Raw Juice Pulp Cake

March 20, 2013 by aprilcmast

I’m always looking for ways to reinvent my juicing pulp since I have so much in my freezer. I usually make raw burgers by mixing sunflower seeds and a few other things together, then dehydrating them. I’ll post that recipe soon but until then you’ve got to try this! This turned out great but I’ll also be experimenting with many new additions!

When you use leftover pulp containing beets it comes out a beautiful red velvet color! You can’t even tell there are veggies in this, everyone will be fooled AND you won’t waste your pulp!! Sorry about the bad pics but you know the story!

Raw Juice Pulp Cake

INGREDIENTS

Cake

3 cups of leftover juice pulp (I used beet, basil, fennel & carrot pulp – pulp with beets in it are really good in this recipe!)
1/2 cup almonds or cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours
3/4 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup psyllium husks
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
zest of one lemon or orange

Date Icing

1 cup dates, soaked for at least 1 hour
juice of one lemon or orange
2 teaspoons of psyllium husks

Optional mix-ins – Haven’t tried these yet but I think they would be good?

* Unsweetened shredded coconut – add to cake mix or icing

* 1/2 banana into the cake mix

* Almond butter

* Cacao powder

Instructions:

Cake – place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until well mixed, stopping to scrape sides and push mixture along if it gets stuck
Press cake mixture into a pan – I used a 8″ x 8″ pan but you could use a pie pan
Icing – blend dates, psyllium husks and lemon together until you have thick frosting consistency – I used my magic bullet for this, next time I’ll use my mini food processor
Spread icing on top of cake and let cake sit for 10 or so minutes. I let mine sit in the fridge for 30 minutes but I don’t think that’s necessary. Cut and serve!

Original recipe idea from The Raw Food Mum

So pretty!

Couldn't resist eating more, it's so good!

Couldn’t resist… it’s so good!

“Uh… Mom…. What in the heck is this?”

“I guess I”ll try it…”

“OOH! I LIKE IT!”

Ava’s still working on her dinner, cake later

Raw Juice Pulp Cake

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Leftovers Lasagna with Veggie “Pasta”

March 17, 2013 by aprilcmast

My kids often refuse to eat leftovers so I have to get crafty. Heck, sometimes I’m not even thrilled about eating leftovers. I’ve developed a knack for turning leftovers into lasagna using a few base ingredients. I always see great responses when I post the pics on my Facebook page so I figured it’s time to write a post about it!

This post may seem complicated because I listed off all the options but it’s really easy! Just use up whatever leftovers you have, add some sauce and veggies and WALAH!!!!

One of my many Leftovers Lasagna creations!

Leftovers Lasagna with “Veggie” Pasta

Possible “pasta” options:

* Regular pasta noodles – 1 or 2 boxes, depending how much you like.

* Thinly sliced and peeled sweet potatoes – I use my mandolin and slice them on the “thin” setting, longways (2 medium to large ones for a 9″ x 13″ pan)

* Thinly sliced zucchini or yellow squash – I slice these a tiny bit thicker than the sweet potatoes, longways (4-5 medium ones for a 9″ x 13″ pan)

* Thinly sliced polenta tube – you’ll need 2 tubes for a full 9″ x 13″ pan

Possible sauce options:

* 1-2 jars of pasta sauce – I often use Trader Joe’s No Salt Added sauce. I like to use about 1 to 1 1/2 jars of sauce but I like it saucy!

* Homemade pasta sauce – I love to use leftover Lentil Bolognese or Easy Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce

* Real Deal Nacho Cheeze or LowFat Vegan Nacho Cheese - I use these if I have Mexican’ish leftovers – Ancho Lentil Bowls, also good with leftover Crockpot Lentil Chili

* I really love adding in leftover Unprocessed Creamy Artichoke Spinach Dip or Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip as a layer in between everything! So yummy!

Possible layer options:

* Sweet Potato Hash or Tofu Scramble… any type of leftover casserole is good!

* Leftover Cheezy Rice/Quinoa & Lentil Bake

* Any leftover chili (I often use leftover Really Good Chili) or stir-fry (Lemony Chickpea Stir-Fry is good)

* Sometimes I chop up 1 bunch of kale, chard, collards or any other greens wilting in my fridge and saute them with mushrooms, carrots, onion, garlic, chopped red or green peppers and a little italian seasoning or Homemade Taco Seasoning for a Mexican flair (optional combo – really depends on your leftovers)

* Frozen veggies – spinach, mixed, broccoli, etc – thawed and drained

* Leftover juicing pulp – sprinkle it on top of a sauce layer

* Leftover Buffalo Ranch Roasted Chickpeas (sprinkle a few on there or a lot in the middle layer… so good!)

