Roasted Acorn Squash with Tahini and Chickpeas

Recipe Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Squash and Chickpeas:

• 1 acorn squash
• 1 small, yellow onion
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp. dried
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (optional)
• olive oil

Sauce:

• 2-3 Tbs. tahini
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 clove garlic
• Water to thin
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and rub the inside with a drizzle of olive oil. Place the two halves face down on a baking sheet, and cook in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until a fork easily pokes through the skin.
2. While the squash is roasting, thinly slice the onion and slowly caramelize in a pan over medium-low heat. Add about a tsp. of olive oil to the pan.
3. Once the onions become translucent and limp, add the drained chickpeas, rosemary, and garlic. Raise the heat to medium and cook until the chickpeas look slightly browned and toasted.
4. While the onions and chickpeas are cooking, put all of the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. I added about 2 Tbs. of water at first, and kept adding a little at a time until the sauce was a consistency that I liked. It should be thin enough to easily drizzle over the squash.
5. Once the squash is done and cooled slightly, cut into quarters. Top each quarter with the chickpea mixture, some pumpkin seeds, and a drizzle of the sauce. I added some arugula as well. Enjoy this as a main dish or side!

COconut cashew energy balls

Do you ever find yourself craving something sweet during the day? I think the answer for most people is YES. Unfortunately, a lot of us, including me, have a definite sweet tooth. The only problem is that our bodies really don't need sugar (especially processed sugar), and would be much better off without it. I am a firm believer in eating sweet things in moderation, but it's so easy to want sugar more than we should probably be eating it. As a way to curb some of my sugar cravings, I came up with these coconut cashew energy balls. They have a way of feeling sweet and satisfying, without really containing much sugar at all. Also, they are full of healthy fats to keep you satisfied for a long time. I added a little bit of maple syrup for flavor and slight sweetness, but they could do just as well without it. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup toasted coconut flakes, or shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 2 Tbs. coconut oil
• 1 Tbs. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor, and blend until well combined.
2. Roll into bite size balls and place in the fridge.

Butternut Squash Yum Bowl

Sweet butternut squash and carmelized onions with a tangy coconut lime sauce, garlic-roasted chickpeas, and quinoa. This dish is seriously the perfect combination of flavor, texture, and nutrition. 

My husband has decided to not eat meat for a couple weeks, and i've decided to do it with him. I don't think that meat is bad (although I do believe it should be eaten in moderation), but I'm just trying something different that forces me to get more creative with cooking plant-based meals. To tell you the truth, I've been way more in love with the flavors in some of my plant-based meals than those with meat! This one in particular has been a family favorite.

INgredients:

• 1 butternut squash (or bag of organic, pre-chopped butternut squash from trader joe's!)

• 1 onion

• 1 can chickpeas

• 1 cup quinoa, dry

• 1 tsp. garlic

• arugula

• pumpkin seeds (totally optional; other seeds or chopped nuts would also taste great)

• cilantro (also optional)

For the Sauce:

• 1/2 can coconut milk

• Juice of 1 lime

• 1/2 tsp. turmeric

• 1/4 tsp. ginger

• 1/2 avocado

• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Chop the butternut squash into small 1/2-inch cubes. Place on a large baking sheet with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes, or until soft.

2. While the squash is roasting in the oven, chop the onion and begin cooking the quinoa on the stove. Sauté the onion over medium heat. Once the onions become slightly translucent, add the chickpeas and garlic. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

3. To make the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

4. Place the squash, onions, chickpeas, arugula, and pumpkin seeds on a bed of quinoa. Drizzle the sauce over the top and enjoy!

GF Lemon Garlic Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 package organic brown rice and quinoa pasta (from Trader Joe's)
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 package mushrooms
• 1 red onion
• Large handful chopped kale
• Large handful basil leaves, chopped into smaller pieces
• 1 Tbs. minced garlic
• 4 Tbs. butter
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Chop the cauliflower into bite size pieces. Place on a pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until soft.
2. While the cauliflower is roasting, boil water for spaghetti noodles. Cook according to package instructions.
3. Thinly slice the onion and the mushrooms. Sauté the onions in a little bit of olive oil over medium heat until soft, add the mushrooms and the kale. Continue to cook until the mushrooms and kale are soft as well.
4. In a large pan (or the pot you cooked the noodles in), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and basil and let simmer until slightly browned. Turn on low heat and add the lemon juice. Add the noodles, cauliflower, onion, mushrooms, and kale to the sauce. Stir until everything is coated. 
5. Top with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and grated parmesan (or goat cheese). Add chicken or sausage if you'd like!

Creamy Pesto Zucchini Noodles (Vegetarian)

I wanted to find a way to make a satisfying, creamy pasta sauce without actually using cream. What I came up with? Coconut milk, avocado, and pesto sauce. YUM. It tastes so fresh and light, but at the same time very filling. 

