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!

Holiday Post!: Patriotic Pasta Salad.

Happy flag day, friendzies! Hope everyone has enjoyed the day. Here's a quick and easy little vegan addition to a family BBQ--simple to make, easy to take, and of course yummy. Enjoy! 

               Patriotic Pasta Salad. 

        So nice and festive--and all those fresh flavors!

Ingredients

1. One serving macaroni noodles, prepared and drained

2. 1 T white wine vinegar

3. 3" chunk of daikon radish, thinly sliced

4. Small handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced

5. 1/3 cup fresh blueberries

6. Onion and garlic powders to taste

Method

1. In a medium size bowl, mix all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Note: tastes the best when allowed to sit for a while...the flavors mingle and the overall taste is so superior to when it is enjoyed right away. 

Summer Tomato Dijon Spaghetti with Fresh Mint.

Summer is officially here, people. The temps have hit the upper 90s here in Delaware this week, and let me tell you all: I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER! Summer, to me, signifies so many things...family, fun, freedom, happiness, and last but NOT least, fresh, delicious summer produce! The lovely Roma tomato is the star of this show, dressed with a nice tangy Dijon Vinagrette and garnished with fresh mint. This quickie dinner can easily be whipped up in less than 15 minutes, which officially makes it another of my "Dinn in 10" recipes! Enjoy, guys! 

Summer Tomato and Dijon Spaghetti with Fresh Mint. 

Sweet tomatoes, tangy Dijon, refreshing spearmint...what could be better?!

Summer Tomato Dijon Spaghetti with Fresh Mint. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. One serving spaghetti noodles of choice, cooked according to package instructions and set aside. 

2. 2 T Dijon mustard

3. Pinch stevia 

4. 1-1/2 T water

5. One large Roma tomato, chopped 

6. 2 fresh spearmint leaves, chopped

Method

1. In a medium size bowl, combine prepared noodles and Roma tomato. 

2. In a small bowl, whisk Dijon, stevia, and water. Pour over pasta mixture. 

3. Serve into a small bowl and top with mint. Easy as pie! (But so much tastier and better for you!)

Dijon Style Zucchini Pasta.

I always say the most random recipes are the most delish. This recipe is SUCH proof of that statement! So simple and quick, and so delicious. Great with a side salad and sandwich. Enjoy! 

            Dijon Style Zucchini Pasta. 

     Tangy, creamy, veggie GOODNESS!

Dijon Style Zucchini Pasta. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. One large zucchini, spiralized into noodles

2. 1/2 cup frozen peas

3. 1/2 cup no salt added canned tomatoes

4. 2 T Dijon mustard

5. Onion and garlic powders, to taste

6. Black pepper, to taste

7. 1/4 tsp thyme

Method

1. Add all ingredients to a small pot. 

2. Stir well over medium heat to thoroughly combine. 

3. Continue cooking, stirring regularly, until heated through. 

4. Serve in small bowl and enjoy! 

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!

Tuscan Veggie Pasta with Homemade Hummus.

What began as a "quick weekday lunch after class" quickly turned into another delicious recipe creation! No surprise there, right?! 

This yummy veggie-based meal is packed with protein and fiber to keep you going all day long! And as usual,100% oil free, sugar free, and added salt free. Oh, it tastes pretty good too! 😉 enjoy babes! 

Tuscan Veggie Pasta with Homemade        Hummus. 

Tuscan Veggie Pasta with Homemade Hummus; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. One large zucchini

2. One medium Roma tomato, chopped 

3. Handful of sliced black olives 

4. 1 cup no salt added canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed 

5. 2 oz. silken tofu 

6. Generous sprinkling of onion and garlic powders

7. About 1 T lemon juice

8. Tuscan style seasoning (Italian seasoning will also work)

9. Black pepper to taste

10. Small handful finely chopped kale greens

Method

1. Spiraling your zucchini Int'L noodles and place in a large bowl. 

2. Top noodles with chopped tomato, kale, and sliced olives. 

3. In a food processor, combine chickpeas, lemon juice, seasonings, and tofu. Blend till very smooth, scraping sides as needed. 

4. Top pasta with hummus (if you have some left over like I did, it's delish on toast! Mmmm!) and a sprinkling of black pepper. Serve with a side salad with balsamic. YUM! Perfect meal. 

Pumpkin Pie Pasta.

PUMPKIN SEASON IS FINALLY HERE!!!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏 However, in MY house, all year is pumpkin season--I'm a tad obsessed 😍😂😋 The pumpkin recipes are endless and I just LOOOOOVE it so much. Definitely a comfort food of mine!

I guarantee you will love my "Pumpkin Pie Pasta"--not only is it totally delicious, but it takes EXACTLY 2 min to make. Yep you read that correctly. Nope there's not supposed to be a zero after that 2. TWO. MINUTES. PEOPLE. BOOM CHAKA LAKA-I've done it again 🙌👍😂

                 Pumpkin Pie Pasta. 

                       Oh-so dreamy. 

Pumpkin Pie Pasta

Ingredients

1. One serving noodles of choice (I used tofu noodles), prepared according to package directions

2. 1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée 

3. 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

4. 10 drops hazelnut stevia

5. Pinches of ginger, nutmeg, and allspice

Method

1. Cook your noodles. While noodles are cooking (tofu noods take one minute in the microwave), mix your pumpkin, stevia, and spices in a small bowl. 

2. When noodles are done, drain and top with pumpkin mixture. Pop in microwave for 30 seconds and sprinkle with cinnamon. DONE. 

Savory pumpkin garlic pasta

Yes I know it's spring. But pumpkin is an all year food in my opinion. So good. And this pasta. Oh. Too goo to wait until fall to post. 

          Savory Pumpkin Garlic Pasta. 

Savory Pumpkin Garlic Pasta; Vegan, Gluten free. Serves one. 

Ingredients 

1. Raw spinach leaves for plating

2. One serving of pasta (I used brown rice penne)

3. 1/4 cup chopped onion 

4. 3 tsp minced garlic

5. 1 T liquid aminos

6. 1/2 tsp dried basil (plus more for garnish)

7. 1/2 cup canned pumpkin

8. 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

9. Sprinkle of garlic powder

Method

1. Cook your pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. 

2. In a non stick pan, sauté onion and garlic in 1 T aminos. Add splashes of water of necessary to prevent sticking. After two minutes, add basil and cook until liquid is gone. Remove from heat and set aside. 

3. In a small soup pot, combine cooked pasta, pumpkin, almond milk, onion and garlic sauté, and garlic powder. Cook over medium heat until warm and thickened. 

4. Serve over fresh spinach and garnish with more basil if desired. Enjoy!