Protein Pasta Salad!

What's up with the weather this year? It's crazy! Last week we had 2 feet of snow on the ground...and today it was 59 degrees. But this girl ain't complaining--I HATE winter! Anyway, this warm burst has got me craving Spring...and springtime FOODS! And one of my all-time FAVORITE spring and summer dishes? PASTA SALAD. MMMMMMMMHHHMMMMM. And my Protein Pasta Salad is even better than regular pasta salad (shocking, I know)...because it has an impressive 25 GRAMS OF PLANT PROTEIN PER SERVING/RECIPE! My secret? BEAN PASTA NOODLES. I used a lentil macaroni noodle from the brand "Pasta Legume" which I am OBSESSED with, but I love all the bean pasta brands out there! Explore Asian is another great brand...love their mung bean fettuccine! I know. I just turned pasta salad fit. You love me, I know. Enjoy :)

Protein Pasta Salad!

Protein Pasta Salad! Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves One.


Ingredients
1. 3/4 cup bean-based small pasta noodles (I used lentil macaroni noodles from "Pasta Legume")
2. 1/4 cup chopped red onion
3. 1 cup raw cauliflower florets
4. 1/2 cup sliced grape tomatoes
5. 1/2 cup canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
6. one stick celery, sliced
7. 1/8 tsp each onion and garlic powder
8. 2 T white vinegar
9. black pepper and dried parsley, to taste
10. salt, to taste

Method
1. Bring a small soup pot of water to a boil on the stove. Add pasta noodles and cook until al dente--NOTE--bean-based pastas cook MUCH faster than grain-based. When the pot begins to overflow, the goods are done!
2. Drain noodles and rinse briefly under cold water.
3. Combine noodles with remaining ingredients and toss well.
4. Spoon pasta salad into a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate 30 minutes for flavors to mingle (or until ready to eat). Serve chilled and enjoy!

Snowstorm Stew!

So, if you haven't noticed, it's snowing outside. ;)
I have to admit--this is probably the most snow I've ever seen in my life...and the "stormiest" snow episode I've ever lived through! Being from Central Virginia originally, I didn't grow up used to seeing "snowmaggedons" every winter...the most snow I ever remember getting as a child was 10 inches! But this?! This is actually frightening. Yes, you read that correctly. I am actually scared as I sit here and type this while I simultaneously watch the snow blowing wildly outside. *sigh*
Anywho, this is a really quick and yummy stew that's PERFECT for a snowy day like today--warming from the inside out and chock full of nutrient-rich veggies, this stew is certain to make it on your "fave recipes" list. Enjoy! And stay warm :)

Snowstorm Stew!

Snowstorm Stew! Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one.

Ingredients

1. 1 cup canned pumpkin puree

2. 1 cup no-salt-added vegetable broth

3. one small zucchini, chopped

4. one small carrot, peeled and chopped (or 6 baby carrots)

5. 1 cup frozen florets

6. 1/2 cup canned, no-salt-added diced tomatoes

7. 1/3 cup frozen corn

8. 1/2 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

9. herbs and spices of choice

10. salt, to taste

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized soup pot and stir well. 

2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 5 minutes.

3. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring regularly, for 10-15 minutes for flavors to mingle.

4. Scoop into a LARGE bowl (this makes A LOT!) and serve. (I topped mine with ground golden flaxseed for texture--delish!)

World's Creamiest (Vegan) Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie. Secret Ingredient Revealed!

So I was going to save this one for The Fit Vegan Ginger Cookbook...but I can't do that to you guys. I love you too much...and I love this SMOOTHIE too much! Oh my goodness gracious. Talk about delicious...this smoothie is literally so creamy you will collapse in your seat (although I hope you don't because then you might knock it over and waste the goodness...)! And you will NEVER BELIEVE my secret ingredient...are you ready for this?! CAULIFLOWER!!!! Yup, I went there. And boy--are you gonna be glad. Enjoy, darlin's 😄

    World's Creamiest Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie. 

There's a reason creamy and dreamy rhyme...

World's Creamiest Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. 2 cups frozen strawberries 

2. 4 oz. raw cauliflower, steamed and cooled completely (chilling in the fridge wouldn't hurt if you have the time!)

3. 15 drops vanilla flavored stevia

4. 1/2 tsp vanilla powder

5. 1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk 

Method 

1. In your vitamix, combine frozen strawbs, chilled

Cauli, vanilla, stevia, and milk. Blend low to high until silky smooth and luscious looking. 

