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GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES/ Sides

Cream Of Broccoli Soup-No Dairy!

I don’t eat much dairy anymore, so I had been on a search for a dairy-free, creamy, broccoli soup.  My sister-in-law also eats a plant based diet, and at a family gathering she brought the most amazing soup recipe.  It was creamy and had layers of flavor, and I really couldn’t believe it was dairy free!  When she shared the recipe with me, I saw that from Forks Over Knives Cookbook, which made me smile, as it was a recipe that had caught my eye and I had even marked the page of my Forks Over Knives cookbook.

This soup recipe starts like most of my other soup recipes, with chopped onion, celery and carrot.  This mix from Trader Joes is reasonably priced and very convenient.  I felt a little lazy and not in the mood for chopping, so I grabbed it.
Such pretty little layers!

 

Look how healthful these ingredients are!  Bet you can’t guess what makes the soup creamy!

 

The bag of cashews became this creamy base thanks to my food processor.  What a great trick for non-dairy eaters!

 

This recipe does take some chopping.  I didn’t get to be lazy after all.  My sister-in-law used frozen chopped broccoli in hers and honestly, I could not tell the difference.

 

I get way too excited seeing photos full of plant color.  I get even more excited knowing I can get them into my body in the form of a delicious soup!  The recipe calls for potatoes, I didn’t have any, so I used sweet potatoes instead.  It slightly changed the color of our soup, but really added a nice flavor.

 

Cooking down the veggies.

 

Adding the cashews

 

Mix and cook down.

 

Puree using a hand held blender.  I have this one by Cuisinart and I love it.

 

A hand held blender makes pureeing soups so easy and is much safer than trying to transfer hot soup to a blender!  I love mine and use it all the time.

 

Delicious, creamy, full of flavor (Non-) Cream Of Broccoli Soup!
Cream Of Broccoli Soup
 
6 cups vegetable stock or bouillon
1 rounded cup raw cashews
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium unpeeled potatoes, cubed
1 large head broccoli, including stem, chopped (about 4 Cups if you use frozen broccoli & stems)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Puree 1 cup of the vegetable stock with the cashews in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

2. In a large pot, cook the onion, celery, and carrot over medium heat in 1 cup of the vegetable stock for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bell pepper, and potatoes and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the remaining 4 cups of vegetable stock and the broccoli, thyme, salt, and black pepper.  Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer until the broccoli and potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the cashew mixture to the soup and stir until mixed. Remove the pot from heat and puree about half the soup, in small batches, until smooth. Return pureed soup to the pot and reheat, stirring well. Serve. 

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Have you seen Forks Over Knives yet?  It is a great film, one that really changed my views on food.  Below is the trailer.  I believe it is on Netflicks, or you can buy the DVD here.

 

RECIPES/ Sides

Fresh Lemon Pasta Salad With Asparagus & Tomatoes

Easter Sunday was a beautiful, meaningful, relaxing and delicious day for us.  After a great church service, we went to my in-laws, and the food was wonderful!

I had to take a picture of my plate, I thought it was one of the prettiest plates of food that I have seen in awhile.  Look at all those colors!  I skipped out on the ham, but sure was not missing it due to all the wonderful food we had.

We have a large family so my mom-in-law does much of the cooking, and then we all bring a side dish or dessert to share.

I brought Fresh Lemon Pasta Salad With Asparagus & Tomatoes.  I had seen it on Pinterest, and it sounded so light, fresh and delish!  That is exactly what it was.  Very simple, very fresh, very light.  I made it Sunday morning while getting ready for church, yes, it was that easy.  I loved that it can be served warm, cold, or room temperature.

Fresh Lemon Pasta Salad With Asparagus & Tomatoes

12 oz. pasta (I used whole wheat spaghetti, the original recipe calls for Orzo pasta)
1 bunch fresh asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lemon, zested and juiced
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
Salt & Pepper
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano (leave out to keep it vegan)

Bring 2 large pots of water to boil.  Add a big pinch of salt in each.

To one pot, add asparagus and blanch, about 2-3 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus.  Place blanched asparagus in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and keep them green.

