RAW NEW YEAR'S EVE SUSHI DINNER

NEWLY replenished fridge!

Materials for Raw Vegan Sushi NEW YEAR'S EVE DINNER

Fillings for Sushi sans Avocado

RAW Cauliflower "RICE"

 RAW "RICE"
-1/2 Cauliflower pulsed in 
  Food Processor until RICE
  texture is achieved
-Add 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin 
  Olive Oil
 -Lemon Juice and Sea Salt 
    to taste


 

RAW PICKLED GINGER *RECIPE FROM ALISSA COHEN AND LEAH DUBIOUS' RAW FOOD FOR EVERYONE
-2 oz fresh Ginger, peeled and thinly sliced on mandoline
-1 whole Star Anise
-1/8 tsp whole black Peppercorn
-1/2c Apple Cider Vinegar
-1/4 c Water 
 -Place ingredients in clean 1/2 pint  mason jar. -Should pickle in refrigerator for 2 days before enjoying.*Will last up to one month covered in refrigerator.
                                                                                                                                                                                               

RAW PICKLED ASPARAGUS
- 1 bunch Asparagus with ends snapped off
-Place Asparagus in clean Mason Jar
-RAW APPLE CIDER, fill 1/4 of jar
-Water to cover the rest of the jarred Asparagus 
Store in fridge. Should pickle for at least a couple of days however, I served them 4 hrs after assembling.

 MARINATED SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
- Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced thin,  1+1/2 c
-Lemon Juice, 1 Tbsp Juice
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 tsp
-Sea Salt to taste
-Let marinate for 30 min before serving

 

Bamboo Mat to roll Sushi

a VARIETY of sushi rolls garnished with black sesame seeds and Radish

YES I ate ALL of it! "Make-your-own-Sushi" is a great dinner party idea for a group of friends. All you have to do as a host is prep the veggies (bell peppers, scallion, radish, cucumber, marinated Shiitake mushroom, pickled asparagus and ginger). Dan and I agreed that once we have an apartment with enough room to host a dinner party Sushi will definitely be on the top of our list. It is a lot of fun to make your own rolls while drinking a good Japanese Beer!

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

My sad depleted fridge! I'll save you!

I do not remember the last time I made a New Year's Resolution but this year I have a list for Improved Wellness:

- DITCH THE COFFEE I started drinking it again this past month after not touching it for 3 years...Although I love the ritual of getting coffee in the morning during Hugh's walk, it pains me to think of the $14 a week that could instead be going towards a healthy drink like my beloved KOMBUCHA (4 bottles worth!)

- DRINK A TON OF WATER when I wake up with marks on my body from pajamas I know I am officially dehydrated... Water improves digestion, skin, reduces over-eating etc.

- REGULARLY ATTEND YOGA CLASS I just signed up for a "30 days for $30" program in my neighborhood. I went to my first class in years last night and I loved it. I talked myself out of going for so long because I've experienced the $14 classes that are more spiritual than exercise based and that was not  my thing. I need to break a sweat to feel like I've gotten my money's worth.

-EAT %100 RAW Right now I am probably eating an 80% raw diet. My weakness occurs at dinner when I've been relying on lentils and brown rice to fill me up. Although they are nutritious I always feel sluggish after eating cooked starches. I also have a harder time waking up in the morning... sorry Hugh. Eating 100% RAW not only improves my energy level but also my MOOD which is very important...

-CLEANSE... MY favorite blogger Kristen Suzanne just posted her NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS which includes a 90 day RAW challenge. Check out kristensraw.com/blog/. I am all about challenging myself and I definitely want to incorporate more creative RAW recipes into the blog. Not only am I going to focus on cleansing my body but also my studio apartment. Over the past couple of weeks I went through my closet and got rid of 3 large trash bags full of clothes I have not worn in YEARS. Dan would argue that I could get rid of everything since all I wear are corduroys, yoga pants and some random old t-shirts. This MAY be true, but I do need some nice clothes for the rare "special Occasion"... I brought my collection of jeans (10 pairs of various sizes) and some nice sweaters and tops (some with the price tag still on) to the consignment store. I really can't stomach the thought of how much money I spent on these clothes over the years but I will atleast get a small percentage of money back if they actually sell.... the other stuff is going to the SALVATION ARMY... Living in a studio apartment with a boyfriend and a 40 lb dog requires only living with items of necessity. I hate clutter and I need a clean apartment at all times. If you are planning to detox your body the first step is to detox your environment. You will be more calm and more focused. This entails ridding your fridge and cabinets of trigger food (unhealthy items that will derail you from your ultimate goal).

