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A Lesson in HOW to be SOUPER Strange

Posted on March 8, 2013 by kissmybroccoli

Happy Friday my friends!

My SOUP-er de-DUPER friends! 😀

Guess what, guess what, guess whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!

I FINALLY USED MY CROCK POT!!!!!

I know, I know, it’s only two weeks until SPRING (yay!)…better late than never, right? What can I say, not only did Meghan MOTIVATE me with her delicious soup, but she also INSPIRED me to make one of my own! And well, by the title of this post, I’m guessing you know where the other bit of inspiration came from! 😉

But for now, forget about the #STRANGE~~butgood~~...you wanna know what I absolutely love, yet frequently forget, about making soup?

It’s SO flippin’ EASY!

And if you plop your ingredients in a slow cooker, it’s virtually IMPOSSIBLE to mess up…even if, say you forget all about it while you become totally engrossed in your very first episode of Downtown Abbey…hypothetically speaking of course!

Now it’s time for some #strangebutFUN…
I’m gonna learn ya the ways in how to be SOUPER! 😉

First, gather up your ingredients…

One ginormous sweet potato…check!

Half a red onion (and plenty of curse words for chopping)…check!

A can of black beans…check!

Some expired canned tomatoes…umm, check?

Hey, we’re building antibodies here, people! 😉

Moving on!

An array of your favorite spices…check!

And don’t forget the cinnamon!

Hey, I did say your FAVORITE spices! 😉

And last but not least, a little seeeeeeeeeecret ingredient…the one thing that will turn the contents of your slow-cooker into something rich…something creamy…something

SOUPER!

You may think I’m a little “nuts” but just trust me on this one folks! 😀

Because this soup…

Is ahhhhhh~~lmond~~mazing!!!

Sweet & Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

By: Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3-4 hours

Keywords: slow-cooker entree soup/stew high fiber high protein vegan vegetarian low-sodium

Ingredients (Serves 6)

1 large sweet potato, chopped (about 3 cups)
1/2 large red onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 28oz can no-salt-added whole plum tomatoes, crushed with hands
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup unsalted creamy almond butter
3 cups fresh spinach
fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients except for almond butter and spinach in a slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6.
3. Just before serving, stir in almond butter and fresh spinach.
4. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

And wouldja look at those stats?!..Hellooooooo Vite-a-min A! 😀

I really canNOT sing the praises of this soup enough!

It smells like Heaven, tastes like a dream, and…

Well, as my girl Brittany would say, “Isn’t it purrrrrdy?”

Seriously, you have GOT to make this!

No really, you HAVE to…because if you don’t then I’ll NEVER make it through my surgery today…and c’mon, do you REALLY want that on your conscience? 😉

Now, go forth, live long, and ~~prosper~~ be SOUPER…strange!

Oh, and be sure to hop on over to Sprint 2 The Table and check in with all the other weirdos!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Posted in Entree, Strange But Good, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged almond butter, cinnamon, recipe, slow cooker, soup, sweet potatoes | 52 Comments

Clean Eats, Fast Broccoli

Posted on March 7, 2013 by kissmybroccoli

Now don’t go getting any ideas…

She’s just NOT that KIND of broccoli!

Silly kids…always with your minds in the gutter….sheesh! 😉

But it IS time for some lovin’…

RECIPE LOVIN'

Some…RECIPE…Lovin’!

I know, I was a total tease ending Monday’s post the way I did! But I’m sorry, there was just TOO much marvelousness to share it all! So here’s a deeper (again with the dirty minds? Please!) look into Sunday’s kitchen happenings thanks to the amazing
Meghan from Clean Eats, Fast Feets!

I’ve been reading Meghan’s blog for some time now (Do you? because you SHOULD!). Between her witty commentary, her give-it-to-ya-how-it-is attitude, and the fact that her mind pretty much doubles as a juke box, I just can’t seem to stay away.

And her recipes?

