Cabbage, Pear & Walnut Salad with Creamy French Dressing (Vegan!)

I was skeptical! In the past I have been known to not like things that crunch or are raw or include onions or ... well you get the idea! You guys all know I was a super picky eater, but this was one that I had not overcome yet, but we started doing Raw Wednesdays around our house and so of course I had to try some more new stuff.  This one was a hit!! In fact, Nate's comment was "I think we could actually go 80% raw foods!"  I of course told him I wasn't quite ready for that, but either way we have this one often now on Wednesdays. :)

In a large bowl, combine:
1 Cabbage, thinly sliced & shredded ( I buy it from Trader Joe's already shredded in a bag!)
1/2 Onion, very thinly sliced
5 Celery stalks, cut very thin or chopped
2 Pears, ripe and thinly sliced

In a smaller bowl, combine:
1/2 c. Raw walnuts, chopped
1 Tbsp Nutritional yeast
1 tsp Onion powder
dash of salt & pepper
Add this bowl to the large bowl and mix.

For the dressing, in a mini blender, combine:
1/2 c. EVOO
1/3 c. Apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp Tarragon (or substitute 1 pinch cinnamon, 1 pinch parsley)
1/4 tsp Mustard powder
2 tsp Onion powder
1/2 tsp Paprika
sea salt to taste
1/4 tsp Lemon pepper
2 tsp Maple syrup
1 Tbsp Nutritional yeast

Mix it all together and ENJOY!

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Meatless March Day #20: Taco Salad (Vegan style!)

Taco Salad is one of our favorites! and the favorite meal of our 11 year old too! So, I was a little nervous about doing a meatless version of it, but it turned out very good!  This has a very fresh taste to it from the cilantro, which I love!

I forgot to take a picture, but this is what it looked like!!

 Ingredients 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernals, thawed
4 large tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice (see Tip)
1 15 ounce can black, kidney or pinto beans, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup prepared salsa
2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
2 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled tortilla chips
Lime wedges for garnish

1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese (optional-we did without)

Directions:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and corn; cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

Coarsely chop 1 tomato. Add it to the pan along with cooked rice, beans, chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato cooks down, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Coarsely chop the remaining 3 tomatoes. Combine with cilantro, salsa and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano in a medium bowl.

Toss lettuce in a large bowl with the bean mixture, half the fresh salsa and 2/3 cup cheese if using. Serve sprinkled with tortilla chips and the remaining cheese, passing lime wedges and the remaining fresh salsa at the table.




ENJOY!!


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original recipe from EatingWell

Meatless March Day #18: Black Bean Veggie Burgers

These turned out really good! We topped with salsa and ate with a salad for the side, but anything would be good really.



Black Bean Veggie Burgers 

4 cups black beans (we use dried, but if you canned, it would be about 2 cans)
1 sweet onion diced (we used a food processor)
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 and 1/4 cup frozen organic corn
1 cup milk of choice (I used almond)
1/4 cup whole wheat
1/4 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Dice or food process the onion.  Saute the onions in the oil on medium heat until they are caramelized.  In a food processor, mix the beans and milk until the beans are mostly smooth.  Put the bean mixture, the onions and the remaining ingredients in a bowl to combine.

To finish lightly oil a baking pan, grab a quarter cup of the mixture at a time, flatten in a nice round patty and place on the pan.  Continue until the mixture is gone.  Bake in oven for about 45-60 minutes turning over once about half way through.  They go well with avocado or salsa!

Original recipe from: www.mywholefoodlife.com

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Meatless March Day #15: Easy Healthy Spaghetti

After a couple weeks of trying so many new things...Spaghetti! Yay!

Kind of a crazy week this week and I did not have any sauce previously made from scratch and wasn't up for doing it today.  I have found a good organic and additive free sauce at Trader Joe's that we like, so I got some of that when I went to the store this morning to do the shopping for the week.  I also picked up a pound of mushrooms and some chopped spinach to add.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp veggie broth
2 jars of additive free, organic, spaghetti or marinara sauce (or use my from scratch recipe!)
1/2 lb frozen chopped spinach
1 lb chopped mushrooms (my kids eat them better chopped)
1 onion, chopped
4 oz. whole wheat spaghetti noodles
4 medium zucchini, shredded

Directions:
In a large skillet over medium heat add veggie broth,onion and mushrooms and saute over medium heat until most of the juices from the mushrooms have cooked out. Add spinach and stir for a few minutes. Add sauce and simmer, covered over medium low heat, stirring occasionally.

