Let it snow..Let it snow..Let it snow!

Happy Holidays!!!!

I've been taking a little break from cooking and posting. I am however going to cook a few tasty new dishes over the holiday to post once I'm back in action in the New Year.

Look out for: Italian-Vegetable Stromboli, Organic Brownies and a fablous Brown Sugar Boday Scrub that makes you smell almost edible! YUM!

Amazing Veggie Burgers

I'm not a fan of eating a lot of Boca or Morningstar products and have been on the hunt for the perfect Veggie Burger (and BB burger). Well, here it is, this burger will not disappoint. It's hearty, healthy has great texture to it and is SUPER easy to make. You can make the mixture ahead of time for dinners and freeze it into patties for dinner-on-the-fly.

This comes to us via Martha Stewart and can be found here. You know, I loved her so much more for rocking a knit poncho out of jail, and actually starting that trend. Thank you Martha.

Ingredients
2 Portobello mushrooms (8oz), stems removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small zucchini
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/4 cup minced shallot or 1 large shallot (they're like onions and garlic, but not)
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup quinoa, cooked or 2 cups cooked quinoa
2 teaspoons sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs
6 whole-wheat buns, split

Yogurt-Garlic Sauce (not tested but sounds great!) - try it, let me know how it is.
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaft parsley
1 tablespoon salt-packed capers, rinsed and chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1) Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped, and transfer to a bowl. Shred zucchini, place on paper towels, and squeeze to remove excess moisture. Add to mushrooms.

2) Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add shallot and red-pepper flakes, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and zucchini, and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and add Parmesan, quinoa, and salt. Season with pepper. Let cool completely, then stir in egg and breadcrumbs. Cover, and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 1 hour.

3) Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Shape mixture into six 1/2-inch-thick patties, pressing firmly. Cook in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes per side.

Top with Yogurt-Garlic Sauce and enjoy :)

Vegetarian Seitan Chicken and Dumplings - Oh Comfort Food!

One of my good friends that I'm stoked to work with again was sick last week and kept whining about wanting her mom's dumplings. She had kept saying how comforting it was and just needed dumplings and soup to feel better. There, it was planted in my head, her obsession became mine.


I used a recipe that I found with a Google search, ended up on a site called "My Vegetarian Recipe of the Day" original recipe can be found here . I subbed out white flour for wheat, most of the butter with coconut oil and definitely did not use the fake meat (blah). Don't get me wrong, I do like some fake meat products but not the chicken starters. Instead, I used a seitan recipe (listed below) and it worked perfectly, try it- you will not be disappointed! There are many very important rules to making seitan, which I learned the hard way. If you don't follow the directions you'll end up with a spongy gross mess. 


Important seitan rules:

• Do not over mix. 
  
• Do not let seitan boil 
• Let seitan cook slowly in the soup or stew that you are making
• Make sure that when adding liquid to dry ingredients the liquid is cooled off
  
• Put pieces in one by one
• Stir often

Ok, onto the recipe. Thank you Caitlin for your love of good food, complaining and inspiring our great cooking feast this weekend!

For the Soup:
1/2 stick (4 Tbsp.) margarine or butter or a mix of butter and coconut oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
8 cups vegetarian chicken broth
2 medium carrots, diced
1 bay leaf

Seitan:
1 cup vital wheat gluten
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup Imagine No-Chicken Broth, cold (or other veg. broth)
1 tablespoon tahini or other nut butter

For the dumplings:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 c. soy milk (or rice)
2 T. oil or melted butter or margarine ( or mix of coconut oil and butter)
1 T. chopped fresh parsley


Soup:
Place the margarine, onion, and celery for the soup in a large saucepan and sauté until the vegetables are soft.
Add the flour, salt, and pepper to make a thick paste. Slowly mix in the broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add the carrots, seitan, and bay leaf.


Seitan:
Mix the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Combine the broth and nut butter. Stir the broth mixture into the dry ingredients until well blended. Knead gently 10 times. Turn out onto a cutting board and press it as flat as possible. Let it rest for about 5 minutes. Then using a sharp knife (or kitchen scissors), cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. Add the seitan cubes to the simmering soup, taking care to separate them before they go into the pot. Stir well and simmer  for at least 45 minutes.


Dumplings:
Combine 1 cup flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Combine milk and oil. Add to the dry ingredients, along with the chopped fresh parsley. Stir just to moisten dry ingredients and drop by tablespoon directly into the boiling broth. Cover tightly. Return to a boil. Reduce heat without lifting cover and simmer about 15 minutes.


If mixture is too thin you can always add nutritional yeast, I also think the second time that I make this I'm going to add peas and sweet potatoes. I'm also going to make my dumplings a bit smaller, more like a little bouncy ball size. Having made too much Quinoa for a mushroom burger recipe, I threw a bunch into the soup - it's excellent and a super protein.


ENJOY!

