Roasted Cauliflower Spread
Yes. This recipe is technically for a “spread”. You can enjoy it on a sandwich or add a dollop to your favorite protein for extra flavor. BUT as a mama I use this as an add in for pasta! This is one of my go-to ways for adding veggies to my son’s meals. Combine a few tablespoons of this spread with your favorite red or cheese sauce for a flavor and nutritional boost.
*TIP* You can include any other roasted veggies you want! I often add a bit of broccoli or carrots.
Makes about 2 cups
- 1 1/2 cups of cauliflower
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- Salt and pepper to taste (season well)
- Olive oil
- Nut milk or water as needed
Toss your cauliflower and garlic in olive oil, salt, pepper and yeast. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until softened. Set aside to cool.
Once cooled add your cauliflower and garlic to a blender and blend until smooth. If needed, while blending, add nut milk or water (a drizzle at a time) until creamy.
ENJOY!
Creamy Loaded Potato Soup
Nothing says comfort food during the winter like a big bowl of creamy potato soup. I’ve taken a fairly traditional recipe, added some extra veggies, and lightened it up a bit (no heavy cream!). It’s so filling and delicious and perfect with a big salad and/or crusty bread.
The toppings are of course optional but very highly recommended. Feel free to try out dairy-free subs if preferred.
Makes about 4-6 servings
- 5 medium Russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), chopped into cubes (you can peel if you prefer but I actually like to keep the peel on)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1/2 cup of celery, diced
- 1 cup of carrots, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 5 cups of veggie broth
- 2 cups of whole milk
- 1/4 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Salt and pepper to taste (season well)
- Olive oil
Toppings
Lots of scallions, cheddar, and extra bacon
Heat a large pot on the stove over medium heat, and add in your olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add your onion, celery, and carrots. Stir until veggies begin to soften, about 5 or so minutes. Add garlic and stir for another minute.
Next, add in the diced potatoes, veggie broth, milk, thyme, salt, and pepper, making sure to stir everything well.
Lower the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when touched with a fork. Once the potatoes are done use a potato masher (or a blender if you prefer but be careful to not over blend as your potatoes can get gummy) to mash until smooth. The key is that we still want some chunks in the soup while still keeping it creamy. If the soup is too thick, you can add a touch more milk until it’s thinned out to your likeness.Finally, serve up the soup in your favorite bowls and top with your desired garnishes. Enjoy!
Easy Cinnamon Hazelnut Spread
NUTELLA. This is my version of a healthy, homemade Nutella. Tristan LOVES Nutella (like most humans) and I really wanted a healthier version I could make at home. This recipe is inspired by one that I found from Deliciously Ella. I tweaked it a bit and added the cinnamon for the taste and health benefits.
I put this on apples, toast, banana bread, berries, ice cream, you name it! You can also make it a little chunky for some crunch. Think a cacao – hazelnut version of crunchy peanut butter.
Makes about 12 ounces
- 3 cups of hazelnuts
- 2/3 cup of pure maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- Olive or avocado oil spray
- 1 heaping teaspoon of cinnamon
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray your hazelnuts with a little oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle your cinnamon and toss again.
Bake your hazelnuts for about 15 minutes and then allow them to cool. Once cool, add them to a food processor and blend until they’re smooth (or a little chunky if you prefer). Add your maple syrup and cacao and blend again. Depending on consistency you may need to gradually pour a little water to get it nice and smooth and blended. ENJOY!
Cajun Chicken Lasagna
This is an indulgent one friends! Although heavier than most of the recipes I post here, it is easy + great for families. If you have little ones go easy on the cajun seasoning. I also make this vegetarian from time to time by omitting the chicken + sausage, doubling up on the veggies + adding mushrooms. This is 100% my husbands most favorite meal that I make. He requests it every time I ask him what he wants for special dinners like his birthday + Father’s Day. Enjoy!
Makes 6-8 servings
- 1 pound lasagna noodles
- 1 pound andouille sausage, cut in half length-wise then sliced
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 1/2 cup of onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 cup Alfredo sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 8 ounces of mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Grated parmesan for garnish
- S + P to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Add your noodles to a large pan or bowl. Submerge in water to soften. Do not layer the noodles as they may stick. We are NOT going to boil the noodles before. We want a good bite + crispy edges.
In a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat, combine sausage, chicken, + Cajun seasoning. Cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes. Remove meat from skillet with a slotted spoon, + set aside. Add onion, celery, bell pepper + garlic. Saute until tender. Remove from heat. Stir in cooked meat + 1 cup of Alfredo sauce.
Cover the bottom of your lasagna pan with a little Alfredo sauce. Top with 4 lasagna noodles. Spread with 1/2 of the meat mixture. Repeat layers, and cover with a layer of noodles. Spread remaining Alfredo sauce over top. Top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 or so minutes until the cheese is bubbly + the edges are crispy. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Top with parmesan before enjoying.
Creamy Lemon Pasta
This recipe is just so perfect. It has just the right amount of richness but with the freshness of lemon to make this dish well-balanced + a great summer meal. Bonus: It takes less than 20 minutes to throw together.
Makes 4-6 servings
- 1 pound of linguine cooked al dente
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
- 1/2 cup of onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon of garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup of grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (you can also just use extra parm)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water
- S + P to taste
Toss noodles with the fresh lemon juice + a little oil (to keep from sticking). Set aside. Heat your olive oil in a non-stick pan to medium heat. Add lemon zest, onion, garlic. Cook until softened, 2-3 minutes. Slowly whisk in your cream. Add parm + nutritional yeast and reduce heat. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add noodles. Toss until combined. As needed, add reserved pasta water until you have your deserved consistency. Season very well with salt + pepper. Enjoy immediately.
