Red Lentil Cauliflower Masala

This recipe is a hearty indian dish that is simple to make, saves very well, and packs a ton of vegan protein from the lentils and nutrients from the veggies. You can mix and match what kind of veggies to include depending on what you have on or what you like best. We were running out of food so I made this recipe was born out of necessity, using the lentils and tomato paste in the cupboard, the lonely cauliflower in the fridge, and the frozen spinach brought it all together. Always have frozen spinach on hand. :) 

Inspired by the Red Lentil & Spinach Masala recipe here.


Ingredients:
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 red onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled & minced
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. paprika or red pepper

1 head organic cauliflower, chopped.
1 8 oz. can organic tomato paste
~32 oz. organic vegetable broth, less if you want a thicker consistency
1 15 oz. can full-fat coconut milk
2 cups red lentils (uncooked)
1 medium package frozen spinach
cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

• In a large pot heat the oil on medium heat and add the chopped red onion.
• Saute for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
• Stir in the spices and cook about 2 minutes until very fragrant.
• Add the chopped cauliflower, tomato paste and vegetable broth and cook to boiling over medium high heat, about 10 minutes until the cauliflower is about "al dente", getting softer but not all the way cooked yet.
• Stir in the coconut milk and red lentils.
• Once boiling again reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the lentils and cauliflower are soft, about 23-25 minutes.
• Stir in the spinach, adjust seasonings to taste, and garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy!
This recipe makes really good leftovers! We enjoyed them later in the week with green beans sautéed in a bit of coconut oil & Trader Joe's Every Day Seasoning. 

Thai Pumpkin Curry

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan-optional

At my favorite Thai restaurant the dish I get every time is, Pumpkin Chicken Curry! It is is creamy with a luscious coconut milk curry sauce, lightly sweet with buttery chunks of freshly cooked pumpkin, and pretty much divine! Kabocha squash, which looks like a small pumpkin, went on sale at the commissary, so I decided to buy and try and recreate the Pumpkin Curry recipe myself. The following recipe is the happy result from this experiment. 

Adapted from the recipe here. 
Makes 5-8 servings

Ingredients: 

• 1 small pumpkin (kabocha, sugar pie) - approximately 1lb
• 1 small red onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 1/2 tbsp red Thai curry paste
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (full fat)
• 1 tsp coconut sugar
• 1 tbs coconut oil
• 1lb boneless and skinless chicken, cubed in to 1"piece (organic, hormone-free, etc.)
• 1 package frozen spinach
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil (julienned, thinly cut)
• Salt
• Cilantro for garnish (optional)
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*use as many organic ingredients as possible

**can substitute chickpeas for the chicken to make vegan

Directions

Prepare the Pumpkin: 

- Bring a large pot of water to a boil

- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the pumpkin into quarters and scoop out the seeds. (leave the skin on, it's really hard to cut into chunks while still raw.)

- Boil the pumpkin quarters for at 10-15 minutes, or until fork tender. 

- Drain the water and let the pumpkin cool until you can handle it. 

- Cut the pumpkin into bite-size cubes and cut off the rind of the pumpkin from each piece. 

Prepare the Curry: 

- Blend the red curry paste, garlic and onions together (I used a Nutribullet). 

- Heat the coconut oil in a large pan, and saute the mixture over medium heat until the paste smells aromatic. 

- Stir in the can of coconut milk and teaspoon of coconut sugar. Once the oil begins to separate from the mixture, or the sauce begins to simmer, add in the chicken pieces (or chickpeas) and do not disturb the chicken for about 7 minutes. Carefully handle the chicken without stirring much and allow to fully cook in the coconut milk. 

(To better monitor the chicken's doneness, you can cook it only half the can of coconut milk and add the other half with the veggies. I just added the milk all at once though.)

- When the chicken is fully cooked, add the pumpkin and thawed spinach. Simmer until all the pumpkin is fork tender and parts cohesive. 

