Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili (Vegan!)

1 large onion chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 sweet yellow pepper chopped
1 can diced green chilies
3 garlic cloves, minced.
3 tblsp olive oil
3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
3 cans black beans drained
1 large can pumpkin - 30 oz size
2 cans diced tomatoes
3 tsp chili powder
2 cans pinto beans
2 cans white beans (you can use kidney beans if you want)
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt

you really can add more stuff if you want
sautee onion, garlic, pepper and celery til tender
mix everything together and put in crock pot for 4-5 hours.

Kind of an Asian "Pasta Salad"

so this one i started out trying to make Pad Thai but had nothing in the house so ended up with this...definitely not disappointed though:D
I have had this warm and just out of the refrigerator and it's good either way.

what you'll need:
*one box of brown rice spiral pasta
*half of a fresh lime
*3 tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Amino Acid (article will be posted) or gluten free soy sauce
*1 teaspoon pink salt
*1 teaspoons chili powder
*1/4 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
*1/2 teaspoon cumin
*olive oil
*2 teaspoons minced garlic
*1 teaspoon ginger powder
*1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
*1/2 cup edamame beans (fresh or frozen)
*about half of a block of extra firm tofu, cut in small cubes
*1 cup of shredded kale
*1 cup of fresh spinach leaves
*2 large pieces of celery, cut into small pieces
*basil

to begin:

prepare the pasta according to box instructions. then drain and rinse with cool water. set aside.

in a large frying pan or wok saute the garlic and ginger with approx. 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil for 30 sec. Add the kale and spinach and allow the leaves to shrink. next add the tofu and saute until the tofu just starts to turn golden. add the peas, edamame and celery and stir a little, then cover for 3-5 minutes.

while the dish is covered over medium heat, mix in a small bowl the bragg's (or soy) sauce, the lime juice, pink salt, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and cumin.

check the heated ingredients and stir. if everything looks cooked and ready, turn off the heat or keep on for another minute.

combine in a large bowl the veggies and tofu and pasta. pour the soy sauce mixture on top and mix well. sprinkle some basil on top and mix again.
either serve it warm or refrigerate it for later!

hope you enjoy:)
you are loved.

A Lunch of Sweet Potato, Onion, Pineapple and Tempeh

More Vegan Recipes!
This one was SUPER good and can be served either by itself, with some rice, over rice noodles, or over a salad. Really good flavors though:D

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
*1 teaspoon salt (I used pink salt...and I will have a blog about why you should use it too!)
*1 teaspoon chili powder
*1/2 teaspoon cumin
*1/4 teaspoon cayenne
*2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
*2 medium onions, peeled and cut into 1 - 2 inch long strips
*1 - 1 1/2 cups pineapple chunks
*2/3 block of tempeh cut into 1/2 inch cubes
*1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
*olive oil

START YOUR OVENS...375!
you will need two baking sheets, each with a piece of wax paper covering.
in a small dish, mix the salt, chili powder, cumin and cayenne well.
in a bowl, toss the sweet potato chunks with approx. 3 tablespoons olive oil (that isn't exact science...I just drizzled some in and tossed the potatoes until they were evenly coated).
sprinkle the spices in a little at a time and toss the potatoes so the spices spread evenly. Depending on the amount of 'kick' you want, you could use all the spice or half or 3/4 of what you made...personal preference. For me, about 2/3 was just right.
spread the potatoes evenly across one of the baking sheets and set aside.
in either the same bowl rinsed out, or another bowl, toss the onion slices and tempeh with some olive oil and the garlic. spread the onion and tempeh evenly across the other baking sheet.
on top of the onion and tempeh, evenly distribute the pineapple.
place both sheets in the oven, either the potatoes on the upper wrack and onion on the lower wrack, or side by side.
bake for 30-40 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft.
serve with the onions, tempeh and pineapple over the potatoes.
make sure your first bite had all of the different flavors on it!

hope you enjoy:)
you are loved.

Dirty Rice

For Christmas Santa gave me the most amazing vegan cookbook ever! I started putting post it notes on pages as soon as I opened it and the first recipe I wanted to try was this version of dirty rice.
I tweeked it a bit and added beans for a little contrast.
The book is inspiring so many ideas and cannot wait to post ore amazing recipes!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
*2 cups rice (brown or white...i used brown)
*1/4 - 1/2 cup pinto beans
*1/4 - 1/2 cup black beans
*olive oil
*1-2 diced onions
*1 bell pepper diced(any color but I used orange because I had it on hand)
*2 stalks diced celery
*2 tsp. minced garlic
*1 tsp. ground cumin
*1/2 tsp. oregano
*1 tsp. dry mustard
*1/2 tsp. thyme
*1/2 tsp. cayenne
*1 tsp. paprika
*salt


START:by preparing your rice...whether it is microwavable, stove top, boil in a bag, etc.

