Browsing Category

Sides

GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES/ Sides

Past Posts: Healthy No Fat Pumpkin Bread

This is a past post from the New Nostalgia archives.  I love visiting post from the past, especially seasonal type posts.  It is a great reminder to me of what I love, and what was post worthy!  I will be taking a trip down “past posts” road occasionally in the month of October, as it is a month where we will be out of town the last 2 weeks.  We are going on our very first big family trip where my girls will the fly for the first time and see the ocean for the first time!  More on that in posts to come…for now, enjoy this Healthy No Fat Pumpkin Bread post from the past!
//

I am so very happy to have found this recipe!  I have made it twice in 4 days and may make some more tomorrow…it is THAT good.  It is a vegan recipe, but it would be a keeper even if I were not vegan.  It is a recipe by Happy Herbivore that has been getting lots of attention on twitter, so I am not the only one who loves it.  

Speaking of Happy Herbivore, I own her cookbook and it is one of my favs!

Back to the bread..it was super moist but had a nice crunch on the sides and bottom.  Loved that.  I cut the brown sugar down to 3/4 cup, that was plenty.  I used almond milk.  I loved that there was no fat used, and if you are out of eggs, NO PROBLEM, for there are no eggs in this recipe.  It is amazing how much cheaper a recipe is with no butter and eggs!

Healthy No Fat Pumpkin Bread Recipe–Vegan!

Servings: 12

 The Happy Herbivore Cookbook (p. 52)


Ingredients:

  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 15 ounces pumpkin
  • ¼ tsp lemon juice
  • ¼ cup non-dairy milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease or spray a standard bread pan. Whisk non-dairy milk and lemon juice together until bubbly and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, cream pumpkin, sugar, syrup and extract together. In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin pie spice, flour, baking soda and baking powder together. Pour both wet mixtures into dry mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into bread pan, using a spatula to evenly distribute and smooth out the top. Grab a large piece of aluminum foil and make a tent over the pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once the bread has cooled but is still slightly warm, gently remove it from the pan and on to a serving plate.

9
Healthy Eating/ RECIPES/ Sides

11 Delicious Ways To Eat Squash

Brown Sugar Acorn Squash

How To Peel, Cut & Bake All Types Of Squash

Creamy Acorn Squash Soup

Squash Mac N Cheese

Spaghetti Squash

Squash and Potato Mash

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Chips

Butternut Squash Cake w/ Vanilla Spiced Icing




Squash Butter














HOME/ How-Tos/ RECIPES/ Sides/ Simplifying

How To Roast/Steam Corn On The Cob In The Oven–No Shucking Mess!

how to roast corn in the oven, no shucking mess.
I am tickled about finding this super great trick to roast and steam corn at the same time.  It is now the main way I make corn on the cob.

Why?

Because I DO NOT like the mess of shucking corn.  Not at all.  Blech.

This ‘steam in the husks while in the oven’ way to make corn is by far my favorite way!  It is fool proof, fast, and mess free.  The steaming process makes the stings super limp, so once the corn cools a bit and you husk it, they come right off!  So much better than husking before cooking the corn!

The only prep you have to do is cut off the tassel part of the corn. Be careful not to cut too far down into the corn, as you want the husks to envelop the corn in order to steam it while it roasts.

Place on a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Let sit a few minutes before removing husks and be careful.  There is steam in there.  Cool enough to handle comfortably, husk and enjoy!

Oven Roasted Corn On The Cob
courtesy of Tyler Florence on Food 911

4-6 ears of corn

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut off tassel part of the corn, making sure you do not cut too far down into the corn, as you want the husks to envelop the corn in order to steam it.  Roast for 30 minutes.  Let cool slightly.  Peel down the husks, can use as a handle to eat the corn.

1
RECIPES/ Sides

Delicious Strawberry-Kiwi Spinach Dump Salad

There have been times when I was asked to bring a dish to share at a party, and I am running behind with no time to cook.  What to bring?  Strawberry Kiwi Spinach Dump Salad! 
Grab a large bowl and serving tongs, hit the grocery store on the way to your party, cut up your fruit once you get there, then dump it all in and enjoy!
As you can see in the photo above,  it uses Kashi Asiago Cheese crackers in place of croutons.  They soak up the dressing just enough and because they add a cheese taste, you can skip buying cheese.  This makes the salad much easier on the budget and some stomachs!  After the salad sits for awhile, the crackers get a bit soggy, but I’ve had people say that is the best part!
Strawberry Kiwi Spinach Dump Salad 
(a no recipe, recipe)
1 pkg spinach
slivered almonds
Kashi Asiago Cheese crackers
Kiwi, skinned & chopped
Strawberries, chopped
Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette
Put in a bowl, toss & enjoy!
I recently brought this to a family gathering at my sisters, and it was well received.  My dad was the official grill man of the day.  Why does everything grilled taste better when Dad grills it?

