Mexican Bean Bowl (WFPBNO)

 Another delicious "bowl" recipe. These are some of our favorite dinners. Quick to toss together and yummy to eat. The basics are to pick a grain, green and veggies along with a sauce. I had some overnight pickled red onions in the frig and tossed some of them in this bowl. They were so tasty and added a nice crunch and tang to the dish. You can always sub black beans for pintos and what ever greens are in your frig for the spring mix. Go make a bowl!

• 1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup salsa (use your favorite)
• 2 cloves minced garlic (I buy pre-minced in a large jar)
• a couple of hands full of baby spinach
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• sliced pickled red onions
• cooked brown rice
• Garnish: ranch dressing, hot sauce, a squeeze of lime, avocado

Add the beans, tomatoes, salsa, nutritional yeast, cumin, red pepper flakes and garlic to a non-stick skillet. 

Simmer for a few minutes until it's nice hot.

Don't forget to get your grains cooked. I used brown rice, but you could use quinoa, farro, or whatever grain you have on hand.

Add the spinach to the pan and stir so that the spinach can wilt.

Scoop a couple of spoons full of rice in your bowl. Add bean/tomato/spinach mixture, pickled red onions, chopped avocado and a slice of lime. Drizzle with your vegan ranch dressing and a shot of hot sauce. 

Enjoy!!

Cheesy Cauliflower Taco Casserole

The grocery had cauliflower for BOGO last week. So, for Taco Tuesday I came up with dish. The flavors were delish and it is a very filling dish. The leftovers reheated well in the microwave or could be put into a single serve casserole dish and reheated in the toaster oven. I did use up a sack of Gardein Crumbles, which were in the freezer. We have not been eating very much processed food and I think a can of lentils would make a great substitute. But, trying to use what's in the freezer now that it's hurricane season. Feel free to substitute with the ingredient of your choice. 

This was so yummy, but I didn't realize this picture was so blurry!!

• 1/2 cup sweet onion, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• heaping tablespoon pre-minced garlic
• 1 package Gardein ground be'f (crumbles)
• 3 cups cauliflower florets, bite sized
• 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, don't drain
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Chuck's cheese sauce
• Garnishes: cilantro, pickled jalapenos, extra cheese sauce, salsa

In a large cast iron skillet, add 2 tablespoons water over medium heat. Add onions and bell pepper.

Sauté 4-5 minutes until soft. Add garlic and stir, cooking for another minute.

Add the crumbles and the cauliflower.

Cook stirring occasionally 4-5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their juice, chili powder, cumin, oregano and smoked paprika. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. 

Add cheese sauce and put in toaster oven preheated to 350F. 

Cook until cauliflower is soft and cheese gets a little brown. 

Garnish as desired and enjoy!! This would also go well with a side salad.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Cups

I don't post very many sweets. I just don't have a sweet tooth but I do love some chocolate. I've seen several variations of this type of dessert online and decided to make a healthy version. I hope you'll enjoy the recipe and give these a try!

• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (the only ingredient should be peanuts)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons prune puree

Heat the peanut butter and syrup in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until mixed well and it's warm.

Add the oats to the peanut butter mixture and stir well.

Using a 1/4 cup measure portion the mixture into a silicone 12-cup muffin pan. 

Use a spoon or your fingers to press the mixture firmly into each cup.

Rinse out your pan, dry well and add the chocolate and prune puree. Stir well until chocolate is all melted. Do this over a low heat so you don't scorch the chocolate. Pour a tablespoon of chocolate over each cup to cover the oatmeal mixture. 

Place in freezer for at least one hour.

Pop out however many cups you want to serve. Keep leftovers in the freezer.

Enjoy!

Soy Glazed Pasta w/Crispy Tofu & Veggies (WFPBNO)

My local store had asparagus for $1.99 a pound and we love asparagus. So, I bought a bunch with no clue what I intended to do with it. I also had a extra-firm block of tofu that only had 4-5 days until the best by date arrived. I looked at some sauces that could be made and what other veggies I had on hand and came up with this dish. You can always use whatever veggies are in your frig. I think some sweet onion chunks would also be good in this dish. I love the brown rice pasta and buy it when I see it. This recipe used a spaghetti shape. This will definitely go into a regular rotation here. It was pretty quick and delicious.

• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 package (16 ounces) extra firm, tofu (mine was not water packed, it was shrink wrapped)
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cup snow peas, trimmed
• 1/2 a 1-pound package brown rice spaghetti noodles
• dash of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1/2 tablespoon roasted garlic rice wine vinegar
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Garnish: pinch of crushed red pepper, Sriracha hot sauce, sesame seeds

Get your water on for the pasta before you start anything else. In a bowl large enough to hold the tofu and marinade, stir together the soy sauce, agave and onion powder. Add the cubed tofu and gently stir to coat. Let stand until needed, tossing occasionally.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the tofu to the skillet. Sauté, turning occasionally, until all sides are brown. Reserve marinade.

Your pasta water should be pretty hot by now. Add the asparagus and snow peas to water and cook for 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon and transfer the veggies to the skillet of tofu. Keep warm.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Once done, drain and add to a large bowl.

Add the tofu and vegetable mixture, as well as a splash of soy to the bowl and toss well.

To a saucepan add the leftover marinade with mirin, vinegar and garlic. In a small bowl add cornstarch to 1 tablespoon cold water and stir until smooth. Add this to the saucepan. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook until sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Pour the sauce into the pasta/veggie bowl. 

Gently toss until everything is coated in the sauce.

Serve immediately with you choice of garnishes.

Enjoy!!!1