Feel Better Sweet Potato, Barley, and Greens Soup

I've had a bit of a cold the last couple days and I've also had some sweet potatoes staring at me begging to be used. So I decided at 4 am today when I was up nursing Franklynn to look up on my phone's internet a soup recipe. There are tons of recipes out there and I always want to modify what I find and make it my own based on what I have on hand. So today for lunch I made this awesome soup that melts in your mouth, smells amazing, and made me feel a bit better.

I don't like to miss church but I did not want to go and get anyone else sick. Franklynn stayed home with me since he's still primarily nursing, but Jordan and Zaccheaus went and came home to tell me about the beautiful sermon and all those who were praying for me. I love my church.

The best part is that this soup came together quickly and was ready right when the fellas walked in the door at noon. I always like how timing seems to work out.

 Ingredients

1. 4 small (or 2 medium sweet potatoes) peeled and diced
2. 1 red onion, peeled and chopped
3. 2 cups chopped greens (your choice but mine was a mix)
4. 1 cup pearled barley
5. 7 cups vegetable broth
6. 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
7. 2 Tb. red curry paste (I use Thai kitchen)
8. 1/2 tsp. sea salt
9. 1/4 tsp. white pepper
10. 2 Tb. olive oil (optional)

 Instructions

1. Line a pot with oil (or water if you want to go fat-free) and add the onion and sweet potato
2. Cook over medium-high heat until the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes
3. Add in the curry paste and coat the onions and potatoes, then stir and cook for about 2 more minutes
4. Pour in the barley, broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil
5. Once boiling stir, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for about 25 min.
6. Add in the greens and chickpeas. Cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes
7. Turn off heat, serve, and Enjoy!

 I served mine with a few slices of lightly toasted whole grain vegan friendly flatbread

Mexican Polenta Pizza

I'm always looking for ways to incorporate new types of pizza into my life. After all, pizza is my favorite food and it's so easy for a toddler to eat!

Ingredients

Crust
2 1/2 cups water
2 tsp. taco seasoning (make sure it's dairy free)
3/4 cup coarse ground cornmeal, grits, or polenta

Sauce
1 cup vegetarian fat free refried beans
2 Tb. vegan sour cream
2 Tb. hot picante sauce
1/4 cup canned diced tomatoes

Topping
1/2 cup lentil taco meat * (optional, can sub with black beans)
1/2 diced zucchini
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup vegan cheddar shreds
1 handful crushed tortilla strips

Lentil Taco Meat
1 cup cooked lentils
2 tsp. taco seasoning
1 Tb. ketchup (make sure there is no high fructose corn syrup)
1 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. low sodium soy sauce

Instuctions
Make crust
1. Bring water to boil with taco seasoning
2. Slowly add in polenta while whisking and continue to whisk in boiling water for 5 minutes until thick and creamy
3. Spread mixture evenly into a parchment paper lined rectangle cake pan
4. Let cool at room temperature for 5 minutes and then place in freezer for 20 minutes to cool and set (30 if you prefer the fridge over the freezer)

Make Lentil Taco "Meat"
1. While the crust is cooling cook lentils. Mix 1/2 cups dry rinsed lentils with 1 cup warm water and allow to simmer in a covered pot for about 15 minutes until lentils are tender.
2. Transfer to a food processor or blender and pulse to desired consistency
3. Place in a bowl and toss with other "meat" ingredients. Set aside

Make Sauce
1. While the lentils are cooking, place all sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend together.
2. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Bring it all together
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Slide crust and parchment paper out of cake pan and onto a cookie sheet, bake for 30 minutes
3. Remove the crust from oven and spread sauce on top evenly ( you will definitely have leftover sauce, use it as bean tip or in a bean enchilada later)
4. Top with remaining toppings and bake for another 15-20 minutes
5. Once out of oven immediately slide the paper and pizza onto a cookie sheet otherwise it builds up moisture underneath and gets soggy
6. Slice and enjoy!

Note: this is a very soft crust, it will not taste like the normal pizza dough you are probably used to. Also feel free to experiment with sauces, toppings, and spices!

