Lentil Taco Filling

We love tacos in our house and eat them at least once a week. We have done everything from black bean and butternut squash, to Thai tofu and most recently we have been hooked on the Minimalist Bakers quinoa taco filling.

The plan was to serve the quinoa filling but I realized that afternoon that I was out of quinoa and so was the grocery store, oh the joys of small town life.

I am actually glad we were out of quinoa because it forced me to use what we had on hand and we came up with these babies. Be sure to save a little of the lentil mixture for nachos another night. We topped our nachos with some cashew queso that my husband raved over.

For the Lentil Taco Filling:
1 c green lentils
2 c broth
1 portabello mushroom, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1 la Cucina taco seasoning packet or what ever your favorite taco seasoning happens to be.



Cook lentils in 2 cups of broth for 30-35 minutes leaving them a bit chewy. Set aside lentils and remaining broth.

Meanwhile dice veggies and saute in large sauce pan. When veggies are almost done but still crisp add in lentils with broth and taco seasoning. Cook until broth has been absorbed and lentils are soft but not mushy. Serve in tortillas and toppings of your choice.

MMM...Nachos...

Cashew Queso

Cashew Queso is easy to whip up. I like to use the smoothie cup attachment for my ninja blender since it is such a small amount. 

We topped our nachos with this recipe but would be awesome in burritos, tacos or just served as a dip.

Ingredients:

1/2 C cashews, soaked for 4 hours to soften
1/4-1/2 c water
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1 Chipotle chilie
2 tbs salsa

Blend cashews, 1/4 cup of water, nutritional yeast, Chipotle chili and salsa until smooth, adding more water if necessary for desired consistency.

Homemade Organic Raw Cashew Milk

Necessity is the mother of invention, and when I realized I was out of milk (I didn't want to use the boys’ chocolate oat milk) I decided to give making my own nut milk a try.

Cashew milk is ridiculously easy to make and required very little prep time. I started soaking the cashews and dates at 8 am and had fresh healthy milk by lunch. Best of all no special equipment just my trusty old Ninja blender.

I used my Organic Bakers Extract from Costco in this. It’s a chocolate vanilla blend that added a nice but not chocolate flavor. The milk was way better than any I've bought and easy enough to put together while holding the baby.

I can't wait to try it out in my overnight oats in the morning.

Ingredients:

1 C Raw Cashews

2 Dates (you could also use a little maple syrup or other sweetener)

4 C Water

1 tsp Vanilla extract (or Organic Bakers extract from Costco)

Dash of Sea Salt

Soak the cashews and dates in a mason jar with just enough water to cover. Chill in the fridge 4 hours then drain.

Place drained cashews and dates in blender with 2 cups of water and process until smooth. Then add remaining 2 cups of water, vanilla extract, and salt. Process until incorporated.

That's it. Chill and use within 5 days

Carrot Raisin Muffins

Before embarking on a car trip to San Diego I thought these muffins would be the perfect breakfast to eat in the along the way. We like to get an early start and need something easy to store and eat in the car. You could certainly add nuts to these, I skipped them. The three year-old doesn't like nuts but he did give the nut free version a thumbs up.


Carrot Raisin Muffins
Makes 16 Muffins
3 large Carrots, grated (about 1 1/2 Cups)
1 C Raisins
1/2 C Plain Whole Milk Yogurt
1/2 C Maple Syrup
2 Eggs
1/3 C Sunflower Oil
2 C Unbleached White Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2  tsp Cinnamon


Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl beat together Yogurt, Maple Syrup, Eggs and Oil. In a small bowl mix together Flour, Baking Soda and Cinnamon. Mix dry ingredients into wet until just combined. Stir in Carrots and Raisins. Prepare two muffin tins, spray or line with cupcake papers. Fill  cups nearly to the top with muffin batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Shredded BBQ...sweet potatoes?!?!?

