I am kinda obsessed with the new vegan salad dressings at Trader Joe’s. The Almond Butter Turmeric dressing has me experimenting in the kitchen with lots of different dishes to pour it over. This Carrot Noodle Bowl is my latest.
Vegetable noodles are a great replacement for pasta if you are watching calories or just want to add more veggies to your diet. I used my spiralizer to make my carrot noodles for this bowl, but you could also easily swap shredded carrots if you don’t want to spiralize (but it’s so much fun!).
Snap peas and peanuts are crunchy toppings that taste great with the dressing. I piled it all on top of a bed of kale, because I can never get too many leafy greens.
Now, for the dressing. All you have to do is shake and pour for this one. It’s all natural and plant-based with just a few ingredients: almond butter, cold-pressed lemon juice, ginger, turmeric, and black pepper. I usually like to make my own dressings to control the sugar, salt and fat, but with only 60 calories for two tablespoons and 2g of sugar and 4g of fat per serving, I am taking some help from Trader Joe’s and enjoying it!
Roasted vegetables are one of my favorite things to batch cook each Sunday. I eat them all week long as a dinner side dish, tossed in tofu scrambles… and my favorite, piled into vegan bowls. This Italian Roasted Vegetable Bowl is a delicious way to eat up leftover veggies or roast a pan especially for this bowl like I do! I prefer plump, juicy tomatoes and cauliflower for the veg mix, but sub your favorites. The key is to roast them with whole garlic cloves and herbs. I use the Italian seasoning blend from Penzey’s Spices (my favorite local spice store).
A good bowl is full of layers, so in addition to the roasted vegetables, you’ll find a mound of lacinato kale, cannellini beans, and orzo. I sauted the canned beans with garlic, olive oil, and thyme for taste bud pleasing results. Sure, you could just rinse and drain a handful of beans directly into the bowl, but I find that it’s the bursts of flavor from each component in the bowl that take an average bowl to wow status. Lentils would also be a great sub for the beans. I used orzo instead of a grain in this recipe because of its Italian status and similarity in texture to rice, but risotto would be a nice swap if you want a grain.
Drizzled on top is a luscious, dairy-free Caesar dressing that adds just the right amount of tangy to each bite. Soaked cashews are the creamy base for this otherwise, quick and easy sauce that comes together in less than 5 minutes in your high-powered blender. Dijon mustard and capers add bright, vibrant flavors to this traditional recipe.
You can cook and prepare all of the ingredients, as well as the dressing ahead of time and store them for the week, making it quick and easy to throw this meal together all week long. Lunch is served! Give it a taste and let me know what you think.
This Italian Roasted Vegetable Bowl is full of flavor. Topped with a creamy, dairy-free dressing, it's a complete meal to lunch on all week long.
Prep Time30minutes
Cook Time45minutes
Total Time1hour15minutes
Ingredients
For the Creamy Caesar Dressing:
¼cupcashewssoaked for 2 hours or overnight and drained
2garlic clovesminced
1tablespoonshoyu or tamari
1tablespoontahini
2tablespoonslemon juice
¼cupwater
1tablespooncapers
1tablespoonDijon mustard
For the Bowl:
1pintcherry tomatoes
1head cauliflowerbroken into florets
10garlic clovespeeled
3tablespoonsolive oildivided
1tablespoonItalian seasoning
salt and pepperto taste
1can cannellini beansdrained and rinsed
3garlic clovesminced
1tablespoonfresh thyme
6leaveslacinato kalechopped
1cuporzodried
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Toss the vegetables, garlic cloves, olive oil, and herbs on a sheet pan until coated. Roast for about 30 minutes until the cauliflower is fork tender.
While the vegetables are roasting, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the orzo and drain.
Heat a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the beans and thyme. Cook for 3-4 minutes until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and mix until smooth.
To assemble the bowl, start with a layer of kale on the bottom. Top with the orzo, beans, and vegetables. Drizzle the dressing on top.
Vegan bowls are one of my favorite lunch meals. They are easy to prepare and quick for the lunch rush I am inevitably juggling as I race to get my work and to-do list completed before I pick up the kids from school. Most times I make a bowl, I just pull together whatever ingredients, leftover veggies, or legumes I have in the fridge or pantry (it’s a really great way to eat up your leftovers!). Sometimes, I will put a little more thought into my bowl obsession and plan my veggies and proteins ahead of time, like my BBQ Tofu Bowl. Today’s Green Goddess Zucchini Noodle Bowl recipe is one of those bowls, but it won’t take you more than 15 minutes to throw together.