Vegetarian (no one knew it!) Mushroom Gravy Recipe

Gravy makes me think of biscuits and gravy and lard and fattening stuff and blah! Let's just say, I'd NEVER buy it in a jar, can or chemically charged pouch. This led me to search for a perfect gravy to top off the stuffing and Quorn roast that I made for Thanksgiving.

This recipe was pulled from About.com and can be found here. The first batch that I had made turned out way too salty and I ended up throwing it out ( I did try saving it but just made it worse). I've modified the recipe and reduced the amount of Bragg's Liquid Aminos and omitted the additional salt.

Both veg and non loved it. I'm working on perfecting (dominating rather) homemade Seitan, this gravy would be perfect on it.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup white or button mushrooms, chopped
1 small yellow or white onion, minced
1/4 cup vegan margarine
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or tamiri / soy sauce)
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp poultry seasoning (or 1/2 tsp each of sage, thyme and marjoram)
Pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large skillet, melt the vegan margarine and add onion and mushrooms. Sautee for just a minute or two over high heat.

Reduce heat to medium and add vegetable broth and soy sauce. Slowly add flour, stirring well to combine and prevent lumps from forming. Bring to a simmer or a low boil, then reduce heat.
Add poultry seasoning and pepper, stirring consistently. Allow to cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until gravy thickens.

Red Cabbage and Wheat Berry Salad

I made a new friend  over spring and we continued to hang out over the summer, best Mpls summer yet! I remember going to her house for the 2nd or 3rd time and she had just whipped up this incredible spread of food. Red cabbage and wheat berry salad, hummus, home made pita-fresh from the oven, this zucchini and something-or-other dish; it was amazing!!

Craving the wheat berry salad later that week, I scoured the net for a similar one. I ended up finding Mark Bitman's book-How to cook everything  Vegetarian and made the salad that day.

There' s something really amazing about the heartiness of the wheat berry with the lightness and crunch of the cabbage, the coarse mustard dressing is  really perfect. This is a great summer salad or a perfect side to a heavier dinner over the winter.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups finely chopped or shredded red cabbage
  
• 2 cups whole wheat berries
  
• 1/2 med red onion - thinly sliced
  
• 1 to 2 carrots - shredded
  

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons coarse mustard
  
• 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoons red wine or other vinegar (apple cider)
  
• Salt and fresh gound black pepper

Toss ingredients in bowl and set aside. Whisk mustard, oil and vinegar together, add a little salt and a good 1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper. Mix into cabbage and enjoy!

A few tips and tricks, if you have too much cabbage after chopping the entire head, bag it up and store in the fridge. It will last a decent amount of time (couple of weeks?). I also do not yet have a pressure cooker, oh.. I so want one but am going to hold off until I can get the super deluxe type. I have a huge fear of blowing up a pressure cooker in our kitchen. I digress, if you do not have a PC like me, cook a good batch of the wheat berries (really easy) and throw in two cup portions in the freezer. Add your berries to soups, chili, tacos, burritos, you'll be surprised at how many things you can use these in.

The links listed above provide info on wheat berries and how to cook them, they really are a great addition to any diet. I promise that you will love this salad, eat it alone, throw it in a pita, add apple or walnuts, use different cabbages or grains; the options are yours for the taking.

Gemm-Bought? Italian Sausage, Peppers and Onions

This is my healthy, vegetarian version of an Italian classic. In my family this is called Gemm-Bought and I have no idea of the correct spelling or if this another made up Muccianti family word?

There are a few questionable words and phrases floating around my family. Let's say my Mom (that really is my Mom, amazing huh?!?) Anyways, let's say she dropped a glass of water, you'd hear "son of a cock-a-datch" and within the past few years she's added "sa-bash-tcha". For a great angry Italian sounding swear word- Sonofacockadatch, Sabashtcha; I think it says it all.

This is a ridiculously easy rustic dish and can be eaten in a variety of ways. You can make a sandwich with the sausage, pepper, onion mix, serve over warm polenta or as is. Make sure to get a variety of colored peppers, yellow, red and green; the colors together are really fabulous.

update: I've obtained the correct spelling and meaning from the big man, Papa Palladino; my Mom also sent the real family recipe  (the unveggie kind).

Ingredients:

12 cloves garlic - whole, peeled
4 assorted peppers, red, yellow, green, orange
1 really large or 2 med onions, sliced
1-2 potatoes, partially peeled, cut into chunks
2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Basil - couple of shakes
Oregano - couple of shakes
4 Vegetarian Sausage of your choice (Italian type is perfect)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a large bowl, combine garlic, peppers, onion and potatoes. Pour melted coconut oil into bowl, add salt and pepper, tossing to coat.

Pour veggie mixture onto a cookie sheet and sprinkle with basil and oregano. Cook for 20 minutes, tossing veggies around mid-way through.

