It’s Happening: The Big Move

Okay, I know it looks like pretty much like the same website (for now), but I’m currently working on refining the content and OhSheCooks.com is becoming OrthodoxAndVegan.com. I finally made the transfer to WordPress.org and I’m so excited for all the changes to come!

In the near future (hopefully by Pascha), visitors to this old thing will be redirected to the new site.

And lucky for all of you, I’m currently unemployed and should have plenty of time for blogging. I am looking forward to spending more time together :D Hope you will join me on my new adventure! I’m going to be migrating all my followers to the new site. If for some reason you no longer receive emails from me or see me in your reader, please subscribe at Orthodox and Vegan.

Thanks for your support!!

Cleansing Vegetable Soup

This is the other dish I brought to the Lenten potluck earlier this week. I looked through a bunch of detox soup recipes online, then used the ideas to throw this together. It’s packed with veggies, easy to make, and this recipe makes a large pot so you could eat it for days…I would have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I were more disciplined. Anyway.

Cleansing Vegetable Soup
2 pounds dried split peas
2 heads broccoli
1 pound carrots
1 pound celery
1 bunch green onion
1/4 C peeled & chopped turmeric (or more to taste)
2 bunches kale
6 C vegetable broth (homemade or high quality store bought)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
optional: 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Cook split peas according to instructions, allowing them to get very tender and soft.
Meanwhile, chop all the veggies except kale, and add to large pot with turmeric and vegetable broth – include the leafy celery and carrot tops, they add a great flavor and are very nutritious. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat, and simmer until veggies are tender and falling apart, adding salt and pepper to taste (and nutritional yeast, if using). Tear kale from stems and add to veggies. Simmer until tender.
Let the veggies and split peas cool slightly, then blend in batches – I did a few ladles-full of vegetables along with a big scoop of split peas in each batch. You can blend it all until completely smooth, or leave some of the veggies in chunks.

At home, I serve the soup with nutritional yeast sprinkled on top and finished with Mediterranean black lava salt (I love finding fancy salts at Home Goods). The split peas bulk it up and make it pretty filling on its own, but it would also be wonderful over rice or potatoes. I bought a container of rice with chickpeas from the monastery, it had bits of onion and dill in it, and it was delicious with the soup mixed in.

This soup is oil free and perfect for a strict fasting day…unless you accidentally grab a vegetable broth with safflower oil in it, which is a totally unnecessary ingredient and why you should make your own broth. But it is better to eat the soup than let it go to waste :)

2016 Lenten Potluck #1: Green Detox Salad Dressing

We had our first Lenten potluck of the season last night. I actually made two things, but the soup you’ll have to wait for until I have pretty picture of it. As it is, this is the best I could do at the time for my salad dressing!

I’ve been eating so much junk food lately, I decided my first meal in Lent should be something very clean and healthy. Of course, I couldn’t help but try a bunch of other things at the potluck, but I tried to stick to things that looked simple and full of veggies and protein. Anyway. This lovely bright green detoxifying salad dressing was perfect for an evening commemoration of St. Patrick. Plus each of the main ingredients is high in various vitamins and minerals, great for bone health and boosting your immunity.

The best part is it’s super easy to make, and has so few ingredients you won’t have to break the bank if you want to use organic produce.

Green Detox Salad Dressing
1 large cucumber, unpeeled
1/4 chopped onion
1 avocado, peeled & de-stoned
2 lemons, juice of
sea salt, to taste

Chop first three ingredients. Place in blender with the lemon juice, and BLEND. It should be smooth and easy to pour, but won’t be very creamy. Add salt to taste.

I served my dressing with an organic spring lettuce mix, but it would also be great as a substitute for salsa. Add another avocado and a clove of garlic, and it’s basically a super-hydrating guacamole.

And did I mention…it’s also oil free and perfect for a strict fasting day.