Crock Pot French Onion Soup // Video

A recipe! Better yet, a slow cooker recipe! This is a soup that we make relatively frequently. You know, when we get sick of all the Pumpkin Chili and Miso Split Pea Soup. It’s really simple. Really satisfying. Really tasty. And picky kids will give it a try if you pretend the onions are noodles. I share this tip from my own experience -- it works!

Yum.

Would make a great Super Bowl dish, don’t you think? (And I'm not trying to be cute. I genuinely, positively have NO IDEA who is playing this year. Guess I should quickly figure out my team allegiance before the kickoff.)

Here’s a video, and there’s a brief recipe below with some notes on bread baking, etc.



BTW: I am going to do a whole review on my Aroma Rice Cooker (plus it's a steamer AND slow cooker -- all in one!). I love it. I LOVE IT.

CROCK POT FRENCH ONION SOUP

What you’ll need . . . 

• 3 large onions, cut into circles
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance or butter (or some oil)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup Fre alcohol-removed champagne (or cooking wine, beer, etc.)
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method . . . 

1. Combine onions with Earth Balance, sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Cook on high for one hour, stirring occasionally.
2. Then add in the flour and garlic powder. Let soak in a few minutes.
3. Add in the champagne, stock, salt, and pepper. Then cook for 6 hours on low. More if you have the time. (Note: I cooked mine between 4 and 6 hours on my Aroma cooker’s slow cook setting, which I assume is high -- worked really well).

My soup recipe is mostly riffed off Tyler Florence's French Onion Soup. Just lazier and vegan (yeah -- the soup itself is vegan, so you can try to top it with vegan cheese if you like!). Then all you need to do is make yourself some easy French Bread (I used THIS recipe), cut into smallish pieces, and plop it into the bowl.


Top everything with Swiss or Gruyere cheese.

Broil until browned and bubbly.


Enjoy!

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Tempeh Veggie Burgers

Freezer and crock pot meals have been a big game changer for me when it comes to meal prep and planning. I’m sure it’s the same with a lot of you. This year, it’s all about doing it better and changing up the recipes. We try to have a good stock of veggie burgers in the freezer at all times, but over the holidays our count dwindled to zero.

We bought a bulk slab of tempeh (two pounds!) at the Greenstar Coop the last time we were in Ithaca, and I’ve been waiting to do something amazing with it. When I thought to mix together my Freezer Veggie Burger recipe, I stopped myself short. A few pulses of the food processor later and this “meaty” burger was born.

TEMPEH VEGGIE BURGERS

Double this recipe to make 16-18 freezable* burgers.

What you’ll need . . .

• 1 pound tempeh, chopped
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 large bell pepper, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped (or 1 clove garlic)
• 2 tablespoons ACV
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup ground flax meal
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• salt, pepper
• other seasonings (optional)

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Alternatively, I used a special pan to form my burgers, which I’ll write more about in a minute.
2. Chop all ingredients and place in your food processor. It helps to pulse the veggies a little first. Then all the tempeh and continue pulsing with the wet ingredients. Then let blend for a few minutes until a wet dough forms.
3. Scoop heaping 1/4 cup of dough onto your sheet and form patties. Flatten slightly.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, until burgers feel a bit firm. Then it’s up to you. You can eat right out of the oven. If you want to eat them right away, I suggest heating some olive oil in a pan and browning both sides (I like the crispy texture). 
5. *To freeze: Cool burgers on a cooling rack and then place on wax paper on a baking sheet in the freezer until frozen. Put in an airtight container (zip bag is great). To re-heat, let thaw for around 30 minutes. Then heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and brown on both sides.

My mother-in-law bought me this Muffin Top Pan for Christmas, and I’ve made tons of stuff in it, just not muffins! I love the shape for cookies, burgers, and even baked egg dishes (more on that soon). So, if you think a sheet like this might have a million purposes in your kitchen, I wholeheartedly agree.

See? Perfect patties!


