Southwestern Black Bean and Corn Chowder

My eight year old daughter and I made Southwestern Black Bean and Corn Chowder from Vegan on the Cheap last night. I am going to put this recipe in the win category even though most of my kids didn't eat it. That was my fault! I accidentally bought the hot chiles instead of the mild ones, and then I thought, "Well, it's just a little can in a big pot of soup!" Oops. I LOVED it! It was too spicy for most of the kids. My twelve year old was with me. My husband thought it was okay, but he's not a fan of soup. Put all those ingredients on a plate without the broth, and he'd love it. He grew up not liking soup, and so he thinks he doesn't like soup. Just one of his quirks! LOL. I love him anyway! This recipe is easy, healthy, and quick. I love it, and I wouldn't definitely recommend it!

I also made oat sausage patties (forgot the veg broth powder though - they were still okay, just a little more bland than usual) and roasted root vegetables. The root veggies didn't quite get done, but I still enjoyed them.

Almost Instant Chickpea Tomato Soup

My eight year old daughter and I made Almost Instant Chickpea Tomato Soup out of Vegan on the Cheap tonight. This one is definitely ho-hum at best. I'm not sure if I want to play with this one or not. I mean it was super easy and healthy which are big plusses, but no one really had much interest in it. I think the soymilk in it was a bad idea, and I actually like soymilk. Blending some cashews and water might give it a better flavor. It also needs more spices, and I thought that using fire roasted tomatoes might give it a better flavor. I don't know. So far, I have really enjoyed this book, so I kind of hate to give one of the recipes a bad review, but I just can't get around it tonight. Tonight's recipe was a flop. If I play with the recipe, I'll definitely post the results. I don't have a picture because I got a new phone that is not set up yet, and I was too lazy to go upstairs and unplug my husband's to use! Sad, but true. :)