Vegan Wild Rice Soup with Cashew Cream--The Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook

I was asked by Jane from The Heritage Cook if I would like to make a recipe from the new, revised and expanded edition of her cookbook, The Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook, also written by Sara De Leeuw, who I don't yet know.  Yes!  I love when I get to make things for others.  I love Jane's blog and it's so nice that she posts delicious gluten free things. (Thank you for asking me to be part of the revised book promotions, since it was so easy to say yes and I'm flattered you thought of me!) I'm excited to have the opportunity to finally meet her this coming August when Kevin and I go on a trip to San Francisco where she lives!

I'm all about sweet treats, but when I get to choose something savory that I'd like AND when it's vegan and one of my sons is currently vegan, I didn't have trouble deciding to make this soup.  I'm still finding unconditional love for the Instant Pot, but rice has become one of my favorite things to make in it.  Add some veggies and healthy protein like chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and I'm all for it. The soup was great with just veggie broth, but with the option to add some cream made from cashews, it was even more a hearty, filling delight.  I dare anyone who thinks they wouldn't like it because it's vegan and doesn't have real cream, to try it and see for yourself.  You'd never know!  Parker liked it!  He had a bowlful then when I was cleaning up he decided he wanted another bowlful.  This soup is very much a win in the gluten free category AND for vegans--and for anyone because I guarantee if you don't tell them, they won't even realize it.

 

Some people tend to shy away from gluten free recipes, but I've found with this book that a lot of the recipes are naturally gluten free anyway and are just like what you'd make regardless, such as this soup or pot roast, chicken wings and deviled eggs just to name a few others.  But a lot of the other recipes, like Creamy Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Apple Raisin Compote, which I've also made before, is delicious.  There are so many more, too!  I may just start with the first recipe and make my way through each one.  Come to think of it--I haven't eaten dinner yet and I'm hungry.  Soup is calling my name!

Here's the soup recipe, but you should just get yourself a copy of The Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook!  (How good does that Black Bean Soup with Cilantro-Lime Cream on the cover look!)

Vegan Wild Rice Soup with Cashew Cream, from The Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook, by Jane Bonacci and Sara De Leeuw

Soup

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive or vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups (240 grams) diced onion 

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup (130 grams) diced carrot 

1 cup (120 grams) diced celery 

1 cup (230 grams) dried chickpeas, soaked for 4 hours or overnight and drained 

1 1/4 cups (200 grams) wild rice or wild rice blend

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon (2 grams) fresh thyme leaves

5 cups (1175 ml) vegetable stock (page 214) or water 

kosher or fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Cashew Cream (optional)

1/2 cup (55 grams) raw cashews, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water and then drained 

1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh water

Press Sauté on the electric pressure cooker. Add the oil to the inner pot and when it is hot, add the onions. Stirring frequently, cook the onions until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue stirring. Cook for another 30 seconds, until fragrant.  Stir in the carrots and celery. Cook them, stirring frequently until the vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes. 

Add the drained chickpeas, wild rice, bay leaf, thyme, and vegetable stock. Stir well. Close and lock the lid, making sure the steam release handle is in the sealing position. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, make the cashew cream.  Blend the soaked and drained cashews with the ½ cup fresh water in a blender until completely smooth.  Set aside.

When the soup is finished, release the pressure naturally. Turn the steam release handle to venting, releasing any remaining pressure. When the float drops, unlock the lid and open it carefully. Stir in the cashew cream (if using) until completely incorporated.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.

The soup was pretty simple to make and I'm enjoying the Instant Pot more every time I use it.  If you don't have one, get this book and an electric pressure cooker and enjoy time-saving meals (and desserts)!  Did I mention there are desserts, too?

#TheRevisedExpandedGlutenFreeInstantPotCookbook 

Best Homemade Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes and Chocolate Fudge Frosting and Split Pea Soup with Mushrooms—The Secret Recipe Club

Could you just look at and drool over this cupcake all day?  I could.  I practically did the day I made them.  Proud to say I didn’t even taste a cupcake.  Proud and sad.  I am not currently eating gluten and sugar, as many know, but I love making things with those ingredients for others.  And I will admit, I tasted the frosting.  It needed to be done.  Quality control, you know. 

