Roasted Carrots with Carrot Top Pesto

Erica, Shaun, and I went to the farmers market the other day to check out some beautiful, fresh, local, organic produce. I stumbled upon these gorgeous red carrots that were shades of yellow and orange on the inside. They had these massive tops to them and I knew I had to figure out a way to cook them. Throwing away all that nutrition would be blasphemy. I asked the farmer who sold them to me what he did with them and he said he once made a pesto using the tops. It was like music to my ears. I would roast the carrots and top them with a carrot top pesto. It turned out absolutely amazing! Never again will I be throwing away carrot tops.

1 large bunch of carrots with tops
1-2 tablespoons of light olive oil, for roasting
1/4 cup basil
3 tablespoons macadamia nuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup light olive oil, for pesto
Salt and pepper, to taste

Erica and I at the market, it's amazing we didn't melt in the heat.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Wash the carrots and remove the tops, making sure to save them. Cut the carrots into even segments. I left a little bit of the tops on the carrots to make the dish appear more rustic but the tops became brittle in the oven so I suggest just removing the tops completely.

Prepare a baking dish by spraying it with non stick cooking spray. Toss the carrots in the oil set aside for roasting and bake until fork tender, about 25 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the pesto. Add roughly 1 1/2 cups of reserved carrot tops to the food processor along with the basil, macadamia nuts, yeast, garlic- blend. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, continuing to blend until all the ingredients are well incorporated and somewhat sauce-like. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.

Once the carrots are tender, arrange them on a dish and spoon the pesto over top. Serve warm.

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.

Vegetable Lasagna with Lemon Basil Cashew Cheese

Over the past year I've made this a few times for my family since it's easy to throw together, makes a ton of food, and everyone always enjoys it. Not long ago I passed the recipe onto a friend who also had huge success with this lasagna. I finally decided to post it after giving a slice to another one of my good friends, Diego, and received nothing but rave reviews in return.

Lasagna:
1 box of bake-ready lasagna sheets
1 large jar of tomato basil sauce
Olive oil or coconut oil
2 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 large spring onion, bulb and greens (or a regular onion if you don't have a spring onion)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup frozen spinach (or fresh, I happened to have frozen on hand)

Lemon Basil Cashew Cheese:
1 cup raw cashews
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup water, or more as needed
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Cut the zucchini and the yellow squash into thin half moons. Saute in a pan with some olive oil or coconut oil until tender. Set aside in a bowl.

Saute the onion and garlic in some olive oil or coconut oil for 2-3 minutes, until almost translucent and fragrant. Set aside in a seperate bowl from the sqaush.

Saute the spinach until all the water has cooked out, add it to the same bowl as the onion and garlic and stir until the three ingredients are well incorporated.

In a food processor add the ingredients for the cheese and pulse until smooth.

Prepare a casserole dish by spreading 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of the dish, adding your layer of lasagna noodles. Spoon over some squash and sauce, followed by a layer of noodles. Next layer on the cheese and onion-spinach mixture, followed by noodles. Repeat until you're out of ingredients. Top the last layer of noodles with sauce.

Bake for 45 minutes with a cover or tin foil, then remove foil and broil for 2-3 minutes if you like the top noodles a little crunchy. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving. And if you're into nutritional yeast as much as I am you can dust each piece with a little bit of it.

Maple Spiced Roasted Carrots

A friend of mine always brings cinnamon roasted carrots to class and they're always so delish. I added my own spin to these with a little ginger and maple. This dish takes just a couple minutes to throw together and is always well enjoyed.

1 bunch of carrots, peeled and cut into thin rounds
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup 

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with nonstick spray. Melt the coconut oil if it's not already liquid (in South Florida, it's usually always liquid at room temp). In a bowl toss the carrots in the spices, coconut oil, and maple. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the carrots are fork tender, roughly 20 minutes.

Recipe inspired by Olivia Gold

White Bean Curry with Collards and Sweet Potatoes

This is dish warming, hearty, easy to throw together and delicious. It has the perfect combination of protein, greens, starch, and is topped with a fresh avocado mango salsa. I packed away this little container for my friend, Erica, who gobbled it up and then harassed me via text message for more. By her reaction it's safe to say this dish was a hit.

