AnnaVeda Ayurvedic Soup Recipe

AnnaVeda Soup

This soup has become a dish that I can whip up quickly to pacify my need for some warmth on these chilly New England winter days.

This dish is soothing, calms frazzled nerves and can be modified to suit your constitution depending upon the spices you add/omit.

Here is the basic recipe, which I made up this month in my kitchen:

6 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth (Organic)
1/4 Cup Any Rice (I like Brown Basmati Rice)
1/2 Cup Chopped carrots (Organic)
1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce (Organic)
1 Tsp Fresh Chopped Parsley (Organic)
1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Celery (Organic)
1 Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper (Omit for Pitta)
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Freshly Chopped Basil (Organic)
1 Pinch Sea Salt
Lemon Juice (1 tsp)

Wash the rice. (Really, wash it.)
Bring the rice to a boil in the veggie broth. Add a bit of water if needed. (This is soup so keep it soup-like)
Add the carrots, boil for another 20 minutes.
Add the celery and tomato sauce, reduce flame to medium and simmer 10 additional minutes.
Add remaining ingredients, simmer over low flame about 5 minutes.

If your constitution is Vata, add a bit of cayenne pepper. You may also add a handful of a veggie pasta as I did with this version during the last 9 minutes of boiling the carrots. (Kapha constitution - omit the pasta).

Leave out the black pepper if your constitution is Pitta or cut it down to half. Squirt a bit of lemon juice into each bowl and serve hot. I topped this off with a few fresh pea shoots I purchased at my local health food store, Puritan & Genesta in Mystic, CT. They gave the soup a little crunch and a splash of cheery green. Enjoy!

Tiny Chocolate Creme Filled Vegan Cookies

These are the same Vegan cookies as the large version I made last week, except I reduced the cookie's diameter to approximately 1.5". The filling - ahh yes, the vanilla creme filling; this time I used my snazzy Mechanical Pastry Bag from Williams-Sonoma and gave the edges of the filling that really neat bakery ribbing. In other news, our color print ad announcing Very Good Vegan Volume One in VegNews magazine is set to hit sometime soon- http://www.vegnews.com/ to visit their awesome site. This is our first Vegan Instructional Cooking DVD that is on sale now on our sites http://www.annaveda.com/, http://www.annavedakitchen.com/, and http://www.verygoodvegan.com/.

There has been a lot of buzz about the Very Good Vegan DVD at local health food shops, and yoga studios. The DVD is also available at shops in Westerly, RI, Stonington, CT, and Mystic, CT - listed on our website. Very Good Vegan Volume One is shipping for free on our sites, spread the word. Yes, we will also gift wrap if you like.

Portabella Mushroom Burgers

Hey gang! Did you know that Portabella Mushrooms make a tasty burger any time of year - no need to wait for those summertime cook-outs to enjoy a Vegan burger...

Take some nice clean, dry fresh Portabella Mushrooms, heat a large cast iron frying pan over high heat - coat it with a teaspoon of high quality olive oil, toss in the mushrooms with bit of garlic powder and roast 4-5 minutes on each side. I topped these off with some nice Soy mozarella "cheese" from Trader Joe's - served on a hot Ciabatta Roll along woth some mixed greens et voila! Lunch is served. Some facts: Portabella Mushrroms are a good source of potassium, niacin and selenium. Eat up!

Vegan Chocolate Creme Filled Sandwich Cookies

Vegan Chocolate Creme Filled Sandwich Cookies

Similar in texture and taste (less the toxic store bought aftertaste) to a childhood favorite of mine, these cookies absolutely rock. The chocolate discs are mottled with crunchy turbinado sugar, yet the cookies themselves are tender and moist. The creme filling is the only truly naughty component because it contains confectioner's sugar. If you are interested in this vegan cookie recipe - email us info@annaveda.com
By the way FREE shipping is available right inow on our Very Good Vegan Volume 1 DVD.
Visit www.VeryGoodVegan.com to order

Vegan Almond Cashew Horn Cookies

Vegan Almond Cashew Horns

This was an all new recipe I whipped up last night - the cashews and almonds were pan roasted, then placed in a food processor and pulsed finely. The end result: a nutty warm crumbly cookie that hit the spot. Dairy free, crazy, I know, right? They actually had that old school Brooklyn bakery taste, look and feel.

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

My spin on the traditional dish swaps out ground beef for a soy based substitute (look for it near the tofu at your local market). I also used a vegan cheddar cheese alternative that comes shredded in a pouch. End result: a filling meal baked-up with one of my favorite foods on top - mashed potatoes! In other news the new website is in progress and will be ready shortly, the DVD itself is being replicated this week, and we will be participating in the upcoming Boston vegetarian Food Festival on November 1st! http://www.bostonveg.org/foodfest/index.html

Hope to see everyone there!