- Add the lime juice and season with salt to taste. 

- Take off the heat, add the julienned Thai basil, and adjust to taste. 

Serve over brown rice, greens, with Pad Thai, or on it's own. Enjoy!

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Thai Green Curry

Easy, Paleo, Gluten-Free, One Pan Wonder

Makes 2 large servings

While in Thailand, my husband had the opportunity to attend a Thai Cooking class. We LOVE Thai food, especially curries and pad thai, so he jumped at the chance to learn how to make it from scratch. In the class they learned how to make Pad Thai, Green Curry, Pad Kra Pow (sliced chili and Thai Basil) and Som Tam (papaya salad) from scratch. The teacher provided the recipes and instructions for everything, and when he finally returned from deployment we set out to make the recipes ourselves! We ended up not being able to find some of the ingredients for the Pad Thai sauce and curry paste, so we had to just buy the packaged sauces. The recipe turned out really well, and this is definitely a satisfying comfort food. The brown rice provides a better source of protein, and while the sauce does have sugar making it not the healthiest thing in the world, this version is healthier and cheaper then what we would buy at a restaurant. 
This recipe is straight from Thailand, and we didn't have to spend $9+ per serving! :) 

Ingredients: 

• 1.5 tbs. coconut oil 
• 2 tbs. Green Curry paste (we used Thai Kitchen brand)
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 lb chopped chicken, beef, seafood (optional, to make vegan you can use chickpeas as the protein source, or serve over quinoa)
• 2 tsp. brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
• 1.5 cups chopped vegetables: Thai eggplant, Pea eggplant
• 1/2 cup Thai Basil (find at farmer's market, looks more pointed and purplish than regular basil)
• 1 tbs. Fish Sauce

Steps: 
- Heat the coconut oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the curry paste. Stir until you smell the curry (20 seconds). 

- Add 1/4 can of the coconut milk to the pan and dissolve the paste. Let it boil for 1 minute. 
Add another 1/4 can and wait until it's boiling. Repeat until the measured coconut milk is emptied. 

- Add the meat and wait until it's cooked. Do not stir until chicken is 80% cooked. Wait until everything is boiled evenly, and add water if the coconut milk is too thick. 

- Add vegetables (Thai eggplant and Thai basil), and stir occasionally until they are cooked. The Thai eggplant should have the consistency of a cooked potato once it is ready. 

- When the vegetables are cooked, stir in the brown sugar and fish sauce. Serve garnished with red chili and Thai basil leave. 
Enjoy!

Green Curry & Pad Thai!

Pad Thai with Brown Rice Noodles

Easy, Gluten-Free, One Pan Wonder, Thai Comfort Food

Makes 4 large servings

While in Thailand, my husband had the opportunity to attend a Thai Cooking class. We LOVE Thai food, especially curries and pad thai, so he jumped at the chance to learn how to make it ourselves. In the class they learned how to make Pad Thai, Green Curry, Pad Kra Pow (sliced chili and Thai Basil) and Som Tam (papaya salad) from scratch. The teacher provided the recipes and instructions for everything, and when he finally returned from deployment we set out to make the recipes ourselves! We ended up not being able to find some of the ingredients for the Pad Thai sauce and curry paste (like tamarind, kaffir limes, etc.), so we had to just buy the packaged sauces. The recipe turned out really well, and this is definitely a satisfying comfort food. The brown rice provides a better source of protein, and while the sauce does have sugar making it not the healthiest thing in the world, this version is healthier and cheaper then what you would buy at a restaurant. 
This recipe is straight from Thailand, and we didn't have to spend $9+ per serving! :) 

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 tbs. coconut oil
• 1 diced red onion, or 1/2 cup diced shallots
• 2 tbs. Pickled Mixed Vegetables (found at asian market)
• Chicken, beef or seafood approx. 1/2 lb
• 4 eggs
• Pad Thai Sauce (we used Thai Kitchen brand) 8 oz
• Brown Rice Vermicelli Noodles, 200 g package (soak for 5 min. or according to package instructions)
• 1 cup diced garlic chives (they look like flat chives, found at farmer's markets, can also use scallions)
• 1 or 2 grated carrots
• 1 grated zucchini
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• (any more veggies you would like ... broccoli, bamboo shoots, etc.)
• 2 tsp. paprika (for color)

Steps: 

- Heat up the coconut oil on medium heat, and when the oil is hot, add the diced onions and pickled mixed vegetables. Cook for about 1 minute or until they begin to brown. 

