Sweet and Spicy Roasted Acorn Squash

This work thing isn't working out! As you may have noticed, I have been a wee bit absent, since starting a new job. Today is the day that changes. I have been making excuses, telling myself that I will start again when I get used to my new schedule etc., but the reality is I don't think that will ever happen. Each weekend, as I am sure you know, I set off to do one or two things on my to-do list only to realize the couch feels so good! And let's get real Candy Crush won't play itself! Anyways.... I have decided to make a conciouse effort to do at least one post a week. If I cant do that....well then I guess I will just quit this ol' J-O-B of mine and get back to cooking! Along with that big change in my life, I have also decided to try the vegan thing again. I wouldn't say 100% vegan, but a solid 95% at least. I feel like life without cheese will be like amputating a leg rough to say the least, but I am stopping at the health food store on the way home to pick up some nutritional yeast, which I hear from vegans is a good cheese substitute. We will see.....we will see.

And of course I get out the dusty old camera to snap a pic.....and it is dead. Camera Phone it is!!

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Acorn Squash
1 acorn squash
1-2 tablespoons of chipotle sauce (depending on how spicy you prefer)
2 tablespoons cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon hoisen sauce
2 tablespoons ov olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut your acorn squash in half and then into 6 wedges. Scoop out seeds and discard. Place on a lined baking sheet and set aside.

In a small bowl combined chipotle sauce, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, olive oil, garlic powder, and pepper. Using a cooking brush, cover squash wedges generously in the sauce. Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes until fork tender, removing every 15 minutes to glaze with remaining sauce.

Once done top with chopped cilantro, green onions, or sesame seeds or all three!!!

Red Quinoa, Apple and Carrot Ribbon Salad with Curry Citrus Dressing

I am sure one of you resolutions this years is to work out more, eat less junk food, or lose weight. I think 90% of resolutions made involve one of the above mentioned topics. My resolution is to eat more greens and to not get wrinkles  have at least 3 vegan days a week, along with some others you probably don't care about. Whatever you resolution is, I hope it last longer than the end of January and if it is to eat more healthy here is a great recipe for you!

Red Quinoa, Apple and Carrot Ribbon Salad with Curry Citrus Dressing

2 large carrots, peeled

1 medium apple

1 cup cooked red quinoa

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon yellow curry powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin

pinch of sea salt

1/2 cup fresh mint

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

In a small bowl whisk together shallot, garlic, honey, lime juice, olive oil, salt, curry powder and cumin. Set aside. 

In a large bowl use a vegetable peeler to create carrot ribbons with the two large carrots. Cut apple into matchsticks and add to bowl, along with cooked quinoa. Roughly chop mint and cilantro and add to bowl, reserving a few sprigs for garnish. Pour dressing over carrots, apples and quinoa and toss to coat. 

Remove salad to a serving platter and garnish with fresh herbs a some fresh cracked pepper. 

Carrot and Sweet Potato Lasagna with Basil Tomato Cashew Cheese Sauce

After my first experience with cashews used as a sauce, my mind was overflowing with ideas on how to change creamy sauces (which I usually hate) to something healthy and delicious. I love, love, love lasagna. It can be made vegetarian without meat eaters batting an eyelash. You can add any type of meat, vegetable, or cheese and usually you will get an amazing result.

My veggie friend Lacey made me some yummy vegetarian lasagna the other day, which included carrots and I loved it so much a had to expand on it. Carrots add a great texture that lasagna is usually missing. So then I thought..... why not substitute the ricotta with some sort of cashew cream sauce? The textures are similar enough....and like I said.... pretty hard to mess up....hopefully :)

Carrot and Sweet Potato Lasagna with Basil Tomato Cashew  Sauce

1 medium sweet potato*

2-3 large carrots

1.5 cups Basil Tomato Cashew Sauce (recipe below)

2 cups Roasted Tomato Sauce (recipe below)

* Next time I may just use carrots. The sweet potatoes make this dish a little too sweet for my liking. 

Basil Tomato Cashew "Cheese" Sauce

1 cup cashews

1/2 cup fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper

1/2 cup water

Soak cashews in water for 4 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse, and add to a blender with remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth, adding more water if necessary. IT should be about the same consistency of ricotta cheese. Set aside.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

3 cups tomatoes  ( I used assorted cherry & roma)

1 large yellow onion, cut into wedges

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper

1 cup tomato sauce

2 cloves garlic, peeled

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss tomatoes and onion in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and place in a food processor along with tomato sauce and garlic and pulse until almost smooth.

