08 May 2016
Vegan Recipes
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Artichoke and Brussels Pasta

artichoke-and-brussels-sprouts-pasta

Who wants a FANCY pasta dinner? I do!

This vegan pasta dish is perfect for meatless Monday, for any other night of the week when you need something quick and easy! I used linguine, but feel free to use any type of pasta you like, even whole wheat or gluten free noodles! This is something ANYONE can cook and that most people would love to scarf down.

Ingredients:

  • 1 LB Pasta
  • 1 bag Brussel Sprouts
  • 2 cans quartered Artichoke Hearts
  • 5 cloves Garlic
  • Juice from one Lemon
  • As much olive oil as you would like to coat the pasta
  • Sea Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Boil your pasta water
2. Warm your olive oil on your cast iron skillet
3. Slice your Brussels (I sliced each Brussel twice)
4. Sautée your Brussels for about 3 minutes so they aren’t over cooked but have a little color on them. (I added some pink salt)
5. While the Brussels are in the pan, slice your garlic.
6. Add pasta to boiling water
7. Remove the Brussels (keep the heat on)
8. Add more oil to the Brussels pan, enough for a pound of pasta.
9. Add your garlic to the heated oil
10. Rinse and drain two cans of quartered artichoke hearts
11. Add the artichoke hearts to the garlic and oil.
12. Once the pasta is cooked add it to the skillet with the garlic and artichokes. Squeeze the juice from one lemon onto the pasta and add salt and Brussels. Toss all together for a few minutes

I hope you love it as much as I do!

Danielle

artichoke and brussels pasta

 

29 Mar 2016
Guest Blog Posts, Vegan Recipes
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Spring into Detox Salad

spring-detox-salad

Spring into Detox Salad is CRUNCHY, SWEET and SAVORY, and is the perfect easy vegan recipe to make when your body is craving nutrients, and you need a nice and hearty salad to fill you up!

I have read that cabbage has many health benefits since it is packed with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients; cabbage is said to be helpful with weight loss, skin care / premature aging, purifying the blood, removing toxins, and the list goes on and on and on… with all that being said, I’ll have more cabbage… PRONTO! The veggies in this healthful, satisfying salad are tossed in a delicious creamy peanut sauce with a ton of ginger which is soothing to the stomach, reduces inflammation in the body, and may even help relieve muscle soreness. This special dish is topped off with sesame seeds, a great source of a variety of minerals, vitamins, and fiber. Colorful, nutrient rich, and easy to make… give this delightful recipe a try to welcome in the spring time!spring detox salad

Spring Into Detox Salad

The Veggies:

  • 1 heaping cup chopped red cabbage
  • 1 heaping cup chopped green cabbage
  • 1 heaping cup chopped kale
  • 3-4 sliced radishes
  • 2-3 ribs of celery, diced

The Dressing:

  • A hearty 2-3 inch chunk of ginger, minced
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons fresh peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
  • 2 tablespoons tamari
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • Toasted sesame seeds (topping)

Blend together all of the ingredients for the dressing. Toss the veggies in the dressing and top with toasted sesame seeds. Eat it all up and reap the benefits!

Hope you love it as much as I do!

-Danielle

26 Feb 2016
Guest Blog Posts
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Tabouli On Fleek

tabouli on fleek

Sometimes it works to stick with tradition, but sometimes its more fun to break the rules!

This easy vegan recipe was inspired when I wanted to make tabouli for lunch, but didn’t have any cracked wheat. I improvised and used quinoa, and also decided to add a few other ingredients that you won’t find in traditional tabouli. My experimentation was a success! Eating a vegan diet is not a rigid science, rather there are so many foods that can be added and/or substituted to get what you want out of your meals. This dish is packed with plant-based protein and many other essential nutrients found in raw parsley, kale, spinach and mint. This vegan dish is also gluten free because I used quinoa instead of cracked wheat. Tabouli On Fleek can be made ahead of time for a quick lunch on-the-go, or paired with falafel and hummus to make a delicious Mediterranean Buddha bowl! You can check out Minimalist Baker for the collard greens falafel recipe that I used to go with my tabouli, and I also whipped up some roasted red pepper hummus. Go on wit yo bad self and break some (recipe) rules!tabouli on fleek

Tabouli On Fleek

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1  cup finely chopped baby kale
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped baby spinach
  • 3 bunches on flat leaf parsley finely chopped
  • One small recipe sized pack of mint, finely chopped (*In the summer when mint is abundant, I will use a lot more chopped mint!)
  • 1/2 medium sized red onion finely diced
  • 1 tsp garlic powder (You could totally mince a few garlic cloves, if you prefer!)
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and  mix together!

Enjoy!

Danielle

 

 

09 Feb 2016
Guest Blog Posts, Vegan Recipes
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This vegan lasagna is so delicious you won’t miss the cheese at all!

There are so many really great vegan lasagnas out there, but sometimes its nice to give the body a break from cheese substitutes and tofu! This lasagna is full of whole foods, is packed with nutrients, and is easy to assemble. Using raw veggies further adds to the simplicity of this dish. This is the perfect Sunday dinner because it is so comforting, but also gives the body what it needs to start the week off right!  Also, lasagna left overs make the perfect lunch, especially this one!

Too Good for Cheese Lasagna

Pesto:

  • 1 cup parsley leaves
  • 1 cup basil leaves
  • 1 smashed garlic clove
  • 1/2 cup dry roasted papitas
  • juice from half a lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Marinara:

  • 2 24 oz jars strained tomatoes (I did have some marinara left over after the lasagna was complete)
  • 1 diced yellow inion
  • 4 cloves minced garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil to cover bottom of pan

The rest:

  • 12oz package of whole wheat or whole grain lasagna noodles of choice
  • 5-10 oz pre washed baby kale, spinach or power greens
  • 1 8oz package of baby portobellos
  • 2 cups diced bell peppers

Start by bringing water to a boil and cook your pasta by following the instructions on the box.

Coat the bottom of your pan with olive oil and over medium low heat, saute the onion. Once the onion softens, after about 7 minutes, add the garlic. After two minutes add the two jars of strained tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and turn the heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To prepare the pesto simply add all of the ingredients, except the olive oil, to your food processor or vitamin. Add the olive oil while processing. Process until you reach your desired consistency.

For the fun part! to assemble your lasagna, first coat the inside of your pan with olive oil or vegan butter, and some sauce. Lay down a layer of cooked noodles (I used 5 noodles per layer) followed by sauce and sliced portobellos and bell peppers. You can eyeball the amounts here, using an even amount for each layer. Add some dollops of the pesto on top of and in between the veggies. Then add the raw greens (don’t be too shy here because they will cook down) followed by another layer of noodles. Carry on until you reach the top layer. Add a generous amount of sauce to the top layer of noodles (so they don’t dry out) and any mushrooms, peppers and pesto you have left over. I did not have much left over and I arranged them all in the middle of the top layer, rather than spreading them evenly around. Finally, generously drizzle olive oil over the top layer of your lasagna. Bake at 415 for 30 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy!

Danielle

Too good for cheese lasagna