Cook noodles according to package directions.  Shred zucchini, with a cheese or vegetable shredder and put in a small saute pan with a couple tablespoons of water and cook covered on medium high until it reaches soft desired texture.

I prefer all zucchini, but Nate and the boys like noodles with theirs!

This took such little effort that while it was cooking, I also made another batch of hummus, and boy was Nate happy about that!

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Meatless March Day #13: Mexicali Burritos

We made a new "vegan" Mexicali Burrito recipe Saturday and were SO not impressed, so I am giving you the recipe for how we typically make them, minus the meat & cheese and amp up the veggies, because that is how we will be having them from now on.  Sometimes change doesn't really need to be so drastic! :)

Ingredieants:
1 can refried beans (oil free)
2 cups of frozen corn kernels (organic recommended)
1 cup salsa (homemade or carefully chosen otherwise)
1 small onion
1/2 cup veggie broth (water will also work)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups cooked whole grain brown rice (organic recommended)
whole grain totillas
shredded lettuce
guacamole & hot sauce optional

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the onion in the veggie broth for 5 minutes or until translucent.
2. Add the chilli powder, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne and saute for 1 additional minute.
3. Add beans and corn and cook, stirring until heated and smooth, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in flour and rice and cook another few minutes, until flavors are well blended and mixture has thickened enough to put on your tortilla.
5. Warm tortillas in a pan or the microwave for a few seconds.
6. Spoon mixture onto half of tortilla and top with shredded lettuce, if desired add guacamole, then fold into your burrito.


Note:  I have been using the veggie broth some to saute stuff, in the place of EVOO and it works great!

Meatless March Day #10: Massaged Kale Salad - my favorite salad!

So, Day #10!!  We are surviving very nicely! Who knew?!  Day 10 was a Wednesday and as discussed before that is our on the go day, so we will probably most often have something cold like a salad on that day.  The pizza they serve at church smells so good, but we have set a clear boundary and that is so important for me!  It really makes is a lot easier.  I don't even have to think, maybe just a bite or just 1 piece, because there is a clear boundary there.


Anyway, I packed Nate and I my favorite salad!  Massaged Kale Salad.


Did you know that kale is an  anti-inflammatory, low in calories, full of antioxidants, low in carbs, high in Vitamin K, Calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Potassium, Lutein. Per calorie, Kale has more iron than beef, more calcium than milk and 10% more vitamin C than spinach! 

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 green apple, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar/balsamic vinegar
*optional goat or gorgonzola cheese if you are a dairy eater

Directions:
-De-stem kale by pulling the leaf off of the stem. Wash and dry the kale leaves. Stack leaves, rollup and cut into thin ribbons. Sometimes you can find it already washed and trimmed and skip this step.
-Put kale and salt in a large bowl. Massage salt into kale with your hands for about 2 minutes or until it looks wet and broken down.
-Put kale in a fresh bowl and discard any leftover liquid.
-Stir in onion, cranberries, apple and sunflower seeds.
-Dress with oil and vinegar and toss.
-Add cheese if desired.

But beware this will give you major onion breath! :)

-Nicole

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Meatless March Day#7: Cauliflower Chili

Well, day # 7 was Sunday and typically as a rule of thumb only like to cook one meal per day, but on Sundays sometimes I end up cooking two.  We had amazing cauliflower chili for lunch, which I doubled to freeze for an easy meal later.  Then for dinner, I threw together a green bean, tomato and mushroom type stir fry and we drank Shakeology for breakfast. Our Shakeology is really an important part of this diet change because we want to be sure we are still getting everything we need, like B-12 and protein.

Cauliflower Chili

4-6 servings
This tasty chili recipe is as easy as it gets! It is also a great one to double and freeze half for another meal later!

Ingredients:
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 1 small onion, chopped
· 1 head of cauliflower, chopped to small pieces
· 4-5 tablespoons taco seasoning mix (or one store-bought packet); recipe for making your own taco mix at www.TheYummyLife.com/recipes/76
· 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted recommended) – can also use fresh diced tomatoes and add some salt
· 2 tablespoons tomato paste
· 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans or 1 ½ cups of dry pinto beans fully cooked
· 1 (4 oz) can or fresh diced green chilies
· 1 1/2 cups of veggie broth
· salt to taste

Direction:

Add olive oil to large pot over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until soft.  Add all other ingredients and simmer until the cauliflower is done, about 30 minutes. Add salt to taste.  Note if you are using can chilies they are typically hotter than the fresh ones.

ENJOY!

-Nicole

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