Pull veggie sheet out and add sausage, stirring veggies around with sausage. Cook until brown (about 20-25 minutes) stirring veggies and turning sausage midway through. Tip: if you like your sausage really browned; when your veggies are done, finish off the sausage in the broiler.

As we say, Gah-Bless and Mangia!

Granola Bars; Not Candy Bars

My friend Holly, is an amazing woman and totally inspirational. She's a wonder in the kitchen and a wiz on the bike; anyways this recipe came from her, from Joyful Abode. Shout out to Hausfrau in the Kitchen!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oats
• 3/4 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 cup ground flax
• 3/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup peanuts, crushed
• 3/4 cup honey or agave
• 3/4 cup almond butter
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• A couple of turns of sea salt (if using grinder)
• aprox 8 oz dried fruit

Stuff:

• Wax paper
• Bigish bowl
• Small pot

Mix oats, wheat germ, flax, sunflower seeds and crushed peanuts in a baking pan. Place in the over for about 5 - 10 minutes, stirring a few times to  roast up dry mix.

While dry mix is in the oven; in a small pot dump honey, almond butter, vanilla and salt, turn heat on low. Pull dry mix from oven and let cool off. Once cool, dump in bowl and line same pan with wax paper, cut a second sheet the same size for later use; set aside.

Raise flame on "sticky" mix, stirring constantly until it gets liquidly. Once mixture looks like it has thinned out, pour into bowl with dry mix and add fruit. stir your brains out, super important to get all dry stuff with sticky mix so your bars don't fall apart (no worries if they do, then you'll have yummy granola)

Once mixed dump into lined pan and spread mixture out; place second sheet of wax paper on top and start smushing down. Once you think you've gotten in flattened pretty well, put pan on floor, place a book over top (still lined with wax paper of course) and stand on the book. The goal is to get your bars as flat and packed as possible.

Let bars rest on counter with book and heavy pan full of stuff to give it some weight. Bars will be ready to cut in 2 1/2 to 3 hours. You can let them sit overnight on the counter if you're cooking int he evening and happen to fall asleep on the couch-whoops.

Once you cut bars, wrap each in plastic wrap or store in container.

To make gluten free, use GF oats and omit wheat germ.

A New Thanksgiving Tradition

I've been planning our Thanksgiving menu in my head for sometime now. I want to find the perfect balance of sweet and savory, filling yet still lite (so we don't feel bogged down by food) and find the perfect spread to satisfy both vegetarian and non alike. I'm going to test our Thanksgiving dinner this year. We've been invited to my Aunt's house where I'll bring a bounty o'food. This will give me a good read for how the non-veggies do.

We don't normally eat "mock" meat, being a former meat eater this stuff will never come close and it's rather eww ( I've tried mock bologna, salami and turkey all totally gross, blah!) However, there are a couple of exceptions and Quorn products are certainly at the top of my list.

Here's ze menu (in planning)

Main: Quorn Turk'y Roast

Sides, I'm thinking:

• Apple Wild Rice served with Shitake Mushroom Gravy (may or may not stuff into winter squash)

• Succotash of Fresh Corn, Lima Beans, Tomatoes and Onions

• Whole Wheat Stuffing, packed with onion, celery, green pepper, mushroom and spices

• Spice-roasted Butternut Squash with Smoked Sweet Paprika

For Dessert, I'm thinking:

• Sweet Potato Layer Cake

Most Importantly:

And for our new family Thanksgiving Tradition, we're going to sponser a turkey; isn't that sweet! We'll go through the Adopt-A-Turkey Project, a Farm Sanctuary for commercially rasied Turkeys.

Here's (soon to be ) our Turkey; Gideon

Happiness Muffins!

Another great breakfast for the little dude and me. My favorite part of this is that it's a great base (like the banana bread) and can be mixed and matched however you'd like.

Silly title I know but, it does make me super happy to have a healthy, protein, omega rich muffin. By adding raisins you can grab some vitamin B, calcium, potassium and iron; all great beneficial vitamins and nutrients especially for us veggies and vegans!

This is also super easy and takes 15 minutes to whip up!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 refined coconut oil, melted plus more for greasing muffin tin
  
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  
• 1/2 cup sucanat
  
• 1 Tbl Ener-G egg replacer (or one egg)
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  
• 1 1/4 cup rice milk (or whatever "milk" you use)
  
• 1 tsp vanilla
  
• 1 cup fresh or dried fruit, diced or chunked if necessary
  
• 1/2 cups chopped nuts (optional)

For Zucchini Raisin Muffins:

Combine shredded Zucchini and raisinis for the fruit and omit the nuts. Add 1t cinnamon and 1/2t ground ginger to the dry ingredients. (I used 1 1/2 shredded zucchini and 1/3 of a large carrot shredded. I put in a hanful of golden raisins and 1/2c chopped walnuts.)

Preparation:

Heat oven to 375. Grease muffin tin or use liners.
In a large bowl combine dry ingredients, including egg replacer if using. In a medium bowl, whisk rice milk, oil, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until barely combined. Stir in fruit and nuts. Transfer to muffin tin. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remember those orange cubes that you didn't want to eat....

