Curly Kale

Vegan Pumpkin Roll

Enjoy this Delicious Vegan Pumpkin Roll Recipe from The Vegan Zombie.

Roasted Veggies

I bought some purple potatoes from our local market.  It was the first time that I've ever cooked or eaten them.  I wasn't sure about their taste so I thought I'd try a familiar recipe.  I sliced the purple potatoes, yellow potatoes, green bell peppers, onions, carrots, and mushrooms.  I seasoned them with seasoned salt, Italian seasonings, black pepper, and parsley.  Added a couple tablespoons of olive oil, then roasted them in the oven for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently.  The dish was colorful and delicious.

Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash is a wonderful source of carbohydrates that help sustain energy.  Butternut Squash is a winter squash that contains beta-carotene.  Beta-carotene is responsible for converting vitamin A in the body and is needed for normal immune, respiratory, and digestive functioning, as well as for healthy skin.  

Vegetarian Chili

Here's my delicious vegetarian chili.

Ingredients: 

Chili Powder

Green Bell Pepper

Onion

Diced Tomatoes

Kidney Beans

Black Beans

Vegetarian Meat Crumbles

There are no specific directions for this recipe.  Make as much or as little as you'd like, adding your preferred ingredients based on your taste and enjoy.

Vegetable Stuffed Cabbage

Tonight, I made vegetable stuffed cabbage- a seriously modified version of one of Mario Batali's recipes.  It was really good.  Here are the ingredients: Cabbage, onions, tomatoes, mashed potatoes, tomato sauce, olive oil, Italian seasonings, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

                           

 

                           

    

-Boil the cabbage leaves

-Saute the vegetables and seasonings

-Either boil and mash your potatoes or use the instant kind

-Mix the vegetable, mashed potatoes and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese together in a bowl

-Place one large spoonful of the mixture in your cabbage leaf and fold it over

-Arrange them in your baking dish

-Spoon the desired amount of tomato sauce over your stuffed cabbage rolls

-Optional: Sprinkle with cheese

-Bake 20-30 minutes on 400 degrees 

-Enjoy

Veggie Burrito

I made veggie burritos last night.  Wild rice, black beans, onions, green peppers, chik'n, corn, cheddar cheese and salsa wrapped in a warm whole wheat shell.  Yummy!

Vegetable Lasagna

Here's another meal that I made up!  Vegetable Lasagna made with Spinach, Artichoke, Mushrooms, Onions, Eggplant, Marinara Sauce, Italian Seasonings, Mozzarella & Parmesan Cheese & Lasagna Noodles of course.  So simple to make.  Just layer the veggies until your hearts content (or until you run out of room in your dish!)  Put it in the oven- 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (depends on how many layers you have.)  Let sit for about 10 minutes once out of the oven to let all the ingredients blend together.  Then eat up!  Enjoy!

Raw Kale Salad with Pomegranate and Toasted Walnuts

Pile your plate with healthy dark leafy greens. Kale, which boasts a cool 45 flavonoids (plant pigments that promote antioxidant activity in the body), helps lower cholesterol.











Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale, torn
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1/2 fruit)
• 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• Coarse salt and pepper

Directions

1. Rub kale with olive oil, lime juice, and ginger until well coated.
2. Add pomegranate seeds, red onion, and walnuts and toss. Season with coarse salt and pepper.

Yield: Serves 4

This post was taken from WholeLiving.com.

Chik'N, Broccoli, & Mushroom Alfredo

Vegans and Vegetarians know that there are plenty of meat substitutes that can be used to complement meals.  Tonight, we had Chik'N (a vegetarian substitute), Broccoli, & Mushroom Alfredo.  I think it was great for my first try.  It didn't take long to prepare either.  I'll be creating this recipe again.

Chik'N (entire bag)

Broccoli (2 cups fresh)

Cream of Mushroom Soup (large fat free can)

Grated Parmesan Cheese (1 cup)

Pasta (use what you like)

Roasted Vegetable & Farro Salad

INGREDIENTS

a big handful of Brussel Sprouts quartered


2 Carrots cut into small enough pieces


1 Sweet Potato peeled and cubed


1 Shallot sliced


1 clove garlic chopped

2 Tbs of Orange Champagne Vinegar (or whatever you like)

1/4 cup Farro

DIRECTIONS

Spray cookie sheet with PAM or cooking spray (You can use olive oil)

Spread brussel sprouts, carrots and sweet potato on sheet and sprinkle with salt

Cook on 375 for about 35 minutes or until cooked and starting to brown

Cook Farro as instructed on package

Soak garlic and shallots in Vinegar until ready to serve

Mix components together

Serve hot, cold or room temp

This recipe was provided by the Chefanies for HealingLifestyles.com.