This recipe for these awesome, perfect Best Homemade Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes and Chocolate Fudge Frosting is from my Secret Recipe Club blog assignment this month.  I had the pleasure of having Angela’s blog, Spinach Tiger this month.  I got to make something from her blog last year, too, as I filled in for someone at the last minute who wasn’t able to do so.  Last October I was in a hurry to pick something to make and made her delicious Banana Bread.  This month, since her blog was my “real” assignment, I spent a lot of time looking through all her posts and trying to decide what to make.  I actually chose her Split Pea Soup with Mushrooms.  It was on my list to make for a few weeks.  Then I noticed one of her more current posts for Shaved Raw Brussel Sprout with Raw Beet Pesto.  I had everything to make that salad except the Brussel spouts.  So I went out and got the sprouts.  And I haven’t had the chance to make the beet pesto and salad yet—but don’t worry—I WILL.  Everything about it sounds so good to me. 

I have been a little low on energy lately and all the sudden was freaking out last week that I still hadn’t made the soup or salad from Angela’s blog.  What did I do about that?  Instead of just making one of those things, I looked through her blog again for more ideas.  I’m so silly that way—or am I?  While checking out her desserts, since that is really what I love the most, I ran into these cupcakes and can’t believe I missed them before.  I eat quite healthy, tons of fruits and vegetables, very little meat and only gluten free, refined sugar free desserts, but I really do prefer to make, bake and post desserts.  Maybe it’s because I feel like I get better pictures of things like cupcakes and cookies and photographing a bowl of soup just doesn’t do much for me.

I decided to get to work and make what Angela has claimed as the “Best Homemade Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes and Chocolate Fudge Frosting”.  I am so happy I did—see, not so silly.  Now I have a perfect chocolate cake recipe that was simple and I had all the ingredients on hand and most often do have them.

Since she mentioned that the recipe made a lot of cake, I decided to cut it in half.  The half recipe still made 20 cupcakes.  I made the full recipe of frosting since she also mentioned you can never have too much frosting.   The day I made them, I only frosted nine cupcakes.  I froze the rest of the cakes and have refrigerated the frosting to use next week.

“One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?”

(Remember this song from Sesame Street?)

If you guessed the cupcake in the middle, you’d be right.  Why would anyone want to eat a cupcake with such a small amount of frosting?  Only if you’re my husband who doesn’t really care much for cake and really doesn’t like frosting.  So that was his cupcake and I frosted eight more the correct way for the boys (they each got two).  The cupcakes and frosting were a big hit with the boys and the little bit of frosting I tasted was delicious.

Besides cutting the recipe in half, I didn’t change a thing about Angela’s recipe.  So if you’re looking for a great chocolate cake recipe, run, don’t walk to go get it on her blog--Best Homemade Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes and Chocolate Fudge Frosting.

These baked perfectly in 18 minutes and came right out of the pan (sometimes if a little of the top of the cupcake went over the sides, it sticks with other cakes I’ve made).  That did not happen here. 

The only thing I would mention about the recipe, which is silly of me to have not done completely is to always use room temperature ingredients—including things like buttermilk.  My butter and eggs were room temperature, but I used cold buttermilk, which I was worried about when I saw the butter kind of chunk back up a bit.  Never fear—this recipe is also so easy that you just mix all the ingredients and beat them like crazy (in a mixer) for 3 minutes.  Though I was still worried about the little bits of butter I saw in the batter, I baked them anyway and there was no trace of unincorporated butter in the cupcakes.  (Yay!)  I would still suggest to make sure to use all room temperature ingredients.  I made sure all the ingredients for the frosting was room temperature and that is some delicious frosting!

