[belated] Meatless Monday: Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

The East Coast Muse was a bit preoccupied yesterday, and it's only now, Tuesday morning East Coast time, that the Meatless Monday post is being delivered to you. To be fair, it's not everyday one gets to find out the gender of their first child (for those who care - it's a boy!) But it's Tuesday now, and back to work.

This week's Meatless Monday post can be prepared vegan, should you skip adding shredded Mexican cheese and sour cream as garnish in the last step. This recipe is adapted from EatingWell.com - the original recipe called for some hard-to-find Mexican specialty ingredients, and we're all about making vegetarian/vegan cooking accessible to even the busiest singles and most harried mom's out there (let's be honest: negro pasilla and sprig epazote aren't just hanging out in your local grocery, unless you live in San Antonio - in which case, check out the original recipe and knock yourself out).

We hope you enjoy! ECM made this for her lunch co-op last week (post to come regarding this very fun new endeavour and its many benefits) and the ladies loved it - one even remarked that tofu and kale are not something she incorporates in her diet regularly (read: ever) and she gobbled it up and begged for the recipe.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
adapted from EatingWell.com

INGREDIENTS
1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

2 tablespoons chipotle sauce

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick

4 cloves garlic, peeled

4 cups vegetable broth

4 cups water

1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu

4 cups chopped kale leaves

½ to 1 teaspoon salt

1 ripe large avocado, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

2 cups roughly broken tortilla chips

3/4 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese (cheddar and Monterrey-jack mix)

Sour cream (optional)

1 large lime, cut into 6 wedges

HOW TO 

1. Place the can of tomatoes and their juice as well as the chipotle sauce into a blender. Blend well.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 6 to 9 minutes. Scoop up the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon and transfer to the blender with the tomato-chipotle mixture. Blend until all ingredients are smooth.
3. Return the Dutch oven to medium heat. When hot, add the puree and stir almost constantly until the puree has thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6-8 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and water, and bring to a boil, then adjust heat to maintain a simmer, leaving the pot uncovered.
4. Drain tofu, rinse and pat dry, then cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and cook in a single layer, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, until beginning to brown – this will take about 10 minutes total. Once the tofu cubes have become nice and golden on almost all sides, add to the soup and simmer for 30 minutes (again, uncovered).
5. Add the chopped kale to the soup and season with salt to taste, depending on your taste and the saltiness of the broth you used (I found that I needed about a teaspoon of salt – but be sure to add a little at a time and taste as you go). Stir the soup until the greens are wilted, about 3 minutes (you don’t want them mushy, just nice and tender).
6. Ladle the soup into soup bowls. Divide the avocado, tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream (if using) among the bowls. Serve warm, with lime wedges.

Meatless Monday - Low fat vegetarian black bean soup

Hello dear readers, and Happy New Year!

The Muses fell off the wagon a bit in the past couple of months - who knew that promotions / new jobs could mean REAL work to do and less time to play?

Alas.

It's Monday, and the FIRST Monday of the New Year, at that. We are bringing back Meatless Monday posts in the Big 12, and first up on the roster: low fat, vegetarian black bean soup. What could be more delicious in the chilly winter than some soup? Not only that, but this soup is super inexpensive, super quick to prepare, and uses mostly pantry items that you most likely already have laying around.

The ECM made this for herself and her dear husband last week, and already it's back in the line-up of this week's dinners. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Low Fat, Vegetarian Black Bean Soup
[Adapted from Bon Appetit (August 2004)]

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
One half jalapeño chile without seeds, chopped
2 15-ounce cans black beans, undrained
1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

Chopped fresh cilantro
Low-fat sour cream
Tortilla chips

Heat oil in a heavy large pot (I used my Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes.

Mix in the cumin and 1 teaspoon jalapeño, and stir for about a minute or so, letting the cumin toast.

Add undrained black beans, tomatoes with juice, and vegetablebroth; bring soup to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.

Using a large ladle, transfer 3 cups of the soup to a mixing bowl and using an immersion blender, puree until smooth.

Return the puree to the pot, and allow the soup to simmer for about 15 minutes, until thickened.

Season to taste with salt and pepper (apprx. 1 teaspoon each, but judge by your taste).

Ladle the steaming soup into bowls, and garnish with cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, and some crumbled tortilla chips.

Irish Cream-Honey Steamer

As I spent my birthday weekend jaunting around San Francisco in cute sandals and a dress I couldn't help but think of my poor friends back in DC. Snowed in, desperately trying to stay warm and avoid cabin fever. I wished that they could either be sitting in front of a warm fireplace (like the one in my hotel room this weekend...did I mention Saturday was my birthday?) or that they had something to warm them from the inside out.

So I created this little drink in their honor. Hopefully many of them got to stay home from work today and can enjoy this little creation or that they can slip it into a to go coffee mug and medicate the pain of being at work.*

2009 Snowpocalypse Irish Cream-Honey Steamer

(2 servings)

1 1/2 cup milk (divided)

2 tbs. honey

3 oz. Irish cream (Bailey's is great -- but I prefer (read: can only afford) the Trader Joe's knock-off brand)

4 dashes cinnamon

Put 1 tablespoon of honey in each mug. (tip: whenever measuring sticky ingredients like corn syrup or honey, spray your measuring tool with a little cooking spray - it'll slip right out!) Then add 1 1/2 oz of Irish cream and 2 dashes of cinnamon. Heat up 1 cup of milk and divide between the two mugs. Mix well to get all the honey off the bottom of the mug.