Black Bean Salad Bowl

So my husband Jordan is the one who turned me on to Pinterest. And even though I am way more of a "foodie" than him, he likes to send me recipes to try and make that will cater to his likes. You see, he does not like fake meat or tofu and often I have to make seperate batches of my meals to ensure we all get dinner. However, this little gem that was modified from the food network's website worked for the whole family. Of course Franklynn isn't quite ready for solids, but when mommy is nourished so is he. Now that we are vegan sometimes it requires creativity to add large doses of protein into our meal routines. But not with this one. The black beans are high in protein and our favorite bean. Plus this recipe requires minimal cooking and most items you will have on hand in your fridge and pantry carnivore, omnivore, and herbivore alike.

Ingredients:

Salad:
1 cup crushed tortilla chips (separated into 2 bowls)
1 cup shredded bib lettuce (separated and placed on top of tortilla chips)

Mixture:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 small red onion, chopped
1 small orange bell pepper, diced
1 tsp. olive oil (or water)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small avocado, peeled and diced

Dressing:
2 tsp minced garlic
Juice squeezed from 1 small lime
1 tsp of lime zest
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. chili powder

Instructions.
1. Warm skillet with olive oil and add onions and bell pepper, cook over medium until they soften
2. Add the black beans, corn, and salt & pepper, stir and cook until heated through
3. Transfer to a bowl
4. Add in the cherry tomatoes and the dressing mixture. Mix everything well
5. Split the mixture over the 2 tortilla/salad bowls
6. Top each bowl with the diced avocado
7. Enjoy

Meatless Pot Roast

I just discovered something awesome, Seitan (cooked vital wheat gluten). It's obviously not a gluten-free food, but its totally vegan and fat free. I plan to start making recipes that use this nifty little ingredient when I crave something I used to eat with meat.
So here's how you do it and what you'll need:
Ingredients:
- 1 6.6 oz package vital wheat gluten
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup veggie broth (no-salt added)
- 2 Tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce
-3 cups veggie broth (no salt added)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
-1 medium onion, sliced
-2 russet potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
-5 whole carrots, peeled and chopped into large chunks
- salt and pepper to taste
Here's how ya do it:
1. In a bowl whisk together gluten with spices. Pour on broth and sauce. Mix and knead to form a roughly shaped ball.
2. Place onions and garlic in the middle of pan. Place the gluten ball on top. Then lay potatoes and carrots around dough.
3. Pour broth over everything. Place in 1 bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for about 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350 after about 45 minutes
5. After the 1 hour place dough on parchment paper lined pan and bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway in. Keep the veggies cooking until dough is done.
6. Slice the loaf and place veggies on top
I made gravy out of the remaining broth by adding 1 Tbsp of cornstarch and 1 Tbsp wheat flour and whisk until thick. Then I poured it over.

Gluten-Free Veggie Pizza

I've tried making my own vegan crust for a while but have never been happy, hence why I decided to use this pre-made kit from Bob's Red Mill. Plus its easy to find in the organic section of any grocery store.
I'll post a link a little later.
Crust:
1. Follow instructions on package; cut in 1/2 for 1 pizza
2. Make a flax egg to replace egg (1 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 Tbsp warm water, allowed to set for a few minutes)
3. Spray pizza pan lightly with cooking spray and dust with a little cornmeal
4. Again follow instructions
Topping:
- 1 roma tomato, chopped
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach, finely chopped
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1/4 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup fresh white mushrooms, chopped
1. Place desired amount of low sugar pasta sauce on crust
2. Mix all veggies in a bowl and pour on top of pasta
3. Top with some soy mozzarella cheese (optional)
Feel free to mix this up with toppings and I'll be posting new ideas soon.

Teriyaki chickpeas with mango/pineapple salsa

One of my favorite and easy dinners to make.
Mango/Pineapple Salsa
1 mango diced
1 6oz can crushed pineapple (in juice not syrup), drained
1/3 red onion, diced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Mix all together and refridgerate
Chickpea Teriyaki
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup low sodium Teriyaki sauce
1 Tbsp hot sauce
1 Tbsp raw sugar
- mix all in a cold pan and let marinate for 10 minutes
- turn on heat and cook covered ~ 5 min until liquid absorbed
The Whole Shebang
- place 1 cup cooked brown rice in bowl
- cover with a generous amount of salsa
- place half of the chick pea mix on top.... Enjoy!!

Beany Enchiladas

If you look at my previous post you can see how the enchiladas are supposed to look at the end. I've made some modifications that you can basically make from stuff in your kitchen. I know most people don't go to the health food store so they won't have access to TVP.

