Sweet Potato Bowl with Salsa Con Queso

Are you feeling a bit all over the place now that summer is over and the holidays are getting closer? We naturally shift into eating heavier, warmer foods as the colder months set in. Who doesn’t love a nice warm bowl of food on a cold day? One easy way to do this is by roasting vegetables. It’s a great way to easily cook up any dish without all the mess. There are so many wonderful vegetables to use that are fantastic to help keep you grounded and focused during the hustle and bustle of the day. Spend your holiday season feeling healthy and full of energy with my sweet potato veggie bowl with salsa con queso!

Ingredients:

Vegetables:

• 2 Large Sweet Potatoes, cubed

• 1 15 Oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 Small sweet onion, chopped

• 1 Red bell pepper, chopped

• 10 Radishes, cut thin (I used a mandolin)

• 2 Cups mixed greens, chopped (I used swiss chard and spinach)

• 4 Oz (1/2 container) of Portobello mushrooms, chopped

• 1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup

• 1 Tsp Chili powder

• 1 Tsp Paprika

• 1 Tsp Cumin

• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

• Salt and Pepper to taste

• Avocado (for serving)

For the Salsa Con Queso:

• 1 ½ cups raw cashews soaked overnight in cool water

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 1/3-1/2 cup nutritional yeast

• ½ Cup vegetable broth

• 1 Tsp Chili powder

• 1 Tsp Paprika

• 1 Tsp Cumin

• 1 Tsp garlic powder

• ¼ Cup salsa of choice

• 1 Tsp Worcestershire sauce ** Can omit to make the dish vegetarian/vegan

• 1/8 Tsp liquid smoke (optional)

• Dash of hot sauce (optional)

Directions:

** Before preparing the queso, make sure to soak the cashews overnight or prepare it in advance

1)      Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees F and prepare your baking sheet with foil.

2)      Chop your veggies, drizzle with olive oil and seasonings, and toss to combine. Add the beans and toss those as well.

3)      Bake for 25-30 minutes until very tender or slightly caramelized.

4)      In the meantime, in a high powered blender, combine all the ingredients for the queso and blend until smooth. If you have a Vitamix or other high powered blender, you don’t need to soak the cashews overnight.

5)      When the veggies are ready, top with queso and serve with sliced avocado. Enjoy!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

I definitely outdid myself on this one. For those of you who don't know me, I am obsessed with dip. I would make spinach artichoke dip all the time and I would eat it just as fast as I made it! 😂 But this time, I added spaghetti squash, more veggies, and some meat to made this a meal. As an added bonus, the entire dish is dairy free! Yesssss it's so good I felt called to share this. This dish can be vegan as well if you remove the meat. It's still plenty filling with or without the meat. Check out the recipe for my Spinach and Artichoke Dip Stuffed Spaghetti Squash!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium spaghetti squashes, halved lengthwise

• 1 lb cooked meat of choice (optional)

• ** 1 cup cashews

• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast

• ½ cup almond milk or vegetable broth

• 2-3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

• ½ cup veganaise (or you can use regular mayo here)

• 1 lemon, squeezed

• 1 Tablespoon arrowroot starch

• ½ cup vegan Parmesan cheese (find the recipe here)

• 1 cup dairy free mozzarella cheese (can be found at Whole Foods or any health food store)

• 4 cloves of garlic

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 can artichoke hearts, chopped

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped

• 8 oz Portobello mushrooms, chopped

• ** 1 8 oz bag of frozen spinach or buy a large bag of fresh spinach

• Parsley (for topping)

Directions:

** If you don’t have a high powered blender or a food processor, soak the cashews in 1 cup of water overnight, so they are ready to blend.

** If you decide to use frozen spinach, thaw according to directions on the package. Make sure it’s completely dry before adding to the rest of your vegetables.

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place spaghetti squash halves face down in a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper on each half. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until squash is fork tender.

2.       Chop your veggies. On medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan. Place the onions into your pan and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the peppers and mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the artichokes and spinach. Sauté until the spinach is wilted and your veggies are nice and soft. Add the mozzarella cheese and your cooked meal.  Stir until the cheese is melted.

3.       Place cashews, nutritional yeast, almond milk or veggie broth, veganaise, lemon, arrowroot starch, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper into the blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

4.       When your spaghetti squash is done, let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Spaghetti all of your squash with a fork and add it to your vegetables. Keep the squash halves because you will use them in the following steps.

5.       Add the sauce mixture to your veggie mixture and stir to mix through.

6.       Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F. Spoon the mixture back into the spaghetti squash halves. Top with extra mozzarella cheese if desired.

7.       Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted. Top with parsley and enjoy! :)

Gluten and Dairy Free Pizza with Vegan Pesto

Note: This recipe is NOT vegan, despite it being gluten and dairy free. If you want this vegan, omit the prosciutto (Although I don’t recommend it because it seriously makes the dish taste 10000x better!)

