Ginger-Cashew Tempeh Stirfry {Vegan}

Happy Friday!  I made a pretty cool discovery at Trader Joe's this afternoon - they now carry organic 3-grain tempeh!

 

Tempeh is a great source of vegan protein. It's heartier than tofu, which would lend itself well to marinating & grilling.  I had to pick some up, and glad I did.

Flyin' solo this Friday night, I whipped up this nutrient dense vegan meal for one and served with a glass TJ's Green Fin Organic White wine.

Ginger-Cashew Tempeh Stirfry

Serves 2
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 minutes

Stirfry Ingredients:
1 T safflower oil
1 package tempeh
1 oz raw cashews, roughly chopped
6-8 shitake mushrooms
1 c pea sprouts, a little more to top
1 c baby spinach
1 small white onion, finally sliced
2 carrots, finely sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1.5-2  in chunk ginger, roughly chopped

Sauce Ingredients:
2T Bragg's Amino Acid
1 T safflower oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 lemon, small orange or lime,  juiced (I used lemon)
2 tsp. Sriracha sauce (or use chili paste)

Mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside. Heat a large sautee pan to medium.  Add 1 T of the oil, and warm it.   Add garlic, onions and ginger and sautee for about a minute.  Then add zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, cashews and tempeh.  Sautee for another 3 minutes or so, until veggies are almost done.  Lastly, add the pea sprouts, spinach and the sauce.  Sautee for 30 more seconds.  Top with more cashews and pea sprouts.   Serve over rice if you want...but this plant-based meal was hearty enough to eat on its own.  YUM.

Nutrition per serving:

568 calories

44 g carbs

32 g fat 

28 g protein

Moroccan Butternut Squash Soup {Vegan}

In frigid single-digit Michigan winter weather, this warm & spicy butternut squash soup is good for the body and soul.  This version plays off of a basic recipe.  Play with the spices if you like.  If you dislike curry powder as some do, just use what you like instead.  Sage & thyme is a nice combo. The spice amounts below are a rough estimate, as I made my own curry powder today.

Squash is an awesome source of prebiotic fiber and great for the digestive system.  Bulk up those benefits by adding fresh ginger and extra garlic.


MOROCCAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Ingredients: 

2 carrots, rough chop
2 celery stalks, rough chop
1 medium onion, diced
2 T coconut oil (or sub butter)
2 cloves minced garlic or 1 roasted head of garlic
8 cups of water
{The above ingredients make the veggie broth, but feel free to use 2 boxes of store bought}

1 large butternut squash (mine was 4.5 lbs)
2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp curry powder (or use a variety of curry spices to make your own)
2 T chopped cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.  In a large soup pot, heat fat.  Add in the onions, carrots and celery and garlic. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 8 cups water and the 2 tsp salt and turn to a boil.  Reduce heat and cover.

Cut butternut squash in half and scoop the seeds out.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and roast, cut side down for 45 minutes, until fork tender.  Let cool for 20 minutes or until you can handle it.

Scoop the squash right into your broth.  Add the ground spices and let simmer for 30-60 minutes.  Add cilantro and a squeeze of lemon if you like.  Whiz with an immersion blender and serve with a bit more cilantro garnish.

Green Goddess Soup {Vegan}

Mmm...good for the body and the soul.  This creamy vegetable soup is thick, tart and super satisfying, thanks to the brown rice.  It reminds me a bit of Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheddar Soup...without all of the junk.  It has EIGHT organic vegetables in it, it's vegan and all-natural.  As you can tell, I'm pretty excited to have discovered it, and recommend you make it if you are:

• ...vegan or vegetarian
• ...a vegetable lover
• ...lactose intolerant
• ...on a weight-loss plan
• ...need a way to get in more veggies
• ...need a way to make veggies taste good
• ...wanting a good lunch to bring to work all week
• ...in love with cream of broccoli soup

;) ...in any case, check out this deliciousness:

Leek, Broccoli, Asparagus, Zucchini, Celery, Lake, Parsley and Garlic Soup

Green Goddess Soup

Makes about 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

2 c leeks 

2 c broccoli 

2 c asparagus

2 c zucchini

2 c celery

2 c kale, stems removed

2 T parsley (minced)

2 cloves (1 T) garlic (minced)

1/2 c organic brown rice  - I used Jasmine

3 T olive oil

2-3 teaspoons sea salt 

Black pepper

1-2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice

Water 

Directions:

Step 1 - prep the veg: The first step is to wash and prep the veggies.   Chop all of the veggies (besides garlic and parsley) into bite sized pieces BEFORE measuring it. Mince the garlic and parsley.  Here's what mine looked like all prepped:

Step 2 - saute + soften:  In a large pot, heat your olive oil over medium heat.  Sprinkle sea salt over your veggies (you can always add more). Saute stirring frequently, until the veggies are very soft, and start to expel water, like this:

 Step 3 - water + simmer:  Add water - about 4-5 cups to start - enough to cover the veggies by a couple of inches (they will float up).  Cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 4 - thicken + season:  Mix in the uncooked brown rice, minced garlic and parsley. Bring to a boil and then return to low. Simmer for another 20-30 minutes or until rice is soft (taste test it!).