It's what's in your mac n' cheese! Good thing Dominic can't read yet, otherwise I'd be busted! My new favorite thing is to puree veggies that he's not into at the moment and mix them into his dinner. Dom loves mac n' cheese and I love my food processor so it's a perfect match.

Last week I made him pop tarts with a blueberry and spinach filling, he was non the wiser. For dinner I made him some pasta with homemade gravy / sauce (this is still a rather large family debate) Is it gravy or sauce? I digress.. and threw in another 1/4 cup of the spinach blend. Tonight he had some mac n' cheese with pureed sweet potato- na na na naaaaa na, I win.

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato, peeled, chopped and steamed
Box of whole wheat pasta shells
Whole milk mozzarella and cheddar
Rice Milk

This one is pretty easy, boil as much noodles as needed and drain. Steam sweet potato, zip in food processor and add some water, start with 1/4 cup of water and go from there.

Add cheese and some sweet potato puree to the noodles, if mixture seems think add some rice milk.

Voila - Sweet potato macs!

p.s. Same recipe for Spinach macs. Steam spinach, zip in processor add to noodles. Note: there's no powdered processed or liquid processed cheese and no butter and, a whole lotta goodness; it will make you smile!

Awesome Banana Bread (super easy!)

My sister brought this recipe to me about a year ago, I really didn't have to change anything, but I couldn't help myself and added the vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Super easy and a great base. Get creative and add whatever you have around, dried fruit, nuts, zucchini etc.. you can also make into muffins.




Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup natural, organic applesauce
• 1/2 cup honey or agave (agave is better)
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 4 mashed bananas
• Lots of raisins (optional)
• Sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon (optional)
  

Preheat oven to 325.

Mix applesauce, honey, vanilla and eggs (add one at a time); stir in mashed bananas.

In a small bowl: combine flour, baking soda and salt

Add to banana mixture with 1/4 cup hot water. Sprinkle nutmeg / cinnamon

Grease bread pan lightly with coconut oil, pour in mixture and bake

Cook at 325 for 55 - 60 minutes.

Snobby Joes; because they're just better...

Ahhh comfort food, and you can feel good about it because it’s good for you! I stumbled upon this one, found on the The Post Punk Kitchen page; awesome site, love their stuff. PPK pulled from the Veganomicon cookbook.

From Veganomicon: Every vegan cookbook needs a sloppy joe recipe with the name changed around a bit, right? Well, this is ours. Those sloppy joes we loved as a child but made with lentils. Snobby Joe thinks he’s better than all the other Joes because he doesn’t have any meat.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked lentils
• 4 cups water
• 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil or Olive Oil
• 1 med yellow onion, diced small
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup (the real kind)
• 1 Tbsp yellow mustard (wet mustard)

4 to 6 kaiser rolls or sesame buns

Directions:
Put the lentils in a small sauce pot and pour in 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.

About 10 minutes before the lentils are done boiling, preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Sautee the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and sautee a minute more.

Add the cooked lentils, the chili powder, oregano and salt and mix. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and mustard and heat through.

Turn the heat off an let sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld, or go ahead and eat immediately if you can’t wait. I like to serve the se open faced, with a scoop of snooby joe on each slice of the bun – oh, so good

FOR REAL, Healthy Breakfast Cookies

I've been on the hunt for an easy on-the-fly breakfast for Dominic (and me) I thought a breakfast cookie of sorts would do the trick and began my search. I found recipes like the following "The Ultimate Healthy Breakfast Cookie": ...Combine 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 2 1/2 cups rolled oats, 4 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, and 1 tsp baking powder... Add 5 eggs and 1/4 cup vegetable oil... what????

I must have missed the "healthy" ingredients; brown sugar, 5 eggs, white flour..vegetable oil??

Nope, not for this Mamma! I LOVE these FOR REAL Healthy Breakfast Cookies! I made the usual changes, sub'd out the oil for coconut oil (go get some!) and added whole milk yogurt, our little dudes need the good fats.

When balling these up, a larger amount works better than a smaller amount, work the dough in your hands back and forth to get it to stick together, place on cookie sheet and flatten into cookie shape on the pan - Enjoy!! Donielle


Dry Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ (if you have raw wg, then throw in a skillet and toast up for a few minutes)
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt

Wet Ingredients:
1/4 cup amber agave nectar or raw honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg white
2 TBL plain / vanilla whole milk yogurt
2 tsp Blackstrap Molasses

Good Stuff:
1/3 cup dark chocloate chips
1/4 cup raisins and/or chopped dried apples or any dried fruit
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Preheat the oven to 300F. Smear cookie sheet with Coconut Oil, set aside. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a separate, smaller bowl. Add the wet mixture into dry mixture, stir until thoroughly combined. Add the Good Stuff, stir until well coated. Ball the dough into hands, place on cookie sheet and press down a bit to flatten cookie (these don't rise, just brown). Bake in center of the oven for 18 - 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Remove from oven, let cool completely and enjoy. I wrap ours individually, great for breafast or a snack on the fly.

