Split Pea Soup

I've made my own variations of split pea soup in my life, but this one has got to be one of the best I've ever concocted. The cocoanut oil added makes this soup so rich and creamy. It's very filling and great with a glass of wine.

Ingredents

2 pounds of frozen whole peas

1 pound dried split peas

2 blocks silken tofu

1 lb broccoli

1 pound frozen spinach

1/4 cocoanut oil

salt and pepper to taste

As with a lot of simple things its about how they are blended.

In a large soup pot fill 1/3 with water and one tsp of salt. Place rinsed split peas in water and allow to cook half way.

Add frozen peas cook and broccoli for 20 min. Take about 1lb of the cooked peas and broccoli from the pot and put in blender. Allow other peas to cook until tender. Add spinach and cocoanut oil. Add another tsp of salt.

In blender take peas, broccoli and tofu and blend until creamy. Add some water from pot if needed. Add blended tofu back into pot. Stir until blended. Re-blender some more of the peas if desired. Dust top with pepper, stir and allow to cook for another 20-30 min.

Ta-da! There is enough soup to last for weeks. I'd recommend experimenting but stay away from potatoes, or beans. Keep your ingredients green. Perhaps green beans and cauliflower.

End of the month food.

12/14/10 Trader Joe's total: $42.67

12/16/10 Fresh & Easy cash total: $16.82

12/20/10 Food 4 Less total: $10

12/23/10 Trader Joe's cash total: $39.80

12/23/10 Fresh & Easy cash total: $31.10

I spent a lot this past month. Mainly because I had a job! It was for a few weeks, but it gave me some leeway in food money. I'm glad too, but this month I'm worried. My review is due, and I've worked which is the good news. Bad news is, I don't have any unemployment left, so if my food stamp benefits change, then not only will I only have one month for rent, I won't have any cash for food. GOD I HATE THIS!!!! It'd been this way for two years. Work one month and you are not too rich to get assistance, but after that one month, I'm more poor than if I had never worked! Its like these programs can't see beyond the month. Its so frustrating. All of it is. I just want a fucking job!

But enough of the bitch train. I know I'm not a lone in this struggle, even though I feel I am at times.
For Christmas I did manage to go to a friend's party. They are meat eaters, but all of them loved my stuffed mushroom caps.

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Ingredients

25-30 stuffing portabella caps
1/4 head cabbage uncooked, diced
1/2 onion diced
1/2 cup cooked black beans
1/2 package firm tofu
2-3 boiled potatoes
1/4 cup flour
1 clove crushed garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Mash potatoes, garlic, 1 tsp salt together. Dice mushroom stems and add all remaining ingredients, add pepper. Mix well. Spoon into caps and bake for 20 min at 350, or until caps are tender. Garnish with red petters if desired.

They were a hit. In fact the hostess even kept the extras.

I still have a split pea soup recipe to share. It's coming up. It was good.

Happy New Year!