Non-animal foods are aphrodisiacs, says ‘Eating Cleaner’ author
Spicy Red Bell Pepper Soup will get the blood flowing and the romance going, says ‘Compassionate Cook’ / Photo: Maria Madrid Reed
by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris
“Vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, mushrooms, herbs, and spices are all aphrodisiacal foods, because they increase blood flow,” writes Colleen Patrick Goudreau on her website The Compassionate Cook. “Meat and animal products, on the other hand, constrict the blood vessels, decreasing blood flow, and thus potentially decreasing the libido.”
Goudreau, author of The 30-Day Vegan Challenge: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Cleaner, Getting Leaner, and Living Compassionately, gets even more down to business with this: “Ironically, the heart, the symbol of romantic holidays, is the organ we stop from beating in animals, whose flesh and secretions we serve. I can’t think of a better Valentine to give than to serve food that heals rather than harms, that is life-giving rather than life-taking.”
Whether or not you’re a vegan, you’re sure to enjoy her recipe for Spicy Red Bell Pepper Soup, below.
Spicy appetit!
Spicy Red Bell Pepper Soup
by Colleen Patrick Goudreau
(photo and recipe posted with permission of the author)
An easy soup to prepare and make, it’s even better when made in advance and stored in the fridge overnight to let the flavors meld.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, non-dairy butter, or water for sautéing
4 red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cups vegetable broth
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ to 1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups raw cashews
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
Heat the olive oil, non-dairy butter, or water in a large soup pot over medium heat.
Stir in the bell peppers, carrots, onion, and garlic.
Cook, and stir the vegetables until they’re soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt, and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add the cashews to a blender (high-powered is best), and blend on high power.
Add about ¼ to ¾ cup of the broth from the soup, and continue to blend until you have a thick cashew cream. When you do, add the rest of the soup contents to the blender, and blend until smooth.
Test for seasoning, and add more salt, if needed, as well as the ground pepper.
Blend again, and then return to the soup pot to heat up. Serve hot. Serves 6 to 8.
WARNING – Blending hot soups can be a tricky business. To keep things safe and clean, let the soup cool a bit before adding it to the blender. And hold on tightly to the lid; steam has been known to push open blender lids, shooting hot soup all over the kitchen!
(This recipe is oil-free if sautéing in water, wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and peanut-free.)
Katerina Lorenzatos Makris is a career journalist, author, and editor. Her fiction includes 17 novels for Simon and Schuster, E.P. Dutton, Avon, and other major publishers (under the name Kathryn Makris), as well as a teleplay for CBS-TV, and a short story for The Bark magazine. She has written hundreds of articles for regional wire services and for outlets such as National Geographic Traveler, The San Francisco Chronicle, Travelers’ Tales, NBC’s Petside.com, Animal Issues Reporter.org, and Examiner.com (Animal Policy Examiner).
Feb 15, 2013 @ 16:31:18
Katerina always has such good (and healthy) ideas. As an “old broad” though, I’ve no interest in reviving my libido!! 😀 Doggie cuddles are my preferred affection.
Feb 16, 2013 @ 00:12:19
Kathryn, LOL! Your rescued fur-babies are lucky to have a kind, cuddly mom like you.