* Leftover pasta dishes – Quick Pasta Alfredo with Broccoli works!

* Leftover burgers – crumble them into the dish for a hearty texture!

* Hummus – Our Favorite Hummus makes a yummy, creamy layer!

* Shredded tempeh added to the sauce is delicious!

Possible Toppings:

* Almond flour – my favorite because it gives it a baked breadcrumb’ish top!

* Sliced olives – I add these when I use the Mexican cheeses with the sauteed greens, mushrooms, peppers, onions and garlic.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start with a 13×9 pan – I’ve used smaller but I usually use this one

2. Start with a layer of sauce first at the bottom

3. Next add a layer of “pasta” – whichever you choose but if you use sweet potatoes, make sure they’re thin enough to cook through

4. Top the “pasta” with a little more sauce – make sure the “pasta” is surrounded by sauce or wet leftovers so they cook through

5. Next add a layer of veggies or leftovers

6. After this I usually do a leftover dip, cheese or hummus IF USING

7. Next another layer of “pasta” followed by a thin layer of sauce

8. Repeat and make sure to end with sauce at the top. Make sure all of the “pasta” is covered.

9. Sprinkle the top with almond flour or topping of your choice and cover with foil.

10. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until sauce is bubbling.

11. Remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until top looks crusty and brown’ish

Slice your "pasta" using a mandolin - DON'T LOSE A FINGER

Slice your “pasta” using a mandolin – DON’T CUT YOURSELF!!!

Ready to assemble with leftovers!

First sauce then “pasta”

Cover with sauce

Start layering your leftovers. This is leftover Cheezy Quinoa & Lentil Bake

More “pasta” and sauce

Here I sprinkled leftover juicing pulp!

Used leftover Sweet Potato Hash as well

Top with almond flour or other toppings. Cover with foil and bake

Tonight’s lasagna!

A few older variations I’ve made:

Made with noodles, sauteed greens and veggies with Homemade Taco Seasoning and Real Deal Nacho Cheeze Sauce

Ava liked this one the best!

Sauteed greens, veggies, mushrooms, onions and garlic….

Another creation

Cash loves it!

Cheezy Rice/Quinoa & Lentil Bake

March 17, 2013 by aprilcmast

I’ve made this a few times and the kids always love it. There are so many different variations of this dish so get creative! You can make this with or without the spinach and tomato addition. A few people said they used the leftovers as dip! I used it (in my next post) for Leftovers Lasagna! Enjoy!

Cheezy Rice & Lentil Bake

Cheezy Rice & Lentil Bake (with Spinach/Tomato/Quinoa option!)

INGREDIENTS

3 cups low sodium veggie broth or water
3/4 cup lentils – I used green lentils
1/2 cup brown rice or quinoa
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
* 10oz package frozen spinach (optional)
* 1-15oz can diced tomatoes, drained OR 1 box Pomi chopped tomatoes, drained (optional – you could use 1 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes here too!)
** Cheeze recipe below

Possible additions – artichoke hearts (add to the spinach version!), 1 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes, soaked for 30 minutes (instead of Pomi or canned), green chiles, red pepper flakes, use leftovers from Spinach Artichoke Dip instead of the LowFat Nacho Cheese…

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients except the cheese in a baking dish (I use an 11 x 7 for the original recipe – used a 9 x 13 with the spinach and tomato addition).
3. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes – (the quinoa/lentil/spinach took about an hour)
4. Make the cheese sauce before the time is up – takes about 5 minutes.
5. Remove the foil, add the cheese (recipe below), stir well and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

** If using tomatoes, add them in and stir 5 minutes before it’s done.

Low Fat Vegan Nacho Cheese

Ingredients
¼ cup raw cashews – I soaked mine for a few hours first
⅔ cup non-dairy milk – I used unsweetened almond milk
2 tsp yellow miso paste
½ tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp arrowroot or cornstarch
¼ cup roasted red bell peppers – I use a whole one from the jar
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp black pepper
a dash of cayenne pepper

Cheese Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or Vitamix type blender and process until smooth and creamy.

