Tag Archives: vegetarian

Casseroles, holiday

Butternut squash risotto

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I love the holidays as an excuse to try out and come up with new recipes! I know that most of the Fam doesn’t eat plant based, so I wanted to bring a couple vegan dishes to share. I love love love all the squash/pumpkin options this time of year, and what better than a creamy comfort food dish as the weather cools off! So savory with classic thanksgiving herbs like thyme, sage, and rosemary, and a little sweet with the butternut squash and nutmeg! I got the basic idea for this recipe here, but then added a bunch! : https://youtu.be/PvJeAzk_6-0

You need:

1 large butternut squash, roasted in the oven on 350Fx 50 minutes

2 cups dry brown rice

4cups veggie broth

2cups unsweetened soymilk

3 small onions chopped

8 small cloves garlic chopped

Garlic olive oil for sautéing

1tbs each fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1cup nutritional yeast

I used a blender and and a instantpot for this recipe

First I sautéed the onions in my instantpot with the garlic olive oil until sight caramelized, added the chopped garlic and sautéed a couple more minutes. Then I took my roasted squash and scooped out about 2/3 of it and set it aside with 3/4 of the garlic/onion mixture. The remaining squash I cubed and set aside too. Next I threw the brown wife into the pot and covered in vegetable broth and cooked the brown rice on manual for 22 minutes with sow natural release setting. Alternately, just cook your rice as you typically would, just use broth instead of water! Next put your set aside squash/onion/garlic mix into your blender with the soy milk, nutritional yeast, and salt/pepper/nutmeg to taste. Once blended and creamy, add to your cooked rice and continue cooking on low/medium heat. Next throw in your chopped fresh herbs, and lastly your cubed squash. Combine well and serve in a pretty casserole dish. Enjoy!!

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Appetizers, Snacks

Cauli-Tots

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I know I already did broccoli tots, but I had to also try cauliflower tots! These retain more of the original color/texture of the traditional tater tots. The key to making these work is to make sure you squeeze as much water as possible out of the cauliflower. So good, so loving these with my favorite Sir Kensignton ketchup :D. Healthy comfort food is my jam. 
You need:

1 small/med head of cauliflower, lightly steamed (not total mush)

Cut into 1/4 in pieces, place on a clean towel, and wring out excess water

Then place in a bowl and mix well with:
1 egg

2/3 cup nutritional yeast

Garlic, to taste, about 2 minced cloves for me

celery, 1 large stalk chopped

1/2 yellow bell pepper

1/ onion

Black and crushed red pepper

Paprika

Bake 400F for 20 minutes, flip and bake 5 more
Dip in ketchup and enjoy!!
   
    
      
    
    
  
    
  
    
  
    
 

Breakfast, Dessert, Snacks

PB Chocolate Cheesecake

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Peanut butter, chocolate, cheesecake 🙂 and loaded with protein but not sugar or fate eat it for dessert, eat it for breakfast. Eat the whole thing if you are very hungry 🙂

You could double everything and make a full 8in cheesecake, but I used a little 5in pan with these quantities.

You need:

4oz low fat coffee yogurt

1/2 container ft cream cheese

1 scoop choc protein 

Vanilla 1tsp

1tbs cocoa powder 

1/2 cup egg whites

10 drops stevia

Whisk or blend all ingredients together. Pour into a pan that has been sprayed with oil then dusted with cocoa powder.

For topping drizzle either melted peanut butter or mix some pb2/powdered peanut butter with milk of choice until you reach a nice drizzle-y consistency. Then using a knife to make criss cross lines across the top to make a cute pattern.

Bake at 250 for 20 min then 300 for 15min

Cool, chill in the fridge overnight, then enjoy!

Salads

Falafel Salad :D

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I so enjoyed the falafels I made a few weeks ago, that I thought I would try them again in a little different way! Basically uses all the same ingredients as This recipe, but instead of a wrap or pita, I put them on a bed of mixed greens and spinach. OH SO good!!

