Simple Pesto Sauce

I have been getting good use out of my new food processor since I got it about a month ago.  One thing I have wanted to try has been a simple pesto sauce, but my blender just couldn't do the trick.  I had purchased a huge bunch of basil from our local farmers market and thought it was a perfect time to use that food processor for some fresh pesto sauce!  Combine this sauce with some brown rice pasta noodles and you have yourself a healthy, tasty dinner.  Enjoy!

Simple Pesto Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp walnuts (or any other nut you prefer)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup hand grated fresh parmesan cheese
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients into a food processor.  Blend until mixture has reached smooth consistency.  Toss with fresh cooked brown rice pasta, topped with additional fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Zucchini, Black Bean and Brown Rice Skillet

This recipe has been one that I have made for quite some time, but have kind of swept it under the rug while working on developing new recipes.  I decided it was time to bring this one back the other night, and I remembered why I used to cook it often.  It is DELICIOUS, so easy and reheats very well for leftovers.  Almost feels sinful, but I promise, it is a clean, healthy dish that the whole family will love.  Enjoy!

Zucchini, Black Bean and Brown Rice Skillet

Ingredients

1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes (look for the no salt added)
1 15.5 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups of cooked brown rice
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Hand grated parmesan cheese for optional topping

In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt coconut oil.  Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant.  Add zucchini and continue to cook for 5 minutes, or until the zucchini gets tender, but not mushy.  Add tomatoes, black beans, sea salt and pepper to taste.  Allow to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to incorporate flavors.  Add brown rice.  Mix well and cook for 5 minutes to insure all ingredients are properly heated.  Serve topped with optional hand grated parmesan cheese.

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 Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

I've been on the hunt for a good salad dressing without all the added preservatives and calories that many store bought brands have.  I am not a huge oil and vinegar fan, so I have been reluctantly staying away from salads.  I love salads and I have missed eating them, but I will be honest, my go-to dressing has ALWAYS been ranch.  And I'm talking, full fat, restaurant style ranch dressing!  Since ranch dressing does not fit in to my lifestyle change (trying to stay away from as much dairy as possible) I remembered the honey mustard that my grandpa used to make us for our sandwiches and thought, why couldn't I make that into a vinaigrette.  I played around with a few ingredients, and added it to a nice kale salad and it was on point!  This recipe can be easily double, tripled, etc. Enjoy!

Clean Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Oil of choice (I use avocado oil)
2 Tbsp raw, unfiltered honey
2 Tbsp organic yellow mustard
1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar (I used a mason jar).  Seal lid tightly and shake until all ingredients are well incorporated.  Store in the refrigerator and heat before serving to re-melt the coconut oil.

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.

Roasted Red Pepper Zoodles

This is the first time I have ever tried to "fire roast" any vegetables.  It has always seemed pretty intimidating to me but I have a new found love for zoodles (zucchini noodles) and wanted to mix things up a bit. Turns out, "fire roasting" wasn't as difficult as it seems.  It is hard to find a nice pasta sauce that doesn't contain a ton of heavy cream and butter, both of which I am no longer eating.  This recipe gives you that thick constancy and is the perfect sauce for zoodles, spaghetti squash and I am dying to try it on brown rice noodles.  Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Zoodles

Ingredients

For the sauce:

2 large red bell peppers
1/4 onion, roughly sliced
2 oz parmesan cheese (be sure to buy a block and hand grate the cheese to steer clear of nasty clumping agents that are put in pre shredded cheese)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper





For the zoodles:

2 large zucchini
1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
Sea salt to taste

Additional grated parmesan cheese and parsley for topping

Set oven temperature to broil and move the top rack up, closer to the broiler flame, but not touching.  On a large cookie sheet or baking stone, place whole bell peppers on their side along with the sliced onion.  Allow to broil, turning peppers and onions so that the peppers are nicely blackened on each side and the onions are nicely golden.  Be sure to keep an eye on the veggies during this process as they can burn easily on broil.  Remove from oven and place peppers and onions in a sealed baggie.  Allow to sit and cool for 10 minutes.

While peppers and onions are cooling, melt 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil in a large pan, over medium heat.  Using a Veggetti, or other veggie spiral slicer, make noodles from the 2 large zucchini.  Add them to the pan with the coconut oil, along with garlic and sea salt to taste.  Allow zoodles to cook until they are soft, but not mushy.