In my opinion, the secret to any great vegan bowl is the dressing or sauce. The new Green Goddess Salad Dressing from Trader Joe’s is the inspiration for this bowl. It’s all natural and vegan, containing just a few ingredients: avocado, green onion, cold pressed lemon juice, chives, parsley, basil, garlic, water, apple cider vinegar, and an olive oil blend. Two tablespoons are only 20 calories so indulge in a generous pour over the rest of this bowl’s ingredients.
I chose spiralized zucchini noodles for the base of this bowl and topped them with sliced radishes, chopped chives and tomatoes (I was out of cherry, so I used roma instead). That’s it! Super easy. Super healthy. Super delicious! Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Crisp and cool Fall weather this time of year makes me crave heartier food. This rich and savory Sourdough Stuffing Vegan Meatloaf is a delicious option for a weeknight dinner or special Friday night meal. It’s also a great plant-based alternative to turkey on Thanksgiving. Mixed with an herb and mushroom sourdough stuffing, it tastes like Thanksgiving.
Traditional meatloaves combine breadcrumbs and meat. I experimented by swapping out a traditional stuffing for breadcrumbs, and used Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger instead. I loved the results and hope you will too.
I am also sharing a quick and easy golden gravy recipe that tastes divine drizzled on top. Make a pot of mashed potatoes and roast a tray of Brussel Sprouts for a holiday-esque meal to celebrate!
3packages Beyond Meat Beyond Burger6 patties total
1tablespoonolive oil
1teaspoonthyme
1teaspoonsage
1teaspoonsalt
Pepperto taste
Quick and Easy Gravy:
½cupflour
¼cupnutritional yeast
1tablespoongarlic powder
3tablespoonssoy sauce
2cupsvegetable broth
Salt and pepperto taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute the celery, garlic and onion for about 5 minutes until slightly translucent and aromatic.
Stir in the cremini mushrooms and cook for 3 more minuts.
Add in the seasonings. Stir to combine.
Add the bread cubes to the vegetables. Stir to combine and pour in the vegetable broth. Stir well until the broth is mixed throughout. Remove from the heat.
Combine the meatloaf and the stuffing in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
Spread the meat/stuffing mixture into a loaf pan.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes. Slice and serve with gravy.
Quick and Easy Gravy:
In a saucepan on high heat, whisk the yeast and the flour together.
Whisk in the soy sauce and garlic powder and continue until smooth.
Slowly pour in the broth. Whisk constantly until smooth.
I can’t believe it’s November and officially the beginning of the holiday season. The weather is cool and crisp in sunny SoCal, and it’s finally feeling like Fall. As Thanksgiving draws near, my mind has been drifting to what I will cook for this year’s holiday menu. I have been obsessed with Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger and the infinite possibilities I can create for the festive feast – namely meatloaf! Nut and vegetable loaves are very popular on plant-based Thanksgiving menus, so I thought I’d test my own recipe with my favorite plant meat. The results were so delicious that I created two recipes!
This Three Layer Vegan Holiday Meatloaf has all the flavors of Thanksgiving. Creamy dairy-free mashed potatoes and savory sourdough stuffing are layered between seasoned Beyond Meat, and topped with a luscious brown gravy. Make extra batches of the layers and serve as sides. This golden loaf makes a festive and mouth-watering presentation. I hope you enjoy this delicious plant-based option for the main attraction on your holiday menus this season.
3packages Beyond Meat Beyond Burger6 patties total
1tablespoongarlic powder
1teaspoonsage
1tablespoonthyme
Salt and pepperto taste
Quick and Easy Gravy:
½cupflour
¼cupnutritional yeast
1tablespoongarlic powder
3tablespoonssoy sauce
2cupsvegetable broth
Salt and pepperto taste
Instructions
For the mashed potatoes layer:
Peel and cube the potatoes. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and place in a bowl with the butter, sour cream and seasonings.
Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until smooth and creamy (or desired texture).
For the stuffing layer:
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute the celery, garlic and onion for about 5 minutes until slightly translucent and aromatic.
Stir in the cremini mushrooms and cook for 3 more minuts.
Add in the seasonings. Stir to combine.
Add the bread cubes to the vegetables. Stir to combine and pour in the vegetable broth. Stir well until the broth is mixed throughout. Remove from the heat.
For the meatloaf:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine the Beyond Meat patties and seasonings in a bowl. Mix well with your hands until combined.