I’ve been eating my burgers open-faced on a slice of toasted Ezekiel bread lately. More flavor, a little less bread, and definitely saves money. (That bread is so expensive, which is why we usually make our own.) With a little cheese broiled on top, some sliced tomato, and BBQ sauce? Perfecto.

Stay warm today, friends!


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Vegan French Onion Soup

This weekend I retooled one of my most popular recipes, Vegan French Onion Soup. I loved this sort of soup as a kid because it was often was of of the only meat-free options for me at restaurants . . . only to find out as an adult that it -- and many other soups -- most often contains beef broth.

So, as I played around with making my own mix in the past, I used a quick roux to thicken the broth and give it a nutty, fuller flavor. This new version is gluten-free because I swapped out the flour for almond meal. And it tastes even better than my last batch!

FRENCH ONION SOUP*
Improved on the original -- vegan, gluten-free.

What you'll need . . .

• 2 pound bag yellow onions**, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup almond meal

*A reader pointed out that for this to TRULY be French Onion, it would need the bread and cheese. Feel free to use your favorite bread or gluten-free bread and broil the top with cheese or vegan substitute.

** I actually used assorted onions from our CSA share. Toss in what you've got!

Method . . .

1. Place the onions, celery and garlic in a large stock pot with the olive oil. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes over medium to high heat, until translucent.
2. Then add in the maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Cook another 15 minutes, until golden and caramelized. 
3. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and stir occasionally for another 30 minutes.
4. During those last 10 minutes of waiting, heat the olive oil into a shallow pan on medium-low and wait for the it to get to a hot, but not too hot (shouldn't be smoking -- read more in our last Thai Jambalaya recipe).
5. Add the almond meal to the 1/4 cup oil and stir continuously for 10 minutes -- until deep brown and smells nutty. You may add more or less almond meal depending. You want a paste like in the photo below.
6. Add roux to the soup and let cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Serve with crusty homemade bread and/or nutritional yeast.

Enjoy!

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Roasted Carrot Soup + White Miso

I've been digging simple soups and dishes recently for a variety of reasons. They are usually inexpensive. They typically mix together quickly and require little effort. They don't make for much cleanup either. And simple foods can be super flavorful -- just take this carrot soup, for example.

5 core ingredients = dynamite.

ROASTED CARROT SOUP with WHITE MISO
Vegan. Makes 4-6 servings.

What you'll need . . . 

• 8-9 large carrots, scrubbed + chopped
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt + pepper
• 32 ounces vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup white miso

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Chop your carrots and onions and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and spindle with salt and pepper. Then roast for 20 minutes, toss, and roast another 20-30 minutes -- until browned and soft.
3. Place roasted veggies in a blender along with the veggie stock and miso. Pulse until well incorporated (but I left mine a bit chunky). 
4. Return to stove and heat until carrots have fully softened, if necessary/desired. Season more with salt and pepper to taste.

I added the miso in this recipe for flavor, as you guys taught me (via the Sweet Potato + Broccoli Miso Soup) the nutritional benefits can be lost with over-cooking. So, if you're into this recipe for the healthy miso stuff, you may wish to add it once the soup has cooled a bit. And actually, I tried the soup cold, and it's quite good that way.

You may also remember our Carrot Soup with a Kick recipe. It's one of my favorites and DEFINITELY similar to this one, but isn't roasted + has lots of spices at play. However you eat 'em, carrots are a great food to add to your diet.

// COMING UP

Another tasty carrot recipe headed your way this week! It's sort of like these healthy Carrot Brownie Bites meet these Red Velvet Black Bean Brownies. And they have a protein-rich, vegan baby.

Hope you all great a great weekend! Thanks again for all your help with our $550 kitchen refresh. Our open house went well -- but still no offers. We'll see what happens this week, but we're glad we did it now versus waiting much longer.

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Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Soup

Thanks for all your enthusiasm about my Aldi posts. I'm feeling really good about finding a less expensive food source for my family. One of the most requested additions to this series has been recipes -- so I thought I'd start posting some of the foods I'm making that use Aldi ingredients entirely.

