"cheesy" mac and veggies

A perfect winter meal. Warm, hearty and filling. You really can mix and match the veggies to what's on sale that week, it all tastes delicious covered in the sauce!

I also like to sometimes add beans to this recipe (butter beans or chick peas are my favorite for this dish) for the added protien.

mac and veggies

• 1 box of gluten free pasta (i used tri-color rotini quinoa pasta)
• olive oil
• salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped 
• your favorite Italian seasoning ( I added 1/2 a teaspoon each of dry oregano, sage, and rosemary)
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomato, chopped
• 1 head of broccoli, cut to small florets
• 1/4 cup margarine (I used soy free earth balance)
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked spanish paprika (optional)

(there are three separate steps for this meal, but all can be done at the same time)

(1) in a medium sized pot, cook noodles according to the instructions, drain and set aside

(2) in a large pan, add about a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt

heat on medium-high, and add the garlic and onion

add your favorite Italian seasoning 

once onions are soft and cooked through, add the carrot and sun dried tomato

cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally
add the broccoli, cover and cook another 5 minutes, or until broccoli is still firm, but changed color slightly

(3) in small sauce pan, melt the margarine on med-low heat
add the rice flour, whisk until combined
slowly add the boiling water, whisking continuously until it begins to thicken
whisk in salt, garlic powder, tumeric, and oil
turn off heat and whisk in nutritional yeast
add smoked paprika (optional)

once all three steps have been made, simply throw them all together in a large mixing bowl
stir with a wooden spoon until combined, then serve immediately
add pepper to taste, maybe a splash of your favorite hot sauce, and enjoy!

raw parfait!

i am seriously addicted to making these.
 i love love love chocolate pudding. i love caramel. i love layers of the two with vanilla cream and fruit added to the mix.....
i have combined the layers in all sorts of ways, with raspberries, strawberries, and bananas as additions.
the possibilities are always endless!
besides the slight preparation needed in advance, this is a really quick, easy, sweet treat. best of all it's raw! well, mostly. the cocoa i used is not, but you can use raw cacao.
i would say it tastes the best once it's been refrigerated at least an hour, but i understand if you can't wait that long.

raw chocolate, vanilla, caramel parfait
makes 3-4 servings

IN ADVANCE:
 soak 1 cup raw cashews in 2 cups water for at least two hours
soak 1 cup pitted dates in 2 cups water for at least 1/2 an hour

       chocolate pudding layer

• 1/2 cup dates (soaked in advance)
• 1/2 cup agave
• 3/4 cup raw cacao, or cocoa (unsweetened)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 avocados, mashed
• 1/2 cup water

combine dates and agave in food processor, until completely combined
add cocoa 1/4 cup at a time, process and scrape down sides
add vanilla, and then alternate between the avocados and water and process until combined
refrigerate in sealed container until ready to eat

      vanilla creme layer

• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked in advance)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

add cashews to food processor, process 1-2 minutes

add remaining ingredients, process until combined and smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

refrigerate in sealed container until ready to eat

      caramel layer

• 1/2 cup raw cashew (unsoaked)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 dates (soaked in advance)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• pinch of salt

add cashews to processor, blend until fine

add remaining ingredients, process until completely combined

refrigerate in sealed container until ready to eat

that's it!
again, combine and layer any way you like!

"tuna" salad

this is a delicious raw meal.

it's really just a simple nut meat salad, but some people are turned off by the words "nut and meat." 

call it whatever you want, it's good and good for you!

keep in mind you need to soak the nuts overnight

Raw vegan "tuna" salad

• 1 cup raw sunflower seeds (soaked and covered overnight, then drained)
• 1 cup walnuts (soaked and covered overnight, then drained)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 3-4 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3-4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 head of romaine lettuce
• handful of grape tomatoes
• fresh sprouts

once nuts and seeds have soaked for at least 6 hours,

add them to a food processor and process until chunky but not creamy (3-5 pulses)

add the next 4 ingredients and process another minute

combine with the remaining ingredients in a medium mixing bowl

salt and pepper to taste

serve with your favorite leafy green, fresh grape tomatoes, sprouts

other ideas: add a bit of your favorite italian dressing, or throw a pickle in there!

Lasagna! (with cashew "ricotta")

Layers of veggies and "cheesy" goodness?

Yes, please!

I made this one past cold night, it really hit the spot, and fed me for days!

You do have to soak the cashews an hour in advance, so keep that in mind.

Other than that, this is a very simple comforting dinner for many.

