I was feeling nostalgic tonight so I made Kasha Varnishkes.

For those of you who don’t know what that is, kasha is buckwheat or groats and Varnishkes is Yiddish for bow shaped pasta. So, kasha Varnishkes is kasha with noodles.

A friend of mine said he didn’t like bow tie pasta, they freak him out, I love what makes people tick!

The recipe I made was simple, 2 cups of water with a vegetable bouillon cube (Knorr), 1 cup of kasha (from a box), a little bit of salt and 1 box of bow tie pasta. It’s that simple.

The recipe in the following link is a little more involved, but not much.
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/culture/2/Food/Ashkenazic_Cuisine/Poland_and_Russia/Kasha_Varnishkes.shtml

The reason I was feeling nostalgic is that my mom used to make kasha Varnishkes, I think my grandmother, her mom, used to make it as well. My mom was a great cook, she would try new things all the time.

So now I have a large container of home made goodness and some sweet memories to fall asleep to.

Ok, I know, if you’re not a vegetarian, you’re thinking ick or ewe, but if you are a vegetarian or
veg-curious, I have a new recipe for you.

I found the recipe on a box of tofu and I’ve modified it a bit and you can find a bunch of recipes online for different variations.
(https://www.google.com/search?q=eggless+egg+salad&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari)

The most important thing to remember is that you need firm tofu, with firm tofu, it crumbles nicely and will mix well, and the consistency is good. if you use a different type (soft, silken) it won’t work as well. And drain it!!! Nothing worse than wet egg salad, real or not!

This isn’t a formal recipe with an ingredient and measuring list, just how I make it, take what you want from it.

For serious vegans, use eggless mayonnaise, I used regular, I’m ok with it. I start with 2 teaspoons, add more as needed for taste. It calls for 1/8 teaspoon of mustard powder, unless you really like mustard, DON’T use more than 1/8 teaspoon mustard powder! Next time, I might try some Dijon mustard (if I have any). Sweet relish added something nice, not too sweet, but enjoyable. I also added some celery, that gives it a nice crunch. You might like some red, yellow or orange peppers, adds a nice splash of color and taste.

The other day, I put some on a salad, it was yummy. Another time, it was with spinache, kale, cheese and orange peppers, Y U M!

So, if you are brave enough to try it, I would love to know how you made yours and what you thought!

After climbing Stone Mountain, I was hungry and knew I wanted to cook and cook I did…soup, three of them! And kale chips! I was a monster in the kitchen!

The first soup I wanted to make was Tortellini Soup, recipe compliments of TS. I remember when she made it for a girls night years ago and I am sure I have asked her for the recipe time and again, I finally found it in my inbox so I can stop asking!

I was a Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago and picked up several different types of pastas (tortellini and ravioli, wonderful fillings… Spinache, artichoke, Parmesan, different cheeses) so tonight, I was inspired to make this fantastic and comforting soup.

Below, in parenthesis, you’ll see how I modified the recipe for myself.

family package of tortellini (works best with mini tortellini) cheese (I used cheese and spinache)
veggie [chicken] broth usually 2 boxes of swanson
(I always have Knorr vegetable cubes in my cabinet and use those for my broth)
a can of stewed tomatoes, mexican
(I cut the tomatoes into smaller pieces)
pepper to taste (I didn’t add pepper)
garlic to taste (I pressed 2-3 cloves of garlic instead of garlic powder)

Mix the broth and spices together in the pot, let simmer, then add the tortellini

Wen I eat it, I like to add some Parmesan cheese, it thickens the soup and adds some flavor and salt.

So simple and yet so delicious!

A bit of trivia… Do you know where tortellini came from? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortellini
One story is that there was a sculptor who was in love with his model and was looking at her belly button one day and..

The next soup was:
Roasted Garlic Maple Cauliflower Soup
vegan, makes 10 cups

1 large head of organic cauliflower, roughly chopped (about 8-9 loosely packed cups)
3 Tbsp maple syrup (grade B or A)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy creamer (or sub)
1 cup dehydrated potato flakes (used to thicken soup to desired consistency)
1 large head of garlic, roasted in olive oil
1 tsp truffle salt (to taste)
3/4 tsp fine black pepper

Garnish: maple syrup and olive oil

optional: a pinch of saffron for an extra layer of sweet flavor

To Make:

1. Chop the top off of a large head of garlic. Add head to a sheet of foil. Drizzle olive oil over top and wrap tightly. Place in 350 degree oven to bake for about 25 minutes. Pull from oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes. (Be sure you put something under to catch the oil, duh!)
2. In a large soup pot, add the veggie broth and chopped cauliflower. Cover with lid. Let simmer until the cauliflower is tender. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.
3. In a blender, add the cauliflower, veggie broth olive oil, creamer,maple syrup, salt, pepper and squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves as well (do not add skins – only garlic cloves). Puree until smooth – in batches. Add in the potato flakes as desired – up to about a cup. The flakes will thicken the soup. You can also use a fresh baked potato if you’d prefer. This step can also can be done in soup pot with immersion blender.
4. Simmer on the stove top over low heat until ready to serve.
5. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup and olive oil over top.

Source:
http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/09/21/roasted-garlic-maple-cauliflower-soup/

Ok, I am not a huge fan of cauliflower, I’ve tried mashed cauliflower, it was ok, going to try to make it for myself one day, but I haven’t found the love, like I do with broccoli, mmmmm. This recipe was good! I would recommend adding a baked potato instead of the flakes, it would make it thicker, but it really is a yummy soup! I was really surprised! The garlic made it so flavorful!

The last soup was butternut squash. I think I’ve given you the recipe I got from the web, this was cool, I found it in the produce section of the grocery store, all the ingredients were already in it, chopped and ready to go. I just had to sauté the veggies for 5 minutes, add the broth and simmer for 30 minutes, then blend. Easy…
I have to admit, I didn’t care for this one as much as the other, but it’s enjoyable and it’s soup and its winter and its and its and its.

I wish you warmth and if its cold outside, I wish you warm, comforting soups.