Spring Pasta Salad

14 Apr 2016 Leave a comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Cooking With Kids, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Today really felt like SPRING! So amazing outside!!!!! While we were playing outside I got the idea to make a pasta salad! It just felt right, so seasonal and perfect! LOVE!
I normally make things on a large scale but this was just for my kids’ lunch and husbands’ dinner 😉 So if you want to make this bigger, double or triple the recipe! This salad will taste great right away but also will get more tastier as the flavors get to mingle in the fridge! Yum!

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Spring Pasta Salad

1/2 a box of pasta (1/2 pound) elbow or other
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 cup bell peppers, diced
1/2 a cucumber, diced
1/2 a can of black olives, quartered
1/2 a can of chickpeas
1/2 an avocado, chopped
1/8-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8-1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper, to taste

1. Bring water to boil and cook pasta according to the pox.
2. While pasta is cooking prep and chop all the veggies and place in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and give a good stir.
3. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and cool for a few minutes. Then add to the bowl and stir to incorporate.
4. Chill further and enjoy!

And here it is as lunch for my littles 🙂 Fun!!!

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Vegan Creamy Polenta with Sausage and Peppers

18 Mar 2013 2 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sausage and Peppers (vegan style of course) has always been the ultimate comfort food meal for me. But I think I totally stepped it up by adding super creamy and deelish polenta. The perfect combo! I would say make more of this one as it will go super fast!

Another Vegan Sausage and Peppers recipe 🙂

Vegan Creamy Polenta with Sausage and Peppers

  • 2 packages vegan sausage, sliced 1/2″ rounds (My favorites are Field Roast and Tofurkey)
  • 1 sweet onion, sliced thin
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 bell pepper, sliced (I don’t like green peppers so I always use red, yellow or orange – but your preference)
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • Creamy Polenta, recipe below
  1. Saute sausage over medium heat until well browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  2. Over medium-high heat, saute the onion in olive oil about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute a minute more.
  3. Add the wine to deglaze the pan, Simmer until the wine has reduced by half. Add the peppers, fennel, salt and pepper, cooking about 3 minutes more until the peppers are tender but still brightly colored. Add the sausage back in and mix.
  4. Serve with creamy polenta.

Creamy Polenta

  • 4 2/3 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese
  1. Add the water and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  2. Add the cornmeal, whisking to break up any lumps.
  3. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring periodically.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in the vegan cream cheese. Serve & Enjoy!

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