Cheezy Quinoa & Lentil Bake made with spinach and tomatoes – stir all ingredients in one pan before baking!

Make your cheeze sauce!

Quinoa & Lentil Bake – ready for cheeze and tomatoes!

Add in cheeze sauce and stir

Put back in oven, uncovered

Add in tomatoes 5 minutes before cook time is done

Yummy!

Quinoa & Lentil Bake with Spinach & Tomatoes

Raw Chocolate Avocado Pudding

March 17, 2013 by aprilcmast

This pudding is AMAZING! Both of my kids refuse to eat avocados and often balk at their green smoothies so I needed a new way to hide avocados. The first time I made this, I had to put it in the fridge and force myself to walk away. It’s dangerously good!

I apologize for the terrible picture but trust me, you’ll understand why I didn’t have time to set up and take a good one when you taste it! I was preoccupied!

Raw Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado, pitted – (do not use brown avocados, it will make the pudding taste bad!)

6 to 10 dates, chopped (I’ve used 8 medjool dates, 6 dates and a little under 1/8 tsp stevia or 10 deglet dates)

1/2 tsp vanilla or 1/2 scraped vanilla bean (I prefer the vanilla bean)

4 Tbsp cocoa powder

1/4 cup raw cashew, soaked for at least 4 hours & drained (cashews are optional but good)

1/4 – 1/2 cup water

Directions:

Place all ingredients (except water) in a food processor and blend.
Slowly pour the water in, stopping to scrape sides of bowl if need be, until the mixture resembles a thick, chocolate pudding. Let it continue mixing until smooth and creamy.

Cash LOVES it!

Thumbs up!

Gluten-Free Almond Hemp Breakfast Cookies

March 8, 2013 by aprilcmast

I love making breakfast cookies for the kids! They’re so easy and make the best leftovers, perfect for mornings I’m in a hurry or don’t feel like cooking. Plus they’re perfect traveling! I usually make these Healthy Breakfast Cookies but my kids are sick of them. Time for something new!

These are a perfect way to use your leftover almond pulp! These “cookies” aren’t super sweet like traditional cookies but they are delicious and filling! They are fragile yet dense, probably because of the almond pulp. Both of my kids love these! I wasn’t sure at first but found myself eating a few today!

After baking them I stored them in the fridge, reheated them in the toaster oven the next day. I saved a bit of the “dough” to spread on sprouted muffins for the kids.

Gluten-Free Almond Hemp Breakfast Cookies

Cash loves them!!!

Feel free to cut this recipe in half if you don’t have that much pulp. I always make a double batch of almond milk so I have a ton of pulp leftover. I will continue to make these cookies and experiment with different additions!

Gluten-Free Almond Hemp Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients:

* 2 cups almond pulp (I’ll be testing a recipe using almond flour for those of you who don’t make your own almond milk!)

* 4 Tbsp almond butter

* 4 Tbsp hemp seeds (optional if you don’t have any)

* 1 medium banana

* 6-8 medjool dates, pitted and chopped

* 1/2 – 1 tsp ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Add all the ingredients into your food processor using your S blade

3. Pulse/blend until it reaches a doughy consistency

4. Scoop out using an ice cream scooper (or a spoon) and portion onto parchment lined baking sheet

5. Flatten and shape cookies (I flatten and round mine!)

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly brown. Let cool on the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing

Add all ingredients into food processor

Pulse/blend until it reaches a dough-like consistency

Scoop onto parchment lined baking sheet

Shape and flatten

I like bigger cookies!

Bake for 25-30 mins or until lightly brown. Let cool on tray for 10-15 minutes before removing

Awesome Guacamole

March 5, 2013 by aprilcmast

I’ve been making this guacamole for years, it’s so easy and so good!! I’ve been dabbling in a mostly raw menu lately so this was perfect for our Raw Taco Night!!! This is great on chili or sweet potato nachos!

Awesome Guacamole

INGREDIENTS:

4 large avocados

8 dashes Tabasco or Cholula

3 T lemon juice, fresh

1/2 cup red onion, diced small

1-2 minced garlic clove

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1/4-1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste

1/4 tsp ground cumin (optional but good)

1 tsp black pepper

1 small seeded diced tomato (optional but good)

smoked paprika for serving (if you’re serving this at a party, makes it look nice)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all with knife – makes for a chunky guacamole!

