Spaghetti Squash {Two Ways}

Tangy Balsamic Spaghetti Squash:

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash (cut down the center long ways and seeds discarded)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

1 TBL coconut oil
1red pepper (sliced)
4 oz. mushrooms
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic minced (1tsp)
2-4 TBL balsamic vinegar






Process:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the halves on the baking sheet - bowl side up and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for an hour, checking at 30 and 45 mins to make sure that it's not cooking too fast. The squash is done when you can stick a fork in and pull across the flesh and it shreds to look like angel hair pasta. When the squash is nearly done, saute pepper, mushrooms, onion, and garlic in the coconut oil. Just before removing from heat glaze with balsamic vinegar.

Remove from oven and fork the squash until removed from skin. Top each squash half with pepper, mushroom, balsamic mixture.

Serve along side a fresh salad or steamed kale.


Latin Chimichurri Spaghetti Squash:


Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash (cut down the center long ways and seeds discarded)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper


1 TBL coconut oil
1/2 yellow onion
1 clove garlic
1 cup  black beans

1 bunch cilantro removed from stem
2 TBL white wine vinegar
2 TBL olive oil
1 tbl lemon juice
salt and pepper
dash crushed red pepper
1 avocado


Process:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the halves on the baking sheet - bowl side up and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for an hour, checking at 30 and 45 mins to make sure that it's not cooking too fast. The squash is done when you can stick a fork in and pull across the flesh and it shreds to look like angel hair pasta. While the squash is cooking, saute onion and garlic in coconut oil. When tender, add the beans and cook until warm. In a blender or food processor, add cilantro, vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Blend until smooth.

Remove from oven and fork the squash until removed from skin. Top each half with beans, chimichurri, and 1/2 diced avocado.



Serve along side a fresh spinach salad.

 ♥ E

Vegan, Gluten Free, Spicy Cilantro Avocado Pizza

I seriously want to take a bath in cilantro... Is that wrong? Then I don't want to be right. 

Spicy Cilantro Avocado Pizza

Ingredients:

BASE SOCCA:
1 1/2 cups garbanzo (chickpea) bean flour
1 1/2 cups water
1 T olive oil
1/2  tsp salt

TOPPINGS:

1 onion (diced)

1 clove (1tsp) garlic minced

1 cup kale (chopped)

2 bell peppers (cut into strips)

8 oz mushrooms 

SAUCE:

2 bunches cilantro

1/4 serrano pepper seeded

1/4 cup olive oil

2 TBL lemon or lime juice

salt and pepper to taste 

AVOCADO CREAM:

1 ripe avocado 

2 Tbl non dairy milk (coconut, almond, rice)

1 Tbl lemon or lime juice

2 Tbl cilantro 

salt and pepper to taste 

Process: Mix all the socca ingredients in a container that can be covered or has a lid. Let the mixture sit for one hour to overnight (if sitting over night put in fridge). Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Drop a tsp of coconut oil in a 9x13 inch glass baking dish and put the dish in the oven while it heats. When the oven is all warmed up to 500 degrees, pull out the dish and move it around so that the oil gets all over the bottom. Pour socca batter into the dish. It should sizzle. Bake for 6-8 minutes. The top of the socca should start to crack. If not golden and cracked, bake for up to more 4 minutes.  Remove. While the crust is baking, saute the onion, garlic, pepper, mushrooms, and kale until soft. For the sauce, place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Spread sauce over socca crust. Top with sauteed toppings. Place pizza back in the oven for 5-8 minutes. This allows the sauce to soak into the socca and the toppings to get extra crunchy. While pizza is in the oven, throw all of the ingredients for the avocado cream into the food processor or blender (don't bother cleaning it after the sauce- the cilantro will just add more flavor to the avocado cream).  Blend until smooth. Place in a plastic baggie and snip the very tip off of the corner of the baggie to create a piping bag. Once pizza is done. Remove and plate. Top with avocado cream just before serving. I served mine with a side of steamed kale. 