Spread the stuffing into the bottom of the pan, smoothing it out to form a consistent layer.
Next, spread the meatloaf mixture on top of the stuffing.
Last, spread out the mashed potatoes over the meatloaf.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes.
Slice and serve with gravy.
Quick and Easy Gravy:
In a saucepan on high heat, whisk the yeast and the flour together.
Whisk in the soy sauce and garlic powder and continue until smooth.
Slowly pour in the broth. Whisk constantly until smooth.
Fall is here and I am loving the varieties of squash that greet me at my local Trader Joe’s. Just seeing those unique shaped beauties puts me in a fall state of mind. I didn’t particularly like squash when I was kid. I mean, it’s scary looking, and the texture can be off-putting to picky palates. As an adult, however, I crave the comforting taste of a sweet and savory stuffed delicata squash or the fun “pasta” dinner made with spaghetti squash.
Acorn squash is one of my favorites. It is the perfect vessel for stuffing or turning into a “bowl” of some kind. It’s subtle sweet flavor combines well with savory flavors, and is the star ingredient in a happy experiment that came to be this Taco Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe.
I was making myself lunch last Wednesday and opened the fridge to find some baked squash that I had batch cooked over the weekend. Sitting next to it was some leftover taco filling from the night before. I added my homemade pico de gallo, and came up with a quick and easy smoky, chipotle avocado sauce…and lunch was served!
This meal is very satisfying, but doesn’t leave you filling heavy. It is reminiscent of the flavors of Fall with the spicy taste of Taco Tuesday! I hope you’ll try it and let me know what you think.
2acorn squashesskin washed, cut in half lengthwise, and seeds and string removed
For the filling:
1package of meatless ground “beef”
1can black beansdrain and reserve half the liquid
1onionchopped
2-3tablespoonstaco seasoningor more, if desired
1tablespoonoil
½cupwater
For the pico de gallo:
2Roma tomatoes finely chopped
½yellow onion finely chopped
¼cupcilantro finely chopped
½the juice of 1 limeor more if desired
Salt to taste
For the Smoky Avocado Sauce:
½ -1chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1avocado
¼cupwater
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle each squash half with ¼ teaspoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side up on a baking pan and roast 25-30 minutes, until tender. Set aside.
While the squash roasts, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion. Saute for five minutes, until translucent.
Add in the meatless ground “beef” and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the beans with the liquid
Add in the taco seasoning and water. Stir well to combine. Reduce to simmer and allow to simmer 10-15 minutes until the filling becomes thick and the water is cooked through.
While the meat is cooking, prepare the pico de gallo. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Place all of the ingredients for the Smoky Avocado Sauce in a food processor. Pulse on low until combined and creamy. Add salt to taste.
To assemble, scoop a generous amount of filling into the middle of each squash half. Top with the pico de gallo and a dollop or more of Smoky Avocado Sauce.
Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles are one of my favorite plant-based products on the market (and I promise, they aren’t paying me for this post!). The texture is just like real beef and the flavor is fantastic.
I make these tacos every week for my family and they never miss the real beef. I love to serve these tacos topped with homemade pico de gallo and guacamole, (my son makes a delicious batch for us every week). They meat and bean mixture is scrumptious in a fried corn shell, but equally mouth-watering eaten in a crisp romaine leaf.
My post last week regarding my love affair with Gardein prompted me to cook up one of my favorite “elegant” vegan dishes. It just so happens that Gardein’s Chick’n Scallopini is the star ingredient in the dish. I like to serve it over pasta, but it also works well over mashed potatoes. Steamed broccoli makes a great side dish. I hope you enjoy it!
I recently discovered Gardein’s Golden Fishless Fillet and can’t believe how much it tastes like the real thing. Well done, Gardein, although I am not surprised as every product they put out is high quality and tastes delicious. I typically don’t eat these faux meat products often, but I will make an exception for these fillets! Not only are they eerily tasty, but they are also flaky and consistent from a texture perspective too. They’d make a great “fish and chips” dinner, but I decided to have some fun and turn them into tacos!
Upon my discovery of these fishless fillets, I also discovered Follow Your Heart’s Tartar Sauce. Truth be told, I have been eyeing the jars of this sauce in my Whole Foods for months now, but didn’t have anywhere to use them…until now. The creamy topping on these tacos is indeed, this tartar sauce.
This recipe is so simple that I am not sure I can even call it a recipe. It’s really just opening a bunch of packages and jars, chopping, and then tossing them with a few things. It’s a great meal solution for a busy weeknight after sports or activities and you only have about 30 minutes to get dinner on the table with no time to prep. Try this recipe!