You need:

-a few cups fresh spinach/ mixed greens for a base

-Pea shoots (optional)

-Green onion, about 1/2 cup chopped

-Red bell pepper, about 1/4 pepper chopped

-Fresh parsely 1-2 tbs

-Avocado to garnish

-Sunflower seeds to garnish

– Fresh baked falafel (see recipe Here)

-Hummus to taste (recipe Here)

-Tziki sauce (same link as falafel recipe)

– 1/2 Cucumber, chopped

Simply assemble, drizzle with hummus and tziki sauce to taste, and enjoy!!

Breakfast

Super Simple Waffles/Pancakes

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This is essentially 2 ingredient pancakes. The essentials would be egg, banana, and baking powder makes it fluffier. The rest is added flavoring!  You could use 2 whole eggs per banana, but I used 1 whole egg and some egg whites. Doesn’t get more basic than that. Protein+fruit essentially– nothing processed, no flour, no gluten, nothing to it! Mine turned out a little softer and thinner than typical waffle/pancakes, so I plan to experiment with slightly different egg:banana ratios, or maybe using coconut flour instead of PB2 (or omitting this), or maybe increasing the baking powder. No way to find out but to try. But these were delicious as is 🙂

You need:

1 egg

1tbs pb2

1 banana

2/3 cup egg whites

1/2 tsp baking powder

Cinnamon

Vanilla
Simply mix all ingredients together well, and use for pancake/waffle batter.  Top with fruit, cinnamon, and plain greek yogurt as pictured!

Serves 1!  Double or triple the recipe as needed, enjoy!
   
    
    
 

Dessert, Snacks

Chocolate Cheesecake Protein Pudding

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I have said before whole much I love pudding. And chocolate and cheese are the best food groups, obviously 😉 I have made a chocolate cheesecake, but now let’s do a chocolate cheesecake pudding. This is incredibly quick, and I know using a jello mix in here is total cheating, but this combo of ingredients makes for a very fast desert hat is low on sugar, high in protein, and oh so satisfying 🙂

You need:

-1 12 oz package extra form morinu silken tofu (shelves not refrig section at the grocery)

-Cheesecake flavor sugar free fat free jello pudding mix

-1 cup low fat kefir

-1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

-1 scoop chocolate whey protein of choice 

-2 tbs cocoa powder 

Simply throw all ngredients into a blender, pour into simgle serving cups,  and refrigerate overnight.
Makes 5 servings at 112 cal, 2.4 fat, 11carb, .8 fiber, 13g protein each!

Enjoy!

Appetizers, Sandwiches/Wraps, Snacks

Zesty Baked Falafel 

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Yummy! I love Mediterranean food, and for me, I’d rather have a falafel than almost any meat I can think of!  I know a few of the spices here are a bit strange, but trust me, if you can find Za’atar and Aleppo Pepper, this flavor is amazing!  The fresh parsley is also a must. These were delicious and healthier than the usual fried fare when it comes to falafel! A homemade creamy tzatziki sauce keeps things from getting dry. I will be making this again soon!
You need:

2 cups mashed chick peas

-large handful of parsley, chopped well

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-2tsp tahini

-2 prunes or dates, minced

-2sp olive oil

-1 lemon rind zested/ minced 

-1/2 tsp black pepper

-1 tsp za’atar blend (try natural foods store)

-1/2 tsp aleppo dried chili pepper (subs crushed red pepper if hard to find)

Mix well in a bowl using your hands form into balls. Yields about 12. Place on parchment paper and bake at 400 for 13min.

Remove and cool.
To make tzatziki sauce combine:

-1/2 large cucumber grated

-1/2 cup plain non fat greek yogurt

-juice of 1/2 large lemon

-2 small cloves garlic minced
Serve with pita, greens or pea shoots as pictured, Hummus, and warm pita or flatbread.