I make at least two soups/stews a week in the crock pot. One is usually a crazy mix of whatever veggies and beans we have left over. I make it before heading to the grocery store + it helps me get a handle on exactly what I need to put on my list that week. The other is usually something a little more creative or experimental.

Like this lightened-up Cheesy Potato Soup!

CHEESY POTATO SOUP
a lighter, veggie-filled option for this old favorite

What you'll need . . .

• 3-4 large potatoes (sweet potatoes would work, too!), peeled + cubed
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 10-12 white mushrooms, chopped + stems removed
• 8 ounces cheese of choice, cubed -- I used mostly Colby-Jack
• 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1-1/2 cups almond milk (or substitute)
• 4-5 cups water, whatever fills up the pot
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• I also think smoked paprika would taste great!

Method . . .

1. Toss all solid ingredients in your crock pot and then pour in the Greek yogurt, almond milk, water, and spices.
2. Mix to incorporate everything fully, then set on HIGH for about 4 hours. Soup is "done" when potatoes are softened. 
3. Simply let cool a bit and then transfer into your blender (we use a our Ninja) and blend until smooth.

And after you blend . . .


A crockpot full of this soup is enough for a hearty lunch-side for two people all week or at least several good-sized dinners. I love sneaking in extra veggies for both flavor and nutrition -- all on the cheap. To read more of my Aldi posts (which are totally #notsponsored), click here.

I'll be back next week with our favorite Aldi meal -- loaded quesadillas. Don't forget to check out my Whole Wheat Naan recipe + cooking video. And if you have kids, today I wrote some tips for how I keep up with Ada.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

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Broccoli + Sweet Potato Soup

It's been a while since I've made a new soup recipe. I love chunky stews and chili, which is why I make those varieties far more often than slurpable stuff of this sort. But . . . there I was in my kitchen looking into a sad drawer of limp, forgotten broccoli. The whole USE IT UP! automatic healthy eating tip was screaming in my head.

I just couldn't stomach another stir-fry.

So . . .

BROCCOLI + SWEET POTATO SOUP
with coconut milk for vegan richness!

What you'll need . . .

• 2 large heads of broccoli, chopped small
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled + chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 2-3 cups (low sodium) vegetable broth
• Salt + pepper, to taste
• Olive or Chili oil (optional)

Method . . . 

1. Prepare all your veggies, then in a stock pot over medium heat, saute your onion in some olive oil until soft. Then add in potatoes and broccoli and cook for a few minutes.
2. Add the broth (start with two cups) and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Then lower to a simmer for around 15 minutes, until veggies/potatoes are soft/blendable. 
3. Let cool slightly before blending* until smooth. Add more broth as necessary to reach desired consistency. Then return to the stovetop to season with the salt, pepper, and optionally kick up the heat with a little chili oil.

* I use my Ninja Blender, a.k.a. my poor woman's Vitamix, to blend the tough broccoli.


Yes. The soup does turn a light brown color, depending on your specific ratio of sweet potatoes to broccoli. If you're looking for a more appetizing presentation, you could always sub in a white potato. But then you'd be missing out on the extra dimension of flavor + nutrition the sweet potato adds. It's a delicate balance.

You could also add in some cayenne. I love hot + spicy soups!

Psst: Be sure to check out our gift lists!

Gifts for the Active Family
Fun Gifts for Foodies
Active Gifts for Women
On Stephen's List
On Ashley's List
On Ada's List + 80 toddler gift ideas split into 20 fun categories!

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Carrot Soup w/ a Kick

From start to finish, this recipe takes about 30 to 40 minutes of chopping, stirring, seasoning, blending, and taste testing. As far as soups go, it's pretty basic. We have made variations using different seasonings, so I encourage you to play around.

Ginger goes famously with carrots, though. I highly recommend using fresh whenever possible. Our ginger was moldy, however. Story of my life this week.

But enough about me. Soup's on!