When peppers and onions are cooled, remove the outer, waxy layer off of the peppers (it should come off fairly easy).  Add peppers, onions, grated parmesan cheese, olive oil, parsley, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper to a blender or food processor.  Puree until the mixture becomes desired constancy.  Add the sauce to the pan with the cooked zoodles.  Mix and allow to heat for 5 minutes to incorporate all the flavors.

Bruschetta Quinoa Salad

The nasty germs made their way to our house last week!  Everyone was down at some point during the week so I was a bit MIA.  With a healthy house, I was able to try some new ideas in the kitchen.  Since quinoa and I have a fairly new relationship, I have kept my recipes pretty simple.  I haven't strayed away from hot dishes and was a bit intimidated by cold, salad-like quinoa recipes.  I decided to alter my Bruschetta Quinoa Skillet to a salad version that would be delicious as a side salad, and versatile enough to prep for meal prep.  This was honestly the first time I have ever tried cold quinoa and I must say, it is just as delicious.  Enjoy!

Bruschetta Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa (about 1 cup uncooked)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup mini mozzarella balls
12 basil leaves, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp pure honey
Sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Mix well to incorporate all the flavors.  Store in an air tight container, in the refrigerator, for at least 1 hour to allow the ingredients to marinate.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Hands down, my favorite cheat meal is pizza!  I don't eat it as often as I could, for obvious reasons (it goes straight to my rear end!) but when I want a healthier version of my beloved favorite food, I opt for the cauliflower crust!  When I talk about making my pizza crust out of cauliflower, I almost always get the strangest looks.  It may sound strange, but believe me, it is delicious.  Nothing will ever top the taste of a traditional pizza, but this does come in a close second!  Enjoy!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, cooked and riced
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
Desired pizza toppings
Coconut oil to coat pizza pan/stone

Preheat the oven to 450*.  Coat pizza pan/stone with coconut oil.  In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, cheeses, egg, garlic, oregano, garlic powder and sea salt.  Pour out onto pizza pan/stone and using your hands, gently pat the cauliflower mixture to form a round "crust".  Bake for 15 minutes (may take a few minutes longer, depending on desired crust thickness) or until golden brown.   Remove the crust from the oven and change the oven setting to "broil".  Top the crust with desired toppings and broil for 3-4 minutes.

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!  

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.

Quinoa Enchilada Skillet

Being from Southern California, I have a slight obsession with Mexican food.  Mexican food is what I blame for taking me from my vegetarian lifestyle back to the meat eating lifestyle in 2011.  I couldn't stay away from the carne asada and all the yummy refried beans packed full of pig lard (because that is why they taste so amazing).  Since returning to the vegetarian lifestyle, I have still managed to feed my need for Mexican food without any meat products.  This is one recipe that I developed to help with my Mexican food cravings, and I believe it is a keeper.

I like dinners that are quick and easy.  Dinners that don't require a lot of prep and mess but that are delicious, like you spent hours in the kitchen.  I believe that this dinner recipe is just that.  Enjoy!

Quinoa Enchilada Skillet

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, uncooked
1 cup vegetable broth
1 10 oz can of green enchilada sauce
1 4.5 oz can of green chili's
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 cup black beans
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional toppings: cheese, avocado, sour cream, greek yogurt, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, additional cilantro
Optional tortillas for serving

In a large pan, combine quinoa, broth, enchilada sauce, green chili's, corn, black beans, cilantro, cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until quinoa is fully cooked.  Serve with optional tortilla and toppings of choice.

Portobello Mushroom Margherita Pizza

Pizza is one of my weaknesses!  I can't stop at just one piece!  I have this amazing recipe for homemade pizza crust, but I rarely make it because I know I could eat the entire pizza.  I love the plain cheese pizza's, but often opt for a Margherita pizza anytime we are at an Italian restaurant.  It really is my go-to because it would take a special person to mess up a pizza that is so simple.  My family is trying to stay away from as much gluten as possible and not that we don't occasionally indulge in gluten, I try to stay away from it as much as I can.  This Portobello Mushroom Margherita Pizza gives me that fulfillment of pizza, without all the guilt (and tummy ache from all the gluten).  It is so versatile that you can use any toppings you would like and it would be just as delicious!  This is a single serving recipe and can be doubled, tripled, etc, as needed.  Enjoy!