Vegan Whoopie Pies

Vegan Whoopie Pies

Sushi Rice Pancakes

Sushi Rice Pancakes

Vegan Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies & Ratatouille

Vegan Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Ratatouille with Saffron Risotto

What's Cooking?

Vegan Torta Cassata

Coconut Samosas

Vegan Apple Spice Cake & "Buttercream Frosting"

Vegan Crepes w. Dark Chocolate & Bananas

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cranberry Granola Bars w. Sunflower Seeds

Vegan Orange Blueberry Muffins

Well I have many more pictures to post of what I have been baking & making before, during and after the DVD shoot this summer. Torta Cassata is a traditional Sicilian cake that I enjoyed frequently as a child. This vegan version was a challenge - mostly because it was my first attempt at a totally vegan fondant. The cake worked out fine in the end and it was a nice treat enjoyed by all for my pal Amy's birthday. My personal favorite out of all of these recipes were the Orange Blueberry Muffins, planning to whip up another batch this week.

Gingerbread Cake & Gateau Pithivier

This evening I participated in an excellent cooking class entitled "International Desserts" at a culinary institute in New England. It was a blast - and I came away with some new tricks up my sleeves. We prepared the Gingerbread Cake pictured here as well as a Gateau Pithivier (a lovely torte - also pictured here), Panna Cotta, and several other treats. The recipes were all traditional, but I plan to modify them each - and turn them Vegan, so stay tuned for International Vegan Desserts right here on the blog!

Rhubarb Strawberry Pies With Vegan Flaky Crust

The Rhubarb & Strawberries are from the Stonington Farmer's Market. This pie crust has a little bit of cinnamon and sugar in the dough, but it is completely dairy free. The pies turned out very well and I am tasting my very first attempt at Rhubarb Strawberry Pie - crumb topping with brown sugar....Quite tasty. The key - as always is not to over-knead the pastry dough.

Vegan Berry Tartlets - Rainy Monday

So here is the one picture that survived my camera's tantrum today. Believe me when I tell you - there was a tray full of various tasty tartlets, all with different berry configurations; some with a chocolate Vegan "Custard" which was totally Dairy-Free. The tartlet trays are approximately 2 inches in diameter and completely adorable. The crust is made with a Soy based butter alternative, and due to the fact that I belive in gently rolling out the dough, it was light and flaky. Today was a dreary one here in New England, we'll have to bake something cheerful up to make it through the night.

Vegan Butterfly Cookies & Spring Cupcakes

Here are some of the sweets I made this past week. Spring has sprung - and these pastel iced cookies helped usher in the new season.... The cupcakes are topped with these awesome sparkly sprinkles that look like shards of pink ice. The cookies are speckled because in lieu of an egg, this version of the traditional butter cookie used ground Flax Seed so they are tasy and good for you. Today I was busy whipping up my Golden Chickpea Lentil Soup and Chapati Flat Bread. Photos and recipes to follow. We are getting ready for the DVD project and I have been busy typing up a lot of my recipes, attempting to get it together.

Vegan Peanut Butter Cupcakes w. Dark Chocolate Centers

OK - I am getting over a mean cold/throat/Spring transition kapha ("kapha" see Ayurvedic season changes.... not "kafkha" I am not morphing into an insect, thankfully) thing - so I have been house-bound for several days; thus I have been baking up a storm. When not baking I have been reading and passing out listening to ocean sounds on my iPod iTouch....yes I know how New-Agey and geeky that sounds but when I feel lousy it seems to help; conjuring up images of white sand, a red bikini and a cold beverage with paper umbrellas in it, my 3 pm massage scheduled to take place in the saltwater poolside cabana......Ahem.....

Back in reality here in New England....Today I am feeling the best I've felt in a week so I am working on a batch of Vegan Peanut Butter Cupcakes w. Dark Chocolate Centers. San Tropez - not quite, but the kitchen is warm and toasty, and I came up with a new recipe for my ongoing Vegan quest...

Once the cupcakes had thoroughly cooled off, I whipped up a soy milk and dark chocolate Ganache, piped it out loosely and there you are! I am yet to taste them, but have high hopes for these little cakes. By the way - listening to some Led Zeppelin really gave these cupcakes a kick, as always I highly recomend listening to music while you bake. Let's see what's next.....

Vegan Black Bean Sweet Potato Soup & Cherry Dark Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes

Cherry Dark Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes

Vegan Black Bean Sweet Potato Soup

You are supposed to let these cupcakes chill for an hour prior to serving but being that I was patient enough already in so far as waiting for the stuff to cool, I immediately tried one and they were quite tasty.

