Winter Cabbage & Potato Soup

Someone has to prepare for winter. It might as well be me. It's okay, I live in Alaska so I am allowed to discuss winter in October. It snowed a week ago, okay? But I love winter. Positively adore the icy air, the clean landscapes, and the lacy snowflakes, but more on that later.

This soup might be regarded as bit bizarre due to steaming the onion, celery, and garlic but I encourage you to think of the process like making a stock. It will be well worth the risk. While this soup is proletarian and simple, the ingredients boldly shine without being cluttered.  

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. ”

— Margaret Mead

A luscious, blended vegetable soup with hearty chunks of potatoes and cabbage. Kissed with dill and coriander, and ready in a flash.

Almost all the produce I used came from my CSA box! Even these taters. I think they were labeled as Purple Viking. With a name like that, naturally, one would expect them to be purple throughout. You can imagine my chagrin when I cut them open. It's okay though, they were still delicious. 

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Winter Cabbage & Potato Soup

by Katie @ Produce On Parade October-10-2014

A luscious, blended vegetable soup with hearty chunks of potatoes and cabbage. Kissed with dill and coriander, and ready in a flash.

Ingredients

• 3 (about 1 lb. total) medium potatoes, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, rough chopped
• 3 celery stalks, rough chopped
• 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and whole
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. vegan sugar
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. dried dill weed
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp. ground coriander
• ¼ cup water
• ½ tsp. mustard powder
• 4 cups (about ½ small head) red cabbage, chopped

Instructions

Dice the potatoes and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water, a dash of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain and set aside until ready to use. Steam the onion, celery, and garlic in an electric steamer or on the stove, for about 15 minutes or until fork tender. Place the steamed vegetables in a blender. Add in the broth through and including the coriander. When the potatoes are done boiling, add about 1/3 to the blender as well. Blend on high, allowing steam to escape the top, for a few minutes until smooth and creamy. In a large soup pot, add the water, mustard powder, and cabbage. Wilt over medium-high heat, until the water has evaporated and the cabbage is tender. Pour in the blender contents and the remaining 2/3 of cooked potatoes. Stir well to combine. Serve hot.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 4

Dutch Word of The Day

Cabbage --> Kool (coal)

Good Deed of The Day

Educate yourself on the debate on "ethically-raised" meat in this intriguing article from Time. 

Vegetable Protein Gyoza

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. ”

— Edward Everett Hale

Remember when I reviewed Julia Muller's new cookbook, Let Them Eat Kale, well there will be a giveaway at the bottom of this post! It's such a wonderful book, if you want to read my review of it please see this post and of course, enter the drawing below!

You guys are going to really want to make these. Homemade gyoza are astronomically tastier and healthier than their store-bought brethren. Plus, if you're vegan like me it can be difficult to find cruelty-free ones in the grocery store. 

My gyoza (aka pot sticker or wonton) might look a bit odd, and that's because I like to use red cabbage instead of green. However, green cabbage will work just fine too. These little guys pack a big protein punch thanks to TVP, which works beautifully because it soaks up all the saucy goodness and creates a perfect "meat-like" texture for the gyoza filling.

If you use a food processor to prepare the vegetables, this recipe will come together in a snap. I've included directions on how to steam or pan fry the little buggers (I like mine steamed) and also two different folding methods.

Yep, they're pretty darn foolproof. If you've never made them before, now's the perfect opportunity! Don't worry, I'll be your copilot. 

The best part about my recipe is that you'll have some filling leftover that can be frozen for quick gyoza prep when you get a mad hankering for them, like I often do. Also, the wrappers can be frozen too in case you only want to use half a package. 

Just look how awesome they are! I swear they're super duper easy to fold up. Here, I'll show you how to make a "nun's hat" gyoza. 

In case you a weird bias with regards to nuns, here's how to fold a simple, delicious little gyoza package.

See? I told you it was easy. Now go make some gyoza and impress your friends, family, and your tastebuds!

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Vegetable Protein Gyoza

by Katie @ Produce on Parade August-13-2014

A veggie filled gyoza that's also packed with protein, but vegan! Quick and easy with the help of a food processor. Steamed or pan-fried and two instructions on how to fold. Inspired by Half Baked Harvest.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• ½ brown onion, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 lb. Crimini mushrooms, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, minced
• ½ head (10 oz.) red or green cabbage, minced
• ¼ cup liquid amino acids or soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar or brown sugar
• 1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
• 1 package of 40 wonton/gyoza/pot sticker wrappers
• ¼ cup mirin or rice wine vinegar
• ¼ cup liquid amino acids or soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar or brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
• dash of sesame seeds