- Add the meat and cook it well. (If using shrimp, cook it quickly and set aside before adding the eggs.) You can also add the carrots and zucchini (or any other preferred veggies) at this time. 

- When the meat is ready, add the eggs in the middle of the pan. Scramble slightly and do the "pancake" movement to spread the egg around your pan. 

- After 1 minute or until 80% of the eggs are cooked, add the noodles and Pad Thai Sauce. Using tongs incorporate everything together, and add the paprika for color. 

- The Pad Thai should barely start to become dry in the pan, then add the garlic chives and bean sprouts and cook for another 20-30 sec. Turn off the heat and serve on a plate with lime wedges, extra bean sprouts and some crushed peanuts. 
Enjoy!

Traditional Pad Thai Sauce:  4 servings  (if you can find the ingredients...)

• 4 tbs. Brown Sugar
• 4 tbs. White Sugar
• 2 tbs. Tamarind (pre-packaged sauce from the Tamarind tree nut)
• 6 tbs. Fish Sauce
• 4 tbs. White Vinegar

Comforting Stuffed Peppers (with kale! vegan, gluten free, etc.)

Gluten-Free, Vegan, Nut-Free, Oil-Free

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup dry, uncooked brown rice
• 2 1/4 cups water (to cook the brown rice in)
• 2 red onions, diced
• 1 cup radishes, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup red cabbage, diced/shredded
• 1 bag or large bunch kale, torn into small pieces
• 1 cup mushrooms, diced
• any other veggies you want! I used half a zucchini left in the fridge so I chopped that up and threw it in.
• 1 15 oz. can aduki beans (or other beans, aduki and very nourishing though!)
• 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 6 (or 4) large green or red peppers 
• 1 18 oz. jar Traditional Marinara Sauce (from Trader Joe's, make sure you get a brand without ANY added sugar, corn syrup, or weird additives)

Seasonings

• sea salt, to taste, 
• Trader Joe's everyday seasoning, to taste (I used abt. 2 tbs. total)
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. coconut aminos (similar to soy sauce but way better)
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. oregano 
• dash of paprika
• dash of pepper
• spritz of fresh lemon juice

1. Cook the brown rice according to the bag directions. The directions for mine was boil 1 cup of the rice in 2.5 cups of water, then lower the temp. and simmer covered for about 35 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Season with sea salt or anything else according to taste. 

2. While the rice is cooking chop up all the veggies and start sautéing the onions, radishes and garlic. Add in the kale, red cabbage, mushrooms (basically any veggies you want) and sauté until tender. 

3. Cut off the tops of the peppers and dice the pepper pieces. Add to the veggie mixture, along with the canned diced tomatoes, beans, and the seasonings (listed above). Cook on low until the brown rice is done and the veggies are tender. 

4. Arrange the pepper halves in a baking dish, then fill the bottom with the veggies, add a layer of brown rice, then more veggies and top off with the marinara sauce. Some people stir the rice into the veggies and you can definitely do that, I just like the layered effect better. For the extra veggie mixture / rice, spoon it into the dish around the stuffed peppers, and top the rest of the dish with the marinara sauce. 

5. Bake at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes. You can bake them more or less, and it really depends on how cooked / soft you want the peppers to be. 

