French Cut Green Beans and Bean Sprouts Over Sweet Potato Puree

Last weekend, we went on a spur of the moment exploration of the small, yet historical "downtown" in our town.  We wanted to try some local food and decided on a farm to table, locally owned restaurant that we had seen advertisements for at our local farmers market.  I was a bit hesitant to try it because the entire menu consisted of meat entrées but then my husband pointed out, in small letters at the bottom of the menu, that they would cater to vegetarian/vegan needs.

I am so glad we decided to eat there because the food the chef cooked was AMAZING!!  I gave the waitress a list of things that I avoid (soy based products and obviously meat) and let the chef do his thing.  Although it was delicious, the price was not something I would spend on a regular basis, so I decided to recreate it on my own.  This recipe can easily incorporate a protein source.  Grill or bake up some chicken, or any other protein of your liking and add it on top.  Enjoy!

French Cut Green Beans and Bean Sprouts 

Over Sweet Potato Puree 

Ingredients (makes 2 servings, or one large serving)

1/2 Tbsp coconut oil

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

1 cup fresh, french cut green beans (green beans, sliced lengthwise)

1 cup bean sprouts

Sea salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp raw, unsalted cashews, roughly chopped

For the puree:

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1/2 large sweet potato, cooked and peeled (I pierce mine and cook them whole at 400* for one hour)

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

Dash of sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, over medium heat, melt coconut oil.  Add 1 Tbsp of garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add french cut green beans and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.  Add bean sprouts and continue to cook for 2 minutes.  Add sea salt and pepper to taste and top with chopped cashews.  Toss well and serve over sweet potato puree. 

For the puree: In a blender or food processor, add vegetable broth, cooked sweet potato, garlic, sea salt and pepper to taste.  Puree until mixture is a smooth consistency.  Plate a nice amount of the puree and top with the sautéed green beans and bean sprouts.  

Clean Vegetarian Pancit

I think it is safe to say that Asian food is one of my favorites, but then again, I could go back and forth between Italian and Mexican too!  I just love food!  When my family was stationed in Washington DC, I worked with some of the most amazing people who introduced me to a wide variety of Asian food, which before I would have never tried.  This developed my love for all things noodles!  Asian food isn't particularly "unclean" but for my liking, and for my vegetarian preference, I took one of my favorites, Pancit and cleaned it up a bit to fit it into the requirements of my 5 week challenge (I will write up the details of this challenge after the next one is finished).  Enjoy!

Clean Vegetarian Pancit

Ingredients

1 package of brown rice spaghetti noodles (I use Trader Joe's brand)
1 Tbsp coconut oil
3/4 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup snow peas
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
3/4 cup mixed wild mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or liquid aminos
1 1/2 cup water
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Cook brown rice noodles according to package directions.  Drain and make sure you rinse, as brown rice noodles tend to be stickier, set aside.

Heat 1/2 Tbsp of coconut oil in a wok over medium/high heat.  Add carrots, snow peas and cabbage, sauté for 5 minutes.  Set aside on plate to be added back to the wok later.  In the same wok, heat additional 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil.  Sauté garlic and onion for 5 minutes or until tender.  Add mushrooms and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.  Add low sodium soy sauce or liquid aminos and water. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and add cooked brown rice pasta and stir fried veggies.  Allow to cook for an additional 5 minutes to incorporate flavors.  Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

Meal Prep 101

When I first put together the guidelines for my 5 week challenge (which I will share next week), I knew that meal prep would be a huge factor in my success.  If I leave my meals up to chance, more than likely, it won't be the cleanest option.  Since one of the goals of my challenge group was to eat completely clean (minus one cheat meal a week), I knew I had to meal prep.

Surprisingly, I actually enjoy meal prepping for the work week.  It's no surprise that I love to cook and the satisfaction of knowing that mine and my husbands meals were not going to be guess work, is awesome!  It most certainly has kept me on track and keeps the week free of stress and worrying about what to make for lunches.

