Healthy Tots!

View high resolution

Grilled Peanut Butter & Apple Sandwiches 

• 4 slices of bread
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• coconut oil for grilling

Mix the PB, syrup and cinnamon together and spread 1 tablespoon on each slice of bread. Put half the apples in one sandwich and half in the other. Grill with a few teaspoons of coconut oil over medium heat.

View high resolution

Black Eyed Pea Gumbo

I really wanted gumbo, but didn’t want to go to the store so I just used what I had on hand. I guess it’s not really “gumbo” but this is my blog and I can call it whatever I want.

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups sliced vegan smoked sausage
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 12 ounce package of frozen black-eyed peas
• 7 cups of water
• 2 not-chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning, try to find one without tons of sodium and no MSG
• 1/4 teaspoon file powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves torn
• cooked brown rice

In a thick bottomed soup pot heat the oil over medium high heat and brown the sausage, removing from the pan when done. Then saute the onion, pepper and celery for 5 minutes or so until everything has softened. Turn the heat down a little and throw in the garlic, cooking for about a minute. Next add the tomatoes, peas, water, bouillon cubes, and spices. Bring soup to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the peas have cooked through, stir in the kale and sausages then turn off the heat. Serve with brown rice.

This soup is even healthier if you leave out the fake sausage. If you choose not to add them, just add more veggies and peas.

Banana Bites 

• 1 banana
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (no added sugars or hydrogenated oils!)
• 1 heaping tablespoon dark chocolate or carob chips
• 1 heaping tablespoon chopped walnuts
• 1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup

Slice banana into 12 equal pieces. Mix PB, chocolate, nuts and syrup together and spoon mixture onto half the banana slices, topping with the remaining slices.

View high resolution

Banana Nut Oatmeal

• 2 bananas
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk (you can use plain, but then you’ll need to add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract)
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup instant oats
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup or agave nectar 

Mash one banana, plus half of the other banana in a small bowl. Slice the remaining banana and set aside. In a thick bottomed sauce pan, cook mashed banana over medium heat until it becomes browned and gooey, it should only take a few minutes. Next stir in the almond milk, salt and spices and bring everything to a boil. Then stir in the oats and walnuts, turn the heat down a little and simmer for about five minutes until the oats are cooked through. Add additional almond milk if it starts getting too dry.

Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup, sliced bananas, and walnuts.

Falafel Platter

• Baked Falafel
• Whole Wheat Couscous
• Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Hummus

Baked Falafel (recipe adapted from Can You Stay For Dinner)

• 2 (15 ounce) cans of chickpeas, rinsed 
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour 
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh dill
• juice of one lemon
• 3 large cloves of garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Throw everything in a food processor and blend until well combined. Scoop mixture into a bowl and shape into 20 small patties. Brush both sides lightly with olive oil and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, turning over half way through. 

This yields a lot of falafel so feel free to cut the recipe in half.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

• 1 cup English cucumber, diced small
• 1 cup tomato, seeds removed and diced small
• 1 cup chickpeas
• 1 heaping teaspoon fresh dill, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together and let the salad marinate in the fridge for about an hour before serving.

Cook the couscous according to the package directions and serve with hummus. 

You can throw the leftovers in a wrap for a delicious and easy lunch the next day. It’s great for a kids lunch box with an ice pack because falafel tastes just as good cold as it does warm. 

View high resolution

Veggie Pot Pie Pockets

For everyone who has ever wanted to eat a vegetable pot pie while safely operating a motor vehicle.

• 2 packages of reduced fat crescent rolls (most are vegan, but check the label just in case)
• 3 cups of cooked vegetables, cut into bite sized pieces (I used potato, carrot, and broccoli)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• small onion, minced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons Earth Balance, or other vegan margarine
• 2 tablespoons of flour (all-purpose, wheat, gluten free, doesn’t matter)
• 1 cup veggie stock
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, unsweetened
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion and garlic with the olive oil over medium heat until soft. Melt the margarine and add the flour, stirring for a few minutes while the flour cooks. Slowly stir in vegetable stock and non-dairy milk, reduce to a simmer and let sauce thicken. Stir in nutritional yeast and cooked veggies then turn off the burner. Now would be a good time to check the salt level.

Unroll the both packages of crescent rolls and separate into eight rectangles. Press the seem together in the center of the rectangle. Place two tablespoons of filling on each rectangle, and fold the dough over to cover the filling. Seal each pocket with a fork pressing down to pinch the edges together.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Note: You can make a single serving of soup with the leftover filling by thinning it out with a little veggie broth. It’s perfect for lunch the next day.

View high resolution

Raspberry Lemonade

• 4 Raspberry Zinger tea bags
• 4 1/2 cups of water
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup of agave nectar
• 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 10-12 lemons)

Bring the water to a boil then turn off the burner and add the tea bags. Steep for about 10 minutes. While the tea is steeping, juice your lemons. Pour the juice along with the agave nectar into a pitcher. When the tea is done add it to the pitcher and stir everything together. Drink with plenty of ice and additional lemon slices. Feel free to dilute it with more water if it tastes too strong.

View high resolution

Easy Bean and Quinoa Tacos

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans of beans, rinsed and drained (I used black and pinto.)
• 1 can of petite diced tomatoes
• 1 small can of diced green chilies
• chili powder, cumin, and salt to taste
• 4 cups cooked quinoa (or any other grain)
• whole grain tortillas

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and pepper, cook until soft, then turn heat down to medium and cook garlic for a few minutes. Throw the beans, tomatoes, chilies and spices into the skillet and cook for about five minutes, until everything is heated through.

Serve with quinoa and tortillas. 

View high resolution

Lentil Taco Filling

This is great in tacos, salads, burritos, and enchiladas. I like to make my own taco seasoning because the packaged ones often contain MSG and loads of sodium. 

Taco Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 

Mix everything together. It’s the equivalent of one store bought taco packet.

Lentil Filling

• 1 cup dried brown lentils
• 1 can of pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 can of corn, rinsed
• 1 small can of diced mild green chilies
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• taco seasoning
• 1 cup water or veggie broth

Cook lentils according to package directions. Put them in a large saute pan along with the other ingredients and cook of medium heat until most of the liquid is absorbed. About ten minutes.

View high resolution

Roasted Broccoli over Soft Polenta

This is my version of fast food. You can’t beat a hot and healthy meal that’s ready in 15 minutes. 

First things first, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Then prep the broccoli.

Roasted Broccoli

• 1 head of broccoli, rinsed and trimmed
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• juice of half a lemon
• salt and pepper 

Cut broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces and mince garlic. Toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, coating well. Spread the broccoli on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Squeeze lemon juice over broccoli as soon as you remove it from the oven. Salt and pepper to taste.

While the broccoli is roasting get started on the polenta.

Soft Polenta

• 1 (18 ounce) package of ready-made polenta, I like the basil & garlic variety
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 heaping tablespoon of nutritional yeast
• salt and pepper

Throw everything in a food processor and blend until smooth, then heat in the microwave or on the stove.

Spoon into a bowl placing the broccoli on top. 

This recipe is also equally delicious with asparagus rather than broccoli.