 

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 jalapenos, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon agave
3 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 pound collard greens, deribbed, leaves chopped into bite sized pieces
1 cup coconut milk
1 15 oz BPA free can of white beans (I used northern beans, but whatever you prefer will work)

For the Mango Avocado Salsa:
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 ripe mango, diced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Optional:
Basmati rice, to serve curry over  

In a large stock pot over medium heat saute the onion and jalapeno in coconut oil for 5 minutes, until the onion is slightly browned. Add in the garlic and ginger and saute another 30 seconds. Add in the curry, garam masala, salt, vegetable broth, agave, tomato paste, and stir to combine. Add in the potatoes, cover pot and bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and leave the lid ajar. Simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 4-5 minutes.

In the meantime, toss the avocado, mango, and lime juice in a small bowl, set aside.

Once potatoes are fork tender add the collards, beans, and coconut milk. Stir to incorporate, the greens will shrink down quite a bit so don't worry if they don't all fit at once. Leave lid ajar again and bring back to a simmer. Let simmer just until collards are tender, it should only take a few minutes.

You can serve it over rice or just eat this in a bowl with a spoon. Before serving top with some mango avocado salsa.

Recipe adapted from The Post Punk Kitchen

Quick Lentil Bowl

This is one of my pocket recipes that I always default to when I'm not in the mood to cook. It's hearty, yummy, and easy. Also, it's a very forgiving recipe so you can really make it your own.

1 bundle swiss chard (or other leafy green)
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
Splash of white wine
1 can lentils, rinsed and drained
Bed of baby greens or quinoa to serve it over (I prefer the greens, but the quinoa is great too if you're a fan of it)
A dollop of vegan horseradish sauce made by Follow Your Heart (found at Whole Foods), you can sub it with some some plant based sour cream or unsweetened coconut yogurt for that tang element.

Chop your greens into bite size pieces. In a saute pan over medium heat toss in the greens and cook until wilted, about a minute, then add in your minced garlic cloves and saute for another two minutes. Toss in your tomatoes and a large splash of wine and cook for another three minutes, until the tomatoes have softened. Add in you lentils and saute for one more minute. Spoon mixture over a bed of baby greens or a bed of quinoa.

Makes 2 large portions.

Lentil Mushroom Burger

Sadly my picture for these didn't turn out so well, but the burgers themselves were awesome and easy to make, which is always the most important thing... isn't it?

2 teaspoons chia seeds
3 tablespoons warm water
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
2 cups cooked lentils, drained
1/3 cup old fashioned oats (certified GF if necessary)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon Bragg's liquid aminos (soy sauce or GF tarmari works too)
1 tablespoon tamato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried orgeano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt, to taste
Generous amount of fresh black pepper

Mix the chia seeds and warm water in a small bowl and set aside. Chop the onion finely. Place the mushrooms into the food processor and pulse until they are finely minced. Mince the garlic.

Add the onions to pan with some olive oil over medium heat and saute until they start to brown. Stir in the mushrooms and garlic, cover and cook until the mushrooms soften, about three minutes.

Once the mushrooms have softened add the mixture from the pan into the food processor along with the lentils, chia seed mixture, and remaining ingredients- pulse to combine. The mixture should be sticky, not crumbly. If it seems too wet, add a little more oats.

Scrape the mixture into a bowl and let rest for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F and prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with non stick spray. Shape the burgers into patties, about 3 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick. Bake for 25-30 minutes, they should be firm in the middle but not burning.

Serve on a bun with some yummy toppings like sprouts, tomato, ketchup, mustard, etc.

Recipe by Fat Free Vegan

Roasted Asparagus Soup

The other day our organic co-op delivered us an enormous amount of fresh asparagus. I was at a loss, what could I possibly do with so many? I did a bit of research and asparagus soup seemed to be the way to go. It sounded sort of strange to me, a soup made out of asparagus...? But I rolled with it and oh my it was delicious! It took 30 minutes from start to finish and was beyond good. I mean, this will seriously be a repeat meal in my kitchen.

