Simple Potato-Parsnip Velouté with leftover Dhal and Rice

I miss cooking - and normal digestion! I was at a photography conference in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC from Friday through Sunday and must have eaten something, probably Friday night, that bothered my stomach; it's been upset since Saturday. I ate out again on Saturday but then asked my Mom, who lives nearby, to make a simple meal with white rice and crackers, banana, and I think a little dhal (lentil soup) when I returned on Sunday night. My wife and I ate at my parents' home on Monday and had kicheri. My wife made very good mung dhal with peels intact for dinner yesterday along with white rice. My stomach seemed better, so I thought today I would try cooking something simple.


Like I did back in March, I made my version of velouté (thickened soup). For about 8 1/2 hours in the slow cooker, I simply had cooking on low, halved small golden potatoes, about equal quantities of Living Harvest brand Hempmilk™ and of water, and sliced turnips. I used no leeks, onions, bell peppers, or anything strong or difficult to digest like barley, but did include a cube of vegan bouillon and a little rosemary from my garden, a little dill weed, a little salt and pink peppercorn, and some ginger (I put some raw shallot in my wife's serving). I thickened it just before serving by mixing in dehydrated potato flakes and Eat in the Raw's Parma! vegan "Parmesan cheese". It was certainly good, but didn't compare to how I had made it earlier. I served this with leftovers from yesterday and crackers, plus a little salad greens (I made hers more hearty with lots of large chunks of heirloom tomato).

Alas, I don't think I was ready for more normalcy. Tomorrow I'm likely to ask my dear wife to return to the kitchen to make something simple.