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

About these ads

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!

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!!

Healthy Carrot Cake Donuts

September 10, 2012 by aprilcmast

I’ve been searching for easy’ish, healthy, plant-based, whole foods breakfast and lunch ideas to pack for our daughter to bring to preschool. It’s not easy, that’s for sure! I came across these donuts and had to try them! The school provides meals but I wasn’t too happy with the menu so I opted to send food with her. Donuts and chocolate milk were one of the breakfast options… yeah, um no thank you. THESE donuts she can eat!

These donuts are awesome! You can also make this batter into muffins if you don’t own a donut pan. I bought one from Amazon just to make these, I was so excited about the idea!

Carrot Cake Donuts

I found this recipe on Straight Up Food whole foods, plant-based food blog. She has a bunch of really great recipes, take some time to check out her site!!

Carrot Cake Donuts

Ingredients
5 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup water

1 3/4 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground clove

1/2 of a ripe banana, diced
1 cup rice milk or almond milk
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center position. In a small bowl, combine the 5 dates, 1/4 cup raisins and 1/2 cup water. Let soak while you prepare the other ingredients (at least 15 minutes).

2. Grind the rolled oats in a high-speed blender until it resembles flour; transfer to a large bowl. Add to this the baking powder, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, and mix with a fork.

3. Transfer the soaked dates, raisins and water to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth (about 30 seconds). Add the banana and non-dairy milk and blend further until everything is smooth. Add this wet mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients and gently fold together using a big spoon; now fold in the carrots, raisins and walnuts. The batter should be somewhere between a cake batter and cookie batter in consistency.

4. Using a soup spoon, spoon batter into a non-stick donut pan, filling to the top and smoothing batter flat. Bake for 20-25 minutes (I like to bake mine for 20 because it produces a moister cake). If you press on the cake lightly and it bounces back a bit (instead of staying indented), it’s likely ready. These continue to set up as they cool.

5. Remove from oven and cool for 5-7 minutes before removing the donuts from pan (if left in too long it will be hard to get the donuts out). Using a plastic fork, gently go around the donuts (outside and inner circle) to loosen them from the pan. Even though we’re using a non-stick pan, we are not using any oil so we need to help them out a bit. After loosening the edges, invert onto a cutting board (shake a bit if still not coming out the first time) and let cool at least 5-10 minutes more before serving plain or with the below frosting.

Carrot Cake Frosting

I tried making this with all tofu (no cashews) and the tofu taste was too strong. When I tried it will just cashews (which are great soft nuts to use in gravies, dressings and desserts), the flavor was also too much, too cashew-y. But with the addition of just 2 tablespoons of tofu with the cashews, the flavor of traditional carrot cake frosting has been approximated (I think; you let me know what you think). Feel free to vary the nuts and tofu to your liking. Both add to the thickness and richness of the frosting.

Ingredients
5 dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup raw cashews (not salted or roasted)
3/4 cup water

3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons tofu (silken or firm)
1/4 cup water (plus 2-3 more tablespoons as needed)

Directions
Soak the dates and cashews in 3/4 cup water for 15-30 minutes. After soaking, drain off the soak water into a bowl. In a high-speed blender, combine all ingredients (measuring out the 1/4 cup water+ from the soak water) and blend until very smooth, adding more water as needed to reach desired consistency. Frost donuts or muffins just before serving them. (Since there is no oil or sugar in this frosting it will not harden up like regular frostings.) Frosting will keep refrigerated for 3-5 days.

Prep time: 25 minutes (donuts), 15 minutes (frosting)
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes (donuts)
Makes: 10-12 donuts or muffins; 1 cup frosting

Soak dates and raisins

Grind oats into flour

Combine flour and spices together with fork

Process dates/raisins with flour mixture – add banana and milk

Fold in carrots, walnuts and raisins

Spoon into donut tin

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan

Let cool on rack before frosting

Add soaked dates and nuts, lemon juice and other frosting ingredients until smooth

Yummy frosting!

Frost and enjoy!

BEST Lentil & Tomato Soup

August 15, 2012 by aprilcmast

Another one pot meal! I know it’s a little too hot for soup but hey, it works in our house right now. Our 1-year old loves soup so it’s an easy reheat meal when I’m super busy. Plus he really enjoys the burgers I make out of the leftovers!