2 lbs asparagus, ends trimmed
1/2 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
4 heaping tablespoons raw cashews
3 tablespoons nutrional yeast
Lemon juice to taste, I used the juice from half a lemon
Lemon peel, grated- don't skip this! It truly completes the soup.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the asparagus on a sprayed cookie sheet, then lightly mist the asparagus with spray (I use coconut oil spray, but olive oil spray or pam will work). Roast for 10 minutes, then flip the asparagus and top with the diced onion and minced garlic. Roast for another 10 minutes. If you have thin asparagus start with 6 minutes, then add the onions and garlic and roast for another 5.

While the asparagus is roasting blend together the cashews and white pepper with 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth- leave in the blender. When the asparagus are done reserve a few heads for garnish. Add the remaining asparagus, onion, garlic, and broth to the blender (you may need to do this in batches), and blend until completely smooth. Pour soup into a stock pot over medium-low heat and stir in the nutritional yeast. Once the soup is hot stir in the lemon juice, then pour it into bowls and grate the lemon peel over top and add the reserved asparagus heads for garnish. Serve.

Recipe adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Colcannon (aka mashed potatoes and greens)

Must I continue to remind you how much of a carb girl I am? Potatoes? Oh my god yes! I could eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and I still wouldn't be sick of them. These are phenomenal. Colcannon is an Irish dish that is incredibly easy to make and so delicious. I'm guilty of eating a huge bowl of this cold straight from the fridge in the middle of the night. If you've never had this before, it's similar to a mashed potato, except better in my opinion.

2 pounds Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 cup vegetable broth
Salt, to taste
8 ounces kale, stemmed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons plant-based butter or olive oil
1/2 cup plain unsweetened nondairy milk, warmed (I used almond, but soy works too)
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Oil the bottom and edges of the slow cooker, or spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Add in the potatoes, broth, and 3/4-1 teaspoon salt (depending on the saltiness of your broth). Cover and cook on low until the potatoes are soft, afbout 4-5 hours. While your potatoes are cooking, steam the kale until tender, 5-7 minutes, set aside. Once the potatoes are done use a potato masher to mash the potatoes right in the crock pot, use a wooden spoon to stir in the reserved kale, vegan butter, warmed milk, and pepper. Adjust for seasonings and serve.

*You can substitute the kale with chard or spinach

Recipe by Robin Robertson

French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme

After being on vacation for one and a half weeks I was dying to get back in the kitchen. Don't get me wrong, I've eaten some great food while on vacation but there is nothing like a home cooked meal.  Soup was exactly what I needed, something light and healthy, hearty and homey.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
5 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
6 cups vegetable broth or water (I did half and half)
2 cups French green lentils 
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Ground pepper to taste

I divide up leftovers and freeze them, this way I always have something to take for lunch

Heat the oil in a stock pot and saute the onions and carrots for about 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown a little. Add in the garlic, tarragon, thyme, and paprika, saute for 2 more minutes. Add in the tomatoes and a splash of water to deglaze the pot, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the water/broth, lentils, bay leaves, salt, and pepper- cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 45 minutes. If the soup looks too thin, uncover and simmer for a few more minutes, if it looks too thick, add a little more water. Serve with a piece of crusty bread that has been drizzled with olive oil and toasted to perfection!

Recipe from Veganomicon, serves 6-8 portions.

Mushroom Stroganoff

Who can say no to a stroganoff? Clearly I can't. I can't say no to anything that falls into the comfort food category. This is so ridiculously easy, and creamy, and delicious! It can be made with or without gluten just by replacing a few ingredients. I made it GF, because I was accommodating someones diet, and it came out perfect.

12 oz box of egg-free ribbon noodles (I couldn't find any that were egg-free so I used brown rice casarecce pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, diced
16 ounces portabella mushrooms, sliced thick
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups vegetable broth, preferably vegan beef flavored if your health food store carries it
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (whole foods carries it!)
1/4 cup all purpose flour (I used garbanzo bean flour)

1 cup cashew sour cream (to make this you will need 3/4 cup raw cashews, 3/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar)

Cook your pasta and set aside. In a saute pan over medium heat add the olive oil, once hot add the onions and mushrooms. Cook until the onions are translucent and the water from the mushrooms cook out. Add garlic to the pan and saute for another minute. Pour veggie mixture into a bowl and set aside. 

