No Cook Tomato Soup

I'm one of those people whose work schedules mean that I eat lunch and dinner at work. Trying to think of meals that are easy and portable had been challenging up until recently. I used to live on Lean Cuisine or Weight Watcher's meals because they took the guesswork and messwork (I made that word up) out of one meal of the day. I could eat one meal with a piece of fruit and maybe a side salad if I was feeling up to it. Or hungry.

"Wow - those Lean Cuisines make me feel stuffed. Said no one. Ever."

Seriously. Am I the only one to eat one of those things who afterwards felt like driving to get a cheeseburger because they felt shorted in the lunch department?

One of things I love about the raw food lifestyle is there's no cooking, no reheating, the food is easy to pack, it's fresh and colorful, and my hunger is always satiated. There's minimal mess in making food too, which is exactly what I need right now. I need easy. I need uncomplicated. I need fast. I'm just in one of those moods where I don't feel like using my brain cells to make dinner.

Know what I mean?

This tomato soup has become one my new favorite meals because there's minimal prep work, everything goes into the blender, and it's done. I pack it up into a mason jar, and that's dinner. It's also very inexpensive to make right now since tomatoes are in season and gardens are overflowing with herbs - I know mine sure is! If you have an abundance of tomatoes from the garden, this is an easy way to use them up.

I've written out a basic recipe but consider it to be freeform. The only thing I measure when I make this is the olive oil, just to be sure that I'm not going too crazy with it since I'm still working on reducing my body weight. Not all fat is created equal, so keep in mind that olive oil is one of the "good guys" - a healthy, monounsaturated fat that has polyphenols, which are natural antioxidants. In addition to the antioxidants in the extra virgin olive oil, you'll be receiving lycopene from the tomatoes, which protects the cells from free radicals. Tomatoes are also very high in Vitamin C and potassium.

Make sure you are using the best ingredients you can get your hands on, preferably organic. The quality really comes through in this soup. You may even want to make a really big batch to freeze and reheat on a chilly winter day.

No Cook Tomato Soup
2 large tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped (around 4 cups chopped)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1/4 of a medium red onion
1/2 - 1 garlic clove
5 large basil leaves
3 stems oregano, leaves removed and stems discarded
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
Crushed red pepper flakes, optional


Directions:
Put everything in a blender and blend for at least one minute or until smooth.

Serves: 2

6 Weight Watchers Points+ counting veggies

4 Weight Watchers Points+ not counting veggies

Chocolate Berry Zucchini Smoothie

Anyone else feel like they have zucchini coming out of their ears? Last year I was begging, dreaming, wishing, and hoping some kind soul would leave a few zucchini on my front porch for Sneak Some Zucchini On Your Neighbor's Porch night. Not a one showed up on my porch, by the way.

But this year?

Ohhhhh...this yearrrrr.

This year, we will be the ones to sneak zucchini on to my neighbors' porches.

My brother planted a garden at his house, so in addition to our garden, we overfloweth with zucchini and cucumbers.

No joke, my parents came home from my brother's house with this 5 gallon bucket filled with zucchini and cucumbers. A few of the zucchini could double as a baseball bat.

Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I asked for zucchini, and I got it.

We've already shared the wealth with friends and family, but we still have quite an abundance. We've made a zucchini cobbler, zucchini fudge cake, zucchini bread, and zucchini cake, but none of those options are super friendly to the waistline.

At this stage of the zucchini game, I want to eat it and not know that I'm eating it. Know what I mean?

Hence, zucchini in a smoothie.

I'm dead serious about putting zucchini in a smoothie. It's desperate times and I think this has become my favorite way to eat it. For reals, y'all. I mean, last year I made zucchini pancakes and zucchini brownies that were good, but this is just too easy. Zucchini has virtually no flavor, which is why it's so great in sweet things. Plus, by eating the zucchini in its raw form, you're getting the max amount of benefits from the zucchini. They are low in calories, high in Vitamin C, and a good source of folates, Vitamin A, manganese, and potassium,.

I used a normal sized zucchini here, but if you're trying to use up a zucchini the size of a baseball bat, you'll need to scrape the seeds out, for sure.

