https://www.fromachefskitchen.com/carrot-top-salsa-verde/

V E G A N  M A T Z O  B A L L  S O U P 🥣

Passover begins this weekend and we’ve been preparing with a mountain of matzo and of course, a #plantbased soup dumpling. This post-seder priority is of utmost important, namely because, we’re hungry. You don’t need to be Jewish to love a hearty matzo ball soup though–this recipe is dinner ready every day of the year. It just so happens to make a week without unleavened bread that much more enjoyable.

We’re using homemade matzo for this recipe. An easy, rustic approach to a traditional staple. For years I thought the stale box stuff was crucial to my cultural upbringing. But no more folx! We deserve a lightly salted, crispy, fresh cracker already! And hot tip - making your own matzo meal is as simple as blitzing up a couple crackers in your food processor. That easy.

Our secret binding ingredient? Aquafaba. The leftover chickpea liquid is a magic, multifaceted brine that works well in matzo balls, stir fries, baking, and stock. You can totally DIY your chickpeas too for an even better brine. What can’t aquafaba do?

We bring it all together with an umami tomato broth (I know, I know, for Peseach??) But trust me on this, it is DELICIOUS. With loads of veggies to lighten up the matzo balls, this soup is well balanced and the perfect way to usher in the spring season. Here’s to new traditions and soup transitions.

Chag Sameach!

What’s new traditions are on your seder plate this year?? #closedloopcooking

https://closedloopcooking.com/vegan-matzo-ball-soup/

Regrowing green onions

Green onions aka scallions are a seriously resilient piece of produce. You can eat right up to the root, using the green and white parts in salads, stir-fries, chili, and more. Thicc soups just don’t feel complete without a handful of scallion rings on top, am I right? 

How to regrow green onions: 1. Leave approx 1 inch of white stem / root. Chop off the rest and eat / store for later use. 2. In a small container place roots and fill with about 1/2 inch of water. 3. Leave on counter for 5 - 7 days, changing the water every other day to avoid any mold growth. Make sure the roots are always covered with water. You’ll see growth over the next few days! You can snip off the greens to eat and allow the plant to keep growing. 4. You can also plant your onions in soil and keep in the kitchen! Just make sure to always leave a bit of white to keep the growth process going.

LOW WASTE SNACKS

One of my absolute favorite #packagefree snacks is stove top popcorn. Movie nights at home, a quick snack while I’m drawing, I love a bowl (to myself, let’s be honest) of popcorn loaded up with some flaky salt, paprika, and a palmful of nutritional yeast. It’s a relatively guilt-free snack you can doctor up with whatever seasonings you have on hand. I’m a dry popcorn kind of gal but to each their own, we’re not here to judge.

I usually find my kernels in the bulk bin of my local grocery store, which makes this a bin to bowl plastic free snack experience. (Reminder to bring your own container!) If you can’t find these at your local grocery store, a conventional packaged bag of popcorn is a much better alternative to several plastic wrapped, microwave bags coated with things we probably shouldn’t be eating on a regular basis.

Super simple stove top popcorn

Ingredients: - 2 tbsp olive oil - 1/2 cup popcorn kernels - handful of salt, nutritional yeast, pumpkin spice, etc - seasonings to your liking To-do’s: 1. Pour oil into a heavy bottomed, medium size pan and turn on medium heat. Add in a kernel and cover with lid. You’ll wait for the kernel to pop before you add in the rest.  2. Once that kernel has popped pour in the rest and cover with lid. Give the pot a little shake to let the kernels distribute evenly around bottom of the pan. Let sit as kernels begin to pop. Once they are popping, ever so slightly crack the lid to allow steam to escape (this will keep the popcorn from getting soggy.) 3. Continue cooking until popping slows to a single pop every few seconds or so, anywhere from 1 - 3 minutes. Turn off and remove from heat. Pour popcorn into bowl and add in addition seasoning! Feel free to get creative here and try out new flavor combinations. 

(Note: Make sure to never leave your oil unattended! If you ever smell burning or see smoke turn off the heat and take your pot off the burner. Leave the lid on and put the pot in the sink to cool down.)

I also like to save any unpopped kernels to use next time! I can’t be the only one!

Low waste lunch 10.21 <3

Leftover veg curry with sweet potatoes, daikon, red onion, quinoa, red lentils, and loads of greens. Repurposing dinner into a package-free lunch is super satisfying.

DIY Low Impact Produce Wash

Apple peels, sweet potato skins, carrot tops, curly leaf kale, all dirty dudes, all nutritious, and worth a good wash. Taking on this ethos of using every part of your produce requires a little bit more preparation.

I try to buy organic / local when possible to avoid any extra chemical residue. (In situations when this isn’t possible, removing a waxy or damaged skin from your produce is probably the better bet.) A sustainable cleaning process ensures your fruits and veggies are ready to eat and last longer. Getting in the habit of washing your produce as soon as you get home from the store or market makes it super easy to use it later throughout the week.

Baking soda is an awesome low cost, low impact alternative for clean eats! It’s way better to wash this down the drain than most other commercial dish detergents that are usually dyed, scented, and in a plastic bottle. I buy baking soda in a cute lil cardboard box and it lasts for a few months.

How-to:

Gather all fruits and veggies (it’s helpful to do everything at once to make it easier to pull out of the fridge for later use) and a large bowl.

Fill bowl with cool water about halfway.

Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to bowl and mix to combine.

Add in produce, make sure all pieces are fully submerged, and let sit for 12 – 15 minutes.

Using a dedicated produce scrub or clean dish towel, scrub and rinse off produce and repeat steps 4 and 5 as needed. (I use the same solution for all of my produce at one time to do a batch wash.)

It’s that easy!