Roasted Winter Salad Bowl - Oh She Glows

We made Roasted Winter Salad Bowl from OhSheGlows.com, and it was amazing!!! You'll really want to try it!! It's so good!

John scarfed it down! 

I made some revisions: I doubled the potatoes (I had a lot I needed to use, and my boys love them!), I didn't give John any pepita seeds because they are too tough for him, I didn't have kale, so I used spinach, and I double that too.

I am so not into cold salads right now, and this hit the spot for all of us! Seth said this should be on the menu for the Northstar Cafe in Columbus, and I agree!

Raw Pad Thai Salad from thecolorfulkitchen.com

I am so excited to try this Raw Pad Thai Salad from thecolorfulkitchen.com!

Raw Pad Thai Salad  - Update: We tried it, and it's awesome! Seriously amazing. I might eat it every week in the summer time, but even in the winter, it's great!

Seth got me a veggie spiralizer for Christmas, and this salad is going to bring it out quite often!

Sweet Quinoa and Rice Salad

My parents got me a yummy Quinoa and Brown Rice blend for Christmas, and with it, I created this delicious salad!

Sweet Quinoa and Rice Salad

Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups uncooked quinoa/rice blend (or one of the two) - Cook with water or veggie stock according to directions
- 3 large handfuls of organic spinach, chopped
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes,halved
- 1.5 cups frozen sweet corn, thawed (or canned)
- 1.5 cups (1 can) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

- Avocado for serving

Sauce:
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3 Tb. Tamari or reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 Tb. apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tb. agave nectar (or honey)
- 1 Tb. of your favorite dried spices (oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, etc)
- fresh cracked pepper

Directions:
1. Cook Quinoa and rice according to instructions
2. While it is cooking, combine all Sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir
3. When quinoa and rice are cooked, put in a bowl for about 10 minutes. Add all other ingredients, and then pour sauce over the salad and mixed until combine.
4. Garnish with avocado. Serve warm or cold.

Cauliflower Leek Soup

Cauliflower Leek Soup Serves 6 Ingredients: - 1 TB olive oil - 2 TB minced garlic - 1 large head of cauliflower - 3 leeks, cut into 1 inch pieces - 7 cups veggie stock or water (and a veggie boullion cube if using water) - 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed - 1 cup cashew cream - 1 TB lemon juice - 2 TB nutritional yeast (in the bulk section of your health food store) Directions: 1. Heat the olive oil, in a large pot over medium heat, and saute the leeks, cauliflower, and garlic for about 10 minutes adding sufficient amounts of water to keep it from sticking or burning.  2. Add veggie stock/water to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  3. Remove the soup from heat. Blend the soup with an immersion blender or hand mixer.  Mix in the cashew cream, lemon juice and nutritional yeast and continue blending until smooth. 4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Tips: -You can garnish the soup with anything you like really, cashews, sliced spinach, cilantro, bell peppers, avocado... you name it! - You can use this as your main dish, as a side, as a base for another creamy soup. The sky is the limit! - And don't be afraid of substituting other veggies. Use what you have.

TheColorfulKitchen.com

My friend Beth is seriously the best at finding excellent new recipes online! This week she shared 2 AMAZING recipes with us from thecolorfulkitchen.com
Delicious doesn't even cut it to describe this pasta, and have you ever thought of making cookies and brownies out of beans? Well, you should try it. It's amazing!

Easy Cheesy Pasta - Seriously, this is going to become a weekly staple in our house!

Black Bean and Oatmeal Brownies - Add a handful of chocolate chips, and a bit extra agave, and these are excellent!



 

Chickpea Chocolate Chunk Cookies - I could eat these everyday! And I could feed to my husband and son everyday without worrying about their health!



A blog that is vegan and gluten free is a dream come true, and this site is definitely that! Check it out!!!

 

thecolorfulkitchen.com

Thai Chickpea Quinoa

Our neighbor, Beth Winder, made us DELICIOUS quinoa one night for dinner swap, and I just had to have the recipe! THIS is it. I have adapted it to our own preferences. It is an excellent way to eat quinoa. 

And HERE is why it is so healthy and wonderful to eat Quinoa.

Thai Chickpea Quinoa 

YIELD: SERVES 4

 

TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 can chickpeas
3/4 cup shredded (or finely chopped) carrots
3/4 cup shelled edamame
2/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped peanuts (or cashews)
1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro

sauce
3 TB. agave
1 TB. apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
2 TB. canned coconut milk (I froze the rest in ice cube trays)
1 TB. honey (or brown sugar)
2 tsp. creamy peanut butter (it mixes in easier if it's melted, FYI)
2 tsp. garlic
1/4 cup lime juice (or lemon)

1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Directions

Prepare quinoa according to directions, which will most likely call for 2 cups of liquid. I prefer to use low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock, so if you have that, use it!

While quinoa is cooking, combine all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and whisk well to combine. 

Once quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid, stir in the sauce and toss well to coat. 

Add in chickpeas, carrots, edamame and green onions, stirring to combine. 

Taste and season with a little salt and pepper if needed. 

Toss in half of the peanuts and cilantro, then serve in a large bowl, topped with remaining peanuts and cilantro. 

I like to serve this with a salad, soup or even a little sandwich!