NEXT: heat about 3 tablespoons oil and the garlic in a large frying pan over medium heat for about 1 minute. then add the onion, bell pepper and celery.
when the onions start to brown, add the black and pinto beans and mix for about 2 minutes.

add in the rice, a little bit at a time, so all ingredients combine. finally add all the spices and stir the mixture so spices are evenly distributed.

cover the pan and let it sit over low-medium heat for about five minutes and then check.
Mine was done pretty fast but depending on how done you want the rice you can wait longer.
I had this with some veggies and was completely content but I bet you could add chicken or fish or tempeh and it would be delicious:D

HOPE YOU ENJOY:-)
you are loved.

Vegetable Bake

I made this one for Thanksgiving and got such good reviews I made it for a Christmas Eve Party:D
Basically the idea behind it was we wanted a sweet potato SOMETHING for the holidays...but we have made the same sweet potato casserole every year. So I decided to combine all the best veggies into one awesome, healthy, delicious dish!
I did make this dish gluten-free, wheat-free and vegan, but if you want you are following the blood type diet you can use regular bread crumbs or regular mozzarella cheese instead of the substitute cheese:)


what you'll need:
*about 4-5 slices of spelt bread (if you're making it gluten free)
*one sweet potato
*one yam
*approx. 1 1/4 cup broccoli
*approx. 1 cup sliced carrots
*1 cup diced onion
*one bell pepper
*1-2 large zucchini
*2 large tomatoes
*Daiya vegan mozzarella cheese (or just mozzarella cheese)
*olive oil
*garlic powder
*Italian herbs
*basil

start your ovens...400!
also, start your toaster ovens!
if you're making this with the spelt bread, start by toasting the bread slices until extremely crisp. I learned how to make bread crumbs here: http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-to-make-gluten-free-breadcrumbs.html
but found the toaster doesn't take as long:)

then when they are toasted you can break the pieces up and pop em in a food processor and make them into crumbs! pretty simple...but I never would have thought of that on my own! Thanks Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef!

Anyways...
Next step in to brush olive oil all over a 9x13 baking pan. Cut up the sweet potato and yam into about about 1/4" slices (you can choose to either peel or not peel the potatoes...good either way)and lay them out across the bottom of the pan. drizzle a little olive oil over them and sprinkle in the garlic.

Now spread the broccoli and carrot slice over the sweet potatoes and sprinkle Italian herbs over the dish. Spread the diced onion over that and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. I added a little bit of garlic here too but it's all personal preference how much garlic you want to use:D

Then dice of the bell pepper and scatter it over the onion followed by thinly sliced strips of zucchini created a top layer. Here I sprinkled some more Italian herbs and a handful of Daiya mozzarella cheese.

Slice up the tomato into thin slices and place over the zucchini. top off the dish sprinkling the bread crumbs, adding some more cheese, a little drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of basil.

bake covered for about half an hour and uncovered for half an hour. check the dish by poking down to the bottom with a fork. You will know it is done when the sweet potatos at the bottom are soft.
It may take another 15 minutes in the ovens.

But I find it quite delicious and I could make a meal out of just that!
So..

hope you enjoy!
you are loved.

A Delicious Lunch of Veggies and Tempeh

So I hadn't been to the store in a while so when I went I decided to just shop sales and came up with some random ingredients but made a delicious meal!

what you'll need:
*black-eyed peas
*broccoli
*one yam or sweet potato (I used a yam just because that's what I had in the house)
*about a third of a block of tempeh
*onion sprouts/ broccoli sprouts (I used both- but you can choose one)
*olive oil
*garlic
*italian herbs
*basil

start: by steaming the yam/potato on the stove until it is slightly soft. in a large frying pan, heat the olive oil (approx. 2 tbsp) and garlic (a lot).
add broccoli and tempeh(cut into cubes or strips) to the olive oil and garlic and cover for about 2 minutes.
drain the yam and add the cubed yam to the frying pan. also add the peas and sprouts. sprinkle italian herbs, basil, and drizzle olive oil over all the ingredients. stir frequently and occasionally cover for about 5-8 minutes.
then you're done! it's super filling but really delicious:)

hope you enjoy:)
you are loved.

