Quick Sauteed Kale with Toasted Pine Nuts

I am seriously having a love affair with kale...

Beyond being just scrumptious and delicious...it is so very good for you! After a bit of research, I discovered that this beautiful, dark, leafy green has some power to it! From cholesterol-lowering abilities to detoxing to even cancer-fighting, this is a must-try veggie! Seriously, this "queen of greens" is one of the healthiest vegetables around and a nutritional powerhouse...I'm obsessed!

Here is a tasty and easy way to incorporate kale into your diet...ENJOY!

Quick Sauteed Kale with Toasted Pine Nuts

4 bunches kale (about 2 pounds-seems like a lot, but remember, it  will wilt!)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

First things first, fold each kale leaf lengthwise and cut stem away along the crease. Then, tear the leaves coarsely. If you want to do this ahead of time, it can be prepared one day in advance, just pack the kale into resealable plastic bags and chill.

Now, heat your oil in heavy large pot or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic then saute until the onion is soft and your house smells amazing!

While your "onion party" is going, pour your pine nuts into a smaller skillet over  medium-low heat. Just don't forget to give them stir every now and then!

Now, add half of the kale to your "onion party", packing slightly.

Cook until kale wilts, tossing often, which is about 2 to 3 minutes. Then, add remaining kale and half of the toasted pine nuts.

Toss until kale is just tender and still bright green, which is about 3 minutes longer. Then, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Lastly, transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with remaining toasted pine nuts.

Get ready for some yumminess!

Veggie Cassoulet

This week I wanted to try some new things so I went to my Epicurious App on my phone for some inspiration! I just love that little app! I found quite a few new things to try and decided to start with this really simple but extremely tasty Veggie Cassoulet. I tweaked it a little to fit what I had on hand that evening but I think you'll enjoy!

Veggie Cassoulet

A couple tablespoons of olive oil (enough to sautee some veggies!)

2 yellow squash (chopped) (it calls for zucchini...but mix it up...both are tasty!)

2 celery stalks (chopped)

1 onion (chopped)

6 cloves garlic (sliced)

1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes (drained)

2 cans Great Northern Beans (drained and rinsed)

A couple tablespoons dried thyme

2 dried bay leaves

Salt/Pepper to taste

First things first, set your oven to 400 degrees. 

While that is heating up, heat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook your squash (or zucchini), celery, onion and salt/pepper until soft...which is roughly 8 minutes. Mix in your garlic and cook another minute or so. 

While your veggie party is simmering, go ahead and drain your tomatoes and dump them into your baking dish. Next, drain and rinse your beans. The original recipe calls for you to reserve your bean liquid...but that freaks me out a bit. I always drain and rinse my canned beans...but that's just me! Once those are ready dump them into your baking dish as well with 1/4 cup of water.

Once your veggies are done cooking, add those to your baking dish and combine with your thyme. Lastly, plop your bay leaves right on top!

Bake until golden which is approximately 30 minutes. 

Isn't this a pretty, colorful dish! Remove your bay leaves and serve! 

Tastes great with some warm toasty bread!

Lemon Twist Orzo

It has been approximately FOREVER since I have been in the kitchen experimenting with fun food. So, last week when I took on dinner, we were reunited and it felt so good! Here is what I came up with:

Lemon Twist Orzo

Orzo (2 cups uncooked should be just enough!)
2-3 lemons
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tablespoons of capers
A few stalks of green onions (chopped)
A leafy green (loosely chopped)
Tofu (cubed)
Dried Thyme









Start by cooking your orzo according to the manufacturer's directions. Now, this was the first time I had ever cooked with orzo (shocking, I know) and let me tell you...a little goes a long way! I should have cooked only 2 cups for just Chris and I...would have been just fine!

Now, heat approximately 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pan and toss in your minced garlic to start the party. Next, add your tofu and let cook for a few minutes. When I saw the edges of my tofu starting to brown, I moved on to the next step.

Toss in your green onions, capers and a few shakes of dried thyme. After a few seconds, add the juice of your two lemons.

Now, toss in your leafy green to wilt. I used parsley here and it was pretty tasty. This was the first time I had cooked with parsley, other than to garnish so, like a dummy, I tossed in the stems. If you use parsley for this dish, don't do that! Next time, I'll use spinach.



Remove from heat and add to your orzo. Toss with another tablespoon of olive oil and more lemon juice. I really, really like the lemon tang, so I added the juice of an entire lemon. I also added some salt/pepper to taste. Yum!

Although we ate this as a main dish, this could be an excellent addition to any meal! Enjoy!

Right before I left the table to clean the kitchen, Chris surprised me with this:

I think he was just super pumped that I cooked dinner!

