Sloppy Joe, Slop-Sloppy Joe

IMG_1751As promised, here's my own little take on the lentil sloppy joe! I have been craving these suckers big time which is super weird because not only have I never had one, I thought they looked disgusting when I was a kid. I mean, have you ever seen It Takes Two!?!? They are so messy and ground beef is the worst… But alas, while cray sloppy [hardy har har] they were also quite delicious. I was going to make everything from scratch via this recipe until I realized ain't no body got time for that, so here' s my super easy recipe.  IMG_1750 [Sloppy Joe Innards] 

1 cup red lentils

3 cups water

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon of dry mustard, garlic powder, and salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional [my sauce was a bit tart, so I wanted the sweetness]

1.5 cups of your favorite bbq sauce

Slider buns

Start with the onions and red peppers on medium heat in a dutch oven. You can use a touch of olive oil or water until soft. Once onions are translucent add mustard, garlic powder, salt, and brown sugar. Add 2 cups of the water and red lentils. Cook covered for 25 minutes. Stir add additional cup of water and bbq sauce. Cook uncovered for another 15 minutes until nice and thick!!

IMG_1752[Slaw]

1 quarter of a red cabbage, shredded

1/2-3/4 cup Veganaise [personal preference]

1 tablespoon dijion mustard

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients and pop in the fridge.

[HomeFries]

2 potatoes, cut into large wedges

tablespoon dried thyme

lotsa salt

olive oil

Preheat oven at 425 degrees. Drizzle with olive oil, thyme, salt and coat all of the potatoes. Make sure they are all touching the pan. Cook for 20 minutes and then flip, cook for another 15 or until crispy.

You can add Tabasco, Pickles, more BBQ, Slaw, the options are endless!!!!!!

Quick Green Curry Noodles

IMG_9583So this is a take on one of my favorite recipes by my dietitian hero, Kimberly Snyder. I definitely put my spin on it, added some more veggies and some delish brown rice noodles, but it's still healthy and totally filling, warm, and comforting. Who wants to make me some, like, right now!?IMG_9584Serves 2 hungry-hungry hippos

4 cups veggie stock

1 can organic, full fat coconut milk, [helpful tip: Always shake the can before opening]

3 tablespoons green curry paste

3 tablespoons tamari

1 teaspoon of coconut oil

3-5 baby bok choy, chopped and cleaned well

1 japanese eggplant, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 cup sting beans, trimmed and chopped into inch pieces

4 green onions, chopped

1/2 packed of thin brown rice noodles

1 lime juice/zest

Optional: Garnish jalapeño, bean sprouts, thai basil, sambal oelek, or whatever your heart desires.

Saute eggplant and mushrooms with coconut oil. Cook until soft. Mix coconut milk, tamari, and curry paste and add to eggplant and mushrooms. Let simmer for 20 minutes.

Cook noodles via package instructions while soup simmers. I like to keep the noodles separate because I HATE soggy noodles.

Add beans and bok choy for the last 5 minutes or earlier if you like softer veggies. Finish with lime juice/zest, and green onions. Then just ladle soup over a pile of delish noodles.

Stuff your face.

Mocha Brownie Smoothie

IMG_9825So now that The Captain is back on the mainland, we are both trying to get our health and digestive tracks back in order... Me from growing a child, him from living like a college student. Definitely the same... Hmmm. Any who, in our attempt to "cleanse" we have given up wheat, processed sugar, processed foods, alcohol, soy[mostly], and dairy[obviously not a struggle for me]. It's quite the list. Not nearly as crazy as some, but still I want to ravage a piece of bread right now. Yes, vegans LOVE bread. We did decide to keep caffeine in the mix as we both only have 1 cup of black coffee a day and we have a 4 month old. No sodas up in this crib. Well, I was craving a brownie something fierce with my morning coffee when this smoothie popped in my head... It was perfect!! Yummy, fudgy goodness!!! 1 giant serving or 3 double old fashioned servings

3 dates [soaked for 10 min in hot water]

1 1/4 cup almond milk

1/2 cup coffee

1 tablespoon flax seeds [ground if not using a high powered blender such as a Vitamix]

1 tablespoon chia seeds

2 tablespoons of a clean diary/whey free protein [I used the vanilla juice plus powder. SO GOOD.]

