Brrrr, when did winter arrive? I woke up this morning to the wind howling and the desire to huddle in my bed for the rest of the day! Instead I decided to post the recipe for this amazing soup that I made a few weeks back considering that today is the perfect day for soup. I personally love making a big pot of soup because I can eat it all week or freeze some for another day plus it makes the house warm and cozy and who doesn't love that!?

The Butternut, Cabbage and Black Bean soup was inspired by Green Kitchen Stories One-Pot Butternut & Cabbage Stew (www.greenkitchenstories.com/one-pot-pumpkin-cabbage-stew/). Green Kitchen Stories is on of my favorite food blogs, the recipes are amazing and the images are equally as delicious. The purveyors of the site are dedicated to healthy vegetarian eating and constantly using food in innovative ways. Usually when cooking from their site I trust that whatever I will make will be fantastic, I modified their recipe based on ingredients that I had in the house and used sprouted beans and rice because I am just that alkaline girl. If you are curious about sprouting, check out my post on the process here.

When making soup I can not help but want a grilled cheese to go with it! Dairy is acidic forming in the body, however, I do consume small amounts of dairy in order to obtain B12 naturally as I do like my hair and want to keep it on my head! When working with this soup the last step is to throw in some apple for garnish, giving a sweetness to this earthy masterpiece so I thought what would be better than a Gouda, Apple, and Champagne Dill Mustard Grilled Sammy on Sprouted Ezekiel Bread of course!! At this point you might be asking what is the big deal about Ezekiel bread. Well besides it tasting amazing, being filling in the way that white bread isn't, and being made from sprouted grains it is also a source of complete protein, contains 18 amino acids, and is easier for the body to digest while increasing absorption of minerals. Yes, I know, I sound like a walking advertisement for the stuff (trust me, no money is flowing my way) but it is honestly the only bread that I eat. Food for Life is an amazing ethical company and although a loaf of bread is more expensive than a .99 white bread filled with artificial flavors and ingredients, I think it is worth supporting their effort to feed people real food. You will find the bread in the freezer section of most supermarkets and health food stores. Try it! You will love it!

So back to the soup......

Butternut Squash, Cabbage, and Black Bean Soup

Serves 6

1 Butternut Squash, peeled and diced

1/2 head of Green Cabbage, Sliced

1 tbs Olive Oil

1 Onion, Sliced

4 Cloves of Garlic, Chopped

1 cup Sprouted Black Beans

1 cup Sprouted Brown Rice or Quinoa

1 tsp dried Oregano

1 tsp dried Basil

2 cups of Vegetable Broth

2 cups of Water

Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt to taste

Fresh Parsley, Chopped

1/2 of an Apple, Chopped

Slice the onion and chop the garlic. Peel and cube the butternut squash. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onions are slightly softened. Add the chopped squash and stir to coat in the oil. Add the dried basil, oregano, lemon zest and salt. Stir, cooking for a minute until the herbs are fragrant. Slice the cabbage and add to the pot with the beans and rice. Add the 2 cups of vegetable stock and 2 cups of water, add more water if needed to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat down to simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes or until the beans are softened but still firm. Add the juice from the lemon to the pot and stir.

To serve, divide into bowls, top with chopped apple and parsley. Enjoy and Happy Eating!

Meanwhile, prepare your delicious Grilled Sandwich.

Gouda, Apple, and Champagne Dill Mustard Grilled Sandwich

Serves 1

2 Slices Ezekiel Sprouted Bread

1 Slice Gouda

1/2 of an Apple Sliced

2 tsp Champagne Dill Mustard or DIjon Mustard

Ezekiel bread is frozen, so take the slices and place them in a frying pan until defrosted and browned on one side. Flip to brown the other side. Place sliced Gouda on on side, arranging sliced apples on top. On the other slice of bread spread a layer of champagne dill mustard or dijon and place on top of the apple slices. Continue to brown, flipping once to until desired darkness. Slice diagonally and enjoy!

Last night was a special treat for me, someone else cooked! I love making delicious, healthy foods but it is still a nice gesture when someone else offers to prepare a meal for you, you feel cared for, content, and most of all full! Part of last nights dinner consisted of Buckwheat and there was a ton left over in my fridge, so what's a girl to do besides device a delicious buckwheat salad to take to work for the rest of the week!

Using the buckwheat as a base, I decided to grill some sweet potatoes and beets, I love grilling vegetables, I like a little char and the sweet, earthiness that comes out when they are cooked over the high heat. These two work perfectly together and balance the slight nutty and saltiness of the buckwheat. Throw in some feta and some lemon juice and suddenly we are working with deliciousness.

Grilled Sweet Potato and Beet Buckwheat Salad

Serves 4

2-3 cups cooked buckwheat (see below)

1 Large Sweet Potato, Sliced

1 Large Beet, Sliced

2 cups Brussel Sprouts, Halved

1 Small Red Onion, Sliced

1 Handfull of Beet Greens

1 Handfull of Parsley

1/2 cup Feta Cheese

1/2 cup Toasted Walnuts

2 tbs Olive Oil

1 Lemon

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt to taste

Preheat the grill to medium-high. Slice the Sweet Potato and Beet, cut the brussel sprouts in half and toss all of the vegetables with olive oil and salt. place on grill and cook, flipping after 5 minutes. I like a nice little char but that is up to you.

Meanwhile, add the cooked buckwheat to a bowl. Chiffonade the beat greens and add to the bowl along with the feta and the sliced red onion. Add the brussel sprouts and cut the sweet potato and beet slices into quarters before adding to the bowl as well. Toss in the toasted walnuts.

In a small bowl add the chopped parsley, the juice of 1 lemon, 2 tbs of olive oil and salt to taste. Stir to blend and drizzle on the salad, stirring to combine all of the ingredients. Eat healthy and enjoy!

*To cook the buckwheat, place 2 cups in a pot with 4 cups of water or vegetable broth, cover and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes before reducing heat to a simmer, cook for another 15 minutes or until water is gone. Fluff with a fork.