CARROT SOUP w/ a Kick

What you'll need . . . 

• 8 medium-large carrots, peeled + chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance (or olive oil)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 32 ounces vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar
• salt + pepper to taste

Method . . . 

1. Place the Earth Balance in a large saucepan over medium heat. When it's melted, saute the onions and garlic until they become glassy. Then add the carrots and cook for another 5 minutes. Then add the paprika, thyme, and ginger. Cook another five minutes. 
2. Then pour in the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, and lower to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Until the carrots are tender.
3. Let cool for 10 minutes and then blend in your blender. Return to the stove over low heat and season with the sugar, salt, and pepper.
4. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for a week. Freezes great, too!

In other news, Stephen and I both dropped to the half marathon from the full for Wineglass last night. I'm simultaneously disappointed + thrilled. My goal is to get as close to 1:40 as possible. But I'll be writing more about this decision and my training plan soon. Ultimately, I know it was the right decision.

I've also recovered really well from the half marathon last weekend. My IT band is all better -- even after a few recovery runs. I think it was a warning sign. I don't take it lightly . . . but I am definitely on the mend. Still stoked about my 2-minute PR, too! I think trying to take 4+ minutes off this time is ambitious, but possible. Who knows!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's Weekend Things post. My favorite of the week :)

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Green Curry Tofu Stir-Fry

I'm discovering that the easiest gluten-free dinners to prepare don't revolve around specific gluten replacements or fancy flours and baking methods at all. Instead, they require me to look outside the bread box and redefine what dinner means to our family. We used to eat a ton of stir-fries.

I think we fell out of practice when I was pregnant and many veggies turned my stomach. I got in the habit of eating lots of bread-centric foods  because they went down the easiest. They also continued being a favorite when we were busy with a newborn and they were easy to grab.

Newsflash: We don't have a newborn anymore. So, back to stir-frying!

GREEN CURRY TOFU STIR-FRY

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cake tofu, drained well 
• 1 large head broccoli 
• 1 white onion 
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 cup white mushrooms, sliced 
• 1 red pepper, sliced (we were out, but usually use one) 
• 1 to 2 tablespoons green curry paste 
• 15 ounce can low fat coconut milk
• Juice of half a lime

Method . . .

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the green curry paste and coconut milk until well combined. Set aside.
2. Drain your tofu using this method. Cube and set aside while you warm a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large fry pan. Cook the tofu until well browned on all sides.
3. In another, larger pan over medium-high heat, add your oil and onions and garlic. Cook until glassy + fragrant.
4. Then add in the broccoli and red pepper. Cook until softened, but still a bit crunchy. Then add in the mushrooms and cook a few minutes more.
5. Add the coconut curry mix to your veggie pan. Cook for a few minutes, until bubbly.
6. Add the tofu to the veggie/curry pan . . . then cook covered over low heat for another 15 to 30 minutes. Then squirt in the lime and stir.
7. Serve over rice (should make two large servings) and add basil or another garnish as desired. 

I'd say coconut curry stir-fries are our favorite. They aren't quite as authentic as ordering out, but the flavor is more interesting than our other go-to, which is mostly soy sauce mixed with sesame oil. We pretty much go back and fourth between the two.

Here's a Red Curry Stir-Fry recipe we made a while back (with photos taken in the day! sorry about that . . . ). And we sometimes make this tasty marinade, bake the tofu, and serve with roasted veggies. Just another way of making a similar meal.

If you've gone gluten-free or have been trying to eat less gluten, do you try to replace those bread-y foods you used to enjoy or do you shift to eating entirely different sorts of meals? Or maybe a mix?

Enjoy!

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Baked Autumn Samosas

I ate Indian food at least twice a week when I was in college. I would pick it up on my way home from the bus stop at this amazing joint in the Commons (I think it's Sangam -- they have a location in Collegetown, too). I call it a "joint" because it was almost like fast food, just way better.

