Apple Butternut Squash Soup

As soon as fall sets in I find I am excited to make soups
Soups Rock !
They are quick easy lunches for work
Amazing comforting perfect quick dinners
We like to make a simple green Salad
 sometimes whip up some biscuits, corn bread or some rustic crusty bread
Soup can make your whole family happy
I love soup ...almost as much as I love Tea ...maybe
When my son asks me if I was sent to another planet and I could only bring 3 things....
What would I bring?
Well.....Tea is always #2....
Bodo is always #1 of course couldn't live a moment without my Bodo!!
#3 might be soup...Soup OR Grego...
It would be a really tuff choice and I really love Grego so you now understand my love for soup
ANYWAYS
This weekend I sorta went GANGBUSTERS making soups for our freezer
I want to save money...I want easy lunches...I want easy warm yummy dinners so I can spend my evenings loving my sweethearts
Playing board games, telling jokes, cheering them on as they achieve glory playing Video games 
(ahhhhemmm surfing food gawker and drowning slowly in lady Grey Tea yeahhhhh)

This weekend I made 3 soups
yup 3
I now have Tons of soup in my freezer and I feel really braggy about it
I made yummy Chicken Tortilla Soup,
Put this Manly Beef Stew in the Crock Pot,
AND made this amazing Apple Butternut Squash soup MY Favourite! so spicy and yummy
I have such a hard time buying soup
SO many reasons
My biggest hate of store bought is the fact that they always put sugar in it
like why!?
This squash soup gets its sweetness from crunchy fall apples
YUM

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• I medium Onion, diced 
• 1 Butternut squash (peeled, cored & chopped   SAVE your squash seeds!)
• 4 Red or Gold apples (peeled, cored, & chopped)
• 2 tsp course salt 
• 1 tsp ground cumin 
• 1/2 tsp ground corriander (I use whole seeds and crush them SUPER fragrant)
• 1/2 tsp fresh Ginger
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground Black Pepper
• 2 Cups Chicken or Veg stock (my favourite for soup)
• 2 1/2 cups water (more if needed)

Make Soup:

1. Melt Butter, add onion, cook & stir till soft (4mins)
2. Add Squash & Cook, stir occasionally until soft (about 10 mins)
3. Add apples, spices and water (just enough to cover) reduce to a simmer & cook until very soft (30 mins ?)
4. Puree in batches till smooth

I store my soups in Large canning jars in my freezer

Always careful to leave enough head room in the top and ensure it is not sealed 

The soup will expand when it freezes so you have to be careful to give it room 

This makes it so easy to bring your soup out of the freezer the night before 

takes up less room in the fridge 

and pops right into the microwave at work 

Life is but a dream sweetheart!!!!!

Show Stopper DIP

Seriously....I put this **** on Everything!!!!

If I make a veggie Collard Green wrap, a Asia Girl Sushi Roll, this stuff goes on it!
ALSO
When I make my Green dinner salad I dump a bunch of balsamic vinegar a bit of HOT sauce (cause I put that **** on everything too)  in a small jar with a glob of this good stuff give it a shake and voila to die for show stopper dressing
I am obsessed with this right now!




Sometimes I think the real trick to eating clean and healthy is taking the time to make your food feel special...
using great spices...
Taking the time to make it beautiful..using beautiful fresh ingredients
It always makes me feel like I am living a totally charmed life
I don't forget for one second that I am

This DIP is so pretty and so delicious
take your time making it
all the steps count
Roast your nuts perfectly toasty brown
cut your cucumber into perfect tiny bits
And if you can get your hands on dried rose petals and Fresh Dill ...seriously YOU ARE BLESSED
DONT FORGET IT
and if you end up eating this dip with a spoon every time you visit the fridge

 just remember
I told you so !