AND Dan got me the perfect Christmas gift to facilitate the success of this challenge...

Excalibur dehydrator

A 9-tray Excalibur dehydrator. I plan on making RAW food (mushroom burgers, kale chips and granola) that will satiate my desire in the Winter for warm filling dishes!

Lastly, over the years I've realized that a helpful way to deter yourself from "falling off the wagon" is to keep a list of Goals in plain sight... (on the fridge, in a coat pocket, on the door). And also setting a time frame. 90 days may sound extreme BUT start off with 5 days and DO IT 100%. I am your sure the improvements you experience will only encourage you to continue on and you will eventually view it as a new lifestyle rather than a "Challenge."

Happy New Year Hugh!

                                                        GOOD LUCK!

SOUPER BOWL WEDNESDAY

Last night I made a vegetable soup with a porcini mushroom broth, sauteed button and shiitake mushrooms, leek, ginger, vine-ripe tomato, vidalia onion and fresh thyme. I then added chopped napa cabbage, kale and cooked soba noodles into the soup right before serving. For garnish I added diced Avocado (sorry for the smeared avocado on the bowl...). It was a warming dish after almost being blown away by the wind during our evening dog walk. Soba noodles have a nutty flavor and are great for cold or warm dishes. For anyone avoiding gluten look for GLUTEN-FREE SOBA NOODLES (containing only buckwheat flour). Kale deserves to be highlighted because it is EXTREMELY nutritious. KALE is a great source of calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C. AND...it's an amazing source of chlorophyll.* I have been mildly obsessed with mushrooms this winter. They have a great flavor and add texture to soups, root veggie and grain based dishes,  "Mushrooms are a rich source of glutamic acid (the natural version of the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate) and so enhance the flavor of any savory food they are cooked with. They are high in protein and a good source of vitamin B2 and zinc."* Dan and I have been eating a lot of soup recently because it's a great vehicle to add a huge variety of vegetables. SOUP is also really filling but doesn't leave you feeling heavy after eating an entire stock pot full. I literally had 3 salad bowl servings of the soup last night. AND since water is a major ingredient in the soup it is also hydrating to the person who isn't a fan of drinking straight water... (me).
* Wood, Rebecca. THE NEW WHOLE FOODS ENCYCLOPEDIA.

THE FIGHT OVER MAGGIE'S

Dan and I have had serious custody fights over these socks. We wash our clothes together so after doing laundry it's impossible to decipher the original sole guardian. I always buy over-sized socks so identifying ownership by shoe size is impossible. Anyway, during our most recent battle Dan declared that he is buying NEW Maggie's Socks in black to use as the distinguishing trait. These socks do incite debates because we are both OBSESSED with them. In the past I have been called out on wearing these thick wool socks in the dead of Summer... (they are THAT comfortable). Standing up in a kitchen for 8-14 hours a day requires good socks to prevent serious knee pain. And they are great in the Winter to stay warm in the NEW ENGLAND chill. Not only are they cozy and durable but they are also made of ORGANIC (non-itchy) wool.  
GOOD LUCK DAN!

Lebanese FEAST

Family Lebanese Dinner

On Monday Dan and I made a Lebanese feast for my family. We both have Lebanese Heritage so we were excited to recreate some savored food memories. We've been planning on doing this dinner for a while so Dan asked his mom to make her incredible Lebanese pastries and kibbeh. Everyone agreed that her food is AMAZING.  Dan and I made grape leaves (I made vegan for my sister and me), hummus, Tabbouleh and Salad.