Lasagna with cashew "ricotta"

   cashew ricotta

• 1 1/3 cup raw cashew nuts (soaked, one hour in advance in two cups water, then drained)
• 1/2 of a lemon's juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary and oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed butter)
• 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/4-3/4 cup water (depending on desired consistency)

Once cashews have been soaked and drained, add them to a food processor, until chopped fine

add lemon juice, herbs, salt, tahini, nut yeast, process until mixed well

add water, 1/4 cup at a time, until you reach the consistency of cream cheese (keep in mind, you don't want your "cheese" too dry, as it will lose moisture after being baked)

try a bite, add salt, and pepper to taste.
refrigerate until ready to use.

 other lasagna ingredients 

• 1 box of gluten free lasagna noodles 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• one medium onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon oregano, rosemary
• 1 red or orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• about 2 cups broccoli, cut to bite sized pieces 
• 2 small zucchini, sliced
• 5-6 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 of your favorite veggie burger patties (i used sunshine garden veggie burgers)
• 1 1/2 cups of your favorite tomato sauce (i used my simple recipe from pizza!)

 cook your gluten free noodles according to the manufacturer (each brand is different), and set aside

in a medium sized frying pan, add the oil on medium heat

add the garlic and onion, stirring until tender (about 3-5 minutes)

add the herbs, pepper, broccoli, zucchini, and mushrooms

cover and cook on medium heat for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally

add the veggie burgers whole, once thawed break into chunks with spoon

add tomato sauce, reduce heat, cover and simmer for another 20 minutes

stir and taste, add salt and pepper as needed.

PREHEAT oven to 375 F

slightly grease a casserole dish

once all the ingredients have been prepared, begin layering them in your casserole dish

i start with a layer of noodles first, then a layer of the tomato vegetables, another layer of noodles, a ricotta layer, and continue those once more. i usually end with a veggie layer on the top, and sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top of that for good measure.

bake on the center rack for 30 minutes

let sit for 10 minutes before serving, then enjoy!

lentil salad!

no cooking necessary. no utensils needed to eat it. sold!

 

lentil salad

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• the juice of one lemon
• 2 cans of lentils, drained and rinsed (couldn't use goya dry lentils, they warn they might have wheat in them!!)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped fine
• 2-3 stalks green onion, sliced
• a handful of fresh sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

 in a medium sized bowl, first combine garlic and lemon juice, let sit 5 minutes
add all other ingredients into the bowl, mix well

add a spoonful to some red leaf lettuce, or any other green, wrap and eat up!

veggie fajitas!

it's getting so hot here in new york, pretty soon i'll only want to eat salads and watermelon!

last night i was craving mexican, so i made vegetable fajitas, re-fried beans and guacamole.

i heated some corn tortillas, topped it all with fresh greens and cilantro, and chowed down!

 guacamole, veggie fajitas, and re-fried beans

        guacamole

• 3 ripe avocados
• juice of one lime
• a pinch of smoked chipotle powder
• 1/2 a teaspoon of cumin, chili powder, and salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 an onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 a container of grape tomatoes, halved
• 1-2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• pepper, to taste     

 in a medium mixing bowl, add the avocado meat and toss with 1/2 of the lime juice

 add the salt and spices, and mash in with a potato masher

fold in garlic, onion, tomatoes, and cilantro

add pepper, the rest of the lime juice and more salt to taste

cover and refrigerate for an hour

      veggie fajitas

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 a dried chipotle pepper
• 1/2 of an onion, sliced
• 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
• 6-8 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 summer squash, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, salt, cumin, pepper, and crushed coriander

 in a large pan, heat oil, garlic, chipotle pepper, and onion until cooked, about 3-5 min

add orange pepper, cook and stir another 3-5 minutes

add mushrooms and seasoning, stir 3 minutes

add squash, cover and cook until squash is tender

    re-fried beans

• 1 can mixed beans (black, pinto, kidney), drained and rinsed
• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 a container grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin, chili powder, salt, garlic powder, and pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

 

 

in medium sauce pan, combine beans and water, bring to a boil

add all remaining ingredients besides the oil, reduce heat and cover

simmer about 15-20 minutes, until most water is gone

remove from heat, mash with potato masher

add oil, and return to the stove

cook another 3-5 minutes on medium heat

serve immediately

fruit tart!

tis' the season for fresh berries, and to enjoy them on top of a flaky crust and custard is a real treat!

fruit tart

for the crust i used my tart crust recipe, and baked at 375 F for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden

then i set aside to cool

      custard

• 2 tablespoons brown rice flour
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 2/3 cup milk of choice (i used sweetened vanilla almond)
• 1/2 of a lemon's juice

in a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, and 1/3 cup of the milk

in a medium sized saucepan, bring the rest of the milk to a simmer

pour 1/3 cup of the warmed milk into the other mixture and stir to thoroughly combine

  pour the other mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk

return to the stove and heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly(important!!)

this only takes about two minutes to thicken, stop whisking when thick as pudding.

take off heat and whisk in lemon juice

(if it seems too thick to you, you can add a little milk and mix for a minute with a hand mixer)

if your crust is ready and cooled, add to crust. if not refrigerate until use

for the fruit topping, i chose strawberries, blueberries and kiwi

you can use so many different creative combination's though!!

for the glaze, i took about 3 tablespoons apricot preserves and heated in a small saucepan

i whisked constantly, until it turned to a liquid

i took it off the heat and sifted out the apricot chunks

i used the sifted liquid and brushed it on the top of the fruit

you can enjoy immediately, or let set and chill for a few hours.

yum!