Lentil Soup

When I think of the chilly days of Fall/Winter, I always think of warming up with a bowl of hearty soup. I love soup recipies, I love making soups and, most of all, I love eating soups! To put it bluntly...I just love soup!

One of my favorites is Lentil Soup. Lentils are such amazing little things. They are easy to cook, have an indefinite shelf life when dried and are a great source of protein. Every vegetarian needs some lentils in their diet...but, in my opinion, they are so tasty everyone needs some lentils in their diet!

Lentil Soup

1 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 cups dry lentils
5 cups vegetable broth
pepper to taste
dash salt
1 tbsp lemon juice



In a large soup pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat then add your onions, carrots, and celery. Cook and stir until onion is tender.

Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, thyme and basil. Cook for about two more minutes.

Add the vegetable broth, lentils, pepper, bay leaves and salt/pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Let simmer until lentils are soft, which is about 45 minutes to one hour.

While cooking, these lentils will  soak up a ton of  the broth and goodness!

Lastly, remove bay leaves and stir in lemon juice before serving. Enjoy!

Vegan Cupcakes...YUM!

I'm not a baker so you know that if I can make these cupcakes from scratch, you can too! Both of these recipes are from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. I love these recipes because all of the ingredients are easily accessible and inexpensive! So yummy...you won't miss the dairy at all! Enjoy!

Golden Vanilla Cupcakes

1 cup soy milk

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
¾ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt (increase salt to ½ teaspoon if you’re using oil instead of margarine)
½ cup non-hydrogenated margarine, softened, or ⅓ cup canola oil
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. almond extract, caramel extract, or more vanilla extract


1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2.Whisk the soy milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside for a few minutes to get good and curdled.

3.If using margarine: Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and mix.

4.In a separate large bowl, use a handheld mixer at medium speed to cream the margarine and sugar for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. (Don’t beat past 2 minutes.) Beat in the vanilla and other extract, if using, then alternate beating in the soy milk mixture and dry ingredients, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times.

5.If using oil: Beat together the soy milk mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla, and other extracts, if using, in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until no large lumps remain.

6.Fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack, and let cool completely before frosting.
 

Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting

½ cup nonhydrogenated shortening
½ cup nonhydrogenated margarine
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup plain soy milk or soy creamer

1.Beat the shortening and margarine together until well-combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes. Add the vanilla and soy milk and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy.
 
 

I've made these twice and I LOVE THEM! They might not be the prettiest, but they are DANG good! Have a great Friday!

My new favorite salsa!

As I have previously stated, I LOVE CHIPS AND SALSA! I could (and have) eaten just chips and salsa as an entire meal. This goes beyond a guilty pleasure...I just love it. When I came across the recipe for Blueberry Avocado Salsa on Manifest: Vegan, I'll admit, I was really nervous but I was determined to try it anyway...and I'm so glad I powered through because it is has now knocked mango salsa out of the running for my favorite salsa of all time! Enjoy!

Blueberry Avocado Salsa

1 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, quartered
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 tbsp lime juice + extra for drizzling onto avocados
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp chopped jalapeno pepper
1 ripe avocado, cut into small chunks

Pulse all ingredients (except for avocado) a few times in a food processor.

Then, cut up your avocado and drizzle with lime juice. Stir in chopped avocado with the rest of your salsa ingredients. Add a touch more salt, if desired. Serve immediately.

Look how gorgeous that is! I just love all the great colors! Now, Chris and I thought we were being "smart" when we ignored the recipe that suggested only 1 tablespoon of jalapeno pepper. We just chopped up a giant one and tossed the entire thing in there, seeds and all. That was...dumb. It had a great kick to it but a little too much kick...so you might want to heed the advice of the recipe!

If you try this out, let me know what you think!

Happy Little Vegan's Fried Chickpea Salad

Another new recipe that Chris and I tried this week was Fried Chickpea Salad from Happy Little Vegans. I was pretty skeptical when it mentioned frying the chickpeas...but they are little pieces of heaven and you need to try them RIGHT NOW! Enjoy!

Fried Chickpea Salad

15 oz of cooked chickpeas (or 1 can of chickpeas)
2-3 tsp flour
2 tsp of yellow curry powder (we couldn't find it so we used a little red curry powder)
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
2-4 cups couscous (depending on how much you want, we were good with 2 cups)
6-8 Heirloom or Exotic tomatoes (we had Roma on hand, so that is what we used)
3-4 green onion stalks
1/4 cup fresh cut basil
Juice of 1 lemon
Your favorite leafy salad greens
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix the flour, curry powder, ground ginger, and Cajun seasoning and dust the mixture over the chickpeas. Saute in a bit of olive oil in a hot pan until nice and crispy. Sprinkle with a little salt while they are cooling and voila...hard part over!

Next, prepare your couscous. The brand that we use suggested one cup water to each cup couscous, so just pay attention to the instructions on the label. I boiled two cups of water, stirred in two cups of couscous and removed from heat. Let sit for 4-5 minutes and then fluff with a fork.

Finally, slice your veggies and begin to layer your salad. First, dump your favorite leafy salad greens in the bottom of your fabulous salad bowl. Then add your couscous and then your veggies. Top with your chickpeas, lemon juice, salt and pepper and finally, the basil.

Holy wow, this salad is fabulous! The chickpeas, the basil and the tomatoes...PERFECT combination! We had leftovers for lunch the next day and it was still delicious! This is a perfect summer meal, so enjoy soon!

Move Over Nut Butters!

Apple butter, in my opinion, is in the ballpark of outstanding, amazing and ridiculously tasty. I had been purchasing this tasty condiment from Southside Produce and had never thought of making my own or even trying fruits other than apple. UNTIL, I stumbled across a recipe on VeganLovelie. Enjoy!

Apple and Pineapple Fruit Butter

First, chop 2 apples and 1/2 of a pineapple into small pieces. Then, you can either toss into a blender, food processor or even use a hand-blender to puree the fruit. (Just don't puree too much, like I did...you want it to be a little chunky still)

Next, add 2-3 tablespoons of sugar and move mixture to a thick-bottom pan. Cook on a low-setting for 30-45 minutues (basically, until thick enough to use as a spread).

and VOILA...your fruit butter is complete! Move into a small container and refrigerate. I love using this on toast in the morning for breakfast...so simple, easy and delicious!

BUT stay-tuned because tomorrow, I'm going to share a really tasty salad and dressing that will use this fruit butter! You won't want to miss!

Grocery Store Surprises!

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) recently posted a list of items that are vegan that would surprise you! The list is huge, so I'm only going to post the ones that really blew me out of the water!

Rice Krispies
Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate
Famous Amos Sandwich Cookies
Fritos (Barbecue and Original)
Wheat Thins (Original, Multi-Grain, and Reduced Fat)
Betty Crocker Bac-o's Bacon Flavor Bits (SERIOUSLY!!!)
Hunt's Manwich Sauce
McCormick Bac'n Pieces (Again, SERIOUSLY!)
Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix
Edy's No-Sugar Bars and Whole Fruit Bars (sooo tasty!)
Mrs. Smith's Deep Dish Pie Crust
Aunt Jemima Whole Wheat Pancake/Waffle Mix
Betty Crocker Bisquick
Jello-O Instant Pudding (Banana Creme, Chocolate, Lemon and Vanilla)
Thai Kitchen Noodle Bowls (Thai Peanut, Roasted Garlic, and Pad Thai)
Campbell's Tomato Soup
Hormel Chili
Kraft Taco Bell Taco Dinner
Lipton Beefy Onion Soup
Progresso Soups (Lentil, Hearty Tomato, and Tomato Basil)
Top Ramen (Oriental)
Zatarain's Red Beans & Rice, Black Beans & Rice, Black-Eyed Peas & Rice, Jambalaya, Gumbo Mix With Rice, and Dirty Rice Mix (This is great news!)

OK...just because we now know it is vegan....doesn't mean we should eat it all the time! I hope this helps you next time you are rummaging around the grocery store!

A Tasty Snack!

I'm tired of being tempted by the office candy jar! When 3:00pm hits, the hunger monster hits me hard! So, in an attempt to fight that monster in a healthy way...I decided to be pro-active and I purchased a box of Lara Bars to hide in my desk.

These tasty little treats are about 100 calories and are gluten, dairy and soy-free! They are also non-GMO, Vegan and Kosher! This box is filled with Cherry Pie, Cashew Cookie and Apple Pie. Since I missed breakfast, I enjoyed a little Apple Pie a few moments ago...and YUM!

My only complaint is that I bought the mini-bars so it was gone in two bites. Surprisingly, it curved the ol' hunger monster...but the true test will be 3:00pm! So far though, I'm a fan so it was a good purchase!

Eggplant Sandwiches...YUM!

As I was walking into my house last night after work, I dug into my mailbox and what did I find?

My new Real Simple magazine! Yay!

I started flipping through it as I was trying to think of what to cook for dinner when I spotted the most delicious picture! I wasted no time...I showed it to Chris and off we went to make "Eggplant Sandwiches"!

We didn't follow the Real Simple recipe but we used the basics...enjoy!

First, we cut the eggplant into slices, dipped into soy milk and then covered with bread crumbs before frying in vegetable oil.

As those cooled, we cut up some tomatoes and sprinkled with sea salt, cracked pepper and basil. (so yum!)

We also had some avocado slices and romaine lettuce.