Plus tonight I brought the new and improved enchiladas to a potluck with my Sunday school class this evening.  They were a big hit and I had a few ladies ask me for the recipe, so of course I'm putting the recipe on here.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 cup cooked brown rice ( I use instant because it's way faster)
• 1 can Rotel
• 1 can reduced sodium black beans, well rinsed
• 1/2 can fat-free refried beans
• 1 small can sliced olives
• 1/8 shredded non-dairy cheese (optional)
• 1 - 2 cans of green enchilada sauce
• 10 - 12 corn tortillas

Instructions

1. Cook rice
2. Saute mushrooms, onions, and rotel in the water until the onions are opaque
3. Add the saute mix to the rice
4. Add in beans and mix until all is uniform on low heat
5. Heat corn tortillas in microwave for about 30 seconds 
6. Spoon mixture into tortillas and roll
7. Pour half a can of enchilada sauce in a baking dish
8. Place the rolled tortillas in dish until packed and pour remaining sauce over. Also sprinkle cheese and olives on top
9. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes
10. Enjoy!!!! 

Stuffed acorn squash

http://healthycrush.com/quinoa-stuffed-acorn-squash/
I made this the other night. I opted for the sunflower seeds. I couldn't find any raw without paying a fortune. So I used salted and roasted (it does take away from the nutritional value but it also adds a ton of flavor to the dish)

I did not use any oil. Instead just add pepper to the squash before baking a place on some parchment paper. This greatly reduces the amount of calories.

Also, I only like Tempeh or Tofu in limited amounts so I used chick peas.

I don't have tamari. But Bragg's Liquid Aminos (found at all health food stores and some grocery stores in the organic section is great) is a low sodium soy-sauce alternative that works well.

Additionally. I had to microwave the squash on each side for 3 minutes just so I could cut it. Then I microwaved about another 3 after cutting which cut the baking time in half.

Vegetarian Enchiladas with Dairy-Free Cheese

This is first of many recipes I will provide. Feel free to make alterations as you've needed them. You can do dairy but I've opted to cut it out of my life due to the high calories and cholesterol. I also don't add oil to my recipes so be sure to use non stick pans and glass baking dishes if available

Filling:

1 Cup Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)* found at any health food store
1/2 a pack standard taco seasoning
3/4 vegetable stock or water
1 Cup cooked wild rice or brown rice
1/2 chopped white mushrooms
1/2 bell pepper chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 Medium tomato chopped
1 cup  fresh spinach chopped
1/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 - 2 tbsp water, or more if needed to prevent sticking

Remaining Ingredients:

10 - 12 corn tortillas ( dry to avoid any that have oil added, you want to keep it whole grain if possible
1 small can slice olives, drained and rinsed to cut out added sodium
1 can green enchilada sauce, look for low sodium if applicable
1/2 cup grated non-dairy cheddar cheese alternative
10 to 12 toothpicks, optional


Instructions:
1. Heat the vegetable stock or water in microwave for 2 minutes. Add the TVP mix until no more dry granules are present then let set until needed.  You want to give the TVP time to rehydrate.

2. Saute all the veggies from filling on medium-high heat with the water. Stir as needed. Continue until the onion becomes translucent.
3. Add the rehydrated TVP to pan and reduce heat to medium. Mix well
4. Add the taco seasoning and maybe 1 tbsp more of water and mix well.
5. Remove from heat and place in a medium bowl. Add the cooked rice and mix. Let this sit at room temperature until cool enough to touch. You don't want to burn your fingers while trying to roll the tortillas
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Pour a small layer of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of an 11 x 9 glass baking dish.
8. Warm tortillas in microwave for about 30 seconds, if they're warm they tend to hold together better.
9. Place some of the filling in the middle of tortilla spreading all the way across and roll up. Use a toothpick for added seal and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Continue until all filling is used. You may need to add a few more tortillas depending on how much filling you put in each.
10. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas trying to make sure that all are covered
11.  Sprinkle the dish with the olives and cheese and place uncovered in oven
12. Bake for 30 - 45 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the tops of tortillas brown.
13.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving and Enjoy!!!!!


* TVP reminds me a lot of finely ground beef or ground turkey when its cooked. I had some for another recipe and this is where I got the idea to make TVP tacos. They were good but I thought they'd better serve as enchiladas and boy was I happy. Copy and paste the site below if you want to see what it looks like
http://www.bobsredmill.com/tvp-textured-veg._protein.html