Wellness and Vegetarian Recipes
I wanted to get this Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Kale and Blood Orange recipe posted before Thanksgiving, so I hope I’m not too late for you to slip it on the menu! We always have a huge extended family celebration at my parent’s house on the big day, and I’m planning to bring it this year. (Along with my annual big batch of pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing, of course. Because I’m all about balance, naturally.) 🙂
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I taught a Hearty Vegetarian Soups cooking class the other day, and figured I needed a little something to mix in there between all the soups. Enter this Shredded Kale and Pomegranate Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette – a new favorite on repeat around here these days (and a great side idea for upcoming holiday gatherings…). It’s everything you want from a fall/wintery salad dish: healthy green goodness topped off with tart and juicy pomegranate seeds, crisp apples, salty sunflower seeds, and creamy gorgonzola. All “lightly dressed” (we so fancy) with a four ingredient shallot vinaigrette. So let’s get started, shall we?! And don’t be put off by all the kale, you’re going to easily make it soft and wilted and studded with little bursts of flavor:
Confession: I’ve never been a big fan of overnight oats. And I could take or leave chia seeds because of how they swell up and get mushy and stick to my teeth and the inside of the blender. BUT, the first time I tried these Vanilla Bean Overnight Oats after developing them for a local fitness studio, I had two helpings and found myself scraping the bottom of the bowl. Who woulda thought. If you are even the tiniest bit into overnight oats, you may need to try these ASAP! They’re simple and creamy with the perfect amount of vanilla flavor.
Also! Can we talk about the whole concept of overnight oats in general?! Taking 5 minutes to pour a few things into a bowl or jar, sticking it in the fridge and having breakfast just ready and waiting for you in the morning?? I so wish I had invented overnight oats. (Who did by the way? Do we know?!?) Mornings around here can get crazy, so when I remember that I made a batch of these and have them waiting in the fridge, it’s like a little mental sigh of relief. Slice some strawberries and VOILA.
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I first created this Tangy Hummus Pasta in October 2017, and I almost named it something Halloween related, but it would be a sad reality if we only got to eat it once a year. This needs to be in more frequent rotation! Sometimes I get so busy trying new recipes that I forget some that I loved back when I first created them, and this is one that got lost in the shuffle. It’s being resurrected people! I originally made it with red lentil penne, which you can see here:
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Our family loves salty crispy chips just as much as the next, but I like trying alternatives that can satisfy that crunchy/salty/snack-y craving while including an extra bit of nutrition. Sometimes it goes over well, and other times….not so much. These cheezy roasted chickpeas were a hit (at least with the kids, if not my husband #sorrybabe).
These take less than 5 minutes to prep, so the only hard part is the waiting for them to bake! I usually double the recipe and make 2 cans worth, then set them out in a bowl for afternoon snacking. They taste best warm or room temp, and although you can save leftovers in an airtight container, they’re not as good after you’ve refrigerated them overnight. They lose that crunch! And also get a little dried out. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. This is your official warning.
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These No Bake Chocolate Brownie Bites will always take me back to an hour spent sitting in the parking lot of the swim club, a torrential downpour, and our car windows fogged up with 3 restless kids waiting to hear if their swim meet would be cancelled. Basically we were camping out, in the minivan, with nothing but these brownie bites and some water to get us through. We are rugged survivors people, let me tell you.
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With the slower mornings of summer, it seems like the kids are requesting pancakes or waffles more than during the school year (every day’s a weekend for them, right?!) And I don’t mind it, but I’ve been brainstorming ways to try to work some more nutrients in. So I decided to create these sweet potato waffles, which also happy to be gluten-free if that’s something that you or someone you love needs to consider!
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Hello lovely readers! It’s been HOT here all the sudden (not complaining, it’s great) so when we wanted something a little sweet, I was not so into the whole oven, baking thing. I made these No-Bake Oatmeal Cinnamon Cookie Bites, which reminded me that I had meant to share them on here! I originally created these mini cookies because I was trying to come up with a healthier version of those Little Debbie Oatmeal Crème Pies that I used to love when I was younger. They didn’t pan out quite like I was hoping (going to keep trying!) but the happy accident was that I ended up with this great “dough” that I rolled out and made into these healthy bite-sized treats.
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I always thought I was a little bit of a queso dip purist (that’s a thing, right?!) but I can legit say that I like this spicy cauliflower queso dip almost as much as the cheesy perfection that is the traditional version. If you’re getting all excited and hoping that this is vegan and has cashews and nutritional yeast, I’m sorry to disappoint…but good old google has some great options along those lines. This dip still uses cheese, for that texture and flavor, but replaces half (or more?) of it with veggies for an extra fiber and vitamin boost. …
Grated sweet potato has to be one of my most favorite additions to the breakfast line-up. I was recently introduced to the concept of using them to make hash browns, which is amazing because the whole family loves and veggies for breakfast = win-win. The other day, I decided to take it one step further and created these savory sweet potato cakes for breakfast:
But they’re not just for breakfast actually. Don’t be fooled and pigeonholed. One of my best friends made them for dinner recently and served with pork tenderloin and homemade apple chutney. Another friend made them and used them as the base for a twist on eggs Benedict. And I love topping them with sliced avocado and over-easy egg. So go crazy and you do you!
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