Vegan Bolognese Sauce!

For Valentine's Day this year, Vivek really took charge of the kitchen and tried a brand new recipe to cook for me, and it was rigatoni topped with vegan bolognese sauce.  It was SO delicious that I had to write down the recipe and make it so that it fit in with my healthy eating plan...and it does fit!  It is so tasty and deceivingly healthy!

Vegan Bolognese Sauce

Makes about 2 servings

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup cooked green or brown lentils
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup chopped and steamed carrots
1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup onion, roughly chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 can diced tomatoes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a deep skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions for about 3 minutes or until they become translucent. Add the red peppers and garlic and saute for another minute or so.

2. To a blender or food processor, add the tomato sauce, the sauteed vegetables and garlic, steamed carrots, oregano, basil, redpepper flakes and spinach. Puree until smooth.

3. In the pan where you sauteed the vegetables, add the lentils, balsamic vinegar and quinoa. Add the pureed tomato mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.

4. Serve over cooked pasta! Can top with some shredded parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Let's talk about oatmeal!

Oatmeal is one of those foods that I never really got into unless it was loaded with brown sugar!  When I started really focusing in on healthy eating, I found that I could enjoy oatmeal without all the sugar and get all the health benefits from it!  Oatmeal is great for lowering bad cholesterol and giving you healthy, whole grains that have protein and fiber.  It is a great breakfast that helps keep you full all morning!  Much better than the sugary cereals that I used to eat.  Here are a few oatmeal recipes that I have tried and really enjoyed!

Banana-Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup fat free milk or almond milk
1/3 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1/2 ripe mashed banana
1 teaspoon peanut butter

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator overnight.  Let sit for at least 1 hour.

2. Enjoy cold right out of the fridge!

Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup low fat cottage cheese
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup blueberries

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Blend the oats, cottage cheese, egg whites and cinnamon in a blender until it has a smooth batter consistency.

2. Pour half the batter into a warm pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and place half of the blueberries in the pancake.  Cook until browned on one side and then flip to the other side.

3. Recipe makes 2 pancakes!  Enjoy with some pure maple syrup or plain!  If you want some added sweetness but don't want to use syrup, top with some ripe bananas.

Eggless Oatmeal Banana Muffins

INGREDIENTS

1.5 cups old fashioned oats

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/4 cup almond butter

1/8 cup pure maple syrup

3/4 cup skim milk (or unsweetened almond milk if you want to keep it vegan)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup sliced almonds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 and position a rack in the center. Grease a muffin tin with baking spray. Be sure to get the spray all the way up the sides of the muffin tins, because we're filling them all the way up!  Or use paper muffin cups in the tins.  This recipe makes 8 muffins.
2. If almond butter is not runny, microwave it for about 30 seconds to loosen it up.
3. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Spoon into muffin cups. Top with a few sliced almonds and a slice of banana.
4. Place on rack in the center of the oven and bake until oatmeal cups are firm to the touch, about 20-25 minutes.
5. Wait several minutes for oatmeal cups to cool before running a knife around the edges and removing them from the tin. Serve hot or let cool and refrigerate individually wrapped for breakfasts on the go. Enjoy!

Brownie Batter Protein Overnight Oats

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup fat free milk or almond milk
1/3 cup fat free greek yogurt
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp pure maple syrup
2 tbsp protein powder (I used one scoop of my chocolate Isalean shake powder)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator overnight.  Let sit for at least 1 hour.

2. Enjoy cold right out of the fridge!

Vegan "Meat"balls!

I have been trying to find a better way to enjoy Italian food without all the carbs and calories, and I have really grown to love spaghetti squash as an alternative to pasta!  Making the squash with some marinara sauce on top is great, but I also needed some heartiness and protein, so I tried these vegan "meat"balls, and they are absolutely delicious!

Recipe for Vegan "Meat"balls

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped and toasted

3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats, processed into a coarse flour

1 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

2-3 tablespoons finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (about 2 large)

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons ground flax + 3 tbsp water, mixed

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

1   Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with foil. Toast the walnuts for 7-9 minutes until fragrant and golden.

2   Meanwhile, add the oats into the food processor and process until finely chopped. You want the texture to be like a coarse flour.

3  Add the grated carrot, chopped parsley, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, walnuts, and oat flour into a large bowl. Stir to combine.

4   Add the drained and rinsed beans into the food processor and process until finely chopped. You want the mixture to be a coarse paste with some beans still intact, but don’t completely puree the mixture. Stir the processed beans into the bowl with the vegetables and oat flour.

5   In a mug, whisk together the ground flax and water. Let it sit for only 15-20 seconds, any longer and it will get too thick. Stir into the vegetable bean mixture until fully combined.