Vegan Grape Leaves

VEGAN GRAPE LEAF INGREDIENTS

- Grape leaves (about 6 each), rinsed and de-stemmed

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 Tbsp

- Cooked Short Grain Brown Rice, 1 cup

- Leek, 1/2 each, sliced, 1 cup

- Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced, 1 cup

- Crimini Mushrooms, chopped, 1 cup

- Fresh Mint, chopped, 2 Tbsp 

- Lemon, 1 ea

- Sea Salt to taste

- Ground Cinnamon to taste

 

PROCEDURE

- Sautee sliced leek until translucent and soft.

- Add sliced and chopped mushrooms. Season with salt. 

   Cook until soft.

-Take off heat. Mix with cooked brown rice.  

-Add 2 Tbsp of chopped fresh mint, and a pinch of cinnamon.

-Season to taste with salt and lemon juice.

  

ROLLING

-Place rinsed grape leaf vein side up. Put 1-2 Tbsp of mixture into

  grape leaf. Roll up.

COOKING
-Place all rolled grapeleaves into oven proof dish. 

-Place sliced lemons on top.

-Cover with tin foil. Place in oven at 350 degrees for about 30

  minutes.

Tabbouleh with soaked Cracked Wheat

TABBOULEH INGREDIENTS

-Cracked Wheat, 1 cup

-Curly parsley, 2 bunches, rinsed, de-stemmed, pulsed in food

   processor

- Vine-ripe Tomatoes, small dice

- Scallion, 3 ea, sliced thin

- Fresh Mint, chopped, 1/2 cup

-Extra Virgin Olive oil, 2-3 Tbsp

-Lemon, 1-2 each

-Sea Salt to taste

 PROCEDURE

 

CRACKED WHEAT

- Soak 1 cup of cracked wheat in bowl. Cover with water. Let soak 

   until soft (about 30 minutes). Squeeze out excess water before

   adding to mixture.

MIXTURE

 -In medium bowl add cleaned and chopped parsley, diced

   tomatoes, sliced scallion, chopped mint, soaked and squeezed

   cracked wheat and olive oil. Season with lemon juice and 

   sea salt.

Homemade Hummus

 

HUMMUS INGREDIENTS

- Dry Chickpeas, 1 lb, soaked in water for 6-8 hours 

   THEN cooked in salted water

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 Tbsp

- Lemon juice, 2 lemons

- Garlic Cloves, 2 each, peeled

-Tahini, 3 Tbsp

- Sea Salt to taste

PROCEDURE

- Place cooked chickpeas in food processor. Add Olive oil, juice
   of 2 lemons, garlic cloves and Tahini. Blend.
- Add enough water to make a smooth texture. Season to taste with 
   sea salt.

Salad with Lebanese Seasoning

SALAD INGREDIENTS
- Baby Arugula, 1 lb
- Mixed Baby Greens, 1 lb
- Radishes, sliced, 1 cup
- Red onion, 1/3 each, sliced
- English Cucumber, 1 ea, sliced
- Vine-ripe Tomatoes, 2 ea, sliced into wedges
- Fresh Mint, 1 bunch, torn
- Lemon Juice, 2-3 ea
- Ground Cinnamon, to taste
- Sea Salt to taste
- Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste

Vegan Lebanese plate: Tabouli, hummus, Gape leaf, Salad

Sunday Christmas Supper

Happy Holidays! For my vegan holiday dinner I baked a kabocha squash and stuffed it with sauteed leek, thyme, brussels sprouts, crimini mushrooms, parsley and then toasted walnuts and pistachios for garnish. I made it earlier in the day so I just had to pop it back in the oven 30 minutes before dinner. Now in all honesty I could have eaten the whole dish but it can easily serve 8 people (as proven tonight). Everyone at the table was excited to try it and I think people are always interested in seeing their vegetables in a new light. It's a colorful dish with a lot of flavor. 

nuts toasted for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. 

INGREDIENTS
Kabocha Squash, 1 ea, halved, de-seeded
Extra-Virgin Olive oil 4 Tbsp
Leek, 1/2 each, sliced thin
Fresh Thyme, 1 Tbsp, chopped
Brussels Sprouts, 8 ea, sliced 1/4"
Baby Crimini Mushrooms, 1+1/2 c, quartered
Flat Leaf Parsley. 1/4 c, chopped
Sea Salt to Taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper to Taste
Balsamic Vinegar, 1 Tbsp
Lemon, 1/2 ea
Pistachios, 1/4 c
Walnut halves, 3/4 c


PROCEDURE
-Preheat oven to 350.
-Add 1 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive oil to each de-seeded squash half.  
  Sprinkle with sea salt. 
-Place halves in pyrex dish with 1 inch of water. 
-Place dish in oven for about 45 minutes.