Enjoy! NOMNOMNOM
   
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
 

Appetizers, Snacks

Breaded Tofu Nuggets

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Yum, these were good. True story, I like these better than their chicken counterparts, hands down. The texture of a very firm tofu is just so good, and with some great seasoning and a nice crispy finish, this tastes like junk food, but it so isn’t. Suggested serving as pictured below was with some steamed okra and roasted kabocha squash for a meal of champions. Seriously, doesn’t get any better in my book 😀

You need:

-16 oz extra firm tofu (I use the trader joes organic high protein kind in the vacuum pack, refrigerated section), cut into 1 oz cubes, pressed to remove any excess water, and patted dry

-1 egg, beaten to dip it in

-1/2 tsp each Garlic/onion powder, beaten in with the egg

-Cornmeal

-Nutritional yeast

-Red pepper

-Black pepper

-Ginger

-Turmeric

-Dried parsley

Simply dip pieces into the beaten egg, and tap on the bowl to shake off excess, roll into your spices mixture. I did not measure amounts of the spices/nutritional yeast/cornmeal, because honestly it is just to taste. I did about equal parts cornmeal:nutritional yeast:spices blend. Mix it all together and the press dipped tofu firmly into this breading, turning to coat all sides well. I found that really pressing the tofu into the breading helped it really adhere and create a perfect crisp edge to the tofu nuggets. 

Bake at 475F on a sprayed foil or cookie sheet for 10min, flip over and bake an additional 10 on the other side.

Enjoy!! Recommended Sir Kensignton’s spiced ketchup. Healthy, low sugar, and so tasty! 
   
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
   

Breakfast, Casseroles

Spinach Mushroom Crustless Quiche

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Yum! A little spicy, very flavorful, hard to believe it is so healthy!  This one is vegetarian, not vegan, but you could totally subs tofu for egg whites if you are vegan, just blend before mixing with everything else! (Links to prior vegan quiche recipes Here and Here.) Today’s recipe happens to be low carb, low fat, gluten free, and incidentally low calorie.

You need:
2 cups egg whites

5oz mushrooms sliced

3 cloves garlic minced

3 green onions sliced

4 oz fresh washesd spinach

1tsp olive oil

1.5oz cheese (trying out lifetime fat free sharp cheddar as 40cal per oz, 8g protein, 1 carb) grated

1/4 cup unsweetened Soymilk

Salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, oregano, parsley to taste 
Begin by sautéing your garlic, mushrooms, and spinach in olive oil until wilted. Set aside to cool and drain off any excess fluid. I cooled mine in a metal colander and shook off the extra liquid.

Then add your egg whites, spices, and soymilk to a large bowl and whisk vigorously. Then mix in your veggies, both cooked and the raw green onion. Add 2/3 of your cheese (1oz) and mix in as well, reserving last 1/2 oz to sprinkle on top!

Spray your pie tin to prevent stickage, then turn into your tin, sprinkling the last of the cheese on top.
Bake at 375F for 35 min.

Let cool slightly before slicing and removing from pan. Mine slid out easily no issues sans-crust!
This is crazy low cal for its protein punch, so really, eat half the recipe if you choose!  Enjoy 🙂

Sliced into 8 pieces (approx 2.oz each), the macros are:

54 calories

0.7 gram fat

 0.5g fiber

 1.6g carb

8.9g protein! 
   
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
 

Breakfast

Scrambled Egg Breakfast Tacos

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This falls into the category of quick and easy, a nutritious breakfast or anytime of the day meal! You could also do this with tofu to make this vegan, but this is great as a post workout protein boost. I used some ready made TJs corn tortillas and green salsa, but you can use whatever kind you choose. Serves 2.
You need:

-4 corn tortillas

-2 whole eggs

– 1/3 cup egg whites

-1/3 cup soy milk

-salt/pepper to taste

– 2 cups cut veggies (I used onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach)

-salsa of choice for topping

-1/2 sliced avocado

– fresh cilantro recommended
First spray a pan with olive oil or coconut oil spray. Sauté veggies until slightly tender and set aside.

Blend eggs, egg whites, salt/pepper, and soy milk, whisking together. 

Pour into greased or non-stick skillet and scramble. Set aside. Slice avocado and warm tortillas in the toaster or toaster oven. Portion out eggs/veggies onto the 4 tortillas, top wth abocado, cilantro and salsa, and enjoy breakfast for two!