6   Stir the oil, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes into the bowl, adjusting amounts to taste if necessary.

7   Shape the mixture into 15-20 balls (the size of golf-balls), packing each ball tightly between your hands so it holds together well. Place each ball onto the prepared baking sheet an inch or two apart.

8  Bake for 20 minutes, then gently flip the balls and and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden on both sides.

9   After baking, place balls on a cooling rack for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

Another healthy recipe that I tried and really enjoyed was a quinoa tabbouleh salad.  Vivek and I used to order tabbouleh salad from our favorite Mediterranean restaurant in Burlingame, CA called Taste In.  This dish originated in Lebanon and is traditionally made with tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, mint and onion and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and salt.  To increase the heartiness and protein content of this salad, I added quinoa and feta cheese.  It became a meal in itself!

Recipe for Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

INGREDIENTS
1 cup dry quinoa
1 large bunch parsley, finely chopped (remove long stems)
1/3 cup mint leaves, chopped
1 cup of grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 of a yellow or white onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 cup feta cheese

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cook quinoa with 1.5 cups of water.  Allow the water to boil then reduce the heat, cover and let cook for about 10 minutes.

2. While the quinoa is cooking, mix all of the other ingredients except for the feta cheese in a large bowl.

3. When the quinoa is finished cooking, combine it with the other ingredients in the bowl.  Allow it to cool.

4. When the salad has cooled, mix in the feta cheese and serve!

Chickpea Curry Wraps

In 2015, I'm looking to eat healthier and exercise so that we all can be more fit (and I can lose some weight)!  So, I have been looking for quick and easy healthy recipes that taste good, and I found one that both Vivek and I enjoyed!  It is a wrap that is high in protein because of the chickpeas, and the tortilla I used was a sprouted grain tortilla (you can find it in the freezer section at the grocery store), which also increases the protein content of the dish.  It has a little bit of spice, citrus and sweet, which makes it a delicious and healthy lunch!

Recipe for Chickpea Curry Wraps

INGREDIENTS
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
Sprouted wheat tortillas
2 cups baby spinach
1 small lime, juiced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a large bowl, mix together chickpeas, red bell pepper, cilantro and raisins.

2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together lime juice, curry powder, honey, olive oil and salt and pepper.

3. Add the dressing to the chickpea mixture and stir well.  Let sit for 30 minutes to develop flavors or refrigerate to eat at a later time.

4. Add about 1/2 cup of the mixture to a tortilla and top with baby spinach.  Roll tightly and enjoy!

Vegetarian Muffuletta

I love making different types of sandwiches, and one of Vivek's favorites is a twist on the New Orleans special Muffuletta!  This type of sandwich originated among Italian immigrants in New Orleans and traditionally contains an olive salad, mortadella (an Italian sausage), salami, mozzarella, ham, and provolone cheese.  It was easy to modify this sandwich to make it vegetarian: I simply took out the sausage, salami and ham!  I also substituted cheddar cheese for the mozzarella to add some saltiness.  The flavor really comes from the olive salad, and it is so good grilled so the cheese is melted inside!

Recipe for Vegetarian Muffuletta

INGREDIENTS
Round french bread or hoagie buns
4 carrots, diced into small cubes
1 onion, diced into small cubes
10 oz jar of green pimento stuffed olives
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp creole seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's)
Sliced sharp cheddar cheese
Sliced provolone (not smoked)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Scoop out some of the bread from the inside of the top bun to make a little "boat" to hold the olive salad.

2. To make the olive salad, mis the carrots, onions, olives, vinegar, olive oil, basil, oregano and creole seasoning in a large bowl.  For the best flavor, cover the bowl after mixing well and put it in the fridge for at least one hour.

3. To assemble the sandwich, scoop the olive salad into the bread "boats." Then layer with 1-2 slices of sharp cheddar and 1-2 slices of provolone (depending on how cheesy you like it).  Place the other bread on the cheese and flip over.  You can eat it cold or grilled to melt the cheese slightly.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate...in a jar!

This holiday season, I decided to make some gifts that Vivek could take for his coworkers.  I came across this idea for peppermint hot chocolate in a jar on Pinterest, and I loved it!  It was so easy to prepare, and the results are so cute!

Recipe for Peppermint Hot Chocolate in a Jar

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup dry milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
3 candycanes, crushed
1/4 cup mini marshmallows

INSTRUCTIONS
In the order listed above, layer all the ingredients in a mason jar, pushing down on each layer as you go.  The instructions for making the hot chocolate is to mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, and the mix 1/3 of the mixture with 1 cup of boiling water.  There are 3 servings in one jar!