Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Potato & Leek Soup

Fall is my favorite time of year for soups. Whether it's a busy day doing fall clean-up in the yard on Saturday or a Sunday football game, I like to have a soup ready to go for the day whenever we decide to eat. Some weekends it seems like an open house. We may not know if if or how many people may stop over and say, 'Hi' so it's great to have food there for the taking. If no one comes over, we have great leftovers for the week. I seriously can't go wrong!

Potato & Leek Soup is one of my favorites. I absolutely love the taste of sautéd leeks and a creamy potato base is the perfect vehicle to scoop them up! This soup has been a go-to for a couple years now because it's really simple and the flavors of the vegetables are not overpowered by different spices ... it's all veggie fresh!


Vegan Potato & Leek Soup

Potato & Leek Soup


6 c russet potatoes, chopped into ½-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, cut in half moons
3 cups of vegetable broth
2 1/2 c leeks, cut in half moons
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded (Daiya Vegan Cheese works best for melting)
1/4 c parsley, chopped
½ tsp dried dill
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 t pepper


Toppings:

  • corn
  • grated cheddar cheese
  • zesty red pepper flakes
  • chopped green onion
  • Your favorite fakin' bacon

Vegan Potato & Leek Soup

In a large pot, put in your veggie broth, carrots and potatoes. Keep covered on a steady medium heat until the veggies are tender.

Meanwhile, sauté your garlic and leeks in a little oil. Once they have begun to caramelize take them off and set aside.

Once potatoes and carrots are soft, pureé them using a immersion blender. Next, add in cheese, spices and leeks and mix with a large spoon. Adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Serve right away or keep warm in a crock pot until you're ready.

Serve with your desired toppings.

Vegan Potato & Leek Soup

Monday, October 27, 2014

Nutty Macaroni and Cheese Burgers + Annie's Homegrown Giveaway

Recently, the great people of  Team Annie's over at Annie's Homegrown sent me an amazing package filled with boxes of mac 'n cheese, cheddar snack mixes, a reusable Chico grocery bag, a wooden spork and other great goodies. I was thrilled opening it up, but once the kids caught sight of it, I couldn't even hear my own thoughts over the chanting of, "Bunnies! Bunnies! Bunnies!" Annie's Snack Mix Bunnies are a big treat in our house and seeing two whole boxes sent the kids overboard!

Very rarely do we have leftover Annie's macaroni and cheese, but occasionally there's a cup still in the pot. I will usually use it as a substitute for breadcrumbs and make burgers with it. I wanted to go a little further and try a true macaroni and cheese burger. I used my Walnut Burger recipe as my guide. I replaced all of the breadcrumbs and cheese with macaroni. I knew the kids were going to go crazy over the idea of an Annie's macaroni and cheese burger, so I threw in some spinach so they would get their greens too, without even knowing it. The burger was a hit and it stayed together really well, which as we know, many vegetarian burgers have a hard time doing!



This really got my wheels turning, so I grabbed a box of Annie's Gluten Free Macaroni to see if the burger would still hold together. Not only did they stay together, but the ooey gooey cheesy goodness rained though! Thank you Annie's for the goodies to keep my cooking wheels turnin'!

I topped the burgers with a little tomato and kale for the kids, but I added some of Annie's dijon mustard to mine ... mmm mmm mmm.



Anyone interested in taking home their own goodie box filled with yummy Annie's Homegrown  food, products and coupons? Yup, That's what I thought! Just leave a comment below and log in to the Annie's Homegrown Giveaway to confirm your comment.

Have you used Annie’s products before? How do you incorporate them into your meals?



Nutty Macaroni and Cheese Burgers

Makes 4

1 c walnuts, toasted
1 box Annie's Mac & Cheese, divided (use your favorite flavor, original, white cheddar or even gluten free!)
1 T butter
1/2 10 oz box of spinach
1 egg
1/4 c onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t dill
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper


Make the box of Annie's Mac & Cheese but instead of using milk and butter, simply use 1 tablespoons of butter. This will make for a thicker almost gooey sauce.

In a food processor, mix walnuts, 1 1/2 cups mac & cheese, spinach. You want the walnuts to be broken down and everything to be thoroughly mixed.

Then, in a mixing bowl, mix your nutty spinach and mac & cheese mixture with egg, onion, garlic, spices and 1/2 c of the remaining mac & cheese.



Divide into 4 equal patties and lay them on a baking sheet. Bake at 375º for 15 minutes, flip and bake for another 5.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks Team Annie's! And don't forget to check out all of Annie’s Homegrown products at http://www.annies.com/.

