I first made this quick and easy soup back in May 2008. While flipping through some old recipes a few days ago, I ran across this one again and it conjured up delicious taste memories. So, while out shopping on Friday I picked up a bunch of leeks and a few extra red bell peppers to recreate it on Sunday. This velvety, red-orange soup, together with green basil, is relatively mild with just a hint of spiciness. It is basically a twist on the...

Today’s lunch was this vegan BLT on a Sprouted Onion & Poppy Seed Bagel with a 2009 Leonard Kreusch Riesling, It’s been one of those a relaxing, laid-back sort of days and for the most part, I’ve been in chill mode. I didn’t feel like spending a lot of time making lunch today and I didn’t feel like going out for a take-away, yet I wanted something tasty and satisfying. Then I remember the Fakin’ Bacon that...

One of my friends in Birmingham, England, UK (hi Henny!) recently told me that she had “just broken her soya milk virginity”. I told her that I started with soy milk many years ago, but have since moved on to almond milk because I like the taste a lot better. After shopping around a bit, she sadly reported that she was unable to find it anywhere in her area. My first thought was, “how strange is that?”. Then I remembered...

Since changing my diet, I find that there are times when I’m not in the mood for a heavy meal, but still have a taste for something meaty-like and substantial with a decent amount of protein. Today was one of those days. This is a quick and easy, off-the-cuff dish I prepared for lunch. Considering how fast I threw this dish together, it turned out well. Quite well, actually. While I was cooking, I didn’t think of posting it here, but...

While out browsing at the market the other day (one of my favorite things to do), I picked up a gorgeous ripe papaya. No special reason. I just got it because I had been meaning to experiment with papaya for a while, but had never gotten around to it. Once I got home, the first thing I whipped up was a delicious papaya and cucumber smoothie. Later that afternoon, I put together a wonderful Papaya Avocado Salad to accompany the spicy grilled...

I bought a papaya today! I’m absolutely crazy about papaya. Unfortunately, they are one of those fruits that I often think about using, but end up forgetting to put on my shopping list. Well, I didn’t forget today. And the baby I bought weighed nearly four pounds! It was actually the smallest one I could find. The main reason I bought it was to see how it would taste in a smoothie, but I had no idea how I would use the rest. Well,...

Tomatoes, glorious tomatoes, are an essential ingredient in many dishes from various cultures and cuisines around the world. From the pasta sauces and pizzas of Italy to the salsas and pico de gallos of Mexico to the salads and soups of America, there seems to be no end to the uses for these multifaceted gems. Not only beautiful to they eye and delightful on the palate, tomatoes are also one of nature’s awesome superheros among veggies, as...