2. If you can resist drinking this straight from the blender, pour into a tall glass and enjoy!

"Skinny" Tabbouleh.

As you all know by now, I love taking traditional dishes and not only giving them a vegan spin, but making them super un-traditional. I LOVE playing around with grain free dishes just for the fun of it! 

This "Skinny" Tabbouleh is quick and easy, packed with yummy fresh veggies, and delightfully flavorful. Perfect for a side salad of you don't want to use it like tabbouleh. Yum! 

               "Skinny" Tabbouleh. 

 One of my fave ways to use this dish-stuffed grape leaves! Yummers.  

"Skinny" Tabbouleh; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients 

1. 5 oz. cauliflower florets

2. 1/4 cup choppe red onion

3. 2 tsp minced garlic

4. Handful cherry tomatoes, sliced

5. 1 T white vinegar

6. Onion powder, garlic powder to taste

7. Parsley to taste

Method

1. In your mini food processor, process cauliflower until "rice" consistency. Transfer to medium size bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix well and use as you wish!

"Flavor of Spring" Salad.

To be honest, I was not planning on posting this recipe. I didn't think it would turn out to be a "recipe", really. I was literally just "cleaning out the fridge" when I made this salad. But as I've come to find out time and time again, those "clean out the fridge" salads are often the BEST salads! Hope you enjoy this one!

            "Flavor of Spring" Salad. 

      Layers and layers of raw goodness. 

    Another, because it's just so pretty!

            Ok, ok, last one. Promise. 

"Flavor of Spring" Salad; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients 

1. 7 oz raw broccoli florets 

2. 5 oz raw cauliflower florets

3. 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped 

4. 1/2 cup steamed beets, sliced

5. 2 T raisins

6. 1-2 T balsamic vinegar (I used one T but I would definitely use two making his again as mine was pretty dry)

7. Parsley flakes to taste

Method

1. In your food processor, process your broc and cauli florets. I did this separately to make the "layers". Scoop "rice" into medium size bowl. 

2. Top with carrot, then beets, then raisins. Drizzle with balsamic and sprinkle with parsley flakes. Dig in!! 

Holiday Post!: Mexican Stuffed Poblano Pepper.

I love spicy. I mean, I looooooooove spicy. So this Mexican Stuffed Poblano is naturally one of my favorite meals. Relatively simple and super scrumptious, this visually appealing pepper packs good protein ad ton of other nutrients from veggies. Serve alongside steamed veggies and brown rice or homemade corn chips and voila! Dinner. Happy cinco de mayo!

       Mexican Stuffed Poblano Pepper. 

Mexican Stuffed Poblano Pepper; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. One large poblano pepper (mine weighed 6 oz.), top removed and seeded

2. 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

3. 5 oz. cauliflower florets, processed into cauliflower "rice"

4. 1/4 cup chopped onion

5. 2 tsp minced garlic

6. 2 T bragg's liquid aminos

7. One small Roma tomato, chopped 

8. Cayenne, cumin, and oregano to taste

9. 1/4 cup salsa of choice (I used tomatillo verde salsa)

Method 

1. Sauté onion and garlic with a little water in a nonstick pan until soft. Add aminos and sauté about 3 minutes. 

2. Add black beans, cauli "rice", and tomato. Stir with spatula and then add your salsa. Cook over medium heat until heated through and tomatoes are slightly wilted. 

3. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes. 

4. Preheat oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment. While oven is preheating, wash and prepare your poblano. Once seeded, start spooning the skillet mixture into the pepper, mashing it in tightly but gently. Do not overfill. I had some filling left over that I served over some spinach. 

5. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until pepper is beginning to brown and slightly wilted. Let cool a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Cheezy Cauliflower and Kale Casserole

What do you think of when you hear the phrase "comfort food"? For me, my go-to comfort food favorites pop into my head. Oatmeal (of course!), banana nice cream, raw carrots (don't ask me why!), and now, this Cheezy Caulifower and Kale Casserole. This is the ultimate vegan (or non vegan, for that matter!) comfort food. Something about cauliflower and cheese (or in this case vegan cheese!) just screams comfort. 

So grab your favorite chick flick (or action film if you're into that!), jump into your cozy PJ's and dive into this casserole. Sounds like a pretty perfect night to me. 

Cheezy Cauliflower and Kale Casserole. 