Step 5 - give it a lemony blenddddd:  Add in the 1-2 T lemon (I went with 2). Stick in the immersion blender (or, blend in a blender) and whiz away until you reach desired consistency. Add more water if you want to thin it out.  Taste and season/adjust with more salt, pepper, lemon.  You can let it simmer for a few more minutes if you'd like, but it's done.

This was really tasty with 2 teaspoons of Parmesan-Romano and a bit of Sriracha stirred in at the end.  I had 2.5 bowls for dinner tonight.  Enjoy!

FOOD RENEGADE

SuperFood Travel Mix

The worst thing about travel for me is the uncertainty of good, sound nutrition!  My body is so used to eating well on a regular basis, that eating junk for even a day has me thrown "off".  Besides, airport food is expensive and you're hard pressed to find anything healthy.  Before a trip, I make sure to pack some snacks in my carry-on to get me through the trip.  The trail mix above is super healthy, vegan & nutrient-dense.  It goes hand & hand with my mobile kitchen for our next journey... back to Costa Rica!

1 c cacao nibs
1 c salted organic peanuts
1 c dried cranberries or cherries
1 c raw hulled sunflower seeds
1/2 c raw pepitas

Mix well! Portion out into baggies for the plane, car, bus or just to have on hand in your purse or gym bag.

Nutrition per serving:
295 calories
21 g carbs
21 g fat
7 g protein

Chocolate-Banana Flax Seed Pudding {vegan}

This is a SUPER simple raw vegan dessert or breakfast.  The soaked flax makes this great for digestion. It  has a good amount of protein, and PACKED with omega-3 & omega-6!

Ingredients:

‎1/2c whole flax seeds soaked in 1 c water for 8 hours (or overnight)2 bananas
1/2 c almond, coconut or rice milk (plain or vanilla or chocolate!)
1/4 c unsweetened cacao powder
2 tbsp agave or honey or maple syrup
pinch sea salt
pinch cinnamon

Optional:  sprinkle raw sunflower or pumpkin seeds on top!

Directions:

When your flax is soaked & ready, it'll be gelatinous and slimy and soak up most of the water. Smash together all of the other ingredients in a mixing bowl and then stir the flax in. Refrigerate for 30 min or so. Devour.

Food Renegade - Fight Back Friday!

Asian-Inspired Massaged Kale + Carrot Super-Food Salad

Ever heard anyone asking to take home leftover...healthy salad??  This one was so delicious, attendees of Dr. Matt's grand opening were spooning it into plastic drinking cups to take home the leftovers.  The sesame & citrus flavors are bright & exciting, and the fact that the kale is massaged takes a lot of the "rawness" out of eating raw kale.  I especially love Eden Foods  Organic Sesame Gomasio sprinkles as part of the dressing to tie everything together and add even more nutrition (seaweed & sesame).  This salad is loaded with healthy fats (olive oil, sesame & avocado), rich in iron, magnesium, calcium, vitamin c, k, antioxidants, carotenoids and fiber. The texture is great as is, but some sunflower seeds or peanuts would add a great extra crunch!  


...and it's vegan/dairy/gluten free ;) !

Asian-Inspired Massaged Kale & Carrot Super-Food Salad

Salad:
1 large head of curly red or green kale, washed, thick stems removed and torn or chopped into bite sized pieces
2 large carrots, shredded (approx. 3/4 - 1 c)
1 avocado, diced
Salt
Olive oil

Dressing:
2 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
1 tbsp local honey
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar OR rice wine vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 lemon (juiced)
1 tsp sea salt
Red pepper flakes to taste
1.5-2 tbsp Eden Organic Sesame Gomasio (see link)

Directions: 
Combine all dressing ingredients and blend with an immersion blender or in a food processor. 

Prep kale and place into large mixing bowl. Pour a bit of olive oil and sea salt onto it. Give it a good massage with your fingers for 1-3 minutes (depends on how thick/coarse the kale was to begin with), until it softens and loses about 1/3 of the volume. Add carrots. Toss with dressing. Fold in avocado right before serving! 

This salad is best served 1-4 hours after prepping to allow all the flavors to meld.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse {Dairy-Free}

Served here with frozen blueberries (what I had on hand), but fresh strawberries are AMAZING...