I love BBQ but when we are not eating meat it can be a tough craving to satisfy. I try not to use a lot of the meat replacement products because they are so highly processed. I came across this idea a few weeks ago but when I first attempted it I cooked it in a skillet it stuck to the pan and made a huge mess. It absorbed so much oil as I tried fruitlessly to keep it from sticking. I loved the concept of sweet potatoes as a shredded meat replacement and truth be told I just LOVE sweet potatoes, so I decided to give it another shot.  Baking the shredded sweet potatoes in the oven with just a spray of oil on either a silpat or parchment paper worked great. Nothing stuck and I was free to prep the rest of dinner while they baked. We served our shredded BBQ Sweet Potato Sliders with Kale Slaw and a few red onion slices that I tossed in a bit of vinegar while everything cooked.
Serves 2 hungry adults

Ingredients:
2 small Sweet Potatoes

1/2 C BBQ sauce

Spray oil, I used spectrum organic grape seed oil
Buns for Serving

Preheat oven to 400. Grate both sweet potatoes on the large side of the grater. Spread out grated potatoes on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Spray with a little oil, bake for about 15 minutes, flip potatoes and spray with more oil. Bake another 15 minutes. While potatoes are baking heat BBQ sauce in a small sauce pan. Toss cooked sweet potato in BBQ sauce and serve on Buns. 

Tofu Bahn Yum-Mi

I have seen the Bahn Mi sandwiches popping up everywhere lately but had yet to try this sweet, salty, tangy, crunchy, delight. All I can say about this sandwich is YUM! It has it all! I know this recipe will be making a regular appearance on the menu. We decided to bake the tofu in this recipe because we were making Roasted Cauliflower with Bang Bang Sauce as a side but you could fry or grill the tofu if you wish. Most recipes call for a Sriracha Mayo on the Bahn Mi but my latest obsession is Trader Joes Green Dragon Sauce and it was the perfect compliment to the ingredients in this sandwich. 

Serves 4

15 oz Extra Firm Tofu

2 Tbs Soy Sauce

1 Tbs Toasted Sesame Oil

1/2 tsp Garlic, granulated

1/2 tsp Ginger, powdered

1/3 C Rice Vinegar

1/4 C Sugar

1/2 Cucumber, thinly sliced

1 Bell Pepper, thinly sliced 

2 Carrots, grated

1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced

1 Jalapeño, thinly sliced 

1/2 C Cilantro leaves

1/2 C Just Mayo or Veganaise (if vegan)

Sriracha or Trader Joes Green Dragon sauce, to taste

2 crusty baguettes, split and cut into 4" lengths

Slice tofu into 1/2 inch thick rectangles (about 8 slices). Place slices on a few paper towels, top with more paper towels and then a cutting board or sheet pan. Place something heavy on top, I use cookbooks or a gallon of water to help press out the moisture for about 30 minutes. In a shallow dish combine soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. When tofu has been pressed place the tofu in the dish coating each side. Let marinade at least 30 minutes or overnight, if you want to prepare it in advance. 

Next combine rice vinegar and sugar in a medium sized bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Then add in the grated carrots, sliced cucumber, bell pepper and onion. Let sit at least 30 minutes. (This mixture is good in the fridge for a week or more.)

Preheat oven to 400 and bake tofu for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Alternately tofu can be fried in a skillet over medium heat with a bit of oil for about 3 minutes per side. 

While tofu is cooking mix mayo with Sriracha or Green Dragon Sauce, use as much or as little as you like to add heat.

Drain marinade off veggies, set aside.

To build sandwiches spread a little of the mayo mixture on both sides of bread. Top one side with jalapeños, slice of tofu, vegetable mixture, and a sprinkle of cilantro and top with other half of bread. 

Cinnamon Raisin Oat Muffins

Don't you just hate when you can't find a recipe that you want to make? I couldn't find the recipe I was looking for, then the brand new bag of wheat bran I had in the pantry smelled off, so I decided to scrap my original plan and go rogue and I'm glad I did.
These muffin were born from what I had in the pantry and a desire to make them as healthy as possible. No refined sugars or oils here! They came out moist and flavorful, but I found their flavor improved overnight and the orange zest really shined.
Each muffin has 12 grams of fiber and only 10 grams of sugar so they are a healthy and delicious way to start the morning!

Cinnamon Raisin Oat Muffins
Makes 24 

3 oz Unsweetened Apple Sauce (I used one of the toddlers pouches)

3 Eggs

4 Tbs Blackstrap Molasses

1 C Non-fat Greek Yogurt

Zest of an Orange

1 C Orange Juice

2 tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 1/2 C Oats that have taken a quick trip through the food processor to break them up a bit. 

2 C Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/2 C Raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line 24 muffin cups, set aside. In a large bowl mix together apple sauce, eggs, molasses and orange zest. Then add yogurt and orange juice. In a separate bowl mix together cinnamon, baking soda, flour and oats.  Mix wet and dry ingredients until they just start to come together. Then mix in raisins. Scoop batter into muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 minutes. 

Goat Cheese stuffed Jalapeño Poppers

Jalapeño Poppers are one of my favorite "bar food", watching football treats but at 70 calories a pop they can really add up and sabotage your day. We created these lightened up little beauties that only weigh in at 30 calories a piece but have way more flavor than their deep fried counterparts. 

Makes 12 poppers

6 Jalapeños, sliced in half lengthwise and seeded

2.5 oz of Soft Goat Cheese (about a 1/4 Cup)

1 Tbs Fat-free Greek Yogurt

1/4 C shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Make a "slotted tray" out of foil to lay on a cookie sheet if you wish, it helps keep the poppers from falling over and the filling from spilling out. Combine goat cheese and yogurt. Spoon filling into each half of jalapeño. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes or until jalapeños are soft and cheese is melted.  

BBQ Veggie and Chickpea Pitas

Sometimes I get ahead of myself. I cooked up a big batch of beans the other day with plans of making hummus, but I forgot we didn't have tahini. Last night we still had a ton of Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) in the fridge after making Fried Chickpea and Spinach Pitas with Creamy Yogurt Sauce the night before. I really didn't feel like making anything exotic so we threw together this stupid easy filling for wraps. The beauty of this recipe is that it can be adapted to any old veggies you have in your fridge. You could swap out the zucchini with bell peppers, mushrooms, cooked sweet potato chunks, winter squash, asparagus, you get the idea. We used this as a fridge cleaner since we also had a jar of homemade BBQ sauce from last week and Pitas from the night before. Sometimes you just need an easy dinner that you can feel good about.

:

Serves 2-3
For the filling:

2 C Chickpeas, or One 15 oz can of drained Chickpeas

1/2 Zucchini, quartered and chopped

1/2 Yellow Squash, quartered and chopped

4 C Greens (Spinach, Kale, Chard, whatever)

1 C of your favorite BBQ Sauce

2 Tbs of Oil

Tortillas or Pitas for serving 

You can even top it with a sprinkle of Blue Cheese if you please!

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Toss in veggies and cook until softened. Add chickpeas to brown. Toss in greens and bbq sauce, cover with lid and cook until greens are wilted and sauce is heated. Serve in rolled up tortillas or pita bread with a sprinkle of cheese if desired.

BBQ Meatless Loaf

I have experimented with many a meatless burger, loaf, meatball over the years and have not found many that stuck together well and had flavor. This recipe delivered on both counts. We used Trader Joe's Organic Sriracha and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce on ours but you could use whatever Barbeque Sauce you like. We served it with a super simple side dish of roasted carrots that were topped with a bit of Parmesan cheese and fresh basil after they came out of the oven. This loaf was even good cold as a sandwich the next day!

BBQ Meatless Loaf
Serves 6

1 Tbs Oil

1 Onion, diced

2 Clove Garlic, finely chopped 

1 C Red Bell Pepper, diced

8 oz Crimini Mushrooms, diced

2 Cans Black Beans, drained

2 Tbs Chili Powder, salt free

2 tsp Smoked Paprika 

1 C Oatmeal

4 Tbs Trader Joes Sriracha and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce or your favorite BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large skillet over medium heat saute onion, garlic, red bell pepper and mushrooms in oil until soft. Stir in spices then mix in beans. Mix about half of the oatmeal and mash mixture with back of spoon or potato masher adding in oats until you get a doughy consistency that starts to stick together.

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal of the loaf. Press bean mixture into pan and cover with BBQ Sauce.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from pan, slice and enjoy!

Vegetable & Lentil Bolognese

There is an awesome recipe for lentil meatballs that we have been making for a while (and I linked it here) and I was actually planning on making tonight but things don't always work out as planned. The toddler has been in rare form today and there was no way I was pulling off the meatball recipe so I improvised. I can't give exact times for how long I sautéed everything because I was busy playing firefighter while making dinner. So embrace the craziness, crack open a bottle of red wine and make this recipe while saving the world. 

Vegetable and Lentil Bolognese

 Serves 8

1 C Lentils, Black or Green (red don't hold up well)

2 C Vegetable Broth 

1 Yellow Onion, finely diced

4 cloves Garlic, minced

8 oz Crimini Mushrooms, stems removed and diced

1 Zucchini, diced

1 C Red Wine, plus more for drinking!

1 Tbs Olive Oil 

2 tsp Oregano 

1 tsp Rosemary leaves 

1/5 tsp Thyme 

2 jars Pasta Sauce or 6 C homemade pasta sauce

Your preferred noodles for serving 

Cook lentils a few minutes less than package directions in vegetable broth to keep them firm. In a large skillet over medium low heat add olive oil and onion, cook until translucent. Add mushrooms and garlic continue cooking until onions begin to brown, then add zucchini. When zucchini is soft and onions are brown add spices, lentils and wine. Continue cooking until wine is absorbed. Add in jars of pasta sauce and serve over noodles. 
(This recipe freezes well so don't worry about making too much.)

Peasants Pie

 I didn't want to call this Vegetarian Shepard's Pie, Shepard's Pie has meat and this dish isn't trying to pretend to be something its not. Peasants Pie stands on its own with a rich gravy filled with sweet carrots and turnips, earthy mushrooms and garlic, topped with a slightly cheesy mash of baked sweet potato. 

Peasants Pie is a great Meatless Monday recipe that can be easily made Vegan with a few changes. If you are a strict vegan or vegetarian most Natural Food Stores carry a vegan Worcestershire sauce and you could sub out the Parmesan cheese for nutritional yeast. If you are just going for an easy yet hardy Meatless Monday dish forgo the trip to the store and just use what you have on hand. Sometimes ingredients can be hard to track down, especially if you live in a town as small as mine!

Ingredients:
1 Yellow Onion, diced

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

3 stalks of Celery, chopped

8 oz Crimini Mushrooms, sliced

2 Turnips (about the size of your fist), peeled and cubed

3 Carrots, peeled and sliced

1 Tbs Oil

2 tsp dried Thyme

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

2 Tbs Flour

1 1/2 to 2 C Vegetable Broth

2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce 

1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar 

For Topping:

2 medium Sweet Potatoes, baked

1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

+2 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan Cheese for top

Preheat oven to 375. 

In a large skillet over medium heat oil, then add onions, garlic and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes then add in mushrooms cooking an additional 3 minutes before adding the carrots and turnips. Next add the thyme, pepper and flour stirring well and cooking until the flour starts to brown. Then slowly add in 1 1/2 C of the vegetable broth, scraping the pan to remove any browned bits from the bottom. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes adding remaining 1/2 C of broth if gravy gets too thick. 

Meanwhile mash the cooked sweet potatoes with 1/4 C Parmesan Cheese. 