Cream of Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup

Cream of Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup

Serves 

Ingredients:
Veggies:
- 2 onions
- 4 Tb. garlic
- 2 stalk celery
- 2 cups frozen (or fresh) peas
- 5 cups cauliflower
- 5 cup broccoli

- 6 cups water or veggie stock

Seasonings:
- 1 Tb. dry oregano
- 2 tsp. dry thyme
- 2 tsp. dry basil
- 2 tsp. coriander
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 3 TB soy sauce
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. brown mustard 
Finishing Touches:
- 1 large handful (about 1 1/2 cup) spinach
- 1 can chickpeas or white beans
- 1 cup nutritional yeast (in the bulk section of your health food store)
- 1 1/2 cup cashews
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (or to taste)

- 1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
- fresh cracked pepper

Directions:
1. Heat a large pot on medium high heat while you rough chop your onion (but not so rough as to chop your finger :) I've learned that lesson a time or two...), then start sauteing your onion adding sufficient amounts of water to keep it from sticking or burning.

2. While onion is sauteing, rough chop all your other vegetables and add (except for spinach) to the pot. Saute for about 5 more minutes, or until onions are translucent.

3. Add water/veggie stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to a simmer.

4. Add all the seasonings and simmer for about 10 minutes.

5. Remove from heat, add nutritional yeast, beans, cashews (that's where the "creamy" comes in!) and lemon juice. Then puree using an immersion blender (or ladle small amounts carefully into a blender).

6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tips:
-You can garnish the soup with anything you like really, cashews, sliced spinach, cilantro, bell peppers, avocado... you name it!
- You can use this as your main dish, as a side, as a base for another creamy soup. The sky is the limit!
- And don't be afraid of substituting other veggies. Use what you have. 

Cream of Vegetable Soup

Here is a creation from today that I made up between today's amazing sessions of General Conference with whatever I had available in my fridge. And as we say at our house, "It's blog-worthy!" so I'm sharing it with you. Enjoy!

Cream of Vegetable Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:
Veggies:
- 1 onion
- 2 Tb. garlic
- 1 stalk celery
- 2 cups cauliflower
- 1 cup broccoli
- 1 lb. asparagus

- 1 large handful (about 1 1/2 cup) spinach
- 5 cups water or veggie stock

Seasonings:
- 1/2 tsp. dry thyme
- 1 tsp. dry oregano
- 1/2 tsp. coriander
- 1/2 tsp. cumin

Finishing Touches:
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (in the bulk section of your health food store)
- 2/3 cup cashews
- 3 Tb. lemon juice (or to taste)

- 1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
- fresh cracked pepper

Directions:
1. Heat a large pot on medium high heat while you roughly chop your onion (but not so rough as to chop your finger :) I've learned that lesson a time or two...), then start sauteing your onion adding sufficient amounts of water to keep it from sticking or burning.

2. While onion is sauteing, chop all your other vegetables and add (except for spinach) to the pot. Saute for about 5 more minutes, or until onions are translucent.

3. Add water/veggie stock and spinach to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to a simmer.

4. Add all the seasonings and simmer for about 10 minutes.

5. Remove from heat, add nutritional yeast, cashews (that's where the "creamy" comes in!) and lemon juice. Then puree using an immersion blender (or ladle small amounts carefully into a blender).

6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tips:
-You can garnish the soup with anything you like really, cashews, sliced spinach, cilantro, bell peppers, avocado... you name it!
- You can use this as your main dish, as a side, as a salad dressing, as a base for another creamy soup. The sky is the limit!
- And don't be afraid of substituting other veggies. Use what you have. 

Garlic Roasted Breaded Mushrooms

Perhaps I'm on a roll! I had a bunch of mushrooms left over from some soup I made the other day, and needed to use them tonight. We always keep onions and garlic around, and all the rest of the ingredients are pantry staples. It smelled so good, even before we put it in the oven! Seth said it smelled like an Italian restaurant. Mushrooms aren't Seth's favorite, but he said that this is the best way to eat mushrooms that he's tried. That's a compliment to remember :)

Garlic Roasted Breaded Mushrooms 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• • 4 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
  • 1 tsp. dried rosemary
  • 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tb. melted margarine (or you could use olive oil)
  • 1 Tb. ground flaxseed (any health food store has it usually in bulk) mixed with 3 Tb water (until egg white consistency)
  • 1/2 a medium onion (white, sweet or yellow), finely diced
  • about 5 cups baby bella (or any type) mushrooms, wiped clean
  Topping
  • 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 2 Tb. nutritional yeast (any health food store has it usually in bulk)
  • 1 Tb. lemon juice
  Garnish
  • Chiffonade fresh spinach, parsley, or basil for garnish
  
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (rack in the center)

2. Then in a large bowl, combine all ingredients except onion and mushrooms. Whisk together, then add mushrooms and onions and toss until everything is coated in the dressing.

3. Pour mushrooms into a (lightly greased) large  baking dish in a single layer and roast in the oven for 15 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, mix topping ingredients with a fork.

5. Stir the mushrooms, spread Panko bread crumbs over them and continue roasting until Panko is golden brown and mushrooms are tender (10-15 more minutes)

6.Garnish with fresh herbs or spinach

Tips:

1. This is a very flavorful dish. It would be excellent if you serve it over a grain like quinoa, rice or cous cous, and a green salad on the side you can make it the main dish.

2. I served this with a spaghetti squash (that we grew in our garden, whoohooo!)mixed with spaghetti sauce from a jar. It made for a pretty easy meal :)I'll post about making spaghetti squash sometime in the future.