One thing that comes to mind behind the idea of meal prepping is this quote: "by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail".  Since a lot of people struggle with the nutritional aspect of a healthier lifestyle (myself included), meal prepping is so important.  It not only sets you up for success, but it helps develop that routine that is so important when converting to a healthier self.

One thing that I have become aware of during this challenge is that eating clean does not have to be boring!  I haven't felt deprived once and i actually enjoy having everything laid out for me.  I have delicious food to eat and the best thing is knowing what amazing things I am doing for my body by fueling it with the right food.  If you know me personally, you know that I am an avid planner.  If there is a way to plan something, I am planning.  So it should be no surprise that I love my meal prepping.

I have decided that meal prepping is so important to me and important in continuing this healthy way of life, that I wanted to share some tips I have come up with so that you can also be successful!

What you will need:

Tupperware containers in various sizes
Mason jars
Ziploc baggies
Sharpie

Tips:

• Start by planning out your menu for the week (see the awesome menu planner below).
• Carve out 2-3 hours (I prep on Sundays) for meal prepping.
• Prep for the 5 day work week at the most.
• Cook a large portion of a good carb (I usually do brown rice).
• Wash all veggies and fruit.
• Steam/roast any veggies desired.
• Cut up any raw veggies or fruit you will be using.
• Cook a large batch of protein (we cook a whole chicken in the pressure cooker for the week).
• Boil some eggs-easy and a good source of protein. 
• Portion everything out amongst your containers (I placed a nice guide of portion sizes down below for ladies-I double that size for my husband)
• I usually have a good carb, protein and veggie in each container for lunch and fruit/grains for breakfast and snack.
• Label everything-since I prep for myself and my husband, I label our containers with our names and what meal it is for.  For myself, I also label mine with the calories. 

I have a couple go-to recipes that I rotate for breakfast.  You can check out my Greek Yogurt Parfait and Overnight Steel Cut Oats recipes.  Prep them in mason jars for a quick, grab and go breakfast. Grapefruit with a touch of honey is also a delicious and easy breakfast to prep and a nice veggie omelet is always a good choice as well.

For snack, I keep it pretty simple.  I will usually prep a dozen hard boiled eggs and separate them in pairs in ziploc baggies.  I keep them in their shell until I am ready to eat them to keep them fresh for a longer period of time.  Another delicious and easy snack is an apple with nut butter.  My favorite nut butter of all time is Justin's Maple Almond Butter.  Not only is it fantastic, but it comes in individual squeeze packets that make prep for this snack a cinch.  Lastly, a no fail snack is a good fruit salad.  Cut up some of your favorite fruit, squeeze a bit of lemon juice on top and sprinkle with cinnamon!  Divide it up into desired proportions and you have yourself a yummy snack.

For lunch, I tend to prep a few different varieties of similar ingredients to keep it easy but to avoid getting bored.  I almost always have a brown rice base to my lunches.  Accompanied by a protein, which mine is always black beans (they are my favorite) and a large serving of veggies.  I love making my Vegetarian "Fried" Brown Rice.  It reheats nicely and is something different than the boring rice and veggies.  Along with my fried rice, I  found this fantastic, simple idea from a vegetarian/vegan restaurant I went to on vacation.  It was so good that I thought, why couldn't I recreate this for meal prep.  It simply is wild rice, black beans, pico de gallo, and guacamole (I smash up an avocado, add a little of my pico de gallo, garlic powder and sea salt).  Mix all those ingredients together and it is so delicious!  I got some simple sauce containers with lids (the kind you see at Mexican restaurants that you can take salsa home in-from Smart and Final) and I put my toppings in them.  So easy and they can be tossed after using.  Another go-to lunch prep is brown rice, black beans and a half of a roasted sweet potato.  Sweet potatoes are an easy thing to prep and they too, heat up nicely.  Quick and easy tip on prepping sweet potatoes:  Preheat the oven to 400*, pierce your sweet potatoes, cook for 1 hour.  They come out fantastic every, single time!