2. Stir in tomatoes, sprinkle with paprika (optional) and serve.

Add all ingredients in the same bowl (I ran out of cilantro for this batch)

Add all ingredients in the same bowl (I ran out of cilantro AND tomatoes for this batch – oops!)

Combine with a knife

Sprinkle with smoked paprika and serve!

Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip

February 8, 2013 by aprilcmast

This is my second favorite spinach artichoke dip! (First favorite here!) I’ve made this for a few gatherings and people love it!! My kids love it too, double bonus!! I serve this with fresh veggies on the side. I love using the leftovers in my collard wraps or on sprouted bread for the kids!

Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip

Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

2 (14oz) cans artichoke hearts (in water), chopped
16 oz frozen spinach
1 cup raw cashews
~ 1/3 cup water
juice of 1/2 medium-sized lemon (a little under 2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
smoked paprika, to top (optional)

Instructions

Add frozen spinach and artichokes to large saucepan over medium heat and cook until thawed, stirring often.
Place cashews in food processor, process until your cashews become a flour then begin to pour in your water until you get a creamy consistency.
Once your spinach is completely thawed and it’s all good and warm, drain the excess water from your saucepan and add spinach and artichoke to a large bowl.
Add your creamy cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and seasons to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Place in pretty dish, sprinkle with smoked paprika and serve!
You can serve this now or stick it in the oven at 300 for about 10-15 minutes. Both ways are good!

Cook frozen spinach and chopped artichoke hearts over medium heat until thawed and hot

Process cashews into a flour using your food processor, slowly add water until it reaches a creamy consistency. (This was before I added more water to make it smooth)

Drain water out of spinach artichoke mixture and place in mixing bowl

Add creamy cashew mixture to spinach/artichokes and stir well. Add in lemon juice, nutritional yeast and all the spices and combine well. Serve immediately sprinkled with a little smoked paprika or bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 300 degrees

Yummy!

Original recipe from iknowsquat.com

Baked Chickpea Curry Burgers

February 4, 2013 by aprilcmast

Burgers are the easiest thing to feed our 18 month old, Cash. He refuses to eat with a fork or spoon, just wants to hold it in his hand and use the opposite hand to shovel in food!

Burgers are easy for me too since I don’t have a ton of time to prepare my meals during the day. I just throw one of these in my collard wraps with Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Cashew Cheese, leftover quinoa, shredded veggies, lentil sprouts and avocado. Sometimes I top it with Habanero Sauce or an oil-free dressing I have in the fridge. I have a ton of different burgers recipes but these are one of my favorites!!!

Chickpea Curry Burgers in a wrap!

Original recipe from VegKitchen.com

INGREDIENTS

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1 large celery stalk, chopped

1-150z can chickpeas, drained and rinsed OR 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas

1/4 cup quick oats

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds

2 teaspoons salt-free seasoning blend (such as Spike or Mrs. Dash – I use Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute)

1/2 teaspoon curry powder – I use Kashmiri Curry, my fav!!!

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup hummus (any flavor will do – I use Our Favorite Hummus)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Sauté chopped onion over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic, carrot and celery and sauté until all the vegetables are tender and golden.

3. Combine the vegetable mixture with the remaining ingredients in a food processor. Pulse on and off until the mixture is evenly and finely chopped, but don’t puree.

4. Drop by heaping 1/4 cup portions (I used my large ice cream scooper) onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment paper and flatten/shape gently. Bake for 30 minutes, flip over and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes or until they’re done.

Saute onion, garlic, celery and carrot until soft and add them with all other ingredients to processor

Coconut “Bacon” Roasted Chickpeas (kidtestedfirefighterapproved.com)
Sriracha Lime Roasted Chickpeas (kidtestedfirefighterapproved.com)

Coconut “Bacon” Roasted Chickpeas

January 30, 2013 by aprilcmast

I’ve been obsessed with roasted chickpea lately! I’m determined to invent a bunch of new flavors since we eat them so often! The coconut it totally optional if you don’t like it, they’re great with or without! These would also go great on a salad or thrown in a wrap!!

Coconut “Bacon” Roasted Chickpeas

“Bacon” Roasted Chickpeas

Coconut “Bacon” Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients:

1-15oz can chickpeas – drained, rinsed and patted dry OR 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas

Marinade:

1 Tbsp. liquid smoke – I buy Colgin brand
2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (I used Grade B from Trader Joe’s)

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut – I used finely shredded for this first batch because it’s all I had. Next time I will use the large unsweetened flaked coconut AND probably use 1/2 cup.