1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder depending on how chocolatey you like it [unsweetened, raw if possible]

1/2 cup frozen spinach

1 frozen banana

Throw it all in a blender and presto!!!! Deliciousness!

Kale, Blueberries, and Avocado, Oh my!

photo 1 I'm officially obsessed with this salad. I eat it 3-4 times a week and it has yet to get old!!! The base is TJ's cruciferous crunch and it is DELISH. It's a mixture of kale, shredded cabbage, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. YUM. I'm a little concerned with all of Trader Joe's recalls lately, so if you are staying away I think a bed of shredded kale would be a perfect base. Definitely wash your greens REALLY well especially if you're knocked up! I swear this salad will complete you!!!! Enjoy.

photo 2Feeds 2 normal people or 1 ravenous pregnant woman

3/4 the bag of Cruciferous Crunch, washed

2 heaping handfuls of organic blueberries, washed

1 large avocado, diced

Dressing [my take on Kim Snyder's dharma dressing]

2 juicy lemons, juiced

Tamari to taste, about 2 tablespoons

2-3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon of dulse flakes

Mix everything together, top with dressing and let sit for at least 5 minutes. I think if you can let it sit for 15-20 you are gonna love it even more. This salad is seriously my favorite lil' invention of recent weeks. Don't wait to try this one, make it while berries and avocados are plentiful!!!!!!

 

Mind Blowing Pesto Pasta

photo 4 As promised, here's my most absolute favorite way to eat the yummy pesto recipe I posted a few weeks ago!!! This is my go-to dish when I need to serve an army and I want to sneak feed them healthy, plant based goodness!!! What they don't know won't hurt them… Is that how that saying goes?! Dude, that's awful. But in the case of this delish pasta, the fact that there is not a stitch of cheese or oil should and will quite literally blow your mind. Ha, people use the term literally too much… but again, with this pasta it's so healthy and yummy, be warned, your head could explode. Okay, here's how easy this shiz is.

Step 1. Cut a hole in the box Follow and make this Pesto Recipe

Step 2. Boil Water

Step 3. Add your favorite pasta [I'm obsessed with Trader Joe's brown rice fusilli, so good and totes gluten free] to boiling water

Step 4. Add chopped green beans and asparagus to the boiling water party for the last 5 minutes of the pasta's cooking time

Step 5. DON'T OVERCOOK YOUR PASTA

Step 6. Drain pasta and veggies, leaving just a tablespoon or so of cooking liquid with the pasta

Step 7. Stir in pesto

Step 8. Enjoy like a Boss!!!

 

Veggie Sushi in a Snap

IMG_3400I love sushi, like LOVE-LOVE sushi. Being a veggie doesn't mean that I don't get to enjoy my sweet, sweet nori wrapped goodness. Veggie sushi is literally the most delish food on the planet. I can [and have] lived off of avocado rolls for weeks. It's a great food pairing, easy on the digestive system, and so super yummy. I while ago my good buddy Chelsea and I decided to try and make our own sushi. It worked smashingly well. Here's a post from back in the olden days if you'd like to see how that went down!! I love taking the time to make rice and yada, yada… but sometimes you just ain't got no damn time. That's when I pop a bag of Seeds of Change brown rice into the microwave, quickly boil and blanche some thin asparagus, and slice an avocado. Boom. You just have to roll your sushi and enjoy. Seriously. It's crazy easy. If you want to pop a sweet potato in the microwave, cut up some baked tofu, or pea shoots or anything else your crazy brain can fathom!! Get creative!! Have fun!!! Namaste! IMG_3403

Tofu Scramble This!