I always bought two samosas with my plate of to-go veggie curry and rice. I'd eat one right away and save the other for later. Potatoes, peas, fried dough, spices. So good. My favorite part of the meal.

This recipe is far from traditional and is baked, not fried. Still satisfies my nostalgic craving, though. I know I'll be making these again soon!

BAKED AUTUMN SAMOSAS

Filling

• 2 to 3 cups butternut squash 
• 1 head cauliflower 
• 1 white onion 
• 3 large cloves garlic 
• Olive oil 
• Salt 
• Pepper 
• Curry powder 
• Smoked paprika 

Crust

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached bread flour
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance (cold)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Water (cold)

Method for veggies . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Get a rimmed baking sheet ready.
2. Chop all veggies coarsely -- into approx. 1-inch cubes. Then place them on your rimmed sheet.
3. Drizzle with olive oil (a few tablespoons) and then sprinkle with your salt, pepper, and spices. Use as little or as much as you like. I kept ours relatively tame since I wanted to give Ada some of the filling for dinner.
4. Roast in oven for an hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Then refrigerate until you're ready to make your samosas. If that's right away -- proceed to making the crust.

Method for crust . . . 

1. In a food processor, combine the flours and salt. Pulse.
2. Then add in the butter in chunks and the olive oil. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time -- pulsing again -- until the dough starts to form together.
4. Then roll into a ball and store in the fridge until you're ready to bake.

Putting it all together . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spritz a baking sheet with olive oil. Set aside.
2. Basically, you roll out the dough between two pieces of wax paper, cut it into a circle using a pot top, cut that in half, fold, fill, and press shut. See this video tutorial for details (as well as for a gluten-free and more traditional samosas recipe). It's exactly how I did it.
3. Then arrange samosas on baking sheet and prick each with the tines of a fork.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Until the crust is golden.
5. Let cool and serve with your favorite barbeque sauce.

These photos of the finished samosas aren't really my best, but you might be interested to know I shot them in total, complete darkness. Yeah. We're at that time of year when dinner is eaten long after the sun goes down.

I used my DIY light box to photograph in the past. But now I'm using my bounce flash. Stephen bought it for me for Christmas two years ago, and I'm only now getting around to using it. Not too shabby at all.

Today on Writing Chapter Three, I wrote about the magic hour when Stephen gets home from work. I feel like Ada merely tolerates me all day until she can see daddy again.

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Lazy Woman's Stir-Fry

Wow. First: THANK YOU! We've had quite a lot of feedback on our reader survey from this morning's post. As always, I appreciate the (sometimes brutal) honesty. We want to make this site as great and useful as it can be for you all. And I'm seeing that the new site design isn't well received. It isn't totally hot over here either, but it's difficult to change quickly, unfortunately.

I was frustrated that the new template had the whole "read more" and click option (some of you mentioned I might be trying to get more clicks -- which isn't actually the case, I just wasn't savvy enough to tool around with the template). Anyway, I was able to somewhat remedy it (still a few kinks) with some crafty trial-and-error editing this afternoon. But I'm still 50/50 on if I want to keep the slider with the featured sections.

Oh, yeah. I want my old banner back, too. I need to figure out HOW to get the header section to take an image of that same size. None of this is your concern. I just want you to know I'm listening. Keep those survey comments coming!

Onto more exciting things. Like this stir-fry.

I call it the "Lazy Woman's Stir-Fry" because despite how much I love to play with sauces and spreads, the secret ingredient that makes this dinner great is this:


Now that we're on a super tight budget (hell, when HAVEN'T we been?), I make almost everything from scratch. Everything. It gets ridiculous when I've whipped up some hummus for lunch and have to "quickly" get a batch of naan going so I have something to eat it with. Or when guests come to our house only to find raw ingredients, no snacks.

My mom told me the other day that the one critique she has of this blog is that my recipes are often too involved for the "normal" cook. I can completely see where she's coming from.