Instructions:

1. Mix marinade together in a small bowl and pour over chickpeas (I used a ziploc bag but you can use a shallow dish if you prefer).

2. Stick it in the fridge and marinate overnight – I let mine sit for about 12 hours.

3. Next day – drain marinade off of chickpeas and save. Preheat oven to 400 and spread chickpeas out on parchment lined baking sheet.

4. Mix shredded coconut in with the leftover marinade and set aside.

5. Bake chickpeas for 15 minutes then toss. Bake another 15 minutes and remove from oven.

6. Add coconut mixture to chickpeas, toss and stick them back in the oven for the last 15 minutes. Check to make sure the coconut isn’t burning.

7. Take them out, let sit for a minute or two then serve!

Mix marinade ingredients together

Add chickpeas and marinade to a ziploc bag or shallow dish

Spread evenly

Stick them in your fridge overnight – I did about 12 hours

Next day – Strain off marinade and set aside

Strain off marinade and set aside. Preheat oven to 400, spread chickpeas on parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake chickpeas for 15 minutes, toss and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

Mix coconut and marinade together.

Add coconut and toss, bake for another 15 minutes or so.

WIthout coconut – chickpeas are done after 45 minutes or so, tossing every 15 minutes.

With coconut! Next time I’ll use bigger coconut pieces!

Other roasted chickpeas your might enjoy!

Buffalo Ranch Roasted Chickpeas

Dill Pickle Roasted Chickpeas

Lentil Bolognese

January 28, 2013 by aprilcmast

My kids both devoured this two nights in a row but my hubby and I were on the fence about it. You be the judge! I may make a few changes the next time I make this so I’ll keep you posted!

Lentil Bolognese

I served this over spaghetti squash for us, brown rice pasta for the kids! Another great pasta sauce is Easy Garlic Roasted Marinara Sauce if you have more time!!

Lentil Bolognese

Ingredients:

Water/Veggie Broth for sauté

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 medium carrots, chopped

1 onion, diced

1 fennel bulb, diced

4 cloves of garlic, mined or pressed

2 – 280z cans of crushed tomatoes (I used crushed with basil)

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 – 15oz can diced tomatoes

1 cup veggie broth or water

1 cup red lentils, rinsed

1/2 cup red wine

12 ozs sliced mushrooms

2-3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

3 tsp italian seasoning

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Saute onion, celery, carrot and fennel together until soft. Add in garlic and mushrooms, sauté a few minutes more until mushrooms are soft’ish.

2. Add in italian seasoning and sauté for anther few minutes.

3. Add in broth, red wine, tomato paste and tomatoes and let simmer 30 minutes to an hour. I did an hour but I bet 30 minutes would work just fine!

4. Add lentils, cover and cook until lentils are done – about 30 minutes or so. Stir in parsley and balsamic vinegar, let cook a few more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

5. Let me know what you think?! Thank you!!!

Saute onion, celery, carrot and fennel until soft, add garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are soft’ish

Add in italian seasoning

Add in tomatoes and let cook for 30-60 minutes. Add lentils and cook about 30 more minutes.

Add in tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine and broth and let cook for 30-60 minutes. Add lentils and cook about 30 more minutes.

Smells good!

Add in chopped parsley…

And balsamic vinegar and cook a few more minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over spaghetti squash or pasta!

Cash ate two bowls so it must be good!?

Ava devoured it too!

The Best Lentil Chili Ever (Slow Cooker) (kidtestedfirefighterapproved.com)

Sweet Potato Hash

January 27, 2013 by aprilcmast

I made this in a hurry but it turned out delicious! Our 18-month old was screaming at the top of his lungs in his high chair most of the time, flinging bananas across the kitchen. Once his portion cooled off he started eating the screaming stopped. Phew!!

Sweet Potato Tofu Hash

Sweet Potato Tofu Hash

Ingredients

Water/Veggie Broth for sauté

1 package Trader Joe’s Organic Sprouted Tofu (or any other package of firm tofu) drained and pressed OR 1 package of tempeh, shredded

1 1/2 cups garbanzo beans/chickpeas – I was going to use black beans but I was out. Turned out great with these!

2 small-medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 onion, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2-3 cups diced mushrooms

2-3 cups spinach or kale (I didn’t get a chance to add this in because I ran out of pan space but I recommend it!)

