24 Oct 2013
by marisashealthykitchen
in Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes
Tags: apple, autumn, butternut squash, butternut squash soup, carrot, cinnamon, coconut, coconut milk, comfort food, fall, nutmeg, onion, parsnips, quick and easy, soup, vegan, vegetarian
Today was that perfect Fall day. Super brisk yet still super sunny highlighting those gorgeous fall colors!! We spent the late afternoon crunching on all the fallen leaves and a messy outdoor art project!! It was a bit chilly and as it got later (and colder) I figured it was the perfect day for a warm & creamy soup. Yum!!
I was thinking Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk. Then I decided to add carrots from the CSA and apples we picked last weekend. I figured this was going to be a winning combination and it was!
I used pre-chopped butternut squash which made this meal a breeze and done within 30 minutes!
Butternut Squash, Carrot & Apple Soup
- medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 apples, peeled and chopped
- bag of carrots/parsnips, peeled and chopped
- 4 cups (water & broth)(I used 2 of each)
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 1 can of coconut milk (all I had was light and it still came out creamy)
- dash of nutmeg & cinnamon
In a large pot sauté onions in olive oil while peeling and cutting the squash, carrots & apples.
Turn the heat down and add the veggies, stirring until they are all added.
Add liquid and salt &pepper.
Cover and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer until the squash and carrots are soft.
Using an immersion blender puree completely smooth in the same pot.
Add coconut milk, nutmeg & cinnamon, taste and season, stir (I used the blender again) and enjoy!
20 Oct 2013
by marisashealthykitchen
in Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes
Tags: apple, apple cider, apple cider caramel, caramel, cinnamon, corn starch, dessert, dip, entertaining, ginger, lemon juice, maple syrup, sauces, snack, sugar, vegan, vegan caramel, vegan shortening, vegan sugar, vegetarian
No I am not joking with this! SOO good! This is one of those awesome desserts that no one would believe is actually vegan 🙂 Perfect for this beautiful Autumn Apple Season!
I whipped up the caramel sauce, sliced some apples and deelish!
This is just a basic recipe that you can then play around with for many variations.
- You can change up the cider to another liquid (chai, vanilla soy, pear juice, coconut milk, tea, etc)
- Use 1 tsp to up to 3 Tbsp corn starch – the more you add, the thicker the sauce will become. (I am going to use more next time since as it warms up out of the fridge it became a bit runny – see picture below)
- The lemon juice is optional but really complimented the warm apple cider flavors quite nicely.
Vegan Apple Cider Caramel sauce
recipe from kblog.lunchboxbunch.com (love this site!!!)
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup vegan shortening (I used Earth Balance shortening sticks)
1 cup vegan dry sugar
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1-3 Tbsp corn starch (I used 1Tbsp – next time more – see above)
1 tsp ginger powder
Dash cinnamon
2 Tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt (opt’l)
1 tsp molasses (opt’l)
1. Dissolve the corn starch into the cider.
2. Add the cider/starch to a sauce pan with the other ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil – stirring constantly. When the bubbling becomes intense, reduce to medium heat and continue stirring until the mixture thickens a bit. Optional – use a food processor or (better) an immersion blender to add some air into the sauce. If you don’t have anything to whip the caramel with it will still turn out fine – just a bit less airy.
3. Remove from heat. Pour the sauce into a bowl and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Once chilled, use sauce as you wish in recipes!
07 Oct 2013
by marisashealthykitchen
in Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes
Tags: basil, dill, entertaining, feta, garlic, greek, green onion, h'orderves, leek, lemon juice, majoram, non-dairy cheese, nutmed, nutritional yeast, olive oil, onion, oregano, puff pastry, scallion, sides, snack, Spanakopita, spinach, Spinach Pie, thyme, tofu, vegan, vegan cheese, vegan feta, vegetarian, walnuts
My kids are Obsessed with Spanakopita so naturally I had to make some at home. It was hard to save them some 😉 but we did manage it. I have made this since without the puff pastry because the filling is just so good on its own. Also love my veganized version with tofu, no one would even notice, it is just so good!
Spanakopita – Spinach Pie
2 – 10 ounce packages frozen spinach, thawed
1 pound extra firm tofu, crumbled
1 teaspoon dill
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup walnuts, ground
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
pepper, taste
1/4 cup olive oil
dashes of nutmeg, thyme, marjoram, basil and oregano
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, quartered and chopped (cleaned super well!)
