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. 

Cauliflower Alfredo Pasta with Veggies

Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Vegetarian, can be vegan

This recipe is adapted from the recipes over at "It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken" for Quick Easy Cauliflower Cream Sauce here, and over at "Leelalicious" for Healthier Cauliflower Alfredo sauce here. 

Ingredients: 

Cauliflower Sauce: 
1 medium head of cauliflower, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 tbs. [grass-fed, pure] butter or coconut oil for vegan version
3 cloves minced garlic
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (or more broth)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1 tsp. black pepper

Gluten-Free Pasta (I used Quinoa pasta)
2 cups frozen broccoli, thawed
1 package chopped mushrooms
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
(any veggies you'd like)

Instructions: 

1. Saute the chopped onion in butter (or coconut oil) and 2 cloves of garlic in a large pot until caramelized, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the chopped cauliflower, broth, non-dairy milk, and additional garlic. Boil for about 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is fork tender. 
3. While the cauliflower is cooking, prepare the pasta according to package directions. 
4. Blend the cauliflower and broth mixture with an immersion blender (or in a blender) until smooth, and blend in the nutritional yeast and salt/pepper to taste. 
5. Add the pasta and prepared/chopped veggies to the sauce once it's blended and ready. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins (with Quinoa Flour)

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

Adapted from the recipe for Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins made with Quinoa Flour over at KeepItSweetDesserts.com. (The author writes that she slightly adapted from Espresso and Cream who had adapted from With Style & Grace.) the recipe looks great, and I adapted it with the ingredients I had on hand. I substituted chia seeds for the eggs, and added a bit of coconut oil to give it some healthy fats. The resulting muffins are moist, fluffy and light, all without eggs or gluten!

Ingredients: 
Dry
1 1/2 cups quinoa flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. ground ginger

Wet
1 cup canned pumpkin 
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbs. chia seeds + 1/3 cup water
1 cup erythritol (or sweetener of choice, more if you like sweeter muffins)
pinch of stevia
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tray or mini muffin tray with coconut oil. 
2. Stir the chia seeds and water together in a small cup, and let sit for about 5 minutes until the chia seeds absorb most of the water. Mix the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl, and add the chia seeds in once they are gelled. 
3. Mix the dry ingredients together in a measuring cup. 
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until just combined. 
5. Fill the muffin tins to the top.
6. Add chocolate chips or any toppings you would like (raspberries, blueberries, raisins, pumpkin seeds, etc.)
7. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Store sealed in air-tight container at room temperature for a few days, or in the freezer. 
This recipe filled a mini muffin tray and half of a regular-sized muffin tray. 

Paleo Custard Tart

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Refined Sugar-Free, Soy-free, Paleo 

Adapted from the awesome recipe for a Fourth of July Lemon Fruit Tart over at PaleOMG.com. This recipe is delicious, and almost tastes like a cheesecake - creamy, rich, sweet, filling, yet without any dairy or refined sugar! I modified the recipe to make the crust more crumbly, with less of an almond butter consistency. I made the original recipe with the juice of 4 limes instead of lemons. It turned out really well and my husband really liked it, but I wanted to tone down the citrus tanginess, and give it a more mellow comforting vanilla flavor. To do this, I used recipe below with less citrus and added vanilla. We liked it even more than the original!

This tart can be customized to whatever fruit and flavor combination you'd like. The following tart is Raspberry Vanilla, but you could also use blueberries, strawberries, kiwis, blackberries, etc. and use more lemon or lime juice in the custard. 

Ingredients: 

Crust

• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ⅔ cup raw almonds
• ⅔ cup raw walnuts
• 2 tbsp. almond butter
• 1 tbsp. raw honey
• pinch of sea salt
• 
  

Custard Filling

5 eggs, whisked
⅓ cup honey 
⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
juice of 1 lime (or lemon)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt (optional)
frozen raspberries, or fruit of choice

Instructions

1. In a food processor mix together the almonds, walnuts and shredded coconut until it achieves a course flour consistency. 

2. Add the almond butter, honey and sea salt, and blend until it comes together more but still retains a somewhat crumbly consistency. Spread out the nut mixture to form a crust in a 8x8 inch pan, and store in the fridge or freezer. 

3. Put a saucepan over medium heat and add the honey, coconut oil, lime juice, vanilla and sea salt in a sauce pan. 

4. Once the mixture is melted and warmed add the eggs and whisk everything together. 

5. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens. (It will take about 5 minutes to thicken, and if you let it go to long little lumps will start forming from the egg whites cooking too long.)

6. Once the egg mixture (custard) has thickened, pour it into a glass dish (or the measuring cup you used), and let cool in the fridge for 20 minutes. 

7. Spread the custard over the crust and decorate with frozen or fresh fruit! 

Fresh fruit tastes amazing on this, but it's more expensive. Frozen fruit is cheaper so I used it for the second recipe, and it still tasted great. 

