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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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!

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)

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!

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“

Oil-Free Garlicky Lemon Dipping Sauce (Guest Blogger!)

December 16, 2012 by aprilcmast

Here’s a new recipe from featured guest blogger, Karen Hix! You may have seen Karen on my Facebook Page or our new Facebook Group! Please be sure to read all about her at the end of this post, after you make her delicious recipe!

Take it away Karen!!!

One of the summer veggies I always love to eat is an artichoke. Problem is, since I’ve gone plant based with no oils, I can’t eat them the way I used to … melted butter, or mayonnaise with lemon. So I came up with this Lemon Garlic Sauce (two of my favorite ingredients!) which I’ve found to be totally versatile! I now have a healthy dipping sauce for my artichokes and it makes a yummy dip or topping for steamed veggies as well … But my second favorite way to eat this is over a veggie version of no-eggs benedict … toasted muffin, topped with a grilled portobello mushroom, sliced tomatoes & avocados and drenched in this sauce. Yummy! I love lemon and garlic, so bringing these together is pure paradise. Hope you enjoy!

Garlicky Lemon Dipping Sauce!

Garlicky Lemon Dipping Sauce

1 (12.3 oz.) pkg Mori-Nu firm or extra firm silken tofu

2-4 cloves garlic (I used 4 because I LOVE garlic, but adjust to your liking)

2 Tbs non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond)

2 Tbs nutritional yeast

4 tsp yellow miso

1 tsp granulated onion powder

2 tsp brine from green olives jar

4 Tbs fresh lemon juice

artichokes (or other veggies to steam)

1. Trim the stem and edges from your artichokes. Place the prepared artichokes in a pot of boiling water and steam them until done (approx. 20-30 minutes).

2. While the artichokes are steaming, combine all sauce ingredients in a blender.

3. Blend until well combined.

4. Pass the sauce and dip away! (Sorry my pic is a little blurry … I was too excited to start eating, I guess … lol)

Trim and steam your artichokes, approx 20-30 minutes

Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender and blend well.

Ready to serve!

Garlicky Lemon Dipping Sauce!

Hmmm a little about me … well, I’m a manicurist by day, and a major foodie who loves to cook. I’ve always taken a huge interest in health … and always thought I ate healthy … until one day when I watched the movie “Forks Over Knives”. That movie, along with the book “The China Study” by T. Colin Campbell opened my eyes to a new lifestyle of healthy eating. I actually have a birthdate for going plant-based of 3/30/12 and have never looked back. I lost 10 lbs within my first 2 weeks … all because I realized my problem … was with olive oil. Now the olive oil is gone from my cooking days … and it was a lot easier than I thought it would be!

With my newfound dietary changes, I became addicted to researching recipes on the internet, and found April on her “Kid Tested Firefighter Approved” website … which is by far my favorite source for plant-based recipes! I have loved every recipe of hers that I’ve tried (and I’ve tried almost every one she’s posted!) and tell all my friends about her delicious and easy recipes. Now they’re addicted to her recipes too

I have ventured out in trying out a few recipes on my own, mostly trying to recreate some loves from my pre-plant based lifestyle. That’s how this recipe evolved. I told April about it, and she’s graciously asked me to share it with her fans. This sauce kinda reminds me of a garlicky hollandaise sauce … I hope you enjoy

Fiesta Bean Salad with Basil Lime Dressing

December 10, 2012 by aprilcmast

Talk about a protein powerhouse! This salad is pretty easy to put together and perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. If you have little kids, like I do, you totally understand how important quick meals are!! I originally made this salad without the Basil Lime Dressing but my hubby insisted I post it together since it was so good. We haven’t tried this out on our kids yet but we will soon. I’m thinking it may be a bit spicy for them but we shall see

If you don’t want to make the dressing, just add the lime juice and agave to the salad recipe. I thought about adding chopped cilantro but I though it might be a bit much with the basil dressing. Next time I’ll add some chopped jicama and maybe some corn as well. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!