4 scallions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed (or phyllo dough)
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Saute the onion with a little salt in olive oil until translucent. Add in the leeks, garlic and scallions, season with salt, and continue to saute until translucent.
- Combine the spinach, tofu, dill, lemon juice, walnuts, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, olive oil & spices together and mix well.
- Combine onion mixture with the spinach/tofu mixture.
- Line a baking sheet with ether parchment paper or aluminum foil. Unfold puff pastry and place on baking sheet. Spread the spinach mixture over the pastry, leaving a border of one inch all around the edges. Keep the spinach flat; do not pile high. Cover with the second sheet of pastry that has been slightly flattened to one inch bigger than the first sheet. (This ensures all the spinach will be covered). Press edges together with fingertips, making sure mixture is sealed well. Brush just the top with non-dairy milk, Cut a few slits in the top with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape.
- Bake 30-40 minutes, until golden brown. Can be served hot or at room temperature.
You have options for the extra filling. You can use it like a dip, eat it with a spoon or take another sheet of puff pastry and made deelish spinach pinwheels!
For the pinwheels: Unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface. Top with the spinach mixture. Starting at a short side, roll up like a jelly roll. Cut into 1/2-inch slices. Place the slices onto 2 baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheets and let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.
22 Aug 2013
by marisashealthykitchen
in Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes
Tags: baguette, bean dip, cannellini beans, comfort food, crackers, dip, entertaining, garlic, h'orderves, lemon juice, martha stewart, marthastewart.com, olive oil, quick and easy, red wine vinegar, roasted garlic, rosemary, sides, snack, vegan, vegetarian
I have made this dish now a few times and every time I prepared it a bit differently and every time it came out deelish!! Super easy, super yummy, healthy and everyone will love it!
I am really into cooking dried beans lately instead of using canned ones. I found this insanely easy technique of just soaking them and cooking them on low for 4+ hours in a crock pot! Done, easy peasy!! Beautiful! You will never have to use canned beans again unless you are in a pinch!!
3 variations:
- red wine vinegar or lemon juice
- roasted garlic blended in & saved some full roasted cloves for garnish
- fresh garlic blended
Rosemary White Bean Dip
- baguette or crackers
- 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed & drained OR 1/2 lb dried beans, soaked & cooked
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 to 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- (optional) fresh or roasted garlic
If using baguette, slice 1/2 inch thick, brush with olive oil, and cook in a 350-degree oven until lightly toasted.
In a food processor, combine cannellini beans, olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice and garlic (optional). Process until smooth, adding water if necessary. Add 2 teaspoons rosemary and pulse until combined. Season with salt & pepper and Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with a little oil.
25 Jul 2013
by marisashealthykitchen
in Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes
Tags: beet, beet greens, chicory, CSA, entertaining, entree, farmers market, garlic, garlic pesto, garlic scape pesto, garlic scapes, olive oil, parmigian, pasta, pesto, pignoli nuts, pine nuts, side, spaghetti, vegan, vegetarian
We are LOVING our first summer being part of a CSA. A super awesome surprise box of beyond fresh veggies every week 🙂 What a great present to have! Before joining the CSA I had never had a garlic scape before. Garlic scapes are the beautiful bright green stems and unopened flower buds of garlic. I heard that if you place them in water, their flowers are beautiful!! (but then your house will also smell of garlic!). They have a mild-strong garlic flavor, depending, and can be used a variety of ways, often times just in place of garlic itself. You can find them early summer at farmer’s markets and they are quite the gem!
I decided to try making a pesto with them. I ended up adding a bunch of baby spinach to tame down the powerful garlic flavor, but in the end it was DEELISH! We used it to make pesto pasta, sautéed greens (from the CSA), as a condiment in wraps and even the babies Loved it as a dip with baby carrots. 
Garlic Scape Pesto
- 10 garlic scapes
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
- 1/3 cup pignoli nuts + some for garnish
- 1/3 cup finely grated parmigian (optional)
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Puree everything together, scraping down the sides to incorporate everything. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with pignoli nuts. Simple and delicious.
For Pasta – Just boil 1 lb of pasta and combine with Pesto.