Angela suggested for the frosting to begin with 3/4 cup of cream and to just use enough until you like the consistency of the frosting.  I ended up using 1/2 cup before I was satisfied.  The half recipe made 20 cupcakes and I made the full recipe of frosting.  After frosting eight cupcakes, it will be enough to frost the remaining dozen when I get them out of the freezer in a few days. 

So the cupcakes were/are awesome!  A couple days ago, my ten year old stayed home from school sick (just a little cold).  I mentioned to him that I’d been really wanting to make split pea soup.  When I told him it has mushrooms in it he was no longer interested.  I made the soup anyway, but instead of adding the mushrooms, I just left them to spoon into my own bowl.  He got what he wanted, soup, split pea soup, with no mushrooms and I FINALLY got to make Angela’s Split Pea Soup with Mushrooms.

I halved this recipe and wish I wouldn’t have so I’d have more to eat.  I’m usually the only one here who will eat split pea soup.  Taylor (the one who was sick) likes all kinds of soup and was excited to try this (minus the mushrooms).  He really liked the soup, even without mushroom and croutons (they were gluten free) and asked me when I was going to make it again.  The half recipe was just enough for the two of us for lunch and for me to have for dinner the next day.

Angela mentioned that her mother said you should never eat split pea soup without croutons.  I don’t think I’d ever eaten it WITH croutons.  I was excited to have the end piece of some gluten free bread I’d made left.  I cubed it up and toasted it in a sauté pan with a little olive oil.  After they’d nicely browned on each side, I sprinkled a little garlic salt on them.  Awesome.  My soup (in the photo) had the sauteed mushrooms in it and was topped with croutons and some shavings of parmesan cheese.  It was a great vegetarian soup.

Split Pea Soup with Baby Bella Mushrooms and Croutons, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from Angela at Spinach Tiger

1 cup dried split peas

4  1/2 cups water

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 medium sized carrot, finely diced

1 rib celery, finely chopped

1 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

juice and zest of about 1/4 of a lemon

8 ounces baby bella mushroom, chopped

dash of crushed red pepper

half a bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

parmesan cheese, for top of soup

In a soup pot, add the olive oil and over medium heat, sauté the carrots, shallot and celery until soft.  Add the split peas, water, basil, bay leaf, lemon juice and zest.  Simmer for 35 minutes.  Add some salt and pepper and taste and adjust seasoning.  Remove the bay leaf.  You might want/need to add a little water here.  I added about 1/2 cup.

While the soup is simmering, sauté the mushrooms in a little olive oil.  Let them get nicely browned.  Add a little salt once they are done.  You can add them all to the soup when it is just about done, or add them to individual bowls if you are feeding some who don’t like mushrooms. 

Make croutons by toasting some cubed bread (I used some homemade gluten free bread) them with a little olive oil in a sauté pan.  Move them around and flip them on to each side until they are browned.  Sprinkle them with some garlic salt. 

Serve bowls of soup with croutons and shredded or shaved parmesan soup. 

Delicious food over at Spinach Tiger.  Check out Angela’s blog.  I will make that Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Red Beet Pesto SOON!

Butternut Squash Soup with Pepitas and Ground Pistachios Recipe

I don’t often post meals or savory dishes here, but it’s not because I never make them.  I just can’t seem to get decent pictures when trying to get dinner on the table and I find photographing savory food is a lot harder than snapping a couple photos of some delicious cookies or a piece of cake.  It’s just me though because there are some beautiful savory pictures out there in food blogging land.  After making this Butternut Squash Soup today though, I was pleased with the pictures and even more happy about how delicious it is, so I decided I had to share it.

I watched The Rachael Ray Show today and she made this soup.  I just happened to have half a butternut squash in the fridge and decided to make the soup.  Even though I knew no one else at my house would eat it.  It worked out well for me to have this soup and make a frozen pizza for the boys.  Kevin is out late helping Scott get caught up on some math at school and they are going to stop and grab something for dinner.  Win win. 