I can't remember where I found this recipe, as soon as I find again, I'll post the original link (for due Props!).

Perfect Spicy Red Lentil Dip

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Again, I'm craving spicy Indian food and had everything in my pantry / fridge for this one. Comes to us from myrecipes.com . Made it tonight and it's awesome. My (almost 2 year old) son wouldn't stop eating it, I was shocked as I up'd the red pepper from 1/8 to 1/4 tsp, we both loved it! mmm mmm mmm Such a nice change of pace from hummus, I'm a bit burnt on that one..I don't use cooking spray, it's a chemical sh*t storm in a can, why ruin perfectly good food with that?? Instead coat the pita with a nice thin layer of coconut oil and a few grinds of sea salt (left out the pepper, didn't want to complicate anything) Used coconut oil instead of olive to sautee - Enjoy!

You can use green or brown lentils, but the dip won't be as pretty.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: about 1/4 cup dip and 2 pita crisps) or one hungry toddler, Mamma (with a little left over for lunch)

Ingredients

• DIP:
• 1  cup  dried small red lentils
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1  cup  finely chopped onion
• 2  tablespoons  pine nuts
• 1  tablespoon  tomato paste
• 1  teaspoon  fine sea salt
• 1  teaspoon  ground coriander seeds
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground caraway seeds
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 3  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 
  PITA CRISPS:
• 4  (6-inch) pitas, each cut into 5 wedges
• Cooking spray
• 1/8  teaspoon  fine sea salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare dip, place lentils and bay leaf in a large saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above lentils. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Discard bay leaf.

Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and nuts; saute 5 minutes or until nuts are lightly browned. Stir in tomato paste and next 6 ingredients (tomato paste through garlic); cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in juice. Combine lentils and onion mixture in a food processor; process until smooth.

To prepare pita crisps, coat 1 side of each pita wedge with cooking spray; sprinkle wedges evenly with 1/8 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Arrange wedges iz a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden.

PROPS! click here to view original recipe 

Savory Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

I’m not sure what makes a soup savory or not, but what I do know is that I love soup when it’s chilly along with some warm toasty bread. I also have learned the hard way, that a serrated peeler is the key to the heart of a butternut squash!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 2 small or 1 large butternut squash
• 5 cups veggie broth
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
In a large soup pot, sauté the onion and garlic in coconut oil until onion turns soft, about 3 – 5 minutes.

Add the carrots and celery and cook for another 3 – 5 minutes. Add the squash and stir just to coat, then add the vegetable broth and sage. Bring to a boil, the reduce heat to a slow simmer. Allow to cook for at least 25 minutes, or until squash is soft. Using a potato masher or a large fork, mash the squash until smooth. I use the food processor – works best. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste – Enjoy!

PROPS! Click here to view original recipe

4 Bean Smoky Soup - Oh So Good!

I haven't posted any new recipes as I've been sick this week which also means I haven't been the cooking machine that I normally am which also means... no amazing food ready and waiting for me when I get home.

When I'm sick I crave spicy food in a big bad way. There's something about the heat in a spicy dish that is just comforting, feels good.. I also think that I'm burning the "bad guys" and killing them all (insert evil laugh here). Ah, I've whipped up two things this week to keep me going.. one recipe I'm still working on but the post here is from Rhymes with Vegan; love, love, love her stuff and bonus she's in MN as well (random).
Anways, this soup is SO good, the original post includes imitation bacon bits, I’ve omitted these for two reasons 1) why add a chemical sh*t storm to a perfectly healthy soup and 2) I think they're pretty disgusting and ok another reason 3) I made it the first time with Morningstar bacon and ended up picking it all out. Second time, no bacon and it was perfection! Don't skip on the liquid smoke, it adds such a nice layer, you'd be robbing yourself.

12 cups water
2 TBS Veggie Base - Better than Bullion
1 can black beans
1 can white beans
1 can red beans
1 can pinto beans
3 carrots – chopped
2 celery ribs – chopped
½ yellow onion – chopped
3 cloves garlic – minced
½ tbsp thyme – finely chopped
½ cup braggs (you can also use tamari)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
¼ tsp liquid smoke
2 scallions – for garnish (if you're feeling fancy..)

In a large stockpot, bring 12 cups of water to a boil, while water is heating up, chop your onion, celery and carrots, mince garlic.  Once water is boiling add 6 cubes of veggie bullion (I use Not-Beef but any kind will work) , stir to dissolve lower heat. Add celery, garlic, onion and carrots, turn heat on high and bring to a boil. Add your Braggs and let simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes.

