Meatless Tacos

Meatless Tacos

I went camping this summer with a really good friend from California who has really inspired me with her desire to be and eat healthy. She told me about some really great tacos she made from nuts. NUTS! I thought they sounded amazing so I decided to create a recipe for meatless tacos. There is no protein to be desired by these puppies and they are delicious, my kids loved them!

Ingredients:

1 cup Finally chopped walnuts soaked

1 cup Cooked quinoa

1 can Organic Mexican style tomatoes pureed

3/4 cup Water

1/2 Onion minced

1-2 Tbs Taco seasoning

1/2 Lime juiced

1/4 tsp Powdered stevia

1-2 Tbs Coconut oil

Directions:

Chop walnuts and place them in a bowl, cover them with water and let soak for at least two hours-over night. Mince onions and add to a medium heat pan with coconut oil. Sauté onions until almost clear or caramelized. Add walnuts, taco seasoning, lime juice, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add quinoa, tomatoes, stevia, and water. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes until water starts to cook off. Uncover and continue cooking until all water is absorbed and all ingredients become the same consistency as taco meat. Serve on a corn tortilla, or a leaf of lettuce. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and a dollop of plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream. 

Vegan Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

Vegan Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

One of my favorite vegan recipes I found years ago from VeganYumYum. This recipe has been a family favorite that we love to share.

Vegan Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

Ingredients:

1 Large, ripe tomato (2 cups roughly chopped, 1 1/2 cups blended)
1/2 Cup Raw Cashews
1 Tbs Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Water

2 Tbs Olive Oil
2-4 Cloves Garlic, minced, optional
6 Ounces (ish) Whole Wheat Spaghetti
1 tsp Salt
2-3 Tbs Wine or Water, optional (I always use red wine)
1-2 tsp Freshly Cracked, Coarse Black Pepper
1 Large Handful Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.

Core the tomato, then roughly chop it. Add it to your blender, seeds, skin and all. Add cashews, tomato paste, and water. Blend until very smooth.

Add olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn. Once water is boiling, add pasta. Pour sauce from the blender into the saute pan and bring to a simmer. Add salt and let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If desired add wine/water to thin out the sauce. Taste and season more if necessary. Let simmer until pasta is finished cooking. Once pasta is cooked, drain. Add pasta to the saute pan with black pepper and freshly chopped basil leaves. Toss to coat. Serve immediately, garnishing with more pepper and basil.

BBQ Chicken Kabob With Sweet Potato Steaks

BBQ Chicken Kabob With Sweet Potato Steaks

It is summer time, and there is nothing better than grilling up delicious food. My husband wanted a good bbq chicken so I mixed up a marinade with what I had in my fridge. It turned out super tasty.

BBQ Chicken Kabob

Ingredients:

4 Large organic chicken breasts

1 cup Organic ketchup

2 Garlic cloves crushed

1 Small shallot minced 

1 tsp Smoked paprika

1/2 tsp White pepper

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Black pepper

3 tbs Raw honey

2 tbs Olive oil

1 tsp Pure apple cider vinegar

Mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Cut chicken breasts into 1-2 inch chunks and place into marinade bowl. Place chicken in fridge for at least 30 min. Once chicken has marinaded stack them on kabobs and grill until cooked through.

Sweet Potato Steaks

Ingredients:

3 Large sweet potatoes washed but not peeled

2 tbs Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Wash sweet potatoes and cut into 1/2-1 inch slices. Place steaks in a bowl and drizzle olive oil over them, add salt and pepper to taste. Place on grill and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side.

Deconstructed Shrimp Kabob

Deconstructed Shrimp Kabob

For Veggies:
2 small zucchini
6 small tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small onion
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 Tbs worcestershire sauce

For Shrimp:
1 large bag of extra large raw shrimp with peel and tail on
1/2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 lemon
Fresh Parsley

Chop all vegetables except tomatoes to desired chunkiness and set aside. In a large bowl mix olive oil, garlic salt, lemon juice and worcestershire sauce. Add all veggies and coat well with marinade. Bake in 13x9 pan at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes stirring half way through.

While veggies cook wash, peel, take tails off shrimp and set aside. Cut tomatoes to desired chunkiness and set aside with shrimp. In large bowl mix olive oil, garlic salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce. Add shrimp and tomatoes and coat well with marinade.

Once veggies are cooked almost all the way through layer shrimp and tomatoes on top. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink but not dry.

Serve veggies and shrimp over cooked quinoa with sliced lemon and chopped fresh parsley.

Thai Curried Vegetables

Thai Curried Vegetables

1 clove garlic

1 small onion chunked

2 tbs coconut oil

1 tbs red curry paste (mild)

1 can unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp fish sauce

1 1/2 tsp fresh or ground ginger

1/3 cup crushed pinapple

1 small yam chunked and boiled

1 cup zucchini chunked

1 cup mushrooms

1 cup red bell pepper chunked

1 cup uncooked spinach

1 can bamboo shoots

3 cups cooked brown rice

Heat a saute pan to medium high heat, add 1 tbs coconut oil, cook onions and garlic. While the onions and garlic cook scoop cream off the top of coconut milk. In a large bowl whisk together cream and curry paste until smooth. Add coconut milk and next 5 ingredients and mix well. Add to saute pan with pineapple, lower heat to medium and cook sauce for 5-7 minutes. Boil yams until almost all the way cooked through and set aside. In a separate pan add 1 tbs coconut oil and cook zucchini, mushrooms and bell peppers. Once vegetables are cooked add to sauce with spinach and bamboo shoots. Once spinach is cooked add yams. Sauce should be soupy and well blended. Add a scoop of rice to a bowl, pour curried veggies over rice and serve.