Serves 4-6 people. 

♥ E

Creamy Butternut Squash Quinoa

I will literally put this sauce on anything and everything. Quinoa, rice pasta, cooked zucchini shavings, toasty socca... It is a super healthy comfort food.

Ingredients:
1 Tbl olive oil
1 butternut squash (cooked -- see instructions below)
1 Tbl Coconut oil
1 meduim yellow onion
1 clove (1tsp minced) garlic
3/4 cup coconut milk (from a carton, or almond milk)
1 Tbl arrowroot powder (or constarch)
1 Tbl Dijon mustard
1 Tbl lemon juice
1 Tbl smoked paprika (I like it spicy and smokey use less and season to taste if you like it more mild)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups kale (cooked just before serving)
3-4 cups cooked quinoa for serving


Process:
Peel and chop squash. Cook squash either by steaming in a rice maker with 3/4 cup water for 20 mins, or bake in oven at 425 degrees drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper. While Squash is cooking, heat coconut oil in a medium sauce pan. Add onion and garlic. Saute until soft. In another bowl, add coconut milk and arrowroot. Whisk until smooth. Add to sautéed onion and garlic along with the dijon lemon juice, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked squash to a blender or food processor along with 1/2 of the coconut milk mix. Blend until smooth. Serve over cooked quinoa and kale.

♥ E

Gluten Free Dreams (Socca)

Socca is the bread to my butter... Literally. It is so good. I will eat it in a box. I will eat it with a fox.  I will eat it in a house.  I will eat it with a mouse. I will eat it in a house. I will eat it here or there. I will eat it anywhere.


Socca is an Italian flat bread that is so so versatile. It can be baked plain, sweet or savory. And unlike other gluten free bread it is not crumbly or super complicated to make. The best part.. The base has 4 ingredients. I know. Awesome.

Ingredients:

BASE SOCCA
1 1/2 cups garbanzo (chickpea) bean flour
1 1/2 cups water
1 T olive oil
1/2  tsp salt


Process: Mix all ingredients in a container that can be covered or has a lid. Let the mizture sit for one hour to overnight (if sitting over night put in fridge). Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Drop a tsp of coconut oil in a 9 inch glass baking dish and put the dish in the oven while it heats. When the oven is all warmed up to 500 degrees, pull out the dish and move it around so that the oil gets all over the bottom. Pour socca batter into the dish. It should sizzle. Bake for 6-8 minutes. The top of the socca should start to crack. If not golden and cracked, bake for up to more 4 minutes. Remove and let cool. This makes a fairly thick socca. To make a thinner, crispier socca, bake in a 9x13 glass dish or 2--9 inch dishes.


Olive and Basil Socca:
Base socca recipe
1/2 cup kalamata olives (halved)
1/2 cup fresh basil (chopped)
Just before pouring into baking dish, mix in olives and basil. Bake as above.

Click HERE for more fun socca ideas.

♥ E

Mexican Red Lentil Soup

If I had to choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life.. It'd probably be this soup. 'Nough said.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup red lentils (rinsed)
1 Tbl coconut oil
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 stalks celery (chopped)
1 medium sized yellow onion (chopped)
1 red pepper (chopped)
1 can diced tomatoes
3 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbl Chili powder
1 tsp chipotle powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 lemons worth or about 1/3 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:
Chopped cilantro (the more the better....)
Sliced avocado
Cashew sour cream (recipe below)


Process:
Rinse lentils and put them in a small pot. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and leave pot covered. Set aside. in a large pot, heat oil. Saute onion, garlic, celery, and red pepper until all are softened. Add in spices and tomatoes. Dump in the lentils and vegetable broth. Let simmer for 15 mins. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice. Serve topped with cilantro, avocado, and coarse salt and pepper. Cashew sour cream is a great, tangy addition.