In a colander, rinse each can of beans thoroughly (this helps remove the build up of starch. Beans are well rinsed when you no longer see bubbles) add the beans once they have been rinsed off, add diced tomatoes. Keep the soup on a medium simmer for 8-10 minutes, add in liquid smoke– I start with half of the listed amount and go from there, depends on how smoky you like it! Served this for dinner with friends (non-veg) and they loved it, goes great with some warm crusty bread! Live well and eat even better ~ Donielle

*Easy* Spicy Peanut Sauce and Soba Noodles

I love peanut sauce, there’s something about peanut butter and chili paste that just really goes hand in hand!! Almost like Chocolate and Red Pepper- if you haven’t had, it’s a must try!

I made a super easy, super quick stir-fry last night and it turned out really good, I used veggies that I had on hand and they were limited – carrots and tomatoes, it would have been *great* if I had more veggies eh, next time.

To achieve greatness this recipe would probably have the following veggies; carrots, tomatoes, peapods, mushrooms and bean sprouts. Quorn chicken would be a nice option and some fresh cilantro if you happen to have.

Best part about this dish is you can use the base and make the rest yours, don’t be scared.. get crazy!! - Soba noodles cook so quickly (4 mins) that this dish truly is effortless!

Ingredients for Spicy Peanut Sauce:

4 Tbsp chunky organic peanut butter
3 tsp chili hot sauce (I would say on a scale of 1–5 this gives it a 3.5 spice rating)
4 Tbsp hot water
2 tsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (I really wanted to use rice vinegar but didn’t have, balsamic worked perfectly, so much so that I wouldn’t change this)

Cook in small saucepan, stirring frequently, keep on low or set aside

*If you like more sauce, then just add a bit more of each ingredient– easy peasy! You could always double the sauce recipe above if you’re not sure and add as you go then use your leftovers as a healthy veggie dip – I recommend carrots!


For the stir-fry, I used:

4 bundles of soba noodles, cook in water for about 4 mins, rinse in cold water immediately (to stop from cooking)
4 carrots, sliced
4 on the vine tomatoes, chopped
1 garlic clove, diced


And next time I’m going to add:

Couple handfuls of peapods
Couple of mushrooms – 5 or 6 sliced
Handful of bean sprouts
Quorn Chicken - maybe...

In a wok heat up one tablespoon of coconut oil and stir-fry veggies, turn heat down and add spicy peanut sauce and Soba noodles mix until noodles and veggies are evenly coated

I’d say this makes enough for four or two and lunch the next day – yum! Live well and eat even better~ Donielle

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

These became a quick family favorite. They are awesome, in a pinch (or fit of laziness) you can use a jarred green chili sauce. Confession - I used a jar sauce... uh, you'll see my other shortcuts listed below. Being a fulltime working Mama / Wife I sometimes need shortcuts to ensure we have a delish, healthy dinner on the table everynight. So there you have it, I do sometimes cheat.

I digress, if you have extra time at night or over a weekend you can make this ahead of time and freeze, it freezes just fine and is a great - make ahead - dish.

Ingredients


Quickie Green Chile Sauce
1 cup light vegetable broth
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch dissolved in a little cold water
1 generous cup chopped roasted green chiles, hot or mild
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin or chili powder, hot or mild, to taste

Enchilada Filling
1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, rinsed, drained
4 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh lime juice from 1 big juicy lime (shortcut, use about 3 - 4 tablespoons from jar)
2 heaping cups cooked diced sweet potatoes
1/2 cup chopped roasted mild green chiles (shortcut, I used a can..ohh laziness)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder mild or spicy
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (shortcut, I used the tube cilantro, what?!? it's what I had on hand)

Assembly
2 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, as needed (I used coconut oil, best smoke point)
8 white or yellow corn tortillas
4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Serves 4. $2.59 per serving*

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Choose a baking dish that would hold 8 rolled enchiladas. Make your Quickie Green Chile Sauce by combining the broth, dissolved arrowroot, green chiles, garlic and spices in a sauce pan and heating over medium-high heat. Bring to a high simmer. Simmer until thickened. Taste test and adjust seasonings. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the Enchilada Filling, using a mixing bowl, combine the drained black beans with minced garlic and lime juice. Toss to coat the beans and set aside. In a separate bowl combine the cooked sweet potatoes with the chopped green chiles; add the spices. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Pour about 1/4 cup of the Quickie Green Chile Sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.

To assemble the enchiladas, grab a skillet and heat a dash of oil. Lightly cook the corn tortillas to soften them, one at a time, as you stuff each one.

Lay the first hot tortilla in the sauced baking dish; wet it with the sauce. Spoon 1/8 of the sweet potato mixture down the center. Top with 1/8 of the black beans. Wrap and roll the tortilla to the end of the baking dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. Top with the rest of the sauce. Top with a sprinkle of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are piping hot and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 14oz/405g-wt.): 500 calories (190 from fat), 21g total fat, 7g saturated fat, 25mg cholesterol, 980mg sodium, 64g total carbohydrate (11g dietary fiber, 11g sugar), 18g protein

PROPS! click here for original recipe - awesome blog!!! (of course)

Kick Arse Lentil Vegetable Soup!