You’ll think win-win, too, if/when you make this soup.  Here’s the link for Rachael Ray's Soup, but I made some changes, so I’ll write up my version for you.  Can you guess what might be different from her soup?  What?  Did you say onions?  Well, then you’re right.  Rachael’s soup has two onions in it.  And while I feel that I’m really branching out now and then when it comes to onions, I do not like when onions take over the whole flavor of something like butternut soup.  I’ve tried a soup once and actually braved it and put the onion in and did not like the soup at all.  It tasted more like onion soup with a little squash in it.  But to each his own.  I do have an aversion to onions and you might feel different.

That said, I did put one medium shallot in my soup—so there! ;) Here’s my recipe.

Butternut Squash Soup with Pepitas and Ground Pistachios, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from Rachael Ray

half of a large butternut squash (or a small one)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

pinch or two of cayenne pepper (optional).

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 celery stalk, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 medium shallot, peeled and chopped

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 quart (32 ounces) chicken stock

2 pinches saffron threads (optional)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

pepitas, roasted—for garnish

1/2 cup pistachios, ground—for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel and cut squash into chunks (about 2 inches pieces).  Toss the squash with extra virgin olive oil, lay pieces flat on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cayenne.  Roast in oven for 30 minutes, until soft all the way through and the pieces are beginning to brown. 

In the meantime, in a large pot (saucepan or Dutch oven), heat a little more olive oil and add the celery and carrots.  Salt and pepper them and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add the shallot and cook another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the garlic and saffron and saute another minute.  Pour in the chicken stock and lemon zest and stir to combine.  Let simmer over medium heat until the squash is finished roasting. 

Add the squash to the soup and put through the blender in increments, you don’t want to fill the blender too full with hot liquid.  You can also use a handheld immersion blender if you have one.  Blend each amount until smooth and return all of it to the pot, simmer on low until ready to serve.  Fill soup bowls with soup and garnish with pepitas and pistachios.  Serves 4-6.

  Rachael Ray mentioned that the pepitas and especially the ground pistachios make all the difference with this soup and I have to agree—it really added something and tastes fantastic.  But if you don’t happen to have the nuts, don’t let that stop you from making the soup!  You could also add a little cream once it’s blended, but it really doesn’t need it.

I can’t wait to have some more of this for my next lunch and/or dinner!

A Very Random Post Because I'm a Little Behind and Some Blogger Linky Love

 

Lil' Smokies Mummies--the boys loved these.  Lil' Smokies sausages and Pillsbury crescent rolls cut into thin strips.  Spooky eyes those mummies!  Wait a second, those aren't mummies, those are babies wrapped in swaddling clothes.  No.  Okay, they're mummies.

And I made mummy pizza for dinner tonight.

 

Used string cheese for the cheese.  Guess what Parker wants to be for Halloween?  Yep, a mummy.  I don't know if I can get the string cheese to wrap all the way around him.  Hmm, Pillsbury crescent rolls?  No.  Well, ya'll are no fun.  I'll have to see what else we can come up with! ;)  Okay, moving on.

I didn't take any photos, but I made this delicious Black Bean and Sweet Corn Soup with Cilantro and Lime that I found at Maria's blog, Two Peas and their Pod.  It was SO good.  I cut her recipe in half and added some chopped chicken for a little added protein.  I even made homemade tortilla strips as Maria suggested.  Love them.  Great recipe.

I also made a yummy Sweet Potato and Peanut Butter Soup from Nick's blog, The Peanut Butter Boy.  It's a thick soup and I even added an extra cup of chicken broth, but it also makes a great sauce for pasta.  I enjoyed on top of some spaghetti squash and with some sauteed spinach stirred in.  Good stuff--the peanut butter in it was awesome!

 

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Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (Nutella), recipe from Holly at Phe/MOM/enon, which she got from a Gale Gand book.  This is so good!  It "hardens" up a little a few days after making it, but is still spreadable.  It has a little bit stronger hazelnut flavor, but it's good.  If you love Nutella, you've gotta try this.

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Taylor's birthday.  Believe it or not, I didn't post very many pictures from his actual  birthday.  He wanted to make his own cake--chocolate, and decorate it.  And decorate it he did!  I let him go to town with the sprinkles!

