Vegetarian Wonton Soup with Spring Vegetables

Spring has officially sprung. A few roses are blooming in our backyard, little buds cover our lemon tree, and a lovely layer of pollen coats my windshield each morning. All the wonderful signs of spring. With spring blooming comes wonderful spring produce!  

With that in mind, I bring you my adaptation on a delightful vegetarian wonton soup recipe (Link!). My first time making wontons, and I really found it quite fun!

The filling is a quick blend of green onion, ginger, garlic, tofu, frozen greens (I used kale), soy sauce, and sesame oil. 

I recommend pressing the tofu for at least 10 minutes so you don't have to worry about too much moisture in the filling. I actually squeezed out a lot of water from the tofu over the sink - mushing it in my hands since it was going into a food processor anyways. While this instruction isn't in the recipe, you can do this step and then you won't need to add cornstarch to soak up moisture. I would also dice the garlic before adding it the the food processor. After blending I still had big chunks.

Once you blend up your filling, the fun part begins! Check out the original recipe for a video that shows you how to fold them.  (I actually just realized I didn't even fold them correctly! Luckily it didn't seem to affect the outcome)

Aren't they precious!?

I stuck these little pockets of goodness in the freezer while I prepped my vegetables.

Fresh asparagus is incredible this time of year. It's actually amazing even to eat raw. This bundle tasted as fresh as the asparagus I picked on campus at my college last spring. Sweet and crisp!

You can really use any vegetables you want. I went with asparagus, cremini mushrooms, peas (fresh would be great but frozen is fine), and also added more tofu (for a more filling dinner).  

Note: If you use vegetable broth, you won't get that clear soup that you might expect with wonton soup. Tastes delicious regardless. Seasoned with ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil - yum! I took the ginger out after cooking the broth, but try tasting a piece and maybe slivering it up to keep in the soup if it tastes good? Just an idea - it might add some pizazz.

Now boil some water and drop those wontons in straight from the freezer. They are ready once they float! Feel free to keep some in the freezer, ready for a quick meal whenever you want.

I laid  the wontons on some fresh spinach. It wilted wonderfully once the broth was poured in.

Once your veggies have cooked in the broth you can ladle it on into your bowls! Top with some fresh green onion!

Gorgeous fresh spring soup!

Lentil Pancake Loaf

So as you can see, I still had some lentils left over from that Trader Joes package. 

"I wonder if you can use lentils in bread," I thought.

The answer...is yes. Specifically, in pancake bread!  (Link)

mmmmh!

This recipe creates a healthy sliceable bread with the texture and flavor of a pancake!

Ingredients:

oats (to make oat flour), whole wheat flour, lentils, vanilla, maple syrup, baking powder, almond milk, olive oil, apple cider vinegar

This "pancake" is filled with protein and healthy grains. Yes please!

Changes:

-The recipe calls for buckwheat flour (to make the recipe gluten free) but I used whole wheat flour instead. 

-I only used 1.5 T maple syrup instead of 2 and next time will only use 1. Keep it at 2 if you want that sweetness. I'd rather top it with something sweet instead.

I cut it into 6 thick slices. You can have one slice for breakfast with almond butter and apricot jam or half a slice for an evening snack. 

Check out how fluffy this looks!

Summary:

I will admit that it isn't mind-blowing eaten plain. It is very simple...but so are pancakes! It's all about the toppings. As soon as I spooned some blackberry jam on top, it was incredible. It is a fluffy and nutritious vehicle for any delicious topping you can imagine. 

I'd suggest peanut or almond butter, berry jam, apricot jam, vanilla yogurt even, pumpkin butter, apple butter. Endless possibilities. Enjoy!

Aww yeah

TJ's Balsamic Lentil Sauté

Hello friends! Today I have to share with you my newest discovery:

Trader Joes precooked lentils

They are so convenient and such a time saver! They last a long time and are ready when you need them.

I opened up a package of these yesterday and put some on a salad. But there are 2.5 cups of lentils in this package and it has to be used within a couple days. So I did some quick internet searches and came across this recipe on the Trader Joes website that turned out to be a true winner. (Link)

Balsamic Lentil Saute

Lentils, spinach, bell pepper, onion (yellow is fine), garlic, balsamic, sundried tomatoes

As usually, I made a few tweaks based on what I had available.

-Instead of spinach, I used broccoli leaves from our garden. Feel free to use kale, chard, or whatever other green you have around.

-I added a few roughly chopped mushrooms. I just love how it adds substance to a dish.