#spon: I'm required to disclose a relationship between my blog and Annie's Homegrown. This could include Annie's providing me w/ content, product, access or other forms of payment.




Friday, October 24, 2014

Creamy Romanesco Dip

Romanesco is a true mystery ... it's half broccoli and half cauliflower but in my opinion it's better than both because it's the perfect combination! So, why are broccoli and cauliflower sold in stores and not Romanesco? It's pointy starburst florets make it just as fun to look at as it is to eat!


Creamy Romanesco Dip

Romanesco may be one of the sole purposes that I sign up for a CSA, okay, that's a lie, but I look forward to this time of year when we get it in our baskets. It's great steamed with just a touch of olive oil, salt and pepper, but of course, my favorite way is to smash the heck out of it and use it as a dip!

Creamy Romanesco Dip

Lately, we've been rushing outside after naps in order to get ever bit of nice weather we can before it starts getting colder.Plus, since it's starting to get light out earlier we don't have as much time after dinner to play. Because of this mad rush, the kids have been skipping an afternoon snack and either eating dinner a touch earlier or I make an appetizer for us all to share before dinner. Let me tell you, we downed almost the entire bowl of dip and what we didn't finish with our carrots and crackers we used as a topping on our burgers that night.


Vegan Creamy Romanesco Dip

Makes 1 1/2 cups

1 head romanesco
5 T vegan cream cheese
1/4 c vegenaise
2 garlic cloves
1 T lemon juice
2 T parsley
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper


Cut the florets of the romanesco off and steam them for about 10 minutes until they are good and tender. Put them into your food processor with the rest of the ingredients and puree until you have a smooth texture.

I like it right away when it's still a little warm, but it's great cold too. Serve it with cut veggies, crackers, use it as a topping or I've even added olive oil to it and used it as a dressing ... all truly delicious!

Creamy Romanesco Dip

Creamy Romanesco Dip

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Acorn Alfredo Pasta: Best Use of Acorn Squash So Far!

Vegan Acorn Squash Alfredo Pasta
Is anyone surprised ... I needed a quick dinner! I decided to make Vegan Mac & Cheese but I soon realized that I didn't have any tofu. Thinking fast, I decided to use a sweet potato ... scratch that, I didn't have one of those either. Aha! I can use my acorn squash! Now we're moving.

Looking at my recipe, I couldn't do an exact substitute so I began adding and subtracting different ingredients. Once I was done and I tasted it, I realized it didn't have that Mac & Cheese flavor but more of an alfredo sauce. Fine by me! It was luckily still a big hit in the family too so I knew I could make it again.

The next time I made it, I was able to get the flavor even closer to a real deal alfredo. It still amazes me that there is no dairy in it! Since Paul can't do cream sauces, it's been years since he's had an alfredo sauce and this is one that I was proud to give to him as a replacement.

I didn't have acorn squash for the pictures so I used carnival squash which is equally as good. It has the same sweet mellow squash flavor that acorn does.


Acorn Alfredo Pasta

Serves 4
Makes 3 cups of sauce

1 acorn squash, about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of mash
1 c onion, diced
1 c veggie broth
3 cloves of garlic
1/3 c nutritional yeast
1/4 c parsley
1/2 c cashews, soaked for 3 hours
1 T lemon juice
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

12 oz pasta
1 c toasted walnuts (optional)


Cut acorn squash in half and remove the seeds. Make slices in the squash with a knife and lay face down in a pan filled with 1/2 in of water. Roast them at 375º for 40-45 minutes.

Cook pasta according to directions.

In a pot, add veggie broth, onion and garlic and bring to boil. Then, turn off heat and add in nutritional yeast, parsley, cashews, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Once the squash has is out of the oven, scoop out the insides and add that to the pot as well. Using your immersion blender, (or a high speed blender if you don't have one) puree all the ingredients together.


Vegan Acorn Alfredo Pasta

Mix your sauce and pasta together and serve. Top with walnuts.

Vegan Acorn Squash Alfredo Pasta

Vegan Acorn Squash Alfredo


Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Pumpkin Energy Bites

Every road trip that we take, I always have snacks ready to make the trip go as smoothly as possible. For awhile, it felt like we were in the car for a trip every other weekend and for the past month in a half we have stayed local. It's a nice change because there's a lot of work around the house that was being put on the back burner, but I found myself missing my road trip snacks.

One of my favorite road trippin' snacks are energy bites. With our next road trip not until Thanksgiving, I decided to make a batch so I wouldn't go in complete withdrawal! I don't know if I had to change the recipe because we weren't actually road trippin' or if it was because I wanted some pumpkin, but adding the pumpkin was a great change.


