Tag Archives: vegan

Roasted Ratatouille with Black Olives

This is a great variation to a traditional ratatouille dish. By roasting the vegetables, you get rich flavors and melding of ingredients. The black olives and fresh basil were a nice touch. I served it with polenta and the whole dish was super yummy!

Ingredients

4 tomatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 each red, yellow and green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1/2 onion, thickly sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, plus additional for garnishing
1/2 cup pitted black olives

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425° F.
Place two rimmed baking sheets in the oven for 4 minutes to heat.
Meanwhile, toss the tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and onions with olive oil and garlic in a large bowl. Very carefully spread the vegetables on the hot baking sheets. Roast, shaking the pan once or twice to turn vegetables, until tender and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss roasted vegetables with balsamic vinegar, basil and olives. Serve warm with sprigs of fresh basil.

I served this with polenta and grated parmesan cheese!

Thanks PCC Natural Markets!

Roasted Broccoli

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This is a really yummy way to cook broccoli. I usually steam broccoli until it’s bright green and just tender (which is super quick and easy), but we seem to end up with leftovers. This took a few more steps, but there were no leftovers. A delicious crispy roasted broccoli recipe and such a great side dish for this time of year! Even the kids loved it. Never thought I’d say broccoli and yum in the same sentence, but there you go! 🙂

Ingredients

1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions

Oven to 400*
In a large bowl, toss broccoli with olive oil and salt
Spread in single layer on baking sheet
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until broccoli is tender and crisp and starting to brown
Cool a bit and serve!

Heirloom Tomatoes

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Nothing says late summer like heirloom tomatoes! Now I realize it’s fall, especially with the rain in Seattle this week, but I found the last of the heirlooms of the season this weekend!

One of my favorite snacks used to be tomato sandwiches: fresh bread, mayo, slices of juicy heirloom tomatoes. Heirlooms in particular are rich in flavor and super delicious. I am strict GF now and eat few grains, but tomatoes are so good just on their own!

Ingredients

Tomatoes, sliced
Olive oil
Fresh basil, chopped (optional)
Sea salt (optional)

Directions

Drizzle olive oil on tomatoes and sprinkle with a little sea salt and fresh basil

Tricolor Autumn Salad

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This is made with purple cabbage, romaine lettuce and carrots.. full of nutrients, all raw ingredients, crunchy and delicious! Toss with Tahini Dressing and enjoy.

Ingredients

1 small head purple cabbage (grated)
1 small head romaine lettuce (finely chopped)
1 cup grated carrots
1 batch Tahini dressing

Tahini Dressing (makes 1.5 cups or so)

1/2 cup roasted tahini
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt

Directions

In a large bowl, toss veggies
For dressing, puree ingredients until smooth
Toss salad with 1/2 cup or up to all dressing and serve

Source: Thanks Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry

Banana Ice Cream Sundays with Figs Almonds and Honey

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Need I say more haha?

I’ve been dying to make a dessert with figs! I’d love to say that it’s because of their flavor, but sadly…no, it’s because of how beautiful they are. YES, I’M THAT WEIRD!! But in my mind…if they look that beautiful, and they are THAT EXPENSIVE (!!!), they have to be delicious too, right??

Truthfully…I’m glad I got some (thank to my parents splitting the Costco batch with me!), but…you could easily just top this with any fruit that is in season and it would be just as yummy! They ARE pretty though, right??!Banana Ice Cream

Frozen Bananas (I cut mine into 1-2 inch pieces and then freeze) amount varies on how many servings you want. I used two, and it was enough to feed 3.
1/2 Cup Almond Milk (or any kind of milk)

Toppings

Figs
Almonds (diced)
Unsweetened Coconut
Drizzle of Raw Honey

What to do

I a blender, mix all the Ice Cream ingredients until smooth and creamy. It helps to let the frozen bananas sit out for about 5 minutes.
Scoop into little bowls and top with whatever you have on hand! Really, the possibilities are endless on how you can vary this! And…I DO! 🙂

And this is what happens when you try and take pictures of a dessert with a hungry toddler haha. ENJOY!!

