Category Archives: Quick Meals

Cheater Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

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I call these “cheater” cookies because they’re so easy to make and really good for you… feels like I’m cheating! 😉 NO flour and NO sugar! I may use these as potty-training bribes since they pass as cookies. Hey, whatever works!

Cheater Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I found the original recipe on Pinterest but didn’t find a link attached anywhere.

Ingredients:

* 3 mashed bananas (ripe)

* 1/3 cup apple sauce

*2 cups quick oats

* 1/4 cup almond milk (or whatever you like)

* 1/8 cup hemp seeds, shelled

 

* 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

* 1 tsp vanilla

* 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mash bananas, combine all ingredients together.

3. Spoon out large dollops of “dough” onto parchment paper.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Mash bananas, combine all ingredients

Combine all and spoon onto baking sheet

Bake for 15-20 minutes

Yep… that’s it!

 

 

 

Brown Rice & Lentil Burgers

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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!!!

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Portobello Mushroom Pizzas

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Life has been so crazy lately, I feel like I can’t catch up on the things I need to do! It’s been a great summer so far… our 10-month old is kinda almost walking and our 2 1/2-year old is hilarious with her ever growing vocabulary. Sorry I’ve lagged on posting recipes lately but things have been nuts! Hope all is well with you and your family!

Ok so pizza, who doesn’t enjoy pizza?! Pizza on portobello mushrooms? What’s better than that! No bloated processed pizza crust feeling, no processed food headache… you can have pizza ALL THE TIME this way!

Portobello Mushroom Pizzas

My hubby loved this so much he asked me to make it again this week. His last favorite, Ancho Lentil Bowls with Low-fat Vegan Cheese is fading out of heavy rotation here so we needed something new. Our toddler LOVED this pizza too, she ate a whole one and asked for more. We felt bad since we had already eaten the rest so I’ll have to make more next time.

Portobello Mushroom Pizzas

* 6-8 Portobello mushrooms (allow for at least two per person… three if you’re really hungry)

* 2 cups pizza sauce – I LOVE the Muir Glen Pizza Sauce when I don’t have time to make homemade. Use your favorite.

* Cashew Basil Cheese (see recipe below)

* Chopped roasted red & yellow peppers – I used half a jar of Trader Joe’s fire roasted red & yellow peppers in water

* 1 green pepper, chopped

* 1 medium onion, diced

* 1 can black olives, chopped

* fresh basil, chopped (add on top OR use dried italian seasoning)

* 1/2 – 1 tsp red pepper flake

Directions:

* Preheat oven by setting the broiler on low or just broil if that’s the only setting you have.

* Take a baking sheet and cover with a silicone non-stick baking mat or parchment paper for easy clean up.

* Make your Cashew Basil cheese (see below). Set aside.

* Remove stems of Portabellas and gently rub Portabellos with a wet cloth to clean. Place Portabellas ‘belly’ side up on the baking sheet.

* Spoon about 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce into each mushroom. Now spoon about 2 – 4 teaspoons of Cashew Basil Cheese on top of the pizza sauce (see recipe below).

* Top the portobellos with remaining ingredients, sprinkle with fresh basil and/or italian seasoning and a sprinkle of dried red pepper flake.

* Broil in the oven on the lowest temperature setting on the middle rack for about 10-12 minutes, watching closely as broiler temperatures vary. Serve immediately and enjoy!

The cashew nut cheese is an excellent addition to these pizzas! You could also use the Pizza Cheese recipe from a few weeks ago, that would be GOOD! I changed the original recipe to suit our tastes and nutritional needs. I plan on making the Goaty Cashew Cheeze (Thank you Melomeals!) next time and experimenting with different toppings. The possibilities are endless!

Cashew Basil Cheese 

Ingredients:
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1/3-1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt, to taste
• 1/2 tsp leftover bean cooking liquid (or liquid from canned beans…. or water, that will work too!)
• 1 fresh basil leaf – I didn’t have this last time I made it so I added 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1.5 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
* 1 tsp yellow miso paste
Directions: Place 1 cup of raw cashews in a bowl of water, cover, and soak overnight in the fridge. When cashews are ready, drain and place all ingredients (cashews, Himalayan sea salt, bean liquid/water, basil, garlic, nutritional yeast, miso and lemon juice) into a food processor and process until smooth, stopping to scrape sides of processor as necessary. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Place ingredients into food processor and process until smooth’ish… like a chunky ricotta cheese consistency

Ready for pizza! Or collard wraps, or salad…. hmmm…..

Remove stems, wipe mushrooms with damp cloth to clean, place on cooking sheet and fill “gill” sides with pizza sauce.

Add your dollops of Cashew Basil Cheese first, then follow with all your toppings!

Ready to broil!

Yummy!

Portobello Pizza goodness!