-I didn't have parsley but added 1/2 tsp Braggs herb and spice blend

-I didn't have balsamic glaze so I just used balsamic vinegar

Wow - this came out even better than I'd hoped. I was a bit unsure of the sundried tomatoes but we just happened to have some in the fridge so I figured I'd try it. Listen carefully...This ingredient is crucial!!!! Seriously, there is incredible flavor even just in the oil around the tomatoes that adds such an amazing flavor to the dish. 

Another reason this dish is a time savor: you can use a package of microwave brown rice or quinoa! I used a 2 serving package from Safeway of quinoa with kale mixed in and it was super quick and delicious (plus added more veggie!)

This recipe is great because you can make one meal for now and another for the next day. I scooped half of the quinoa onto a plate and the other half into a container, topped each with lentil sauté and now have an easy lunch to take to work tomorrow. You will probably have a little sauté left over as well, so now you also have a healthy afternoon snack ready to go!

So colorful! 

Even better when enjoyed outside!

Whole Wheat Vegan Cheez-it Crackers

I feel like just about every time I post a recipe, I say that some experience is new to me. And it's true. I am a relatively novice cook. And that means many endeavors are going to be unfamiliar. And honestly, that's what makes it so exciting. I may not normally have a daredevil or thrill seeking personality, but I do enjoy the adventure and risks of cooking.

So today I bring you...my first ever attempt at CRACKERS! 

I had a bunch of nutritional yeast left over from my mac n cheese and started hunting for cracker recipes to use some of it. And I found this awesome vegan cheez-it recipe from The Minimalist Baker.

Ingredients:

nutritional yeast, garlic powder, flour, oat flour, corn meal, olive oil, baking powder

I used whole wheat flour instead of regular, which really makes these a nutritious snack. However, it does make it a lot denser and more like a biscuit (you can see in her picture how they look lighter and more crackery). I loved it with the whole wheat flour and recommend this version.

I also opted for 1.5 T of nutritional yeast, but it would have been great with 2 T. 

For the oat flour, just stick some oats in a food processor and grind them up! Easy!

She says baking powder is optional. I used 1/8 tp and honestly don't know if it made a difference. Next time I'll try to make half with and half without baking powder and see how they compare.

I found that the pizza cutter worked great to cut the crackers. Much less time consuming than using a cookie cutter and it really doesn't matter if they are uniform. 

Lastly, I recommend baking the full 17 minutes so they are nice and crisp!

roll out the dough nice and thin, it might crumble a bit

pizza cutter works great! plus a spatula to move them onto the pan

all ready to go!

Summary:

These are great eaten plain as a snack or to go with soup (tomato!) or a salad.

They really are satisfying and cheesy in a way. They are definitely very savory and as I said before, denser and almost biscuity. Enjoy!

Raw Pad Thai Salad

 Beautiful, isn't it. A true rainbow of vegetables. Crunchy. So many unique textures and flavors. A sauce brimming with character. It is a true work of art. 

This is another recipe from the My New Roots blog (Link). She says it is great for a potluck picnic, and she's right. This makes a huge amount. I had to mix it together in a giant soup pot. So my suggestion is to make this with some friends or family. If everyone chops a couple vegetables than it shouldn't take long and you may not be able to eat this all by yourself.

So what's in this beauty?
Just
cabbage
carrot
zucchini
green onion
cilantro
bell pepper
marinated mushrooms 
bean sprouts
and.... kelp noodles!

I used a vegetable peeler to make ribbons of carrot and zucchini and then just chopped the cabbage and bell pepper very thinly.

You marinate the mushrooms yourself, which is super easy, you just need to do it the night before. I used cremini mushrooms. Way more affordable than shiitake.

The kelp noodles were a new experience for me. I bought them at Whole Foods. Try one straight out of the bag. Surprisingly crunchy. But mixed into the salad they add a unique element that makes you feel like you are eating more than just veggies. But I think you could leave them out if you don't have access to them or want to save a few bucks. I bought about half of the ingredients as organic, comparing prices as I went to see what was reasonable. Make it with four friends and it's an affordable meal.

The sauce is made mostly with cashews (soaked the night before), lime, tamari, ginger, garlic, chili pepper, maple syrup,  olive oil, coriander seed, and turmeric for color.

I couldn't find a red chili pepper so I used half a serrano pepper. Perhaps less spicy, but I liked it.
Coriander seed is another thing you can find bulk at Whole Foods.
Here's my advice on the sauce. It is very mild, which is nice and lets the veggies shine through. However, I would recommend doubling the garlic and throwing in a little extra ginger too. Taste it before you dress the salad and add more of those flavorful ingredients if you want a little extra zing.

Summary:
This is not pad thai. I'm not sure why she calls it that. The sauce definitely doesn't have the ingredients that make pad thai. However, it is so vibrant and fresh and delicious in its own way. It's entirely unique. Feels like summer to eat this! It is fantastic as is, but I can also see adding chunks of tofu for some protein. Also, feel free to use extra dressing on any other salads you make.

