3 Bean and Veggie Crock Pot Chili

Have a bunch of veggies you don’t know what to do with? An easy option is to throw everything into a crockpot and make a chili out of it. With minimal prep, all you have to is let the crockpot do the magic. By dinner time, your house will smell like a fresh garden. You will be excited to eat dinner with a full-spectrum of colors in your bowl. This chili won’t have you feeling heavy afterwards because there is no heavy meat or cream in here. It freezes well, so you will have leftovers for days where you don’t want to cook. Find the recipe below:

Ingredients: 

• 3 cans of beans of your choice (I used chick peas, black beans, and a 3 bean blend)

• 1 medium sized sweet onion, chopped

• 4 medium sized carrots, chopped

• 4 stalks celery, chopped

• 1/2 carton of portobello mushrooms, chopped

• 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes or 3 large tomatoes, diced

• 1 6 oz can of tomato paste

• 5 cups of vegetable broth (or water)

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

• 2 T. chili powder

• 1 T. paprika

• 1 T. cumin

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp basil

• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Toppings (optional):

• Lime

• Avocado

• Cilantro

• Tabasco Sauce

• Cheese

• Crackers

Directions:
1) Chop all the veggies with garlic and put them in the crock pot.
2) Open, drain, and rinse the cans of beans and put them in the crock pot.
3) Put the tomato paste and spices in the crock pot.
4) Set your crock pot to low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Make sure the veggies are soft before it is done.
5) When it is all done, top with desired toppings and enjoy the smell of the food in your kitchen! Also, enjoy the tons of leftovers!

Are you looking for any more recipes that you can easily make in a pinch that are healthy and for the whole family? Post your email in the comments below and I will send you a FREE gift of 5 tips to make easy, healthy, "fast food" as well as two of my favorite recipes that have helped me along my journey!

Lentil Stew

It’s been quite a rainy day today in Chicago. All I’ve wanted to do is stay inside, cuddle, and read a good book. Maybe a bit tempted to go dance in the rain! While I love doing all those things, it can be really easy to get into a lazy funk on these days (I’ve been there), it can also be used as a great opportunity to make a delicious home cooked meal with your family to enjoy on a night in like this one. With some help from Radical Root Farms, I prepared a fresh veggie and lentil stew. It has all fresh, organic veggies straight from their garden like swiss chard, potatoes, fennel, and scallions. Mix in some spices and some veggie broth to have yourself a delicious, easy, healthy lentil stew. The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of lentils

• 4-5 cups of vegetable broth (or water)

• 2 cups of fresh veggies of your choice (feel free to use more if you like)

Spices:

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• 1 tsp of garlic salt or use 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic

• 1 tsp celery seed

• 1 tsp celery salt

Direction:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2) Chop all your veggies into cubes.

3) Put them on a baking sheet with foil and pour 2 tsp of olive oil on the veggies.

4) Season with more salt, pepper, and garlic.

5) Cook veggies for 40 minutes.

6) While the veggies are in the oven, grab a pot and combine the lentils, broth, and spices.

7) Turn the stove on to medium and let it come to a boil (~10 minutes).

8) Once it’s boiling, cover it up and let it simmer while your veggies are roasting.

9) Once the veggies are done, take them out of the oven and combine them with the stew. Feel free to add some more broth if it starts to look dry.

10) Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy my recipe! Comment below your version of my delicious stew! I can’t wait to see your creations below! 

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!

Smoky Butternut Squash Pasta and Greens

Mac & cheese with veggies? Yes please! Who would have ever thought we could have our same childhood staples transformed into a healthier, lightened up dish?! With butternut squash pasta sauce, now you and your children can enjoy this delicious dish without even realizing you are eating vegetables. Take a look at this recipe for butternut squash pasta with greens below:

For the sauce:

• 1/4 cups raw cashews

• 1 (3.5-4 lb butternut squash, halved, seeds removed

• 1 T. fresh lemon juice

• 3/4 cup water or veggie broth

• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional, but recommended)

• 1 tsp. chili powder

• 1 tsp. paprika

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1/8 tsp liquid smoke

• pinch of cayenne pepper

• hot sauce to taste

• Salt and pepper to taste

Credits: ohsheglows.com/2013/10/21/smoky-butternut-squash-sauce-with-pasta-and-greens/

For the Mac & Cheese:

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

• Roasted greens: broccoli, kale, and/or any other veggies you like (feel free to go totally HAM on this… the more the merrier)

Directions: 

1)      Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Slice your squash in half, remove seeds, and roast the two halves face up with olive oil. Roast for 30-40 minutes until squash is fork tender. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.

2)      While your squashis 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. Set aside.

3)      Chop and sauté your greens as well as begin the water for your pasta.

4)      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. Combine the pasta with your mixed greens.

5)      When your squash is all done roasting, take it out of the oven. Take 2 cups of the cooked squash and pour it into the blender with the rest of the “cheese” sauce. Blend together until smooth.Feel free to dice the remainder of your squash to use with your pasta.

6)      Combined sautéed veggies and pasta with the desired amount of “cheese” sauce. Cook over medium until heated throughout and serve immediately.

7)      Enjoy!

Do you want help learning how to eat your veggies without feeling like you’re eating them? Comment below to see how we can work together!