Black Bean and Sweet Potato Jambalaya

Thought you all might like another sweet potato recipe since 'tis the season for cheap ones!

Jambalaya:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet potato peeled and cubed (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz. veggie broth
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
3/4 cup white rice (I know... "Boo! Hiss!" right? But it can't be helped, and it's so yummy!)
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

Toppings:
sliced green onions
chopped grape or cherry tomatoes

Heat oil in skillet. Cook Sweet Potato and Garlic until it starts to brown (2-3 min). Stir in broth, sauce, and pepper. Stir in rice. Boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 min. Stir in beans. Cover and simmer an additional 8-10 min. Top with onions and tomatoes when serving.

A Request

Hi my Veggie Lovin' friends! I need some more good crock pot recipes!

If you have a minute and could post one I would appreciate it!

Loves,

Ashlee

ps- I am sad I didn't end up seeing any of you in UT. I hope your various Nutcrackers were a success, and that you and yours are healthy and well! Shay is your baby doing better?

Two Easy Snacky/Mealy Ideas

Okay, these recipes both have cheese, but I think you could easily take it out if that is your preference.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesedillas

- Shred a peeled sweet potato. Saute it with a bit of olive oil, and some diced onion. Mix it with black beans and a little (seriously, it doesn't take much) shredded cheese. Use as filling between whole wheat tortillas to make some delicious quesedillas! Yummm! And so filling! Corey is particularly a huge fan. And I think black beans and sweet potatoes go together like peanut butter and jelly!

Homemade Hot Pockets

-Steam Broccoli Florets. Place in a bowl and run a knife through them to break them up nicely. Toss with some shredded cheese of choice (I do a sharp or pungently flavored cheese like parmesan to make a little go a long way) and white beans. Wrap up in whole wheat tortillas like a burrito. Place on lightly oiled baking sheet (lightly oiled so the tortilla will seal into a "pocket.") and bake at 400 degrees 10-12 min. I think I will enjoy experimenting with fillings for this!

Enjoy!

An Easy 2 for 1

Hi girls! I know it's been a while since I've posted anything on the blog lately. I found another win last night with my husband and thought I would share. This recipe comes from melomeals.blogspot.com. It's a really cool blog from a woman who lives as a vegan for $3.33 a day, (this budget is for herself only). You can also follow her on facebook at Vegan for $3.33 a Day. I've found some really great recipes on her site so far. This recipe is a quick and easy veggie burger base, (and admittedly I haven't tried it as such) that can be made into meat(less)balls. Click here to see her original post and directions.

Veggie burger base:

3 c hot beans

2 c old fashioned oats

1 envelope onion soup mix

Hot bean liquid if needed to bring the mixture together

Combine, (I gave it a few pulses in the food processor) form into patties and cook in a frying pan.

This is where I need to admit that before I read the recipe a few times I thought that hot meant spicy. I thought she meant to use like chili beans or something. No, she means like a fresh batch of hot (temperature wise) beans right out of the pot. I'm sure you're all smarter than me, but just in case. ;)

For the meat(less)balls:

1/2 recipe of the burger base

1/2 t oregano

1 t garlic powder

pinch ground fennel

1/4 t sage

1 t balsamic vinegar

pepper

Combine. Form into balls and microwave for 10 minutes. They should be hard; they are intended to reconstitute in your sauce. Simmer in your sauce and enjoy! (These will soak up your sauce quite a bit. You may want to make it more saucy than usual?)

I didn't have any fennel, used the whole batch of burger base and doubled everything but the garlic powder. For me a little of that goes a long way.

The whole reason I tried these: first, my husband used to love when I cooked a roast with onion soup mix. I wanted to give him a familiar flavor while trying something new. This really helps him when trying meat alternatives like this. (If you don't want to use a prepackaged and processed mix there are ideas in the original post and comments for substitutes.) Second, I don't have a working oven right now so a veggie burger base that can be cooked in a pan and meatballs that can be cooked in the microwave were a big win for me. In fact she says that these won't taste as good baked. They'll be too dry.