To assemble :

Peel carrots and sweet potatoes. Using a vegetable peeler cut this ribbons with carrots and potatoes and set aside.  Using a 8x8 inch pan, add a thin layer of sauce. Continue with a layer of carrots and sweet potatoes, making about as thick as a standard lasagna noodle. Spoon half of the cashew cheese and spread evenly over the top. Next add a generous layer of sauce, followed by carrots and sweet potatoes and remaining cashew cheese. Follow with a layer of sauce, carrots and sweet potatoes, and remaining sauce.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until sweet potatoes and carrots are tender.

Jicama and Grapefruit Salad with Persimmon Dressing

Your first thought: What is a persimmon? Your second thought: What is a jicama?

Both legit questions. I only know the answer to one. Jicama is a root of a ....vegetable/bean plant? It sort of taste like a cross between an apple and a potato. Super crunchy, slightly sweet, really confusing on your taste buds.

Persimmon....not so much. I grabbed a few because at the grocery store there we tons of them, so I figured they must be in season....and I love fresh fruits and veggies in season. After some google work I discovered that is is a fruit, with two varieties, that can be made into puddings. Not much help, so I just decided to cut a piece off and go for it. Surprise! For some reason I was expecting a tomato. It is a mildly sweet, smooth textured fruit.

So I thought I would make a salad out of two fruits/vegetables you will never see. But in case you inherit a jicama farm from your Latina grandma.... you are set.

Jicama and Grapefruit Salad with Persimmon Dressing

2 cups jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 grapefruit

1 handful cilantro

1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 avocado, cubed

1/2 persimmon

1/2 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon grape
seed or olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Over a small bowl, peel and cut grapefruit into segments, catching juices in the bowl. Add grapefruit segments to a large bowl along with jicama, cilantro, red onion, and avocado.

To the small bowl add juice of 1/2 lime, agave nectar, grape seed oil, salt, and garlic. Chop the persimmon into tiny cubes and add to dressing. Whisk until combined and pour over salad. Toss to coat and serve!

Sweet Potato and Oat Falafel

 

Healthy comfort food is sort of an oxymoron. "It is so cold out there today! I could really go for a salad" - said no one ever.  Well it is officially winter here and I was in dire need of a way to get some comfort food that wasn't loaded with cheese or made from chocolate. These aren't your traditional falafels, mainly because they are not deep fried, and do not contain any flour. But they do have chickpeas and are served with a delicious tahini sauce that is a great alternative to the greasy falafels you might be used to. You can stick 'em in a pita or enjoy them all by themselves.

 

Sweet Potato and Oat Falafel

 

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup oats

2 cloves garlic

1 handful cilantro

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

Salt and Pepper

 

First you need to cook your sweet potatoes. You can do this by roasting at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, peeling and boiling, microwaving, whatever works for you. Once they are cooked, scoop only the orange insides into a food processor.

 

Add all of the remaining ingredients, except for the oats and sesame seeds. Pulse until mixture is smooth.

 

Remove from food processor and add to a large bowl along with oats. Fold oats in until they are evenly incorporated.

 

On a non-stick baking sheet, place heaping spoonfuls about an inch apart and top with a few sesame seeds. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until you see the tops to get a little crunchy and golden brown.

 

For these bite sized treats I made a lemon tahini dip! See below:

 

Lemon Tahini Dip

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons parsley

1/2 teaspoon cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup water

 

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth .

 

 

 

All inspired by the awesome recipe below!

My New Roots

Raw Pad Thai

 

 

I recently stumbled on the most amazing website. I literally spent hours browsing through these amazing recipes, and when I saw this one I knew I had to try it. The unique thing about this website, is that is not only gave you a recipe, but it also gave you a breakdown for the nutritional value or secrets of certain foods. And it does this for all the recipes. Seriously guys, its amazing. So I made this Raw Pad Thai recipe, fully expecting it to be awesome. It was. The only thing I couldn't find was kelp noodles, so I used rice noodle instead, which I could have left out all together and it would have been just as delicious! There are a lot of ingredients, but don't let that scare you.  If you are on a clean eating challenge, wanting some more veggies in your diet, are vegan, or just want a good recipe, give it a try!