Pumpkin Energy Bites

These are great little bite size snacks that I should have around the house at all times so I grab them instead of other salty snacks that I usually gravitate towards. The kids pick them up two at a time as well. Plus, dates are great to have every day. They will curb your sweet tooth, but most importantly, they are easily digested and help metabolize proteins, carbs and fats so your body can quickly benefit from all their wonderful vitamins and minerals ... and there's a lot of them!


Pumpkin Energy Bites


Pumpkin Energy Bites

Makes 15-20

15 dates, pitted
1/2 c walnuts
1/2 c pecans
1/2 c pumpkin puree
2 T chia seeds or hemp seeds
1 T maple syrup
1 t cinnamon
1/2 c coconut, unsweetened**


Mix all ingredients except for the coconut in your food processor. Refrigerate the mixture for 1-2 hours. 


Then form them into 1 inch balls and roll them in coconut.

Pumpkin Energy Bites

**If you're not a coconut fan, use a mixture of cinnamon and cocoa powder ... equally delicious!

Pumpkin Energy Bites

Pumpkin Energy Bites

Friday, October 17, 2014

Stay Healthy With Honey

Stay Healthy With HoneyI live in Wisconsin and let's face it, brandy cures everything! Rub a little on sore gums, drink a bit to help a stomach ache or a cough and sore throat ... the list goes on. While this may help, most of the time it's just plain luck. While I do still like to use brandy as a cure, lemons and most of all honey are my go-to cure alls.

Honey has been used since the ancient times for medicinal uses both externally and internally. A wonderful benefit to honey, as opposed to antibiotics, is that it doesn't give you a resistance to bacteria so you don't develop 'super bugs' that many people get once they have been exposed to an antibiotic repeatedly. Honey can protect against damage caused by bacteria. It also has an inflammatory which can help reduce pain. Just like anything else, not all honey is created equal. Some honey can be 100 limes more potent than others!

Raw Honey: There is a lot of honey out there, so what's the difference? I like using raw honey. Other honeys (the little honey bear in the grocery store) are pasteurized at a very high heat which kills off a lot of it's natural enzymes and minerals that make honey the awesome home remedy that it is. However, some large brand 'raw' honey still go though a process to be able to be sold in stores so it's best to find a local brand at your health food store or find your neighborhood beekeeper to ensure it's really a raw honey.

Manuka Honey comes from New Zealand bees. I was recently introduced to this honey from one of Paul's coworkers. He and his family swear by it to help with common colds to even curing a foot rash that he had in which nothing else seemed to work. I had to do my research and see what all the fuss was about and I quickly learned that it was worth purchasing. Manuka flowers have more concentrated methylglyoxal in them than other flowers. Methylglyoxal gives manuka honey a higher antibacterial quality.There is a UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) rating on every jar. Depending on the honey type and style is the antibacterial quality. When using Manuka honey for it's healing qualities, go for the +20 is you can. There is a lot of research out there and being done so studies aren't completely clear but all signs seem to show that it is an extremely powerful honey. It has been used to help treat diabetes, eye, ear, and sinus infections, gastrointestinal issues and even cancer!  It appears to be quite the magical honey that has been used for ages for its healing properties.

*Do use honey with caution, it is a powerful natural remedy. It is said that honey should not be consumed by infants, some studies show until the age of 1 and others the age of 2.


Stay Healthy With Honey

6 Honey Helpers


1. Common Cold: Honey helps suppress a coughs. Help soothe a sore throat by gargling honey water or mix your honey with lemon to help relieve a cough.

2. Soothes Burns & Heals Wounds: Honey absorbs moisture from the air and helps get that right to your sore spot. It is also antibacterial which helps you fight off infections. Manuka honey has the most antibacterial properties so for wound care, use Manuka honey.

3. Fight Allergies: Your local honey will help sensitize you to the pollen in your area. Having a little everyday can help relieve hay fever and its symptoms.

4. Fight Fatigue: Add some honey to a warm glass of milk or chamomile tea before bed to get a few extra zzzzzz's.

5. For Your Face & Hair: Honey is a great moisturizer. Add a little to your shampoo or rub some on your face for a refreshing mask.

6. Boost Your Immune System: It's antiviral and antibacterial ... A little a day can help keep the doctor away!

It's time to get a jar of honey out of the pantry and into your first aid kit!


Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Curried Chickpea Salad

I know I've said this before, but why don't I make curry dishes more often? It must be those kids of mine, as they loved curry in their baby food, right now, they're still not the biggest fans of it, so I end up making them a separate meal (which I never like doing, simply out of principal ... and yes, I do put curry in their baby food).