Well why don’t I just SHOW you? 😉

I’ve been saying I was going to make her Cheddar Cauliflower Soup for MONTHS now…so a few weeks ago, I went and picked up a fresh head of cauliflower at the store. Then I proceeded to make half a dozen Cauliflower Dessert Pizzas and no telling
HOW many batches of Cauliflower Pancakes!

Um, ADD much?!

So last week, I went BACK to the store and bought ANOTHER one and proclaimed Sunday as…

SOUP DAY!…see, the bowl even says it! 😉

I gathered my ingredients…

Um yeah, how about those leeks are from the same batch I bought back when I made THESE?! Don’t worry, I peeled back the funky bits!

Holy shelf life Batman!!! 😯

I used my garbage bowl…

For something other than a hat! 😉

I played with a new seasoning mix…

Meatloaf, dip, potatoes, and MORE? Got it! 😀

Annnnd well, since I didn’t have any cheddar cheese on hand, I decided (in true Heather fashion) to make a few minor tweaks…I actually decreased the liquid a bit, omitted the flour, and used nutritional yeast in the soup which actually made it VEGAN!

But then I found THIS little guy lurking in the back of the fridge…

And I ~~completely bastardized it~~ couldn’t resist! 😉

Mmm, cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeese~~porn~~!

But the fun did NOT stop there…after seeing the drool-worthy pics of her Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche that she seduced me with all week with a link to the easiest crust recipe I’ve ever seen, I figured what the heck!

Again, I had no cheddar…and with not much more to spare of the one that ~~mounted~~ topped off the soup, I decided it was time for Heather to get down and ~~dirty~~ eggy! 😉

I mixed up my crust…

Seriously? Easy as ~~pie~~ quiche! You CAN’T mess this up folks!

And then it was time to ~~clean out the fridge~~ to add my well thought out combination of ingredients…

Spinach?…always!

Tomatoes?…of COURSE!

Remnants of peppers, onions, and celery from the crisper?…sure why not?

Eggs, milk, and BACON?!…you bet your sweet ass! 😉

Off to the oven and in less than an hour I had THIS:

It’s so fluffy I’m gonna diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie!!!

Sadly, it ~~went limp~~ deflated shortly after…

But at least I got a piece!

Of quiche people…QUICHE!! Where are your minds today? 😉

Spicy “BLT” Quiche

By: Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50-55 minutes

Keywords: bake breakfast entrée high protein eggs

Ingredients (Serves 6)

Prepared quiche crust
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
4 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons salt-free seasoning (I like Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (optional)
3 slices pre-cooked bacon, crumbled (I like Trader Joe’s nitrate free fully cooked stuff)
Greek yogurt (or sour cream) for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare quiche crust and spread into a 9 inch pie pan.
3. Layer ingredients from spinach to bell peppers.
4. Combine milk, eggs, and spices in a medium-sized bowl and whisk well.
5. Pour contents over veggies.
6. Top with crumbled bacon.
7. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until egg is set.
8. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
9. Serve with a dollop of cool Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and enjoy.

Oh and I’m sorry, but looks like I’m gonna have to teeeeeease you again, because even though THIS ~~moan-inducing~~ delicious granola…

Inspired by Meghan’s Apple Pie Granola…is too good NOT to share, this post is already LONG enough and I’m sure I’m about to ~~hit a climax~~ overdo it with the euphemisms and innuendos! 😉

So, until next time, just remember…

Bahahahahaha!

Posted in Breakfast, KMB's Recipe Lovin | Tagged bacon, cheese, eggs, recipe, soup, spinach, tomatoes, veggies | 39 Comments

Everyone Loves a Little Green!

Posted on March 5, 2013 by kissmybroccoli

Eats that is!

If you’re looking for money, I’m sorry, but I spent all of mine on food! 😉

I was super excited when I saw that Jenn was going with the GREEN theme for
What I Ate Wednesday this month because I just happen to have a fantastically GREEN recipe for you today! But you’ll just have to keep reading for that!

