Tag: vegan

Harissa Spiced Veggies with a Sweet Tahini Orange Sauce

It’s a nice filling meal without too much effort. Depending on which harissa paste that you use, this can have some heat. Remember to start small and add the harissa accordingly.

  • Served here over couscous


Serves 4-6

Vegan/ Gluten Free Option

Roasted Veggies:

Ingredients:

  • 1 small to medium sized head of cauliflower (about 4 cups), broken into bite-sized florets
  • 1 red onion, roughly chopped
  • 4 carrots, cleaned, peeled, and roughly chopped
  • 1 can of cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1-2 Tbsp harissa paste
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 ground cinnamon

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Stir olive oil and harissa paste together at the bottom of a large bowl.
  4. Add the chopped veggies and chickpeas.
  5. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and cinnamon over the veggies.
  6. Use to hands to mix until everything is evenly coated.
  7. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes. The veggies should be slightly browned at the edges and tender.

Couscous:

Prepare couscous according to package directions.
For a gluten free option, serve over roasted sweet potato halves, or cooked quinoa.

Sweet Tahini Orange Sauce

Ingredients:

  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 Tbsp tahini
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

  1. Combine all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
  2. Whisk together with a fork to incorporate all of the ingredients.

For serving :

  • Raisins
  • Sliced Almonds
  1. Scoop a small amount of couscous, sweet potato, or quinoa onto a plate.
  2. Top with Roasted Veggies.
  3. Drizzle sauce on top.
  4. Add a small amount of raisins and sliced almonds to the top of each dish.
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Chickpea Scramble on Toast

Beans on Toast to fill your belly at breakfast

Sometimes you just want a hot, filling breakfast. Something that really fills you up and keeps you happy until lunchtime. Beans on toast is a classic combo especially in UK and it is definitely one of my favorite breakfasts. This version with chickpeas is not traditional at all, but is Oh-So-Good.

It slightly reminds me of scrambled eggs on toast, but so much better and healthier. Make the whole recipe on the weekend and add to toast throughout the week to save time in the morning.

Chickpea on Toast with tahini drizzle with tomato slices

Chickpea Scramble:

  • 1 red onion cut into large cubes
  • 2 Tbps olive oil
  • 3 cups cooked chickpeas (2 cans)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • handful of baby spinach
  • juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 2 slices of toast (I like Ezekiel bread,but whatever floats your boat)

Sauté the red onion in 1 Tbsp of olive oil until translucent. Add the chickpeas, salt, pepper, and turmeric and heat through. Use a sturdy fork or potato masher to smash the chickpeas until no whole chickpeas remain.

Push the chickpeas off to the side of the skillet and add the other tablespoon of oil to the empty space. Sauté the garlic in the oil for about 30 seconds. Add the handful of spinach and cook until wilted. Turn off heat and squeeze the lemon juice into the skillet. Stir everything up. Serve spread on toast, over home fries, or maybe even in a tortilla. Use your imagination.

I like it on toast with a drizzle of tahini and tomato slices as you can see pictured above.

June Baby Smoothie

Freddie’s second birthday is coming up and I’m starting to reminisce about what I was doing during the month of June these past two years. Since I’m so food-centric, I always remember what I was eating or making in the kitchen. At this time of year, I get a sudden mood bump when the weather starts to get warm and Farmers’ Markets start to open. More fresh produce available everywhere.

I remember when I was pregnant and Aaron would go to the Farmers’ Market in front of his office and bring me home pints of berries. The raspberry bushes in our yard start to produce the first fruits of year. I would stuff my face with berries and not even attempt to save room for non-berry food.

Last year, Freddie was just starting to eat larger varieties of food and I remember giving him his first blueberries. Of course, he took after me and began to consume every blueberry in sight. We started referring to them as “bluebs”. Scenes of the girl in Willie Wonka swelling up into a giant blueberry and being rolled away by Oompah Lumpahs would flash through my mind.

This year, since we have had so much luck with smoothies, I have begun blending our favorite berry into our morning smoothie. I must say that this tasty concoction hits the spot and keeps me full well into the morning.

I hope that this June Baby Smoothie makes it into your repertoire and has you waxing romantic about June’s past during breakfast.

June Baby Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups of water
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • one large handful of spinach
  • 1 cup ice (optional)

Ingredients for June Baby Smoothie

Place everything in the blender. I prefer to add them to blender in the order that I have listed the ingredients. Ice is optional. Use if you like a super cold smoothie. I only add it when it is super hot outside.

The June Baby and His Smoothie

 

Sweet Potato Pie in the Sky

Now I love a good smoothie, but it’s the middle of March and the thought of blending up an icy concoction gives me the literal shivers. It better be a really damn good smoothie for the chill to be worth it.

Enter the child approved Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie. Freddie drinks these down like water. We usually split one, but sometimes I have to blend up two. It has warming spices and it helps to increase your daily antioxidant intake. It also brings back cozy memories of the holidays.

I got the idea for this from from a new Amazon cookbook find.

Sweet Potato Soul by Jenne Claiborne

The recipe in the book is good, but I tweaked it a bit to make it more to our liking. I do enjoy that someone else shares my affinity for sweet potatoes.

Our friends enjoying a little bit of smoothie
I know. Ridiculous…

Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup roasted sweet potato
  • 1 cup nondairy milk (I use almond or soy)
  • 1 banana (it can be frozen if you are the plan ahead kind of person)
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 2-3 medjool dates (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes if you aren’t using a high speed blender)
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 3-4 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend.