I love Whole Foods early in the morning, right when they open. All the fruit and produce are fresh and perfectly arranged and the store isn’t too too crazy yet. I stopped there for some Suja green juice (to which I’m now addicted) this morning and snapped a few shots of the perfect produce before heading out (and got some weird looks but, eh).
When I start feeling a little stuffy, I like to cut back on dairy, especially before a big run (like, you know, the marathon on Sunday, no big deal). I decided a little spice wouldn’t hurt either, so I found this yummy recipe from Oh She Glows: Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash with Black Bean Guacamole.
Holy yummers, it was delicious. And super, super easy. These pictures don’t really do it justice, but I was in such a hurry to chow down that I didn’t pause long to take them. Oops!
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice off the stem of the squash and place the squash cut side down on a cutting board. With a chef’s knife, carefully slice through the squash lengthwise to create two long halves. Scoop out the seeds and guts with an ice cream scoop. Brush some olive oil onto the squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place squash halves cut side down on the baking sheet and roast for 30-50 minutes, depending on how large your squash is. When the squash is tender and you can easily scrape the strands with a fork, it’s ready. I like to check the squash after 25-30 minutes to make sure I’m not over cooking it. Be sure not to cook for too long or it will turn mushy.
Step 2: While the squash is roasting, prepare the black bean guacamole. Mash the avocado flesh in a large bowl. Fold in the onion, tomato, drained and rinsed black beans, and cilantro. Season to taste with lime juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Step 3: Remove squash from the oven, flip over, and scrape the flesh with a fork in vertical motions. Do this until you’ve scraped all the strands off the skin. Now sprinkle on some chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper (as much or as little as you want). Top the squash with guacamole and serve warm. You can also plate the spaghetti squash, if preferred.
Mmm, I love creamy, delicious soup when it’s cold outside (and today it was definitely cold outside). This is a fun one because it has a bit of a tangy taste (thanks, goat cheese!) and is creamy without being heavy (thanks, cauliflower!). I found this recipe on Closet Cooking.
Ingredients:
Step 1: Place the red peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side facing down, broil until the skins are blackened, about 10 minutes, place in a sealable container and let ‘steam’ for 20 minutes before pinching the skins off and dicing.
Step 2: Meanwhile, toss the cauliflower in the oil, place it in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400F oven until tender and caramelized, about 20-30 minutes, mixing once in the middle.
Step 3: Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and cook the onion until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 4: Add the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
Step 5: Add the roasted red peppers, cauliflower, broth, paprika and goat cheese and simmer for 10 minutes before pureeing to the desired consistency with a hand blender. Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with goat cheese.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4
For Slow Cooker: Implement steps 1 and 2, optionally implement steps 3 and 4, place everything except the cheese in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 2-4 hours before pureeing and mixing in the cheese while the soup is still hot so that it melts.
Option: Use jarred or frozen roasted red peppers to save some time; use a can of white beans as the thickener instead of the cauliflower; replace one cup of broth with cream or milk.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 328, Fat 16g (Saturated 6g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 20mg, Sodium 517mg, Carbs 30g (Fiber 7g, Sugars 14g), Protein 17g
I know that pretty much every recipe I feature here is, just, my new favorite thing and the best thing you’re about to ever eat. And to be fair, I never really exaggerate—I have found some amazing recipes! But this one is my new favorite, seriously, I could eat it for days. (Haha, I did eat it for days.)
Besides how yummy it is, I also love that it can be done with regular cheese, Daiya cheese for a vegan recipe or with no cheese at all because it’s Just. That. Good.
I didn’t do step-by-step photos, but you can find some great ones at Oh She Glows, where I originally found the recipe. Guys, I just can’t recommend this enough. Seriously, I’m texting my best friend right now that it’s also good just as a side dish. I’ve included the recipe as I originally found it, but when I cooked it, I changed it up a bit by doing 1 cup of wild rice (instead of a half cup of short-grain brown rice). It gets pretty rice heavy, but it’s worth it. I stirred in some cheddar cheese and then served it with avocado.
Yield: 4 burritos or 3.5 cups of filling
Ingredients:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425F and line a large glass dish with tinfoil. Drizzle olive oil on squash and give a shake of salt and pepper. Coat with hands. Roast chopped butternut squash for 45 mins. or until tender.
Step 2: Cook brown rice (for directions, see here)
Step 3: In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add oil, onion, and minced garlic. Sautee for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now add in salt and seasonings and stir well.
Step 4: Add chopped red pepper, black beans, and cooked rice and sauté for another 10 mins. on low.
Step 5: When b’nut squash is tender remove from oven and cool slightly. Add 1.5 cups of the cooked butternut squash to the skillet and stir well. You can mash the squash with a fork if some pieces are too large. Add Daiya cheese and heat another couple minutes.
Step 6: Add bean filling to tortilla along with desired toppings. Wrap and serve. Leftover filling can be reheated the next day for lunch in a wrap or as a salad topper.
Happy 2014, everyone! Instead of black-eyed peas, we started the new year with whole wheat waffles, a recipe from “Vegan Cooking for Carnivores” by Roberto Martin. Don’t worry, you don’t even have to ask—they are sooo freaking good. Highly recommend. I also recommend buying the cookbook if you’re curious about a vegan diet—Roberto is excellent at making a plant-based diet palatable to those who prefer the meatier side of food.
Ingredients
Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Step 2: Stir in the milk, water, applesauce and melted butter until well incorporated.
Step 3: Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes while you preheat the waffle iron.
Step 4: Spray the preheated waffle iron with nonstick spray and cook the waffles according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve with maple syrup.
*Makes 8 medium waffles.
So, you guys, this is the best. Whether you’re a meat eater or a plant-based-diet lover, you’re going to love this recipe, it’s so yummy and easy. It’s from Alicia Silverstone‘s “The Kind Diet” and so worth trying.
Ingredients:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2: Place the squash, onion, carrots and zucchini on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Step 3: Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once with a spatula about midway through.
Step 4: While the vegetables roast, bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a saucepan.
Step 5: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cumin, saffron and salt to taste.
Step 6: Cover the pan and steep for 15 minutes.
Step 7: Scrape the roasted vegetables and their juices into a large bowl and add the couscous.
Step 8: Bring the vegetable broth back to a boil, and pour over the couscous mixture all at once.
Step 9: Cover tightly with a plate and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
Step 10: Add the scallions, toss the couscous and vegetables with a fork, and serve
Oh wow, so good you guys! I like to sprinkle a bit of salt on the almond butter to give it a bit of a boost. Perfection! Yummy perfection!
Ingredients:
Step 1: In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in couscous. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes or until broth is absorbed.
Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk the lemon, rice vinegar, olive oil, curry powder and salt.
Step 3: Mix all ingredients together. Drizzle with dressing (step 2) and toss. Salad!
wild pieces 