Fiesta Bean Salad with Basil Lime Dressing

Fiesta Bean Salad with Basil Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

1 large 28oz can chickpeas OR 2-15oz cans, rinsed and drained – SAVE THE LIQUID FOR THE DRESSING!!!
1-15oz can black beans
1 1/2 – 2 cups sprouted green lentils (optional but adds a nice crunch. Not sure how to sprout lentils? SEE HERE)
1 large red pepper, diced small
1 cucumber, diced
2 cups spinach, chopped
4 cups prepared quinoa – I added mine after it had cooled for about 20 minutes, still pretty warm
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (This amount gave it a little kick but not too much. Adjust as you wish)
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 large avocado, diced

Basil Lime Dressing

* You can double this recipe and keep what you don’t use for other salads… it’s pretty good!

2-3 Tbsp agave
1/8 cup lime juice
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup fresh basil (roughly chopped)

1/2 cup bean liquid from canned beans

1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients in a high-powered blender until completely blended. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Directions:

Add beans, lentils, red pepper and cucumber together in a large bowl. Mix gently.
Add cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper and mix throughout.
Add quinoa and spinach and gently combine mixture until fully mixed.
Add pumpkin seeds and… you guessed it! Mix gently
Add as much dressing as you’d like and combine until completely mixed.
Serve with chopped avocado on top!

Add spinach, cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper. Mix gently.

Add warm quinoa and mix gently

Add pumpkin seeds

I made extra dressing for later – doubled recipe

Serve with chopped avocado!

Whole Food Wheatberry Ginger Breakfast Bread (Sugar-Free)

October 26, 2012 by aprilcmast

I’m running out of preschool breakfast ideas so I’ve been making these easy “breakfast breads” because they’re so good and so easy to heat up on busy mornings. I usually serve them toasted with almond butter but since they do not allow any nuts at school, I’ve been serving it plain with sliced bananas topped with hemp seeds and unsweetened coconut. Our 15 month loves these too and I enjoy a few extra minutes in the morning to enjoy my cup of coffee instead of making my usual somewhat complicated breakfast menu.

Oh and your kids will NEVER notice there are lentils and zucchini in this bread!!!

Whole Food Wheatberry Ginger Breakfast Bread

: Whole Food Wheatberry Ginger Breakfast Bread

The original recipe is from my FAVORITE chef Melody from Melomeals!! I’ve featured many of her recipes because they are staples in our house and I have to share them with you!! Please check out her blog and LIKE her on Facebook!!!

I make this and her Coconut Ginger Carrot Breakfast Bread (Sugar, Soy & Wheat-Free). We love both of them and highly recommend trying them!! This are really the only “breads” we eat besides the occasional Ezekiel slice.

Whole Food Wheatberry Ginger Breakfast Bread

1 lb dry wheatberries ground into flour (around 3 ½ cups) – original recipe calls for barley but I bet anything would do. Rolled oats have worked for me in the past as well.
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons cinnamon
heaping ¼ teaspoon each nutmeg, cloves and cardamom
¼ teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Kal Stevia Powder
2 cups cooked lentils – I’ve also used the Organic Sprouted Trio mix from Costco I was talking about on Facebook
5 small, 3 medium or 2 large zucchinis
1 ½ cups water
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce – I use the cinnamon flavor
4-5 tablespoons fresh ginger
2 teaspoons vinegar – I use apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375
Grind the flour (I use my VitaMix), place in large bowl with the dry ingredients
In a large blender, add the rest of the ingredients and blend until totally smooth
Make a well and pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Mix very well
Grease a 9 by 13 pan and bake for 45 min – 1 hour, rotating pan halfway through

It is VERY important to let these cool completely before eating so the stevia flavor has a chance to settle down and mingle with the spices and moisture from the veggies/beans. The taste changes completely!