Enoki Mushroom Noodles
I love the idea of veggie noodles. These are one of my favorite ways to make them as a hardcore mushroom lover. They really have a noodle-like consistency. I like adding carrots + onion, but feel free to throw in any veggies (or protein!) of your choice. I top mine off with a slightly runny egg. It’s perfection.
Makes 1 large serving
- 3.5 ounce package of enoki mushrooms
- 1/2 a small carrot, peeled like noodles
- 1/4 of a small onion, very thinly sliced (again like noodles)
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
- 1-2 (to taste) Tablespoons of coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
- S + P to taste
- Egg of preferred cooking method – for this dish I like over easy or poached
Trim the mushrooms + pull them apart into single pieces. If you’ve never had enoki mushrooms you’ll see what I’m talking about. They usually have a base you trim off like celery. Give them a wash. Add your oil to a non-stick pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots + onion first to start to cook them down. About 1 minute or 2, then add your mushrooms. Add the coconut aminos (or soy), give it a mix + cook for another minute or so until everything has softened. Sprinkle with salt +/or pepper to taste add your egg + enjoy!
One Bowl Chocolate Chip Zucchini-Banana Bread
We always have bananas in our house but like most toddlers, Tristan will not touch a really ripe one. Enter me making lots of banana based snacks + desserts. This is a staple for us when zucchini starts to come into season. I use coconut oil + sugar to “healthy” it up a bit. In this recipe, I do use egg but if you’re vegan you can give a good flax egg a try (but please note I have not personally tested without a real egg).
This bread will keep a few days out then best put in the refrigerator + toasted. I love serving it with butter, hazelnut spreads or cream cheese. Yum.
Makes 1 standard loaf (I use a bread pan)
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 small zucchini, grated (about a cup)
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips, divided into 1/2 + 1/4 cups
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8″x5″ (or similar size) loaf pan with oil + set aside. In a large bowl mash bananas until smooth. Stir in the melted coconut oil until smooth. Add coconut sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, salt + flour + stir until the batter is combined. Fold in the grated zucchini + 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Pour/scoop the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with the remaining chocolate chips.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Slice + enjoy!
4-Ingredient (Vegan) Watermelon Ice Cream
This is one of my favorite desserts to make for Tristan. He LOVES it. It’s perfect for summer and SO easy as you only need a blender. No ice cream maker needed. It’s vegan and oh so clean using only 4 natural ingredients.
A few notes…this is best enjoyed immediately or with in a day or so. If it sits in the freezer for longer than about two days it can get icy so be sure to put it out about an hour or so before you serve. Or just enjoy as more of an iced dessert. Another amazing option is to make these into popsicles using molds. I very highly recommend this option as well!
Makes about 1 quart of ice cream
- 1 ripe banana
- 3 cups of frozen watermelon, cubed
- 3/4 cup of canned full fat coconut milk
- Tablespoon organic maple syrup (this is optional but I recommend it for extra sweetness and creaminess… the sugars help with this)
Blend all of the ingredients above in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately! You can also freeze in popsicle molds or pint/quart containers. As another fun option I’m looking forward to exploring, you can sub the watermelon for any fruit. Tristan has requested blueberry + lime…😆
Go-To Green Juice
I drink a green juice almost every morning. It’s such a perfect way to get your greens in first thing. It’s hydrating, cleansing, + nourishing to our bodies. You’ll need a juicer of course. I use a Hurom + love it. Small, compact, + easy to clean but use what you have. You can also use this as a base and mix it up! I love incorporating random veggies depending on what’s in season or what I have in my fridge. I always use apple to help sweeten it up especially when I’m sharing with my three year old. A few good additional add ins: beets, kale, lime, + spinach! I use organic produce most of the time but again, do want you gotta do based on what you have available.
Makes about 36 ounces of juice
- 1 whole bunch of celery, trimmed + washed
- 1 large cucumber
- 2 small apples (or 1 large)
- 1 lemon, peeled
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled (*optional)
Cut the produce into smaller pieces so it fits through your juicer. Juice away! I make a batch like this + store in a mason jar to last me 2-3 days.
Healthy-ish Dark Chocolate Brownies
I’m not the biggest sweets person…but I LOVE a good brownie. These aren’t something I would recommend eating every single day but they are a healthier option for all of you chocolate lovers out there. These are also perfect for whipping up with your kiddos on the weekends. I subbed in oat flour, coconut sugar, dark chocolate + cacao for a superfood boost + healthy-ish version of this indulgent treat. The flax egg is of course optional.
Makes about 10 – 12 brownies
- 160 grams of oat flour
- 1 cup unsalted organic butter, 2 sticks
- 1 cups dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal w/ 3 tablespoons of water) OR 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup cacao powder
- Nonstick cooking spray or oil, for greasing
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Add the butter + dark chocolate chips to a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for a minute or two until melted, then let sit for 3 minutes before whisking together. Add coconut + brown sugars, vanilla, + salt. Whisk to combine. Whisk in flax eggs (or eggs) until fully combined. *Be sure to let the flax egg sit for at least 15 minutes before adding to the batter otherwise your brownies will be crumbly.
Add flour + cacao powder into the bowl + fold in with a spatula. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan (or pan of similar size) + spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for about 40 minutes (the brownies may still look loose until cooled). Let cool completely before cutting.
Enjoy!