The one meal that I don't prep, is dinner.  I cook my dinner's fresh because I have the time to do so.  If you don't have that option, prepping dinners is perfectly fine.  For those busy, on the go, men and women, meal prepping for dinner is a fantastic idea.  Any of my lunches above can be used for dinner as well.   A couple other recipes that I like to cook for dinner are: Coconut Chickpea Curry, Curry Pumpkin Penne Pasta, Taco Salad (meat can be prepped ahead of time and quickly added to some lettuce and veggies), Chef Salad (use prepped protein and veggies).  

Here are some fantastic resources that I have found and use weekly for my meal prepping.  

I hope some of my tips have given you a better understanding of meal prepping.  Set yourself up for success!  

Pico de Gallo

On my journey to clean up my eating, I have found that some foods have ingredients that just shouldn't be there.  One of the items that I love, but have found such unnecessary ingredients is salsa. Being from Southern California, salsa is a staple in a lot of my meals and it can be a nice addition to clean eating, as long as it doesn't contain anything other than veggies (and a small amount of lime juice and seasonings).  You really have to pay attention to the labels when you are buying store bought salsa and a ton of them contain sugar!  Since I am trying to stay away from added sugar, I have journeyed into making my own salsa.  I am usually one for smoother salsa, but I dabbled in making my own pico de gallo and it was surprisingly very satisfying.  This recipe can be double, tripled, etc, to fit your needs.  Enjoy!

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients

4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 large jalapeño, diced (with or without seeds according to your heat preference)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1/2 lime
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cumin
Sea salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Toss well to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.  Store in an air tight container, in the fridge, to allow flavors to meld.

Dark Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana Bites

I am now on week 4 of my 5 week clean eating challenge (post coming soon).  I can tell you, I feel so much better eating clean and hydrating.  I have always struggled with my sweet tooth but have been pretty good resisting the temptations of sweets by not having them in my house.  I needed to come up with something clean to satisfy that sweet tooth so I could remain accountable for my good eating habits.  I have always loved the chocolate covered, frozen bananas on a stick from the fair and have created chocolate covered banana bites with peanut butter in the middle, but I needed to keep it a bit more clean so I decided to omit the peanut butter (although almond butter would be a clean substitute) and use 85% dark chocolate.  Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana Bites

Ingredients

2 large bananas
1 3.5oz bar of dark chocolate (75% cocoa or higher)
1/4 cup granola (try my recipe for Steel Cut Granola here)

Peel and slice bananas into roughly 36 pieces.  In a microwave safe bowl, break up dark chocolate bar.  In 30 second increments, microwave the dark chocolate, stirring between each 30 seconds.  You can also melt the dark chocolate on the stove, using a double broiler.  When the dark chocolate is fully melted, dip each banana slice in the dark chocolate, coating it as much as desired.  Place chocolate coated bananas on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  Sprinkle with granola (can also use other toppings such as crushed nuts) and place in freezer for at least 2 hours.

Coconut Chickpea Curry

I've been on a curry kick lately!  I used to dislike the taste of curry, until I became a vegetarian.  I feel like the curry spice gives dishes a whole new dimension and you can take it from boring to delicious in a matter of seconds.  I decided to use chickpeas instead of my usual, black beans and it turned out great!  We make this dish quite often in my house and it is super easy to add in a meat protein if you desire.  Enjoy!

Coconut Chickpea Curry

Ingredients

2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 14oz can light coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooked brown rice for serving
Optional chopped cilantro for topping

Heat coconut oil in a large pan, over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add chickpeas, tomatoes, coconut milk, curry powder, cumin, coriander and salt and pepper to taste.  Turn heat up to medium/high and simmer, stirring frequently, about 10-15 minutes.  Serve over brown rice, topped with optional cilantro.