Grind flour and place in large bowl. Blend the rest of the ingredients until smooth.

Add wet to dry and mix well

Smooth into 9″ x 13″ pan and bake for 45 min – 1 hour (I prefer 45 minutes, makes it a bit more chewy)

Allow to cool completely then cut and serve. Well…. I never get that far because I eat one small piece right when it comes out of the oven

Quick and easy breakfast!!

Cauliflower Chickpea Curry

October 3, 2012 by aprilcmast

I’ve been craving curry with cauliflower and chickpeas for a while now so I decided to try this since cauliflower is on sale at Sprouts this week. This was really good and pretty easy to make. My hubby ate two small bowls of it before I even started the quinoa and our 14 month old son ate a ton of it! He’s learning how to use a spoon and did quite well with this dish! I served this over quinoa but I bet brown rice would work too.I also doubled the recipe in order to have lots of leftovers.

Cauliflower Chickpea Curry

Yummy!

Ingredients:

1⁄2 yellow onion, finely chopped

1⁄2 head cauliflower (about 1 pound), cut into florets

2 tablespoons curry powder – I used Kashmiri Curry from World Spice

1 vine-ripened tomato, chopped OR 1 can diced tomatoes

1 1⁄2 cups chickpeas, cooked OR 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 can full-fat coconut milk – (I used one can of regular and one can of lite)

1 tablespoon ume plum vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root

1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped – a few extra for garnish

Cooked quinoa – I served this over quinoa and it was really good! You could use brown rice too.

Procedure

Water sauté the onion and cauliflower. Cook until the onions caramelize and the cauliflower is browned.
Add the curry powder and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes break down and soften, about 6 minutes.
Mix in the chickpeas, tomato paste, ginger and coconut milk. Stir everything together. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the cauliflower istender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Uncover and continue cooking until the excess moisture has evaporated and the cauliflower and chickpeas are coated with a thick gravy. Add ume vinegar/apple cider vinegar. Garnish with cilantro before serving.
Saute cauliflower and onions until onions are caramelized and cauliflower is brown

Add curry powder and tomatoes, cook until tomatoes break down and soften

Add coconut milk, tomato paste and chickpeas… stir, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes

Uncover and cook until most of the excess liquid cooks and a nice thick sauce is left

Add chopped cilantro, stir and cook a few more minutes

Serve over quinoa, garnish with cilantro!

Yummy Black Bean & Corn Soup

September 20, 2012 by aprilcmast

This soup is REALLY good! Both kids and my hubby asked for seconds, our 14 month old screamed “Mo mo” for more until we refilled his bowl. I pureed his portion because he doesn’t like a ton of texture to his food. I will be making this again soon!

Yummy Black Bean & Corn Soup

Original recipe from Vega.

Black Bean & Corn Soup

Ingredients:

Water/Broth for sauté
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp agave or other sweetener (I did not add this but you may like this addition)
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
4 cups vegetable broth or water
4 (15 oz cans) black beans
5 big tomatoes
2 (15 oz cans) corn or 3 cobs of corn, cooked and cut off
1/2 bunch of cilantro
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Avocado, diced (for garnish)
Cilantro (to garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Grind cumin and coriander seeds in a food processor or mortar and pestle until a coarse grind (I used my magic bullet). Set aside.

2. Puree 2 cans of black beans and tomatoes until smooth. Set aside.

3. Water/Broth sauté onions, carrots and celery. Cook until tender. Add agave (if using) and let vegetables caramelize slightly. Deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar.

4. Add spices and garlic to pot and cook 2 minutes.

5. Add vegetable stock/water, pureed black beans and tomatoes, black beans and corn to pot. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Cook 20 minutes to over medium heat. Adjust seasoning if needed. Add cilantro.