You'll need a spiralizer for this recipe. If you don't have one, please get one. You can make noodles out of so many things! Try sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots, and more. It's such a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your meals. Any pasta dish that you loved before you can now make with vegetable noodles, and they actually taste amazing. Here's the small, easily stored spiralizer that I have. I'll be posting a lot more spiralized vegetable recipes in the future!

This recipe can be made vegan if you use the right type of pesto and don't put parmesan on top. If you want more substance/protein, it would also taste delicious with organic chicken or grilled salmon. One of the best parts about it is that it can be easily adjusted to fit into pretty much anyone's diet.

Recipe:

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2-3 medium zucchini
• 1 bunch baby broccoli
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 tomatoes
• large handful of fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
• 1 avocado
• 3 Tbs. pesto
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Spiralize all the zucchini with a spiralizer and set aside.
2. Chop the baby broccoli into smaller pieces, and place in a large pan with a little bit of olive oil and a splash of water. Cook with a lid over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until slightly softened.
3. While the broccoli is cooking, slice the mushrooms and chop the tomato.
4. Once the broccoli is soft, add more olive oil to the pan and add the garlic, zucchini noodles, mushrooms, tomatoes, and basil leaves. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini noodles are softened to your liking. I covered them with a lid for a couple minutes, then sautéed them without the lid for about 5 minutes (If you cook them too long, they will get mushy. Just keep trying them until they seem a good consistency for you). You may need to drain some liquid from the pan because of all the water that's in the fresh zucchini.
5. While the noodles and other ingredients are cooking, combine the coconut milk, avocado, and pesto in a blender and blend until smooth.
6. Pour the sauce over the cooked zucchini noodles, season with salt, pepper, and grated parmesan cheese.

 

Butternut Squash, Kale, and Sausage Soup

It's the middle of October and still 80 degrees in Santa Barbara. As much as I love the sun, I'm definitely missing the beautiful fall colors and cold, crisp air that is back home in Washington. Even though it's hot, I can't help but make recipes that remind me of the colder and cozier fall days that I'm so used to. Wow, I'm getting homesick just thinking about it. 

I created this recipe because of my love for butternut squash. I happened to make this meal the night that some friends spontaneously came over for dinner. They were vegetarians, so I split the soup into two pots and only added sausage to one of them. Both versions were flavorful and delicious. 

Recipe:

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 butternut squash
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 can navy beans
• 1 head or a few cups of chopped kale
• 1 package organic, hot Italian chicken sausage (I found some at Whole Foods. Any sausage that you like would work.)
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 -2 tsp. oregano
• 1-2 tsp. thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• grated parmesan to top

Directions:

1. Peel the butternut squash, cut open, remove seeds, and chop into smallish cubes. 
2. Chop onion and garlic cloves. Saute in 1-2 Tbs. of olive oil until the onions become soft.
3. If you're making the soup with sausage, add the sausage until browned.
4. Add the chicken broth, butternut squash, oregano, and thyme. Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until the butternut squash is soft.
5. Finally, add the kale, beans, and tomatoes. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with parmesan on top.

Stewed Apple Oatmeal

Recipe:

• steel cut oats
• apple
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. cardamon
• 1/2 tsp. cloves
• greek yogurt and peanut or almond butter to put on top

Directions:

1. Chop the apple into small chunks. Heat in a saucepan over medium heat with spices and about 1/2 cup water. Cook until the apples are soft (you may need to add more water). The juices from the apple, water, and spices will eventually create a thick glaze. It only takes about 10-15 minutes. 
2. While the apples are cooking, cook the steel cut oats. 
3. Once the oats are done and the apples are soft, spoon some apples, greek yogurt, and nut butter onto the oats. Drizzle with a small amount of honey (if needed) and enjoy!

Veggie Burgers

Sweet Potato, Black Bean, Quinoa Burgers is more like it.

Don't get me wrong, I truly love a good beef burger. However, good quality, organic beef is expensive, and I think we should all be including more sustainable, plant-based meals into our diet. So, I created this veggie burger. Packed with fiber, protein, and healthy fats, these have a lot more to offer your body than a beef burger. You just have to think of them a little differently. They are a whole different category of food, and a whole different type of delicious.

The recipe is a little time consuming, about 1.5 hours, but it makes a lot and the burgers store super well in the fridge or freezer. It's totally worth your time when you have super quick lunches and dinners for days to come. These can be eaten on a bed of arugula or lettuce, on a piece of bread, or just plain with a variety of toppings (see some ideas below).