   (test doneness with knife. Knife should go in and out of squash 

    with no resistance).

- Add 2 Tbsp of Olive oil to large sautee pot. Add sliced leek, pinch
  of sea salt and chopped thyme. 
-Once leek is soft and translucent add sliced brussels sprouts. 
     Cook  until leaves turn bright green.
- Add chopped parsley. stir. remove from heat. 


-In a fresh sautee pan add 1 Tbsp of olive oil on medium heat.
-Once pan is hot add chopped mushrooms, pinch of sea salt, black 
   pepper, and 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Cook until 
   mushrooms soften and caramelize.
- Season to taste.


-Combine sauteed veggies in medium mixing bowl. Season to taste
 with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.  Divide stuffing 
  evenly between each squash half. 


-To warm up dish before serving, place stuffed halves into pyrex dish with 1 inch of water. Cover in tin foil. Place in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped toasted nuts. 
**Cut each half into quarters if serving more than 1 person... 
       'Tis the season to share your vegetables.

Friday Family Dinner

hugh on train to visit family for Christmas

Yesterday Hugh and I journeyed home to spend Christmas with my family. Hugh is always excited to get on the train but after the first 20 minutes he begins to unravel in great anticipation of the final destination: my parent's house. He likes to get out of the city every now and then like the rest of us...

My sister likes to eat vegan so I made us a large portion of veggies for dinner. I haven't eaten broccoli rabe for a LONG time so when I saw it yesterday while grocery shopping i HAD TO HAVE IT. Broccoli Rabe contains vitamins (A, C, K), folate, potassium, iron and calcium. It has a really bitter taste that goes great with mushrooms and garlic. The acid from the lemon juice also helps to offset its strong flavor.

Vegan dinner for 2 sisters

Ingredients (minus the tomato and seasoning)

INGREDIENTS

-Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 Tbsp

-Garlic, 1 clove,  Chopped

-Oyster Mushrooms, 2 cups

-Broccoli Rabe, 1 bu, rough chop

-Baby Spinach, 1 lb

-Vine-Ripe Tomato, 1 ea, sliced

-Lemon, 1/2

-Salt to taste

-Crushed Red Chili Flakes to taste

PROCEDURE

-Add olive oil to large sautee pot (on medium heat)

-Once oil is hot (not smoking), add chopped garlic clove, let brown

-Add Oyster mushrooms, stir until they soften, season with salt and red pepper flakes

-Add chopped broccoli rabe, stir. 

-Once broccoli turns bright green and begins to soften add baby spinach.

-Add chopped tomato

-Once tomato begins to break down take pot off of heat. Season to taste with salt and lemon juice.

** If any of the veggies begin to stick to the bottom of the pot during cooking add up to 1/4 cup of water to help veggies steam.

Spaghetti Thursday

 

Dan made our delicious vegan dinner tonight: Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Vegetable Ragu. He also made me an extra large salad because I was adamant about not letting the produce in the fridge go to waste. He refused to eat any (more GREENS for me!)

                            EXTRA LARGE SALAD FOR ONE

 

Baby Spinach, Vine Ripe Tomato, Celery, Extra Virgin Olive oil, 

                             RAW red wine Vinegar, Sea Salt.

             

SPAGHETTI SQUASH with VEGETABLE RAGU

 INGREDIENTS-

Spaghetti Squash, 1 ea

Garlic clove, 1 ea

Leek, 1/2, sliced

Thyme, 1 tsp, chopped

Red Chili Flakes, pinch

Sea Salt, to taste

Black Pepper, to taste

Shiitake Mushrooms, 1 cup, sliced

Yellow Bell Pepper, 1 ea, diced

Green Kale, 1 bunch, stems chopped, (leaves whole)

RAW Apple Cider Vinegar, to taste

Vine-Ripe Tomatoes, 2 ea, diced

SPAGHETTI-

-1. Cut 1 Spaghetti Squash in half lengthwise. De-seed.