Ingredients:
* 2 Medium Garlic Cloves
* 1/2 tsp Fine Grain Sea Salt
* 2 Cups Greek Yogurt
* 3 TBSP Fresh Dill
* 1 Medium Cucumber, seeded and diced into small pretty chunks
* 1/3 Cup Walnuts, Deeply roasted (I use pecans, Almonds or whatever I have but walnuts are so yum)
* 2 tsp Crushed Dried Rose Petals
* 3 TBSP Chopped Dried Cranberries

How to Stop the SHow:

1. On a small cutting board, sprinkle garlic cloves with salt.  Then mash them into a paste with a knife.
2. In a bowl combine garlic paste with yogurt & Dill
3. Cover and refrigerate till ready to serve 
4. When it is show time add cucumber, nuts, roses & cranberries

Enjoy and feel blessed charmed and happy 

xoxo

Asia Girl

No Bake Protein Hearts...We Love Protein!!!

Ingredients:

* 2 Cups Oat Flour (Put raw oats into your food processor and wiz up to make flour :)
* 1/2 Cup Water
* 1/2 C Peanut Butter or Almond Butter
* 4 Scoops Chocolate Protein Powder
* 1/4 Cup Flax Meal

Method:

In a Medium sized mixing bowl combine the water, peanut butter & protein powder.  Add remaining ingredients.
This stuff is very sticky!
Roll flat and thin between two sheets of parchment paper.
Use your favourite  cooky cutter to make shapes.
Arrange on foil lined plate
Cool in fridge
Enjoy
xo

Asia

Crustless Pie

Figure Girls want pie too 

My son and I pick berries together 

I find this so amazingly calming 

almost meditative  

The heat of the summer air with just a hint of fall

The dry yellow grass underfoot 

The crickets singing in the background 

the cool of the evening air 

the changes seem to creep in so fast 

Pie is a part of fall.  I love pie.  I LOVE making pie.
Berry PIE,  Pumkin Pie, Apple Pie
sigh
But I don't love having to sacrifice my diet
and since my sweet heart is even more strict than I can EVER try to be
I have to figure a way to make treats that aren't cheats

SO a pie without crust...that should work

Apple Blackberry Pie
* 5- 8 Golden Delicious or Granny Smith Apples
* 2-3 Cups Blueberries, Blackberries or Any berries for the top
* 1/4 Cup Walnuts
* 1 TBSP Lemon Juice
* 2 tsp Cinnamon
* 1 Cinnamon Stick
* Pinch of Salt
* Agave, honey or raw sugar (sweeten to taste)
* Butter to coat pie plate
* 2-3 TBSP Cornstarch

Lets Make Pie:

1. Wash and peal apples.  Slice with a mandolin slice into clean and as even as possible 1/8 inch thick rounds.  KEEP CORES and fruit sides that do not make rounds!  Once all your rounds are cut gently toss in a pan with lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, & a bit of sweetener :)
2. Place all the apple scraps into a small saucepan.  Add about a tablespoon of water.  Cook till soft.    Blend soft apples until smooth return to saucepan.  Add a bit of the apple sauce and maybe a bit of very hot water to thickening agent in a small bowl and stir till dissolved.  Add to saucepan.  Cook until Bubbling and slightly thickened.  THIS is your binding sauce :)
3. Now place your berries into the same sauce pan with a cinnamon stick.  Cook the same way adding a touch of lemon juice some sweetener (if needed) and some cornstarch to thicken..  Remove from heat when soft.  DO NOT BLEND.  Set aside to add to the top of your pie.
4. Rub some butter on the bottom of your pie plate and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Arrange a layer of apple rounds.  Then brush with a think layer of binding apple sauce.  Repeat till apples are gone. Spoon blackberry mixture on top.
5. Place pie on baking sheet (in case of runoff) bake in oven @ 350 for 30 -40 mins or until apples are cooked through.  Add walnuts to top near end of cooking time so they do not burn.

Allow your pie to cool completely before cutting.  