Portobello Mushroom Margherita Pizza

Ingredients

1 large portobello mushroom cap, stem removed and gills scraped off of the underside of the mushroom
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup tomato sauce of choice
2 basil leaves, roughly chopped
4 thin slices of Roma tomato
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400*.  Lightly grease a nonstick cookie sheet with 1 Tbsp of coconut oil.  Place mushroom cap, upside down, on cookie sheet.  Brush mushroom with remaining 1 Tbsp coconut oil.  Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.  Cook mushroom for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and lightly dab excess water from inside of mushroom cap.  Change setting on oven to broil.  Add tomato sauce to mushroom cap, followed by basil and tomato slices.  Top with mozzarella cheese.  Broil for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown.  Make sure you keep an eye on the mushroom during broil, as every oven can differ in temp.

Kung Pao Cauliflower

I'm sure you can tell, I use cauliflower in a lot of my recipes.  It is a vegetable that is so universal and can pretty much take on any flavor it is cooked with.  My Orange Cauliflower recipe was such a hit in my house, I decided to try another Asian chicken dish with cauliflower.  Enjoy!

Kung Pao Cauliflower

Ingredients

2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 green onions, chopped and divided in half
1/3 cup raw cashews
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Cooked brown rice for serving






Kung Pao Sauce

2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp organic tomato ketchup
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp cornstarch

In a small bowl, mix all Kung Pau Sauce ingredients, set aside.

In a large wok, heat coconut oil over medium heat.  Add cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove cauliflower from wok and set aside (cauliflower will not be cooked all the way, as it will be added back to the wok to cook more).  Add peppers to the wok, cook for 3 minutes.  Add cauliflower back to the wok and cook with peppers for an additional 5 minutes.  Vegetables will be cooked, but not mushy.  Add ginger, garlic, 1/2 green onions, cashews and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes to incorporate flavors.   Add sauce mix to wok and cook over high heat, until thickened, about 1 minute.  Serve over brown rice, topped with additional green onions.

Vegetarian Meat(less)loaf

I am the only one in my small family of 3 that does not eat meat.  My husband is a meat eater of every sort.  We buy our meat from a local farmer and I prepare meat for him and my daughter and try to match what I am having to theirs as close as possible.  They also eat what I'm cooking, but along with some sort of meat.  One thing that they love that couldn't get more "meaty" if it tried, is meatloaf.  I have strayed from cooking it because I didn't know what would pair well with it for me, other than a plain vegetable.  I need more substance for my dinners other than just vegetables (may sound weird considering I am a VEGetarian).

A couple months ago, I shared my Brown Rice Burger and thought, if I can make a burger patty, why can't I incorporate some of that recipe into a meatloaf form.  I did adjust the recipe to accommodate a larger version, and I added some steamed cauliflower to give it a bit more than just brown rice as a base.  Enjoy!

Vegetarian Meat(less)loaf

Ingredients

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup baby bella mushrooms, diced
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 head of cauliflower, steamed and riced
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
Organic tomato ketchup for topping

Preheat the oven to 400*.

In a large pan, over medium heat, add onion and mushrooms.  Sauté for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.  While onions and mushrooms are cooking, in a large bowl, combine cooked rice, steamed and riced cauliflower, eggs, bread crumbs, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper to taste, set aside.  When onions and mushrooms are fully cooked, remove them from heat and add them to the bowl with the rice and cauliflower mixture.  Mix well to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.  Add mixture to a coconut oil greased loaf pan and form into a loaf shape.  Cook for 45 minutes or until top becomes golden brown.  Serve topped with organic tomato ketchup.

Lasagna Soup

As I am sure you can tell, and from me just coming out and saying it, I love lasagna.  You have seen my posts about Spaghetti Squash Lasagna and Simple Lasagna so it shouldn't surprise you that I have now come up with another lasagna recipe.  This time, combining the yummy ingredients of lasagna into a soup form.  This is not the cleanest recipe, especially if you stay away from dairy, but if you omit adding the cheese mixture, you have yourself a nice, filling (and vegan) tomato pasta soup.  What is nice about this recipe is it is done in the Crockpot and is a super easy meal and an even easier clean up.  Enjoy!