Triple Chocolte Brownie Pudding Cake ~ Secretly Healthy

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

Adapted from the AH-Mazing recipe over here at ohsheglows.com! 
Growing up, the Brownie Pudding Cake recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook used to be my absolute favorite dessert! We made it so many times in my household, and I so loved the chocolatey combo of brownies and gooey pudding underneath. The flour, eggs, white sugar and brown sugar were integral to the recipe, and for years I couldn't think of a way to healthify this classic dessert. The brilliant blogger at ohsheglows.com cracked the code though and made a brilliant recipe for it though thank goodness! I adjusted her recipe by not using oat flour, by combining pudding mixture before putting on the batter, and a few other things. In the future I might increase the cocoa and sweetener amounts, or add more chocolate chips. 

To put this recipe over the top, I went back and added a chocolate ganache topping to the brownie! It made this absolutely divine and added the perfect touch and deep chocolatey richness to balance out the smooth pudding and moist brownie. 

How is it still healthy? 
Pumpkin. Quinoa Flour. Omega 3's (from chia/flax). Raw Cacao Powder (antioxidants). Organic. Gluten-Free. Fiber. Protein. Enough said. 
I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Ingredients: 

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups quinoa flour (or experiment with a different gf flour)
• 3 tbsp. coconut flour
• 1 cup erythritol (or coconut sugar)
• 10 pinches stevia
• 2/3 cup raw cacoa powder (or cocoa powder)
• 1 tbsp. cream of tartar (corn-free substitute for baking powder)
• 1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp. sea salt (to taste)

Wet Ingredients

• 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax seeds mixed with 6 tbsp. water)
• 2 chia eggs (2 tbsp chia seeds mixed with 4 tbsp. water)
• 2 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 1/4 cups unsweetened pumpkin puree (can also sub with apple sauce)
• 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

Pudding Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup erythritol (or coconut sugar)
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water

Chocolate Ganache Sauce

• 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand, or dairy-free)
• 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 tbsp. sunflower seed butter (or nut butter)

*Use as many organic ingredients as possible


Directions

Brownie: 
- Spray a 9x13 inch pan with coconut oil and pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. 
- Mix the flax and chia "eggs" together in a cup, then leave for about 5 minutes (in the fridge, optional) to set up and form a gel. 
- Stir together all the dry ingredients, gf flour, coconut flour cocoa powder,  in a large bowl, making sure there are no lumps in the mixture (cocoa tends to clump a lot). 
- Stir in the wet ingredients: almond milk, pumpkin, chia/flax eggs and vanilla, into the dry ingredients and gently mix until thoroughly combined. The batter should be thick like brownie batter. You can choose to mix the chocolate chips into the batter, or to sprinkle them on top. 
- Spread the batter into the pan. 

Pudding: 
- Stir the cocoa powder and erythritol together in a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water and stir until everything is dissolved. 
- Pour the cocoa/boiling water mixture on top of the brownie batter. It will look like a complete disaster and like you totally ruined the recipe, but you didn't! It's okay, and all part of the plan!!
- CAREFULLY place the pan in the oven. 
- Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the brownie looks fully cooked and not wet on top. 

The brownie will bake and rise to the top, and the cocoa/water mixture will turn into a lovely silky pudding on the bottom - magical!
Let the pudding cake cool for a bit so the pudding has time to set up. 

Prepare the Ganache: 
- While the brownie is cooling, heat the chocolate chips in a microwave at about 30 second intervals until the chips melt. 
- Stir in the non-dairy milk and sunflower seed butter. You may have to heat it up again and continue stirring to make everything melt and incorporate. Adjust the amount of milk, chocolate or sunflower seed butter to how thick you'd like it. 
The sunflower seed butter adds a thicker richness to the sauce, but it could be left out and substituted with more chocolate if preferred. 

Serve with the Chocolate Ganache sauce, or dairy free ice cream, or coconut whipped cream, and Enjoy! :)

Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream

2 frozen bananas
3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 1/2 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp. chia seeds
Optional: sea salt, sweetener, dates, cinnamon, nutmeg or other flavor to taste

- Combine everything in a blender. Adjust the flavors to your tastes. 
- Let sit in the freezer to firm up. 

Asian Red Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients: 

• red cabbage, diced half of 1 head
• 1 cup zucchini, diced 
• 1 cup celery, diced 
• 3/4 cup carrots, diced 
• 1 bunch scallions, diced
• any other veggies you want!

Dressing: 

• 3 tbs. apple cider vinegar (Bragg's brand)
• 4-5 tbs. coconut aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos)
• 1 tbs. minced garlic
• 1 tbs. chia seeds
• 1 tbs. olive oil or macadamia oil (optional)
• sprinkle of garlic powder
• sprinkle of paprika
• sprinkle of pepper
• sprinkle of dried minced onion flakes (optional)
• any other seasonings/herbs you prefer

Steps: 

1. Chop up the veggies and place in a bowl.

2. Stir together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, and season to fast.

3. Pour the dressing over the veggies and stir together. 
4. Refrigerate and enjoy! :)

Super easy, and PACKED with loads of nutrition!! 