Seriously, this is my favorite Lentil soup! For the non-veg heads, you'll love it too..it's hearty and packed with flavor. Lentils come in all colors, red, yellow, green, brown - use brown. It's always best, cheapest to buy legumes, spices and grains in bulk however if you don't have a co-op or Whole Foods close by, you can use the packaged kind. If haven't yet incorporated coconut oil into your diet, olive oil will do. You can also use Braggs liquid aminos instead of tamari or soy. Makes about 8 cups. This recipe came from the Skinny Bitch In the Kitch book by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, good stuff in there. 

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil
  
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  
• 1/2 onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  
• 1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices
  
• 1 yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
  
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
  
• 1 1/2 cups lentils
  
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
  
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (with juices)
  

* Fage Plain Yogurt -I suppose regular yogurt will do, but trust me, it won't be as amazing.

Heat the coconut oil in a 4 -6 quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, garlic, salt, pepper, marjoram, thyme, and cayenne and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute.

Stir in the stock, lentils, and tamari or soy sauce. Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Add the sesame oil and tomatoes, stirring until the tomatoes are heated through. - ENJOY!

* O.K. So I HAD to edit this post, I'm actually eating this soup right now for lunch. You should know that I just rip my pics from the web, whatever looks exactly like the recipe I post as the pic (no high tech camera equipment here) Anyways, the above pictured soup looks exactly like mine with one exception - to dollop of sour cream or whatever that may be atop the bowl. But, it got me to thinkin'.. I bet some Fage would be good with my soup and - it's better than good, it's perfect! I highly suggest you get a little crazy and top your Lentil Soup with it!

Healthy Peanut Butter Balls!

I love me some some peanut butter! I wanted to get Dom to eat peanut butter, such a good source or protein.. and believe it or not, he doesn't like PB&J sandwiches, which is fine by me. However, need to get some easy quick protein in that kid, the wheat germ is an added bonus. I thought about replacing the honey with agave, but really enjoy the honey aftertaste with these. Now, I have to tell you to stop wasting your money on brands like Jiff, Skippy etc..they are filled with crap! The second ingredient is sugar, next..molasses, fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, mono and diglycerides, salt - knock it off.. toughen up and eat real food- Real peanut butter that contains, I dont know.. just peanuts? YES! That is what you want, the real deal. It is going to taste different b/c you've become addicted to sugar and oils, cut it out, man-up, you'll not only get used to it.. but you'll be proud of yourself for making such a simple and healthy change and it's deliscious! (stepping down from soap box). I digress, The coconut flakes, well.. depends on how crazy you want to get!

Got idea from Yoga Instructor; found recipe at http://www.recipezaar.com/

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
  
• 1/2 cup nonfat organic dry milk powder
  
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ
  
• 1 tablespoon honey
• If you're feelin jazzy (you little risk taker) roll in some coconut flakes at the end

Directions

Place ingredients into food blender in the order listed.
Turn on and blend until mixture is evenly mixed and crumbly looking.
Use a small melon ball scoop to make the peanut butter balls. Push the peanut butter mixture in there so its nice and compact like brown sugar.
Put onto a plate or in a container and put in the fridge. You can eat them right away but they are really good after they've sat in the fridge for a little while. Enjoy!

You can also use creamy peanut butter, but I'm a crunchy kinda gal. Also you can roll the balls in additional wheat germ for an even crunchier ball.

Greek Quinoa Salad - A nice change from pasta!

This is one of those salads that I make about twice a month to have in my fridge, I've found that I like to have a container full of a side that I can serve with any dinner or in a pintch bring with me for a quick lunch. I'd be lying if I said i didn't steal bites with a spoon here and there when I feel like grazing.

What is Quinoa??

Money saving tip: Buy vegetiable bullion cubes - dont waste your money on veggie broth. It's quick and easy - you can find the cubes at most grocery stores. Buy your Quinoa in bulk. Recipe from about.com

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups vegetable broth
  
• 1 1/2 cups organic quinoa, uncooked
  
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar - bonus points if you use raw, unfilterd and organic!
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• Juice from one lemon  (or the bottle)
  
• 3 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced if desired
  
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  
• 1 red onion, diced
  
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  
• 1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts
  
• 1 Cucumber
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparation:
In a medium-large saucepan, cook the quinoa in vegetable broth for 15-20 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil.

Gently toss the quinoa together with the remaining ingredients, except feta. Pour the olive oil mixture over the quinoa.

Add more salt and pepper to taste and gently stir in the feta cheese.

Who needs a fancy pants Lara Bar anyways??

a

You'll often hear me say "I need something sweet, just a bite" after lunch or dinner, I'm not sure what it is - blood sugar? Love of dessert and sweetness, all of the above? Either way, I've found a way to tame the sweets monster while keeping my jeans from automatically unbuttoning themselves (always a bonus)!


This recipe is SUPER easy. The first time I made it, I followed it to a tee - second time I thought I'd jazz it up a bit with wheat germ and flax - I wouldn't recommend it at all (blah).. Keep it simple and healthy. Recipe comes from It Ain't Meat, Babe blog. 
Cashew Date Bars

• 2/3 cup mashed dates (about 10 - 11 big gooey dates)
  
• 1 cup raw cashew pieces
  
• 1 tsp cinnamon

A food processor is very handy for mashing/chopping up the cashews and the dates. Process them separately or you'll end up with an over-processed gloppy mess.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl using your hands until they turn into a big, slightly sticky blob. 

Line a loaf pan with tinfoil and mash the mixture down flat into the bottom of the pan until it is spread evenly. It will probably be just under an inch thick.

Love of food - it's hereditary...

Amazing Tzatziki!

Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce)

I made this to go with the Falafel (recipe in last post) and it is a MUST have! Don’t even dare to think of making the Falafel without this amazing, perfect, wonderful sauce. Make it with fat free Greek yogurt, Fage is my fav (now comes in a huge container!). You could cut this recipe in half but trust me; you’ll find other uses for it. I made oven baked zucchini fries and the sauce was a perfect touch (another future post).

Comes to us from Georgetta via the Kayln's Kichen Blog . She does low glycemic low carb recipes. 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Greek Yogurt (or regular plain yogurt, strained as described above)
  
• Juice of one lemon (about 3 T)
  
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
  
• 2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced
  
• About 1 T kosher salt for salting cucumbers
  
• 1 T finely chopped fresh dill (can substitute mint leaves for a slightly different version)
  
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Peel cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise and take a small spoon and scrape out seeds. Discard seeds. (If you use the small seedless or European cucumbers with few seeds, you can skip this step.) Slice cucumbers, then put in a colander, sprinkle on 1 T salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out water. Drain well and wipe dry with paper towel.

In food processor with steel blade, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir this mixture into the yogurt. Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend. (This resting time is very important.)

This will keep for a few days or more in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.

Baked Falafel - So Perfect!

I made these this weekend and my non-veg family (Mom and Sister) loved them, my husband ate WAY too many (I doubled the batch to have throughout the week and he cut that down to just one days worth) and my son even gave it a go! This recipe came from Real Food for Real People lots of good stuff there. I highly recommend that you double this batch and eat throughout the week for a quick lunch or dinner - I planned on freezing but didn't get the chance as they were gobbled up quickly!

Serve in a whole-grain pita with leaf lettuce, tomato and plenty of Tzatziki Sauce (recipe to follow).

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic, quartered
  
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or mint
  
• 2 cups chickpeas
  
• 1/2 cup plain coarse bread crumbs
  
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (or jar)
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as red or green Tabasco)
  
• Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
  
• Coconut oil for brushing

Place garlic, cilantro, parsley or mint, chickpeas, and bread crumbs in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to chop and blend ingredients.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon lemon juice over chickpea mixture and pulse a few more times. Sprinkle baking powder, cumin, salt, Tabasco, and black pepper over mixture and pulse until the chickpea mixture reaches a workable paste-like consistency. Add an additional tablespoon of lemon juice if it seems very dry.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. While the oven is getting hot, line a baking pan with foil and brush with olive oil. Using a large tablespoon or just grab some dough, scoop balls of dough into your palms and form them into patties. When you place them on baking sheet, smush down a bit.. I've found that with the smush, you get a nice golden brown result.

Arrange falafel patties on oiled baking sheet and brush them with oil. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 15 to 20 minutes (I do 8 mins, flip and another 8), until the tops are golden brown and crispy. Turn once midway through baking.

Remove from oven and let falafel cool on pan for a minute or two before removing to plates or pitas with a spatula.

Serve in a whole-grain pita with leaf lettuce and plenty of Tzatziki Sauce.
Serves 4

** NOTE: If you're going to make the Tzatziki Sauce, get goin' on it before you start the Falafel, the cucumbers have to drain for a good 30 mins and you "should" chill the sauce before you serve; unless you're a starvin' marvin and can't wait then it's still okay to eat right away.

Props! Goes to this awesome blog - Eat Real; Real Food for Real People
http://realfoodforrealpeople.blogspot.com/2009/02/baked-falafel.html

Do you smell what I'm cookin???

So, I've decided to bite the bullet and post my recipes here, rephrase; post the things I cook here - most of them are not "mine, mine" some of them are, others not - I do mix and match.. make things my own.. substitute out crappy ingredients for healthy ones.

I need one place to put these lovely creations for myself but also for friends and family; now when you ask for the recipe - you'll be directed here! Insert woot woot for me!

Delishiness to follow!