Italian Escarole And White Bean Soup-

Warm up on a chilly fall evening with Italian escarole white bean soup. This simple, hearty soup is perfect for cozy autumn dinners and for enjoying on Halloween night.

My Halloween Night Soup Tradition

I started a tradition many years ago when my kids were young to always have a pot of hot and nourishing soup on the stove for dinner on Halloween night before the kids went out in the cold damp night to go trick or treating.-

 Even though the kids are now grown and my local grandkids are past the "trick or treating" age, I know that I, and the hubby, will still be keeping the tradition and enjoying some delicious hot soup on Halloween night. 

Farmer's Market Seasonal Produce

I was at our local farmer's market and spotted a large, beautiful head of escarole among the lettuces and other fresh greens. It looked so good that I had to bring one home. The only problem was that I wondered what the heck do you do with all that escarole? 

I went online and started looking for recipes and different ways to use up the escarole. Since the weather has turned much chillier, soup seemed like the perfect place to start.

Created A Recipe

I found lots of recipes for Italian escarole and white bean soup. After reading through several of them, I got the general idea and decided to create my own vegan version with ingredients I enjoy. It turned out to be hearty and tasted great! You'll find my recipe at the bottom of this post.

Abundance of Escarole

But there was one little problem: I still had a ton of escarole left over!

Fortunately, escarole is a versatile leafy green that can be used in many ways beyond soup. If you've ever bought a head of escarole and wondered what else to do with it, I've gathered some easy ideas to help you put those leftover greens to good use.

Here are some easy ways to use escarole :

• Sautéed escarole: Chop the leaves and cook them in a skillet with a little water or olive oil, chopped garlic, and your favorite seasonings. 

• Escarole with white beans: Cook escarole with cannellini beans, garlic, and vegetable broth for a flavorful side dish or a light meal over rice.

• Pasta: Stir chopped escarole into your favorite pasta dish during the last few minutes of cooking. 

• Salads: The inner, lighter-colored leaves are usually more tender and work well in salads. Combine them with sliced apples or pears, orange segments, or other vegetables for a fresh salad with a little pleasantly bitter flavor.

• Buddha bowls: Cooked escarole makes a delicious addition to bowls with brown rice, quinoa, roasted vegetables, and beans.

• Mix it into other cooked greens: Combine escarole with spinach, kale, or Swiss chard for a flavorful mixture of greens. 

• Beans and stews: Stir chopped escarole into a pot of simmering chickpeas, lentils, or other beans toward the end of cooking. It adds color, texture, and extra vegetables to the dish.

The Soup Recipe: 

Ingredients: 

1 cup of diced onions

2 cups of diced carrots

2 cups of diced celery

2 cups of diced potatoes

1 cup of diced zucchini

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 cans of cannelloni beans, drained

Seasoning: garlic powder, salt, freshly cracked pepper 

1 tablespoon of vegetarian chicken flavored bouillon powder

8 cups of water

2 heaping cups of shredded chopped escarole

Directions: 

Add the onions to the liner of the Instant Pot. Sauce in 1/4 cup of vegetable broth for about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, zucchini and garlic. Add 1/4 cup more of broth and saute for another 5 minutes stirring. Add the beans, bouillon, seasoning, and water. Secure lid and set to pressure cook for 5 minutes. When done, allow to sit for 5 minutes and then carefully release the steam according to the manufacturer's instructions. When all steam is released, carefully remove the lid and add the escarole. Allow it to wilt into the soup. Soup usually tastes best after it has had time to sit and the flavors  mingle. Give it at least an hour before eating.

My Notes:

1. Escarole can be sandy, so separate the leaves and wash them thoroughly before chopping. 

2. The outer, darker green leaves tend to be more bitter, while the inner leaves are generally milder and more tender.

3.  Chop into fine short pieces, since once cooked it may be stringy.

4. Escarole soup is often called Italian escarole soup because escarole has a long history of being used in Italian cooking, especially in Southern Italy. 

5. Cannelloni beans are available in most supermarkets.

                                    Happy Halloween!!!

LuLu in her Halloween costume.. ( My grand cat)

Halloween Jack -O'- Lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers

Looking for a fun and festive dinner idea for Halloween? These Halloween Jack-O'-Lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers are just the thing! Turn ordinary bell peppers into adorable little jack-o'-lanterns by carving funny faces into them and filling them with a delicious stuffing. 

I saw this clever idea with a different recipe on a wonderful blog called Carol On The Lake.  I thought it was so cute that I could not wait to try it and share my version. Thanks Carol.

My Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Wash and dry your peppers. Using a sharp pairing knife, cut off the lids, clean out the pepper, and cut out the triangle eyes. Place the peppers in a wide pyrex pan with 1/2 -3/4 cup of water or just enough to steam the peppers without boiling them or burning them. Cover the pyrex and bake for about 25- 30 minutes or until the peppers are on the soft but not mushy. Check after 20 minutes.

Instead of Carol's meat filling for the stuffed peppers, I made

a filling that is vegan and gluten-free for me. 

