Instant Pot Coconut Curry Zucchini SoupVegan And Gluten Free

A good way to use your garden zucchini!

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It's Zucchini Time
There have been years when I've planted so many zucchini that I was ready to set the garden on fire.  This year I promised myself I would scale back and only planted a single zucchini. However, it's so prolific that I'm still having a hard time keeping up with it. So you may be seeing more zucchini recipes this summer.

My one and only zucchini plant.

Today's recipe also uses potatoes since we just harvested over 50 pounds of new potatoes a few days ago. They are so easy to grow and what's better than a freshly harvested new potato?

Our potato harvest.

Although I cook this in my Instant Pot, you can easily make this on the stovetop. I include notes on stovetop directions below.

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Coconut Curry Zucchini Soup

Vegan, Gluten and Dairy Free

[Makes 9 Cups]

Requirements

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Hand Immersion Blender

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (~1 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 tablespoon sweet curry

1/2 teaspoon hot curry, or to taste

2 pounds zucchini, sliced

1 pound new potatoes, scrubbed and diced

2 cups vegetable broth

1 can lite coconut milk

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions

Heat the oil in the Instant Pot using the SAUTE function. Add the onions and ginger and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn off the Instant Pot and stir in the sweet and hot curry. (To make on the stovetop, do this step in a large saucepan.)

Stir the curry into the onions.

Add the zucchini, potatoes, broth, coconut milk and salt.

Sliced zucchini and diced potatoes.

Lite coconut milk has plenty of flavor and
creaminess but far fewer fat and calories.

Secure the lid, press the MANUAL button, and set for 5 minutes under high pressure. When done, press the OFF button and quickly release the pressure. (To make this on the stovetop, simmer in the large sauce, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Continue with recipe.)

When complete, open the cover and tilt so that the steam comes out the back and away from your face. 

Using a hand immersion blender, blend the soup until fairly smooth but leaving some small chunks of zucchini and potatoes.

You still want to see the specs of zucchini.

Stir in the lime juice and adjust salt if necessary and serve.

Nutrition

(Per cup): 112 calories, 5 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, and 276 mg sodium.

Mango Cake - The Perfect Vegan And Gluten Free Easter Dessert

This gluten and dairy free dessert is the
perfect ending to your Easter Brunch.

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My Favorite Mango
Our favorite little mangoes are in season. They come with many names like Manilla, Ataulfo, Champagne, and Honey, with slight variations and places of origin. But they are all small (around 9 to 11 ounces) and as sweet as sugar.

Doug and I have been under the weather so to cheer ourselves up, and with the excuse of having to create an Easter dessert for the blog, we created a cake on Sunday with our very favorite fruit.

These are smaller, less stringy, and much sweeter than the large, more commonly found mangoes.

Easter Sunday is a great time to have family and friends over for brunch and this dessert is a good choice. It's vegan and gluten free so besides delighting everyone's taste buds, it will accommodate most everyones dietary issues. (See "Variation" below for a whole wheat version of the recipe.)

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Mango Cake
Vegan, Gluten and Dairy Free
[makes 12 servings]

Requirements
Electric Hand Mixer
9" round cake pan
Waxed paper, cut in a 9" circle

Ingredients
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing pan 
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds 
6 tablespoons warm filtered water 
1 (10-ounce or more) Champagne mango
2 cups Bob’s Red Mill all purpose baking flour 
1½ teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder 
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut plus some for sprinkling
½ cup organic cane sugar 
½ cup unsweetened applesauce 
1 teaspoon coconut extract 
1 mashed ripe banana
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F; grease a 9" round cake pan and insert a 9" circle of wax paper on the bottom of the pan.

In a small cup, make flax eggs by combining the ground flax seeds with the water. Beat well and set aside. After a few minutes, beat again until gooey. Set aside. 

Peel the mango with a potato peeler. Cut the mango off the seed and dice in small pieces. Some will be used in the cake and some will be used for the topping. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the shredded coconut. 

In a large bowl, combine the oil, sugar, applesauce, and coconut extract; beat with an electric hand mixer until creamy. Add the mashed banana and flax eggs and beat again until well combined.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat with the electric mixer until well combined. The mixture will be quite stiff.

Fold in 1/2 cup of the diced mango and set the rest of it aside. 

Spread evenly into the prepared cake pan.

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the cake pan for 30 minutes. Cut around the edges of the cake pan and flip the cake out onto a plate. Peel off the wax paper.

I like the looks of the browned top of the cake better than the bottom so flip over again onto the final serving plate. Let the cake cool completely before you proceed.

Pile the rest of the diced mango onto the center of the cake. Sprinkle a bit of shredded coconut over the mango and dust the entire cake with powdered sugar. 

Slice, making sure each piece has some diced mango over it, and serve.