Instructions

I use a food processor to mince the vegetables. If you don’t have one, it’s a good idea to prep all the vegetables ahead of time. In a large frying pan, heat the sesame oil over medium. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onions begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ginger and mushrooms and continue to sauté until the mushrooms lose most their moisture, about 8-10 minutes. Then, add the bell pepper and cabbage. Continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes, until most of the water from the vegetables has evaporated. This will allow for concentrated flavors.Now add the soy sauce, agave nectar, and TVP. Stir well to combine and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until the TVP has soaked up all the liquid and is tender. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro. Set aside. In a small bowl add about ½ cup of cold water. To assemble the gyoza, lay a wrapper flat and with a finger, wet the bottom edge closest to you and up half the sides with the water. Place one heaping teaspoon of the filling into the lower middle portion of the wrapper and fold in half lengthwise, pressing all the sides together. Careful not to overfill. Fold in half lengthwise again and then wet the lower right corner and the left top corner. Bring the two together and press to connect. Set aside and repeat with remaining wrappers. Any leftover filling can be frozen for quick gyoza making later. Also, the wrappers can be frozen too. The assembled gyoza can be steamed or pan fried. I prefer mine steamed only, but if you want them pan fried there are instructions below as well.To steam: Prepare your steamer with a few inches of water. Line the steamer basket with parchment paper to fit and spray with a nonstick cooking spray for good measure. Once the water is ready, add as many gyozas as possible without them touching. Steam for about 5 minutes, remove from the steamer basket and repeat with remaining gyoza. To pan fry: Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium. Add as many gyoza as possible without them touching. Allow to brown for a minute or two, then add about ¼ cup of water and cover with a lid. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until most of the water is evaporated. Gently remove from the pan and repeat with reaming gyoza.For the Sauce: Combine all the ingredients below the gyoza wrappers in a small bowl and whisk well.Serve hot with the dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 50 mins Yield: 40 potstickers

German Word of The Day

Wonton --> Wan-Tan (vahn-tahn)

Good Deed of The Day

Do you know what a pangolin is? I didn't! Well, they are one of the cutest little creatures you've ever seen and are nearly extinct in the wild. However, in Vietnam and China, the animals are still considered a delicacy. Please help take pangolins off the menu by urging the Chinese and Vietnamese policymakers to stop standing by idly while the pangolin is hunted to extinction! 

A Giveaway!

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Flatbread Pizza with Asparagus & Baby Potatoes

“Kill one animal - Criminal
Kill many animals - Butcher
One turns a blind eye - Negligence
Society turns a blind eye - Normality
One points out another’s wrong doings - Extremist
Many point out another’s wrong doings - Change
Change is coming. You are the answer.”

— Aishwarrya Prakash

Who says pizza is off limit for vegans?

Certainly not me. Look at that gorgeous beauty! Easy, crunchy, crispy herbed garlic flatbread is layered with creamy, vegan goat cheese and topped with tender baby potatoes, fresh asparagus, and tart cherry tomatoes. 

So dig in! Don't let me stop you. This is one of those recipes that may look super complicated and time consuming. Homemade crust, homemade cheese (or not!), boiling and slicing veggie prep....I know, I know. Believe me when I tell you this was an utter breeze to throw together. I think it's because nothing is really too difficult to prep/assemble/make and it all times up perfectly. 

Flatbread Pizza with Asparagus & Baby Potatoes 

Makes two medium pizzas

Notes: Use whatever vegan cheese you like. I used the recipe below and made it a few days in advance. Feel free to cut the vegan cheese recipe in half if only using for these pizzas. Cheese adapted from Spabettie.

Ingredients: 

Dough

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• small handful fresh herbs, minced (I used parsley, rosemary, and oregano)
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup water (additional as needed)

Toppings

• 2 cups baby potatoes, boiled, halved and sliced
• 1/2 bunch of fresh asparagus (about 2 cups), sliced diagonally
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup vegan cheese of your choice (I used the recipe below)

Vegan Goat Cheese (at least 8 hours)

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked
• 1/2 cup roasted and salted macadamia nuts, soaked
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• pinch of kosher salt
• 2 vegan probiotic capsules

Directions:

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to boil for the potatoes. Once boiling, add the whole potatoes and boil for about 10 minutes, until fork tender. Drain, cool, then halve and slice. Set aside until ready for use. 

For the dough, whisk all the ingredients together except for the water in a large electric mixing bowl. Then, fix on the dough attachment and while on low speed, slowly add the water. The dough should be moist, but not wet. When combined, remove and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes. 

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 400 F. Slice up the baby potatoes, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes. Set aside until ready for use. 

Roll out the dough balls on a floured surface into two 14 inch pizzas. Transfer one to the pizza stone and bake for 10 minutes at 400 F. Then, top with vegan cheese and half of the prepped veggies. Place back in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove, and repeat with second pizza. 

Serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and topped with additional herbs and freshly cracked pepper. 

Making the Cheese:

Soak the nuts for 2-12 hours in fresh water. Drain, rinse, and place in a blender. Add the remaining ingredients, excluding the probiotics. Blend on high until smooth and creamy, a few minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Transfer to a small dish and stir in the contents of two vegan probiotic capsules, discarding the shells. Cover and allow to rest overnight (8-24 hours) in a warm place. Store in the fridge. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. 

German Word of The Day

Crunchy --> knusprig (canoe-sprych)

Good Deed of The Day

Speak up against animal abuse. Sign the petition calling on the Livestock Marketing Association to protect animals and stop workers who were caught on video viciously beating animals, dragging and lifting them by their ears, tails and hair, and denying them food, water, and proper veterinary care.