Tex Mex Plant-Based Filling

Ingredients

1 cup of chopped onions

1 cup of chopped bell peppers

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 can of black beans, drained 

1.5 cups of cooked rice (of your choice)

1 cup of salsa

1 teaspoon of cumin powder 

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder 

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Optional: some like it hot- add hot sauce! 

Directions:

Saute onions, bell peppers, and garlic on a low heat in a large rimmed skillet until they are soft-stirring often. Add black beans, cooked rice, salsa, and seasonings. Cook on medium for another 5 minutes until filling is hot.

Add the filling to the softend peppers and serve. 

My Pyrex pan for steaming the peppers in a little water in the oven covered.  Check frequently to make sure you take out the peppers when firm enough to stuff. 

These easy Halloween stuffed peppers are a creative way to bring a little Halloween or fall spirit to the dinner table. They're perfect for a family dinner before heading out to trick-or-treat, or for serving when you want something a little different during the Halloween or fall season. With their silly faces and tasty filling, these edible jack-o'-lanterns are sure to bring some smiles to the table!

We really enjoyed these stuffed peppers; they were very filling and tasty. Since the bell peppers were large, I only made three- which was enough for the two of us ! We each had one and a half. 

Don't Forget to Visit Carol's Blog

For the full original meat recipe and directions, visit Carol's Blog at  Carol On The Lake.  You may even be interested in some of her other posts.  I visit her weekly.

Don't want to cook the peppers?

 They could also be used uncooked to hold carrot sticks or celery sticks for crudités at a party!!!

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This is a simple recipe for quick pickled red cabbage and pickled red onions that is sure to add a healthy boost and some crunchy tangy zest to your sandwiches, salads, and Buddha bowls. I'm all for quick and easy.

Cinnamon Apple Honeynut Squash -A Fall Delight

It's officially fall! So it's out with the zucchini and in with the winter squash!

This cinnamon apple honeynut squash recipe is an easy and delicious way to enjoy these sweet little winter "honeynut squashes" that are now seasonally available in supermarkets and farmer's markets.

Carrot Ginger Zucchini Soup – Cozy Fall Vegetable Soup Recipe

A Chilly Fall Day Calls for Cozy Soup

Do you like the taste of fresh ginger? I do, and this easy carrot ginger zucchini soup feels cozy, soothing, and tastes delicious. 

My son's garden is still flourishing with zucchini, even though fall has officially arrived. When he gifted me three zucchini yesterday- two yellow and one green, I knew I wanted to put them to good use.

High Protein Chocolate Cookies- Better Than Protein Bars

Do you ever buy protein bars or add powdered protein to your smoothies? I do, and I decided to stop doing it on a regular basis. Instead, I decided to make my own high protein chocolate cookies, and guess what I used for the natural protein?  

Maple- Glazed Carrots and Leeks With Pomegranate Seeds For Rosh Hashanah

When was the last time you used leeks in a recipe? This recipe for sautéed leeks and carrots with pomegranate seeds is simple, sweet, colorful and delicious. I made it for Rosh Hashanah for our holiday meal. I meant to publish it last week, but got behind while traveling. ( If you just want the recipe and not the backstory, scroll down to the bottom of the post). 

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Red Lentil Potato Dal | An Easy Plant-Based Indian Dinner

Do you enjoy Indian cuisine? It's one of our favorites, and last night I made a simple, comforting red lentil potato dal that was relatively quick and easy- as vegetarian cooking goes. You gotta chop!

We're still hosting our cousin from Los Angeles, who is in the area for work. He's a film producer and spends most of the day working remotely, making him an easy houseguest. (His latest film is called "Monument" with John Voight). Since he only eats two meals a day, I like to make sure dinner is something filling. He is not a vegetarian, but he likes ethnic food.

Asian Summer Rolls- no cooking needed

Vegetable filling for Summer Rolls along with sliced pickles, mint, cilantro etc.

To start, I served fresh Asian summer rolls filled with grated raw vegetables, fragrant herbs from my garden, and a few unexpected additions like sliced pickles for extra crunch and flavor. I paired them with a gluten-free peanut dipping sauce that I found at Wegmans, and it was a perfect match.

No Lettuce Salad- no cooking needed

For the dinner, I made a delightful salad without lettuce using canned hearts of palm, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and chunks of avocado. It's one of my favorite combinations because it's fresh, colorful, and the slight juice from the hearts of palm and the creamy avocado kind of make its own dressing.

Rice and Red Lentil Potato Dal-25-30 minutes cooking

For the main course, I served my hearty red lentil potato dal over fluffy white rice. The simple dal was flavored with cumin seeds, ground cumin, turmeric, freshly grated ginger, cracked black pepper, and garlic powder (I had run out of fresh garlic). As it simmered, the kitchen filled with the warm aroma of Indian spices, making it hard to wait until dinner was ready.

The dal (and the rice cooked separately) cooked in pots on low rather quickly (about 30 minutes) so the kitchen didn't heat up too much.