-2. Add 1+1/2 tsp of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil to each half.

-3. Season with salt. Bake at 375 for about 30 min.

RAGU-

-1. Add 1Tbsp of Olive Oil to enamel cast iron pot on medium heat. 

-2. Add to pot 1 crushed clove of garlic, sliced leek, 1 tsp of 

     chopped thyme. Season with Salt and pinch of Red Chili Flakes.

     Cook until leek is translucent.

-3. Add sliced de-stemmed Shiitake mushrooms, diced Yellow Bell 

      Pepper and chopped kale stems. Cook until mushrooms soften.

-4. Add chopped tomatoes. Add Apple Cider Vinegar to taste.

     Cover and reduce heat to LOW for 15 minutes.

-5. Stir in Kale Leaves and season to taste with salt and fresh 

     ground pepper. Remove from heat once kale turns bright green.

     

TO SERVE-

-Using a fork, shred the cooked Squash into a stringy texture.

-Scoop onto plate.

-Add Ragu sauce on top of squash.

ENJOY!

P.S. Dan is a chef at an Italian Restaurant in Boston. He is definitely not a vegan but is usually vegan by association after work hours. He has also been known to juice fruit and veggies at work for a quick and healthy snack...

ECO-FRIENDLY GIFT WRAP and CARDS

I really enjoy wrapping Christmas gifts but it pains me to spend $ 4.00 on paper and $3.00 on a card that are just going to be thrown away.  So... I like to go the creative route. I just wrapped a gift for Dan's mom using a page from Edible Boston magazine. It's a FREE magazine with great photographs. A number of cities have this magazine so look out for it. For this particular job I personalized her gift wrap by choosing a page that highlighted WORCESTER (where she lives). I also made cards using a page from the magazine that had a variety of 2x2 photographs. I cut out the small images and then stenciled the name onto it. After stenciling I taped cream card stock paper onto the back of the image and wrote a message. Who doesn't appreciate a homemade card?

Materials for gift wrap and cards

Page from Edible Boston turned into gift wrap

3 individual homemade Christmas cards

             

High Efficiency Wednesday

Today has been all about errands so I missed out on breakfast. Once Hugh and I returned from the laundromat I made a quick salad. I used the leftover brown rice and lentils from dinner last night for some extra protein.

 RAW baby Spinach, Arugula, 1/2 of an Avocado, Lentils and Brown Rice, dash of cumin, sea salt, Olive Oil And RAW red wine vinegar

After I dried Hugh off after our long morning of errands I gave him a snack. Moments later I checked on him and found him completely passed out. I attempted to capture this moment without waking him up but the camera flash interrupted his sleep...oops

.

Mellow Monday

Dan had another day off today so we pretty much just relaxed. I've been a non-coffee drinker for 3 years but I just returned to the dark side. Coffee can stress your adrenal glands and hinder the absorption of nutrients. However, I recently started to seriously crave it. I blame the cold weather. I'm not a fan of early morning dog walks so a coffee run has made it more appealing. Along with the coffee I picked up a RAW granola bar from TWO MOMS IN THE RAW. Now... a lot of people assume that raw vegan food is purely bird food. I totally disagree. However, this Gluten-free and Organic bar visually epitomizes the stereotype. But... it's delicious. It has soaked and dehydrated grains, seeds, dried fruit and cinnamon. The texture is chewy and crunchy. Dan and I both agreed that it was pretty tasty.

Hugh should have his own blog because he is freakishly amazing, but here is a quick introduction.

Hugh-man is a 3 year old lab, collie and schnauzer mix...we think. He is originally from Texas. Dan and I adopted him in August. He is so well behaved that I'm pretty convinced he's an old man trapped in a dog suit. We're pretty obsessed.


After the three of us took an afternoon walk we returned home for a snack. I make sure to eat raw greens on a daily basis so I made a salad with arugula, one whole avocado, half a red grapefruit, 2 ribs of celery, a pinch of cayenne, sea salt, extra virgin olive oil and RAW apple cider vinegar.