Lasagna Soup

Ingredients

Soup:
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 medium zucchini, sliced, then halved
1 15oz can of tomato sauce
1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
6 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
2 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp basil
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 package of brown rice fusilli pasta


Cheese Mix:
1 8oz tub of part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tsp parsley
1 Tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped

Combine onion, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaves, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste in a Crockpot.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  When soup has 2 hours left to cook, stir in pasta and allow to cook for remaining time.

While soup is cooking, combine ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, parsley and fresh basil in a medium bowl.  Mix and refrigerate until ready to use.

When soup is done, serve topped with dollop of cheese mixture.

Vegetarian Mushroom Hot and Sour Soup

'Tis the season for soup!  As the weather gets colder, my desire for soup increases.  Soup is filling, nutritious and delicious.  My husband has always been a fan of hot and sour soup,  but me, not so much.  We had a ton of mushrooms from the farmers market that needed to be cooked, so I thought they would make a good alternative to seaweed that is in most hot and sour soups.  This soup does have a bit of a kick (hints the HOT portion of the soup title), but for not being a huge fan of hot and sour soup, I must say, it was pretty darn good.  Enjoy!

Vegetarian Mushroom Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
5 green onions, sliced and divided into green and white pieces
2 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 cup shitaki mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp Sriracha
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
6 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat.  Add yellow onion and white portion of green onion.  Sauté for 5 minutes, until tender.  Add mushrooms and continue to sauté for 5 minutes, until mushrooms have reduced in size.  Add ginger, garlic and sriracha, sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant.  Add soy sauce and vinegar slowly, then add broth.  Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water, making a slurry.  Add the slurry to the soup and continue simmering for 10 minutes, until soup begins to thicken.  Remove the soup from the heat and slowly stir in the beaten egg.  The egg will form strings and cook immediately.  Add salt and pepper if needed and top with the green portion of the green onion.

Vegetarian "Fried" Brown Rice

Brown rice is a huge staple in my diet.  Carbs are not the enemy, they just have to be consumed correctly.  I had planned on eating leftovers from the previous night, but my hubby highjacked them out of the fridge.  I wasn't sure what I wanted for lunch, then I remembered we had these lovely carrots from the farmers market and some leftover rice.  What better than some fried rice.  Filling and delicious and full of great veggies.  Enjoy!

Vegetarian "Fried" Brown Rice

Ingredients

1/2 cup brown rice, cooked

2 Tbsp coconut oil, divided

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

1/2 cup carrots, cubed

1/3 cup peas

2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Pepper to taste

In a large pan, on medium, heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil.  Add beaten egg and cook 3-4 minutes or until egg is fully cooked.  Set aside.  In same pan, heat remaining 1 Tbsp coconut oil.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, until the garlic becomes fragrant.  Add carrots and peas.  Cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables become tender.  Add cooked brown rice, cooked egg and soy sauce.  Cook for 2-3 minutes to incorporate flavors.  Add pepper to taste.  

Bruschetta Quinoa Skillet

As a vegetarian, the word Quinoa came up often when I was looking at recipes to broaden my horizon in the scope of all things vegetarian.  I admit, the first time I tried it, I thought it was so awful that I didn't know how recipes existed with that ingredient.  I went for months without trying it again and decided to give it another go.  I developed the recipe that became my first blog and I loved it!  A new found love for Quinoa was developed (and even learning the correct way to pronounce it).

I love bruschetta, but I have been trying to stay away from excess gluten and those lovely pieces of bread they are on qualify as excess gluten.  Quinoa is gluten free and with the extra vegetable components of bruschetta, I figured they would go well together.  Not only is this dish delicious, but it is a one pan dish that doesn't leave your sink full of dirty dishes!  Enjoy!

Bruschetta Quinoa Skillet

Ingredients 

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
1 cup vegetable broth
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup basil, roughly chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

In a medium pan, heat coconut oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, until garlic becomes fragrant.  Add quinoa, vegetable broth, tomato sauce, oregano and salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until quinoa is fully cooked.

When quinoa is done, add tomatoes and basil.  Cook for 5 minutes to incorporate flavors.  Top with cheeses and allow to melt.  Serve immediately.

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.