This was the easiest veggie burger recipe I've tried and it was SO good. The flavor was spot on, they were a good chewy texture for my husband and they really added a heartiness to our dinner. She does have several other veggie burger recipes, so if this one doesn't look to be to your fancy, browse around her site. I'm sure you'll find something you like.

Another fun site I found recently is chefchloe.com. Chef Chloe won the Food Network's Cupcake Wars with vegan cupcakes. Pretty cool, huh?! Her site has a blog, recipes, etc. Anyway, I tried her Panang Curry last week and it was also a hit with the husband. (I left out the tofu and added more veggies; peas, carrots and the like.) It was a really good compromise for us because I actually hate curry, but the flavor in this one was a little more subdued and balanced out by everything else. He got curry and I didn't have to choke it down. ;)

Anyway I hope you're all doing well! Happy Holidays!! Can you believe it's November already?!

Baby and Raw

I thought I should tell my veggie lovin' friends that I am three month pregnant. We are super excited. I am feeling a ton better. Like usual I felt sick pretty much all day long but now I am doing great. I am eating all of my super foods and my regular raw diet again. (I was eating pretty good but sometimes when a cinnamon roll is the only thing that you can get down, you eat it. I must say it was good I have not had one in years).

My midwife loves that I am a raw pregnant woman. She completely supports how I eat. In fact my next appointment I am bringing some raw things for her to try. I am so excited to feed my baby a raw diet when I start introducing foods etc.

I am also having a home birth. So So So excited about that. My midwife and her nurse will come to my house with all of their gear etc when I am in labor. At 37 week they will come to my house and learn it. Also, they will bring me the big birthing tub. I hope to have another water birth. I loved my water birth with Ayo.

I will keep you updated with recipes that will obviously be the things that I am craving;)

Creamless Creamy Squash Soup

Creamless Creamy Squash Soup

Ingredients: 1 celery rib, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 lb winter squash such as butternut, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 lb boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups boiling water plus additional for thinning

Preparation:

Cook celery, carrot, and onion in 2 tablespoons oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned (10 to 12 minutes). Add squash, potatoes, and salt. Stir in 3 1/2 cups boiling water and simmer, covered, until vegetables are very tender (about 20 minutes).

Once vegetables are tender, purée soup in batches in a blender, adding more water to thin to desired consistency.

You could make this raw if you put the veggies in warm warm water for several hours to soften.

New Blog

Hi guys,

My Friend Susan gave me a link to a great vegan blog. I am digging the graph that she has on her most recent post. Too true!

Here is the link:

http://veganlinda.blogspot.com/

I have also posted it on our side bar.

Love to all!

Shay, I hope your little Christian is doing better! I don't have much experience in the ear infection category :( Sorry!

Ear Infection help

OK so Christian has had 2 ear infections in 2 and a half months.  What's a momma to do??  Have you guys tried any of the "natural remedies" out there?  Warm olive oil in the ear? (how does that work when there's already a build up of fluid in the ear???)  Colloidal Silver? Help?

Better Shepherd's Pie

I posted a Shepherd's Pie a while back. It was okay, but I found this recipe and absolutely love it! I have been searching and searching for a good one because S. P. was one of my favorites growing up. I'm so glad I have something similar, but much more healthy, now!

Shepherd's Pie

Garlic Mashed Potatoes (6-8 russets, boil, drain, mash with "butter," rice milk, parsley, salt/pepper, & either roasted garlic cloves or garlic powder)
2 Large Carrots, Sliced
1 (16 oz) Package frozen mixed veggies
olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained lightly
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
garlic powder, oregano, basil, chili powder, and a bit of agave - to taste
Paprika

Make the mashed potatoes- and meanwhile... Cook the carrots and mixed veggies. Set veggies aside. Cook onion in a bit of olive oil. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices. Add veggies (drained of excess liquid). Cook until flavors can meld- about 3 min. Place in bottom of a prepared 9x13 pan and top with dollops of garlic mashed potatoes. Smooth out and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 375 for 20 min.