Avocados are a great source of protein, healthy fat, potassium and vitamin E. Grapefruit is cleansing, aiding in digestion. It's also high in vitamin C (great for colds). Raw Apple Cider Vinegar has healing and cleansing properties.

For dinner I made an Asian inspired dish with brown rice and lightly sauteed veggies


INGREDIENTS


-Short Grain Brown Rice, 1 cup
-Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp
-Garlic, 1 clove, chopped
-Yellow onion, 1 each small, sliced
-Ginger, chopped, 1 tsp
-Shiitake Mushrooms, 1 cup, sliced
-Napa Cabbage, 2 cup, chopped
-Kale, 5 leaves, chopped
-Red Chili flakes, pinch
-Sea Salt, to taste

PROCEDURE


RICE
1. Place rice in a small pot.
2. Cover Rice with 2 cups of water
3. Add pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of Extra Virgin Olive oil
4. Bring rice to a boil. Then reduce heat to low. 
5. Cover with lid and let simmer
6. Rice is ready once water has evaporated


VEGGIES
1. Add 2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to an enameled cast-iron pot
2. Heat on medium until oil is warm- NOT smoking
3. Add chopped garlic, ginger and onion. Sautee until onion 
    becomes soft and translucent.
4. Add a pinch of salt and red chili flakes
5. Add sliced mushrooms. Mix until soft
5. Add chopped kale. Mix until soft
6. Add chopped cabbage. Mix until soft
7. Salt to taste before serving

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Full Fridge Sunday

Grocery shopping is a serious highlight in my life. I look forward to it. I despise shopping for everything else. I hate the mall and I loathe crowds. However, I will put up with a line out the door to get to fresh produce. Farmer markets and health stores make me extremely happy. My boyfriend, Dan, thinks I'm obsessed with a certain grocery store in my area. I do not disagree. Last year for my birthday Dan asked me if I wanted to get drinks or go out to dinner to celebrate. I chose grocery shopping. If I could afford it I would venture out to do it on a daily basis, but food is expensive - especially organic produce and supplements. Therefore, I try to limit my excursions to once a week. Today was The Day! Having an empty fridge is depressing... I admired our full fridge tonight.

Please take note of the 12 bottles of Chia Cherry Gt's kombucha. Dan splurged on a case for me. It was 10% off total price. Let's just say I drink kombucha like it's water. Actually, I'm terrible at drinking straight water. It's boring. This past summer I could easily down 4 kombuchas at work, (I got a discounted price for a case). Nevertheless, it is still a pricey habit. When I go visit my mom she warns me that I have a "One kombucha a day limit." I've been known to drink her stock in a matter of 24 hours. I am now attempting to adhere to those guidelines on a regular basis at my apartment. In hot weather I love the Trilogy flavor. Its chilled effervescence is so refreshing. Now that its freezing outside I've been craving the chia flavors. Chia is a superfood high in fiber, omega 3's and antioxidants. We will see if I have the will power to limit myself to a single bottle per day when I have full access to it...


Dan is getting sick. Although we both admire his raspier and more masculine voice when he has a cold, I figure it would only be right to get him healthy. We made a nourishing soup for dinner.

INGREDIENTS
Dehydrated Shiitake mushrooms, 1 oz

Garlic, 1 clove

Fresh Ginger, 1 teaspoon 

Chili flakes 1/2 teaspoon
Sea salt to taste
Ground Pepper to taste
Star Anise 1 ea
Red Bell Pepper, 1 ea, chopped
Napa Cabbage, 4 cups, chopped
Celery, 3 ea, chopped
Baby Spinach, 3 cups


PROCEDURE
- Add 3 quarts of water to pot with 1 oz of dried shiitake 
  mushrooms, seasoning, garlic, ginger and star anise. 
  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.
- Chop up Red bell pepper, cabbage and celery.
-Add chopped veggies to simmering soup pot.
-Serve once veggies are hot, (2-3 minutes)
-Once soup is plated add baby spinach. Stir and serve.

I love veggies to maintain their crunchiness. Therefore, we added the veggies to the hot soup just long enough to get hot. Bright food is ALWAYS appetizing and we enjoyed the festive colors.