Mushroom Stew
Here is a hearty stew to warm you during the colder months.
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, sliced
- 1 cup celery, sliced
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 lb mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp sage
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce or Tamari
- 1 lb potatoes, cubed
- 1 cup split red lentils, uncooked
- 1 (15 oz can) tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- parsley for garnish (optional
Heat stock pot and add onions, carrot, celery and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook 8 minutes, stirring frequently. No need to add oil as the onion will add moisture. Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, oregano and sage. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add flour, cook and stir for 1 minute. Deglaze with the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Add potatoes, lentils, tomato sauce, broth and bay leaves. Cook to just below boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, and simmer 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves. Makes 6 servings.
Want to make it heartier? Serve with a dollop of mashed potatoes! Comfort food at its best!
Recipe courtesy of Midwest Foodie Blog
roasted acorn squash
I saw a picture of this recipe and I could not wait to try it. I had a Carnival Squash on hand, which is a hybrid of an Acorn Squash and about the same size. It's the one with the creamy skin and stripes and has a nutty and sweet taste when roasted. So, let's make it sweeter and have it for dessert!
The measurements and instructions are for one squash.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash cut side down on parchment paper. You can brush a bit of olive oil on the cut size. Roast about 30-35 minutes until tender. As you can see by the picture, I roasted a little longer. It looks burnt, but it was caramelized. If roasting more than one squash, add to the roasting time. Remove from oven and flip over when cooled a bit.
Melt a heaping tablespoon of a plant-based butter, add a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar, 1-2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, (please don't use the high fructose corn syrup brands!), and a few dashes each of cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix this together and drizzle over the squash halves. Top with some chopped pecans. Roast for another 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
I love making this sauce when red peppers are in abundance, or whenever I have the hankering for it! It is so quick and easy. What makes this sauce creamy is using raw, unsalted cashews. Cashews are a great way to make creamy, non-dairy sauces and creams, The key is to soak them in hot water for at least 2 hours. Soaking overnight is better. I used 1 yellow pepper for this recipe for a substitute. You can skip the cashews for a lower fat, thinner sauce.
Ingredients
3 or 4 large red peppers, sliced in half with seeds removed
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced in half
2-3 fresh tomatoes
Small handful of fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews
1/3 cup vegetable broth
Salt & pepper to taste
Soak cashews in hot water for 1-2 hours or overnight. The longer, the better. Roast the peppers at and garlic at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, or until they start to soften but not burn. You will not be peeling the skin off. Place the peppers, garlic, basil, oregano, tomatoes, drained cashews, salt, pepper, and the broth in a high-speed food processor, Vitamix, or blender. Puree for about 5 minutes until all ingredients are combined and creamy looking. Pour sauce into a sauce pot and simmer while you are cooking 8 oz of your favorite pasta. If you would like a thinner sauce, add more vegetable broth while it is simmering.
Ensalada Azteca
I found this recipe in The China Study Cookbook, by LeAnne Campbell, PhD, and it was perfect for my summer salad series gathering on my back porch, where we enjoy a great conversation about health. I substituted peaches for the mangos, and I used maple syrup instead of agave for the dressing. Delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 -15 ounce cans of beans, drained & rinsed (I used kidney and black beans)
- 2 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 green, red, or orange pepper, diced
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 2 cups frozen corn thawed, or fresh off the cob
- 1/2 cup mangoes (I used fresh peaches from the local farm)
- 1 jalapeno, finely diced (optional)
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I used 1 tablespoon dried cilantro)
DRESSING
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 cup mangoes, diced (I used the peaches)
- 1/4 cup agave (I used maple syrup)
- 1/2 tsp grated ginger (optional)
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Combine beans, rice or quinoa, onion, pepper, tomato, avocado, corn, mangoes or peaches, jalapeno, and cilantro in a large salad bowl.
In a food processor, place the dressing ingredients: vinegar, lime juice, mangoes or peaches, agave or maple syrup, and ginger. Process until smooth.
Pour dressing over the salad, toss gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bean Burger
Batch cooking bean burgers is a great way of having a quick meal from the freezer. Pictured is my burger on a Dave's Killer Bread bun, with lettuce, tomato and mustard. Sometimes I use the Seedtastic bread from Aldi's or a whole wheat pita.
The key to making the burger is getting it to a consistency like ground meat so that it does not fall apart after baking. You can use any type of beans and seasonings that you like. If adding vegetables, which I recommend, use a low water vegetable like kale or broccoli. Spinach or Swiss chard will make it watery. The more veggies you put, the more of a powerhouse of a burger!
Having a food processor for pulsing the beans and vegetables is a bonus and makes the prep quicker and easier.
Ingredients:
2 cans beans drained (I like a combo of pinto, black or garbanzo)
1 bunch kale or broccoli
1 small carton mushrooms (optional)
1 small onion
3-4 cloves of garlic
2 cups cooked rice or quinoa, cooled
1-1/2 cups oat flour, chickpea flour or corn meal (or combo, or sub oatmeal)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Spices: salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric
Instructions:
Pulse beans in food processor or smash with potato masher and place in large bowl. Pulse or chop all vegetables. Add remaining ingredients and knead together with your hands. Start adding the flour until you get a firm consistency. Place bowl in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. This makes your mixture easier to handle. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scoop out mixture using a 1/2 or 2/3 cup measuring cup, depending on how big you want your burger. Form burger and place on a large, parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes, flip burgers over, bake additional 10-15 minutes. Once cooled, individually wrap in wax paper and freeze. This recipe should make around 12 burgers.