We  made the ever popular and simple Crazy Cake.  Where did I originally get this recipe?  None other than--Anna at Cookie Madness.  It's made right in the baking pan. 

I let him do this last year, too.  Whatever holiday sprinkles I had, he sprinkled them.  You're only 6 once, so live it up!

I love this next picture.  Parker found a couple of cool rocks at school.  He decided to wrap them up and give them to Taylor for his birthday.  He worked so hard on the "card" he made to wrap them in and give them to him and was so excited.  That's true brotherly love.

Another birthday--over.

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These are some really good Blue Cornmeal Pancakes I made recently.  I got the recipe from Marye at Baking Delights.  She made hers with blueberries.  I did not.  But these are good.  Guess where the recipe is from?  Mesa Grill's Cookbook.  Marye added lemon zest.  So did I.  These were good pancakes.

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This little stinker.  He was being awfully quiet the other day.  Never a good sign.  He got Kevin's laptop off the floor near the bed, got up on the bed and was working on something very important, just like Daddy does!

  

If that's not the look of a Little Stinker, I don't know what is!

He's starting to not like me taking so many pictures of him, especially when he's "in trouble".  Love this little stinker!

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Hang on, I'm almost done.  For now.

My friend April came to visit and brought me these awesome cookies.  The boys gobbled them up!  April has many talents, one of which is cake and cookie decorating.  I thought these were awesome!  Thanks, April.

When April brought me those cookies, another friend of mine,  Meagan, came with her.  Meagan has a fun blog called Domestic Wonder.  She brought me some cookies, too.  They are good and different.  They are made with a spice cake mix.  I've made cake mix cookies before--chocolate and yellow cake mixes.  But I'd have never thought to try spice cake.  Check out the recipe on her blog.  She also posts other recipes and lots of fun, cute, easy ideas of crafts and activities to do with kids.  She has a cute little boy who is two and another one on the way!  Thanks for the cookies, Meagan!

Happy Easter = Yummy Food!

Whew, what a day!  I must take a a moment today as I relax briefly now that the boys are in bed, to think about the real reason we celebrate Easter which is to remember and celebrate that our Savior, Jesus Christ 1) died for all of us and 2) that he was resurrected and lives!  I'm thankful to have the knowledge I do and am grateful for my Savior!

I wasn't able to go to church today, as Taylor has had a fever for going on 4 days now, which kind of makes my Easter Sunday seem a little "different".  Anyway, I enjoyed the day cooking and baking in the kitchen, in between playing with the kids with things they got for Easter, oh and picking up lots of plastic eggs and candy wrappers!  Sigh.   It was a good day.  I'll leave out the kid's fighting and throwing fits part--you're welcome. ; )

I found these two recipes in the April issue of Good Housekeeping.  I bought the magazine because Michael J. Fox is on the cover and I've always loved him!  Family Ties was one of the BEST 80's sitcoms and I even had posters of Michael on my walls way back when.  Great article about him and I can't wait to read his new book.  What a guy!  Oh, back to the veggies.  I thought their Easter menu in the magazine looks really good.   Today I made the Spring Garden Saute and Spring Pea Soup.  I followed the recipes exactly and they were both really good.

The sauteed veggies were great.  I had never had or made cooked radishes before and they were pretty good, but I love asparagus and sugar snap peas and they were certainly the star of the show.   

I made the pea soup knowing that Kevin would have some just because I went to the trouble of making it, that the boys wouldn't really eat any of it and that I would really like it--and I did.  It even had two shallots in it--I know, the onion family.  I went ahead with it anyway, and even though I loathe onions and I did taste the shallots a bit, the soup was quite good.  This also had fresh mint leaves in it, which I've never cooked with.  All in all, it was a great meal with ham, low fat cheesy potato casserole, cooked carrots, the veggies and soup.  Mmmm.  I also made some yummy carrot cake cupcakes that I'll share with you another time soon.

  

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday!