Cowboy Caviar

This is one of my kids all times favorites. It is really a dip or side dish but my kids ask for it for dinner all the time. I got this recipe from my friend, Risa.

Cowboy Caviar

1 (15 oz ) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
2 large tomatoes, chopped (or 4 roma tomatoes)
1 large avocado, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 red onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped


Dressing:
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
3-4 Tbsp lime juice
3/4 - 1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Mix dressing in separate small bowl and then mix into other ingredients.
2. Cover and chill

Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta

To me there are few things yummier than a creamy tomato sauce. When I found this recipe on ohsheglows.com I was so excited and I wasn't disappointed. This is a great blog if you haven't checked it out before. I have gotten a lot of good recipes from there.

Easy Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

Lightly adapted from Vegan Yum Yum.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz box  uncooked whole grain spaghetti
• 2 large ripe tomato or 4 smaller tomatoes
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 - 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 3-4 tbsp water
• 1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup packed fresh basil, finely chopped ( or several shakes of dried basil)

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Chop tomato and add it to the blender (including skin and seeds). Now add the cashews, water, and tomato paste. Blend until smooth.
2. Add your pasta to boiling water and cook pasta according to package directions.
3. Meanwhile, add olive oil to a large skillet and heat to low. Add the minced garlic and sauté for a few minutes being careful not to burn it.
4. Pour the sauce from the blender into the skillet, stir, and bring to a simmer. Add the salt and let it cook for 4-5 minutes, watching closely. Then add water
5. Remove sauce from heat and stir in the chopped basil and pepper. Add the drained pasta back in the pot and now gradually add pasta sauce until your desired amount is achieved. Stir and serve immediately.

* I have doubled her original recipe. Find hers here.
** It may seem like a lot of salt but believe me - without it, it will not taste all that spectacular.

*** This is SOOOOOOO good!!!

Roasted Sweet Potato Corn Soup

My friend linked this recipe on her facebook wall and I thought I would try it. I am glad I did because it has become one of our favorite soup recipes ever!!

Roasted Sweet Potato and Corn Soup

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• salt and pepper to taste

 

• 1 (12 ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 1/2 cups finely diced celery
• 1 cup diced red onion 
• 1/4 cup shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 potato, peeled and cubed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place the sweet potatoes into a 9x13 inch baking dish, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to coat the sweet potatoes in oil.
2. Roast in the preheated oven until the sweet potatoes are golden and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally as they cook so the sweet potatoes cook evenly.
3. Meanwhile, measure out 1 cup of corn kernels and set aside. Place the remaining corn into a blender, and puree with the water until smooth; set aside.
4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the celery, onion, and shallot. Cook and stir until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and dried thyme leaves; cook 1 minute more. Pour in the vegetable broth, corn puree, bay leaf, salt, and cubed potato. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potato is tender, 25 to 35 minutes.
5. Once the potato is tender, remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the whole corn kernels, sweet potato, and chopped parsley. Return to a simmer and season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

* In this pic I served the soup over Quinoa just to fill ourelves up more but the second time I made it we just ate it like a soup with some garlic bread.

** I have made this with the red onion and then another time with yellow onion and I think the red onion tastes better.

*** You will probably want to double this recipe.

*** This was a winner with the entire family, even baby G.

Short on time?? - 5 minute dinner

Are you short on time? Apparently I am because I cannot seem to blog for 2 weeks. Oh well. I cannot tell you how many times I have eaten this dish in the last few weeks. I mean it is such a ridiculously easy recipe that I feel silly putting it on here but maybe it will help someone.

Cous Cous with Beans

1 cup whole wheat cous cous
1- 2 cans beans ( I like black beans and/or pinto)
Favorite salsa

Boil 1 cup of water with a dash of salt. When the water boils take it off the heat and stir in the couscous. Let couscous sit for 5 minutes. While cous cous is sitting open up the can of beans and drain  and rinse them. You can heat up the beans in the microwave if you want.

In individual bowls mix together couscous, beans and some of your favorite salsa. You can top with shredded cheese if you want.

* I have been eating this as a quick lunch and I have even made it for dinner a few times with little complaining. It seriously takes 5 minutes.

** My favorite salsa is this one from Costco.

Weigh in - Constant Vigilance!!! and Roasted Cauliflower with couscous

So in the last 2 weeks I have lost another 2.5 lbs. I have officially reached my goal weight. YAY!!! But now I want to lose more. And I want to start being able to weight lift because I need to get toned. I have been really consistent with my exercise in the last few weeks but I worry about adding weights back in for fear of hurting my back. Oh well, we'll see how I feel in the next month or so...


Are you getting tired of hearing about my struggles to lose weight. I think listening to other people talk about this sometimes can be really tiresome. So please let me know if I am GETTING ON YOUR NERVES!!


One more thought about weight. I have finally accepted that I just have to be really strict with myself to be at the weight I want. Sometimes I see other people eating yummy junk food and I get jealous that they can eat that stuff and not get fat. But I can't. That's just the way my body is and there is really no point in boo hooing about it. In reality I don't want all that junk food because although it tastes good it is not good for me and I have to remind myself I really am not missing anything. So to channel Mad Eye Moody, CONSTANT VIGILANCE is basically what is required of me and so be it. ( Yes, now you know I am a Harry Potter geek)

Roasted Cauliflower with Cous Cous

Adapted from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe

Marinade:
juice from two limes or lemons
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Veggies:
1 head cauliflower, chopped into large florets
2 zucchini or yellow squash, cut in 1/2 inch slices
1 red onion, cut 1/2 inch slices

Brush marinade generously onto veggies. Roast in oven at about 400 degrees in a 9X13 pan for about 15 -20 minutes, or until cauliflower is the softness you like.

Serve over couscous. You can drizzle more marinade after you dish it up and top with parsley.

** I really love this one. I really like cooked cauliflower. My kids just tolerate this one.

Mejaddarah - Lentils and Rice

This dish was my first experience with Arabic food and it made me fall in love with lentils. This is a very easy but delicious dish. To be authentic you would serve this with some yogurt or salad. We eat it with salad.

Mejaddarah

2 cups lentils
1 large onion chopped
2 onions crescent sliced
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup olive oil or refined coconut oil
2 cups brown rice
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2- 3 cloves garlic minced

Boil lentils in water to cover for 90 minutes or until tender. Fry chopped onion and garlic in oil until soft. Add to cooked lentils and season to taste with salt and pepper, and cumin.

Add the rice and about 3 cups of water and mix in with lentils. Bring to a boil and then simmer with lid on until rice is soft and liquid is absorbed. Add a little more boiling water if needed.

Fry the sliced onion in 2 tbsp of oil until they are brown - low heat. Put sliced onions on top when serving.

* I use coconut oil because it doesn't become carcinogenic when you heat it.
** You do need quite a bit of salt, preferably sea salt.
*** My kids scarf this up.

The Blahs and a Yummy Lentil Soup

I kind of have the blahs. Do you ever get like that? I will be going along great, feeling really motivated and positive and then something will happen and I will just feel blah. Right now I don't feel super motivated to eat healthy or exercise. Last week I got sick for a few days and it really threw off my stride. I couldn't cook and we ordered take out (Thai food!)

We went on a mini vacation last weekend and without fail I always eat poorly when we do that. It doesn't help that we vacationed in a very small town with very few healthy eating options. Sometimes when I start to eat poorly I get all discouraged and I think "Well, what is the point in trying now? I should just keep eating crud! That will show them!" ( I am not really sure who "them" is in this scenario - Obviously not the most rational thinking!)

Some scenes from our trip...

The girls in the Nauvoo Visitor's Center

E with the rope she helped make

A waiting for her cookie at the old fashioned bakery

A tired Baby G

Baby G showing off her new trick. "I can stand!!"

 

I didn't even step on a scale last week. I am too afraid to. One of my commenters said that our bodies need to hit plateaus in our weight loss and that it is actually a healthier way of losing weight. I don't know if that is true but it really made me feel better!!

Anyhow, just writing this has made me feel better. Thanks for listening to me ramble. Or maybe you didn't listen. Maybe you were like, "blah, blah, blah! get to the recipe already!" Well, for you impatient ones here you go...


Is it still cold enough for soup? Not here but maybe where you are! Here is one of the staples in our home. I got this recipe from a Palestinian cookbook that we got as a wedding present.

Yummy Lentil Soup

1-2 tbsp coconut oil or butter
1 large onion, chopped
2-4 carrots, chopped
2- 4 stalks celery, chopped
1 1/2 cups lentils
3 cups water
4 cups veggie broth
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp cumin

Heat oil or butter over medium heat and then add onion, carrots, and celery. Saute for 5 minutes or so. Then add in lentils, water and broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and cook for an hour or until lentils are soft. (Don't add salt until after lentils are cooked or they will take longer to cook.)

Add juice of 1 lemon, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Then puree the soup in a blender.

** Okay so this soup is not the loveliest color. But it is very good. My girls love it.

Meatless Monday - Vegan Lasagna and Weigh in Update

I got this amazing lasagna recipe from Liz. She is the one I got the "not" mac n cheese from so I was pretty sure this would be good. I made it last week when we had my friend over for dinner. She was a good sport about being my guinea pig. This is not a quick recipe and dinner was late but it was oh so worth it.

The original recipe calls for pine nuts in the "ricotta cheese"  recipe but I didn't have any so I used cashews. It was still so good.

Go here for the recipe.

** This was seriously so good. We all had several helpings and my husband and I keep talking about it.

* If you don't want to taste the coconut oil at all, use refined coconut oil. It is not as healthy but it is still better than most other oils.

WEIGHT LOSS

Now as far as my weight loss update. No news is good news. Right? So I weighed in exactly the same weight as last week. Oh well. At least I didn't gain. In trying to figure out why I didn't lose last week I came up with 3 possibilities. It is probably due to all three.

1. It was my birthday week and I indulged a bit. Especially on the car ride up to Minneapolis. I mean there is something about car trips that make me constantly stuff my face with junk food. Am I the only one?

2. I didn't exercise that much last week. I am finding it hard to fit in my exercise but that is a post for another day.

3. I didn't keep track of what I was eating. I think this is key. Keeping track of what I am eating is key to my weight loss I think. It helps me be more aware of changes I need to make earlier in my week.

Meatless Monday: Vegan "Not" Mac N Cheese and Scenes from a birthday dinner

A few weeks ago I made this for dinner. The girls were playing outside and I told them I was making mac n cheese. They came in a little later with their cheeks all pink from the cold air and they were ready for some warm cheesy mac n cheese. When they tried it, they started to complain right away. "Mom, this is NOT mac n cheese!!" "Mom, when you said you were making mac n cheese I thought you were making the stuff in the box!!" Needless to say it was not a success. But my husband and I loved it so I thought I would give it another chance at a later time.

Flash forward to my birthday dinner last week. This time I did not call it mac n cheese. I just called it pasta. And I used spaghetti noodle instead of macaroni. The result: The girls scarfed it down and even had seconds. Here is a little dialogue from the dinner:

Me: Girls, how do you like the dinner?
Girls: It's delicious!
Me: You know I made this same thing for you before and you said it was gross and you wouldn't eat it.
Girls: What? You never made this before!!

The moral of the story: It's all about presentation. This really is sooooo delicious and there is no cheese in it. The ingredients might seems a bit weird, but trust me, it is awesome.

I got this recipe from Liz at Flay Rah. I made a few changes. Here is my version:

Vegan "Not" Macaroni & Cheese

What You Need:

Pasta:
water
pinch of sea salt
16 ounces whole grain macaroni or pasta of any shape

“Cheese” Sauce:
2 shallot, peeled and chopped
2cup red potatoes (1 to 1.5 medium potatoes), peeled and chopped
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and chopped

2 clove garlic, minced
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup raw cashews (or tahini) ( I used cashews)
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 cup coconut oil

2 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

What You Do:

Cover the shallots, potatoes, carrots, garlic with water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.

While the vegetables are simmering, bring the water and salt to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta (do not rinse) and set aside with the lid on to keep pasta warm.

Process the cashews, salt, garlic, coconut oil, mustard, lemon juice and black pepper in a blender or food processor with 1 cup almond milk. Drain water from softened vegetables and add to blender, process until perfectly smooth .

In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta and blended cheese sauce until completely coated. Serve immediately.

** So good.

**This is also really good as leftovers, cold straight from the fridge.

Here are some scenes from the b-day dinner:

"Not" Mac n Cheese with a vinaigrette salad

My Dining table has become my homeschool desk and kind of the dumping place for everything else so...

We crowded around the small kitchen table and watched a NCAA basketball game.

** This is proof of what a great wife I am. I made my own b-day dinner and I let my husband watch a b-ball game. If you know me personally, you know how much I LOVE watching sports!!

Meatless Wednesday? Barley Risotto and another way to eat falafel

Last night there was a tornado that touched down about 25 miles from here and it was possibly heading our way. Of course this was right at dinner time. So I turned off the stove and the fam headed down to our basement. We spent almost 2 hours down there and it was SO fun, I tell you. Now some of my real fancy friends were probably living it up down in their finished basements but we were hunkered down amongst our boxes in what were lovingly refer to as "the dungeon." As tornado season approaches we decide after last night that we need to create a tornado retreat down there with some seating, treats, and entertainment.

Anyhow, we all survived and then we headed up to eat a new recipe I tried with millet, white beans, and cauliflower. It was not a big hit. So it was basically a great end to a fun filled night.

Anyhow, I missed my meatless Monday post so here is a recipe for a meatless Wednesday. You can do meatless more than one day a week, you know!! I go this recipe from ohsheglows.com.

Easy Creamy Tomato Barley Risotto

Here is the risotto with a side of steamed broccoli and a salad with the vegan ranch dressing.

Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum Cookbook.
Yield: ~2 cups
Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry pot barley
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1.5 cups canned pureed/diced tomatoes (15 oz can)
• 1 cup almond milk (or other milk)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (provides the cheesy/creamy taste)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt, to taste

Directions: Rinse pot barley in a strainer and place into medium sized pot that has a lid. Add olive oil, basil, and oregano and stir well until barley is coated with oil. Turn heat to medium until barley begins to sizzle.
Once the barley sizzles, add in the minced garlic and reduce heat to low-medium. Cook for 1 minute and then add in the tomatoes, milk, water, nutritional yeast,  and salt. Stir well and bring to a gentle boil and then cover and reduce heat to low.

Cook, covered (with a bit of air escaping) for 30-35 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, being careful not to burn the barley on the bottom of the pot.

The mixture should be creamy, but not soupy, and the barley will be very chewy and not mushy. Serve immediately. Serves 4 side dishes and makes 2 cups worth.

** This recipe originally called for miso, which I don't have so I just added a bit more salt. Start low on salt and then add more if it needs it.

** The kids did not love this but it was something different and my husband and I enjoyed it. But it is pretty rich to me. I could not eat a tone of it.

Here is another fun way to eat falafel... on a salad. I just dropped falafel on a bed of romaine lettuce with cucumbers, tomatoes, some drops of hummus, and then drizzled it with tahini dressing. It was yummy!!

** Check out this commercial. Doesn't it make you want a Big Mac??

Meatless Monday: Why I Am a mostly vegetarian - Meatless Taco Salad

I became an "at home vegetarian" about 2 years ago. For almost the past 20 years of my life I have been learning about nutrition and trying to figure out the best way to eat in order to be the healthiest possible. 2 years ago I returned to studying one of the commandments of my church, the Word of Wisdom. The Word of Wisdom is God's law of health and it tells us to avoid harmful substances like coffee, tea, tobacco, alcohol, and narcotics. It also tells us to eat lots of fruits, vegetables, grains and to eat meat sparingly.  I thought I was already doing okay in the eating meat sparingly department but as I did more research and more self reflection I realized that my idea of "sparingly" perhaps was still too much.


We have lost close family members to cancer and if you start to do your research you will see that eating a lot of meat increases your risk of cancer. With this family history I feel like I need to be even more careful about what my family eats. As I have done this research I am convinced that the revelation to eat meat sparingly was truly inspired.  


Now, I know some times the idea of giving up meat can be an overwhelming and emotional idea. But what about this idea of "Meatless Mondays?" I think that could be a good start  and then from there you could continue to decrease the amount of meat your family eats. Do you need to be a complete vegetarian or an "at home vegetarian"? Maybe not. I am a true believer in you being able to be the expert on what your family needs. I think you do your research, if you are religious - pray and if not, trust your intuition because I think you can figure out what is best for you.


For the first 8 years of our marriage my husband would often say that he didn't get full unless there was some kind of meat in the meal. I was worried about that when I wanted to go "veg" but now my husband thanks me all the time for making this change for our family. So it is possible. I swear.


Meatless Taco Salad - no taco required

* This is how we do Mexican at our house. I pile all this on a bed of romaine lettuce:
Mexican rice, beans, sauteed peppers and onions, fresh tomatoes, salsa, guacamole ( my family crumbles tortilla chips on top).

Mexican Rice (original recipe from my awesome sis, Jen)
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 medium chopped onion
1 1/2 cups  brown rice
2 1/2cups vegetable broth
1 cup salsa


Sauté the onion in the oil in a saucepan for about 5 minutes on low heat. Add the rice and stir until slightly browned. Add the broth and the salsa. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for about an hour, check after 40 minutes.

Beans
2 - 4 cans of beans with liquid (I usually do a mixture of pinto and black)
2-4 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp cumin
3 tsp onion powder
3 tsp garlic salt


Stir all into a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour or more. (You could stick these in a crock pot in the morning and have them cook all day.)


Guacamole
1 Roma tomato diced small (I use my food processor)
1 clove minced garlic
2 avocado
1tbsp lime juice
salt to taste


Hand mash the avocados and then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Super easy and yummy

Burgers and Fries - a healthy version

This  past weekend my family and I went to the mall to do some shopping. We ended up eating at the food court which is always kind of a gross experience. My kids ate Chick fil-a, I had tuna sub from Subway and my husband had a Philly cheese steak sub. We all indulged in Wendy's new "Natural cut fries with sea salt."

See, we are not perfect at healthy eating. Eating out, especially when you want fast food is hard. And to be perfectly honest some times I just feel like eating bad food. I am still trying to get over my tendency towards emotional eating and overcome our addictions to bad, processed foods. It is a journey and a long one. 

So when we are at home and we get a craving for some "junk food" I make this version of burgers and fries that really are even better tasting than what you can get at a fast food place with none of the guilt.

The burgers are these veggie patties we get at Costco.

Bake them up in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.
Serve on whole wheat bread, buns, or skinny buns.
Serve with ketchup, mustard, whatever
Add lettuce, tomato, sprouts, avocado, whatever sounds good. To me the avocado is really what takes this burger from good to great.

The Fries come from a recipe I got from my sister, Jen. I changed it a bit. To see her original recipe click here.

A lot of times we will eat this all with a salad or a green smoothie.

What up Wednesday - Back issues and an easy Vegetarian Chili

I have been thinking that a blog purely of recipes may not be the most interesting or most helpful. I still plan on doing a TON of recipes but I thought I would also talk about health in general and the stuff going on in our family.

Lately we have been dealing with a major health issue - my back. I have had a herniated disc for about 6 years and during that time I would have periods where the problem would flare up and really cause me a lot of pain. Sometimes it would be so bad I could do nothing more than lay on the couch and make trips to the bathroom. Of course it is really hard to be the mom when you have this sort of thing going on.

E and A are super surprised and excited that Dad has inexplicably filled

their stockings with high fructose corn syrup and refined sugars!

The latest episode started the week before Christmas (It was a great Christmas!!) and I am still recovering. My doctor thinks my disc is only part of the problem. I also am having issues with my hips and pelvis being all out of place from being pregnant. It has been a long, frustrating recovery.

A finishes up her huge lolli

For years I have not been very good at doing my back strengthening exercises. I would exercise but I wouldn't take the time to do the stretches and exercises I had learned at physical therapy. And I think I am paying for that neglect. It just makes me think why don't we do the things that we know will help us be healthier and happier? I mean I know the reasons: time, motivation, etc... But when will my health take the priority that it needs to be in my life?

This is what sugar overload looks like.

With this last episode I have made myself the promise that I will do my exercises every day. I have made that promise before, hopefully this time I will keep it.

"So, this is Christmas?? - G luckily escapes all the sugar

Well, here is the chili we had for dinner last night. This is a super easy recipe. You just open up a bunch of cans, oh and cut up an onion and add spices but that is it!

Vegetarian Chili

3 cans beans with liquid ( I usually use a combination of kidney, pinto, and black)
2 cups water
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 diced yellow onion
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
3 bay leaves
3/4 tsp sea salt

optional: 1 diced green pepper
4 stalks diced celery
1 cup barley

In a large pot bring stir all ingredients together and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to simmer, put on lid and let cook for about 1 hour. If you are putting in barley add it the last 10 minutes.

** This is an old stand by at our house. My kids eat it with shredded cheese and crushed up tortilla chips. I eat it without cheese and it is still good!



Do you like Indian Food? - Vegan Korma

The first time I ever ate Indian food I had this really bad experience which involved stomach cramps and running for the bathroom. But through the years I always wanted to give Indian food another chance. A few months ago we went out to an Indian restaurant with some friends and I had another disappointing experience. I had a hard time finding a vegan dish that looked appealing. The dish I ended up ordering was so spicy I couldn't eat it. When it comes to spicy I am a bit of a wimp. My husband, on the other hand, got a really delicious creamy dish and I was feeling very jealous.

Since then my husband has been begging me to learn how to make Korma for him. I found this vegan version on the Post Punk Kitchen blog. I changed it quite a bit, making it not so spicy. If you want to see the original version go here.

Here is what I did:

For the cream:
2 cups raw cashew pieces (plus water for soaking)
2 cups vegetable broth

Veggies to boil:
1 pound red potatoes (1 1/2 inch chunks)
1 head cauliflower in large florettes (don’t cut em too small or they will fall apart)
1 lb carrots, sliced on a bias 1/2 inch thick

Puree:
1 medium sized yellow onions
1 inch nub of ginger
4 cloves garlic
Everything else:
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 tablespoon coriander, crushed
1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
Fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon tamarind concentrate (see note)
1 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
First, soak the cashews. This will get them really soft and make them easier to blend really smooth. Place them in a bowl and submerge in water. Set aside for at least an hour. In the meantime prep everything.

Boil the veggies. Place them in a big pot and cover them in cold water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer (so you don’t overcook the veggies), for about 15 minutes. Potatoes should be fork tender. Drain and set aside.

Next, puree the onion, ginger and garlic. It shouldn’t be completely smooth, some texture is good.

Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Cook the puree in the peanut oil with a sprinkle of salt for about 15 to 20 minutes, until it’s nice and browned.

This is a good time to puree the cashews. Drain them and place them in a blender along with 2 cups vegetable broth. Puree until smooth. This can take up to 5 minutes to get it as smooth as possible.

Back to the puree. Once it’s browned, add the coriander  and saute for about 3 minutes. Add curry powder, garam masala, several dashes fresh black pepper and salt and saute for another minute.

Transfer to the pot you cooked the veggies in. Add tamarind, tomato paste and vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Now add the coconut milk and the cashew cream. Let cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, it should thicken a little and be really creamy.

 Now fold in the boiled veggies, put the lid on the pot and let it heat through. Taste for salt and seasoning and serve garnished with cilantro if you like.

** I'm not gonna lie to you this took a bit of time. I also had to find an Indian market to buy garam masala and tamarind paste. But all the effort was oh so worth it. So creamy and good.

** This makes a lot of food. We served it over brown rice and for leftovers I ate it over whole wheat couscous.

Do you have to give up creamy dishes when you go vegan? N0! - Creamy Avocado Pasta

Sometimes I just miss creamy dishes and so lately I have been on the hunt for creamy vegan dishes.

