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!

Tomato Vegetable Soup.

Ah, yes...another "clean out the fridge" soup turned "new recipe for the blog." SCORE! Enjoy!

            Tomato Vegetable Soup. 

       All that veggie goodness! Yum!

Tomato Vegetable Soup. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. 1 cup no salt added canned tomato sauce

2. One small carrot, chopped 

3. Two stalks celery, sliced

4. 1/2 cup frozen green peas

5. 1/2 cup frozen corn

6. 2/3 cup frozen pearl onions

7. 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth

8. Onion and garlic powders to taste

9. Black pepper, to taste

10. Dried parsley

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium size soup pot and mix well. 

2. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium. Simmer 15 minutes, until carrots are soft. Serve warm with crusty bread for dipping. 

Sweet 'n Sour Spaghetti Pasta Salad.

This kind of goes without saying, but I LOOOVE taking traditional recipes (pasta salad, for example!) and putting a totally weird spin on them. It's so fun to come up with creative flavor combinations, and even MORE fun to EAT it afterwards! Nothing better 😄 this is a really fun recipe--super colorful, too! Nice and quick, tastes super fresh, and can be made ahead (and taken to a picnic!). The use of spaghetti noodles really makes this recipe awesome. Most pasta salads use bow tie, macaroni, fusilli, shells, you get the point. But...I'm not most 🙌😂 hope you enjoy!

    Sweet 'n Sour Spaghetti Pasta Salad!

   Where have you been all my life?!

Sweet 'n Sour Spaghetti Pasta Salad; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. One serving spaghetti noodles of choice, cooked and cooled

2. 1 cup chopped fresh spinach

3. 3/4 cup steamed, sliced beets (canned is fine), sliced into matchsticks

4. 1/2 cup white beans of choice (I used navy--great northern are great, too!)

5. One stalk celery, sliced

6. 2 T Apple cider vinegar

7. 1/2 packet stevia

8. Ground ginger

Method

1. In a large bowl or on a large plate, arrange your chopped spinach. Place cooled spaghetti noods on top. 

2. Top noodles with beets, then beans, then celery. 

3. In a small bowl, vigorously whisk vinegar and stevia to make a Vinagrette. Pour over pasta salad, and top with ginger. Enjoy! 

Note: I actually rink this tastes better if you let it sit for a while...it will begin to marinate and absorb the Vinagrette...yum!

"Salted" Caramel Apple Smoothie.

Don't let the title fool you--this recipe is still 100% salt oil and sugar free. But the unique combination of ingredients and flavors mix together to recreate one of my all time favorite "treats": caramel apples. Quick, easy, delish. Get ready people...

      "Salted" Caramel Apple Smoothie.  

"Salted" Caramel Apple Smoothie; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients 

1. One medium apple, cored and chopped

2. 4-5 stalks celery, chopped

3. 2 pitted dates, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes

4. 1 cup almond milk

Method

1. Add all ingredients to your vitamix and blend on high speed until smooth. Enjoy! I may or may not have drank this out of the blender...totally acceptable.