Vegan Tacos & Simple Spinach Toast Soup

Today's soup was fantastic - I took about 2 cups of vegetable broth, 1/4 cup dry white wine and a 2 inch square of parmesean cheese and brought to a boil; simmered for 20 minutes over low heat. Next I added some black pepper and made two slices of wheat toast. Off heat the spinach (about 2 cups) is added and as it wilted I placed one slice of whole wheat toast in each of two deep soup bowls. Lastly I topped each bowl with some grated parmesean and that was that. You could try substituting Nutritional Yeast Flakes instead of the parmesean to go Vegan with this soup.

The tacos were basically a modified Vegan chili recipe, 1 package firm tofu pulsed in the food processor, (do not overdo it or you will get mush)...1/2 bottle of beer, 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 cup black beans, 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika, sea salt to taste, black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like more heat) one red onion (sauteed with a little bit of olive oil), fresh cilantro & and vegan mozerella cheese to top it off.

Chocolate Ravioli & Vegan Lasagna Rolls

Vegan Lasagna w. Arugala & Baby Spinach, Ravioli Filled with Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

What I Have Been Up To....

Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake w. Raspberry Puree

Vegan Awesome Oatmeal Cookies

Tofu "Paneer" with Peas

Coconut Samosa

Curried Cauliflower

Vegan Linzer Tarts

OK so I have made so many more recipes but it's been a busy month and I have been remiss with bloogging. Basically I LOVE experimenting with recipes and plan to keep going so stay tuned! Recipes for the above photos will be posted this week....

Chinese New Year 2008

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Here are some photos of the lovely little Dumplings & Scallion Pancakes I made for the Chinese New Year Party this evening. This pancake dough is one of my favorites to work with; you add one cup of boiling water to the dry ingredients so that as you knead it feels nice and warm and squishy in your hands. After it sets up, you slice the dough into four parts which you roll out with a pin into 8 x 6" rectangles. Topped with a little bit of sesame oil and fresh chopped scallions you then take the rectangle and roll it into a tube. Take the tubes, flatten them with your hands and coil up into snake-like rings (see photo). After they set up once again for approx. 20 minutes - roll the pin over the coils and flatten into 10" discs. One disc at a time the pancakes are fried in a tiny bit of sesame oil over high flame (2 - 3 minutes on each side). Transfer to paper towels and aha! Better than take-out Scallion Pancakes. I love to set aside a bit of soy sauce with fresh grated ginger and some scallions for dipping. Side note - both these dumplings (filled with Bok Choy & Tofu) as well as the pancakes are Vegan. So for those of you who were in Aspen this weekend instead of at my house - be sure to check with me first next year when you make those reservations!

Golden Vegan Cupcakes

The simplest of foods can very often make everything alright. Take for example these Golden Vegan Cupcakes - whipped up in my kitchen tonight to pacify my sudden need for cake. In the past I have frequently opened the oven to test the done-ness of my cakes.Tonight I tried my hand at this newfangled thing called patient baking, where you actually wait (in this case 22 minutes) until you open the oven door. Amazing - the cupcakes stayed nice and full - they did not fall, falter or fizzle out. Edged by a warm golden ring, these little cupcakes stand up on their own without any frosting, filling or fruit. Also - since it is a Vegan recipe -you are able to lick the spoon with abandon. (Note - lick the spoon after you have filled all of your cupcake liners - don't be gross.)

As always allow your baked goods to cool completely - do not be an impatient geek and try to frost them while still warm because you will wind up with frosting puddles. Totally worth the wait!

Amaryllis & Tulip Photos

I am really looking forward to planting again this Spring. In the meantime it is thrilling to see some of my indoor bulbs opening up. This Red Lion Amaryllis appeared this week and it is breathtaking. The tulips are cut, a treat to brighten up my kitchen...Really, without flowers and good food, life would be awfully unfulfilling.

Vegan Pierogi; 5 Days 5 Dumplings Continued

Pierogi have always been one of those tasty little treats that I consider a true comfort food. This version omits the eggs and butter - instead - flax and vegan soy spread did the job. I made so much of the potato filling that I plan to whip up a second batch this evening to freeze and store for upcoming New England Winter nights. The myth that you need eggs to bind any type of dough is so silly. I took a chance and mixed 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds, three tablespoons of water in lieu of the egg that tradionally goes into the dough used to make the rounds. End result - tasty little pods of potato and carmelized onion, floating up in a pot of boiling water. They were so cute - I actually smiled at them. To serve, I melted down a bit more of the soy butter substitute along with the remaining carmelized onions that were prepped for the filling, a bit of parsley and voila! More dumplings to come this week...(I am on a dumpling making rampage.)