In a blender combine the cashew cream ingredients, blend until smooth. You want it to be the consistency of heavy cream, or slightly thicker. It's not an exact science, you may need to adjust the amount of water, etc. 

In the same pan that you used for the onions and mushrooms add the broth and bring it to a boil. Add salt to taste, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk in the flour and continue to cook until the sauce thickens. Lower the temperature, stir in the mushroom mixture from earlier along with 1 cup of the cashew cream. Serve over the pasta.

Recipe from worldmom12

Celery-Green Apple Juice

The other day I bought a whole head of celery because my split pea soup recipe called for one stalk. Let me be honest here, I'm not the biggest celery fan, but I know how important it is to consume a variety of produce and yes, that includes celery. So I juiced it. And honestly when pairing it with the green apple it's not in the least bit offensive, and quite pleasant actually.

I used a ratio of 2 stalks of celery to 1 green apple. If you're making this for kids I'd do a ratio of 1 stalk celery to 1 green apple and they won't suspect a thing.

Just run these through the juicer. I have the omega masticating juicer and I couldn't recommend it enough. I'm not the biggest fan of centrifugal juicers because the clean up to me is time consuming compared to the masticating juicers. And the quality of juice is poorer, as well as the nutritious properties since centrifugal juicers oxidize juice much more quickly than masticating juicers. Find the juicer that's right for you, whatever that may be, and juice away!

Celery-Green Apple pairing recommended by Anna Bailey

I Can't Believe It's Not Bacon: Split Pea Soup

Yeah, yeah, yeah- my picture of this soup may be subpar... but I can assure you the soup is not! It all started Tuesday when a friend and I traded lunches after class. I brought her some green curry and she brought me some split pea soup. I warned her before taking a bite: I'm not a fan of the split pea... But then something magical happened. Spoon to mouth I instantly fell in love. It was incredible! I kept saying "How?! It tastes like its been cooking for days in bacon fat, it's so meaty and delicious!". This is definitely the soup you make for the carnivores, just don't tell them it's vegan until after they have a bite- they won't believe you! Oh, and it gets better: it's a crock pot recipe!!

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1 medium to large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
7 cups vegetable broth
1 pound split peas, picked through and rinsed 
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon liquid smoke (I used hickory) 

In a pan add the olive oil, once hot add the diced onion, carrot, and celery, saute for five minutes. Add your sauteed veggies to the crock pot along with the remaining ingredients, except for the liquid smoke. Cook on low for 8 hours (turn it on before work and wah-la, dinner awaits when you get home) or cook on high for four hours. Turn off the crock pot and stir in the liquid smoke and salt to taste; serve up!

Makes roughly 8 serves and freezes excellently

Recipe adapted from Fresh From the Vegan Slower Cooker by Robin Robertson

The Perfect Soup

I don't just give that title away, you know. This soup really is everything I could ever want in a soup. It's light, and so flavorful, and slightly sweet, but full-bodied at the same time. Oh. It's perfect.

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

1/4 cup olive oil
1 2-lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 Gala apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped, about 1 cup¾ tsp curry powder
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup apple cider
1 quart vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

In a large stock pot heat your oil over medium heat, then add in the squash, apples, and onion, sauteing for 10-15 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add in your nutmeg, curry powder, and cardamom- saute until your onions start to brown. Then add in the apple cider, bring to a boil and cook for 3 more minutes, add in your vegetable stock, salt and pepper. Once again, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover partially with a lid. Simmer for 35 minutes, then allow to cool before blending it in batches. Return to stove to reheat before serving. Makes 5 large bowls.

Optional croutons: I cut up some slices of multi-grain bread, tossed it in some olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and pepper and stuck it in the oven under the broiler setting until they were crisp.

Recipe adapted from Orangette

Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas

This is one of those quick, throw together recipes- very forgiving and very satisfying. There is something about the freshness of a sugar snap that I just love.

1 bag sugar snap peas, washed and trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Heafty punch of salt
Ground pepper, to taste
Favorite herb blend (I used fresh rosemary and fresh thyme)

In a pan over medium heat add the olive oil, once hot throw in the sugar snaps and saute until crisp-tender, about 4-5 minutes. Throw in your salt, pepper, and herbs and saute another minute; remove from heat and serve.