7. Garnish each bowl of soup with avocado and cilantro.

Saute onions, carrots and celery

Puree 2 cans of black beans and tomatoes together until smooth

Add garlic and spices, saute for 2 more minutes. Deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar

Add pureed beans and tomatoes, corn, broth/water and remaining black beans to pot. Season with salt and pepper. My tomatoes didn’t fully puree so I chopped the remaining ones up and added them in.

Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add cilantro

Serve with diced avocado and cilantro!

Spicy Thai Noodles with Tofu

September 12, 2012 by aprilcmast

I’m overdue for a cheat meal and boy am I glad I used it up on this recipe! This is really, really good! It makes a ton of food too… awh shucks, looks like I have to finish the leftovers!

Spicy Thai Noodles with Tofu

Yes, it contains oil (sesame oil) and a decent amount of honey (you can sub agave if you don’t do honey) but if that’s the worst cheat I have lately I think I’m still okay. I didn’t test this recipe out of our kids since it’s on the spicy side.

The original recipe is from A Small Snippet.

Spicy Thai Noodles with Tofu

Ingredients:

* 1 package pasta (I used whole wheat spaghetti but I bet it would work well with linguini too)

* 1-20oz block of extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed (I used Trader Joe’s Extra Firm High Protein Tofu)

* 1-2 Tbsp red pepper flakes (I used 1Tbsp and it was nice and spicy but if you prefer more fire, go big!)

* 1/2 cup toasted sesame oil (I KNOW…. BAD!!!)

* 6 Tbsp lite soy sauce

* 6 Tbsp honey (sub agave if you prefer… could work with stevia but I’m not sure)

* 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

* 1 Tbsp peanut butter (I used smooth)

* 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

* 3 large carrots, peeled and shredded

* 3 large green onions, sliced thin

* 1/3 – 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts

Instructions:

1. Heat sesame oil and red pepper flakes over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, strain out peppers and reserve oil.

2. Whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and peanut butter. Add cubed tofu to sauce to marinate while cooking the pasta.

3. Cook pasta according to package, drain when done and set aside.

4. Remove tofu from the sauce with a slotted spoon, cook on high in pasta pot until lightly browned on all sides.

5. Add pasta and sauce to cooked tofu and toss, use tongs.

6. Add cilantro, green onions and carrot to mixture and toss until combined.

7. Serve topped with chopped peanuts.

YUMMY!!!!!!

Heat sesame oil and red pepper flake for 2 minutes on medium and strain. Whisk sauce ingredients until combined.

Add cubed tofu to sauce to marinate until pasta is ready

Chop your veggies – I used organic whole wheat spaghetti

Remove tofu from sauce with a slotted spoon, add to hot pan and saute until brown

Brown tofu

Toss pasta with sauce and tofu then add veggies, toss well

Try not to eat the whole pot!

Curried Quinoa and Adzuki Bean Burger Wraps

August 27, 2012 by aprilcmast

You’re probably saying adzuki what? That’s what I said when I first heard about these little red beans. Burgers are a staple in our house lately (easy finger food for our 1-year old) and I’m always up for a new bean so I added some to my last Nuts.com order. To be honest, these burgers came out a little bland so I decided to spruce them up a bit with a few toppings and WALAH… YUMMY GOODNESS!!! Okay… enough with the caps lock, you get the picture

Curried Quinoa & Adzuki Bean Burger Wraps

Both of our kids love these burgers smeared with a little hummus and topped with chopped avocado. I prefer the wrap thing myself. My best friend came over for dinner with her nephew a few nights ago when I served these burgers… he wasn’t a fan but our son was happy to eat his share!

First bite… not sure yet (Friend is NOT amused with these burgers!)

He likes them!! YES!!!! (Friend still not amused)

“Hey if you don’t want your burger, I’ll eat it…”

“No really… TAKE IT!”

Yummy! (Friend still not amused)

LOL!!! Had to share those pics, they’re too funny! Okay… onto the burger recipe.