Put More Produce in Your Day

3 Simple Strategies to Put More Produce in Your Day.

1. Include a fruit or vegetable at EVERY meal. There’s no meal that can’t fit a fruit or veggie—fresh, frozen, dried or from a bottle or can. Put a banana in that cereal, berries in your oatmeal, salsa or veggies with those eggs, a salad instead of fries with the meal, or veggies on the sandwich.

2. Have a fruit or vegetable in at least ONE of your snacks each day. A handful of grapes? Trail-mix with raisins or dried cherries? A sliced apple with peanut butter? A cup of low-sodium vegetable juice? Carrots and hummus? A mug of vegetable soup? You choose.

3. If you nosh at night, instead of giving yourself an ultimatum that becomes too restrictive or worse yet, gets you back on that guilt-ridden rollercoaster ride of emotional distress at your dietary behaviors, make a deal with yourself. Unless you’ve planned in advance to have an evening dessert or home-popped popcorn with a movie, if you find yourself returning to the kitchen with those after-dinner munchies, commit a fruit or veggie choice, period. Plain and simple: guidelines on what to choose NOT whether you can. It feels so liberating and ultimately, you may find at times you’re not as interested in a post meal nibble as your mind originally told you or that you simply and nutritiously end up adding to your overall health with an extra fruit or veggie serving.

For lots of cool information and strategies on how to bump up the berries and broccoli, cash in on carrots and cherries , or mix-it-up from mushrooms to melons, visit the Produce for Better Health Foundation at fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org.

This post was written by Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD for HealingLifestyles.com.

Green Smoothie

1 cup kale or collard greens firmly packed, stems removed, coarsely chopped (4 ounces)
1 Granny Smith apple, coarsely chopped 
1 ripe banana 
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 

Combine kale, apple, banana, parsley, and 2 1/4 cups water in a blender; blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more water. 

Serves 2. Per serving: 105 calories; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g unsaturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbs; 32 mg sodium; 2 g protein; 4 g fiber.




This recipe was taken from WholeLiving.com.

Fall-Vegetable and Quinoa Hash with Poached Eggs

• 

  Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges, greens reserved and rinsed well
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 leek, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, cut 1/4 inch thick, and rinsed well
• 1 cup cooked quinoa (from 1/4 cup dry)
• 3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss sweet potato with 1/2 teaspoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt; spread in an even layer on half of a rimmed baking sheet. Toss beets with 1/2 teaspoon oil and 1/8 teaspoon salt; spread on other half of sheet (so that beets don't discolor potatoes). Roast, stirring halfway through, until tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil; add vinegar. Break each egg into a teacup. Reduce heat so that water is just simmering. Slightly immerse 1 teacup, and gently slide egg into water. Use a spoon to fold edges of white over egg. Repeat with remaining eggs. Simmer until whites are just set but yolks are runny, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer eggs to a towel using a slotted spoon, and drain.
3. Thinly slice beet greens. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add greens, leek, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook until tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in quinoa, thyme, and vegetables; press down using a rubber spatula. Cook until quinoa is warm, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates; top each with 1 egg, and season with a pinch of pepper.
   
   
   Prep Time: 15 Minutes
   Total Time: 55 min
   Yield: Serves 4
   
   
   This recipe was taken from WholeLiving.com.

Cabbage

Cabbage contains powerful anticancer properties lowering the risk of cancers in the breast, prostate, lung and colon.  Cabbage promotes healing of both internal and external wounds, and helps to relieve mastitis, or breast inflammation, sometimes experienced by breast-feeding mothers.

Another Fast & Flavorful Vegetarian Meal

Vegetarian meals can be fast & full of flavor.  This is a photo of what my son & I ate for lunch today.  It took approximately 12 minutes to make from start to finish, and it tasted great too.

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Fresh Salad with Roma Tomatoes, Croutons, Balsamic Vinaigrette & Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Veggie Burger topped with Swiss Cheese, Mushrooms, & Onions on a Sesame Seed Bun

The weekend is a great time to explore new recipes.  Try a new fruit or vegetable this weekend, then come back to tell us about it. To find your local Farmer's Market or Wholesale Grocer click here: www.localharvest.org

Red Bell Pepper

The Red Bell Pepper is packed with vitamin C and beta-carotene which fortifies the immune system and is useful in warding off infections.  Red bell peppers contain lycopene, an antioxidant with anticancer properties.  Red bell peppers also help flush out toxins from the body with its high water content. 

Whole Roasted Carrots Recipe

I love this video- lots of teaching & good eating too!

Carrot

The carrot is a rich source of beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body.  Beta-carotene is required for normal vision, effective reproductive functioning, healthy looking skin, and helps the body fight off infections.  Carrots may also help reduce cholesterol levels.

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Asparagus

Asparagus is high in folic acid and the antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin c.  Folic acid is essential during early pregnancy as it protects against neural tube defects.  Antioxidants help fight cancer, eye problems and heart disease.

Image taken from 21food.com