Tuscan Tomato White Bean Soup

This might be my new favorite soup! It's tasty and hearty and comforting! You can find the recipe in all its deliciousness here: https://www.vitamix.com/Find-Recipes/T/U/Tuscan-Tomato-White-Bean-Soup I changed the recipe a little. I carmelized the onions a bit, used one small can of tomato paste instead of just 2 tablespoons, and mixed in the tomatoes and beans for a few minutes before adding the broth. I also added a ton more garlic and salt and some dried basil and rosemary while the tomatoes and beans were cooking. Then I took it off the stove to cool a little bit, and I added some labne before putting it in the Vitamix. It probably didn't need it because everything comes out so creamy in the Vitamix, but I like adding labne or goat cheese or something similar to my soup. Next time I would just use fresh tomatoes instead of canned (but still keep the tomato paste). This is the perfect soup to go with a grilled cheese! You have to dip the sandwich in the soup, of course!

One Pot Wonder Pasta

There are a few recipes for one pot wonder pasta, but this is one that I've tried and love. Sometimes I just don't feel like putting much time into cooking, and that's when something like this comes in handy. You just put everything into the pot and go! You can find the full recipe here: http://www.apronstringsblog.com/one-pot-wonder-tomato-basil-pasta-recipe/?fb_source=pubv1 We've made it before and it's great! This time we had some extra things (like zucchini) and we had a ton of spinach to use so we threw it all in there. Just improvise. It all comes out so delicious!

Carrot Soup

I'm not going to explain too much for this one, because these pictures are actually from two different nights cooking a similar recipe. So you can improvise quite a bit. The thing with making soup in the Vitamix is that I haven't had a bad one yet! You can make the most simple recipes and they come out so creamy and delicious! I'm so happy I invested in a Vitamix! I've made a raw carrot soup, but I've found that the cooked carrot soup is so much better. I just sautee some carrots and onions. After a while I add veg broth and simmer, then let it cool before adding to the Vitamix. It will come out incredibly creamy all on its own (that's the beauty of a Vitamix) but sometimes I add labne just for added protein and flavor. One night the hubby added some oranges (this might be from the actual Vitamix recipe). The citrus brightened it up, but I think it was a bit too much orange. If adding it I would cut back to only half an orange, maybe one whole one.

Mediterranean snack

Sometimes I am just too busy to make lunch, but one day after seeing a delicious lunch from my friend Chris I decided to just throw a bowl of olives, artichokes, and roasted peppers (from a jar) together. Probably the easiest little lunch you could possibly make! I just wanted to blog it so I remember the next time I decide to skip lunch because I'm too busy to make anything!

Heirloom Tomato "Caprese" Salad

I talk about this all the time, but I don't think there's a better food combination than tomato, avocado, and basil. It's basically a vegan version of a Caprese salad. I used to use plum or Roma tomatoes, but now I'm hooked on heirloom tomatoes. They really shine in this salad since the ingredients are so simple. Sometimes I chop and mix the veggies, but I think layering is prettiest and tastes the best. Here I just have salt and pepper, but I also dress it with olive oil and balsamic. It's heaven in every bite!

Italian Salad

This quick and easy salad reminds me of my Grandma because she used to make something like this all the time. Back then I didn't appreciate onions, but as usual my Grandma was right! They are delicious! This little salad of tomatoes, red onions, and cucumbers is dressed with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, Italian seasoning and minced garlic for lots of zing and lots of crunch!

Lemon Artichoke Pesto Zoodles

Doesn't the name of this dish just make your mouth water??!! It's just as good as it sounds, and you can find the recipe here: http://theleancleaneatingmachine.com/2013/12/30/lemon-artichoke-pesto-zucchini-noodles/ I used a small jar of artichokes for this one. I also used the fresh parsley, lemon juice/zest, fresh garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper that the recipe calls for, but since I didn't have any walnuts I used some raw almonds. The flavor was still amazing. Next time, I would definitely add more chunks of artichoke (I was all out after making the pesto) and maybe add some tomato, too. But this one is worth making again!