Since it’s been a while since I’ve done a “real” WIAW post, I decided this weekend I would take a day and photograph every.single.morsel that went between my chompers…

So heeeeeeeere’s ~~Johnny~~ the eats!

With my last #strangebutgood fresh in my mind, I woke up Friday morning and knew EXACTLY what I wanted for breakfast…

Crispy PB & Pepper Omelette topped with tomatoes and CILANTRO with toast and spicy pepper honey!

A few hours later, I grabbed a little snack before heading to the gym…

A PERFECTLY ripe banana…Sorry, but no GREEN here…gotta have a little freckle action going on! 🙂

Once I got back home, I was STARVING…and well, since I went out and bought MINT leaves for the SOUL purpose of garnishing Sunday’s pancake plate, I decided to put some of the rest to good use…

LOOK, I made another waffle!! 😀

But not just any waffle…a MINT Chocolate Chip PROTEIN Waffle based off these pancakes from last summer! Filled with SPINACH and riddled with chocolate chips, this plate was the epitome of indulgent and healthy balance…and SO filling!

As I went on about the rest of my day, I grazed on some plump ripe grape tomatoes…

Hey, what goes better with GREEN than a little RED? 😉

I’m not sure what it is, but I’ve had the most intense craving for tomatoes lately! I mean seriously, I picked up this TWO POUND carton at Sam’s last week, and it only lasted me THREE DAYS! 😯

I’ll be honest, I was definitely feeling “funky” come the end of the night (bah winter weather) so instead of cooking, I decided to whip up a quick wrap for dinner…

Flatout wrap with no-salt added turkey meat, SPINACH, coleslaw mix, and the last of my cranberry honey mustard (I may or may not have shed a tear after my last bite) with a side of SNAP PEAS (love that crunch)!

And I washed it all down with a little new-to-me beverage…

Seriously, it’s been a LONG time since I’ve had a REAL Dr. Pepper, but from what I remember, the flavor is right on!

A couple of hours later, I got a mad craving for something sweet (I blame this girl and her February ~~foodporn~~ baking adventures), and well, this happened:

Half a container of Arctic Zero topped with PUFFINS, Wild Squirrel almond butter (review coming soon), and of course, some “healthy” chocolate sauce! 😉

I had planned on going to bed not long after this delectable little treat, especially since I was perfectly satisfied, but alas, I was attacked by the insomnia monster and ended up staying up until FOUR AM!!

A few snacks that happened in those wee hours (there I go with the leprechaun talk again!) of the morning?

I TOLD you my tomato cravings have been insane!

I finally ended the night…er, day? (rightfully) with a little green…

Glenny’s Crispy Wheat Cakes and more SNAP PEAS!

Annnnd well, there may have been a dip or two…or three into the infamous ginger chew bowl too! 😉

So there ya have it…my delicious GREEN eats for the day!

Oh, but don’t think for a MINUTE that I’d leave you hanging on that waffle recipe! 😉

Mint Chocolate Chip Protein Waffle

by Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 7-8 minutes

Keywords: waffle iron breakfast high protein spinach oats protein powder

Ingredients (Serves 1)

1/3 cup oat flour (ground from rolled oats)
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 teaspoon sodium-free baking powder
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup spinach, packed
5-7 mint leaves (or 1/8 teaspoon mint extract)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5-7 drops liquid Stevia (or other sweetener)
1 egg white
1 Tablespoon mini chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat waffle iron and coat with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, add oat flour, protein powder, and baking powder and whisk to combine.
3. In a small blender, combine remaining ingredients (except chocolate chips) and blend until smooth.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
5. Transfer batter to waffle iron, sprinkle the top with chocolate chips, close lid and cook until done.
6. Serve drizzled with “healthy chocolate sauce” (cocoa powder + stevia + water to thin)

It’s magically ~~delicious~~ NUTRITIOUS!