Yumm!

Raw Almond Joys

Prep yourself girls..... this recipe is amazing!!! I hope you enjoy it. Remember there is a difference between a young coconut and matured coconut. The matured is the one you typically see at the store that is brown, round and hard. The young coconut is still in its husk. Just cut the husk off of the top. Take a screw driver and hammer a bunch of holes in the top (making a circle) until you can lift it off. The meat inside is similar to the texture of jello. You just spoon it out. One young coconut is enough for this recipe. The water from this coconut is amazing. Just drink it. It is so much better than the water from a matured coconut. Also, coconut water is full of electro lights and potassium. So,it is good for after working out.

Raw Almond Joy

For this you will need:
Coconut Filling
Dry or Soaked Almonds
Chocolate Coating

Coconut Filling
2/3 cup young coconut meat
3/4 cup + 2 tbs dried coconut
2 tbs agave nectar
2 tsp honey
2 tbs coconut butter
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 pinches salt

Blend until smooth in high speed blender. Transfer mixture to a bowl and put in fridge to set.

Chocolate Coating
1/2 cup melted coconut butter
1/2 cup cacao or carob powder (I used 3 part cacao/1 part carob)
1 tbs maple syrup
1 tbs agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp of melted coconut oil (you may need to add more. The coating should be drippy).

Blend until smooth in high speed blender or food processor.

Assembly
Once the mixture has firmed up, form into a small ball then slightly flatten down. Top with an almond and return to the fridge or freezer to set.

Dip each coconut mounds into chocolate coating. Allow a few seconds for excess chocolate to drip, then transfer to parchment paper. Put in fridge or freezer to set.

If the Raw Almond Joy candies are stored in the freezer, make sure to transfer them ahead of time in the fridge to allow the coconut base to soften up.

Black Bean and Spinach Enchiladas

A friend made this for me after I delivered Truman. Yummmmm!

Black Bean and Spinach Enchiladas

1 Pound Fresh Spinach Leaves (Yes, really that much. I buy the Sam's Club Box Size!)
2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Cup-ish Salsa
Cumin
Chili Powder
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Sour Cream
Lime Juice
Shredded Cheese (Optional)
Chopped Tomatoes
Sliced Green Onions

Preheat oven to 350.
Wilt Spinach in large pot with a tinsy bit of water. Drain and chop coarsely. Return to pot and mix in beans, salsa, and spices (according to how spicy you like it!). Warm through. Divide among tortillas and roll up. Place in prepared pan side by side. Bake uncovered 15 min. Combine sour cream and lime juice . Spread over enchiladas. Top with cheese, tomatoes and onions. Bake an additional 5 more minutes. Serve!

Ashlee Notes:

I didn't put the amount of tortillas because it very much depends on how full you fill them. Mine usually fits into one 9x13 pan. So... I would say plan on at least 8 tortillas, but it could be more if you like. As far as the sour cream/lime juice ratio (I admit, sour cream and a few other ingredients have found their way back into our lives) I would say that I did probably 1/2-3/4 cups with about 2 tablespoons lime juice. It was so yummy! If you wanted to make it totally vegan, I would skip the sour cream and cheese, but be sure to sprinkle lime juice on them still! It adds a really nice flavor.

My whole family really likes this one. Hope you do too!

Katies Links- Vegan KSL and Whole Food Mommies

KSL


and the whole food one I am sticking on the side bar.

Thanks again Kate!

