Cauliflower, Cabbage, and Cumin Soup

Do you want to eat more cruciferous vegetables and add low calorie soups to your diet? So do I-

This low calorie and delicious easy to make soup will fill you up while helping you lose weight!

The first time I made this soup, it was a cold Halloween night. I wanted to make a fast and easy seasonal soup to keep us warm before venturing out with the kids on the damp windy night.

For some reason, despite it being 75 degrees the day before, we experienced another cold Halloween. It was only 44 chilly degrees for the little ones to do their trick or treating.

It's always been my custom to make soup for dinner on Halloween.
I feel a big bowl of piping hot soup hits the spot before venturing out in the cold.

My soup this year, was created from vegetables that I received from my organic CSA:
Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, onion and fresh dill for the garnish. I blended in some white beans to give the soup some heartiness and at the same time make it creamy.

My good friend and fabulous cook , Laura, who co-authored Food No Matter What!  was visiting while I was making this soup. At her suggestion, I seasoned the soup with lots of cracked pepper, a little turmeric, and cumin. ( lots of nutrition and antioxidants there)

Freshly cracked black pepper and aromatic ground cumin really bring out the flavor of this otherwise bland soup, making it taste slightly spicy. As Laura reminded me, black pepper optimizes the absorption of the nutrients from the turmeric- so always use black pepper when using turmeric. 

My intention was to make a low calorie soup. ( I'm trying to lose weight again)
.

So I decided to sautee my onions in vegetable broth instead of oil and cooked the vegetables in a water right in the soup. If you are not concerned about the calories, sautee your onions in some tasty olive oil.

Cabbage and cauliflower are fall vegetables that create a mild flavorful soup full of antioxidants. Adding salt, cracked black pepper, turmeric, ginger and cumin really perks up the soup, making it robust without adding extra calories. 

Low in calories; high in nutrients
I'm estimating that a bowl of this creamy vegan and naturally gluten free soup is about 100 calories , very low in fat,  provides a good amount of fiber, some protein, and a significant amount of nutrients and antioxidants.  It's perfect for my weight loss and my health concerns!

I love making naturally gluten free recipes from healthy real food.
I had a bowl again today for lunch and really enjoyed it! I hope you like it too-

Author: Judee Algazi

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Blend time: 2 minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients; 

4 cups Chinese Cabbage, chopped ( any kind of cabbage will work)
4 cups fresh cauliflower, broken into small flowerettes
1 large organic onion, sliced in half moons
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tsp of ground ginger
10 cups of water ( or enough to just cover the vegetables)
5 cups flavorful vegetable broth + 1/4 cup for sautéing
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 cup and half of white beans, drained
Himalayan Salt to taste
Optional: Garnish with chopped dill, or chopped parsley

Directions

In a large soup pot, sautee the onion slices in 1/4 of vegetable broth until translucent. Add the cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, water and ground ginger. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer cook until the cauliflower is tender. Add the cracked pepper, turmeric and cumin and beans. Using an immersion blender, blend until creamy.

MY NOTES
** I prefer to add my beans and blend my beans into my soup just before eating it so I can measure how many beans I am eating calorie-wise. I take 2 cups of the soup and place it in a small soup bowl. I then add 1/4 cup of the white beans and blend. The beans are the most fattening ( yet healthy) part  of the soup-I want to make sure I only eat 1/4 cup-

** I love fresh dill and received lots of it at my CSA. I smothered the soup with it.

I adore dill - so I loaded it as a garnish

Linked on : My Blog Carnival List and Souper Sunday at Kahakai Kitchen and Vegan Fridays

Healthy Halloween Snacks using Vegetables & Fruit

Halloween is definitely the season when we eat too much candy and an overload on sugar. With the best of intentions, it's difficult to avoid the temptations of Halloween candy. There are some things you can do to help bring some balance to the season! 

 

If you are having a party at home or at school, why not focus on some Halloween type snacks that are good for you and fun too! The following non-candy ideas are gluten free/ grain free and can be made vegan. 

The Miracle of Green Smoothie

It seems that everyone is drinking green smoothies. But why and why do I call green smoothies a miracle smoothie? There are basically 4 reasons. 

1.  They are fast and easy to make.

2.  They are packed with nutrients, enzymes, and taste great.

3.  They help energize, rejuvenate, and heal

4. They work great for weight loss and detox.

With most people's hectic busy schedules, they can begin to rely on what can be made quickly- that often translates to prepared food that they pick up on the way home for dinner. But not in this case- you can prepare an enzyme rich, alkaline, nutrient dense, antioxidant superfood smoothies in minutes.  They taste great and are filling. You can drink one for a meal or a snack.

If you are looking for a powerful green smoothie that both energizes and stabilizes blood sugar, look no further. This great tasting " miracle" smoothie is the perfect way to start your day. It is made from a variety of greens in an almond milk base.