1 Tbsp coconut aminos (or tamari, soy sauce)

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Salt and pepper, to taste

* Topping/Mix in suggestions: chopped cilantro, green chilies (?), avocado, hot sauce…

Directions

1. Water/broth sauté sweet potatoes, onions, garlic and red pepper together until soft. I covered my pan with a lid, I feel like it helps the sweet potato cook faster.

2. Add in beans, greens, mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms are soft.

3. Crumble tofu into the mixture and stir, add in nutritional yeast, coconut aminos and all the spices. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Saute veggies, add in crumbled tofu

Add in beans (greens would go here)

Ready for toppings!

Our Favorite Hummus & Sweet Potato Hummus (2)

January 21, 2013 by aprilcmast

Here are two hummus recipes, the first one is our absolute favorite!

I make this first one at least once per week. I pack it in Ava’s lunch with snap peas or carrot sticks.

Our Favorite Hummus!!

Ingredients:

2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas drained and rinsed – OR – 3 cups cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup tahini
6 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
3-4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper – I use a few shakes of Seasonello herbal salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Drain beans and reserve the liquid when you do so OR use cooked beans.

2. Combine beans, along with the other ingredients in your food processor. Use the bean liquid or water to thin it out to your desired consistency. I use about 1/4-1/3 cup water. Adjust seasonings to your liking and enjoy on everything!

Blend ingredients in food processor until it reaches your desired consistency – use bean liquid or water to thin it out.

Taste and season to your liking!

Our Favorite Hummus!!

Sweet Potato Hummus

You may have seen this one on my Facebook page. A few people asked for it so I figured I’d better post it before it gets lost!

Sweet Potato Hummus

1 large cooked sweet potato, cut into chunks
1 can or 1 1/2 cups chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
3-4 Tbsp tahini
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste (I did a pinch)
Black pepper, to taste
Water or bean liquid

Place ingredients in food processor, add water or bean liquid while its running until you get the consistency you like. Scrape sides, run again.

Indian Veggie Curry

January 21, 2013 by aprilcmast

This is a really delicious curry dish without all the crazy ingredients. We all enjoyed this very much, even the kids! Again, not the best picture but as you know I’m usually pressed for time!

This makes about 6-8 decent sized servings, plenty for leftovers!

Indian Veggie Curry

Ingredients:

Water/Veggie Broth for sauté

1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 to 3 Tbsp minced ginger (I like 3)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 to 2 tsp curry powder (I used 2 tsp of Kashmiri Curry from World Spice. It’s very mild, my kids like it!)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 cinnamon stick
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 small sweet potatoes OR 2 large ones , peeled and chopped
5-6 cups spinach or kale (I used lacinato kale)
3 celery stalks , chopped
1 green pepper ( optional)
2 cans coconut milk (I used one regular and one lite)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro

1 block of extra firm tofu – drain, press and cubed – optional

( you can add any other type of veggies or herbs you would like)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Water/broth sauté diced onions until soft. Add garlic , ginger, ground cumin, ground coriander, curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon stick and sauté for 5 min.

2. Add carrots, spinach/kale, celery , carrots, sweet potatoes, green pepper or any other veggies, coconut milk , tomato paste , cilantro, sea salt. Add in some veggie broth or water if you feel as though there isn’t enough liquid.

3. Stir well, bring to a boil then cover simmer on medium heat for 25 to 30 min or until all veggies are soft. If using tofu, add it in 10-15 minutes before it’s all done.

4. Remove cinnamon stick. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving to let the sauce thicken.

5. Serve over rice or quinoa (I used quinoa)

** Note: you can add vegetable broth or a little water if you feel you need more liquid

Saute onions until soft then add garlic, ginger and spices. Cook for 3 more minutes.

Add in all the veggies, coconut milk, tomato paste and stir well. Bring to a boil cover and simmer over medium until veggies are done. About 20-25 minutes…

Add in the cubed tofu 10 minutes before it’s done, stir well.

Ready to serve! I let mine sit for a few minutes to let the sauce thicken.

Cash loves it!

Ava does too!

Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup

January 18, 2013 by aprilcmast

We all really enjoyed this soup! Ava took one bite and said “Yummy!”… that rarely happens!! I decided to puree part of the soup with my immersion blender after taking these photos and it turned out even better. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup

Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

Water/Broth for sauté

1 Medium Onion Diced

2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and minced or pressed

1 – 15oz Can Fire-Roasted Crushed Tomatoes

1 Tbsp Minced Fresh Ginger

1 1/2 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Ground Coriander

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Cayenne

3 Medium Sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 3/4″ cubes

8 Cups Veggie Broth -OR- 4 Cups Veggie Broth AND 4 Cups Water

1 1/2 Cup Red Lentils – sort and rinse before using

Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

1. Water/broth sauté the onion and cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes or until the onion starts to soften. (OR water sauté)

2. Add in the garlic, ginger and spices (except the salt & pepper), stir well and cook for about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes.

4. Add the sweet potatoes, broth/water & lentils. Stir well and bring to a boil over high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes and lentils are soft. Taste, season with salt & pepper and serve.

Chop all of your ingredients

Spices

Saute onions for a few minutes then add ginger, garlic and spices. Stir well and cook for about 30 more seconds

Add tomatoes and cook for about 3 more minutes.

Smells so good!!!

Add broth/water, lentils and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce to low and cover. Cook for about 20-25 minutes or until potatoes and lentils are soft.

Puree part of the soup with your immersion blender!

Ava loved it!

Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup

Spices

Saute onions for a few minutes then add ginger, garlic and spices. Stir well and cook for about 30 more seconds

Add tomatoes and cook for about 3 more minutes.

Smells so good!!!

Add broth/water, lentils and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce to low and cover. Cook for about 20-25 minutes or until potatoes and lentils are soft.

Serve as is or puree part of it with your immersion blender.

Ava loved it!

Adapted from a recipe in “The Kind Life“

Healthy Breakfast Cookies

December 20, 2012 by aprilcmast

Reasons why I love these ‘cookies’:

They are quick and easy to make (Think breakfast to-go)
My kids love them every time I make them (They haven’t refused one yet… knock on wood!)
They are easy to pack in Ava’s preschool breakfast box (Mornings are not so rushed!)
My hubby and I love them too!
I don’t need any more reasons. Enjoy!!!

Healthy Breakfast Cookies – I’m still trying to get to that photography class so please excuse my poor photo!

Healthy Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients:

2 mashed bananas – the darker the better!
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1-2 Tbsp almond butter
1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg
pinch of ground ginger (optional but I like it!)
zest of 1 medium to large orange (I use a large one)
2 cups rolled oats
2 -3 Tbsp ground flax meal or ground chia seeds
1/3 cup dried fruit (cranberries, regular or golden raisins, currants)
1/3 cup walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine ingredients and scoop onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat. If you don’t have an ice cream scooper, use your hands to make about a 1/3 cup sized cookie.

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove cookies to cooling rack.

Mix ingredients together

I used ground chia seeds this time

I use my ice cream scooper

Makes a nice size

Flatten them a little

Done! Straight to the cooling rack!

Almost time to eat!

Cash loves them!

Ava loves them too!

When you use leftover pulp containing beets it comes out a beautiful red velvet color! You can’t even tell there are veggies in this, everyone will be fooled AND you won’t waste your pulp!! Sorry about the bad pics but you know the story!

INGREDIENTS

Cake

3 cups of leftover juice pulp (I used beet, basil, fennel & carrot pulp – pulp with beets in it are really good in this recipe!)

1/2 cup almonds or cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours

3/4 cup dates, chopped

1/2 cup psyllium husks

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

zest of one lemon or orange

Date Icing

1 cup dates, soaked for at least 1 hour

juice of one lemon or orange

2 teaspoons of psyllium husks

Optional mix-ins – Haven’t tried these yet but I think they would be good?

* Unsweetened shredded coconut – add to cake mix or icing

* 1/2 banana into the cake mix

* Almond butter

* Cacao powder

Instructions:

Cake – place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until well mixed, stopping to scrape sides and push mixture along if it gets stuck

Press cake mixture into a pan – I used a 8″ x 8″ pan but you could use a pie pan

Icing – blend dates, psyllium husks and lemon together until you have thick frosting consistency – I used my magic bullet for this, next time I’ll use my mini food processor

Spread icing on top of cake and let cake sit for 10 or so minutes. I let mine sit in the fridge for 30 minutes but I don’t think that’s necessary. Cut and serve!