Chocolate Berry Zucchini Smoothie

1 cup roughly chopped zucchini
1 cup frozen mixed berries
2 Tbls cocoa powder
2 tsps agave
1 Tbls almond butter
3/4 cup almond milk

Combine all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Drink it up!

Last Leg Asparagus Salad

This was breakfast.

I don't know how it happened, but I some how ran out of fruit.

I mean, I know how it happened. I ate it. I watched myself eat it. And I even reminded myself that I needed to go to the store. But I think, deep down inside, I secretly hoped the Organic Fruit Fairy would magically visit over night and leave me a bounty of bananas, mangos, and strawberries on my counter.

Apparently the Organic Fruit Fairy doesn't exist. Or I've offended her. Or him. Organic fruit fairies can be boys too.

I started digging through what I had on hand and found some asparagus that was about two days away from being not awesome. Totally on its last leg. I paid $3 for that bunch, so I figured I'd better eat it up. Truthfully, I would have preferred to drizzle the asparagus spears with olive oil, sprinkle it with some kosher salt, and roast it at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or so. But I'm trying to do the raw food thing and not kill the nutrients by cooking it. But really...roasted...it's so delicious. Wrapped in some prosciutto and then roasted? Heavenly. And a little sprinkle of shaved parmesan cheese? Over the top. Ovvvver the top.

Back to reality. I also discovered some cauliflower as I was digging around. It was on its last leg as well. I'm really doing a good job of making my breakfast sound appealing, right? To be honest, I am proud of me because I chose to eat what was on hand instead of eating something not on the raw food plan. Waste not want not, isn't that the saying?

Some quick facts about asparagus (I'm not a genius - I just found this stuff on the web, which means it has to be true):

• Asparagus has 288 milligrams of potassium, 3 grams of fiber, up to 5 grams of protein, and only 40 calories per cup.
  
• Asparagus is high in folate, which helps reduce inflammation in the body and reduce the risk of heart disease.
  
• Asparagus is also ridiculously high in Vitamin K - almost 70% of the RDA is in one cup. Vitamin K keeps bones strong and helps in (healthy) blood clotting.
  

So this morning, I made what I call Last Leg Asparagus Salad, since most of the ingredients were on their last leg. Still pretty tasty. Don't skip zesting the lime. The zest really brightens the dish and makes it taste happy.

Last Leg Asparagus Salad

Salad
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces (approximately 2 cups)
2 Tbls finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped cauliflower
zest of lime


Dressing
1 Tbls olive oil
2 tsps lime juice
salt and pepper to taste


Directions
In a medium sized bowl, toss the salad ingredients together. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients together. Pour dressing over salad, toss, and serve.

Serves two.

Per serving: 3 Weight Watchers Points+

Titanic (Zucchini) Brownies

"I think you should call them 'Titanic Brownies,'" my brother mumbled from the general direction of the kitchen. I didn't have to see him to know that he was leaning over the pan, evaluating the brownies with his nose crinkled in mild disdain.

"Why?" I asked, ready for whatever his smart reply was going to be.

"Because they're going down."

Hmph.

"Maybe going down the hatch in a flame of awesomeness!" I replied back.

He mumbled something that I missed. I could tell he wasn't a fan of my zucchini brownies. He's not a big fan of putting vegetables in sweet things. Actually, he's not a fan of my cooking in general. Except for my chocolate chip cookies.

And that's OK.

Death By Laundry OR Open Faced Tomato & Herbed Goat Cheese Sandwich

I'd like to state that laundry washed with detergent smells awesome. Laundry washed without detergent, doesn't. That's a little tip from yours truly. I learned that the hard way. You're very welcome.

This open faced tomato and herbed goat cheese sandwich was my reward after doing three loads of laundry today.

THREE, MASSIVE, GINORMOUS, SUPER DUPER, HUMONGOUS LOADS OF LAUNDRY.

I hate doing laundry.

Have I mentioned that?

Yeah, I think maybe I have.

My mother would tell me if I did it more often, I wouldn't have Mount Laundrious in my room.

She's probably right. Probably.

But then I'd have to find something else to whine about. It's not like it would take me long to find something else to whine about; I am female after all. (Ba-dum-dum! That was for the fellas and understanding women.) But, I really want this strained relationship to work. So I try. But the laundry bit back at me today.

As a matter of fact, my laundry nearly killed me.