6 Pound Cauliflower, Part 2: Tortillas and Brownies

This post may be a month late, but I promise it was worth the wait.
So after making the cauliflower couscous I found that I still had a tremendous amount of cauliflower left over. Let's not be delusional. SIX pounds is an enormous amount of cauliflower. In fact, it is so much that it is enough to make 3 distinct and incredibly unique recipes.

Up until now I have only experimented with cauliflower rice and cauliflower pizza.

But today I'm going to share with you a fantastic recipe for cauliflower tortillas and cauliflower brownies!! Get excited!

Cauliflower Tortillas
Just made with cauliflower, egg, cilantro, and lime juice. So easy! (Recipe here!)

One comment: please please please watch the 1 minute video and check out the texture that the dough should be. I actually squeezed out so much of the water from my cauliflower that I ended up with a much smaller quantity than they used. Once I added all the liquid, my "dough" was mush - way too wet! I had to adapt by dumping in a bunch of whole wheat breadcrumbs to soak up the moisture. So either don't squeeze so much of the water out, use a whole head of cauliflower, or start with just one egg and see how it looks before adding another. I haven't tried these methods, but they sound doable. Or else, have breadcrumbs on hand.

Despite my missteps, they came out incredible! I was so pleased at how well they held together, never breaking after adding filling. And they had a really nice flavor with all that cilantro and a great texture. Fantastic veggie filled alternative to flour or corn tortillas.

Gorgeous

A look at the tortilla in action

Now, onto dessert! Another super simple recipe.

Cauliflower Brownies

Super clean recipe, with just cauliflower, almonds, cocoa powder, almond milk, maple syrup, and eggs.

My only note is to blend super well! The result is a moist and chocolatey dessert. They are a lot softer than normal brownies - not as chewy. But as a guilt free dessert they definitely meet my standards. 

Yum! 

(Recipe here!)

So if you ever find yourself with 6 pounds of cauliflower...you'll know what to do! 

Vegan Butternut Macaroni 'n' Tease

Hello friends,

Today I have a recipe that was quite a leap of faith for me. I am such a mac-n-cheese fan that I was definitely worried about being disappointed by a vegan recipe. I am so glad to report that this recipe  was the perfect choice for my first foray into vegan cheesy goodness.

This recipe is a truly creative recreation of the classic comfort of mac n cheese without any of the ingredients that usually make it taste so good. Surprisingly, we have Starbucks to thank for this recipe. Their "free app of the week" lead me to the "My New Roots" app, full of nutritious plant based recipes. All of her recipes sound fantastic and I definitely hope to make more of them. Some are a bit complex but this recipe is definitely manageable! 

http://www.mynewroots.org/site/2015/02/deluxe-butternut-macaroni-n-tease/

So here are the wholesome ingredients that make up this amazing creation.

The cheese sauce is mostly:

roasted butternut squash, 

roasted garlic, 

butter beans, 

nutritional yeast, 

and unsweetened almond milk (I used just 2 cups).

Other ingredients include: a little paprika, dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar to balance the sauce 

Yes, you read that right...there are beans and yeast in this sauce. Don't freak out. 

Beans really help provide some of the creaminess and thickness to the sauce, and also add some protein. I promise you it doesn't taste like beans. 

Nutritional yeast is what really makes this dish. It is a vegan godsend. Somehow it adds the cheesy bite that this recipe needs. I will admit it took me a few bites to get used to it. But after that I was seriously chowing down.

The next unique aspect is the topping. No bread crumbs for us. This topping is made of:

sunflower seeds, coconut oil, more nutritional yeast, and seasonings.

It was so yummy! Nice and crunchy and salty. Seriously addicting. 

Such a beautiful topping!

Squash, topping, and nutritional yeast

For the pasta, I used a brown rice quinoa fusilli from Trader Joes. One thing about gluten free pasta is that it tends to break down easily....which is exactly what happened to me. I honestly didn't care. It was delicious. You can see on the original recipe that her noodles stay more separate. I guess fusilli was flimsier than her rigatoni. So choose your pasta according to your textural preferences.

To recap:

Roast Squash

Blend Sauce

Cook Pasta

Make topping

Assemble and Bake

Enjoy!

Tada!

Amazingly, this tasted even better the next day. The flavors melded together even more smoothly somehow. So while I'm all for sharing...make sure you have leftovers.

Bon apetit!

Bonus tips:
Buy pre chopped fresh or frozen butternut squash to save time
Buy nutritional yeast for less in the bulk section of Whole Foods