Since I was having my curry craving and I knew I would be spending time making a separate meal, I decided my curry one had to be a quick one. I went super quick with this one ... one dish, no cooking and done in 10 minutes. You simply chop and mix. Plus, since my kids love chickpeas, they got plain chickpeas on their plates. Everyone was happy and cooking these two meals was faster than when I usually make one. Okay, so I'm really going to have to make this curry dish more often.


Curried Chickpea Salad

Another great feature for my family ... Since just Paul and I ate it for dinner there was plenty leftover for lunches the next day. We did sandwiches for supper and salads for lunches. I would even like it as an appetizer on crackers. It's the meal that keeps on giving. Can't they all be like this?!


Curried Chickpea Salad

Makes 4 cups

2 cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 c vegenaise
1/3 c red onion, diced
1/3 c celery, diced
1/3 c almonds, sliced
1/4 c radishes, diced
1/4 c cilantro or parsley, chopped
1 T lemon juice
1 T curry powder
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper



Curried Chickpea Salad

Smash chickpeas with a potato masher. Mix curry, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a dish then mix in remaining ingredients. Adjust salt and pepper to your liking.

Curried Chickpea SaladCurried Chickpea Salad

Curried Chickpea Salad

Serve it on a bed of greens, with your favorite bread (sourdough ... mmmmm) or just grab a spoon and dig in!

Curried Chickpea Salad
I served it on toasted sourdough with a little julienned savoy cabbage ...YUM

Monday, October 13, 2014

Roasted Garlic, Acorn Squash & Mushroom Enchiladas

Acorn Squash is my favorite squash. I do enjoy other squashes, but the flavor of acorn squash has a special place in my heart. I can't really pinpoint what my reason os for this love, but you'll just have to make more acorn squash and find out yourself! Maybe it's the seeds ... whenever I make acorn squash, I always rinse, dry and roast the seeds in a little garlic, chili powder and salt. They are amazing!

Since Mexican is one of my favorite styles of cooking, it's only appropriate that I would have an acorn squash mexican meal ... and I make it all the time in fall! Luckily, the rest of the family humors me and they enjoy eating it all the time too (or at least they don't complain about it!)

Roasted Garlic, Acorn Squash & Mushroom Enchiladas

Don't forget to save your seeds!


Roasted Garlic, Acorn Squash & Mushroom Enchiladas

Makes 8

1 acorn squash
1 head of garlic
8 oz portobella mushrooms
1 small red onion
1 jalapeno
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

6 pieces Kale
2 c monterey jack cheese,shredded, divided (optional)
8 10 inch tortillas
2 cups Salsa Verde (Tomatillo Salsa)


Cut acorn squash in half and remove the seeds. Make slices in the squash with a knife and lay face down in a pan filled with 1/2 in of water. Roast them at 375º for 40-45 minutes. Roast your garlic at the same time with a little olive oil and wrapped in tin foil.

Roasted Garlic, Acorn Squash & Mushroom Enchiladas

In a pan, saute onion, mushrooms, jalapeno until juices are gone and mushrooms have started to caramelizze.

Scoop out the acorn squash and garlic once it's cooled and mix it so that there are no chunks. Add onion and mushrooms to acorn squash and garlic.

Next, it's time to assemble. On each tortilla, divide your kale, then 1 cup of your monterey jack cheese. Top with acorn squash mixture and roll up the tortillas. Put 1/2 cup of sauce in a sprayed baking dish then then line-up your enchiladas next to each other.

Roasted Garlic, Acorn Squash & Mushroom Enchiladas

Roasted Garlic, Acorn Squash & Mushroom Enchiladas

Top with tomatillo sauce and remaining cheese. Bake at 375º for 20 minutes or until cheese on top is getting bubbly.

Roasted Garlic, Acorn Squash & Mushroom Enchiladas

When I will make these ahead of time, before baking I put them covered n the fridge. Since the acorn squash mixture cools down, I will bake them for up to 30 minutes.

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Tomatillo SalsaI don't know why I don't grow tomatillos but we are lucky enough that one of Paul's friends from work does and every year he gives us a few. I always look forward to that time of year because that's when I make tomatillo salsa. I know I can buy them at the store, but it's just another mystery why I never do. It makes this salsa even more special!

This salsa truly is a work of garden magic. I had jalapenos and cilantro from my garden, onions and garlic from our CSA ... okay so I did have to buy the lime but that's minor! A perfect garden fresh salsa!

I used some on my Acorn Squash Enchiladas for even more garden magic!


Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Makes 2.5 cups

1 1/2 lb tomatillos
1 small onion
1 jalapeno
2 cloves garlic
1/4 c cilantro
juice from 1/2 lime
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper


Roast tomatillos, onion, jalapeno and garlic at 375 for 30 minutes. Put them in a food processor, adding in the cilantro, lime, salt and pepper and puree. Cool.