Who ever thought that you could actually make a pizza healthy? I was over at my boyfriend's parents' house one evening and his dad made this beautiful Italian pizza with prosciutto, figs, and pesto. It was one of the best pizzas I ever had. I thought it was so creative because I had never heard of anyone putting such items on a pizza. This was my inspiration for this amazing pizza. I personally have some trouble eating gluten and dairy, so I felt called to recreate this delicious dish. With a gluten free crust, dairy free nut cheeses, and dairy free sauce as well as the addition of some more veggies, I bring to the table my version of this pizza.

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

** You can use Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Pizza Crust or the following:

• 4 cups almond flour

• 1 packet of stevia ** optional

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup butter, melted

• 4-6 Tbsp. water, divided

For the sauce:

• ½ cup of vegan pesto (Find the recipe here)

For the Toppings:

• ½ cup prosciutto, chopped

• ½ cup white onion, chopped

• ½ cup Dairy free mozzarella cheese (you can get this from Whole Foods)

• ½ cup cherry tomatoes, chopped

• 4 oz Portobello mushrooms, chopped

• ½ cup figs, chopped

• ½ cup kale, chopped

• ½ cup vegan parmesan cheese (recipe found here) Note: You can use cashews instead of brazil nuts

• balsamic glaze to drizzle on top

Directions:

1)      To make the crust, combine all of the ingredients except the water. Mix well with your hands. Add the water tablespoon by tablespoon, mixing the flour until mixed through. You can skip this step if you buy the crust. Follow the directions on the package.

2)      Preheat the oven to 425 Degrees F. Chop your veggies and set aside.

3)      Split the crust in two pieces. On a pizza pan, form a crust shape with your hands as flat as you can, making sure the crust is formed evenly.

4)      Add desired sauce, toppings, and cheese on your pizzas.

5)      Bake for 20-25 minutes until the ends of the crust are golden brown. Enjoy!   

Easy Vegan Pesto

Pesto is such an amazing and versatile food. I can seriously put it on almost everything. From eggs to pasta to pizza, pesto is a great sauce to add to make any dish taste even better! Unfortunately, there are more and more people that are becoming sensitive to dairy. Lucky for you, thanks to the help of Minimalist Baker, I found this delicious recipe that tastes almost identical to the dairy version. Check it out below!

Credits to: https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-vegan-pesto-5-minutes/

Ingredients:

• 2 cups packed (144 g) fresh basil (large stems removed)

• 3 Tbsp (25 g) pine nuts or walnuts (if nut-free, try sunflower seeds!)

• 3 large cloves garlic, peeled

• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice

• 3-4 Tbsp (9-12 g) nutritional yeast

• 1/4 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste

• 2-3 Tbsp (30-45 ml) extra virgin olive oil*

• 3-6 Tbsp (45 - 70 ml) water or vegetable broth (plus more as needed)

Directions:

1.       In a food processor or vitamix, add the basil, nuts, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and sea salt and blend/mix on high until a loose paste forms.

2.       Add olive oil a little at a time (streaming in while the machine is on if possible) and scrape down sides as needed. Then add 1 Tbsp (15 ml) water or vegetable broth at a time until the desired consistency is reached - a thick but pourable sauce. (If avoiding oil altogether, sub the oil with vegetable broth or just use all water.)

3.       Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor, salt for overall flavor, nuts for nuttiness, garlic for bite / zing, or lemon juice for acidity.

Lightened Up Chicken Alfredo

I can’t talk enough about how awesome the holiday weekend was! It was such a magical experience getting to be with my second family. My heart and my body are filled with joy! While all of that was lovely, I will definitely say that my eating has been a bit off since my trip. My chocolate and carb cravings have gone through the roof! But that’s okay because I know that a few bad days are not going to derail me from my lifestyle. Thankfully, I took this weekend to recharge and cook a ton because cooking delicious, healthy food brings my body and my mind joy! I feel so much lighter when I am eating better and I can feel more at ease with life. Not only did I make a ton of soup this week, but I was able to demo my food for people. The look on people’s faces when they light up from eating my food keeps me going to bring better, more wholesome food to the plate every single day. One huge lifestyle change that has helped me lose the weight and keep it off is by crowding out all the processed ingredients for lighter ingredients/more veggies instead. This is what I want to share with the world and this is what I’m able to do. Today, I had the honor of making Chicken Alfredo for a wonderful group of people from start to finish. Who knew that you can take a classic pasta dish that typically has heavy cream and crowd it out with roasted cauliflower? Now you’re getting the hang of this whole crowding out thing and it’s a lot easier than you think! And you get to lose weight while not having to give up your favorite foods! Want to learn more on crowding out processed ingredients in your favorite dish? PM me and I would love to help you! As promised, with the help of Oh She Glows and Minimalist Baker, here is the recipe for my Lightened Up Chicken Alfredo with an added bonus of roasted greens (because they taste so much better that way)!