To the second pot, add the pasta.  Cook per package instructions.  When tender, drain and place in a large bowl.  Add blanched asparagus and tomato halves.

Mix olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Stir into pasta and vegetables.  Stir in parsley and grated Parmigiano Reggiano, if using.

This can be served warm, room temperature or cold.

RECIPES/ Sides

Baked Vegetable Egg Rolls

I found this recipe at Pinterest, it comes from For The Love Of Cooking .  I made these in the afternoon when my kids came home from school, as an afternoon snack.

They were a bit skeptical when I told them I was making vegetable egg rolls instead of chicken, but they smelled so good that my kids kept coming in the kitchen, asking if they were done yet and eager to try them.

Needless to say, they devoured the egg rolls and asked “when will you make more, Mom?” We had little neighbor friends over, and they too loved them.  I also sent some over to my adult neighbor and got a “thank you these are awesome” text in return.  This recipe is a keeper, one that I will make often.

Filling ingredients: shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and ginger.

 This recipe would be a snap if you bought pre-shredded cabbage and carrots.  It was still very easy to shred and grate it myself, it took just minutes.

Vegetables sauteed with a bit of soy sauce.  The fresh ginger and green onion along with the soy sauce smelled SO good.

About 2 Tablespoons of filling per egg roll.

Fold like an envelope.

Then roll.

Use a dab of water to “glue” the end.

Spray pan with oil.  Then spray tops of egg rolls.  This is the key to getting crunch when baking, and fooling your kids (and yourself!) into thinking they are fried.

I love to serve these with a sweet chili sauce.  It comes already prepared, I buy mine from Trader Joes.

Baked Vegetable Egg Rolls 

{adapted from the recipe at For The Love Of Cooking}

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cups savoy cabbage, chopped

2 cups shredded carrots

1 can water chestnuts, chopped

2 tablespoons green onions, sliced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon corn starch

1/4 cup water

14 egg roll wraps

Sweet chili dipping sauce or sweet and sour sauce (for dipping)

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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Once hot add the cabbage, carrots, chestnuts and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes.  The vegetables will just begin to wilt but still remain a little bit crisp.  Mix the cornstarch with the water and mix thoroughly.  Add the corn starch mixture and soy sauce to the pan along with the green onions.  Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens.  Remove from heat and let cool a bit.

Place two tablespoons of the cooled mixture on the center of the egg roll wrap.  Fold bottom up over the filling.  Next, fold the two sides over, making it look like an envelope, then roll it up like a burrito.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Place the rolled up egg rolls on a baking sheet.  Once you have rolled them all, spray the top of each egg roll with cooking spray.

Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes then turn them over.  Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.  Serve with sweet chili sauce or sweet and sour sauce.  Enjoy!

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*these are vegetarian, but not vegan, as there are eggs in the egg roll.  I may try using spring roll wrappers next time.

Misto Gourmet Olive Oil Sprayer, Brushed Aluminum

 

* I don’t like to use aerosol cooking sprays due to the propellant in them.  I have a handy little pump oil sprayer that I use, like the one above.

*the original recipe called for 2 cups of bean sprouts.  I left them out thinking they may freak my kids out.  They make the rolls a little more “plump” if you add them.  The rest of the recipe stays the same.

Brunch/ RECIPES/ Sides

Anytime Chia Pudding

This chia pudding is really a great little snack that is full of fiber and protein.  If you have tried my Breakfast Chia Oats, you will know what to expect with these.  This pudding uses the same ingredients, but instead of soaking overnight, you put all in the blender, which makes it ready to eat anytime! No waiting!  It is a smoother version of No Cook Breakfast Chia Oats.
We eat this blended pudding version of chia oats as an after school snack.  My youngest girl BEGS me to make this, especially if she has a soccer game.  Chia has been named the ancient “runner’s food” and I think she took this idea to heart and craves them before big games.
Simple, wholesome ingredients, and takes only minutes to throw together.
Banana, your choice of milk, oats, chia, vanilla.
{not pictured-peanut butter & maple syrup}
 
Chia seeds and I are becoming fast friends.  Why?
 