I totally forgot to take a photo of the finished salad, but you can see it back there behind my Fresh Lemon Pasta with Asparagus & Tomatoes.  Feel free to say hi to one of my favorite nephews, whom I promised someday would make the blog.  E–that day has come!  

Brunch/ Healthy Eating/ RECIPES/ Sides

Rainbow Fruit Platter

Whenever I’m asked to bring a dish to a potluck type dinner, I have to make a choice between bringing owey- gooey -chocolaty- naughtiness, or something to show off that a plant based diet can be delicious, too.
Honestly, I often choose the naughty, because a girl can’t be good all the time and lets get real, naughty is fun! A potluck is a great excuse to make something yummy to share with others, all the while keeping it out of my own house as there is never leftovers!
But sometimes, I know there will be plenty of sugar at a gathering and I bring something that I know everyone will enjoy & that is good for the body, too.  I love showing others that eating healthy can be a delicious and beautiful experience, and what better way to do that then with the beauty of a rainbow fruit platter?
Would you look at all those beautiful colors, shapes and textures?  God sure is a great artist.
This platter was a cinch to put together.  All fruit was from Trader Joes.  I loved that they even had kumquats!  I ran to the store the morning of our family potluck, grabbed the rainbow of different fruits, and had my girls help me wash and arrange them onto a large platter.  The cantaloupe and pineapple were already precut.  I rarely pay the extra money for this, but this day convenience was worth the extra pennies!
Everyone “oooed” and “awed” over this platter as I walked in with it.  It was especially so fun to see the excitement of kids!  They love anything bite sized and bright colored.  When I went to grab the platter at the end of the potluck, there were only a few lonely grapes rolling around.  Who knew that fruit would be as popular as chocolate?

2
GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES/ Sides

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

I love it when I find a recipe that after tasting it, I immediately know it will be a recipe that I will be making and enjoying often.  This is one of those recipes.  A staple.

It uses quinoa, a grain (a seed, actually) that is gluten free and high in protein.  Quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids making it a complete protein. The addition of beans in this recipe makes it super healthful and full of protein.  It is a great example of how plant foods can be filling and make a full meal.

Quinoa is super easy to prepare.  It is very much like making rice, 2 parts liquid to one part quinoa.  The only difference is that you need to rinse quinoa to avoid a slight bitter taste.

Quinoa is super mild in flavor, and ends up taking on whatever flavor you add to it, again, much like rice.

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
Yield: 10 servings
1 teaspoon vegetable oil {I used coconut oil}
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa {I used red quinoa}
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro {I skipped this}
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and pepper, and saute until lightly browned.  Mix in the garlic and heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the quinoa, then pour in the vegetable broth.  Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the frozen corn and continue to simmer about 5 more minutes, until heated through.  Remove from the heat and stir in the black beans and cilantro.  Serve warm or cold.

This recipe can be eaten warm, at room temperature, or cold.  It makes the perfect pot luck dish, and a great grain salad to keep in the refrigerator for a quick and filling lunch.

I like to take it to go in a small mason jar, and eat it outside, sitting in the springtime sun while writing.

Try it!  Let me know what you think.

6
RECIPES/ Sides

A Super Easy & Delicious Lunch-Vegetable Masala Rice Medley with Corn-A No Recipe, Recipe

 

When I get tired of big salads for lunch, I search my freezer and can always find some fun convenience foods from Trader Joes.

Even if you don’t live near a Trader Joes, this idea can still work using different convenience foods.

 

These Vegetable Masala burgers from Trader Joes make me very, very happy.  They are Vegan and Soy Free.

They have a great Indian flavor and a bit of a spicy bite, but not too strong.  They do not scream masala.

They are full of chunks of potatoes, corn, carrot and peas.  They remind me of a potato pancake with added spices and vegetables.

I often eat them between pieces of naan bread as a sandwich.

I also love browning them on both sides then crumbling them up to top salads or rice. They come fully cooked, so just heat and serve.

I like for them to have a crunch to them which is why I brown them first.  It takes just minutes.

On this particular day, I had Trader Joes Rice Medley on hand in the freezer.

This is another super great convenience food that I love having around.  This medley is nice and chewy, full of fiber and grains that are so good for you.

My kids love this one because of the chewiness.  Just heat and serve!

If you prefer plain rice, Trader Joes have organic brown rice in packets in the freezer section.  Or, you could just make your own and freeze it!

 

I had some leftover corn in my refrigerator from dinner the night before that I added.  I like the texture and color that it gives.

This may seem like it needs flavor or a sauce, but really it doesn’t.  The Vegetable Masala burgers have enough flavor to make this a very hearty and satisfying lunch.

My kids ate the leftovers as an afternoon snack, they loved it.  They commented on the slight spice, but still gobbled it up!

This Garlic Naan is also from Trader Joes.  I do not eat it often since it is not dairy free, but boy is it GOOD!  They also have plain and whole wheat.

Vegetable Masala Rice Medley with Corn & Naan no recipe, recipe!

Yum!

Save

Top