As I write this I am taking a rest day today. I’m not feeling well. My body basically said, “I’ve had enough”. So I am taking some walks and doing light yoga to recover. Tony, of course, is still working. He is the Energizer bunny. Ever since I stupidly overtrained, I need to listen to it before I end up back down that rabbit hole.

The house is coming along. I finished another room, which went from a light peach to a terra cotta. We are using recycled paint available from Habitat for Humanity Restore. They only have 16 colors, but a gallon of paint is $15. The finish is egg shell and the coverage is wonderful. Some colors are nearly one coat coverage. I’ve used three colors so far and they have all been great. They are worth getting if you have to do some painting and you want to save some money.

This week’s recipe is another simple one. I am starting with a recipe for Creamy Mushroom Wild Rice Soup from Jessica in the Kitchen. This recipe is more of a side than a main dish. I plan to make this a main dish by adding some protein and more veggies. Other than that, this is a fairly healthy low calorie dish.

Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I replaced the flour with cornstarch to make this gluten free.
• I replaced the vegetable broth with a low sodium variety to lower the sodium.
• I deleted the added salt to reduce the sodium.
• I added red bell pepper to increase the vitamin C.
• I added tofu to increase the protein.
• I replaced the coconut oil with olive oil to reduce the amount of saturated fat.
• I reduced the number of servings from 8 to 6 to make these more main dish sized portions.

Here are the final stats:

Here is the final recipe:

Creamy Vegan Mushroom, Tofu, and Wild Rice Soup

Serves 6

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 blocks of extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 medium sized carrots, finely diced
• 3 stalks celery, chopped and bottoms removed
• 1 large red onion, finely diced
• 3 red bell peppers, diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 8 ounces baby Bella or white button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup Wild rice
• 4 cups low sodium Vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoons fresh Thyme
• 1 cup coconut milk

1. In a large pot over medium high heat, add the oil.
2. Add in the tofu and brown on all sides.
3. Add in the carrots, bell pepper, celery, onions, garlic and mushrooms and sauté for 8 minutes.
4. Add in the wild rice, vegetable broth, dried oregano and fresh thyme. Season generously with ground black pepper. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
5. Simmer for about 50 to 60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the wild rice is completely fluffed up and cooked through. Stir in the coconut milk, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes to heat through. Taste and season with black pepper again.
6. Add the cornstarch to 1/4 cup water and mix. Add to the pot while stirring. Allow the soup to thicken.
7. Remove from stove and serve.