We put one eggplant slice down first, then topped with the tomatoes, lettuce and avocado and then finished it off with another eggplant slice. What a yummy sandwich! Knife and Fork optional!

Quick and Easy Veggie Casserole and Garlic Green Beans

Happy Friday!
I survived gallbladder surgery and am living a relatively happier life since! It amazes me what our bodies can now function without...wild! Anyway, Chris has been out of town all week and returned last night around dinner time. So I decided to have something yummy waiting for him when he walked through the door...how 1955 of me, right?
Both of these recipes are based on those found in "Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food" by Alicia Simpson. I tweaked them a bit but I adore this book! All of the recipes are SUPER easy and tasty! I highly encourage you to purchase this book, check it out here: www.vegcomfortfood.com

Chris and I ate these both until we were miserable! I hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Veggie Casserole:

1 10oz bag frozen mixed veggies (corn, carrots, and green bean mixture is what I used, awesome!)
3/4 cup veggie stock
1/2 cup couscous
1/2 chopped white onion
2 cups vegan cheese ( I used a vegan mozzarella....yummy!)
Canola Oil
Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Grease a 2 quart baking dish with canola oil and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350.

Bring the veggie stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the couscous and bring it to a simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed. This should only take about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Put the couscous in a medium size mixing boll and add the other ingredients. Only use 1 1/2 cups of the cheese at this point. Once mixed well, pour the mixture into the baking pan then sprinkle the remainder of the cheese across the top of the mixture. Bake until cheese is fully melted and begins to bubble a bit. Alicia's recipe said approximately 10 minutes but it took me more like 20. I think it depends on the cheese and how well it melts, etc. Just keep an eye on it.

Take it out, let it cool a bit and enjoy!

Garlic Green Beans:

10 haricot verts (green beans), steamed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped white onion ( I actually just used the remainder of the white onion from the recipe above and I found it to be the perfect amount of onion)
1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat your olive oil in a medium size skillet over medium heat. Add your white onion and sauté for approximately two minutes then add your garlic to the party. Once you notice the two melding together nicely and getting a little soft and browning a bit, add your green beans and salt/pepper. Continue to sauté for 5 more minutes or so and serve hot! So stinkin' good!

On a side note, I just found a recipe in my April Real Simple magazine that I CANNOT wait to vegan-ize! It is a Spinach and Artichoke Baked Pasta...looks yummy in the pics! I'll make sure to take photos of that cooking process!
 
Have a great weekend!

Sweet treats!

I just started a new ministry at my church where once a month I bring baked goodies for the college kiddos to enjoy while studying. Sounds easy, right? Well, I have never made vegan treats before...and I really stink at baking! Lucky for me, a friend of mine passed along this awesome box of cake mix...

So the easy-baking continued! All I needed to add was vegetable oil and water!

The rest was history...peanut free, egg free, nut free and dairy free history!

I was nervous about the taste...but after lickin' the spoon the sweet tasing batter convinced me otherwise!

Look how tasty the final product looks:

Ok..they look a little messy...completely my fault! They tasted amazing and I can't wait to try other mixes!

Enjoy!

Curried Carrot Dip

Sounds odd but YUM! If you like the texture of hummus and the taste of carrots, you will love this dip! I got it from the Veganomicon, the Ultimate Vegan Cookbook.

Curried Carrot Dip
from Veganomicon

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds (salted or unsalted are ok, just adjust the amount of salt later)
2 tsp grapeseed or other vegetable oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbl fresh lemon juice

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Boil the carrots for 7-10 minutes until soft. Drain and let cool just until they are no longer steaming.
2. Place the sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor and process into crumbs.
3. Add all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as you go.
4. Taste for salt and adjust the spices and lemon. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use (at least 30 minutes).

I put a little parsley on top for presentation and served with multi-grain crackers and pita chips...yum yum!!!

Enjoy!

Carrot-Daikon Tea

As pleased as I have been with The Kind Diet...this Carrott-Daikon weight loss tea is for the birds! It took me forever in Whole Foods to find all the ingredients, 30 minutes to grate and brew the tea, and over an hour to chug it down. GROSS! Maybe I made it wrong, so I'm going to try again tomorrow because despite it's nasty smell and taste...I haven't craved anything all day. In fact, had to make myself eat just now because I hadn't all day.

I'm all about loosing weight...but I'm going to have to weigh the pros and cons of this weight-loss tea. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup grated (into a pulp) carrot
1/2 cup grated (into a pulp) daikon
1/4 of one umeboshi plum
1-2 drops shoyu
1/4 Nori sheet, ripped into small pieces (optional)

Bring carrot, daikon, umboshi plum and 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Add shoyu and simmer for another 2 to 3 mins. Add nori, if using. Drink hot.