My New Roots - Pad Thai

Raw Pad Thai

 

1/2  package Rice Noodles

½ head purple cabbage

2 carrots

1 zucchini

1 bunch green onions

1 each red and yellow bell pepper

1 serving marinated mushrooms (see below)

1 bunch cilantro (reserve a little for garnish)

Raw Pad Thai Sauce (see below)

sesame seeds

lime wedges for serving

 

Marinated Mushrooms

2-3 cups of mushrooms, roughly chopped (I used crimini and portabello)

¼ cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp. maple syrup

2 Tbsp. olive oil

 

Whisk all ingredients together and fold on mushrooms. Allow to marinate, refrigerated, for a few hours, or overnight if you can. Stir occasionally.

Raw Pad Thai Sauce

1 cup cashews, soaked

1 inch ginger root, peeled

1 clove garlic

½ red chili pepper, seeds removed

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 ½ Tbsp. soy sauce

juice of 2 limes

1 tsp. ground turmeric

10 coriander seeds, or 1 tsp. ground coriander

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup water

 

 

Directions:

 

Pad Thai

 

1. Remove rice noodles from package and rinse. Place in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, let sit 3 minutes then rinse and drain and set aside.

2. Here is were all the work is. I used a vegetable peeler, potato peeler and knife. Peel the carrots, then use the potato peeler to make thin ribbons. Use the vegetable peeler on the zucchini, then cut those ribbons into thin, noodle like strips. Julienne the bell pepper. and thinly slice the cabbage. Slice green onions and roughly chop cilantro, including stems. Place all veggies in a bowl, along with marinated mushrooms (see below) and set aside.

 

 

Dressing

 

1. Soak cashews for at least 4 hours, overnight is best.

2. Drain and rinse cashews well. Place in a blender and add all other ingredients . Blend until smooth (this may take a minute or two).

 

When ready to serve pour desired amount of dressing over the veggies along with noodles, and toss to coat. After plating add cilantro, sesame seeds, and lime wedges.

 

Sweet Potato and Lentil Curry

Continuing on this journey of veganism..... I needed something that was going to fill me up. I find the one big problem with the whole vegan thing is that no matter how much I eat I am always hungry an hour later. Like last night I made Tofu and Bean Sprout Lettuce Wraps and ate about 6 of them. It was a lot of food. But and hour later it was like I never ate! TJ would tell you this has to do with my "hollow leg". Apparently this leg is why I can eat 14 cookies in one sitting.

Anyways I wanted something hearty, but still good for me (aka not a huge plate of pasta) and what is more filling than potatoes and beans? This dish is so flavorful and works really well on its own or over rice. It is also an excuse for me to eat raw cilantro....

Sweet Potato and Lentil Curry

2 small sweet potatoes

1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained

1/2 yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch piece ginger, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons red curry paste

2-3 cups vegetable broth

1 medium zucchini, cubed

1 teaspoon cumin

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil

Green onion, sliced

Cilantro

In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Dice onions and add to pot, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften.

While onions are cooking peel potatoes and dice into small cubes, and set aside. 

Once onions are soft add curry paste, minced garlic and ginger. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring until fragrant. Add broth, potatoes, lentils, salt and pepper, and cumin and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender. 

Remove lid and add zucchini. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, until zucchini is barely tender. Top with green onions and cilantro and serve over warm basmati rice or by itself!

Red Curry and Ginger Tofu and Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

I have decided that the only way I can really enjoy tofu is when it is deep fried (surprise) or if it is cut into tiny pieces. If it is soft, or too large then it is gross. Thats what she said. Sorry, I had to! 

So since I don't own a deep fryer and don't ever plan on getting one I have to stick to cutting tofu into tiny pieces then dry frying it. Still just as delicious and so much better for you! Mixed with mushrooms this tofu dish is filling, healthy, and exotic. I had 4 in one sitting that is how much I enjoyed them. Next time I think they would go nicely with some sort of sesame vinaigrette sauce or Sirracha sauce. 

Red Curry and Ginger Tofu and Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

1 cup extra firm tofu, cut into 1 cm cubes

1 cup mushrooms, halved and sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 inch piece ginger, minced

1 tablespoon of lime juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon red curry paste

1/2 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks

2 tablespoons fresh basil

1 tablespoon fresh mint

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3-4 large green lettuce leaves

In a medium pan add tofu. Dry fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes, tossing occasionally until all pieces are golden brown

Remove from pan and set aside. Add oil to pan and add mushrooms, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and curry paste. Cook until mushroom begin to release their juices, then return tofu along with lime juice to pan and stir to combine. Set aside.

Rinse and dry lettuce leaves. Chiffonade basil and mint. To each lettuce leaf add a few tablespoons of carrots, a large spoonful of tofu/mushroom mixture, and top with fresh herbs. 