At a vegan dinner party this past week, one of the ladies made this, and it was literally finger-licking good.  Not only did we finish it all, but swiped the rest from the bowl with our fingers and licked the spoon clean!  This is an incredibly simple dessert with a "wow" factor: it's made from avocados, and it's dairy-free!  My version uses local honey, and I enjoyed the consistency with gooey honey....but make it completely vegan by using agave or maple syrup instead.  Seriously, your friends, kids, mom or co-workers will NEVER know it's made with avocado...until you tell them. Dr. Oz has this recipe posted...but uses egg whites and sugar (certainly not necessary). I apologize for the bad photo quality - my camera was left at my sisters house last week. :)  ENJOY! <3

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Ingredients: 



1 c cocoa powder
2 large ripe avocado
1/2 c almond milk (or coconut, or water even)
3/4 c agave syrup or honey
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 pinch sea salt

Directions: 

Whiz in a food processor, scraping the sides and bottom occasionally until nice and thick.  Serve with fresh fruit, biscotti, or just eat it plain.

Cauliflower & Cashew Biryani (Vegan)

Craving Indian today like nobody's business, after a friend had mentioned her delicious Indian take out in Royal Oak. I found a few recipes which gave me a starting point for this cauliflower biryani dish. I added tofu to the traditional rice pilaf for additional substance & protein, but go ahead and leave it out if you don't eat soy. Chicken would make a nice substitution as well!

This hit the spot! Nice mixture of sweet, spicy, hearty, and tart. It's got a nice, delicate spice profile, and has a gorgeous yellow color from the turmeric. Don't be intimidated by the long ingredient list. Anything that you don't have around, just omit.

Cauliflower & Cashew Biryani (Serves 8)

Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower, cored and split into small florets
2 medium carrots, halved and chunked

1 large tomato (diced)
1 inch ginger (finely diced)
1 jalapeno (finely diced)
1/2 red onion (finely diced)

Coconut oil for coating florets, plus 1-1/2 tablespoons

Salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp each - chili powder, coriander, cardamom powder, garam masala, cinnamon
1 bay leaf

1 cup brown or basmati rice

1/2 cup coarsely chopped unroasted, unsalted cashews

1/3 cup seedless dark raisins

1/3 cup dried apricots, diced (I used dates and apricots)

1/3-1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions:

Put oven rack on upper level and preheat over to 450 degrees.

In large bowl, toss cauliflower and carrots with coconut oil. Season with salt. Dust florets with cumin and turmeric, chili powder, cardamom powder, garam masala, coriander powder and cinnamon. Spread on rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, turning florets once or twice to prevent burning. Let cool.

In a medium sauce pan, sautee the tomato, red onion, ginger and jalapeno with salt until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the rice, another cup of water and bay leaf. Simmer rice until done (15-20 min). Pull bayleaf out.

Cut tofu into cubes, dust with cumin and turmeric and fry in a large sautee pan until golden brown. Let cool.

In a large bowl combine everything: the tofu, cauliflower/carrots, rice, cashews, raisins, apricots and cilantro. Add the lemon juice and the remaining 1-1/2 tablespoons of coconut or olive oil (optional). Salt & pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Savory & Sweet: Vegan Mini-Muffins

Happy Freaking Summer. :) I have been completely slacking on new recipes since the weather has been nice! We've been grilling and eating al fresco as much as possible. 

So, I was invited to a vegan brunch yesterday.  Of course, I eat mostly plants, but don't have too many fun vegan brunch recipes under my belt, especially in the baking department.  I did a little internet research on substitutions, got some ideas, tweaked some recipes, and somehow happened to have everything on hand to make these delicious mini-muffins, Vegan style.  Perfect for parties, picnics or your daily brown bag.  Gotta say, they turned out beautifully and were a huge hit. GO OMNIVORES! ;)

Savory: Zucchini, Onion & Herb {Vegan}

Prep time - 10 min, bake time - 17 minutes
Makes 20-24 mini muffins

• 1 small zucchini, finely diced
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp fresh herbs (I used rosemary, thyme, parsley and mint from my herb pots)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (and more for sauteing)
• 3/4 c soy or almond milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1.5 tbsp honey, agave or maple syrup
• 1 c organic whole wheat flour 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch baking soda
• 1 tsp sea salt (I had rosemary gourmet sea salt on hand)
  
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
•  Dash cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 375. In a large pan, heat some olive oil. Saute your veggies, seasoned with a few dashes of additional salt & pepper. Saute for about 7 min, until soft and starting to turn golden brown. Set aside to reserve in large mixing bowl.  In a another mixing bowl, sift flour and rest of the dry ingredients (including fresh herbs).  In the veggie mixing bowl, add lemon juice,  lemon zest, honey, olive oil and soy milk.  Stir.  Slowly fold in dry ingredients. Spoon into greased mini-muffin pan, filling cups almost to the top.  These don't rise too much.  Bake for 16-18 minutes (rotating pan at the 3/4 time mark) and let cool.