I got this recipe from OhSheglows.com . It is super fast and easy. Here it is with my adjustments.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted
• 1/2 lemon, juiced + lemon zest to garnish ( I didn't have lemon zest and I just used bottled lemon juice)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, to taste (I used 3 and it was quite garlicky, but if you are not a big fan of garlic use 1 clove)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
• ~1/4 cup Fresh Basil, ( I used a couple shakes of dried basil)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 servings/6 oz of your choice of pasta
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in your pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Now add in the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy.
3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in a strainer and place pasta into a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until fully combined. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

** I doubled this recipe.

** This doesn't reheat very well. But I loved it the next day cold.

** My kids didn't love this but it was a big hit with me and the husband. This was so creamy and yummy. It was a nice change from all the tomato sauce we have been eating.

Moroccan Chickpea and Potato Soup

 

 

I got this recipe from Nourishingmeals.com but I like it a little better as a stew, not so much liquid and the we serve it over whole wheat couscous. 

 

Moroccan Chickpea and Potato Soup

 

2 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

pinch or two of sea salt

6 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 to 5 large carrots, chopped (3 to4 cups)

4 to 5 yukon gold potatoes, diced large (4 to 5 cups)

8 cups water or bean cooking liquid (reduce this to 4 cups water if you want more of a stew.)

3 to 4 cups cooked chickpeas

1/2 cup tomato paste (one 7-ounce jar)

2 to 3 teaspoons Herbamare or sea salt

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

1 cup chopped parsley

Heat a 6 to 8-quart pot over medium heat. Add olive oil then onions and a few pinches of salt and saute for 5 to 10 minutes or until very soft. Add garlic, spices, carrots, and potatoes and saute for a few minutes more.

Then add water (or bean cooking liquid or a combo of both), cooked chickpeas, tomato paste, and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 to 60 minutes.

Once veggies are very tender, remove from heat and add lemon juice and parsley. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve and enjoy the flavors! Source: http://www.nourishingmeals.com/

 

** The kids don't love this one so much but my husband and I love it. Like I said we serve this over whole wheat cous cous which can be hard to find. My health store doesn't even carry it. Your's might. I get mine at Trader Joe's.

 

** I use red potatoes.

Fast Dinner - Pita Pizzas and Cauliflower soup

Sometimes Dinner just needs to be fast. This soup takes 30 minutes to cook but the prep time is super fast. You can use this same recipe for either a head of cauliflower or a head of broccoli.

Cauliflower Soup

1 head of cauliflower, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
3 cups vegetable broth

1. Put everything thing in a large pot and bring to boil
2. Reduce to low and simmer for about 30min.
3. Puree everything in a blender
4. Season with salt and pepper, if needed

** For the broth I use a powdered broth made by Rapunzel. I add 3 teaspoon to 3 cups of water.

** If you aren't worried about making this vegetarian you can use chicken broth.

** This soup is really tasty and simple. My kids love it, even the baby. But it doesn't keep great as leftovers so eat it right away.




Pita Pizzas are even quicker. We start off with store bought whole wheat pitas. You can find these at most stores. If you are really ambitious (I'm not) you can make your own homemade pitas. My sister has a great recipe for those here. We use store bought spaghetti sauce as well. This Ragu below is great because it has no added sugar. Again if you are ambitious (I'm not). You can make your own sauce).

Pita Pizza Recipe


1. Lay out whole wheat pitas on cookie sheet.
2. Spread sauce on.
3. For dairy eaters sprinkle with shredded cheese of choice. We get a Tilamook Medium Cheddar baby loaf from Costco.
4. For non-dairy eaters pile on the veggies. My favorites are mushrooms, artichokes, red, yellow, or orange peppers, onions, and tomatoes.
5. Brush veggies with extra virgin olive oil
6. Sprinkle veggies with salt, pepper and basil
7. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes
8. Then take out the cheese ones
9. For the veggie pizzas switch the oven to broil and watch them so they don't burn.

** We usually eat these at least once a week. I usually toss up a salad to go with it.