For Sauteed Chicory – Boil Chicory for about 5 minutes to remove some of the bitterness and then saute with pesto. Amazing!! A CSA Fave!!!
For Baby Beet Greens – Chop up, saute the stems first till they soften a bit and then add the greens and mix with pesto. (enjoy the beets with this or on their own)
01 Jul 2013
by marisashealthykitchen
in Raw Vegan Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes
Tags: cashew, garlic, gf, gluten-free, lemon juice, maca, nutmeg, nutritional yeast, olive oil, parmesan, pasta, pinenut, pinenut parmesan, spinach, thyme, zucchini, Zucchini Pasta
It’s been a while since I made zucchini noodles. They are so easy and so nutritious and such a light and quick meal. You need the spiralizer, but it is such a fun and inexpensive addition to your kitchen, so an easy investment. I have always loved these noodles because they are raw, vegan, deelish and healthy, but my sister loves them because they are gluten-free and still has that fun pasta meal feel to them. So awesome for everyone!
I love love love the Pinenut Parmesan. I have used it with so many different dishes as it is so versatile and deelish!
Check out these other Zucchini Noodle dish ideas 🙂
Amazing Raw “Peanut” Sauce and Zucchini Noodles, Raw Zucchini Noodles and ‘Peanut’ Sauce II, Raw Sweet & Spicy Sesame Noodles, Lemon Basil Pesto & Raw Zucchini Pasta, Raw Zucchini Noodles with Pesto and Sun-dried Tomatoes and Zucchini Noodles with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto.
Raw Zucchini Noodles with Creamy Spinach Sauce
Pasta
2-4 zucchinis, spiralized
Creamy Spinach Sauce
4 cups spinach
1 small garlic clove
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup water
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp thyme
Blend in high speed blender until very smooth.
Pinenut Parmesan from Raw Crisp Caesar Salad Recipe
1/2 cup pinenuts
1/2 cup whole cashews or macadamia nuts
2 teaspoon good oil or fresh water
6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
pinch dried garlic granules or powder
pinch Celtic or sea salt
First process macadamias and cashews until ground. Then add the pine nuts and process briefly. Follow with the rest of the ingredients and process until well mixed.
Toss the noodles with the sauce and sprinkle with Pine Nut Parmesan. Serve & Enjoy.
18 Jun 2013
by marisashealthykitchen
in Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes
Tags: bok choy, boston bib lettuce, carrot, Cleanse, cucumber, ginger, green, jalapeno, lettuce wrap, lime juice, mint, onion, Peanut Sauce, peanuts, quick and easy, red pepper, rice wine vinegar, sauces, sesame seed oil, sides, snack, tofu, vegan, vegetarian
I am obsessed with Lettuce Wraps! I think it is the ultimate light fresh meal. Typically the filling is cooked and hot, but it being so warm out I wanted a nice cooling easy no-cook meal.
I have always loved the ones at Gobo and also at Wild Ginger. I thought it was about time I made my own 🙂 I am so happy I did, loved this meal!
What is your favorite lettuce wrap recipe? I want to try out some more variations!!
Tofu Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce
2 blocks extra-firm tofu, diced
4 carrots, grated
4 stalks boy choy, shredded
1 sweet onions, grated or diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 cucumbers, peeled and grated
4 tablespoons mint, chopped
3 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
3 inches ginger, peeled and grated
2 jalapenos, diced
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
24 large boston bib lettuce leaves, washed and patted dried
24 peanuts, chopped
- In a bow, combine tofu, carrots, bok choy, onion, pepper, cucumber and mint.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oils, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, ginger, jalapeno, and salt.
- Add tofu and veggies to the peanut sauce and toss.
- Serve on lettuce leaves garnished with peanuts.
10 Jun 2013
by marisashealthykitchen
in Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes
Tags: agave, almond, almond flour, chocolate, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, comfort food, dates, dessert, fudge, PB2, peanut butter, powdered sugar, quick and easy, snack, vegan, vegetarian
PB2 is a fun powdered peanut butter made out of roasted peanuts, salt, and sugar. It has 85% less fat calories than typical peanut butter so I thought it would be a fun product to experiment with.
I think that chocolate and peanut butter is pretty much the ultimate combination for dessert, so of course it was the best place to start with this product. This was a yummy fudge that wasn’t overkill on the powdered sugar, which I typically LOVE but shouldn’t eat all the time of course 🙂 Enjoy!
