Healthy Tots!

Lasagna Roll-Ups with Cashew Ricotta 

This is one of those recipes that is a little labor intensive, but so worth it. If you want to save a little time you could make the cashew ricotta the day before, then all you’d have to do is assemble everything before baking.

• 1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 4 to 5 cups of your favorite tomato sauce
• cashew ricotta (recipe follows)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and lay each one flat on a piece of parchment to prevent them from sticking together. Pour one cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Assemble the lasagna by spreading 1/3 cup of the cashew ricotta over each noodle, then roll them up and place them seam side down in the casserole dish. Pour remaining tomato sauce on top. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Let the lasagna cool for about 10 minutes before serving. 

Cashew Ricotta Filling

• 16 ounces of raw cashews
• 1 big handful of basil
• juice of one lemon
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cups mushrooms, diced
• 10 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese

Soak cashews in hot water for an hour. After they are tender, drain the water off and throw them in a blender with 1 cup of water, basil, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Blend it all together until the cashews become creamy, add more water if needed. The end result should look a lot like hummus. While the cashews are soaking, saute onion, mushrooms, spinach and garlic over medium heat until everything is cooked through. Lower heat and stir in nutritional yeast, cream cheese, and cashew mixture. Salt to taste.

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Garden Ranch Dressing

• 2 cups Reduced Fat Veganaise
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• juice of one lemon
• 1/2 cup chopped seedless cucumber
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh herbs (I use equal amounts of flat leaf parsley, dill, and chives)
• 2 tsp. dried minced onion
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper

Blend everything together and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving. Eat with your favorite veggies or just straight out of the jar with a spoon (I won’t judge you). Die of happiness.

Falafel Nachos!

All you need for these are:

• Falafel Chips
• Hummus
• Tomato
• Cucumber
• Paprika/Parsley (for garnishing)

Valentine’s Day Treats!

Chocolate raspberry cupcakes, chocolate covered strawberries, and pink smoothies. 

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups flour (whole wheat, all-purpose, or gluten free)
• 1 cup turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar 
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Adapted from Group Recipes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a dozen cup muffin tin with 12 liners. Sift together dry ingredients. Make raspberry syrup by throwing the berries, water and agave nectar in a blender and pulse until berries are broken down. Stir that into the dry ingredients along with the oil, vanilla and vinegar. Mix well and pour into the lined muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes until center is done. Dust with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips (make sure it’s Certified Fair Trade!)
• 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening 
• 12 large strawberries 
• vegan sprinkles (optional)

Melt chocolate and shortening on a double boiler or in a microwave safe container for 30 seconds at a time. Dip strawberries and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Add sprinkles. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes until the chocolate hardens. Serve immediately or store in fridge for up to one day.

Pink Smoothies

• 3 cups frozen red berries (I used a strawberry raspberry mix)
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 container of vanilla coconut milk yogurt
• splash unsweetened almond milk

Place everything in a blender and use almond milk to thin as needed. 

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Banana Maple Nut Smoothie

• 2 bananas
• 2 handfuls of ice
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• dash of cinnamon

Blend everything together. Serve in a vintage Star Wars glass.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.