photo 2Vegan breakfast food is quite a hard egg to crack… hahaha. Eggs. Vegan's don't eat eggs. In all seriousness, eating breakfast out, one life's greatest pleasures, is a ridiculous challenge when you are vegan. Living in Cali has its perks, but I still have yet to find a tofu scramble as good as my own… Yep, giving myself a big ole pat on the back! I've found heavenly vegan pancakes, the most delicious vegan biscuits and gravy, and the most amazing papas loco on the planet, but I love my tofu scramble. photo 1Serves 2-3

1 container of extra firm organic tofu, drained and pressed then smush with a fork, until it's crumbly

half of an onion, chopped finely

half a red bell pepper, chopped finely

2-3 handfuls of baby spinach, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of turmeric

nice big pinch of salt

squeeze of lemon

[Optional veggies: finely diced zucchini, mushrooms, jalapeños, carrots, etc. The possibilities are endless]

photo 3Heat a tablespoon of water or veggie stock in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add red pepper and spinach, cook until spinach is wilted. Add tofu to the pan, add garlic powder, turmeric, and salt then mix well. Once mixture is heated through, turn off the heat and squeeze a quarter wedge of lemon. It just brightens up all the flavors!! I serve mine with warmed corn tortillas, avocado, and salsa or hot sauce. You. Are. Welcome.

We got the beets…

photo 2I have a love affair with beets. I love them so very much. Now, until you've actually had a fresh roasted beet,  I don't want to hear it. So go and buy the beets with the greens, so they are nice and fresh, chop off the tops and follow these directions here on how to roast them. They are super easy and literally taste like candy!!! Organic beets were on sale, so I had to make a big salad. For my birthday dinner, we dined at a fabulous Italian restaurant in Little Italy and while I super enjoyed my pasta, I found myself craving my healthy friend Chelsea's delish salad, so I decided that I would have to make it myself. I had my beets, so I was halfway there. This salad is fresh and super satisfying. Serves 1 hungry person or 2 sorta hungry people [I ATE the whole damn thing myself]

1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped

1 cup of diced roasted beets, give or take, I could eat 3 pounds of beets...

handful of kalamata olives, sliced

1 cup of sugar snap peas, washed and trimmed

Kim Snyder's Dharma's Kale Salad dressing here

Whisk everything together and enjoy!! Next time I make this I'm going to put in a whole chopped avocado… You like where my head's at!? I thought you might. Also, don't be alarmed if you have fuchsia pea or purple poo after eating this salad. Beets aren't joking. I could eat this every single day… Enjoy!!!

That's a Spicy Potato

potato-vegan-lunch-veggiesA few weeks ago I attended a Pinterest party... A party inspired by food and projects found on Pinterest. We made holiday crafts, ate fun treats, downed jello shots... just your basic Tuesday night with my crew. We were all tasked to bring a recipe discovered on Pinterest. I found a dip that I thought sounded tasty, so I made that... welllllll it wasn't great. It was super bland and just didn't do what I was thinking that it should, so I made a few changes and kicked up the heat factor quite a bit and it was a hit!!! Everyone loved it. We all agreed that it would taste brilliant on top of a potato or smothering a veggie burrito. 1 organic russet potato

1/2 cup broccoli [frozen heated or fresh steamed]

1/4 cup black beans

2-3 tablespoons of your favorite salsa

A ton of spicy cashew cheeze sauce [recipe below]

I flatten my potato out... I think that's a family thing. Sandy flattens her potato; therefore, I flatten my potato. Instead of using any butter I smother it with salsa and smush that into the potato, then sprinkle on black beans, broc, and cheeze and super easy, super quick, super healthy meal!

Spicy Cashew Cheezey Sauce

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight if not using a Vitamix

1/2 cup of veggie broth [water will also work]

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 full teaspoon cayenne pepper [less if your a wuss]

1 teaspoon sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth!

If spicy isn't your thing, this potato rocked my rocks. Inspired by, Jyoti Bihanda, a hippie joint in Normal Heights. I quickly sautéed some fresh broccoli with veggie stock. Once it's cooked through, add some thick chopped onions. Flip about for a minute or two then douse with tamari. Bam. Smoother a smushed potato with the whole pan of goodness. WINNING! baked potato-vegan-quick-warm