Truth is -- full-time worker or not -- I love to cook. I often whipped up elaborate meals for dinner when I worked a 9-to-5 because I love time in the kitchen. It helps me relax. I love the creation process. It gave me time to think. Now that I'm home all day, you'd think I'd have tons of time. Well, I'm home all day with a baby . . . a baby who's starting to get into everything, all that "time" I have is segmented. I'm discovering I need to find time-saving measures and clever shortcuts more than ever.


LAZY BUSY WOMAN'S STIR-FRY

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cake tofu, drained well and cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 2 small heads of broccoli, chopped
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 1 cup white mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (or stir-fry oil, if you have it)
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

Method . . . 

1. In a fry pan over high heat, toss in the sesame oil and heat until sizzling. Then lower heat just a bit and add tofu. 
2. Cook, stirring often to get all sides, until well browned. Set aside. 
3. In another, larger frying pan or wok -- toss in the olive or stir-fry oil. Then add the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until glassy. 
4. Add the broccoli and green pepper. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, then add the mushrooms, soy sauce, and sweet chili sauce. 
5. Stir well and cover for 5 to 7 minutes. Until broccoli is softened, but still slightly crisp. 
6. Stir in the tofu and cook until warmed. 
7. Serve immediately. With brown rice!

Some lazy busy woman tricks for this dinner:

• Cut veggies into chunks on Sunday afternoon. Toss everything you plan to use for a meal in a large zippered bag. Date and label for the week. 
• Or even consider buying a few pre-sliced and cleaned items -- like mushrooms -- so you can just toss them in. (With mushrooms, I still give them another quick rinse.) 
• Drain tofu early in the day so it's ready and dry at cooking time. Or just deal with tofu that's slightly soggy. I did the latter. 
• Cook double so you can enjoy the next night or night after. I'm not a huge leftovers fan, so I wouldn't go beyond the next evening. 
• As already mentioned -- use a store-bought sauce to flavor. More expensive, yes. But sometimes well worth the extra pennies because you only need very little to flavor an entire meal.

How do you find time to cook yourself/your family quality meals mid-week? I'd love to add to these tips. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker@gmail.com.

And don't forget to fill out our reader survey! (And if you have comments on how I changed the main page, send those along, too!)

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Vegan Stuffed Eggplant

VEGAN STUFFED EGGPLANT

What you'll need . . .

• 2 medium eggplants 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 small cooking onion, chopped 
• 4 cups chopped red Swiss chard 
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 
• 2 portabella mushrooms, washed and chopped 
• 1 teaspoon tumeric 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• 1 cup tomato puree 
• Several tablespoons olive oil

Method . . . 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil, spritz with some olive oil, and set aside.
2. Cut off the stem of each eggplant, then cut in half. Scoop out a good amount of the meat. Then rub the inside with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside. 
3. In a large pan over medium-high heat, toss in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then add the garlic and onions and cook until glassy. Add in the tumeric and cook for a couple minutes. 
4. Toss in the mushrooms and swiss chard (I didn't include stems, but that's just my personal preference) and cook until wilted. Then turn off heat and toss in the kidney beans. 
5. Stuff each eggplant with a portion of the mixture until all of it is used up. Then place in the oven for 15 minutes. 
6. Take out of the oven and spoon tomato puree atop each -- as much as you'd like. I also sprinkled ours with some nutritional yeast and more salt and pepper. A bit of olive oil, too. 
7. Return to oven and cook for another 15 minutes or until the eggplant is softened, but not mushy.

Here's a close-up of the stuffing. It's delicious!


Of course, you can stuff the eggplants with anything you want! I'm really into stuffing veggies lately -- if you missed 'em, I posted a recipe for Quinoa Stuffed Portabellas. It's just another great way to make a cheap meal as nutritious as possible.

What's your favorite stuffed recipe? I'd love some suggestions!


Today on Writing Chapter Three is more information about my decision to be a Stay-At-Home Mom. Mostly budget stuff, but there's a lot more to write on the topic. If you've ever considered being a SAHM but don't think it's possible, I hope this post helps!

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