If you have tried PB2 – let me know what fun recipes you have come up with!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
3 tablespoons of peanut butter
2 heaping tablespoons of PB2
2 heaping tablespoons powdered sugar
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
3 dates
1/4 cup agave
1/3 cup cocoa butter, chopped
2 heaping tablespoons almond flour (ground almonds)
pinch of salt
Place all ingredients in food processor and blend till smooth. Spoon and smooth into an 8×8 glass baking dish. place in fridge or freezer to set. Enjoy!
23 May 2013
by marisashealthykitchen
in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes
Tags: avaocado, avocado, chery tomatoes, comfort food, corn tortilla, garlic, grape tomatoes, jalapeno, mexican, onion, quick and easy, red pepper, romaine, soy, taco, tempeh, vegan, vegan taco, vegetarian, whole grain tortilla
We love tempeh and tacos so this was a perfect dinner for us! I have made tacos with soy crumbles before but decided to grate tempeh this time and it was sooo good! YUM!
Tempeh Tacos
Makes 4 – 6 servings
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 red pepper, diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 8-ounce packages tempeh, grated
4 tablespoons Mexican seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
12 whole grain or corn tortillas
avocados, romaine lettuce, and jalapeños for add-ins
- Sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper and jalapeño in olive oil until soft. Add tempeh and continue to sauté for 2 minutes. Add seasoning, salt, and water. Cook the mixture 10 to 25 minutes, until enough liquid evaporates.
- Fill each tortilla with 2 or 3 tablespoons of tempeh mixture and your choice of add-ins.
07 May 2013
by marisashealthykitchen
in Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes
Tags: almond, cayenne, coconut, coconut milk, comfort food, entertaining, garlic powder, gravy, maple syrup, mushroom gravy, mushrooms, nutritional yeast, quinoa, quinoa risotto, risotto, romantic, saffron, sauces, scallion, sliced almonds, vegan, vegan gravy, vegan risotto, vegetarian
Just reading the name of this recipe makes my mouth water with how good it was!!!! To me this was perfect date/impress/romantic/thank goodness for leftovers food.
Coco-Almond Quinoa Risotto with Saffron Coconut Mushroom Gravy
recipe from kblog.lunchboxbunch.com
makes 8-9 cups (lots of leftovers – half recipe to serve just a few, but if you are like me make the whole thing!)
Risotto:
4 ounces coconut milk
8 ounces almonds, sliced
2 cups scallions, sliced (1 bunch)
16 ounces quinoa, dry (about 2 1/2 cups) – rinsed
5 1/2 cups water
1-2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp herbed sea salt
Gravy:
8 ounces coconut milk
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2-3 Tbsp nutritional yeast, pinch salt
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 cups sliced white mushrooms
a spoonful of cooked quinoa risotto
1/2 tsp saffron (optional)
add a splash of water if you’d like a thinner gravy
1. Using a large pot – bring your water and a pinch of salt to a strong boil. Add the rinsed quinoa. Cover with a small vent and allow to boil for 10-12 minutes on med-high heat.
2. When the ten minutes is up, remove the lid completely from the large quinoa pot. Not all the liquid will be absorbed. Add in: all your almond, scallions and a splash of coconut milk. Also grind in some fresh pepper.
3. Stir with a wooden spoon and turn the heat down a bit. The ingredients will begin to absorb more of the liquid and a thick risotto will begin to form.
4. Next add in the nutritional yeast, maple syrup (just a splash), garlic powder and risotto mushrooms. Continue folding the quinoa until a moist thick consistency forms. Like a very thick oatmeal. Turn heat off and begin spooning the quinoa out of the pot and into a serving/storage bowl. You can also begin plating your quinoa.
5. In the same pot, you will make the gravy. It’s OK if some of the quinoa ( a few spoonfuls) remains in the pot. This will help to thicken your gravy.
6. For gravy: add all the gravy ingredients and stir on medium until sauce thickens. Allow saffron to bloom. Remove from heat and spoon gravy over top plated quinoa – or transfer to a gravy serving bowl.
7. Plate your risotto and then add the gravy. Garnish with fresh pepper and plenty of mushrooms from the gravy. ENJOY!!
Plated Risotto
Risotto
Gravy
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