Pasta is, and should be, a once-in-a-while indulgence. It's delicious and versatile but the carbs can really bring you down. I decided last night to test out this new recipe. And if we were going to have "real" pasta (not spaghetti squash, not strands of delicious zucchini) it was going to be loaded with extra fiber. 

This recipe is creamy, flavorful, stuffed to the brim with veggies and completely satisfying. My husband had no complaints. I topped his with a few sliced, seasoned chicken tenders and mine came with two little Gardein chicken tenders (not pictured), too. The pasta was served with a side of Roasted Brussels Sprouts. 

I had this as my main dish last night at dinner. My husband, however, had this as a side dish with his chicken breast. After he took his first bite he commented on how much I've been experimenting with different kinds of glass noodles and how much he liked this dish! I was shocked and pleased--he not only thought I made him a noodly side but that it tasted wonderful. I happily explained to him that these were not his (and mine) beloved glass noodles but squash instead. 

Okay, so while I'm still on my soup kick, I figured I'd better execute all of my ideas for delicious soups! This one came to fruition after blog-stalking a few of my favorites. Then I thought, why don't I just write a recipe for something that I want? It's what usually happens anyways. So that's what I did. 

What makes this a bisque without using heavy cream, butter or any other non-vegan, dairy-sourced thickener? The secret: Avocado! Nature's perfect food. 

Now, I may be a little biased, but this recipe blew my mind! It was beyond tasty, superbly creamy, wonderfully flavorful. **sigh** Either you can take my word for it or just go make yourself a bowl. I suggest you give it a taste. You won't be disappointed. 

I was so pleased with the recipe (aka. I demolished my serving) that I forgot to take a picture! I did find one, however, that closely resembled mine. I'll upload one of my own soon. This picture was lovingly taken by the Almost Skinny Vegan! 

At the grocery store the other day I couldn't get over all of the amazing greens. I brought home a bunch of different items and threw together this delicious veg based salad. It was a hit. 

I used a pre-packaged ravioli, but you can use whatever filled pasta creation you like (ravioli or tortellini). For this recipe I also used a pre-made pesto. But you can absolutely make your own. This one is my favorite.  

I guess it's pretty obvious that I'm still on a significant soup kick. Can't shake it, and well, I guess I don't really want to. I'm enjoying these warm soups on these chilly Arizona evenings. Though, it's definitely not as cold here as it has been back east. 

At any rate, I was inspired by a recipe that I found yesterday. I decided to change up a few things, add a couple ingredients and see what happened! The result was just as expected--purely delicious and totally vegan.

My husband loves to eat Thai food as well, so I added some shrimp to his serving. He really enjoyed the flavors and even added a few dolops of chili garlic paste for some extra spice. 

I think it's clear to say that I have an affinity for all things gnocchi, all things kale, all things cauliflower. So I've reinvented my gnocchi soup recipe, again! 

This time I mixed my pesto soup with a vegan cream of mushroom soup! It was amazing. Though my recipe is quite different, I was inspired by this recipe on the New York in Green blog.  

It's been chilly here, yes, even in AZ. Not as cold as our East Coast friends, but cold still.  Our home has been afflicted with seasonal allergies. This soup seriously helped my throat and sinuses. Don't know what it was--probably the kale and mushrooms! Yum!