veggie lettuce wraps.

veggie lettuce wraps

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large eggplant, diced

1 onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 lb mushrooms, diced

2 cloves minced garlic

1 can water chestnuts, chopped

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon Sriracha®, optional for heat

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 head romain or butter lettuce

Heat olive oil in a large wok over medium heat. Add eggplant, onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Sauté  for about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except for lettuce. Cook for about 1-2 minutes and remove from heat.

Serve by spooning veggie mixture into clean, trimmed lettuce cups.

roasted tomatillo salsa.

roasted tomatillo salsa

(courtesy of Sommer's kitchen)

1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed

2 white onions

1 large jalapeno pepper

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons cumin

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup packed cilantro
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic

3 avocados

1 lime

    

                                                      

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Peel and chop the onions into quarters. Place the tomatillos, onion and jalapenos on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the vegetables with the oil.

Roast in the oven for 15 minutes—until the exteriors are blistered but the insides are still lightly raw.

Meanwhile, half the avocados, remove the seeds, and scoop out the flesh.

Remove the roasted vegetable from the oven and trim the jalapeno stems and remove seeds. Place the roasted vegetables in a large food processor and pulse until mostly smooth.

Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, garlic and avocado. Pulse until the avocado is pureed into the mixture. Serve warm or refrigerated with tortilla chips.

quinoa lettuce wraps.

quinoa lettuce wraps

(courtesy of Food Babe's kitchen) 

1 head romaine lettuce

1 cup dried quinoa, cooked to package instruction

4 large ripe avocados, pitted and smashed

1 lime, juiced

2 cups cherry tomatoes, chopped

1/3 cup chopped onion, white or red

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Cook the quinoa according to package instructions, or use a rice cooker.

Make the guacamole by putting all the ingredients in a bowl, except lettuce, and combine well.

Serve by filling a lettuce wrap with quinoa and guacamole. Top with extra cherry tomatoes.

cherry treat smoothie.

cherry treat smoothie

2 cups organic frozen cherries

1 banana

1/4 cup coconut yogurt

1 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon coconut sugar

Put the ingredients in a high speed blender for about 1-2 minutes. Makes two full glasses.

easy-peasy trail mix.

easy-peasy trail mix

dried blueberries 

dried cranberries

dried mangos 

dried cherries

prunes

mulberries 

goji berries

golden berries

chopped dates

cashews

almonds

walnuts

sunflower seeds

pumpkin seeds

mini vegan chocolate chips

Grab a box of plastic bags and turn on some of your favorite tunes. Lay out all the item listed above and put little bit of each into the baggies. Zip them up and store them in a box in your pantry.

I make 30-40 bags at a time. They are a great grab-and-go snack that isn’t chips or crackers.

Try buying these items in bulk because nuts and berries can be expensive. I bought a bulk shipment through Green Smoothie Girl.

coconut oatmeal muffins.

coconut oatmeal muffins

(courtesy of Ellie's kitchen)

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup coconut yogurt

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl with chopped nuts and dates. In your mixer, mix the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients. Wipe down your muffin tins with coconuts oil and sprinkle with a little flour to prevent the muffins from sticking to the pan. Pour muffin batter into the muffin tins, about 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes. Watch the muffins carefully because they are easy to over bake.

sweet potato hash.

sweet potato hash

1 or 2 large sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic

Salt and pepper

Clean and peel the sweet potatoes. Use a food processor to shred them.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for just a minute or two. Add the garlic. Add the shredded sweet potatoes. Mix a little with a spatula and spread out the mixture evenly over the pan. After a few minutes flip over the potato patty—don’t worry if it falls apart just flip it in sections so all the potatoes are cooked. Serve warm.

veggie turkey.

veggie turkey

clean cut organic veggies

(carrots, yellow or green zucchini, celery, snap peas, etc.)

a batch of onion hummus

Prepare the veggie by cleaning, peeling and slicing.

Arrange the veggie on a serving platter leaving room for a bowl of hummus.

Using paper, glue and scissors cut out a turkey head and legs. Using two-way tape. Attach them to the hummus bowl.