Do you ever feel stressed, overextended, frazzled, or exhausted?  A nutrient dense power smoothie will not only taste delicious but will also nourish your body with energizing vitamins, minerals, live enzymes and antioxidants that may help supply needed energy and nutrients in this one glass. I call it my miracle smoothie because it's a real pick me up when I'm run down !

We know breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day,  but sometimes I just don't know what to eat or don't have time to cook. This green smoothie can be made in minutes and gives you the start of the day that your body is craving. It can be made quickly and is easy to digest and absorb.

You can include greens, seeds, probiotics etc right into your smoothie! One drink with everything you need. Since you can vary the ingredients- you get to decide what works best for you.

We all want to eat right. I usually start out with good intentions, but I get sidetracked, busy, and stressed. I find myself going in a million directions with a mile long "to do" list. This is where this power shake comes in. 

It satisfies my need for fruit and vegetables. Once I drink my shake it not only nourishes, it also keeps me full. I can run on this shake for 3 hours! So if I have my shake at 9:00, I'm good until 12:00 or if I have it at 7:00 am , I'm good until 11:00. When I say "good"- I mean my blood sugar feels balanced, my energy is up, and I feel clear and focused. 

You could make this shake for breakfast, lunch, or if when you need a pick me up- but I like my energy to start early in the morning an sustain me as the day goes on. Remember a smoothie is made with raw vegetables which provide the greatest benefits!


My Basic Shake: 

Liquid : almond milk + water

Greens: choose from: organic kale, collards, spinach, sprouts, romaine lettuce, parsley, arugula, etc.

Fruit: organic berries, banana, organic peaches, organic apple, etc.

Healthy Fat: 1/4 avocado, 6 soaked almonds, chia seeds, flax seeds, 5 walnuts

Spices: choose from: cinnamon, turmeric, ginger,

10 Reasons to Make a Miracle Smoothie

1. Quick and Easy
2. Grab and Go
3. Alkaline
4. Extremely nutrient and enzyme rich
5. Helps detox and elimination
6. Vital vitamins and minerals 
7. Provides good fats
8. Recipe can be varied for taste and nutritional benefits
9. High in fiber  
10. Easy to digest and absorb
11. Alkaline

My Basic Power Smoothie Recipe



Ingredients:

• 1/4 avocado
• 2 large organic kale leaves
• 2 organic dandelion leaves
• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, unsweetened coconut milk, 
• Desired amount of water 
• 1/2 organic green apple with peel and seeds or 1/2 cup of organic blueberries or a banana
• 1/4 cup of organic parsley
• 1/4 organic lemon with juice and peel ( the peel is very rich in vitamins- only use organic) 
• 1/2 organic cucumber 
• 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 slice of organic beet ( raw beet is very cleansing- go easy) 
• Add ins of your choice ( see below) 

Directions: 

Blend everything in the Vtiamix and drink immediately. 

**I vary my greens each week to avoid alkaloid buildup- raw leafy greens contain a mildly toxic substance called alkaloids which help protect the plant from predators- By varying your greens each week , you don't get too much of any little toxins! 

Greens

• Choose from kale, collards, spinach, dandelions greens, romaine lettuce, etc. bok choy, carrot greens, parsley, etc.

Add Ins: 
The beauty of a Miracle Smoothie is that you can add anything you like to it!

1. Probiotics - ( I open the capsule ) 

2. Nuts, seeds

3. Flax oil

4. Blackstrap molasses 

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

6. All kinds of greens 

7. All kinds organic fruit - strawberries, raspberries, mango, banana, pears,  ( use frozen organic fruit for variety) 
8. Soaked and peeled almonds ( why it's important to soak almonds before eating) 


I call it my miracle smoothie because of the vital nourishment and raw enzymes that I receive when I drink it_ compared to a bowl of cereal, it wins hands down..

Don't stop eating raw at breakfast-
Here's the easiest and quickest way to keep eating healthy greens the rest of the day.  

Tips for the Make Ahead Salads for Lunch and Dinner

Another way to get my greens, enzymes and nutrients 
Planning goes a long way- In addition to starting the day with a miracle shake another time saver is my salad in a jar for a week- one prep and salad for 5-7 days! You make your salads in advance and seal them in a mason jar- so easy and so healthy. I make all kinds of salads and they are convenient and ready for me every day for lunch or dinner- you can even add protein and avocado to your mason jars-  click here see the salad post

With a power smoothie and a ready salad for lunch or dinner, you are on your way to a healthier way of eating!

“We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons.” ~ Alfred E. Newman

Do you make a daily green smoothie? What do you use in your smoothie. Please share your thoughts...

Linking this post to these  weekly blog carnivals

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor and am not trying to diagnose or treat disease. The information on this blog is for educational information only. If you have a medical problem please consult your doctor. Do not change your diet without asking your doctor.

Candied Butternut with Pecans and Cranberries

Tis the season to be experimenting with a variety of butternut squash recipes.
One of my favorites is this medley of roasted butternut squash cubes,  pecans, and dried cranberries in a maple syrup sauce that are dusted with cinnamon and vanilla. Can you imagine???