Poor Irish Hash

I don't know what it is about me and cabbage lately. Shay, when you said that you had never eaten cabbage until recently I could totally relate. It never appeared in our house growing up except in KFC coleslaw. Anyhow, I am discovering it is one of my favorite veggies. I love it in soup, salads, and main dishes alike. This recipe is one of my faves. Eat it and feel like a poor irishman. Fun! Don't worry, you'll enjoy it because it's not the ONLY thing you eat :)

Irish Hash

2 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling
5-6 medium red or yukon gold potatoes, diced really small
1/3 cup chopped onion
thyme
1 can white beans- great northern or canellinni, drained and rinsed
1/4 head of large cabbage, very thinly sliced (I do it in chunks so it ends up being 2 inch long thin slices)
salt and pepper

Heat oil to med high in large non-stick pot (mine isn't non stick, but we manage). Cook potatoes 5 min. browning all sides. Add onions and thyme. Cook some more. Keep scraping and tossing. Stir in cabbage and stir until starting to wilt adding more olive oil if necessary. Add beans, salt and pepper. Keep a stirrin' and a scrapin'. When all heated through and cabbage is wilty-ish but not dead remove and serve.

Bean Recipes

Hello Darlings.

I wanted to give you a recommendation for a good site for bean recipes. I have been perusing it this morning and found several things I want to try.

http://www.bushbeans.com/en_US/recipes/index.jsp

I'll post it on the side bar too.

Banana Pancakes

No oils. No eggs/cholesterol. No added sugar. And it was still delish! The PB flavor doesn't really come through. They mostly just taste banana-ey. I was thinking blueberries in them would be SO yummy!

Banana Pancakes

1 banana, mashed
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 cup "milk"
1 1/2 cups whole wheat or other whole grain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

mix wet. mix dry. mix together until combined. Use the back of a spoon to spread in pan when cooking- batter is thicker than most, but if you spread it thin it doesn't make a super thick pancake- unless of course you like that! In which case don't spread it as thin :) I cook over medium.

Enjoy!

ps- SHAY: How is the pregnancy going? Feeling well?

ps- EVERYONE: Our veggie lovin friend Katie had her baby yesterday! Yahoo! I don't want to steal her thunder, but I did want you to know! Yay for babies!

Beans and Rice

We had this for dinner last night and it was a good, basic, frugal recipe that was actually pretty tasty for how simple and easy it was.  We all loved it.  We used it as the base for a salad and put a bunch of spinach from our garden and salad dressing on it.  Jocelyn rolled the beans and rice up in the spinach leaves and ate it like a lettuce wrap.  We made it with Pinto beans.  You could also make it with a taco salad or roll it up in tortillas for burritos.

Click here to see the original post.

And here's the recipe:

Baked Red Beans & Rice

1 cup long grain rice
1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 cups tomato salsa
1 16 oz. can kidney beans, drained & rinsed 
1/2 tsp. chili powder
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the rice and broth in a lightly oiled 2-quart casserole dish.  Stir in the salsa, beans, chili powder and salt & pepper to taste.  Cover tightly and bake until the rice is tender, about 1 hour.

Soaked Bread Machine Whole Grain Bread

Hello all!

So I finally made this soaked whole grain bread for the bread machine and I think we have found our new favorite basic/staple bread.  It's not very sweet, but it is pretty good for your every day sandwich bread, toast, anything basic bread need.

I also ground the wheat and the flax right before I put it in and it really makes the house smell yummy while it's rising and baking!  And much more nutritional.  The wheat flour you buy at the store just does not have any smell!

I wanted to post the recipe here, because she has stopped doing her blog and I don't know how long it will be up and I don't want to lose it.  I just cooked mine in the bread machine because I was leaving the house.  When you add the yeast, just start the whole wheat cycle you prefer on your machine.  I also did not add the vital wheat gluten and the texture was still fine.

Also, I've made several soaked recipes now, and I think it's this hot dry Utah air, but I feel like I have to add more water to make sure the grain doesn't dry out overnight.  I didn't add more water to this recipe when I made it, but it was pretty dry in the morning.  You could also just add all the ingredients at once and make it without soaking first.

Someday when I know I will be home, I will probably do a double batch in the dough cycle and then take it out and bake each separately.  But, who knows when that will happen... it's just so nice to throw it in and forget about it.