Cheezy Cauliflower and Kale Casserole; Vegan, Gluten-Free. Serves one. 

Ingredients 

1. 10 oz. cauliflower florets

2. 9 baby carrots (or 2 medium size carrots) peeled and chopped 

3. 2 kale leaves, finely torn

4. One recipe "basic cheese sauce" (recipe in a previous post)

5. 1/4 cup chopped onion 

6. 2 tsp minced garlic

Method

1. In a non stick skillet, sauté onion and garlic in some water until tender. Add carrots and about 1/8 cup more water. Cook until carrots are tender. 

2. Add kale and cook about 2 minutes, just until kale is wilted. Remove from heat and set aside. 

3. Make your cheese sauce. 

4. While cheese is cooking, place your cauliflower in a large soup pot and cover with water. Boil until tender. Drain and set aside. 

5. When cheese is almost completely thickened (you still want it just a tad but runny for this recipe) add to the cheese pot your onion sauté and cauliflower. Mash the cauliflower into the sauce with the back of a fork. Stir very well to thoroughly coat everything in the sauce. 

6. Coon about 5 minutes then transfer to a small casserole dish. Spread evenly, and bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Let cool before eating. Enjoy!

Cauliflower Quiche

I love making quiche. I feel so "skilled" when I make it. This one is especially fun...mostly because I used purple cauliflower (which makes EVERYTHING better!).
I am always on the lookout for single-serving silicone bakeware, which, by the way, is NOT easy to come by. However. While in Walmart the other day, I was passing through the craft section (go figure...) when I stumbled upon ROWS AND ROWS of single serving silicone bakeware....and it was HALF PRICE. You could say I was a teensy bit excited (I had been searching for this exact thing for about 9 months). Naturally, I stocked up. One little thing--they are in funky shapes. Once I examined the boxes more closely, I realized they were for "mini chefs"...I'm assuming this is the reason they were in the craft section. But who cares! It does the job, and I'm not picky when it comes to shape. In fact, I think it makes things that more special! So, short story made long, my Cauliflower Quiche is heart shaped.

Cauliflower Quiche. Heart shape optional.

Cauliflower Quiche; Vegan, Gluten-Free. Makes one personal quiche.

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
2. 1/4 cup almond  meal
3. 5 oz. cauliflower chunks, processed into rice
4. 1/2 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
5. 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, finely chopped
6. garlic and onion powders
7. dash of cumin
8. water as needed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set a small silicone bake dish on baking sheet and set aside.
2. In a medium size bowl, combine flax and almond meal. Add enough water to moisten and stir. Keep adding water a little bit at a time until a "dough" forms. 
3. Spread dough into dish, pressing it fairly high up on the sides to resemble a crust.
4. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. 
5. Process chickpeas in mini food processor with splashes of water until mostly pureed. Add to bowl along with cauliflower rice, spinach, spices, and stir well. Add enough watt to make it hold together. It should be workable and slightly mushy. 
6. Let crust cool 5 minutes (it might puff up in the center--that's perfectly fine. Just gently press it back down.) and then spread filling over crust--you will have about 1/2 of filling left over. 
7. Bake for 20 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes before removing. Enjoy!

Holiday Post!: Easter Salad

I'm all about spring-themes food. It's just so pretty! And what vegan doesn't love a big, raw SALAD?! MMMM.....
I've had a head of purple cauliflower in the fridge for a while...I've been waiting to use it until it got close enough to Easter so I could be festive. You all should know by now...I'm cheesy like that! This is a quick, delicious, and beautiful meal you can serve/eat on Easter, and any time of year for that matter! It takes all of 10 minutes to prepare, but it's both pleasing to the eye and the tastebuds. Sounds like a win-win to me!

Easter Salad.

Easter Salad; Vegan, Gluten-Free. Serves One.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 a medium head purple cauliflower
2. 5 cherry tomatoes, halved
3. 1/2 cup green peas, steamed if desired
4. 3 oz. carrot "matchsticks" 
5. onion and garlic powders, black pepper to taste
6. 1-2 T apple cider vinegar (varies depending on how tangy you want it)

Method

1. Place your cauliflower chunks into a mini food processor and process until  the texture of rice. DO NOT OVERPROCESS!
2. Add cauli rice to a large bowl. Top with green peas, carrots, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with spices and drizzle with apple cider vinegar. 
3. Serve!

                                                                                           

Easter Salad, all mixed up and ready to eat!