Peach or Nectarine Crisp

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Sweet succulent peaches and nectarines are sprinkled with an almond oat topping and baked till crisp and golden. Served with rich vanilla ice cream, this is wonderful and delicious summer dessert.

I modified this recipe from the original from PCC Natural Markets – but because the peaches were so ripe and sweet and I was planning to serve this with vanilla ice cream, I used a lot less sugar and also substituted tapioca flour instead of the corn starch. You can consult the original here, but here is my version of the recipe and the vote in my house was: this peach crisp is amazing!

Ingredients

2 pounds ripe peaches or nectarines, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 Tbsp coconut sugar, divided
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons tapioca flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (quick-cooking fine)
6 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into small pieces
Vanilla yogurt or vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F.
Combine peaches or nectarines, 1 Tbsp coconut sugar, lemon juice and tapioca flour in a 9-inch shallow round baking dish or pie plate.
In a separate bowl, combine almond flour, oats and salt. Rub in butter with your fingertips until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle oat topping over the fruit mixture. Place the dish or pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Top each serving with a dollop of yogurt

Thanks PCC Natural Markets

Grated Apple for Little Tummies

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Remember the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away?” My daughter was recently complaining about a stomach ache. I remembered my mom grating an apple, letting it turn a little brown and then giving it to us for stomach upset, so I tried this first. Grated apple, by the way, is super yummy – juice is released and so it’s a nice mix of crunchy and juicy, but different than just eating an apple. Anyway, there were no more complaints (that day) about stomach ache. I’ve heard this can help against acid reflux as well! Enjoy and take care and be well!

What kind of apple? Any kind will do. Gala Apples are my favorite.

I founds some other great natural remedy tips here! Natural is always a great place to start.

http://www.purplesage.org.uk/treatments/KitchenPharm.htm

Cucumber-Jalapeño Agua Fresca

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Here’s another refreshing Agua Fresca recipe, adding to the collection of cool drinks including previously posted: Horchata and Honeydew Lemongrass Agua Fresca.

If you like cucumber, you will love this drink!

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups water, divided
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded, to taste
2 large cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
Ice, for serving

Preparation

Combine 1/4 cup water and sugar in a saucepan; simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add mint and jalapeño. Cover and steep for 15 minutes; strain.
Blend together cucumbers, lime juice and remaining water. Add sugar syrup, to taste. Strain and serve over ice.

Thanks PCC Natural Markets for the inspiration!

Horchata

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Last week I published the Honeydew-Lemongrass Agua Fresca. Another Agua Fresca is the traditional Horchata. You may know it from Mexican restaurants and food stands – it’s the delicious white cinnamon drink served chilled! Made with rice, almonds, sugar and cinnamon, it’s a refreshing drink in a totally different way than the fruit frescas.

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain white rice
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup sliced almonds
4 cups water
1/3 cup sugar, or to taste (I used about 1 Tbsp agave syrup)
Ice, for serving

Preparation

In a food processor, blend rice and cinnamon until it resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a large bowl and add almonds. Cover with water and refrigerate overnight. (I could not get the rice to break down, and soaked it for about 48 hours.)
Transfer mixture to a blender, add sugar and blend until finely pureed. Strain mixture through cheesecloth or mesh strainer; discard pulp. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir and serve over ice.

Thanks PCC Natural Markets!

Return of the Moscow Mule

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What’s all the fuss about anyway? Apparently old fashioned drinks are back in style.. including the Old Fashioned, the Mint Julep, and Moscow Mule.. the latter served in a copper mug filled with ice and topped with fresh mint. Totally refreshing on a hot summer day!

Ingredients

Fill mug with ice and add
2 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. lime juice
5 oz. ginger beer (ginger ale was fine!)
sprig of mint

Cheers!

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