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This post may seem complicated because I listed off all the options but it’s really easy! Just use up whatever leftovers you have, add some sauce and veggies and WALAH!!!!

Leftovers Lasagna with “Veggie” Pasta

Possible “pasta” options:

* Regular pasta noodles – 1 or 2 boxes, depending how much you like.

* Thinly sliced and peeled sweet potatoes – I use my mandolin and slice them on the “thin” setting, longways (2 medium to large ones for a 9″ x 13″ pan)

* Thinly sliced zucchini or yellow squash – I slice these a tiny bit thicker than the sweet potatoes, longways (4-5 medium ones for a 9″ x 13″ pan)

* Thinly sliced polenta tube – you’ll need 2 tubes for a full 9″ x 13″ pan

Possible sauce options:

* 1-2 jars of pasta sauce – I often use Trader Joe’s No Salt Added sauce. I like to use about 1 to 1 1/2 jars of sauce but I like it saucy!

* Homemade pasta sauce – I love to use leftover Lentil Bolognese or Easy Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce

* Real Deal Nacho Cheeze or LowFat Vegan Nacho Cheese - I use these if I have Mexican’ish leftovers – Ancho Lentil Bowls, also good with leftover Crockpot Lentil Chili

* I really love adding in leftover Unprocessed Creamy Artichoke Spinach Dip or Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip as a layer in between everything! So yummy!

Possible layer options:

* Sweet Potato Hash or Tofu Scramble… any type of leftover casserole is good!

* Leftover Cheezy Rice/Quinoa & Lentil Bake

* Any leftover chili (I often use leftover Really Good Chili) or stir-fry (Lemony Chickpea Stir-Fry is good)

* Frozen veggies – spinach, mixed, broccoli, etc – thawed and drained

* Leftover juicing pulp – sprinkle it on top of a sauce layer

* Leftover Buffalo Ranch Roasted Chickpeas (sprinkle a few on there or a lot in the middle layer… so good!)

* Leftover pasta dishes – Quick Pasta Alfredo with Broccoli works!

* Leftover burgers – crumble them into the dish for a hearty texture!

* Hummus – Our Favorite Hummus makes a yummy, creamy layer!

* Shredded tempeh added to the sauce is delicious!

Possible Toppings:

* Almond flour – my favorite because it gives it a baked breadcrumb’ish top!

* Sliced olives – I add these when I use the Mexican cheeses with the sauteed greens, mushrooms, peppers, onions and garlic.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start with a 13×9 pan – I’ve used smaller but I usually use this one

2. Start with a layer of sauce first at the bottom

3. Next add a layer of “pasta” – whichever you choose but if you use sweet potatoes, make sure they’re thin enough to cook through

4. Top the “pasta” with a little more sauce – make sure the “pasta” is surrounded by sauce or wet leftovers so they cook through

5. Next add a layer of veggies or leftovers

6. After this I usually do a leftover dip, cheese or hummus IF USING

7. Next another layer of “pasta” followed by a thin layer of sauce

8. Repeat and make sure to end with sauce at the top. Make sure all of the “pasta” is covered.

9. Sprinkle the top with almond flour or topping of your choice and cover with foil.

10. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until sauce is bubbling.

11. Remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until top looks crusty and brown’ish

A few older variations I’ve made:

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Cheezy Rice & Lentil Bake (with Spinach/Tomato/Quinoa option!)

INGREDIENTS

Possible additions – artichoke hearts (add to the spinach version!), 1 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes, soaked for 30 minutes (instead of Pomi or canned), green chiles, red pepper flakes, use leftovers from Spinach Artichoke Dip instead of the LowFat Nacho Cheese…

INSTRUCTIONS

** If using tomatoes, add them in and stir 5 minutes before it’s done.

Low Fat Vegan Nacho Cheese

Cheese Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or Vitamix type blender and process until smooth and creamy.

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This pudding is AMAZING! Both of my kids refuse to eat avocados and often balk at their green smoothies so I needed a new way to hide avocados. The first time I made this, I had to put it in the fridge and force myself to walk away. It’s dangerously good!

I apologize for the terrible picture but trust me, you’ll understand why I didn’t have time to set up and take a good one when you taste it! I was preoccupied!

Raw Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Ingredients:

Place all ingredients (except water) in a food processor and blend.
Slowly pour the water in, stopping to scrape sides of bowl if need be, until the mixture resembles a thick, chocolate pudding. Let it continue mixing until smooth and creamy.