Corn on cob- eaten raw- no cooking needed

Oh, I almost forgot ! I also served fresh corn on the cob from a local farmer who says his corn is Non GMO. It was so sweet, we ate it raw without cooking it. Corn is fabulous eaten right off the cob without cooking. It is sweet, crunchy, and delicious.

Yes, it was a filling meal; we were all so full that dessert wasn't even a consideration. We were stuffed!

The weather here has been brutal—104°F yesterday! It's definitely the kind of heat that makes me crave simple, nourishing meals that don't require hours in the kitchen.

How's the weather where you are? And what's been on your dinner table lately? I'd love to hear what you're cooking this summer.

Ingredients for the Red Lentil Potato Dal:  

1 tablespoon of cumin seeds

1 medium onion, diced

1 cloves of garlic, pressed or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger

2 cups of diced potatoes, or chopped how you like it

1 cup of red lentils, washed and drained

1 teaspoon of salt

cracked pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon of ground cumin powder

1/8 teaspoon of curry powder 

4 cups of water 

2 tablespoons vegetable bouillon powder

Optional: hot pepper of your choice

Directions: 

Sauté onion, ginger, cumin seeds in a wide rimmed skillet in a little water, or oil if you prefer, for 5 minutes stirring. Add chopped potatoes and coat and stir for 1 minute. Add red lentils, turmeric, pepper, cumin powder, curry powder, salt, water and bouillon. Stir, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover and cook for 25 minutes until potatoes are soft. Serve over cooked quinoa or rice.

My Notes: 

1. You could add jalapeño peppers or any hot pepper while cooking if you like it hot!! I don't... 

2. Use vegetable broth instead of water and bouillon powder.

3. Everything in this meal is gluten-free

I used a julienne peeler to grate the vegetables in a jiffy. 

It was called ReNext Multifunction Stainless... and it works great. 

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate for Amazon. If you click on a link and go to Amazon and you make a qualified purchase on Amazon- I will get a small commission. 

Summer Vegan Pesto

Today I'm sharing one of my favorite summer recipes—a fresh, vibrant healthy pesto made with fresh herbs that I snip straight from the containers on my deck. There's something very satisfying about stepping outside, gathering a handful of fresh herbs, and turning them into a flavorful sauce in just a few minutes.

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Mushroom Recipes Over The Years

After more than 15 years of blogging, my recipe archives are starting to feel a bit like a treasure hunt. Every time I search for something, I discover old recipes I haven't thought about in years.

Recently, I went looking for mushroom recipes. I simply typed "mushrooms" into the search bar on my blog and started browsing through the results.

 I discovered quite a collection—and several recipes I had completely forgotten about over the years. It was like opening a time capsule from my own kitchen. Some recipes brought back memories of family dinners, while others reminded me of ingredients and cooking techniques I haven't used in a while.

It was fun revisiting these recipes and seeing just how many ways mushrooms have found their way into my kitchen over the years. From comforting soups and hearty main dishes to simple sides, mushrooms have always been one of my favorite ingredients.

If you're a mushroom lover, I've rounded up some of my favorite mushroom recipes from the archives. I hope you'll find a few you might enjoy.

Mushrooms:

Roasted Mushroom Scampi  

Herbed Penne with Spinach  and Mushrooms 

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms

Do you like spinach and artichoke dip- you'll love this.

Asian Mushroom Soup 

Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy

Mongolian Mushrooms and Tofu ( link)

Portobello Burgers  (link)

My Notes: 

1. One of my readers, Angie, left a comment about heavy metals in mushrooms. I had no idea. So, I looked it up and found this article which I think is important to read about mushrooms. Who knew?

Heavy Metals in Mushrooms  (link to article I found online)

Easy Vegetable Pasta Dinner with Broccoli and Mushrooms.

 Looking for an easy summer dinner that is simple to prepare and assemble? Think pasta, mushrooms, and broccoli.

It has been quite a while since I last made pasta, but for some reason, I was now really craving it. I don't make it often because I try to keep the carbs in check, so I came up with a compromise—why not mix it up with lots of vegetables?

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A few days ago, I listened to a podcast episode of Mel Robbins featuring Dr. Dawn Mussallem — and I honestly haven’t stopped thinking about it since. If you like podcasts, Mel Robbins has incredible podcasts and I learn so much.

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A Vegan Chickpea and Cauliflower-Rice Bowl that I Make Again and Again

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People often ask me what I actually eat as a vegan, and I always laugh a little because I think many expect the answer to be something complicated, wierd, or unusual. The truth is, a lot of what I eat is incredibly simple—basic, wholesome foods put together in ways that are nourishing, satisfying, and delicious.

Greek White Bean Dip (Creamy Garlicky and Better Than Hummus)

Do you like dips? You will love the simplicity of this Greek recipe,

We had lunch the other day at a local Greek restaurant, and I fell in love with the creamy dip that the server placed on the table that she  referred to as hummus.

Spring Mushroom Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop Recipe)

What's in my soup pot right now? 

With the first signs of spring beginning to appear, my trusty soup pot naturally starts to feel a little lighter, and I start to think about making my light spring mushroom soup.