Friday, November 20, 2015

Lemony Lentil Arugula Salad

Oh my heart! This looks gross but tastes amazing! It comes from the Forks Over Knives Cookbook, but here's the basic idea:

Lentils cooked in vegetable broth then mixed with lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped mint, chopped cilantro, and garlic then spooned on top of a bed of arugula.  Yum! 

Sweet Autumn Squash Soup



I have been playing around with a lot of fall soups lately, and this one turned out the best.  It has some great fall spices and a little bit of sweet, tangy kick.  

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion peeled and diced
1 butternut squash peeled and diced
1-2 sweet potatoes peeled and diced 
1-2 Granny Smith apples (depending on how sweet you want it) peeled and diced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups vegetable broth
salt to taste

1. Saute the onion in olive oil or water (10 min)
2. Add diced squash, sweet potato, apple, spices, broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20+ minutes
3. Puree in blender and season with just a sprinkle of sea salt 

Let me know what you think and if you made any yummy improvements!



Monday, November 9, 2015

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili




This is my new favorite vegan chili! It's perfect for fall cooking.  I seriously can't get enough of it.  Thanks, Gaby!

http://whatsgabycooking.com/black-bean-sweet-potato-chili/






Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Greek "Pizza" with My Favorite Homemade Hummus

Last year I asked my dad for easy plant-based lunch suggestions.  He likes to make pitas with hummus.  This has become a favorite.  I have also tried many different hummus recipes, and this is by far the best one I've had.  The pita "pizza" was also a hit with my toddler.  Sneaky veggies!

Ingredients: 
-pita bread
-hummus (here's the link to my favorite recipe: http://www.shugarysweets.com/2012/08/hummus) Don't forget to keep adding 1-2 tbs of water near the end while you blend, blend, blend
-your favorite veggies (I usually do tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and greens) 
-fresh herbs
-olive oil (I like mine extra spicy)
-feta cheese (optional)

Instructions: 
1. Warm or toast the pita.
2. Spread the hummus and then layer veggies (and cheese if you want). 
3. If you are eating it like a mini pizza, throw it in the oven/toaster oven on broil for a couple minutes to warm the toppings. 
4. Drizzle some spicy olive oil.
5. Garnish with fresh herbs. 

For my one-year old, I blended the veggies and added it to the top like a second spread.  He loved it!
Props to Shugary Sweets for the amazing hummus recipe! 


Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce Over Veggie Spaghetti

Last night I drew a blank on dinner, so I gathered the few veggies I had and conducted an experiment. Usually my food experiments turn out pretty bad  But for some reason, this one turned out AWESOME!  I must write this down before I forget.  

Ingredients: 

1 butternut squash, cooked or baked  (I boiled mine so I didn't have to use the oven) 
3-4 quartered tomatoes (roasted is optimal)
1 roasted red pepper (optional.  Again, I didn't want to use my oven)
4 cloves garlic (minced) 
1 onion (diced)
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tbs olive oil
handful of fresh herbs (I used garden basil and oregano) 
sea salt to taste 

For the pasta I used barilla veggie spaghetti.  Zucchini "Zoodles" would be even better.  

1. Sauté onion in olive oil.  Once golden, add garlic.  
2.  Add squash, tomatoes, (red pepper), vegetable broth, and herbs to pan. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until veggies are soft (You can add more broth if you like thinner sauce).   
4. Blend until smooth.  
5. Pour over cooked pasta. 
6. Sprinkle with sea salt and some more herbs.  The salt really brings out the sweetness of the sauce.  
Enjoy! 





Thursday, March 19, 2015

Butternut Spinach Lasagna


This is an awesome Meatless Monday dish!  And I honestly like it way better than meaty lasagna.  True, it's not completely "plant-based," but it's a great little cheat.  I actually doubled the recipe so we could have loooots of leftovers.  Thanks, Julia! (juliasalbum.com)



Ingredients:

Butternut Squash Filling:
  • 2 cups butternut squash puree (about half of squash)
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup milk (or more, if needed)
  • 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • Spinach Filling:
  • 1 cup cooked spinach (8 oz uncooked)
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • pepper, to taste
  • Other Ingredients:
  • 10 oz lasagna noodles, cooked (for gluten free, use Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (or more)
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (on top)
  • Italian seasoning
  • Paprika
  • Basil
Instructions: 

1. For Squash Filling: Prepare the butternut squash puree.  Half the squash, drizzle with olive oil, and bake face-down for thirty minutes at 400 F.  Turn upright to cool


2. For Spinach Filling: While the squash is baking, sauté your garlic in a pain with olive oil then add a bag of spinach and a little water.  Cook on medium heat.  You need two cups of cooked spinach.  Afterward, mix in ricotta and spices.  





3. Puree the cooked squash in a food processor or blender.  Add the ricotta cheese, milk, and spices.  Blend it up real well and set aside.  You really only need half for the recipe, so save the other half for soup...or give it to your baby!