Ingredients:

Inspired by: http://ohsheglows.com/2014/01/20/cauli-power-fettuccine-alfredo-vegan/ and https://minimalistbaker.com/5-ingredient-vegan-parmesan-cheese/

• 4 heaping cups cauliflower florets (1 small/medium cauliflower)

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 4 medium cloves garlic, peeled

• 1/2 cup unsweetened and unflavored almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice… can also use low-sodium vegetable broth)

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1 fresh lemon, juiced

• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste

• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon pepper, to taste

• Pasta of choice (I used one (8-oz) box of Banza Chickpea Pasta to make this dish gluten-free)

• Mixed greens of choice (I used a veggie mix, broccoli, kale, and spinach from my local harvest CSA)

• ½ medium sweet onion

• 1 lb of chicken

• Fresh parsley and crushed red peppers, for garnish

For the Parmesan Cheese:

• 3/4 cup (100 g) brazil nuts (I typically use Cashews instead)

• 2 Tbsp (16 g) pine nuts

• 1 Tbsp (10 g) hemp seeds

• 1/4 cup (12 g) nutritional yeast

• 3/4 tsp sea salt

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

1.       Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut up all of your greens and cauliflower into florets. Cut your onion as well. It doesn’t really matter how your cauliflower or onion cut, since they will be going in the sauce. Peel your garlic and place onto a baking sheet with tin foil. Place your chicken on a separate baking sheet with tin foil.

·         **Note: I also squeezed my lemon onto the veggies, but you can wait until the sauce if you want. It’s totally up to you!

2.       Pour olive oil over your veggies. Season your chicken and veggies with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place in oven for 30 minutes.

3.       While your veggies and chicken are roasting, combine all of the ingredients for the Parmesan Cheese into a high powered blender (I use a Vitamix).

·         **Note: If you don’t have a high powered blender, use a food processor or soak the nuts overnight and let them dry before blending with the rest of the ingredients.

4.       Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add your desired amount of pasta and boil for the time instructed on the package. Drain pasta.

5.       When the veggies and chicken are all done, remove them from the oven and begin making the sauce. Combine your cauliflower, almond milk, onion, garlic, ½ cup parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast, and your lemon (if you haven’t used it already) in your blender and blend until smooth. Cut your chicken into cubes.

6.       Combine roasted veggies, chicken, pasta, and sauce to your pot where the pasta was and stir until the sauce is mixed all the way through.

7.       Top with parsley and crushed red peppers and enjoy! Serves 4-6 depending on how hungry you are!

Vegan Mac & Cheese

Who doesn't love mac & cheese?! I personally grew up on that stuff as a kid and in college with it being a huge part of my diet. I’m sure most of us can say the same. However, with all of the food sensitivities we're seeing in our society in this day and age, we can’t eat the same foods we used to anymore without feeling bloated, heavy, and miserable. Luckily, this doesn’t have to be the case anymore. Give that old story a rest with this delicious recipe that is not only gluten and dairy free, but contains tons of veggies and protein. Who says you can’t eat your old childhood favorites anymore?! Now, you can enjoy this delicious vegan mac & cheese with my recipe below:

For the cheese sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews

• 3 T. fresh lemon juice

• 3/4 cup water or veggie broth

• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1 tsp. chili powder

• 1 tsp. paprika

• ½ tsp. cumin

• 4 cloves garlic

• pinch of turmeric

• pinch of cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Mac & Cheese Casserole

• 16 ounces of pasta of choice (I like Banza chickpea pasta for a gluten free option)

• Roasted veggies (feel free to go totally HAM on this… the more the merrier)

Credits: 

http://detoxinista.com/2011/01/move-over-kraft/

Directions:

1)      If you decide to roast veggies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Start preparing all of your veggies. I personally like to do onions, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, and spinach.

2)      Put all of the chopped veggies (minus the spinach) on a baking sheet with tin foil under it and drizzle some olive oil, salt, and pepper on your veggies.

3)      Put them in the oven for 30-35 minutes (I like them well done, so feel free to do it for 40 minutes if you decide to use a lot of veggies) and begin cooking the water for your pasta until it comes to a boil.

• Feel free to sauté the veggies instead if you are short on time instead of using the oven.

4)      While your veggies are roasting, make your “cheese” sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a high powered blender (Vitamix for example) and blend on high until smooth and creamy. No worries if you don’t have a high powered blender. You can use a food processor or blender to process the cashews first. Once they are processed, add them in with the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.

5)      Once the water for your pasta is brought to a boil, add the noodles until they are fully cooked according to the directions on the box (~10 minutes or I’ll taste it to make sure they are al dente). When they are done, drain/rinse the pasta and return your pasta to the pot to be mixed with your cheese sauce. Feel free to add the spinach too at this time.

6)      When your veggies are all done roasting, take them out of the oven and mix everything together. Then, pour the mac & cheese into an 8x8 square dish. Feel free to garnish with black pepper and paprika.

7)      ** Optional: Bake for 30 minutes (still at 350F) and let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.

8)      Enjoy!

Do you want help making some of your childhood favorites that are healthy and taste good? Contact Rachel to see how we can work together!