Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Honestly, no words will do these bad boys justice. You're just going to have to trust me on this one. Make these. Tomorrow. You need to. Because they're the best thing you'll be putting in your mouth anytime soon. Amazing.

1 small cauliflower head, cut into bite sized florets
4 tablespoons plant-based butter, melted
5 tablespoons Frank's Buffalo Wing Hot Sauce (Frank's is just superior, lets be real)
1 tablespoon Bragg's unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups pita chips (or GF panko)
Follow Your Heart Blue Cheese or Ranch dressing (found at Whole Foods)

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Prepare a baking dish by spraying it with nonstick spray. In a bowl combine the melted butter, hot sauce, vinegar, and garlic powder, set aside.

In a food processor blend the pita chips until they are fine and have a similar consistency as bread crumbs.

Dip the florets into the sauce, then coat in pita crumbs, then place on the baking sheet. Once all florets are coated and on the baking sheet give them a light mist with non stick cooking spray.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until they are golden brown. Serve with some dressing and enjoy!

*I had to double the recipe for the sauce as the head of cauliflower I had was a little on the larger side.

Recipe adapted from The Saucy Southerner

Summer Chowder with Fresh Chives and Tarragon

Fresh, light, and floral- perfect way to kick start summer.

3 garlic cloves, minced
3 shallots, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound summer squash (I used three small yellow squash and 2 medium zucchini), cut into rounds
16 ounces frozen organic corn kernels, if you have fresh that will work too
1 can light coconut milk
1 cup vegetable broth broth
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
3/4 tablespoons tarragon, chopped
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
Lime, cut into wedges

In a stock pot over medium heat saute the garlic and shallots in the olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Add in the summer squash and saute for another 4 minutes. Toss in the corn and continue sauting for another 2 minutes. Add in the coconut milk and broth, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and add in the chives, tarragon, and salt. With a lid over top simmer for 15 minutes, until the squash is soft and the corn cooked through. Carefully transfer to a blended and blend to desired consistency. Squeeze juice from a lime wedge over top of each soup bowl before eating.

Serves 4-6

Ranch Salad with Buffalo Tempeh

Vegan or not you can't deny the glory of wing sauce. That stuff is just spot on. So when I was browsing through the internet and found a buffalo tempeh recipe I had to give it a go. It came together quickly, which is always greatly appreciated, and the homemade ranch dressing was divine. I had some leftovers so I threw it in a wrap for lunch the next day, which is my preferred way to eat this as I am a wrap enthusiast.

Tempeh and buffalo sauce:
8 oz organic tempeh
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided in half
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth (as the hot sauce tends to be pretty salty)
1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot buffalo hot sauce (Frank's is the original ingredient in buffalo wing sauce)
2 teaspoons dried oregano

Ranch dressing:
1/4 cup vegan mayo
1/4 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
Pinch of coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons fresh chopped chives

Salad:
2 romaine hearts, chopped
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced cucumbers
Extra chives for garnish

Tear the tempeh into large bite sized pieces.

In a large pot add some water and bring to a boil. Toss in the torn tempeh and boil for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove the tempeh and saute in a pan with 1/2 the olive oil (2 teaspoons) for 7 minutes until slightly browned.

Once browned, push the tempeh to the side of the saute pan, add the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the center of the saute pan and toss in the garlic. Allow the garlic to sizzle in the oil for 15 seconds or so before mixing the tempeh and garlic together, sauteing for another minute. 

Add the hot sauce, vegetable broth, and oregano to the pan with the tempeh and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for five minutes, the sauce will reduce by half.

While the tempeh is simmering in the buffalo sauce whisk all the ranch ingredients together until well combined.

In a large bowl toss the salad ingredients with 1/2 cup of the dressing. Serve in individual bowls before topping it with the tempeh and some extra sauce from the pain. Serve with additional ranch dressing on the side.

*If you want to have a ranch salad with buffalo tempeh wrap just skip the bowl and roll into your preferred wrap, enjoy.

Recipe adapted from The PPK

Stuffed Bell Peppers

I had two green peppers in the fridge, a box of mushrooms, and not much else. This was very a much a 'throw-something-together-and-lets-hope-it-works' meal. I made it for my family quickly and ran out of the door as I had plans for the night. Several hours later I received a text from my mom saying 'dinner was awesome!'. I was elated since I always struggled with turning bell peppers into an enjoyable meal. Not only is it up to par in the taste category but it is insanely easy to throw together too.

 2 green bell peppers
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable broth
1 box white button mushrooms
2 tablespoons braggs liquid aminos/soy sauce/ tamari
1 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
1 cup steamed broccoli (you can sub this for any other leftover veggie you have in your fridge)
1/4 cup diaya cheese + extra
Small bundle of scallions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Halve the bell peppers, removing the seeds. Place in a small casserole dish that has been sprayed with non stick spray.

Rinse quinoa until water runs clear, then add it to a pot along with the broth and bring it to a boil. Cover and reduce head to a simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking quarter the mushrooms. Saute them in a pan with a little olive oil until they let out all their liquids and start to shrink down in size. Add in the liquid aminos and steak seasoning, continue to saute until tender. Remove from heat and place the mushrooms in a large bowl.

Cut the steamed broccoli into bite sized pieces and add them to the bowl with the mushrooms.

Dice the scallions and saute for 2 minutes, then add to the bowl with the mushrooms and broccoli. Toss in the diaya cheddar and the quinoa once it is done cooking. Stir the contents of the bowl until fully incorporated, then spoon into the bell pepper halves.

Bake for 55 minutes, until the peppers are tender. Sprinkle a little more diaya cheddar over top and broil for 1-2 minutes before serving.