Sweet: Banana-Pecan {Vegan}

Prep time - 10 min, bake time - 17 minutes
Makes 24 mini muffins

• 3 very ripe bananas*
• 2 c flour (I mixed whole wheat and white)
• 1/2 c raw organic sugar
• 1/2 c organic brown sugar
• 1/4 c vegetable oil
• 1/2 c shelled and chopped pecans (or walnuts)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 dash ground cloves

 *I freeze my bananas (sans peel) when they start to turn spotty.   They generally defrost very nicely in 5-10 minutes, ready for use.

Pre-heat oven to 360 degrees. Cream together oil and both sugars in a large mixing bowl. Mash bananas into the sugar/oil with a potato masher.  In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients, sifting the flour and baking powder & soda to avoid clumping.  slowly fold into banana-sugar mixture.  Fold in pecans at the end.  Spoon into greased mini-muffin pans.  This one will rise nicely.  Bake for 16-18 min (17 min works really well for me!), rotating pan 3/4 through bake time.  Let cool.

Lemony Crushed Lentil Soup

 ALMOST as good as La Shish ;)


Lemony Crushed Lentil Soup {VEGAN}

2 c red lentils
1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander
pinch Cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 handful fresh cilantro (chopped) and more to garnish
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp black pepper
Juice of 1.5 lemon (more to garnish)
10 c water (sub and/or mix with veggie or chicken stock if you'd like)

**Disclaimer: this soup is very spicy, just how I like it. If you aren't the biggest fan of heat, reduce the coriander and black pepper by half to start and see how you like it. :)

Dice your onions and garlic.  Heat a large soup pot over medium and add olive oil. Sautee garlic and onions until soft & smelling delicious.  Stir in the lentils (make sure to wash them in a strainer) and pour in about 10 cups of water.  You may need more depending on the consistency you like (I happen to like mine thick).  Get the lentils and onions up to a boil for about 20 min. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in the rest of the ingredients except lemon juice. Simmer for a few minutes and then either use an immersion blender or puree in a blender to blend until smooth.  Add more water if needed.  Pour back into pot and stir in lemon.  Add more salt, pepper and/or spices to taste. Let simmer for an additional 10 minutes.  Serve hot and garnish with lemon and cilantro.  Serve with a crusty baguette or if you're carb-conscious, a side of greens! YUM.

Sidenote: ARGH this soup is so easy. This is the kind of soup that makes me want to scream when people say they can't afford to eat healthy foods.  YES YOU CAN! You can feed a whole family with this soup for a couple of dollars. Beans & greens...cheap as can be!  Anyway, enjoy!

Kale & Grapefruit?

Ahhh, greens.  Necessary for a balanced diet, yet often neglected!  Every time I shop, I pick a few bunches of various greens, usually going for whatever looks the best or is on sale.  The other day, Kale was 2 bunches for $3 at Whole Foods and I gladly picked some up.  Kale is a mild, hearty green and is part of the cruciferous family (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.)  It's super rich in calcium, magnesium and a great source of antioxidants.  Kale is pretty versatile, working well in soups and salads or by itself.  Here is a colorful salad that I threw together the other night.  It would be perfect as a side dish for chicken, fish, lamb. I served it with homemade falafel...

Kale & Grapefruit Salad (serves 2)

1/2 c carrots, chopped into circles

1/2 grapefruit, cut into half-sections

1 bunch fresh kale, washed and cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's  - http://www.bragg.com/)

1 tbsp honey 

1/2 habanero pepper, finely diced 

Salt & Pepper  

Steam your kale for a few minutes, just until soft.  Whisk dressing together.  Toss kale with fruit and drizzle with dressing.  Super energizing, bold and delicious!

200 calories

8 g fat

5 g protein

32 g carbohydrates

Falafel (Serves 2)

1 lb chickpeas (soaked overnight) or 1 can chickpeas (drained)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

Hot pepper flakes

½ habenero pepper

Handful chopped parsley

1 egg

1 handful (give or take) of breadcrumbs 

Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients (minus the breadcrumbs) in a food processor and blend until combined (don't over-do it!). In a large bowl, combine the mixture with bread crumbs, adding just a bit at a time until you're able to form into balls. Form the falafel into 8 balls and flatten slightly.  Heat a frying pan with a bit of vegetable oil on medium-high heat.  Pan sear on both sides until golden brown. Bake on a glass or metal pan for 15 minutes to finish. I served with pickled turnips and a bit of Greek yogurt. YUM!

Per falafel:

108 calories

4 g fat

14 g carbohydrates

3 protein