Mashed Cauliflower and White Beans

Have you ever had a brilliant idea only to find that weren't the one who thought of it? Well that just happened to me dammit. I have had mashed cauliflower before but I was thinking or ways to get some protein in my diet and I thought, "HEY! I will add some white beans because they are pretty neutral tasting and the same color and will add a little texture as well." So I write up a neat little recipe, and right before I post it I google "mashed cauliflower and white beans". Only to see that it is some recipe from the biggest loser Thanksgiving show? What in the hell is going on? So I still post it (obvi) and add some leeks like the recipe I saw online. Pretty good and I guarantee it will fool most people into thinking it is regular mashed potatoes. What is the moral of the story? Biggest Loser stole my idea before I even had it. 

Mashed Cauliflower and White Beans

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets

1 can white beans, rinsed and drained

1 leek, sliced into rounds

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Place cauliflower in a large pot with 2 inches of water. Cover and cook on high heat until water begins to boil and then let boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain and add cauliflower to a large food processor along with white beans. Pulse until smooth. 

In a large pan add olive oil on medium heat. Add leeks and garlic and cook until soft. You can either add these to the food processor and pulse to combine, or serve over the top. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you wanted to de-vegan-fy this adding some shredded romano or parmesan cheese would be delicious!

Tabouli Quinoa Salad

I just watched 20 minutes of Kristin Wiig video clips so I am in a fantastic mood. I also fell asleep for 20 minutes while in corpse pose at the end of yoga. So if my math is right I am 20 minutes away from the best hour in the history of man kind. Booya.

Starting Vegan week #1 off right is my take on tabouli salad.  I think bulgar wheat is sorta gross and chalky tasting so I added quinoa instead for a great vegan + gluten free side dish. You also better be sure you like tabouli salad, because i think it is a bit of an acquired taste. There are so many fresh herbs that it can be overwhelming. My husband said it tasted too much like nature. <--- whatever that means. Be sure to have lots of fresh parsley and mint on hand! 

Tabouli Quinoa Salad

2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa

1 cup flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons mint

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 lemon

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Finely chop parsley and mint and add to a large bowl. Slice cherry tomatoes and mince garlic and add to the bowl along with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into bowl. Stir until all ingredients and combined. Add quinoa and toss to coat.

The long lost blog.....

This just in.... I am not dead. Just back from the worlds longest vacation! I was about to write a bunch of awesome post with recipes made from fresh summer vegetables, then Oscar ate a soccer ball so I have been busy with that for a while (which made and appearance today, I leave you to guess how). But now here I am!

Summer has been great and we have been all over the place! Hawaii, Pennsylvania, British Columbia....nothing like flying through 7 different time zones in less than a week. And by flying I mean eating. Delicious fresh fish in Maui, $2.50 breakfast plates in Lehighton, and fresh Okanagan Valley peaches. The point is I haven't cooked in a looooooong time. And now that I am back even making a sandwich seems like work.

With summer dwindling down though.....I must take advantage of all these delicious fresh veggies! And what's a better way then doing a 3 week vegan challenge. Let's get real, anything is better than a vegan challenge. Like cheese. But I have heard so many amazing stories about people feeling and looking great after going vegan that it is worth a try. And I figure I am already half way there considering I don't eat most meat or drink cows milk. I just have to get rid of cheese.... and eggs.... and greek yogurt..... and butter.... and chocolate. On second thought maybe I don't do it.

Vegan diet restrictions:
Anything that contains anything having to do with animals. Ever.
So even though it is a natural thing for a chicken to lay an egg..... No.
Jello, gummies, or anything with pectin (aka ground up hooves or something)..... No.
Yummy, delicious, magical cheese...... No.
Wendy's Junior Bacon Cheeseburger..... Hell to the No.

But whatever. It's worth a try.... and the worst thing that could happen is I fail miserably and T.J. finds me in the corner of the bedroom surrounded by chocolate and slices of swiss cheese, while I dip hard boiled eggs in a peanut butter milkshake. 

Warm Sesame Green Bean and Quinoa Salad

My mom used to make a recipe similar to this when I was growing up. I think instead of quinoa it might have been brown rice though, obviously, because quinoa is now the trendy thing to eat. And no one had heard of it until about 2 years ago. And now I put it on my face at night as a cleansing mask. Just kidding :) I wish I had a badass story to go along with this but I just got back from a mega long run and I think I just might take a nap instead. Happy Wednesday!