4. Get your ravioli noodles cooking.  Don't forget to add a little olive oil so they don't stick together. 

5. Layer as such (from the bottom): squash, noodles, spinach and mozzarella, noodles, squash, noodles, spinach and mozzarella, noodles, and (top) squash, spices & cheese! 


7. Cover with foil and bake at 375 F for thirty minutes covered then ten minutes uncovered.  Serve with warm bread.  Enjoy!  



Recipe from http://juliasalbum.com/2014/11/butternut-squash-and-spinach-lasagna/




Saturday, February 28, 2015

Quinoa-stuffed Bell Peppers or Tomatoes

Here's another idea for your plant-based eating: stuffed veggies!  They are easy and fun to make.  You can broil them, bake them, or cook in the crockpot.  I've tried a few recipes, and this is the general idea (for a crockpot.  See the link below for oven instructions)

Ingredients: 

4 red bell peppers/tomatoes
2 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice (go for the quinoa!)
Your choice of mix-ins, like
tomatoes, beans, salsa, cumin, oregano
or 
sautéed spinach, garlic, olive oil, fresh parsley

Instructions: 

1. Slice off the top and hollow out the pepper/tomato: seeds, guts, etc.  (I save the tomato guts and make tomato soup the next night.  Yum!) Place in crockpot.  

2. Cook 2 cups of quinoa according to the directions.  Quinoa cooked in vegetable broth tastes way better :-)

3. Once it's cooked, add your mix-ins and stir together.   

For a southwestern mix, you can add a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, 14 oz can of kidney beans, a cup of salsa, 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/4 tsp. oregano, a bit of olive oil, a little salt

or 

spinach and garlic sautéed with a little olive oil   


4. Add the fillings to the peppers/tomatoes and cook in the crockpot on low for 3-4 hours.  


Drizzle some cold-pressed olive oil (if you didn't already) and voila

Here's the instructions for the baked version 






Friday, February 27, 2015

Banana "Nice" Cream

I am addicted to ice cream.  Well, not just any ice cream, Tillamook Mudslide ice cream.  It was getting to the point where I had to have a bowl almost every night or I would get antsy.  This week I decided to face my demons and lay off the chocolate.  Funny enough, I lost some weight this week by simply NOT stuffing my face with dessert at night.  This is what helped me those first awful days. 

Disclaimer: Now, don't get me wrong, Banana "Nice" Cream is NOT ice cream.  It's...a banana.  Therefore, it will taste mostly like a banana.  

HOWEVER, it has an amazing custard-like texture that helps me, at least, feel like I'm having a smooth, delicious treat.  It's also a great base for add-ins, and it's dairy free!  

1. Cut 2 ripe bananas into small medallions and freeze for at least two hours.  I just try and keep some bananas in the freezer at all times for when the craving hits.  

2. When you're ready for your treat, blend the bananas on med-high.  If they have been frozen for more than 4 hours, add a tablespoon of cold water at the bottom of the blender before you start.  If the mixture still looks powder-y in the blender then add a tiny bit more water.  

3. Blend, blend, and blend until it reaches this thick custard consistency.  If your blender heats food then don't blend long enough for it to melt! 

4. Add berries, nuts, or even blend in a little bit of cocoa powder.  Have fun with it! 

I over-blended my nice cream in this picture, but you get the idea :-).  Enjoy your healthy treat! 

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Thai Pumpkin and Coconut Cauliflower Soups

Here's a throw back to my favorite plant-based soups. I've made them a lot this winter. 

The pumpkin has been especially great for colds, with all the fresh ginger and spices. (It's definitely worth getting fresh ginger instead of the powder!) I like to cut down on the brown sugar and blend until it's smooth. Enjoy! 



Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Cuban-Style Rice and Beans

Wow. This was amazing!

Definitely want to save this for next week...and the week after that. 


I didn't have coconut cream so I simmered some coconut milk for about forty minutes to thicken it up. I also used red bell peppers because, let's face it, they're way better than green. 

And Logan loved his black beans, as usual. 

Here's the recipe link




Monday, February 23, 2015

Zucchini Tomatillo Enchiladas


My neighbor Pierre taught us this recipe. It's easy, yummy, and plant-based (unless you want some cheese). I photographed the steps so I would remember how to make it.  Enjoy!

You will need

4 yellow or zucchini squash
10 tomatillos
1-2 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
4-8 corn tortillas
1 jalapeño (unless you're not a spice person)


1. Chop the squash/zucchini and cook it in a pan on medium heat.  You don't need oil.


2. "Unwrap" and boil the tomatillos with the jalapeño


3. After 10 or so minutes, peel the garlic and wash the cilantro.  Blend tomatillos, jalapeño, garlic, and cilantro together.  You can add a little water if you want thinner sauce.  

4. By now the zucchini should be soft.  Once it has reached the firmness/softness you desire, add the sauce.  

5. Warm the corn tortillas in a pan.  You also don't need oil for this part.  Set them into the sauce to get them nice and wet.  Roll up the tortilla with the sauce-mixture inside.  You might need a spatula to help you fold them.  


6. Drizzle the rest of the sauce on top.  Serve with sliced avocados or beans.  

Yum!  Thanks, Pierre.