

Meatless Monday: Soup and Shepherd's Pie

Every day is meatless for me, but thought I'd share a couple of recipes with you in case you'd like to try some meatless meals, too.
Yesterday I was going to make a stew to eat over wild rice,  but decided to turn it into a soup instead.  I never measure and don't often follow a recipe.  You can't really go wrong with soup if you are using ingredients and seasonings you know and like.  Sometimes I'll read through many recipes, figure out what I have on hand and then just make it up as I go.  

White Bean, Spinach and Wild Rice Soup
Saute 6 cloves of minced garlic, a small chopped onion, small tomato and Italian seasoning in olive oil.  Add about 6 cups of vegetable broth, a can of drained white beans, a bunch of fresh or frozen spinach.  I always add extra garlic powder, even when I use fresh garlic.  Sea salt & black pepper to taste.  Boil and then simmer until the spinach is done.  I cooked a pot of wild rice separately so put two big spoons of it into the soup, then squeezed in the juice of one lemon and stirred through before serving. Adjust seasoning as needed. Served with toasted multicereal bread and a fresh spinach salad.

Today, I made vegan shepherd's pie.
The recipe is from the blog Minimalist Baker.
I've made many of their recipes and have always been pleased with the results.
(Though, again, I don't always follow the recipe to a tee and usually always add extra spices.)
We had broccoli on the side.

My husband just had surgery and requires a fiber rich diet and the best sources for fiber are beans and legumes, vegetables, fruits and whole grains.  He had a tendency to moan and groan just a little bit as he sometimes felt like I was depriving him with my plant-based diet; but I think he may just be coming around to my way of thinking now. 

Health and Happiness,

18 comments:

Betsy said...

My goodness these look good Tammy. I am one of the rare few that can't eat a lot of fiber because of G.I. issues and although I love all the fruits and vegetables and especially beans, I just can't eat very many of them. I'm glad your hubby is beginning to like the things that you enjoy eating. That makes life much easier! Ha ha!
Blessings,
Betsy

Sam I Am...... said...

Thank you for the recipes! I was shocked when I heard Sam had surgery! Did he celebrate too much on his birthday? I hope he is recovering and not in a lot of pain. Ouch! I thought he did eat healthy? I'm sorry it took an illness to convince him that your way was the best! It's just a given that women know best....you'd think he would know that by now....lol! Wish him well for me and I hope that was just a one time trip to the hospital. Take care!

Lorrie said...

Although we do eat meat, we like lots of vegetables, too, and these meatless meals sound delicious. I rarely use a recipe for soups and casseroles - and mix and match what I have, just like you do. Hope your husband recovers well.

Gracie Saylor said...

Two days ago I had a batch of fresh spinach that I was afraid would spoil before I ate it raw, so I rinsed it and popped it into a pan of water with some sliced carrots. I boiled it until the carrots were soft and used an immersion blender, leaving it with little carrot chunks. To serve it I poured in a little unsweetened almond milk and then sprinkle sea salt on top. I have found it simple but satisfying and it could easily be jazzed up with spices and onions and garlic. Thanks for sharing your recipes, Tammy, and I hope your husband heals rapidly! xx

Anonymous said...

First .....sending healing vibes to your dear husband. I hope his recovery is quick and easy.

Second --------------oh my that SOUP! I will definitely be giving that a try. Anything with beans and spinach sounds good to me.

Laurie said...

Hey, Tammy. Both dishes sound awesome. I love soup in the winter. My grandkids love shepherd pie...I'm going to make it meatless for them. Thanks for sharing.

Melanie said...

Your recipes look delicious. I used to eat mostly a vegetarian diet, but developed IBS and now I can't digest beans. They make me very sick. I'm OK with a small amount of lentils. We had a vegan meal tonight. It was a recipe from the new issue of Forks Over Knives - potato and spinach tacos. Had sauteed onion and poblano pepper in it, then the whole concoction was finished with some almond milk and nutritional yeast. It was delicious. Even my carnivore guys loved it!

Melanie said...

PS - I hope your husband is recuperating well from his surgery!

Createology said...

I like your way of cooking and these dishes do look delicious. I don't always eat meat so these are possibilities for me to make. Healing Energy for your husband.

Teresa Kasner said...

Those dishes look yummy, Tammy. How is your husband doing with his recovery? I'm sorry he had to have that.. no fun. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Maya Kuzman said...

This sounds delicious Tammy and thank you for sharing it! I also don't use recipes so this is not strange at all:)
I wish your husband a fast recovery!

linda said...

I hope that your hubby makes a speedy recovery Tammy, your food looks and sounds amazing. :) xx

Tanna said...

He is a lucky man to have such a wonderful and healthful cook! Looks like SUCH a delicious meal. I hope his recovery is swift and complete! blessings ~ tanna

Linda said...

Those look good, Tammy! We're not entirely meatless here, though we usually have healthy meals. I rarely eat bread/grains as I'm very careful about caloric intake and also those items don't agree with me very well. Hope your husband is doing well. Have a great week.

Caterina Giglio said...

hope your husband recovers quickly, but it looks like you are taking good care of him! Yum!! xo

Amy at love made my home said...

Although we are meat eaters here I try and add lots of plants - veggies - to dishes like these, I throw in extra veg to our meat shepherds pie, our chilli is mostly veg, a pasta bake tonight had tomatoes added, it makes a big difference and makes things very tasty doesn't it! Hope that all will be well for your husband and that the extra veggies help him along the way.

Mereknits said...

Tammy, they both sound delicious. I wish I was coming over for dinner.

Quinn said...

These dishes look so good! I've been eating homemade soup every day for a few weeks now, and it is such a nice feeling to come in wet or cold and know I can warm up a bowl of good soup in about two minutes.
I hope your husband is recovering well! Food made with love is such good medicine :)

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