Teriyaki Veggies and Fish

I have had this for lunch the past two days and I am thoroughly enjoying it!
I was in the mood for Japanese one day and made this sort of mock Japanese thing and it turned out pretty delicious!

what you'll need:
*a piece of fish (I used cod one day and salmon one...your preference really)
*broccoli (as much as you want)
*sweet potato fries (they come in bags at Trader Joe's and I used about 1/3 of it)
*carrots (optional)
*teriyaki sauce
*olive oil
*garlic powder
*red cayenne pepper powder
*tobasco (or hot sauce)
*lemon juice
*onion powder
*sesame seeds (optional)

start your george foreman grill! (or just grill lol)
begin by coating the fish in olive oil and lemon juice. then sprinkle garlic and onion powder all over it and set aside until the grill is ready.
start preparing your vegetables and put the fish on the grill when it is ready. Mine usually take about 2-3 minutes on each side.

in a medium-large pan, heat about 2 tbs. olive oil over medium heat. add all the vegetables to the pan.
drizzle about 3 tbs. teriyaki over the vegetables (more or less according to taste). stir over high heat.
mix the vegetables then add the garlic powder, red cayenne pepper, and hot sauce (I would say use your best judgment on amounts of the spicy ingredients... i like mine really hot but you can use less).
stir all the vegetables again and then sprinkle the sesame seeds on. continue to mix the vegetables over high heat until the fish is done.

I like to place all the vegetables in a bowl then put pieces of the fish on top.
I'm sure this combination would be good with some brown rice as well.

hope you enjoy:-)
you are loved.

"Pizza" with tortilla crust

So I was reading a vegan magazine and decided I was reeally in the mood for pizza but was lacking some of the supplies needed to make a gluten-free crust so that's where some of the improvising came into play.
This turned out to be super delicious and a really quick and easy meal! Definitely satisfied the craving:D

what you'll need:
*two mini Ezekial 4:9 tortillas
*pure organic tomato sauce
*mozzarella cheese (I used Daiya cheese substitute and made it a vegan pizza but you can use lite or regular mozzarella)
*one fresh tomato
*broccoli
*one red bell pepper
*fresh spinach
*garlic powder
*minced onion or onion powder
*oregano
*basil
*olive oil

start your ovens...400!
start by sauteeing the broccoli, pepper, and spinach with olive oil on the stove while your oven is preheating. once the vegetables are tender, turn off the stove and set them aside.
set the tortillas on a pizza or cookie tray. spread about 2-3 heaping tablespoons of tomato sauce on each tortilla. sprinkle with garlic powder and onion.
spread the sauteed vegetables evenly on both tortillas. sprinkle desired amount of cheese on each pizza.
sprinkle oregano and basil on top and place 2-3 slices of fresh tomato on each.
bake for 8-10 minutes.
cheese should be completely melted.

note: you can use any vegetables you want as toppings...these are just what I had available. you can put olive, mushrooms, onions, etc. on. have fun with it and make it your own!

hope you enjoy:-)
you are loved.

"Breaded" Tilapia

I was inspired to find an alternative to bread crumbs for this mock meal due to a request from some family members who are blood type O and disappointed to be avoiding the wheat and gluten... I think it turned out really well (plus it's super easy) and I am still experimenting with different alternatives:-)

So for a single serving...
what you'll need:
*one piece of Tilapia or other fish
*1 1/2 tsp veganaise spread
*1 tsp. minced garlic
*flax seed meal
*basil
*1/4 diced tomato

***I used a George Foreman grill for my fish but you can grill them outside or even pan fry if you want.

to start mix in a small dish the veganaise and garlic. spread over both sides of the fish the garlic mixture.
sprinkle the flax seed meal on both sides so its covered but not super breaded...
sprinkle some basil on both sides as well.
I grilled mine for about two minutes then flipped the fish and grilled for another two minutes.
serve it with the diced tomatoes on top (instead of using ketchup) and you're done!

I ate mine with a side of steamed broccoli with melted almond mozzarella cheese on top:-)
quick, easy, and delicious.

hope you enjoy!
you are loved.

a hearty, healthy salmon dinner

I made this for dinner on a day I didn't have a lot of protein...or really a lot of anything haha
it's good and filling and of course extremely healthy and beneficial!

ingredients:
*salmon (desired amount)
*broccoli
*sweet potato
*olive oil
*lemon juice
*teriyaki sauce
*yellow curry sauce
*savory
*basil
*oregano
*garlic powder


to start put a tablespoon of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of curry sauce and 4 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce into a baking dish and begin to marinate the salmon in it. (the quantity of sauce and oil may vary with the size of the fish)
start your ovens...380:-)
once the oven is preheated, bake the salmon for 15-16 minutes. at this point, my salmon was very moist, but you can leave it in longer if you prefer a dryer fish.
while over in preheating, cut the sweet potato(s) into circular slices about 1/4 inch thick and place them in a pot with about an inch of water in the bottom. set the pot on the stove with a lid at a medium heat. when the water starts to boil, reduce heat. allow the potato to steam until soft.
drain the potato and leave in pot. add a drizzle of olive oil, savory, garlic powder, and basil to the potato and stir a little to spread the flavor.
while the salmon is baking, steam the broccoli on the stove. once soft, drain the broccoli.

place all of the prepared food on a plate. sprinkle basil and oregano and garlic powder over the fish and broccoli.
and you're done!

hope you enjoy:-)
you are loved.