This soup is REALLY GOOD! My hubby said it’s in the top 5! The caramelized onions and garlic really make this soup so if you can, take the time to do that first!! You won’t regret it!

BEST Lentil & Tomato Soup

Original recipe from Food.com.

Ingredients

1 cup lentils, rinsed – I used red lentils
7 cups water
Water for saute OR cooking spray
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed & chopped
3 carrots, diced
4 stalks of celery, diced
1 potato, diced
2 cups stewed tomatoes – I used one can
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
1/3 – 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped – I used about 1/2 cup
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions

Heat soup pot, add in onions and garlic and sauté on medium heat, stirring often, until everything turns a deep golden brown – took me about 30 minutes.
Add in brown rice, spices, carrot, celery, potato, tomatoes, and spices and sauté for another 5 minutes. DO NOT ADD WATER, LENTILS, PARSLEY OR LEMON JUICE YET.
Stir in lentils and water and bring to boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes or until rice and lentils are done.
Stir in lemon juice and parsley, serve hot.

Caramelize the onions and garlic

Add in carrot, celery, potato, tomato, spices and brown rice

Add in water and lentils, bring to boil, cover and cook 20-30 minutes or until done.

Add in parsley and lemon juice

Ready to serve!

Lentil Kale Soup (kidtestedfirefighterapproved.com)

Brown Rice & Lentil Burgers

July 17, 2012 by aprilcmast

Hey there!

Sorry I’ve been absent lately, operation “Daily Toddler Energy Drain” is in full effect this summer which means I haven’t been spending a ton of time at home. We’ve also been camping quite a bit since we bought our RV. So much fun!

I haven’t done a ton of cooking lately but I decided to make these burgers tonight since I need a burger recipe for our upcoming camping trip. Our son is turning one soon and I also needed a new menu item for him to try. These burgers were a hit all around, our kids LOVED them! I ate mine in a lettuce wrap with horseradish mustard, Habanero Sauce, avocado, relish and heirloom tomato slices. YUMMO!!

Brown Rice & Lentil Burgers

Kid Tested AND Approved!!!

The original recipe is from the blog For The Love of Food. I altered it a bit and I may continue to do so the next time I make them. I want to play with the spices a bit, maybe make a spicy batch next time.

Brown Rice & Lentil Burgers

1/2 cup dried green or brown lentils, rinsed (I used brown)

1/2 cup brown rice

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, grated

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup quick oats

Combine the lentils, brown rice, onion, carrot, garlic, cumin, sage, and salt in a medium-size saucepan. Add the water and vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce the heat and boil gently until the rice and lentils are tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes.

Drain in a colander to remove any excess liquid. Add mixture to large mixing bowl and add the quick oats, stir until combined. Let cool until able to handle. Form into 8 large burger patties.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper – you can spray the paper with a little cooking spray if you’re worried about them sticking (I did). Bake them for 15 minutes and flip. Bake an additional 15 minutes and remove from oven. Let cool slightly, they will harden a little and become easier to handle.

Add ingredients to medium-sized saucepan, cover and bring to a boil. Lower temp and continue to cook at a low boil for about 40 minutes.

Cook until lentils and rice are done and liquid is almost all absorbed.

Transfer to mixing bowl, add quick oats and combine. Let cool until able to handle.

Form patties and place on parchment paper (spray if you wish). Makes 8 large patties, I had to make them in two batches!

Almost done! Mini patty for our one-year old

Yummy!!!

Chipotle Lentil Burgers (kidtestedfirefighterapproved.com)

Kale Mac n’ Cheeze

May 23, 2012 by aprilcmast

Our toddler is going through a picky meal time phase lately… I’m not happy about it at all but I know it’s normal and will soon pass (hopefully!). She’s been rejecting her usual greens so I’ve been trying to figure out ways to hide them in other foods she will eat. Ugh, I was hoping I’d never have to play “hide the greens” with my kids but I suppose it’s my turn.

The “cheese” in this dish is from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen Blog… one of the best vegan food blogs EVER!!!! I changed the recipe a bit this time, added a little more spices. Turned out great! It’s so easy to make too which is double great! We don’t eat a ton of pasta anymore so I figured this might spark our toddler’s interest, maybe she won’t even notice the green stuff!!