NOTE: Once you make the burgers, here are the ingredients I used to make the wraps:

* Collard Greens – pick larger ones for wraps

* Mango Chutney (from Trader Joe’s)

* Plain Hummus (I make my oil-free hummus or use Trader Joe’s Mediterranean Hummus in a pinch)

* Lentil Sprouts (See my sprouting post)

* Avocado

Original burger recipe from Choosing Raw… great site!!!

Curried Quinoa and Adzuki Bean Patties (vegan, gluten free, soy free)

Makes 6-8 Burgers

1/2 cup quinoa, dry
1 3/4 cup cooked adzuki beans (I buy mine from Nuts.com - $3.99/lb for organic)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4-1/2 cup chickpea flour
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
Black pepper to taste
Cooking spray (I use the spectrum brand) or a scant amount of coconut oil for sauteeing and grilling

1. Bring 1 cup water to boil and add the quinoa. Lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes WITHOUT OPENING THE LID! Remove from heat and let sit, fluff with a fork.

2. Sautee the onion till golden and tender.

3. When quinoa is done, add quinoa, onion, chickpea flour, and adzuki beans to a food processor. Pulse quickly until the mixture is forming a dough that is uniform and sticks together, but still has some texture. Add spices and pulse a few more times to incorporate. If at any point you feel as though you’re overprocessing, you can transfer the bean and quinoa mixture to a bowl and mix with your hands!

4. Shape mixture into six patties and spray a skillet or pan with coconut oil. Cook for five minutes over medium heat, flip, and continue to cook for another five minutes or so.

Add cooked quinoa, onion, chickpea flour, and aduki beans to a food processor. Pulse quickly until the mixture is forming a dough that is uniform and sticks together, but still has some texture. Add spices and pulse a few more times to incorporate.

Spoon mixture into hot pan and smash a bit to resemble burgers

When burgers are done, let cool a bit then assemble your wrap. I did this order: collard green. hummus, burgers, mango chutney, avocado then lentil sprouts. Ready to wrap!

Pretty little wrap!

Time to eat!

Lentil Kale Soup

August 10, 2012 by aprilcmast

This soup is a meal in itself! Our kids both loved this soup, especially our 1-year old who ate two big bowls!

Lentil Kale Soup

I served this with a little Coconut ‘Bacon’ on top, it was delicious!

Original recipe from Food.com.

Ingredients

5 cups vegetable broth + 3 cups water (OR 8 cups of water)
1 1/2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed (I used brown lentils)
1 cup brown rice
1 (2 lb) can chopped tomatoes, drained,reserving juice – I used a large can of tomato sauce (all I had on hand) but I bet you could use fresh tomatoes, if you prefer
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into ¼ inch pieces
1 onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped frozen kale (Trader Joe’s sells it now) OR 1 bunch fresh chopped kale
1/2 heaping tsp crumbled dried basil (pinch it between your fingers)
1/2 heaping tsp crumbled oregano
1/4 tsp crumbled dried thyme
1 bay leaves
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Directions

Combine broth, 3 cups water (or just 8 cups of water if you’re not using broth), lentils, rice, canned tomatoes with reserved juice (or tomato sauce OR fresh tomatoes), carrots, onion, celery, and herbs and bring to boil (do not add parsley and vinegar).
Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 45-55 minutes, or until lentils and rice are tender.
Stir in kale and cook for another 5 minutes or until kale is wilted.
Stir in parsley and vinegar and season to taste.
Serve as is or blend up soup using your immersion blender. (I blended mine so that our 1-year old could eat it)

Combine everything BUT parsley, vinegar and kale in a soup pot

Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 45-55 minutes, or until lentils and rice are tender. Add kale, cook for 5 more minutes or until wilted. Then add parsley and vinegar.

I blended my soup with an immersion blender but you can eat it just like this if you wish.

Buffalo Ranch Roasted Chickpeas (kidtestedfirefighterapproved.com)

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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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:

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.

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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.

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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.