Curry Carrot Soup

It's rainy and cold here in Virginia today.  Not the weather I am used to, being from Southern California!  I love making soup on rainy, cold days and today is the perfect day for that!  This recipe is ridiculously easy, delicious and equally good for you!  I often double, or even triple this recipe because it doesn't last long in my house, and makes perfect leftovers for those who prep their meals!  Enjoy!

Curry Carrot Soup

Ingredients

1 Tbsp coconut oil
2 cups onion, chopped
3 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, over medium heat, heat coconut oil.  Add onion and sauté 5 minutes or until onions are tender.  Add carrots and curry powder.  Sauté for 5 minutes.  Add broth and salt and pepper to taste and bring soup to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Using an emulsion blender or regular blender (may have to do this in batches), blend soup until smooth.  Return soup to pot and heat for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Clean Steel Cut Granola

I have a hashtag that I use in everything I post on Instagram: #operationabs.  I have never had abs, but that is one of my goals this year, by summer.  I know that abs are made in the kitchen and I knew my diet needed a bit of an adjustment.  I didn't eat bad by any means, but I needed to reduce my cheat meals and cut down on added sugar and sodium.  I love granola, but I know a lot of the pre made brands have a ton of what I am looking to stay away from.  I have been eating steel cut oats for a while now and wanted to try to make my own granola with them.  I didn't want to add just any dried fruit, because along with that, comes more added sugar, so I added dates :)  It is that nice crunch to add to yogurt or even as a cereal. Enjoy!

Steel Cut Granola

Ingredients 

3 cups steel cut oats
1/2 cup sliced raw almonds
1/2 cup dates, chopped
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp pure honey
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350*.  In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, dates, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, honey, almond extract, vanilla extract and cinnamon.  Mix well to make sure all ingredients are incorporated well.  Spread out evenly on a parchment paper line cookie sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes to make sure ingredients toast evenly.  Remove from oven and let cool completely.  Store in airtight container.

Overnight Steel Cut Oats

Today marks day one of my 5 week challenge.  Operation Abs is in full effect.  I spent a majority of yesterday morning prepping food for the week.  I know when food is prepped and ready, there is less room for slip ups.  Luckily, my food intake doesn't have to change too much and I have been able to use a lot of my recipes from my blog.  I made a huge batch of my Vegetarian "fried" Brown Rice, boiled some eggs, put together bags of veggies and hummus, baked some chicken for my hubby, steamed some veggies, and put together some awesome, grab and go breakfasts in mason jars.  Today I am sharing my Overnight Steel Cut Oats recipe!  I knew I wanted to use steel cut oats because they are less processed than other old fashion oats but there weren't many recipes around for overnight steel cut oats, so in pure Lacey fashion, I made up my own!  Enjoy!

Overnight Steel Cut Oats

Ingredients

1/4 cup steel cut oats, uncooked
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbsp pure honey
1/4 cup fruit of choice, sliced (I used bananas)
Sprinkle of cinnamon

In a medium sized mason jar, combine all ingredients.  Seal and let sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Happy 2015!!  Monday kicks off a 5 week challenge for myself and some close friends!  Real food (with an occasional cheat) for 5 weeks, tons of water and a lot of moving and sweating.  So excited for it!  My fitness was very consistent in 2014, but it is time to kick it up a notch.  My goals for this year are to get in the best shape of my life!  I can easily say that I am in the best shape of my life right now, but I want to exceed those goals and do things I never thought were possible!

I developed this recipe for Christmas dinner.  My husband was cooking a big, juicy prime rib and I knew I needed some tasty vegetarian sides to have a fulfilling dinner myself, and for several Marines that joined us for dinner.  I love sweet potatoes and they are one of the main staples in my diet!  I didn't want to make the typical sweet potato casserole, so I opted for a delicious and healthy option (not to mention, super easy).  Enjoy!

Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

3 large sweet potatoes, skinned and chopped
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 pure maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste (I use sea salt)

Preheat the oven to 400*.  In a large bowl, combine chopped sweet potatoes, melted coconut oil, maple syrup and salt and pepper to taste.  Toss to evenly coat all sweet potatoes.  Add to a greased baking dish and cover with foil.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender, tossing half way through.

Cauliflower Orange "Chicken"....Without the Chicken

Every time I am at the mall and I pass Panda Express, I always die over the smell of their infamous Orange Chicken.  That used to be a regular choice for my cheat meals when I wasn't a vegetarian and I actually miss it sometimes!  What I don't miss is all the crud they put in the chicken that would always make my stomach so upset after eating it.  I know that cauliflower is used as a substitute for a lot of meat in vegetarian dishes and I thought, why couldn't in replace chicken in an orange chicken dish.  From all my years in the kitchen and my many experimentations, I can almost nail down all the non-artificial ingredients in an orange chicken recipe.  I think I hit the nail on the head with this one.  Even my 5 year old was asking for more :)  Enjoy!

Cauliflower Orange "Chicken"

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp corn starch
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup green onion, sliced
brown rice for serving

In a large pot, add chopped cauliflower.  Fill the bottom of the pot with 1 inch of water.  Cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.  Drain excess water.

While the cauliflower is cooking, in a large pan, combine orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, white vinegar, garlic and ginger.  Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix corn starch and water.  Add 1-2 tablespoons of corn starch mixture to the pan with the orange sauce mixture.  Mix and allow to simmer and thicken for 1 minute.

Gently toss drained cauliflower and green onions in the pan with the orange sauce.  Allow to cook for 1 minute to make sure cauliflower is evenly coated in orange sauce.  Serve over brown rice with additional green onions if desired.

Fiesta Chili

Chili is usually one of my go to dinners when I don't want to spend hours cooking.  I love chili but was getting tired of the tomato based chili and wanted to try something new.  This chili has no tomato in it and almost has a tortilla soup taste to it.  It is so easy and delicious, I almost feel guilty not spending hours in the kitchen preparing it!  Enjoy!

Fiesta Chili

Ingredients

2 15oz cans of Great Northern beans
2 15oz cans of black beans
2/3 cup corn kernels
1 15oz jar of salsa verde (I used Herdez brand)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
2 tsp cumin
Salt to taste
Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, flour tortilla

Combine all ingredients in crockpot, cook on high for 8 hours.  Serve with optional toppings.

Seaweed-less, Vegetarian Sushi

I have NEVER liked sushi!  My husband and parents always loved going out to eat sushi, but I stuck with eating safe things that I could pronounce.  One time, I felt brave and tried a California Roll.  It took all I had to not spit the thing out and I gagged the entire time I chewed it.  Needless to say, I haven't tried any since.  Since I have never been a seafood fan, I figured maybe it was the taste of the seaweed wrapper that I didn't like.  So that idea brought me to this: making my own, seaweed-less, vegetarian sushi.  This time, I thoroughly enjoyed the sushi and have now made it several times.  Enjoy!

Seaweed-less, Vegetarian Sushi

Ingredients

1 cup sweet thai rice, uncooked
1 medium carrot, julienned
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 ripe avocado, peeled, deseeded and thinly sliced
Low sodium soy sauce for dipping











In a bamboo rice cooker, steam sweet thai rice for 15 minutes, covered.  Flip rice over after 15 minutes and continue to cook for 5 more minutes, covered.  When rice is finish, allow to cool a bit so the rice can be handled.

Spread a 1 foot piece of saran wrap on a hard surface.  Using your hands, take a generous amount of sweet thai rice and spread it out forming a large rectangle.

In the middle of the rectangle of rice, place your ingredients so they are forming a line lengthwise down the rice.