Warm Sesame Green Bean and Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa, cooked

3 cups green beans

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon chili paste

In a large bowl combine rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds, honey, and chili paste. Whisk to combine and set aside.

Place trimmed green beans in a steamer basket and place over  boiling water. Steam for 3-4 minutes until barely tender. Drain and add to bowl with dressing,  along with cooked quinoa. Toss to coat. This salad is best when served warm, but not hot.

Cucumber Sunomono Salad

My friend Nikki has a super cute blog about her journey into motherhood, DIY crafts, and some awesome recipes. She recently did one on Sunomono salad, which is my absolute favorite cold Japanese style noodle salad. The rest of the post is super funny too, and I am sure any mom-to-be readers will love it as well. Here is a link to her blog:

Two Loonies and a Penny

 I tried to find the most authentic Sunomono salad recipe I could on the Internet and go from there. Let's just say you can definitely tell I don't live in Japan, and the liquor stores don't sell sake. I ventured to the super run down asain mini mart down town, and besides the way too vast selection of douches( ya you read that right) it wasnt too bad.

 This recipe is my best shot at Sunomono salad, which I have to say didn't turn out as bad as I thought it might. You might not see it on the menu at your local sushi joint anytime soon, but given my materials (which I am guessing might be yours as well) it was great!

Cucumber Sunomono Salad

6 inch piece of cucumber

Japanese Rice Vermicelli

 1/2 cup sushi vinegar

1/3 cup white vinegar

5 tablespoons sugar

1 cup water

1/2 of a lemon

In a small saucepan add sushi vinegar, white vinegar, sugar and water. Cook on medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and place in refrigerator until cooled. 

While dressing is cooling in the fridge bring a large pot of water to a boil and add rice noodles. Cook until softened, then drain. Keep in cold water until ready to serve. 

Very thinly slice cucumbers and lemons. 

To assemble add a handful of drained rice noodles and a few slices cucumbers and lemons to a bowl. Pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup of noodle dressing over noodles. 

Eat up!

Kale and Red Cabbage Detox Slaw

I am always weary of anything labeled "detox". What does that even mean? If I drank a bottle of poison, then ate this salad would I be cured? Is that a little dramatic? Lol, ya I guess. This salad is clean and pure. Raw vegetables. Nothing touches heat. A dressing containing apple cider vinegar, a great cleanser, and olive oil. Protein and healthy fats from pumpkin and sunflower seed. I am guessing that is as cleansing as it gets? 

Kale and Red Cabbage Detox Slaw

2 cups raw kale

2 cups red cabbage

1 large carrot or 6-7 baby carrots

1/2 cup fresh parsley

1/2 cup red or green onion

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

salt & pepper to taste

Chop kale and cabbage into thin slices and add to a bowl. Grate or very thinly slice your carrots and add to bowl. Finely slice red onion and chop parsley, and add to bowl along with sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. 

In a smaller bowl add vinegar, oil, mustard and salt and pepper. Whisk until emulsified and pour over slaw. Toss to coat. Let sit for 30 minutes to an hour to allow flavor to combine. 

This is also super easy to make into an Asian slaw, which I did the second time I made it. Add some red peppers and sesame seeds. For the dressing use sesame oil, ginger, rice vinegar and a little soy sauce. It is a great way to continue to reap the benefits of such a healthy salad, but have a totally new flavor!

Crispy Baked Kale Chips

These have been all rage on the the ol' in-tro-net lately. The reviews below are just a few I have seen:

"They taste just like potato chips!" 

"I ate the whole batch."

"No more junk food for me!"

My replies: 

"Not a chance."

"Is the batch size 2 chips?"

"Suuuuuuure."

Anyways, so I thought I would give these a try. I don't really even eat chips, but kale is super healthy for you (in the cabbage family) and who doesn't love a crispy treat? The original recipes that I have read call for oil, and salt and pepper. We can do better than that! With a few tweaks, I will have to say these are pretty scrumptious. Also very hard to make... because the time has to be exactly perfect. Too long and the leaves are burnt. Not long enough and it is just a warm leaf. But give this a try and see how it goes for you!

Crispy Baked Kale Chips

1 bunch of kale

Olive oil

Garlic Salt, Barbeque Seasoning, or spice of choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash and dry kale. Using a knife remove the thick stems, then tear into bite sized pieces.

Add kale to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with seasoning of choice. I used barbeque spice, but I think curry powder & garlic salt might be great too! Toss to coat, and try to really coat each leaf with oil.

Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minute. Carefully monitor, and when edged of leaves begin to brown remove from oven. 

