1. Holding the chiles one at a time with metal tongs, quickly toast them by turning them an inch or two above an open flame for a few seconds until the aroma fills the kitchen. (Alternatively, toast chiles in a dry pan over medium heat, pressing them flat for a few seconds then flipping them over and pressing again.) When cool enough to handle, stem and seed the chiles, break them into pieces and put them in a blender along with tomatoes and their juice. (A food processor will work, though it won’t completely puree the chiles.)
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden. Add the onion and garlic to the blender with the tomato mixture. Process until smooth.
3. Return the pot to medium heat. Add the puree and stir continuously until thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6 minutes. Add broth, water and epazote. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the beans and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add the greens and season with salt to taste. Cook until the greens are wilted, about 2 minutes, depending on the type of greens.
5. Serve garnished with cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of lime.

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, jalapeno, garam masala, amchoor powder, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes longer.
2. Stir in lentils, broth, and bulgar and bring to a boil. If you are using additional vegetables other than greens (e.g. carrots, bell peppers, etc.), add them now too. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for about 45 minutes. Add water, if necessary, if lentils get too thick- you can serve this thinner as a soup or thicker like chili.
3. Discard bay leaves. Stir in cilantro, lemon juice, and spinach. Season with salt and pepper.

• Pot of pinto beans with brown rice and avocado
• Vegetable soup with "Harvest Grains Blend" (grain and bean combo from Trader Joe's)
• Whole wheat pasta tossed with chard, sundried tomatoes, white beans, and a creamy pesto sauce (cashew-based)
• Pita pizzas with cashew ricotta (there it is again- love it!) and steamed green beans
• Veggie burgers and chipotle sweet potato oven fries
• Stir fried bok choy and turnip greens with tofu, wild rice, shiitake mushrooms, and toasted pecans
• Roasted turnips, carrots, and sweet potatoes with farro, tempeh, pecans, and shiitake mushrooms (this is a repeat- it was SO GOOD last week)
• Potato leek soup with white beans added for protein
• Breakfast dishes: Apple cinnamon crockpot oats and persimmon apple breakfast crisp

*A tip: Portion out leftover dinner meals into single-serving reheat containers and refrigerate or freeze for easy grab-and-go lunches.

I love these containers: link

I will share a few recipes from this list as I cook these meals. Today, I'll share a super fast split pea soup recipe that I made last week.

Did you know...? Split peas area fantastic food- they don't require pre-soaking and they are loaded with iron, fiber, and protein!
Simple Split Pea Soup
1 1/2 cups split peas (green, yellow, or a mix), sorted and rinsed
6-8 cups of water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1-3 tsp liquid smoke (to taste, optional)
Sea salt (about 1 Tbsp) and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and add the onions and carrots. Saute until the onions are lightly browned.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer, partially covered, for about an hour. Serve the soup topped with homemade croutons.

To make croutons, I chopped up the heals of a few loaves of bread that were lingering in my fridge for just such an occasion. I tossed them with olive oil, salt, fresh chopped parsley, and minced garlic and baked them at 300 degrees until they were crunchy (about 25 minutes, turning once or twice).

Something-out-of-nothing broccoli soup
Serves ~4

2 cups soymilk
2 bay leaves
Several sprigs of fresh thyme
Fresh cracked pepper
5 or so cloves of garlic, unpeeled
~1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups water
~1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 a large onion, chopped
1-2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 large package of frozen broccoli (or 1 bundle of fresh)
1 15oz can cannellini or other white beans, thoroughly rinsed (for protein)

1. Place the unpeeled garlic cloves on a piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Then loosely wrap the garlic in the foil and place on a tray in a toaster oven (or regular oven) heated to 350°. Roast until fragrant and soft- ~20-30 minutes.
2. While the garlic is roasting, combine the soymilk, bay leaves, thyme, and pepper in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. When the milk reaches a simmer, add the water, salt, onion, celery, broccoli, and beans. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook until the broccoli is tender.
3. When the garlic is ready, pour off the olive oil into the soup. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their peel into the soup. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Puree the soup with a stick blender until smooth-ish. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Ginger Lime Soup
Serves 4-6
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 yams, peel and cubed
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
3 green onions, chopped
1 inch of fresh ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
juice of 3 limes
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat and add yams and shiitake mushrooms. Stir fry until tender but not mushy.
2. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic and cool for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Add broth, water, soy sauce, and lime juice. Bring to a bowl then lower the temperature and simmer for a couple of minutes.
4. Add spinach, cilantro, and sesame oil. Serve soup over cooked soba noodles.

1. Combine all ingredients. Bring to a bowl then remove from the heat and set aside.

1. Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, potatoes, cauliflower, bay leaves, parsley, and salt. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in the flour then add the water. Bring to a boil then partially cover and simmer until potatoes and cauliflower are soft (about 15 minutes).
3. Remove the bay leaves. Strain the milk mixture adding only the milk to the soup then puree the soup with a stick blender. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
4. Serve with warm whole grain bread.