Using the saran wrap to help, gently fold over one long side of the rice rectangle to meet the other side, making sure all ingredients stay inside of the roll.  Gently squeeze the seam of rice shut.  Roll the saran wrap covered sushi roll to make sure all the ingredients are inside securely.  Using a sharp knife, while saran wrap is still attached to the roll, cut into 1 inch pieces.  Remove saran wrap once cut and discard.

Enjoy with low sodium soy sauce.

Apple Pie Protein Shake

Yes you read right, Apple Pie Protein Shake!  Being a vegetarian, I am always struggling with different ways to get in my protein.  After I made my Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake, I thought I would try an apple pie shake, another favorite of the fall season.  I played around with some ingredients and I think I have found the holy grail of protein shakes!  I'm talking so good, it will feel like a cheat meal!  Tastes fresh and seasonal and just like a freshly baked apple pie (minus all the calories).  Its quick and simple, enjoy!

Apple Pie Protein Shake

Ingredients

3/4 cup almond milk
1/2 apple, peeled, deseeded and chopped
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Jay Robb's non-GMO egg white vanilla protein powder)
1/2 tsp apple pie spice (if you don't have the premixed apple pie spice, please see a recipe down below)
1 tsp pure honey
few ice cubes (don't use too many, or it will water down your shake)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.





Apple Pie Spice

Ingredients

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Mix all together and store in an air tight container.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal!!

I could eat pumpkin pie flavored food all day, every day, but only in fall. There is something about fall that makes pumpkin much more appealing.  Who doesn't love pumpkin pie (ok there are those that don't), and who wouldn't want pumpkin pie for breakfast (yes you either love it or hate it)?  For my fellow pumpkin lovers, here is a delicious recipe for Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Ingredients 

1/2 cup steel cut oats
2 cups water
1/4 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp pure honey
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Splash of almond milk

Combine oats and water in small pan.  On medium heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until oats are fully cooked. Add pumpkin purée, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, honey and brown sugar. Cook an additional 3 minutes to incorporate flavors. Serve with a splash of almond milk and enjoy!

Curry Pumpkin Penne Pasta

I have been on a pumpkin kick lately.  Always happens around Halloween.  I buy everything in sight that is related to pumpkin or pumpkin spice.  I know there are a lot of pumpkinholics out there like me.  My love of pumpkin runs so deep, I thought, why not make a dinner that has pumpkin in it.  One thing that sounded like it would mesh well with pumpkin was curry.  I didn't used to be a fan of curry but it has grown on me over the past year.  This dish was delicious, and most importantly super easy and quick.  Enjoy!

Curry Pumpkin Penne Pasta

Ingredients

1 package brown rice penne pasta
1 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Chopped cilantro and lightly salted pumpkin seeds for optional toppings

In a large pot, cook brown rice penne according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, in a large pan, heat coconut oil.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Add pumpkin puree, almond milk, vegetable broth, curry powder, cumin and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook 10 minutes to heat and incorporate all ingredients.

When pasta is done, drain and rinse the pasta (rinsing is important for brown rice pasta so it doesn't become sticky and clump together).  Add pasta back to pot it was cooked in.  Add curry pumpkin sauce to pasta and toss until pasta is well coated.  Cook on low for 5 minutes, stirring often, to heat all ingredients.  Serve immediately, topped with cilantro and pumpkin seeds as desired.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (3 different ways!!)

This is one of my favorite times of the year!  Cooler weather, family, carving pumpkins, roasting pumpkin seeds.  I've always roasted pumpkin seeds the same way, sprinkle a little salt on them and in the oven they go.  This year, I decided to try something different.  I put together recipes for roasted pumpkin seeds, 3 different ways!  Save those yummy seeds, don't let them go to waste!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Lightly Salted

Ingredients

Pumpkin seeds from one large pumpkin
Coconut oil
Salt to taste

Clean and dry pumpkin seeds from one large pumpkin.  Preheat the oven to 350*.  Place dry pumpkin seeds in a bowl and lightly coat with melted coconut oil.  Sprinkle salt to taste and toss to evenly coat.  Place the pumpkin seeds on an oiled baking sheet in a single layer.  Roast pumpkin seeds for 20-25 minutes or until they are lightly browned.  Enjoy!