Store covered in the refrigerator and serve cool (perfect for kids’ school parties).

autumn citrus salad.

autumn citrus salad

Salad:

3 or 4 clementines, peeled and sliced

5 or 6 cups spinach or mixed greens

1/2 cup pomegranate

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

Dressing:

1 tablespoon orange juice

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove minced garlic

In large mixing bowl combine the greens, pomegranate, pine nuts and red onion.

In a mini food processor combine the dressing ingredients. For best results let the dressing refrigerate for one hour before serving.

Add dressing to large mixing bowl and toss salad until all ingredients are covered. Add the clementine slices and serve immediately.

onion hummus.

onion hummus

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small sweet onion, finely chopped

3-5 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup Annie’s Goddess Dressing

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups organic garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

In a small sauce pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two until the onions are soft but garlic has not browned.

In a food processor, mix the tahini, dressing, lemon juice, cumin and salt. Then add the onion and garlic. Mix. Add the garbanzo beans and mix thoroughly until smooth and creamy about 1-2 minutes, scrapping the sides of the bowl as needed.

Serve with raw veggies and pita chips.

halloween bites.

halloween bites

Apple Chompers:

3 or 4 organic red delicious apple

1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

Organic peanut butter

Citrus Pumpkins:

20 seedless clementines

2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced

Slices the apples. Spread the peanut on one side of each apple. Insert the pumpkin seeds into the apple slices by pressing them firmly until you puncture the flesh of the apple.

Peel the clementines. Insert thin celery stick into the center (perfect for kids' school parties).

hearty breakfast muffins.

hearty breakfast muffins

2 organic carrots, peeled and shredded

2 bananas mashed

1 organic zucchini, cleaned and shredded

1/4 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup coconut yogurt

1/2 cup pumpkin

1 cup organic whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 dried cranberries

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ginger

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tins with some coconut oil.

Mix carrots, banana, zucchini, apple sauce, yogurt and pumpkin until fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients to the mixer and combine until batter is thoroughly mixed.

Scoop batter into muffin tins and bake for about 20 minutes. Let the pan cool for 10 minutes before removing the muffins.

citrus mojo.

citrus mojo

1/2 red onion
3/4 cup cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
6 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the onion and cilantro in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir. Add the onion and cilantro to the mixture and stir.

Serve over a salad, hay stacks, tacos, fajitas or use as a zesty salsa.

hemp hummus.

hemp hummus

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons tahini

*1/4 cup hemp seeds, hulled

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth and fluffy. Serve with fresh veggies, seed crackers, or pita chips.

*Superfood

super pumpkin bread.

super pumpkin bread

1 cup organic raw sugar

*1/2 cup coconut sugar

*1/2 cup chia gel

1/2 cup coconut yogurt

*1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup organic whole wheat flour

1/2 cup organic flour

*1/4 cup ground cacao nibs

*2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup non-dairy chocolate chips

In a high power blender grind cacao and flaxseeds into a fine powder.

Using a mixer combine the sugar, chia gel, yogurt and pumpkin. Once mixed, add flour, cacao/flaxseeds powder and spices. Beat until batter is smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into 1 or 2 prepared bread pans and bake at 350 degrees for 75 minutes—baking times will vary depending on if you make two small loaves or one large.

Let the loaf cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

*Superfoods

chia gel.

chia gel

*1 tablespoon chia seeds

3 tablespoons water

In a small bowl or jar combine the chia seeds and water. Give it a little stir, and let it sit at room temp for about 10 minutes until the chia seeds have gelled. 

This makes 1/4 cup serving. Use chia gel as a low-fat, low-calories healthy egg or oil substitute.

¼ cup chia gel = 1 egg

¼ cup chia gel = ¼ cup oil

You can also use chia gel with a bit of juice or a spritz of lemon to create a quick snack packed with protein, calcium, dietary fiber and omega-3.  Or add chia gel to your morning juices or smoothies. I know it sounds a little strange, but it’s not bad…even my 5 year-old drinks it :-)

*Superfood

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. 

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.