~the are jammed packed with plant protein and minerals, healthy fats and fiber
~they provide more plant based Omega 3’s than any other food, even FLAX
~they have 5 GRAMS of fiber PER TABLESPOON!
~they are flavorless and partially dissolve in juice, soups, stews, shakes etc..
~they are FILLING!
 

 

Anytime Chia Pudding
1 banana (I like to use a frozen one)
1/3 cup regular oats
2/3 cup almond milk (or regular, soy or coconut milk) 
2 Tbls Chia seeds
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbls peanut butter or almond butter
2 Tbls maple syrup, honey or agave nectar (if more sweetness is needed)
 
Put all in blender.  Blend until smooth.  There will be some slight texture from the chia seeds and oats.  For a smoother texture, let mixture sit for a few minutes, then blend again.
Enjoy!

 

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This nutritional information below includes:
 1/3 cup oats, 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 tablespoons chia seeds, and 1 small banana.

 

If you add 2 Tbls peanut butter it brings the total to
 13 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein!!
Not bad for a snack. 🙂
*On days I need a big protein boost, I will add a scoop of protein powder and some extra liquid.
RECIPES/ Sides

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins With Homemade Coconut Butter




~this is a guest post from Sheena @ The Little Red House


Coconut Butter. 

I had never heard of such a thing until I stumbled upon this easy how-to.

And that, my friends, is why I sometimes really love the internet.
I always think about housewives back in “the day” and wonder what they did without new recipes at their finger tips every day.

I love trying new things, I love coconut, and who DOESN’T love anything with “butter” in the title, so I just had to whip this up.
All you need….
is….
drumroll……
COCONUT. 


That’s it.

Unsweetened shredded coconut, which you can find in the bulk section of health food stores.
You can use any amount you like–for this I used 2 cups.

Dump it into your food processor
and go and go and go. 
Every few minutes you’ll want to stop and scrape down the sides. 
After about 10 minutes you’ll have silky smooth coconut butter!

coconutbutter
Coconut butter sets up quickly and is solid at room temperature.
It can be flaked off easily, or microwaved for just a few seconds for the perfect drizzle.

And what better to drizzle it on, than muffins.

I don’t make a lot of muffins…..
you see, when I think about muffins, they remind me of cupcakes, and I would much rather make cupcakes than muffins–wouldn’t you? So I usually get distracted while thinking about cupcakes and forget I ever wanted to make muffins.
That was a long explanation, but it is all very true.

But these muffins are a great little snack, and one hundred times better for you
than a cupcake at snack time.
They are lightly sweetened with maple syrup, and nice and filling with whole wheat flour and oats.

bananaoat muffins2 copy
Whole Wheat Banana and Oat Muffins
makes 12 muffins

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2c pure maple syrup
2 eggs
4 very ripe bananas
3/4c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2c whole wheat flour
1c whole oats (not instant)
1/4 c ground flax seed

1/4 almond meal (you can make your own after you make your almond milk)

1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
in separate bowl mix together flour, oats, flax, almond meal, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.
mix coconut oil and maple syrup on high speed for a few minutes.
add eggs, one at a time until mixed in.
add vanilla, bananas, and buttermilk until well mixed.
slowly add in flour mixture, mix just until blended.
don’t overmix.
spoon batter into muffin tins lined with wrappers or greased.
place on bottom rack in oven and bake at 350° for 22-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
remove from pan and cool on cooling rack.
bananaoat muffins1 copy
top with your homemade coconut butter
bananaoat muffins3 copy
enjoy!



“I live in a little red house with my best friend (aaaahhhh), a little boy, a little girl, and a crazy yellow  dog. I like to eat, I like to trail run, I like to yoga, I like old things, I like to explore mountains, I like to play, I like to laugh, I like to create, and I photograph it all.”


GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES/ Sides

My Go-To Easy Black Bean Soup

Do recipes ever make you giddy?  They do me.  Especially when they are cheap, easy and full of goodness.  This recipe for Easy Black Bean Soup makes me giddy.  I’ve made it every week for the last 3 weeks.  It is gooood!