CASHEW SOUR CREAM:

Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews (soaked in water for 1 hr.)
almond or coconut milk to help blend
lemon juice to taste (around 2 Tbl)

Process:
Discard water and place cashews in a blender. Add just enough milk to get the cashews to blend smoothly. Add lemon juice to taste.


♥ E

Magic Soup

So it has been said that the "chicken noodle soup cure" is a big myth... Well I think there is something to be said for it. But being a vegan, I of course have to put a little spin on the whole thing.

This soup will really open your sinuses and I think it actually makes people feel better. I have a couple of secret ingredients (ginger root and cayenne pepper) that give it the kick that it needs to really get your immune system going and open up those air ways!

Vegetable broth soup:

Ingredients:

1/2 Tbl coconut oil
1 yellow onion (chopped)

2 medium carrots  (sliced into 1/4 inch pieces)

4 stalks celery (sliced into 1/4 inch pieces)

6 cups water

1 Tbl garlic (minced-- about 2 cloves)

2 thumb sized pieces of ginger root 

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (less if making this for children or if you are not a fan of spice)
2 Tbl Italian seasoning

1 1/2 cups garbanzo beans cooked (or 1 can) -- any other white beans would work just fine! 

1 cup finely chopped kale (for garnish)

Process:

In a medium sized soup pot, add the coconut oil, onion, carrots, and celery. Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the water, garlic, ginger root, cayenne pepper, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until veggies are soft. Turn off heat, carefully scoop out the two pieces of ginger- discard and add garbanzo beans. Ladle into bowls and top with a generous sprinkling of chopped kale. Makes about 6 servings.

If you're looking to make this meal a little bit more substantial, serve over cooked quinoa!

I like to keep my soup in mason jars. Some in the fridge and some in the freezer. Just make sure to let the soup cool before placing the lid on and make sure not to fill the jar too full or it will shatter when it freezes. 

♥ E

Raw Vegan Tiramisu Mousse

This was just a, "Hmm what am I going to do with the next few minutes--I feel like making something," spur of the moment creation.

Ok so there are a few things you should know about me...
1) I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Coffee....
2) Dark chocolate has a special place in my heart.
3) I am in love with coconut milk.. Especially the kind from a can. SO GOOD.
4) Tiramisu is one of my all time fave things and is rarely done well when made vegan.

So here is a little spin on the traditional tiramisu.

                                                p.s. there is no sugar in here. Get excited.


Ingredients:
1 can full fat coconut milk that has been chilled overnight (seriously the reduced fat stuff will not work and this is the good fat. :) )
9 dried dates (pitted and cut in half)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 packets of Stevia in the raw
1 Tbl espresso powder (mixed with 1tsp warm- hot water)
3 Tbl cocoa powder (I like to use dark cocoa powder)

 Process:
Scoop your coconut milk out into a bowl. Just the super thick white part, save the watery bit for a smoothie or an after workout drink. Take half of the thick coconut milk and put it into a blender or food processor (I used my magic bullet). To the coconut milk in the blender, add: the dates, 1 tsp of the vanilla, 1 packet of stevia, the mixed espresso powder, and the cocoa powder. Blend until smooth. While that is blending, take the other half of the coconut milk and put it in the bowl of your mixer, add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 stevia packet. With the whisk attachment, whisk until medium stiff to stiff peaks form. Take a ramekin (I used a fairly large ramekin, so it just made one. If you have smaller ones you can make 2-3 depending on the ramekin size) and pour in the chocolate espresso mix. It will be fairly bitter - just like real tiramisu. Tap the ramekin lightly on the table so the mixture levels out. Finally, spoon the whipped coconut milk on top. Smooth out with the back of a spoon or rubber spatula.  Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate until set. About 2 hours.

--This is a slightly bitter treat, yet the coconut milk is very light and sweet. If you prefer the chocolate espresso part to be sweeter, either add more dates or stevia!

I am literally in food heaven, you guys... ENJOY! :)

 ♥ E