Soaked Whole Wheat Bread in the Bread Machine (produces 1 loaf)

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (or whey, kefir, buttermilk or yogurt) plus enough water to make 1 cup

2 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup honey

3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil (or olive oil or melted butter)

2 Tbsp. coarsely ground flax seed

2 Tbsp. hot water

1/4 tsp. honey

1 3/4 tsp. yeast

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten

Put water/vinegar mixture, flour, oats, honey, oil and flax seed in the pan of your bread machine in the manufacturer’s recommended order (mine says to do liquids first then solid ingredients). Turn the bread machine on the dough cycle and let run for about five minutes, until all the ingredients are well mixed. Turn off the machine and let this sit for 12-24 hours.

After the soaking period, combine the 2 Tbsp. water, honey and yeast and let sit for 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast (mixture should rise and become foamy). Add the yeast/water/honey, salt and gluten to the flour in the bread machine. Select the dough cycle and watch it for the first few minutes to make sure it doesn’t need more flour. I only needed to add about 1 tsp.

When the dough cycle is finished (mine takes 120 minutes), dump the dough onto a flour surface. Roll into a rectangle, then roll up to fit in your loaf pan. Place in greased loaf pan and allow it to rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for half an hour, until crust is brown and it sounds hollow if you tap on the bottom of the loaf. You can brush the crust with melted butter to keep it extra soft.

Fresh Corn, Cabbage and Black Bean Salad

Shay posted her favorite salad so I thought I'd post one of mine :) Plus we had it for dinner last night and I remembered how much I LOVE it. Like LOVE it. It's beautiful with all the different colors and tastes so light and fresh- perfect for summer!

Fresh Corn, Cabbage, and Black Bean Salad

3 large ears of corn, husked (ladies- do the fresh- don't get a can. I only make this in the summer)
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups shredded red cabbage (I just thinly slice)
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 cup minced red onion (optional)

Boil corn 3 minutes. Drain, and when cool enough to handle, cut corn off of the cob into large bowl. Brown nuts over med-low heat 2-4 min. Add to bowl. Whisk oil, juice, cilantro, S and P in small bowl. Add beans, cabbage, tomato and onion (if using) to corn and nuts. Pour sauce over. Chill for a while and serve.

Ashlee Notes: The original recipe only calls for 2 cups shredded cabbage. We think it needs way more. I adjust the lime juice accordingly and just do what tastes good to us. Another addition we love: Sliced Jalapeno - the kind that comes in a jar- pickled? I think? Anyway we like a splash of the juice in it, and Corey likes to put a few of the slices in his.

If anyone tries this, please let me know! This is my current favorite salad!

Pina Colada Smoothie

I found this recipe on 100 days of real food.  The original post is here.

1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
1 1/3 cups coconut milk

Blend until smooth and enjoy.

I did not think ahead to have my pineapple frozen so I just threw in a big can of cut up pineapple and one small can of coconut milk and a bunch of ice to make it more of a frozen drink.  It probably could have used a little more pineapple (or, really, it just needed some really yummy fresh pineapple) and the ice watered the flavor down, so I would definitely recommend freezing the pineapple first.  However, even with all the substitutions, it was still so very yummy on a very hot afternoon.

Best Salad Ever

This is one of those "recipes" that I can't believe I haven't posted yet.  It is my. favorite. salad. ever. ever. ever.   You all have probably had something similar, but I just wanted to post it on the off chance that someone out there is missing out!

Spinach

Slivered Almonds

Sliced Strawberries

Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette

Combine these items in whatever quantity suits your fancy and try not to eat the whole bowl.  I usually eat a serving bowl size of this salad.

I'd love to find a good recipe for a dressing that's similar to this vinaigrette.  

My other favorite salad?  Nuts about Berries from Zupas.  If anyone has any idea how to duplicate that salad/dressing, I would love any tips.  It is so good!