This dish is very comforting and filling, and even my meat and tasty-cake eating family liked it! I adapted this recipe from the one here, and just made it healthier by adding more veggies and took out the cheese and such. This recipe taste so warm, comforting and savory you won't ever miss the old version! :)

Lentil Crust Super Pizza

Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Low Fat 

This recipe was inspired by the Gluten-Free Lentil Rice Crust Pizza with Buffalo Mayo Sauce and the Cauliflower Pepita Chia Crust with Herbed White Beans, Peppers and Onions over at VeganRicha.com. She has an AWESOME vegan cooking website with a whole bunch of really creative gluten-free pizza ideas! I really love her recipes/website so look over there for inspiration too! I initially tried to make the Lentil Pizza, but since I didn't have yeast I tweaked it and used the chia and flax seeds and a few spices from the Cauliflower Pizza recipe. 

Health Benefits of Lentils: 

• Excellent Source of Protein! - 26% attributed to protein, making it a great plant source of protein
• Great source of Fiber - helping provide slow-burning energy, stabilizing blood sugar and assisting digestive health. While they are low in calories the high fiber content makes them very satiating
• Great source of Magnesium
• Great source of Iron 
• Great source of Folate (aka Folic Acid or Vitamin B9)- all very important minerals for the body!
• Lowers Cholesterol
• Cheap - (lol, but true!) a bag of dry lentils only costs about $1 even in the uber expensive state of Hawaii. ;)

Basically, lentils offer a powerhouse of nutrition, so if you haven't had them yet try them now!!

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 and 1/3 cup Lentils(dry uncooked, soaked overnight)

3 Tbsp chia seeds

1 Tbsp flaxmeal

1/2 cup water

3/4 tsp italian herb blend
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup water

Cashew Cheese: 
1 cup cashews (soaked overnight)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
¼ cup filtered water
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbs. raw apple cider vinegar
(inspired by the recipe here)

Toppings: 
Organic Marinara Sauce*
Cashew Cheese 
Veggies
Basil
whatever you want! :)


Steps: 
- Soak the Lentils and Cashews in water and leave for 4 hrs or overnight. (There is nothing special about the 4 hr mark, but you want to be sure they are soaked through enough and will be ready for blending. 

Cashew Cheese: 
- Blend the Cashews and other ingredients together. Adjust spices according to taste, then set in the fridge until topping on the pizza.

Crust: 
- Stir the Chia Seeds, Flaxseed meal, and first 1/2 cup of water together and leave in the fridge for about 15 minutes. This mixture will form a gel-like consistency and will hopefully make the crust rise. 

- Blend the Lentils, spices, baking powder, and second 1/2 cup water together in a good blender. Then blend in the chia/flax mixture. 

- Once everything is blended and you've adjusted the spice to your liking, spoon out the Lentil Pizza Dough onto parchment paper (sprayed with coconut oil) at whatever size and thickness you'd like. The thicker they are the longer it will need to cook. 

- Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until slightly golden brown and cooked through. 

Pizza Time!
- Once the crust is cooked through, add on any toppings you would like!
You can go traditional with marinara, cheese, fresh tomatoes and basil, or go crazy with lots of fun veggies! I added zucchini, red pepper, and Kenny tried to make a Thai Peanut pizza (inspired by his favorite kind at the California Pizza Kitchen) using our Thai peanut sauce as the base then adding veggies on top. 
Tip: If using fresh basil or herbs you may want to add it last or after the other veggies cook. I added the basil with everything else, and the got really crisp and almost burnt after the 10 minutes ...

- Bake for about 10 more minutes, or until the veggies are cooked through to your liking. 
Once the toppings are cooked enough, take out of the oven and let cool for a few minutes, then Serve!


[I baked the dough on regular parchment paper, and I had a hard time getting the pizzas off the paper! Maybe it was just defective parchment paper, or maybe I should have greased it beforehand - either way it's probably safer to spray with coconut oil beforehand so they don't stick!]