Kale Mac n’ Cheeze

Ah HA!! GOTCHA!!!! Lol!

I’m hoping he will be my “trash can” eater…. meaning he will eat whatever I put in front of him

Kale Mac n’ Cheeze

* Note: Occasionally I’ll add a can of white beans to this mixture instead of the cornstarch to thicken it. I didn’t do it this time but I highly recommend it!

Ingredients

1 pound pasta (regular or gluten-free)
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup plain, fat-free soymilk (may use other non-dairy milk I used soymilk)
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch – I used cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt (I used a pinch)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder – I used 2 tsps
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard – I used 1 tsp
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon mellow white miso (or additional salt – I used yellow miso, all I had)
black pepper to taste
2 bunches of kale, steamed and chopped – I used dino/lacinato kale

Instructions

Put the pasta on to boil, according to package directions.
While it’s cooking, blend all remaining ingredients together in a blender. Steam and chop up your kale. I steam mine in a big pot with an inch of water at the bottom.
When the pasta is al dente, drain it, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and return the pasta to pan. Add the sauce mixture and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Add a little of the pasta water if more moistness is needed.
Add in your chopped kale and stir until combined.

Blend sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor – I used my VitaMix

I used Trader Joe’s Organic pasta and 2 bunches of dino kale

I like to steam my kale in a big soup pot with an inch of boiling water – toss occasionally but keep covered in between tosses

Add sauce to cooked/drained noodles and stir until combined

Add your cooked, chopped kale and stir. Add a bit of pasta water to thin things out a bit.

Yummy!

Creamy Broccoli & Kale Soup (kidtestedfirefighterapproved.com)
Real-Deal Nacho Cheeze (kidtestedfirefighterapproved.com)
Sweet Potato Curry with Kale & Chickpeas (kidtestedfirefighterapproved.com)

Skinny Buckeyes

January 24, 2012 by aprilcmast

I was trying to fight off a serious sweet tooth (it wasn’t working!) so I decided to make these… I figured it was a little bit of a compromise, considering they contain beans! They turned out really good, my hubby and toddler loved them!!

Skinny Buckeyes

This recipe is from Happy Healthy Mama. She has some really great recipes!

INGREDIENTS

* 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1-15 ounce can, rinsed and drained)

* 1 1/2 cups peanut butter

* 1/2 cup agave (original recipe called for honey but agave works too)

* 1 teaspoon vanilla

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used dairy-free chips)

* 2 tablespoons coconut oil

* toothpicks

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a food processor, process the chickpeas until they are completely broken down. Add the peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and salt and process until everything is well combined and forming a ball, about one minute.

2. Scoop the mixture with a rounded spoon (I used a 2 teaspoon size), roll into a ball, and place on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Continue until you use all of the mixture; you should get approximately 48 balls.

3. Place in the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, place your chocolate chips and coconut oil in a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and then stir the mixture. Microwave another 30 seconds and stir again. If the chips are not completely melted yet, microwave in 5-10 second increments until totally smooth. {Alternatively, you can use the double boiler method to melt your chocolate. I always just use the microwave.}

5. When your peanut butter balls are firm enough, take them out of the freezer. Put a toothpick into the top of each ball and then using the pick as a handle, dip the ball into the chocolate. Leave a little circle open at the top to make traditional Buckeyes. I had a little chocolate leftover using this method, however, so if you want to cover the entire ball with chocolate, go ahead. Return the dipped balls to your tray.

6. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm and you are ready to serve. If storing, store in the refrigerator.

Process chickpeas

Add other ingredients and process until it forms a ball

Roll into balls and place on parchment paper - freeze for 15 minutes

Heat coconut oil and chocolate chips

Dip the balls into the chocolate using the toothpicks - refrigerate until firm

Yummy!

Balsamic-Glazed Chickpeas & Mustard Greens

January 11, 2012 by aprilcmast

I really like mustard greens, if you’ve never tried them this is a great starting point! This can be served as a side dish or a warm dinner salad. I like mine over quinoa for dinner! My toddler enjoyed this, she likes chasing the chickpeas around her plate.

Balsamic-Glazed Chickpeas & Mustard Greens

This recipe is from one of my favorite plant-based food blogs, Fat Free Vegan. She has such delicious recipes and lots of them! I changed the original recipe in an effort to reduce my sodium intake.