Frothing the Milk: While we all wish we had one of these, we don't. And even if we did it would be sitting on our living room floor since urban dwellings have no counter space (sorry to our readers in Dallas who do not understand this concept). This little goddess likes to froth her milk using a beaker milk frother. Found cheapest as Sur La Table or Target. It is so simple to use and only requires 146.2455 cubic inches of space! Add your remaining 1/2 cup of milk to the beaker, give it about a 20 good pumps then throw it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds (be careful as it has a tendency to overflow). Your result will be a perfect froth that would make any barista proud.

Top your steamer off with the foam and garnish with a few droplets of honey. Enjoy, my lovely, cold friends!

kisses from sunny california

* freelance muses' legal counsel (my husband who is officially 1/9 of a lawyer) has advised that endorsing the consumption of alcohol on the job leaves us liable for any injury (including death or accidental dismemberment) that may occur as a result of our endorsement. When drinking on the job, please use caution. By utilizing our recipe, you accept that you acknowledge our warning and proceed at your own risk. We completely disclaim liability for any injury, awkward social encounters, job loss, foreseeable or otherwise, that may ensue. If you work at a job that requires you to operate heavy machinery or if you send emails to important people that must be free of spelling errors and cuss words, please do not consume alcohol on the job.

Muse Q & A - Christmas cards

Dear Freelance Muses,

E-Christmas cards – lame?

Love, Curious about Christmas in California

Dear Curious,

If you have not already mailed Christmas cards to friends and family and are contemplating a last-minute e-card instead, stop yourself now. The Goddesses are here to tell you that it’s, well, tacky.

First, consider that many working in corporate America are already inundated with e-cards wishing the best for the holidays – whether they be e-cards from clients, those seeking to become clients in the new year, the building management company or colleagues and peers.

Furthermore, though your intention is to be thoughtful, by sending an e-card days before Christmas (or even on Christmas Eve) the message you send is less, “I’m thinking of you” and more “You’re an afterthought.”

Take the time and energy to mail real Christmas cards – you don’t need to say much; let the creativity of the card itself do the talking (can I get a collective groan for the ubiquitous Christmas letter that beleaguers us all? Just say no, people!). To receive a physical card in the mail from a long-distance friend is touching, meaningful and truly thoughtful.

The Goddesses suggest:

Letterpress - you can't get much classier than this. Here in Washington D.C., I prefer to visit The Written Word. It helps that it's locally-owned and right around the corner from our apartment.

You can also find a great selection online. Some of our favorites this year come from Farrell and Chase as well as Egg Press.


Homemade cards – get creative and use rubber stamps, hand-drawn calligraphy, a montage employing many of those old magazines lying around the apartment, clever use of paper layering or photos printed from your nearest drug store or with your home printer.

Photos – particularly if you have children - whom but Scrooge doesn’t love to coo over a fat and happy baby? However, take special note: two photos of your kids - cute. A trifold brochure documenting all 365 blessed days of your child's past year - obnoxious. Please spare us.

Postcard - we're in a recession, and every cent counts. Try creating a postcard using your home computer and printing it out at home, too. Not only do you save money by doing it yourself, but postcard stamps are 20 cents cheaper than regular stamps. Double score.

And for those of you who think we’re a load of crap and still wish to send an e-card, for the sake of those receiving it please opt for a brief and sweet personal message – just say no to mass e-mails with a link to dancing elves or singing Christmas trees!

love,
your muses

Happy Almost There Day!

Baby, it’s cold outside!

And to make matters worse it’s the middle of the week.

In celebration of Almost There Day, we goddesses have a little pick-me-up that serves as a warm-me-up, too: Eggnog Spiked Latte. How’s that for a year-end bonus?

This recipe is adapted from many we experimented with in search of the perfect concoction. Of course, perfection in terms of taste is relative, so do what you gotta do to make this recipe all yours.



Eggnog Spiked Latte
(adapted from the kitchn)

What you’ll need (to serve two):

½ cup milk (or soy milk if your tummy gets wonky from dairy, like me)
1 cup egg nog (or a soy-based alternative to egg nog – you can find this at Whole Foods or the like)
½ cup prepared espresso (see notes below)**
¼ cup Frangelico liqueur
A smidge of ground nutmeg
Two cinnamon sticks

Combine the milk and egg nog (or their soy counterparts) in a small saucepan on the stove. Stir often and be sure not to curdle the milk (if you happen to have a kitchen thermometer lying around, make sure the milk does not exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit – it will burn and that’s no bueno). In the meantime, combine the hot espresso and the Frangelico. Once the milk has warmed, add the hot, prepared espresso to the sauce pan and stir well to combine. Pour into two mugs and sprinkle nutmeg on top, to taste. Throw in a cinnamon stick for each mug and voila! Your day is suddenly warmer and brighter.

**Regarding the espresso. We prefer to make espresso the old-fashioned way – with a Bialetti Moka Express. You can find these little guys just about anywhere, and they come in lots of sizes. In my house we have the big one – I think it’s the 6-cup size (we don’t play around). To prepare the espresso is simple: fill the base of the Moka with fresh, cold water. A good device by which to measure is to fill it no higher than the little screw in the side. Place the coffee filter inside the base, and fill it with ground espresso (make sure that your coffee grinds are ground super, super fine). Screw the upper chamber of the Moka on top and set it on the stove. (Be sure that when you turn on the burner, the handle is not directly over the flame/heating element – just say no to burned fingers!) You know your espresso has finished when you hear it bubbling and gurgling – you can lift the lid to be sure that all the coffee has brewed up into the upper chamber. Turn off the heat, and allow the coffee to rest for approximately one minute before pouring.



Oh, and an alternative - if you prefer to have this as a little nightcap or a late-night snack, use decaf espresso.