Prepare Fishless Fillets according to package directions (bake 10-12 minutes at 425 degrees).
While fillets bake, prepare the slaw: Toss the cabbage, carrots, green onions, tomato and the juice of 1 lime in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and taste for seasonings.
When fillets are ready, heat one tortilla at a time on a stove burner, until the tortilla becomes pliable. Chop the fillets into small pieces. Spoon some of the slaw into each tortilla with about half of one fillet. Add in a few avocado slices, and top with a dollop of the tartar sauce.
1package organic frozen brown rice(Trader Joe’s freezer section)
1/2cupfrozen peas
1/2cupfrozen corn
1Tablespooncoconut oil
2garlic cloves, minced
1/4cupmacadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
Instructions
For kebabs
Cut each tempeh block into about 12 1 1/2″ chunks. Place in a bowl and pour half the bottle of marinade over the tempeh pieces to cover. Allow to marinate at least an hour.
Stack skewers with first, a pineapple chunk, followed by a tempeh cube, then a red bell pepper, a tempeh cube, a pineapple chunk, an orange bell pepper, then a tempeh cube, followed by a pineapple chunk.
Heat oil in a grill pan. Place skewers in pan and grill on each side approximately 3-4 minutes. Baste with reserved marinade before turning the skewers.
For rice
Cook rice in microwave according to package directions.
Heat oil in pan. Add garlic and saute 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Add rice to pan and add vegetables. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Heat a separate pan with no oil. Add nuts. Toast nuts until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes.
I created this recipe while wanting to reinvent a recipe that was passed down to my mother from my great aunt, Peggy. It has been in the family forever it seems. When I got married, my sister and mother put together a recipe book filled with family recipes on old school style recipe cards. The rigatoni recipe was one of my favorites. She made it at every holiday meal. It is the most requested staple at our holiday dinners.
Since going vegan, I have veganized her traditional recipe and it was okay, not great. Swapping out the mozzarella with Daiya shreds was fine and got the job done, but it didn’t bring the comfort and pasta joy that the old dish did. So…I reinvented it and created this three cheese rigatoni. I have several favorite dairy-free cheeses, but three top my list when it comes to Italian cooking:
I love tofu scrambles. When I first went vegan and discovered I could use tofu instead of scrambled eggs, a whole new breakfast world was opened up for me. I make a tofu scramble at least once a week. This bruschetta scramble is a family favorite. I originally created this recipe as a test for my kids when I was trying to add some variety to their breakfast meals. I wanted to add more protein to their morning meal and thought a tofu scramble would be perfect, but couldn’t get them to eat one. That was until I thought to combine the bruschetta and kalamata olives together – two of their favorite things. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it sooner! It was a success and it has become a constant on our weekly breakfast menu ever since.
My family loves Mexican food. Taco Tuesdays are a tradition every week in my household, and burritos and tacos make it on our breakfast and lunch menu at least once a week. Because I always cook more food than anyone can eat, I typically have leftover taco filling from Tuesday night that I eat the rest of the week in vegan taco bowls or the breakfast burritos I mention above.
Burgers and grill recipes are in order this time of year. I find myself making them more than ever this season. Right now, I am obsessed with beet burgers! So is my eldest daughter, Gaby!
This tamale pie recipe takes me way back. I have been craving my mom’s old recipes, the ones she made when I was kid. My mom’s cooking was comfort and love when I was a girl, and still is even now at forty-one with kids of my own to love and comfort! I watched her, mesmerized as her hands got to work in the kitchen.
These vegan lasagna rolls are my latest pasta obsession. I am not sure why, but I have been craving pasta like crazy this past month. It is probably my ultimate comfort food, (next to chips and salsa), but I eat it sparingly because of the carbs.
I have worked and worked to create the perfect lentil burger. I have tasted and tried dozens of other people’s lentil burgers, studying their methods and scrutinizing their ingredients list. I started experimenting with my own recipe creations for the perfect lentil burger over a year ago. I have had many fails. They were flavorless, or fell apart too easily. They were too fussy to make. I couldn’t get the seasoning blend right. Finally, I think I did it. To me, this lentil burger is perfect.
My family can’t get enough of The Beyond Burger from Beyond Meat. My husband, an omnivore, actually requests it over a meat burger. We’ve eaten them numerous times at home and have brought them to BBQs to share. Yep, we love them!
