Intrigued? Our kids love that the color and texture of this soup allow them to pretend that they are blood-sucking vampires. It makes dinner fun and exciting - and a little gross. And we all love this soup, which is a tasty and healthy combination of beets, red lentils, rosemary, and miso paste. 

3 medium carrots, peeled or scrubbed and chopped
2 beets, peeled or scrubbed and chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1 cup dried red lentils
2 bay leaves
6 cups water or stock
3 tablespoons light miso paste

• Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add carrots and beets, and sauté a few minutes more.
• Finely chop the rosemary and oregano leaves, if using fresh herbs. If using dried, grind them in a coffee grinder. Rinse and drain lentils.
• Add herbs, lentils, bay leaves and water or stock to onion mix, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove bay leaves, and puree soup in a blender or food processor or with an immersion blender.
• Dissolve miso in ½ cup water and add to soup. Gently reheat before serving.

 
Makes 6-8 servings.

From Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair

I just found out a year or two ago that today is actually a day people celebrate, and I'm all for a pie-based holiday! Pi is, of course, the Greek number you probably remember from high school math - as in, the area of a circle equals π times the circle's radius squared. π = 3.1415926 and on into infinity in a non-repeating sequence of numbers. Pi Day falls on the fourteenth day of the third month - 3/14. And this year is special because if you round up the next digits, you'll get 3/14/16! Any excuse to enjoy a pie! Here is a rich and healthy option.   


Raw Vegan Chocolate Avocado Mousse Pie with Pecan Crust

Crust:
2 cups pecans, divided 
4-6 soft dates, pitted
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch of pink himalayan sea salt (or substitute other sea salt)

Filling:
2-3 medium-sized ripe avocados
1/2 cup raw cacoa powder
2-3 tablespoon raw honey 
1 teaspoon almond extract 
1 teaspoon lemon juice 
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk 
​

• For crust, soak 1 cup pecans in 2 cups water for 2-4 hours.  Drain and rinse. In a food processor, chop 1 cup dry pecans into a fine meal.  Set aside.  Chop soaked pecans into a fine meal.
• Cut or break the dates into pieces.  If the dates are very dry or firm, soak them in 1/2 cup water for 5 minutes to soften.  Add the date pieces, maple syrup, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and sea salt to the ground soaked pecans and chop until well mixed.
• Add the ground dry pecans and chop until well mixed.  The dough should be crumbly but sticky enough to hold shape when pressed.  Press the dough evenly into a pie plate. It is easiest to press the dough first to the sides of the plate and then press into the bottom for an even depth.
• For the filling, blend together avocados, cocoa, honey, lemon juice, almond, and coconut milk extract in food processor.  Pour into prepared crust and chill for several hours before serving. 

Crust from
http://vegweb.com/recipes/amazing-chocolate-avocado-pie
Filling adapted from 
http://www.vegetarianyums.com/healthy-dessert-recipe.html

For our last dinner recommendation of the week, may we suggest a mouth-watering chicken stew that can be thrown into your crock pot  by lunch time and that will be ready for dinner.  Enjoy!

1 cup diced shallots
3 stalks celery, diced
4 carrots, peeled and diced
1½ pounds boneless organic chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 cup water
¼ to ½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
black pepper, to taste

• Add all ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
• If you don’t have a slow cooker, place all ingredients into a covered casserole dish and bake in the oven for about 2½ hours at 300ºF.

Makes 4-6 servings.

From Nourishing Meals by Alyssa Segersten and Tom Malterre