Vegetarian Split-Pea Soup

My absolutely favourite go-to big-batch soup this year!  I've always loved Split-Pea Soup...but it's always impossible to get it without ham.  We aren't pork eaters in this house.  I've thought of just trying to make it without the 'hock' or whatever part of the pig you are supposed to use...but assumed you would miss out on amazing flavour.  Back before Nate was born I was collecting recipes to cook and fill my freezer with...and I found this one!  I was hopeful and made a triple batch of it...we loved it...it freezes amazing...and it's been made many many many times since!  In fact I think I made a quadruple batch the morning of the day I had Nate...I thought maybe the midwives would get hungry and need something to eat?!  His 38 minute labour and delivery didn't leave time for anyone to stop and eat soup!  Ha!  But it sure came in handy the days that followed:)  Hope your house enjoys it too!

Oh...and one of my favourite things about this soup...other than being healthy and simple...it's so affordable!  My guess it that is costs me about $10 to make my massive pot full...and that's using all organic ingredients.  That's always a good thing:)

VEGETARIAN SPLIT_PEA SOUP
slightly adapted from here

INGREDIENTS:
8 cups veggie broth
3 cups dry split peas
4 large carrots, sliced
8 stalks celery, sliced
1 red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil

 

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat oil in pot.  On a low heat, add onions, garlic, carrots and celery.  Let cook until soft.

2.  Add all remaining ingredients.  Bring pot to a boil.

3.  Reduce heat and let cook until peas are soft...stirring often to avoid burning at the bottom of the pot.  Feel free to add more or less broth, or water, depending on the consistency that your family prefers!  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Avocado-Chocolate Chip Muffins

I was SO excited to get a subscription to Clean Eating magazine this Christmas!  I rarely rarely buy magazines....just can't justify the cost...but when I'm traveling or wanting a treat...this magazine is usually what I go for.  My friend Sindy had told me about an amazing Avocado-Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe that Clean Eating featured...and I couldn't wait to try it!  Little did I know that the copy of Clean Eating that I had picked up on a stop-over while in Vancouver airport over the holidays was outdated (October!) when I got around to reading it...being of January...and had this recipe in it!  Really...did I honestly think that while traveling to Ontario by myself with an almost 5 year old, a 3 year old and a 4 week old that I'd have time to read a magazine!?  The 3hrs we sat on the plane and waited for "unknown reasons" while in Vancouver may have been the ideal time to pull my magazine out and highlight everything I want to try cooking?!  Ya right...with three little boys!  Or the 4 hour flight after that?  Or the 2 hour car ride to my parents after that?  Oh what an adventure that day was!  Phew!  But we survived and all was good.  Our boys did amazing (in hind-sight...haha)...and my magazine was left untouched:(

Enough about the drama...these muffins are every bit as amazing as Sindy said they were.  Kids love them...adults love them...they are filled with nutrition...and the best part...they are nut free so you can pack them in your kid's lunch!  I find that so challenging.  Most things we eat at home have some form of nuts or nut butter in them...so when it comes to school or daycare at the gym...I really struggle to come up with nutritional snacks that will fill them up and not just be empty calories.  The only hastle with this recipe for me is that you need to have a ripe avocado.  We are all lovers of avocado and guacamole in this house...so ripe avocados go fast!  I need to start hiding one or two when I buy them so I can use them to make these muffins again!  And incase your kids aren't fond of avocados...you can't taste them at all in these muffins.  I'd recommend pureeing the avocado to make sure there is no green flecks...that way they won't even know:)

Hope your family enjoys these as much as we did!  They are healthy, simple, super moist and taste decadent.  That's exactly what I love in a muffin:)  What's your favourite muffin recipe?

Avocado-Chocolate Chip Muffins
slightly adapted from Clean Eating, October 2012...page 22

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup chia seeds (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed (or pureed if you want no chunks visible)
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips...I use these

DIRECTIONS
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, chia, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
3.  In a smaller bowl whisk eggs, oil, avocado, banana and vanilla.  Add to flour mixture.  Stir until just combined.  This mixture may seem really thick...that's normal.  Fold in chocolate chips.
4.  Spoon batter in muffin cups.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the centre.

I stored ours in the fridge...they are really moist so I was worried about molding...they would freeze well too I'm sure.  Ours didn't last long enough to bother!