butternut squash soup.

butternut squash soup

3 tablespoons organic agave

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 butternut squashes (about 3 lbs total) halved lengthwise

2 yellow onions, peeled and quartered

2 granny smith apples, peeled and halved

5 cups vegetable broth

freshly ground salt and pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon freshly chopped sage

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the squash, onions and apples on the sheet face up. Combine agave and oil in a mini food processor. Brush the agave mixture onto the squash, onions, and apples. Bake for about an hour or until thoroughly cooked. Remove from the oven, and let cool for about an hour. Scoop out the squash flesh and chop the onions and apples.

Over medium heat in a large soup pot, heat the vegetable stock. Add the squash, onions, apples,  salt pepper and nutmeg. Let simmer for about 20 minutes.

Using a Vitamix®, blend the soup mixture in batches until it’s smooth.

Pour it out of the blender into a soup bowl. Garnish with the fresh sage leaves and serve with a loaf of homemade wheat bread.

kids’ mac & tofu.

kids’ mac & tofu

1 lb whole wheat elbow pasta

1 jar marinara

1 block firm tofu

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place the pasta back in the pot. Return to low heat. Immediately add the marinara and crumble the block of tofu with your hands above the pot. Stir the mixture together and heat for about a minute. Remove from heat and serve.

The is just a base recipe, feel free to add chopped cherry tomatoes, steamed cauliflower, chopped spinach, fresh sage or basil, kale, hemp seeds or whatever vegetables your kids will eat. This is a fast, easy meal that my kids never complain about; I even like it. It also makes a large batch so it’s easy to heat up the next day.

*I use this recipe as a substitute for Hamburger Helper® or mac & cheese. It’s a quick easy kid’s meal loaded with fiber and protein.

leek potatoes with lemon gravy.

leek potatoes with lemon gravy

Leek Potatoes:

4  lbs. yukon gold potatoes

1/2 cup Earth Balance® butter

3 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced

1/2 rice milk

freshly ground salt and pepper

Lemon Gravy:

4 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup organic corn starch

1 package onion soup mix

1/3 cup fresh minced herbs (oregano, cilantro, sage, thyme)

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

freshly ground salt and pepper

Prepare the potatoes by scrubbing and chopping them into 1 in. cubes. Boil the potatoes in a large pot of water with a dash of salt for about 40 minutes or until very tender. Drain well and place the cooked potatoes back into the pot.

In a pan melt the butter and sauté the leeks, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes until the leeks are very tender. Add milk and stir. Remove from heat and pour into the pot of potatoes. Add salt and pepper and beat/smash until fluffy. Place the pot of finished potatoes in the oven to keep warm while preparing the gravy.

In a small pot, heat the vegetable stock on low heat, add the corn starch and onion soup, whisking vigorously while adding the dry contents. No one likes lumpy gravy :-) Once mixed add the remaining gravy ingredients and simmer on low heat for about a minute, stirring constantly.

Top the dish off with some hemp green beans and it’s a small meal. Add a salad and it's dinner.

hemp green beans.

hemp green beans

1 lb. green beans, ends cleaned and steamed

2 tablespoons Earth Balance® butter

*1/3 cup hemp seeds

1/3 cup pine nuts

Freshly ground salt and pepper

Lightly steam the green beans until bright green. Do not overcook your veggies.

In a large frying pan, melt the butter and toss in the beans, hemp, pine nuts and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 3 minutes until nuts and seeds are golden brown.

*Adding nuts and seeds to your veggies is a easy way to get in some added protein, fiber, vitamin E and omega 3.

*Superfood

roasted cherry tomatoes.

roasted cherry tomatoes

1 1/2 lb. cherry or heirloom tomatoes (sliced in half)

3/4 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons fresh minced basil

2 cloves garlic minced

freshly ground salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a mini-food processor combine the panko bread crumbs, basil, garlic, salt and pepper and blend until it a crumbly mixture.

Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place the tomatoes face up on the sheet. Evenly sprinkle the tomatoes with the panko mixture.

Roast the tomatoes in the oven for about 10-15 minutes until they just begin to wilt. Do not overcook.

*These tomatoes make a great addition to most meals. Use them as a side to a soup or sandwich. Top off a pasta recipe with them. Serve them on a bed of greens for a warm salad, or just throw ‘em on top of some savory quinoa.  I even cook them up for an after school snack for the kids. 

coconut cookies.

coconut cookies

1 1/3 cup organic flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup Earth Balance®butter (room temp)

1/2 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 vegan egg replacer

1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla

1 3/4 cup shredded coconut
2-4 tablespoons of coconut yogurt

1 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees in a kitchen mixer, mix all the ingredients until smooth. Drop tablespoon sized balls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until cookies start to slightly brown around the edges.

green garden enchiladas.

green garden enchiladas

1 lb sweet peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1 organic green zucchini, peeled and chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 package taco seasoning

1 can organic pinto beans

5 cups chopped organic spinach

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 can green enchilada sauce

6-8 flour tortillas

To make the vegetable mixture, sauté in a large pan sweet pepper, zucchini and onion with half the taco seasoning until almost cooked; the vegetables should still be firm. Add pinto beans, spinach, remaining taco seasoning and cilantro. Sauté for about 3 minutes just until spinach begins to wilt.

