Awesome Guacamole

March 5, 2013 by aprilcball

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 aprilcball

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 aprilcball

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 aprilcball

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 aprilcball

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 aprilcball

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

(I use heaping amounts of all these spices but I love bold flavors!)

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

1/2 tsp black salt (optional but really good!!)

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!

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!