Month: May 2021

Categories
Breakfast

Overnight Oats

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Overnight Oats

A delicious (and healthful) on-the-go breakfast with endless flavor variations. Create a version with your favorite ingredients. 

 

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

 

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats or quick oats
  • 1/2 cup plant milk of choice
  • 1/2 cup yogurt (plant-based preferred) or additional milk of choice
  • 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds
  • Optional:
    • finely chopped dates for sweetness or sweetener of choice, as desired
    • 1/2 cup fruit of choice or 1/4 cup of chia jam
    • 1-2 tbsp nut butter
    • 1 tbsp chia seeds, or add-ins of choice

Instructions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a lidded container or mason jar. Toppings can be added the night before or immediately before serving.
  2. Stir and refrigerate overnight.
  3. Uncover and enjoy from the glass container the next day. Thin with a little more milk or water, if desired.

Variations:

  • Apple Pie: 1/4 cup diced apples, 1 tablespoon pecans chopped, 2 teaspoons maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
  • Pumpkin Pie: Substitute ¼ cup canned pumpkin for half of the yogurt, 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon, a few drops of pure vanilla extract.
  • Carrot Cake: Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 2-3 tbsp shredded carrot, and optional 1 tbsp almond butter. If desired, stir in a handful of raisins, shredded coconut, or chopped walnuts.
  • Peach Amaretto:  a few drops of almond extract, ¼ cup sliced peaches, sliced almonds to top.
  • Piña Colada: Use coconut yogurt and coconut milk, add a few drops pure vanilla extract,  diced pineapple.
  • Banana Nutella:  ½ banana sliced, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, sweetener of choice, 1 tablespoon hazelnuts (or other nuts) chopped.
Categories
Mains

Thai Coconut Curry Tofu

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Thai Coconut Curry Tofu

We love this dish.  The sauce is magic! Use whichever vegetables you prefer.  Thai red curry paste can differ greatly in its heat so taste before adding more. And if you are lucky enough to have a banana tree, try using a young leaf as a plate like they do in Asia – definitely biodegradable 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 3 zucchinis sliced
  • 1-2 yellow onions, thickly chopped
  • Optional: other vegetables as desired
  • 1 (16 – 18 oz) package of firm or extra firm tofu, cubed
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 T. lemongrass (you can find this in a tube in the produce section)
  • 1/8 t. Thai red curry paste (or more to taste)
  • 1 T. fish sauce
  • 1 T. sugar
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • For serving:
    • basil (or Thai basil) chiffonade
    • lime wedges
    • rice noodles or brown rice, cooked

Instructions:

  1. Drain tofu and pat dry.
  2. Sear tofu in a teaspoon of oil, browning slightly. Remove from pan.
  3. Cook onion in pan for 3 min. Add zucchini (and other vegetables as desired). Cook until starting to soften. Add coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, sugar and salt. Cook.
  4. Add tofu to sauce and warm through. Serve over rice or noodles with garnish of lime and basil chiffonade.
Categories
Family Friendly Pasta

Honey Miso Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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Honey Miso Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Sweet, savory and very flavorful.

Makes:  4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 sweet potatoes
• olive oil for brushing
• ¼ cup olive oil, coconut oil, butter or ghee
• 1 large shallot, very finely diced ( about ½ cup)
• 2 teaspoons ginger finely minced
• 1 tablespoon miso ( I prefer white, but any color will work)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon lemon
• 1 tablespoon honey
• salt to taste
• 3 Scallions, sliced
• chopped walnuts (optional

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Roast whole sweet potatoes until softened. About 30 – 40 minutes. Cool potatoes enough to handle.
  2. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise then cut crosswise 1” thick.
  3. While they are roasting make the Shallot Ginger Miso “butter”. Heat the oil, over medium low heat, add the shallot and carefully sauté until golden, stirring often. Cook about 5-6 minutes. Add the ginger, cook 2-3 more minutes. Add the miso and 3 tablespoons water, stirring until blended. Turn heat off.
  4. Place sweet potatoes into a serving or baking dish.
  5. Add lemon to miso sauce, stir and pour over sweet potatoes. Drizzle honey over. Top with chopped walnuts and chives.
Categories
Salads

Pear Walnut Salad

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Pear Walnut Salad

Pears and walnuts are a perfect combination.

Makes about 6 servings

Ingredients:

Dressing

  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 tsp maple syrup
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
  • Ground fresh pepper, to taste

Salad

  • 12 cups (12 oz) salad greens. (Try half arugula and half tender spring  greens)
  • 3 firm but ripe pears (like Bosc), halved, cored, thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 4-6 oz. toasted (or candied) walnuts

Instructions:

  1. Add coarsely chopped walnuts to 1 cup of boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes. 
  2. Add the drained walnuts along with the rest of the dressing ingredients to a high speed bender and blend until smooth.  
  3. Toss greens in large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired and toss again.
  4. Divide greens among plates. Arrange pear slices on top of each plate. Drizzle with a little additional dressing.  Sprinkle with desired amount of toasted or candied walnuts and serve.
Categories
Vegetables

Roasted Lemon Asparagus

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Roasted Lemon Asparagus

Makes: 4 servings
Difficulty level: very easy

This is my favorite preparation for asparagus. Simple and delicious!