Coat the bottom of the baking pan with no stick spray and a thin layer of green enchilada sauce. Lay out one tortilla on flat surface and fill it with a generous scoop of vegetable mixture. Fold up the tortilla like a burrito and place it in the pan. Once the pan is filled with the enchiladas, pour the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas completely covering the tortillas with the sauce.

Bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve with freshly chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, broccoli sprouts, salsa, guacamole and fresh lime wedges.

peachy keen smoothie.

peachy keen smoothie

2 cups frozen peaches

1 cup vanilla soy milk or rice milk

1 cup orange juice (preferably fresh squeezed)

Place ingredients in a blender in order and blend on high for about 2 minutes. Add a little more or less liquid depending on how liquefied you like your smoothies.

Serves 1 large glass or 2 small juice cups for two hungry boys at snack time :-)

raspberry-lemon muffins.

raspberry-lemon muffins

1 cup organic all purpose flour

1 cup organic whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coconut yogurt

1/2 cup organic apple sauce

1 1/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon orange extract

1 cup fresh raspberries or thawed frozen raspberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients. Combine together and blend until smooth. Gently fold in the raspberries. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake for about 25 minutes until a tooth pick comes out clean.

watercress & pear salad.

watercress & pear salad

Salad:

2 bunches of watercress

2 heads of belgium endive

2/3 cup slivered almonds

1 firm red pear, sliced

1 firm asian pear, sliced

Dressing:

1 batch american dressing

To make salad, wash and pat the watercress dry and chop. Chop the Belgium endive and separate the piece. Wash them using a strainer separating all the pieces.

In a large bowl combine the watercress, endive, almonds, pears and dressing. Toss with your hands. Makes 2 full salads or 4-6 starter salads.

fruit soup.

fruit soup

1 fresh peach (pears, nectarines or bananas work too)

1/2 cup fresh berries

1/2 cup almond milk

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Wash and slice fruit. Place in a cereal bowl. Cover with milk, sprinkle with brown sugar and serve.

It's a fast, easy dessert for the kids… AND a late night treat for myself ;-)

rainbow salad.

rainbow salad

1-2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

4-5 large carrots, peeled and shredded

1 yellow zucchini, thinly sliced

1-2 firm avocados

1/4 head of red cabbage, finely chopped

6-10 radishes, thinly sliced

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

2 handfuls spinach, chopped

1-2 handfuls baby kale, chopped
homemade dressing

Chop up the veggies and place them in rows on a bed of greens (chopped romaine, spinach and baby kale). Serve chilled.

dressings.

dressings

Blend in a processor until completely liquefied.

raspberry vinaigrette

1/2 cup raspberries

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon orange or apple juice

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon agave

french

1 cup olive oil

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup organic tomato paste

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons djion mustard

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

orange cashew dressing

2 peeled oranges

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup cashews

2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

american

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire® sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

super corn chowder.

super corn chowder

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 large organic red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

2 1/2 cups organic frozen corn

4 cups vegetable stock

1 block of tofu, coarsely crubbled

1 teaspoon paprika

salt and pepper

1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

*1 tablespoon maca powder

*1/4 cup hemp seeds

In a soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter and the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until just soft, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and sauté until slightly soft, about another 3 minutes. Add the frozen corn kernels and cook for about 3-5 more minutes. Add the vegetable stock. Over the pot crumble the tofu with your hands. Add the paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for about 20 minutes until vegetables are very soft but still hold their shape.

When the vegetables are soft remove from heat and pour into a Vita-Mix or blender. Coarsely puree mixture making sure to leave some texture. Pour back into the pot. Add the milk, cilantro, maca and hemp seeds.

To serve, fill large soup bowls. Sprinkle on about 2 teaspoons of nutritional yeast (which will dissolve into the single serving of soup). Serve with a loaf of homemade whole wheat bread. 

*Superfood

vegetable marinade.

vegetable marinade

Marinade:

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon lime juice

Vegetables:

1 organic yellow bell pepper

1 organic red bell pepper

1 organic orange bell pepper

1 yellow onion

1/2 red onion

1 lb. mushrooms

1 organic green zucchini

In a food processor, blend the ingredients until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. In a large zip-lock bag, place the vegetables and marinade inside. Close the bag and shake until the vegetables are evenly coated with the marinade.

Sauté them, grill them, barbeque them, roast them or prepare them as you wish. Serve them over quinoa, in fajitas, or just as they are. You can play with the vegetables and how they are cut to discover new and exciting ways to include them in dinner. Fajitas are our favorite. This marinade really makes them shine!  :-)

blueberry muffins.

blueberry muffins

1 cup organic all-purpose flour

1/2 cup organic whole wheat flour

1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup coconut yogurt

1 cup almond milk

6 tablespoons Earth Balance® butter

1 cup blueberries

2 tablespoons organic sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. With a mixer combine the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Gently fold in the blueberries so they don’t break.

Spoon the batter into the prepared or lined muffin tins, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 18 minutes.

Cool on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes before serving.