Ancho Lentil Bowls with Low-fat Cashew Nacho Cheese

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This is one of the best meals we’ve had in awhile! It’s so good, I’m trucking the kids to the store in the morning to make it again for a party tomorrow night. No joke, it’s that good!

Ancho Lentil Bowl with Low-Fat Vegan Cheese

I’ve made the Ancho Lentils a few times now and they’ve always turned out great. The original recipe (from Post Punk Kitchen) is for Ancho Lentil Tacos but you could use this on just about anything – tacos, burritos, nachos, collard wraps, etc.

I have a ton of fake cheese recipes but this Lowfat Nacho Cheeze from Happy Herbivore is my new favorite! Together they make an awesome meal! I served it over brown rice tonight but next time I’ll try these ingredients in a collard wrap. YUMMY!!! I also topped this with tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro, sliced avocado, a squeeze of lime and our favorite Habanero Sauce, our favorite Mexican food topping!

P.S. Our toddler loved this! I took out a scoop of the lentils before I added the hot sauce, figured she may not like it so spicy.

“Um… Mommy… What is this?”

“Mmmmm! I like it”

“Hey there sis, this banana is kinda boring… wanna share?”

Ancho Lentils

* 1 Tbsp water or bean cooking liquid (for oil-free sautéing)
* 1 small onion, minced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 1/2 cups cooked lentils (from about 1 cup dried) – Brown or green work great. I used a package of Trader Joe’s cooked lentils this time
* 3 tablespoons tomato paste
* 2 tablespoons hot sauce (preferably Cholula)

Spice mix:
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 2 teaspoons ground ancho chile
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

First combine all of the ingredients for the spice mix and set aside. Also, keep a cup of water within reach, you’ll need to add splashes as you cook.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sautee the onion and garlic in the water or bean liquid with a pinch of salt (optional) for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Add spices and toss them for 30 seconds or so to toast.

Lower heat to medium, add lentils, a few splashes of water, tomato paste and hot sauce; use a spatula to mash them a bit as they cook, until they hold together. If your spatula isn’t strong enough to accomplish this, just use a fork or a potato masher (I used this).

Do this for about 5 minutes, adding splashes of water as necessary if it appears dry. Taste for salt and seasoning; you may want to add more spices or hot sauce. And that’s it, time to serve!

Time to make some Ancho Lentils! I cheated this time and used Trader Joe’s packaged lentils 😉

Saute your onion and garlic then add spices

Cook spice and onion/garlic mixture for 30 seconds then add remaining ingredients… smells so good!!

Ready for tacos, nachos, burritos, on top of rice or anything else you can think of!

Low Fat Vegan Nacho Cheese

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

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occassionally and allowing the cheese to thicken.

Combine all ingredients in your food processor, combing until smooth

Smoooooth!

Heat in a pan on the stove until thick, stir occasionally

Yah!! Ready to dollop on your favorite Mexican food!

 

Kale Mac n’ Cheeze

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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

  1. Put the pasta on to boil, according to package directions.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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!

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Coconut “Bacon”

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Confession time. My favorite show on tv is Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives… there, I said it. It makes zero sense that I would love this show so much considering 99.9% of the food they make on there is NOT plant-based. That’s okay though, the recipes on there give me ideas for other recipes sometimes and on a rare occasion Guy Fieri features a plant-based dish on the show.

It’s my understand that Guy grew up vegetarian and HATED it so much that he rebelled at a young age. While he may not make the same food choices as myself, he’s a pretty good host of the show although his dietary choices are (in my opinion) atrocious.

He’s featured vegan burgers, a few curry dishes and a coconut club with fried tofu and coconut bacon. I’ve been thinking about that sandwich for awhile now and decided to try out the coconut bacon concept. I searched around the internet and found this recipe. It’s really easy to make, you could whip up a batch of this for quick BLT’s or add this to tofu scramble… honestly, you could add it to just about anything! I’m thinking salad topping, add to split pea soup or a pizza topping!

This recipe is from Vegan Good Things blog, another cool site I bookmarked to peruse later. Sorry for the lame photo, I haven’t had a chance to make anything pretty with this yet but I will soon!!!

My hubby and toddler LOVED this!

Coconut Bacon
makes about 3 cups (enough for 4 – 6 sandwiches, depending on how big you make ’em)

3 large handfuls of large flake, unsweetened coconut (bought mine at Sprouts)
1 Tbsp. liquid smoke – Colgin brand is plant-based, some are not
2 Tbsp. tamari – or soy sauce, coconut aminos or shoyu
1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (optional, but recommended – I used it)

Preheat oven to 300. Place coconut in a shallow baking pan. Combine other ingredients together in a small bowl and drizzle over coconut. Use your hands to mix and make sure the coconut is evenly coated. Bake at 300 for 20 minutes, or until crisp. It will continue to crisp as it cools, and is best eaten at room temperature.

I used my Pyrex glass pan, worked great!

Mix sauce with coconut, spread evenly

Coconut “Bacon”