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound asparagus
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 lemon (2 tsp freshly squeezed juice from half, and slices from the other half)
  • 1/2 cup vegan or regular Parmesan cheese
    Optional: sliced toasted almonds

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Remove the tough bottom ends of the asparagus by snapping off the lower part. Prepare a baking sheet with foil lining and add the asparagus stalks. Drizzle them with olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Mix and coat with your hands. Thinly slice the remaining 1/2 lemon and add to the baking sheet. If using traditional parmesan, sprinkle on now.
  3. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until tender when pierced by a fork at the thickest part. If using vegan parmesan, sprinkle on now. Top with sliced toasted almonds. Serve.
Categories
Soups

Lentil Soup

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Lentil Soup

A very flavorful soup and a great way to get more greens and beans in your day!

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup brown or green lentils, picked through and rinsed
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup chopped fresh collard greens or kale, tough ribs removed
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (½ to 1 medium lemon), to taste

Instructions:

  • Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat then add the chopped onion and carrot, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened slightly, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, cumin, curry powder and thyme, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the diced tomatoes, stirring to heat for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the lentils, broth and the water.
  • Add salt, a pinch of red pepper flakes and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Increase to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Loosely cover the pot and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but not breaking down.
  • At this point, you can place a couple of cups of the soup in a blender and puree or use an immersion blender to puree a portion of the soup. Be careful with the hot liquid. Return the pureed liquid to the pot.
  • Add the chopped greens and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the greens are at your desired tenderness.
  • Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt, pepper, red pepper and lemon juice as desired.

 

This recipe was adapted from Cookie and Kate.

Categories
Breakfast Family Friendly Snacks

Fried Banana Toast

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Fried Banana Toast

Pan-fried bananas taste decadent but are so simple to prepare. In this recipe I used sunflower butter and sprinkled some sunflower seeds over for a little extra crunch.

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

  • Avocado oil or olive oil
  • 2 bananas, sliced in half lengthwise
  • 2 slices of your favorite wholegrain bread
  • 2 tablespoons nut butter
  • Maple syrup for drizzling (optional)
  • Cocoa powder or cinnamon for dusting

 

Instructions:

  1. Coat a nonstick pan with a small amount of oil and place over medium heat.
  2. When heated, place bananas in pan and cook both sides until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side, turning carefully.
  3. Toast the bread and place onto a plate. Spread each slice with a tablespoon of nut butter, top with 2 slices of banana.  Drizzle with maple syrup (if desired) and sprinkle with cocoa powder or cinnamon.
Categories
Dessert

Chewy Almond Cookies

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Chewy Almond Cookies

These cookies are great when you need something sweet in a hurry.  Cook till slightly browned on the edges for a combination of crisp and chewy textures.  

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz almond paste
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon aquafaba
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In large bowl, break almond paste into pieces. Add sugar and beat until sandy in texture. Add aquafaba and vanilla, beat until smooth.
  3. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto lined baking sheet, 1 inch apart.
  4. Place a piece of parchment over each cookie and press to ½ inch thickness with the bottom of a flat glass. Press sliced almonds into surface.
  5. Bake 22 minutes until lightly browned. Cool and remove from parchment.
Categories
Mains Vegetables

Saag Tofu (Indian Spinach)

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Saag Tofu (Indian Spinach)

A flavorfully spiced dish. Delicious!  You can find tubes of ginger paste in your produce section (along with tubes of many other fresh herbs) – grab some, they make preparation easy. Serve with rice (or other favorite whole grain) and whole grain naan bread.

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 14-16 oz firm tofu, medium dice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 teaspoons garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small onion, chopped fine
  • 3 medium plum tomatoes, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 pound (16 oz) baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup cashew cream
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
  • Red chili flakes (optional for a little heat, to taste)
  • Chopped roasted cashews, or pine nuts

Instructions:

  1. Drain tofu and pat dry. Gently toss tofu with 2 teaspoons of the garam masala.
  2. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add ½ tablespoon of the oil. When it shimmers, add tofu in a single layer and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Wipe out the pan, return it to the stovetop over medium heat, and add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil. When it shimmers, add garlic, onion and remaining garam masala and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, ginger, lemon juice and sugar and cook until tomatoes soften slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in cashew cream and water, cooking until liquid is slightly reduced.
  4. Add spinach in handfuls and stir frequently, cooking until spinach is very and any excess liquid is cooked off, about 6 minutes. Stir in reserved tofu and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
  5. Garnish with chopped cilantro, nuts and chili flakes if desired.
Categories
Mains

Broccoli “Beef” with Mushrooms

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Broccoli “Beef” with Mushrooms

This dish really hits the spot when you are craving Asian take-out.  You can make it with or without mushrooms. Also, try substituting other vegetables that you have on hand like asparagus, cabbage, etc. 

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dry soy curls
  • 1 head broccoli cut in bite-sized florets
  • 8 oz. mushrooms quartered
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • Cooked brown rice for serving

Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium!)
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1T. water
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 1/4 cup vegetable broth

Instructions:

  1. Soak the soy curls by covering them with warm water and let sit for 10 minutes.
  2. In the meantime, mix all of the sauce ingredients together along with the cornstarch-water mix. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
  3. Strain the soy curls in a colander and press to remove excess water. Toss the 1 TB cornstarch with the soy curls. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with the 2 teaspoons oil. When hot (but not smoking), add the soy curls and cook until they are browned on all sides. Remove them from the pan. 
  4. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are slightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  5. Next, add the broccoli to the pan with a small amount of water and cover to steam (until the broccoli is bright green but still firm – do not overcook). Add the soy curls and mushrooms to the broccoli in the pan. Add the sauce and heat until the sauce is thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately with brown rice.
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