I was amazed at how crispy these were! Definitly not "just" like potato chips, but still hits the crunchy spot!

Cilantro Lime Hummus

While scouring the grocery store for healthy, clean food yesterday I stumbled upon a neat little snack. They were baked chips, made with chickpea flour, pea flour, and rice flour. Sounded pretty legit so I gave then a try. They tasted like salted cardboard, but could have used more salt. Anyways they were supposed to be roasted red pepper hummus flavor. Random right? So when I got home I thought I will just make some hummus and then have a sweet ass healthy snack that has super hummus power. 

Cut to me making hummus and staring at a jar of tahini that has been in my fridge for a questionable period of time. But the jar was in a foreign sandskrit or some non-sense and i couldn't read it. So my last resort was a taste test...... Let me just be clear here,I think rotten tahini may be my new topper for bad rotten foods you accidentally eat. I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth. It was pretty vile. But the good news is if you don't have tahini on hand, you don't need it for this recipe!!!

Cilantro Lime Hummus

1 cup packed cilantro, stems included

3 garlic cloves

1 lime, juiced

1 teaspoon salt

1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained

1/2 teaspoon chili paste

1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients in a small food processor and pulse. You may need to stop and push down mixture from the sides. 

 Slowy pour in olive oil, while pulsing, until desired consistancy is reached. I think I used about 1/4 of a cup. Serve with your favorite chips or veggies!

Vegetable Fried Quinoa

So a month ago I promised you a better version of fried rice. After checking in on my pal Lacey and our clean eating challenge I saw that she had essentially made the quinoa fried "rice" I have been meaning to make! Since it is so easy, healthy, and fit in our clean eating challenge, I guess there is not better time than the present. 

Vegetable Fried Quinoa

2 cups cooked quinoa

1/2 cup carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1/2 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup broccoli, broken into small florets

1 cup assorted bell peppers, diced

1 cup mushrooms, diced

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

In a medium pan heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot add carrots, onions, celery and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until carrots begin to soften.

Add broccoli, bell peppers, and mushrooms and one tablespoon of soy sauce. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. 

Push vegetables to one side and add quinoa, remaining soy sauce and sesame oil. Quickly stir, mixing in vegetables about a minute, then add chopped cilantro, stir and serve!

Super easy and really, really delicious. Especially if you are craving chinese food, but don't want to go into a sodium coma. 

Balsamic Onion and Broccoli Quinoa Salad

I have been beyond stupid about using quinoa lately. I put that shit in everything, like Franks Red Hot. My next attempt will be a fried quinoa, like fried rice. But that is for tomorrow. Today is a savory quinoa salad with a hint of sweetness. Super healthy, green, and a whole meal all in one!

Balsamic Onion and Broccoli Quinoa Salad

3 cups broccoli florets, broken into small pieces

1 large sweet onion, sliced into rounds

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon raw sugar

1 cup quinoa

2 cups vegetable stock

In a large pot add quinoa and stock. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10-12 minutes or until stock is absorbed. Set aside. 

Place broccoli pieces in a bowl and submerge in boiling water. Let sit for 2-3 minutes, drain and set aside. 

In a large pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes until light brown. Add minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and salt.   Cook for about 5 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half. 

In a large bowl add quinoa, broccoli, and onions. Stir well to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Oven Roasted Winter Squash Seeds

Here is another quickie for you, and the hippy in us all will love you for it. Talk about wasting nothing!  I usually thrown away the insides of a squash, but after cleaning out about 4 butternut squashes for soup, I began to wonder if I could use those seeds for anything. I think pumpkin and butternut squash are basically identical tasting. Well almost. So I figured you could roast the seeds just like pumpkin seeds! And after google-ing (not a word) to see if they were edible and not some sort of unused secret poison, decided to give it a try. 

I also usually write the recipe before I write the above portion so I had to say that this recipe below made me laugh. For some reason when I was writing the directions I turned into a 3 year old who can't measure stuff? Read ahead and you will see...

Oven Roasted Winter Squash Seeds

Seed from squash

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Favorite Spice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

After you are done cleaning your squash separate your seeds from the slimy guts. <---- Pretty technical terms, hey?

You can rinse the seeds, but I think leaving them as is adds a better flavor. Put seed in a bowl and toss with enough olive oil to coat. Add salt, pepper, and your favorite spice. Use whatever amount seems right to you. I used a few pinches of salt, a pinch of pepper and then sprinkled with garlic salt. <----- Standard measurements too :)

Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. These are great salad or pasta toppers, and are great snacks on their own as well!