Potato and Leek Soup

An Irish classic that also incorporates my love of blended soup.  What's not to like?  You can make this a vegan recipe really simply by using a vegan butter substitute.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 mins

Ingredients:
3 medium potatoes
3 leeks
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 tbsp butter
salt to taste

Slice the leeks, using only the white and light green parts.  Rinse them in water to remove any sand that may be hiding in the leeks.  Saute the leeks in the butter over medium heat until they are translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes. 

Peel and slice the potatoes into small cubes.  Add the potatoes and broth to the leeks.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium.  Simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Let soup cool, then blend in a blender.  If you try to blend the soup while it is hot, the pressure will blow the lid off of your blender and possibly burn you while making a huge mess.  No fun.  You can skip the cooling step and blend in the pot if you have an immersion  blender.

Reheat the soup and serve.

Feeds 8.

Strawberries and Chevre

This is a really simple recipe that I usually do as a dessert or for a healthy breakfast.  It's quick, easy and tastes great without any extra sweetener.

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 0 mins

Ingredients:
6 strawberries
1 oz chevre
(Really, that's it.)

Remove the green tops from your strawberries.  Slice the berries.  Put into a plate or a bowl.  (No need to arrange nicely unless you're trying to impress people.)

Scrape at the chevre with a fork so that it falls off in little clumps. 

Eat.

Feeds 1.  Use a pint of strawberries to feed 4 to 6 people.