 * (watch the sugar content on these store-bought sauces though - even tomato sauces or "healthy" looking brands can actually be packed with sugar, and whatever you do, stay away from high fructose corn syrup!!! Safer to just make if yourself, but I was short on time)


Resources: 
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-eating-lentils-4547.html
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5488/7-Health-Benefits-of-Lentils.html
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=52

Herbed Chickpea Veggies

Chickpea Vegan Dinner

Chickpeas are so yummy, and when seasoned beautifully in this recipe they almost have a cheese-like texture with the warm veggies. 

Garlic + Lemon + Basil = Trinity of Herbs

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 1 chopped red onion
• 1 diced red pepper
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1-3 tbsp. crushed garlic
• squeeze of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• sea salt or Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning to taste
• Braggs Liquid Aminos (optional)

In a large saucepan, saute broccoli and garlic over medium/high heat with a bit of coconut oil or water (to keep fat-free, coconut oil is a healthy fat though that does not change with heat). After about 4 minutes once the broccoli are more tender, add in the chickpeas, red pepper, red onion, lemon, and optional seasoning. You can smash some of the chickpeas while stirring to give it a bit of a sauce and different texture. Once the veggies are tender and cooked through take off the heat. Stir in the chopped basil (or fresh herb). 

I don't add the fresh herbs earlier since you don't want them to wilt too much in the heat and you want to preserve as much of the antioxidant/healing properties as possible!

To make this taste EXTRA Amazing, you can serve it topped with warm Tomato Basil Marinara sauce (no salt/sugar kind from TJ's). The marinara makes it taste like a decadent Italian pasta dishes with bits of cheesy chickpeas, bringing the garlic, lemon, basil combo together beautifully!

1 cup of cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans contains 12 grams of protein, so again this is a tasty way to get your protein and veggies in.

Enjoy :)

Black Bean Artichokes

Bean Protein Vegan Dinner

This is a quick recipe that basically involves veggies and a vegan protein source - today featuring black beans!

Ingredients: 

• 2 cans artichokes (drained, no salt), or 3 cups fresh artichokes 
• 1diced red onion
• 1-3 tbsp. crushed garlic
• 2 cans organic black beans
• squeeze of half a lemon
• sea salt or Trader Joe's everyday seasoning to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

In a large saucepan, saute the artichokes with garlic over medium/high heat. You can use a bit of water or coconut oil to saute the artichokes, and the artichokes will take a little while to brown since they are wet to start out. Once the artichokes are slightly browned, add in the red onion and black beans with remaining herbs/seasonings. ... then done!

Black beans contain 15 grams of protein per 1 cup, making this a protein and flavor-packed vegan meal for the whole family! 

One-pan wonder :)

Red Lentil Veggies

Protein-Packed Vegan Dinner

This is a nutritious, simple dinner great for any night of the week, especially when you need something fast and want fresh clean food!

Use whatever organic vegetables you have on hand. The beauty of this recipe is you just saute up your veggies with the lentils for protein, and you have a beautiful fresh meal!


Ingredients: 

• 3/4 cup red lentils
• 1 1/2 cups filtered water (or veggie broth)
• 1 chopped zucchini (or more)
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 1 chopped red onion
• shredded carrots or anymore veggies you'd like
• 1-3 tbsp. crushed garlic
• squeeze of a 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil/cilantro/herbs
• Braggs Liquid Aminos (optional, like soy sauce)
• sea salt or Trader Joe's everyday seasoning to taste

Heat lentils, garlic and water over medium/high heat in a (large) saucepan. After about 5 minutes stir in broccoli. The broccoli takes the longest to cook through, so after about 4 minutes stir in the zucchini, red onion, squeeze of lemon and any other veggies. When the veggies are tender and lentils are cooked through and absorb the liquid, the dish should be just about finished. Stir in the fresh herbs, more lemon if desired, or any other seasonings ... then done!

1 cup of cooked lentils contains 18 grams of protein, one of the highest concentrations of plant protein without fat. 

One pan - with plenty for the whole family or leftovers

The hardest part about this is chopping veggies (;