Fiesta Blend

Ingredients

Pumpkin seeds from one large pumpkin
Coconut oil
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 pepper

Clean and dry pumpkin seeds from one large pumpkin.  Preheat the oven to 350*.  Place dry pumpkin seeds in a bowl and lightly coat with melted coconut oil.  Sprinkle seasonings over seeds and toss to evenly coat.  Place the pumpkin seeds on an oiled baking sheet in a single layer.  Roast pumpkin seeds for 20-25 minutes or until they are lightly browned.  Enjoy!


Pumpkin Pie Spice

Ingredients

Pumpkin seeds from one large pumpkin
Coconut oil
2 tsp stevia
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Clean and dry pumpkin seeds from one large pumpkin.  Preheat the oven to 350*.  Place dry pumpkin seeds in a bowl and lightly coat with melted coconut oil.  Sprinkle stevia and seasonings over seeds and toss to evenly coat.  Place the pumpkin seeds on an oiled baking sheet in a single layer.  Roast pumpkin seeds for 20-25 minutes or until they are lightly browned.  Enjoy!

Keep all seeds stored in air tight container for up to a week!

Snack Time! The Rice Cake is No Longer Boring!!

So I actually stumbled upon this snack by accident. I've always liked rice cakes, but I like the ones packed full of artificial flavor!  I found a lightly salted rice cake at the grocery store and racked my brain about how I could make it less boring. This is what I came up with!

Almond Butter, Banana and Cinnamon Rice Cake

Ingredients 

1 lightly salted rice cake

1/2 Tbsp almond butter

5 slices banana

Sprinkle of cinnamon 

Spread almond butter on top of rice cake. Top with banana slices and sprinkle with cinnamon. Enjoy!

Homemade Tomato Sauce

I've never made my own tomato sauce.  I usually buy the organic sauce in the jar from the grocery store to cut back on the time it would take to complete a recipe with homemade sauce.  Although I do buy the sauce in the jar, I haven't found one that I really love.

I decided last night I would try to make my own sauce and it was surprisingly easy.  Hope you enjoy!

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Ingredients


1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
8 medium Roma tomatoes, quartered
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and onions, sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add seasonings, cooking an additional minute to incorporate flavors.  Add quartered tomatoes and vegetable broth.  Simmer,  covered on low heat for an hour.  Remove sauce from heat and allow to cool.  Place sauce in blender and blend until it has reached desired consistency.  Use immediately or store up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a glass jar.  Delicious as a pasta sauce or pizza sauce!

Fresh Pickled Beets!

One thing about beets, you either love them, or you hate them.  Me, I love them, and have since I was little.  I try to stay away from canned foods as much as possible, so when I saw some lovely beets at our local farmers market, I jumped on the chance to pickle some myself.  They are so easy to do and so good as well.

Pickled Beets

Ingredients

3-4 medium sized beets

1-1 1/2 cups white vinegar

1 Tbsp white sugar (can also use stevia)

Clean beats and place them in a medium pot, fill with enough water to cover beets.  Bring to boil and cook for about 45 minutes or until beets become tender.  Be sure to keep checking the water level on the beets throughout the duration of the cooking time because a lot of the water will cook off.  Make sure the water level is always enough to cover beets.  

Once beets are tender, drain water and allow them to cool to the touch.  Once they are cool, the skin will easily peel off.  Once peeled, give each beet a quick rinse.  Slice the beets to a thickness of your liking.  Place the sliced beets in a large mason jar.  Cover the beets with vinegar and add sugar.  Place lid on mason jar (make sure it is tight) and give it a tip upside down a couple times to mix sugar.  Refrigerate overnight to allow beets to incorporate flavors.  

Try topping pickled beets with my homemade ranch dressing recipe for an extra yummy snack!