Nutrition
Per serving: 181 calories, 7 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 310 mg omega-3 and 538 mg omega-6 fatty acids*, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 3.5 g dietary fiber, and 190 mg sodium. 

* Nutritional information for omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids excludes any contribution from Bob’s Redmill all purpose baking flour and xanthan gum since that information was not available from the manufacturer.

Variation
For a whole wheat cake, replace the gluten-free flour with King Arthur’s white whole-wheat flour, omit the xanthan gum, and increase the applesauce to 2/3 cup.

For more menu and recipe ideas, download my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen.

A Review Of Cashew, Almond And Coconut Yogurts

There are many non-dairy yogurts to choose from.

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In Search of Dairy-Free Yogurt
Quite a few people have given up or reduced their consumption of dairy. Many are either lactose intolerant or allergic to milk proteins, some are vegans who avoid all animal products, and others may be trying to reduce their cholesterol intake. Whatever the reason may be, the downside is giving up this probiotic-rich food. But luckily today there are many non-dairy options.

Two years ago I posted a recipe on how to make Thick, Creamy Vegan Yogurt with an Instant Pot or Yogurt Maker with 5 Minutes Prep Time. This is one of my most popular posts with over 20,000 views! So I know that lots of you enjoy yogurt and understand its importance in our diet. 

My most popular post - making soy yogurt.

But this particular recipe, that includes no thickeners or added sugar, is soy based and some of you do not consume soy. I don't like making yogurt with other non-dairy milks because they usually come out more like Jello as they require added gums and thickeners. Recently, however, I've tried several ready-made, non-dairy yogurts that are soy free that are absolutely delicious. And although they contain some thickeners, they are super creamy. Here are a few that I recommend.

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ORGANIC FORAGER CASHEW YOGURT
This cashew-based yogurt (they call it Cashewgurt) is absolutely divine. 

Forager ProjectCreamy Dairy-free Cashewgurt

Cashew Yogurt Nutrition

One cup provides:

170 calories

11 g total fat

2 g saturated fat

0 mg cholesterol

5 g protein

14 g carbohydrates

2 g sugar

1 g dietary fiber

15 mg sodium

2% calcium

19% iron

Pros
It's organic
Very creamy mouthfeel
Flavorless, so you can add to salad dressing, soups, and other recipes
Low in sugar and sodium
Good source of iron
Dairy, soy, and gluten free - vegan
Has 6 live cultures

Cons
High is calories and fat
Not very tart like some yogurts
Contains "natural flavor" - whatever that means

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KITE HILL ARTISAN ALMOND MILK YOGURT
I love all of Kite Hill's products and this one is no exception.

Kite Hill

 Almond Yogurt Nutrition
(The container serving size is only 5.3 ounces so I've converted it to a cup for consistency.)

One cup provides:
211 calories
6 g total fat
3 g saturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
9 g protein
1.5 g carbohydrates
0 g sugar
0 g dietary fiber
0 mg sodium
0 % calcium
0% iron



Pros
Very creamy mouthfeel
Flavorless, so you can add to salad dressing, soups, and other recipes
Contains zero sugar and sodium
Dairy, soy, and gluten free - vegan
No artificial colorings or preservatives
Good source of protein

Cons
High is calories
Not very tart like some yogurts 
Not organic although the almonds are non-GMO
Only 4 live cultures

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SO DELICIOUS COCONUT MILK YOGURT ALTERNATIVE

You will enjoy this silky yogurt if you enjoy the flavor of coconut.

So Delicious Coconut Milk yogurt alternative.

Coconut Yogurt Nutrition

(The container serving size is only 5.3 ounces so I've converted it to a cup for consistency.)

One cup provides:

106 calories

7.5  g total fat

6.8 g saturated fat

0 mg cholesterol

0 g protein

10.6 g carbohydrates

0 g sugar

3 g dietary fiber

45 mg sodium

30% calcium

45% vitamin D

53% vitamin B12

0% iron

Pros
Very creamy 
Dairy and gluten free - vegan
Low in calories
Has 3 g of fiber per cup
Fortified with calcium, vitamin D and B12
Has 8 live cultures
Low in sugar
Contains organic coconut milk

Cons
Plain flavor is not flavorless - tastes like coconut
High in saturated fat from the coconut
Not very tart
Contains zero protein

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SUMMARY
These three plain, unsweetened, non-dairy yogurts are all exceptionally tasting, unlike many I've tried in the past. The only disappointment is that none of them had the tartness that I enjoy in a yogurt. When I make my own soy yogurt, I can control the tartness by leaving it to process a bit longer. Also, they all contain some kind of gum and/or starch to thicken them. Once again, home made soy yogurt only contains soy beans, water, and live culture. But I still highly recommend each of these, especially if you are trying to avoid soy and you want to purchase, rather than make, yogurt.