ENJOY

xoxo Asia Girl

Mini Vegan Meatloaf

This Friday my sweet family was having MAN night...which entails ordering pizza...playing vids..etc 
I wanted Pizza too...but not man night kind...I wanted Asia Girl Pizza.....Rice Flour Tortilla Crust...fresh cooked Chicken breast, grilled asparagus, roasted beets, Arugula, goat Feta ...you get the idea (clean pizza :)
I played in the kitchen while the boys were busy being men 
I made pizza ...some Carb free Zucchini humous (I added jalapeño just to kick it up a notch)
Since I had left over pizza sauce I figured I could make a batch of Meat Loaf...errrr Asia Girl meal loaf lol
I mess with everything !!!
Veggie Meat loaf is an OXYMORON!!!


An oxymoron (plural oxymorons or oxymora) (from Greek ὀξύμωρον, "sharp dull") is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms. 
Even though this recipe might be a total contradiction 


Totally yummy!
These lil babies are portioned sized yummy slow burning carbs to pair with your clean protein.  
I make a batch and freeze them.  This way I can pop them in my lunch or heat one up for any snack or meal time.
One of the hardest parts of eating clean is having quick healthy foods prepared and ready to eat whenever hunger strikes...if you aren't prepared it is just TOO easy to make an unhealthy choice!
If you are uncertain about this one just try doing a half batch :)  The full recipe makes about 16 muffin sized bites.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 Cups Water
1/4 Cup Bragg's liquid soy
2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 TBSP Onion Powder
1 TBSP Agave or Maple Syrup
1 TBSP Dried Sage
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning
1 Garlic Clove, Crushed
1/2 tsp Cayenne
3 1/2 Oatmeal
1/2 CUP Organic Pasta Sauce

Instructions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350.  Spray 16 Muffin tin Cups or line with silicone Cup cake liners.  
2. Place all ingredients except Oats into a large sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Once it is boilingg add your oatmeal and remove from heat and cool for 5 mins
3. Divide oatmeal mixture into muffin tins.  Top each with a spoon full of pasta sauce.  
4. Bake for 45 mins or until browned on the edges and solid.

Enjoy xoxo Asia Girl

  

Happy Sprouts

What Is A SPROUT?

A sprout is the stage a seed goes through as it comes to life.  A seed contains within itself all it needs to sustain life for its first few days of growth.
As a see sprouts enzymes are activated triggered by moisture which converts stored inactive nutrients into an incredibly rich food for the new plant.
MANY healthy eaters ;) see sprouts as the best source of food on the planet.
SUNFLOWER Sprouts are rich in protein, minerals, and vitamins
BEST part ...you can make sprouts year round no matter where you live
ALL you need is Seeds, water, light...and an understanding sweetheart that doesn't mind plates of dirt on your kitchen counter!
If you haven't tried sprouting before I highly recommend it!
Its super easy and super fun
Kids LOVE sprouts ...and being part of the growing process makes them Super excited to eat them!

SO WHAT YOU NEED:

First of all you do NOT need any special sprouting equipment.  Most likely what you will need is already in your kitchen or can be collected with a quick trip to your local grocery mart.
You will need:

* Black Oil Sunflower (you can typically find these at your organic grocer (Amped On Nutrition)
* 2 Glass Pie Plates
* Organic Potting Soil
* Water, Light, Love
Thats it!

To start:  You will need to soak your sunflower seeds overnight.

• Take 1/4 Cup Sunflower seeds and soak overnight
• In the morning add soil to 1 of your pie plates saturate with water 
• Spread Soaked seeds over soil
• Put extra pie plate on top
• Press top plate firmly on top and tip over sink to drain excess water
• Stick your pie plates into the closet...Your seeds need a dark environment...very important to leave the top pie plate on top.  This will ensure that your sprouts will root into the soil :)
• Check on your sprouts every day...leave them in the closet about 2 to 3 days until the new sprouts have lifted the top plate up about an inch or so.
• Next is the very exciting part!!! Place your pie plates by a bright window sill so they can grow.  Within just a few days you will have super Nutrition to add to your salads, wraps, or sushi Remember to water your sprouts as they grow.  You will want to make sure the soil is kept moist...I woke up one morning and the little guys were very ...limp (lying-in the bottom of the pie plate eeeek!  I gave the poor things water and they war just fine   fewwwfff!!!

            

YUM!

Stevia Fizzy Drink ...ummm yes please!