RECIPE:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1/2 medium onion
• 3/4 c. finely chopped mushrooms
• 1 small zucchini, grated
• 1/2 cup walnuts, blended or food processed till very fine
• 1 can black beans
• 1 c. cooked quinoa
• 3 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• A sprinkle of red pepper flakes, if you like a little spice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Place the sweet potatoes in the oven whole, and bake them for 40 minutes. While the sweet potatoes are baking, cook the quinoa.
2. Rinse the black beans in warm water, and mash them in a large bowl. Chop the mushrooms and onion, grate the zucchini, blend the walnuts, and add to the black beans. 
3. Add the cooked quinoa, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
4. Once the sweet potatoes are soft, scrape out the inside into the bowl with the other ingredients. Mix and mash until it's all well combined.
5. Form the mixture into patties, and place on a large, greased baking sheet.
6. Bake until the patties are firm, about 40 minutes.
7. Serve on a salad base, on a bun, or just plain with grilled onions, avocado, hummus, goat cheese, or a sauce of your choice.

Whole Grain Pumpkin Waffles

These waffles are the definition of what a cozy fall morning should be. 

Wafts of pumpkin and cinnamon, warm, delicious, and perfect with a cup of coffee. It's basically all I want to eat for breakfast for the next week, but I'll try to resist :)

This recipe is not hard, and hopefully contains ingredients that most people would already have in their home. I made them with half whole wheat flour/half oat flour, but if you are gluten free they could easily be made with just oat flour.

If you don't have oat flour on hand, simply just put oats in the blender for a few seconds and you have oat flour!

I sincerely hope that you get the chance to make these. They are totally worth it.

Recipe:

• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 c. oat flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 c. pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
• 1/2 c. milk of choice
• 1/4. greek yogurt
• 1/3 c. coconut oil
• 2 Tbs. maple syrup
• 2 tsp. vanilla

 

directions:

1. Combine the whole wheat flour, oat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Add the pumpkin puree, milk, greek yogurt, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir.
4. Let the batter sit for a few minutes before making the waffles.
5. We enjoyed them with butter and maple syrup, OR if you want a little more substance, try peanut butter, plain greek yogurt, and maple syrup. It might sound a little strange, but it's actually the best.

Super Nutty Granola

Recipe:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• 2 cups oats
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3 Tbs. coconut oil
• 3 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Chop the various nuts into smaller pieces, if desired. Add to a large bowl with the 2 cups of oats.
3. Melt the coconut oil in a small glass dish, and add the coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice to the mixture. Stir until well combined.
4. Spread the granola out on a large baking sheet. Place in the oven for 10 minutes.
5. After 10 minutes, take the granola out of the oven and stir. Place in the oven for another 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

*The amount and variety of nuts/seeds you use is totally up to you. The point is to just fill the granola with more healthy fats than normal :)

Autumn Salad

I love eating with the seasons. It's when produce is the most fresh, flavorful and packed with nutrients. This salad is a quick and easy way to experience some of autumn's goodness. I used asian pears from our tree outside, but you could easily use any pear or apple that is in season. Also, the pomegranate isn't necessary, but it just looked so pretty, so why not? :) 

salad:

• 1 bunch of tuscan kale

• 1 delicata squash

• 1 pear or apple

• Trader Joe's pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds (pecans would also taste great)

• goat cheese (or feta cheese)

dressing:

• 1/4 c. olive oil

• 1/8 c. apple cider vinegar

• 2 tsp. maple syrup

• 1 tsp. dijon mustard

• salt and pepper

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.

2. Cut the delicata squash in half lengthwise, remove the seeds with a spoon, and cut each side into thin slices. Place the pieces on a large baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake for 20-25 minutes.

3. While the delicata squash is baking, combine chopped kale, apple slices, goat cheese, and pumpkin seeds.

4. Combine all of the dressing ingredients and stir till the oil is no longer separated from the rest of the ingredients.

5. Add the cooked delicata squash to the salad, and toss the salad with as much dressing as desired.

Carrot Apple Zucchini Loaf

Apples are just starting to ripen on some trees and there's still plenty of fresh summer squash and carrots to be found. This bread is the perfect combination of late summer and fall. It's flavorful, moist, and slightly sweet. My family enjoyed eating it with a slather of butter on top, but it tastes just as good plain. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• ¼ cup greek yogurt

• ¼ cup almond milk or whole milk

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• ½ tsp. nutmeg

• ¼ tsp. allspice

• ½ tsp. salt

• 2 tsp. vanilla

• ½ cup grated apple

• ½ cup grated carrot

• ½ cup grated zucchini

• ½ cup chopped walnuts

• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds

• 1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.

2. In a food processor, grate the apple, carrot, and zucchini so that there is about a 1/2 cup of each.

3. With a knife or food processor, chop the walnuts into smaller pieces.

4. Beat the eggs, melted coconut oil, and maple syrup until well combined.

5. In a large, separate bowl, combine the milk, greek yogurt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and chopped walnuts.

6. Add the egg mixture, and beat until it's well mixed in.

7. Add the flour and stir to combine.

8. Grease a large loaf pan, fill with batter, and sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top.

9. Bake for 55-60 minutes.