Pour vegetables and gravy into a deep pie dish or 8x8 pan. Spread potatoes over top of vegetable mixture and top with remaining Parmesan cheese and bake for 20 minutes.  

Spaghetti Squash with Caramelized Onions, Feta and Basil

Spaghetti Squash, my least favorite of the squash family. People are always trying to pass it off as spaghetti hidden under a store bought jar of marinara sauce, or worse a Bolognese both of which are too heavy for the delicate strands of spaghetti squash. This dish was created to celebrate the transition of Summer into Fall with tomatoes and basil from the Summer garden and onions and squash grown to be stored for the winter. Spaghetti squash certainly doesn't have much of a taste on its own so we have punched it up a bit with salty feta and kalamata olives as well as garlic roasted alongside the squash.

Spaghetti Squash with Caramelized Onions, Feta,
and Basil

Serves 4
1 Spaghetti Squash

2 cloves Garlic 

1 Yellow Onion, sliced

1 can Diced Tomatoes 

1 Tbs Olive Oil 

9 Kalamata Olives, chopped 

4 oz Feta Cheese, crumbled 

3 Tbs Basil, chiffonade

Preheat oven 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice spaghetti squash open lengthwise and scrape out seeds (I use an ice cream scoop). Place spaghetti squash cut side down on parchment lined baking sheet with cloves of garlic (unpeeled), bake 35-45 minutes. Squash is done when a sharp knife easily pierces the flesh. 

While squash and garlic cook, heat a saucepan over medium low, add in onion and oil stirring occasionally until onions start to caramelize.  When onions are caramelized add in tomatoes and simmer with lid on.

When squash and garlic are done, squeeze garlic out of peel, chop and scrape garlic into tomato sauce. Continue cooking the sauce while you prepare squash.

In a large bowl when squash is cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh with a fork to produce strands of squash noodles. Pour sauce over noodles and toss with fresh basil. Serve with a garnish of Feta and Kalamata Olives.

Approximately 225 Calories, 10 grams of Fat, 28 grams of Carbs, 6 grams of Fiber and 8 grams of Protein per serving. 

Caramelized Onion Dip

With Summer barbecues right around the corner I thought it was time to share a tastier alternative to a summer staple. Who hasn't stirred a packet of French Onion Soup Mix into a container of sour cream, but those ingredients (not to mention taste) of those packets are terrible. With a little time, mostly away from the stove, you will have a dip that will make you forget about those packets forever!

Ingredients:

1 Yellow Onion, diced

2 Tbs Butter

1/4 C Sweet White Wine, like a Reisling

2 tsp Roasted Garlic Veganaise (optional but very tasty addition)

1/2-3/4 C Sour Cream (depending on how big your onion is!)  

In a large skillet over medium low heat cook onions and butter stirring every 5 minutes.

Once onions are translucent add 1/4 cup of wine. I use a sweet wine to help the onions achive a nice caramelization and add flavor to the onions.

I let the onions cook for a total of 45 minutes but you don't want to hover over this. You need to step away and let the onions do their thing. Mine got a little dark in spots because someone woke up from their nap a little cranky. 

I let the onions cool and added them to the sour cream and mayonnaise. You may want a little more or less sour cream depending on how big of onion you used. 

Chill dip for at least 30 minutes or overnight. It's great with chips, as a sandwich spread or with sea salt roasted potato wedges. 

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

This was one of our recipes that we served during our Gluten Free cooking class. It's a great way to use up those heels of bread you usually toss! It's also great if you are not Gltien Free, you can sub wheat bread in place of the Gluten Free!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan Dippers

Serves 2

1 Eggplant cut into 1/3” slices

1 Egg

2 Slices of Gluten Free Bread (or whole wheat bread if you are not GF)

1 Tbs Italian Seasoning

1 tsp Garlic Powder

2 Tbs Parmesan

2-4 oz Shredded Mozzarella or Jack Cheese

Sea Salt

Grapeseed Oil Spray

Pasta Sauce to Serve

Preheat oven to 400. Line cookie sheet with silpat  baking mat or parchment paper. Place sliced eggplant onto paper towel and salt each side then top with another couple of pieces of paper towel to pull moisture out of eggplant.

Meanwhile, place bread, italian seasoning, garlic powder and parmesan cheese into food processor and process into crumbs.  Beat egg in a cereal bowl. Pour bread crumbs onto plate or another cereal bowl.

Take eggplant and pat off excess salt. Dip each slice of eggplant into egg then bread crumbs. Repeat with each slice then lay on prepared cookie sheet. Lightly spray each piece of eggplant with grapeseed oil spray. Bake eggplant for 10 minutes, flip each slice and then top with a little cheese. Bake another 10 minutes.

Serve with heated Pasta Sauce.

Spring Pasta with Fresh Peas

What's for dinner is an easy question this time of year. So many great items are in season right now! If you have never eaten fresh peas you have to try them! It's really not hard to shell them, and you can get the kids to help. The flavor is so different from frozen or (shudder) caned peas. 

Also only available this time of year are spring onions and garlic. They are the immature bulbs of onion and garlic. They are sweeter and not as pungent as their grown up counterparts. They add wonderful flavor to this super simple pasta. I have also used them for a spring onion soup, in salads and on sandwiches. I could go on and on about how wonderful these are, and part of their charm is they are only in season for a short time.

1-1 1/2 lbs Fresh English Peas in shell

1 bulb Spring Garlic

1 bulb Red Spring Onion

8-10 Crimini Mushrooms

4 Tbs Unsalted Butter

8 oz Organic Valley Cream Cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

6 oz dry Pasta cooked according to package directions

In a large bowl shell remove peas from shell, set aside. Slice onion and garlic lengthwise and cut lengths into half moon shape and set aside in small bowl. Slice mushrooms. In a large skillet over medium heat melt butter then add in onions and peas. Cook until peas start to turn bright green. Next add in mushrooms, cook until softened. 

Add in cream cheese that has been cut into cubes. Stir until melted and combined. Add in cooked pasta to coat in sauce. Add salt and pepper if desired.

Serve with garlic bread!

Pasta Salad with Veganaise Gourmet Spread

6 oz uncooked Whole Wheat Penne Pasta

1 medium Zucchini diced

2 Tbs diced Red Onion

2 Carrots Shedded

1/2 C Grape Tomatoes halved

1/2 C shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 - 3/4 C Roasted Garlic Veganaise (or Pesto, Chipotle or Barbeque flavor)

Cook Pasta according to package directions. In a large bowl combine Pasta, Zucchini, Red Onion, Carrots, Grape Tomatoes, and Cheddar Cheese. Next stir in Veganaise. I like to mix the ingredients together while the pasta is still  warm. The pasta absorbs the dressing ( in this case the Veganaise) and the flavor penetrates throughout the salad.

Grown Up Grilled Cheese #1

We recently started carrying raw milk and cheese from Meadow Wayne Dairy at our store and they have been sampling all kinds of yummy cheese. With the weather turning cold and lots of cheese on hand I had to make grilled cheese. I always have to put my spin on things so here is one of my recipes for Grown Up Grilled Cheese.

Smoked Mozzarella with Apples and Almond Butter (Sounds crazy, tastes delectable)

Serves 1

2 Slices any whole grain bread

2 tbs natural unsalted almond butter

1/2 apple-sliced

2 oz (about) sliced smoked mozzarella cheese

Butter or Butter it Up Spray

In a small skillet over medium low heat cook apple until soft, set aside. Butter or spray outside of bread.Spread 1 tablespoon almond butter on inside of each piece of bread, top with cheese and then apple. 

Place both pieces if bread butter side down on skillet over medium low heat. Put lid in pan to help melt the cheese, set timer for 2 minutes. Put both halves of sandwich together and cook additional 2 minutes each side or until melted and nicely browned.