With all the amazing recipes on the Internet, and especially with Pinterest, I rarely buy recipe books.  I recently made an exception.  I am a huge fan of Happy Herbivore.  She has a great blog and is in the middle of writing her 3rd cookbook.  I bought her second cookbook, called Everyday Happy Herbivore: Over 175 Quick-and-Easy Fat-Free and Low-Fat Vegan Recipes
It is AWESOME.

I have been working hard at eating a more plant based diet.  We have been replacing meat dishes with vegetable dishes a few times a week, which really helps boost our vegetable intake around here.  It has been a bit of a switch, and finding recipes that are easy and not intimidating was key.  That is exactly what I found in this cookbook.  I will be featuring many of her recipes on the blog, since I blog what I do and I’m using her book all the time!

Soups are huge in our home, especially at lunchtime for me and the hubs.  He eats homemade soup everyday, and I am trying to do the same, which keeps me from spending too much at my local health food co-op deli!  Todd watched me make this soup in minutes, and commented that even HE could make it, which made me smile because he DOES NOT cook. Yes, it is that easy.

This particular soup is great to have on hand.  I have used it thick in wraps.  I have used it as a tortilla chip dip.  I have added carrots, squash and corn to it.  It is very forgiving and versatile, and really, it is perfection made just as the recipe states.

Easy Black Bean Soup
{happy herbivore}

15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed (or not:))
1 cup salsa
11/2 cups vegetable broth (more or less, depending on desired thickness)
1/2 tsp cumin
dash of hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

tortilla chips (optional)

Place 1 cup beans, salsa, broth and cumin in a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add remaining ingredients except chips. Stir to combine and heat thoroughly over low. Once warmed, serve and garnish with broken chips.

Can add cooked carrots, as I did in the above picture.

Nutritional information
Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1
Servings Per Batch 2
Amount Per Serving Calories 308 Fat 3g Carbohydrate 57.70g Dietary Fiber 14.70g Sugars 7.30g Protein 17g

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To make it even more easy, use a hand blender! I own the above Cuisinart blender, and I love it.  If you don’t have one of these, you just might want to get one.  I use mine ALL THE TIME!  It is so much easier to stick this right into the pan instead of pouring hot liquid into a blender.  Much safer, too!

{if you use the links in this post, I will receive a small percentage of your purchase.  Thank you!}

RECIPES/ Sides

Black Bean, Corn, Avocado & Hominy Salad

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Avocados from Mexico for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I LOVE avocados!  I seriously do!  I have been buying at least 2 each week, but lately I have found myself grabbing a bag of them because I have found so many great uses for them.  I use them to create a super creamy and healthy smoothie, and I also love to use them simply sliced on toast, then topped with sliced tomatoes and a couple leaves of basil.
At our most recent family get-together, my sister-in-law brought a great recipe of Black Beans, Hominy, & Corn.  I loved it so much and could have stood there and eaten the whole bowl.  I thought about the recipe and the only way it could possibly be made better was to add some avocado to it.  That is what I did, and it turned out SO GOOD.

Black Bean, Corn, Avocado & Hominy Salad
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans corn, drained and rinsed
1 can hominy, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or to taste)
1 red pepper, chopped
1/4 of a large red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4-1/2 cup red wine vinegar, to taste
Juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper, to taste
Mix all together.  Tastes best if you let the flavors mingle in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.  Serve as a salad or with tortilla chips.

I recently added a recipe to the “Guac-Off” Contest that is happening at the “I love avocados on Facebook” page.  I am waiting to hear the results, but I sure wish I had the above recipe at the time of the contest.  I think it just might have won it.  Yes, it is THAT good.
 I have had fun exploring the Avocados From Mexico facebook page, it has free avocado screensavers, wallpaper, virtual gifts for friends and even ringtones.  I downloaded the instrumental ringtone and my girls think is is so funny to see me break out in my Mexican Avocado dance when it goes off!
You can connect with Avocados from Mexico on Twitter, at Twitter@guacgrl.  Avocado lovers are using the hashtag #iloveavocados, and you can too, if you decide to tweet your love of avocados!

 What is your favorite way to use an avocado?
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