Vegan Beet Brownies

Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Oil-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free

When traveling I like to bring my own healthy foods so I don't have to pay for or depend on what's available at the airport. I experimented with making bars that have vegetables, protein, fiber, and that taste good, and these were the result! Beets are packed with nutrients, the chickpeas and quinoa flour provide a great protein source, cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar, and I even added a zucchini for good measure. These will be a good breakfast, snack, dessert, or mini travel meal. 

Health Benefits of Beets:

• Beets are packed with vitamins and minerals including potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron; vitamins A, B & C; beta-carotene, beta-cyanine; and folic acid.
• Beets help detoxify the body by boosting liver function, purifying the blood, and can prevent various forms of cancer.
• Beets help mental health and can also lower blood pressure.
• Beets are full of fiber, contain only 60 calories per cup, and have potent anti-inflammatory effects.

Health Benefits of Chickpeas:

• Plant protein source containing 15 grams of protein per cup
• Rich in soluble and insoluble fiber
• Rich in vitamins and minerals: A one-cup serving of chickpeas provides 50% of daily potassium needs, 2% vitamin A, 21% calcium, 13% vitamin C, 69% iron, 2% sodium, 55% vitamin B-6 and 57% magnesium. They also contain vitamin K, folate, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, choline and selenium.
• Low glycemic index of 28, providing slow burning energy and not spiking blood sugar.
• Much more! Reference the sources below for the full articles

Raspberries & Blueberries sprinkled on top

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cup quinoa flour (or gf flour of choice)
• 1 ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ cup erythritol or sweetener of choice
• 1 tablespoon (or less) stevia powder
• 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon mineral salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

• 3 steamed beets
• 1 raw zucchini
• 1 can organic chickpeas
• 3 tbs. chia seeds mixed with 6 tbs. water
• ¾ cup non-dairy milk (I used flax milk)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  Berries (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 355 degrees.
2. While the beats are steaming, measure out and stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Blend together the wet ingredients in a food processor until totally smooth.
4. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients.
5. Smooth out into 2 9x13 inch pans. Top with berries, chocolate chips or any other toppings.
6. Bake at 355 for 30-40 minutes depending on your oven. Let cool on a wire rack before cutting.

All packed and ready for traveling!

Recipe revised from: http://www.theroastedroot.net/fudgy-paleo-beetroot-brownies/

Sources:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-beet-benefits-aphrodisiac-brain-booster-more.html/2

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/25/beets-health-benefits.aspx

http://www.fullcircle.com/goodfoodlife/2012/05/10/6-health-benefits-of-eating-beets/

http://www.naturalfoodbenefits.com/display.asp?CAT=2&ID=86

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/280244.php

Fudgy Zucchini Black Bean Brownies

Vegan, Gluten Free, High Protein, High Fiber, Oil Free, Refined Sugar Free

This recipe is adapted from the Fudgy Black Bean Brownies at Desserts with Benefits. Her site is AMAZING with the tons of healthy dessert recipes, so I highly recommend checking it out!

With any recipe I make, and especially with dessert recipes, I'd like for it to have a good protein source, veggies, plenty of antioxidants and be highly nourishing as well as tasty. This recipe fits the bill, as it is high protein from the quinoa flour and adzuki beans, high fiber from the beans and zucchini, has omega 3 fatty acids from the chia and flax seeds, and is even low in fat. It's as if you were having a healthy dinner of quinoa, beans and zucchini, except in fudge brownie form!! .. Ok maybe not, but either way these are nutritious and delicious.

These brownies have the allusive crusty top with fudgy bottom/center (very hard to do with a healthier brownie) and it tastes as good as the box versions.

Ingredients

Dry:

• 1 ½ cups Granulated Erythritol* (or dry sweetener of choice)
  Pinch Stevia
• 1 ½ cups Regular Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup Quinoa Flour (can also sub garbanzo bean or brown rice flour)
• 3 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Wet:

• 2 tbs Ground Flaxseed
• 2 tbs Chia Seeds
• 6 tbs water
• one 15.5oz can Adzuki (or Black Beans), drained and rinsed well
• 1 ½ large zucchinis, rinsed and chopped
• 2/3 cup Unsweetened Nut Milk (I used Silk Cashew Milk, to make Nut Free use flax milk or rice milk)
• 1 tbs frozen blueberries
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• frozen raspberries to sprinkle on top (optional)

1. In a large measuring container or dish, mix together the dry ingredients making sure there are no lumps.
2. Mix together the flax seeds and chia seeds in the water and let sit in the fridge about 5 minutes until it thickens and forms a gel-like consistency.
3. In a food processor (or blender if need be), puree the beans, zucchini, blueberries, and vanilla extract in the nut milk.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the dry and wet ingredients by stirring in ⅓ of the dry at a time. The batter should be quite thick.
5. Sprinkle the crushed frozen raspberries on top of the brownie. (optional, but they make it look really pretty!)
6. Spray a 9x13 in. pan with coconut oil, then spread the batter into the pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until a knife can be inserted and the brownie is not still gooey at the bottom.

Let the brownies sit in the fridge over night so the texture sets and they get the right fudge texture. Enjoy!!

Can you believe these have zucchini, beans with healthy protein/fiber, and chia and flax with omega 3's?!! Amazingly healthy, and delicious!!