Tomatillo Salsa

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Beet & Apple Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting

I know what you're thinking, but I'm not crazy! If you've read through my blog in the past, you will know that I love beets and apples together. There are a lot of recipes for beet cupcakes out there and most of them include chocolate, but we just had Green Machine Brownies last week so I figured the kids had enough chocolate (I'm sure they would tell you differently)!

First off, I'm not a very good baker. I had to really wing these to I could get the beet and apple in them. I figured the flavor would be pretty good when I was done but the either the consistency would be really dense, they would fall in the middle or they wouldn't be sweet enough. It was a lucky Monday for me because they turned out on my first try! They were a bit gooey and didn't rise to be a big cupcake, but I enjoyed them. It was more of a mini-cupcake than a great big one


Beet & Apple Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting

As always, the apple and the beet complimented each other perfectly and the bright lemon frosting was the perfect touch. No need for chocolate in these cupcakes! The beet that I used was a white/pink beet so they aren't as  vibrant red as they would be with a normal red beet, but with my CSA beets running out and this being my new favorite cupcake of the season, I'm sure I'll be using a red beet soon.

Maybe I'm turning into a baker after all ... Nah, but I love to try!


Beet & Apple Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting

Makes 12 cupcakes

1 beet (about 1 pound)
1/2 c almond milk
1/2 c applesauce
1/2 c maple syrup (or honey)
2 T coconut oil
1 T lemon juice
1 c AP flour
1 t cardamon*
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt


*If you don't have cardamon, you could use cinnamon, but you should really stock cardamon in your spice cabinet!

Lemon Frosting
6 oz vegan cream cheese
1/4 c maple syrup (or honey)
1 T lemon juice
1 t lemon zest

Preheat oven at 375º.

Peel and dice the beet. Bake for 30 minutes or until very tender. Roasting the beet helps release it's natural sugars!


Beet & Apple Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting

Meanwhile, mix remaining cupcake ingredients in a bowl. Once the beet is tender, puree it in your food processor then add it to your cupcake mixture.

Fill cupcake pan 3/4 way full with mix. Bake at 375º for 20-25 minutes or until a knife can slide in and out of the cupcake without any residue.


Beet & Apple Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting

While you are waiting for the cupcakes to cool, whip your lemon frosting. Once cupcakes are completely cool, top them with the frosting. I like to use a little extra lemon zest to sprinkle on top of the frosting ... it just looks pretty!

Beet & Apple Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Immunity Juice: Build Your Immune System Now!

Immunity Juice: Build Your Immune System Now! It's getting to be that time of year ... every where I turn there seems to be a  runny nose or coughing. No matter what you do, it's hard to avoid it. The best thing we can do it try to boost our immune systems avoiding it completely or at least making the cold not as severe. This is a great juice for building your immune system!

Carrots: Carrots are high in Vitamin A and C and of course beta carotene. Beta carotene helps support your body's mucus membrane which lines the respiratory system, helping fight off icky bacteria.

Oranges: People always tell me to drink orange juice when I have a cold however, it's best before a cold. You need to boost your immune system before it is compromised. I'm not saying stay away from OJ when you're sick, but don't forget about all that good Vitamin C when you're healthy too!

Apples: An apple a day ... yup, it's true. New studies show that apples' soluble fiber can help boost your immune system. I'll take an apple over a doctor bill any day!

Lemon: Lemons are simply amazing. I eat them, drink them, clean with them ... they are so diverse. Luckily, my house is always stocked with fresh lemons so I am squeezing lemon juice into everything. They are filled with antioxidants and Vitamin C making your body less susceptible to sickness. Thank you again, mighty lemon!

Ginger: I've always loved ginger because it can calm an upset stomach but it also good for when a cold is coming on or has already hit. It is soothing and can even help clear up phlegm.

Parsley: I've recently been told that parsley is the original and still is best super food. It's an antioxident and has more Vitamin C than an orange. Don't overlook this herb or just use it as decoration on your plate, but start adding it to more of your juices and meals!

Cinnamon: Cinnamon does more that boost your immune system. It's antiviral antifungal and antibacterial which means it's anti- cold and flu season!


Immunity Juice

Makes 4 cups

1 lb. carrots
2 oranges, peeled
1 apple
juice from half lemon
1/2 in. ginger
4 sprigs of parsley
1 t cinnamon
1 cup ice


Put all ingredients into your blender and mix until it is smooth. Add more ice if needed.

Immunity Juice: Build Your Immune System Now!