The Ultimate Healthy Kid Friendly Meal

Kid Friendly.......Mom Approved

Gluten Free Vegan 'Chicken' Fingers and Honey Mustard Sauce

If you would like to continue to follow my work......

My recipes and I can now be found @

http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!   

This delicious Kid Friendly meal was a HUGE hit with my whole family!  The kids were thrilled when they saw the yummy breaded 'chicken' fingers and macaroni and cheese.  They were so excited, thanking me for making them an 'unhealthy' meal for once.

Shhhhhh..... I didn't tell them that it was actually healthy :-)  They had no idea they were eating vegetables, whole grains and legumes...hahaha.

*****Disclaimer:  Kids who are only used to eating junk food will probably not enjoy this at all!

I have to make that disclaimer because children who frequent McDonalds or who eat tons of frozen junk foods will not enjoy this at all.  These do not have the same texture as meat does so please don't expect this to taste like or have the texture of meat.

I do not like meat at all and do not try to perfectly mimic its texture or flavor for a reason!

These little seitan fingers don't have the texture of meat but they do have a delicious flavor and they are really fun to dip into honey mustard sauce!  My children don't eat junk food and so this was a really fun treat for them.  Healthy kids will have a lot of fun with this for sure!

K's Thoughts on the Seitan Fingers, Honey mustard sauce and mac & cheese

Hey guys!  I'm back again! :) This was an awesome kid-friendly dinner!  I LOVED it!  If it was my turn to make dinner this is probably what I would make! :) 

We are currently in the process of moving.....again!  I know we have moved 4 times in the last 4 years and hopefully someday we will be able to settle down and quit moving around so much.  I miss my home on 5 acres so much......  Hopefully someday we will be able to have something like that again :-)

Amongst all the moving and packing I am trying to keep up my recipe creating....I have a few cracker recipes that I will be posting pics of on the facebook page today.  Hopefully I'll be able to keep up the recipe creating for a bit longer but during the major transition I may not be able to so I might even do some posts on how to eat on the fly!  

I am really good at throwing things together or even eating from the grocery store whatever can  be made with a bowl and a spoon.  We have traveled a lot so I have a lot of experience with eating with very little available options.  It doesn't matter if you are in the middle of nowhere cowboy country, a vegan can always find something to eat!  I have done it!

Before moving on to the recipes I have a question to ask..........

How many of you would be interested in an Ebook on eradicating Candida?

I am considering writing an ebook for those who are struggling with candida because I know in our modern society it is such a HUGE problem.  There is a lot of information out there....most of which is NOT vegan and they almost make it seem as if a vegan cannot possibly rid themselves of candida but this is simply not true.  

If you want to be able to understand the facts from the myths I'd love to write an ebook and share recipes, herbs, and information about candida with you so you can rid yourself of candida the vegan way.

Kid Friendly Salad Recipe......Think BBQ and Ranch!

BBQ Ranch Salad Recipe!!

If you would like to continue to follow my work......

My recipes and I can now be found @

http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!    

 

I served this delicious salad for dinner a few nights ago and the kids LOVED it!  My husband said it was the best salad he had ever had!

You can't go wrong mixing BBQ sauce and Ranch dressing together in the same recipe.

This delicious recipe would be the perfect salad for a summer BBQ or to grace the table at your next potluck, I guarantee you will get many recipe requests with this one! 

Lately I have been creating in the kitchen constantly.....I'm on a good roll and that doesn't always happen.  It has made my weight loss goals fairly difficult to achieve though.  I am constantly battling the strong desire to keep eating and eating and eating even though I'm full and that is NOT conducive to losing the last 5 pounds or so that I have wanted to lose.  Yes, I gained the typical 'Holiday weight' this year and I have been struggling to get it back off.

The absolute BEST program I have found for emotional and compulsive eating is The Beck Diet Solution!  It actually helped me lose the weight I had been trying to lose for years and quite quickly as well.  The book warns not to quit early but to finish the WHOLE program.....well of course me, the biggest impatient short-cutter ever quit once I met my goal weight I quit.  Exactly as the book said, I had not got my new habits down completely and fell back into my old ones!  Stupid, stupid, stupid.....I should NOT have done that....I was warned!

So starting on Monday I will be beginning the Beck diet solution again, it does not really prescribe any specific diet it is more about learning habits that prevent over-eating and other bad habits surrounding food.   Anyway, I may  post from time to time on my progress so you can benefit from seeing how I am doing with this program as I know emotional eating is such a common problem.

Vegan Pizza Night.....With a Twist

Roasted Rosemary and Butternut Squash Pizza

If you would like to continue to follow my work......

My recipes and I can now be found @

http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!    

 

Surprisingly this different twist on pizza was a HUGE hit with my kids!  It turned out beautifully!

I have so much butternut squash just laying around and it needs to be used so I came up with this really fun pizza idea.  I had no idea how this was going to turn out........But I took the risk!

A delicious combination of white cheese, rosemary, butternut squash and veggies.....

I made my own whole grain gluten free pizza crust and it actually turned out really good!  I made it with brown rice flour, potato starch and teff flour which gives it that whole wheat look.  I had extra butternut squash slices so I roasted them with the pizza and we dipped them in marinara sauce.......you would not believe how delicious roasted rosemary butternut squash is dipped in marinara!  Wow...we loved that!

It was like a very healthy twist on fries!

K' Thoughts on Roasted Rosemary Butternut Squash Pizza.....

Hey guys!  It's K again!  :)  Oh that pizza was glorious!!!  And the crust was amazing!! That is absolutely the BEST gluten free pizza I've ever had!!  Thanks for making it mom!  Love you!  :)

I had no idea how silly 13 year old girls could be until I had one :-)...... I was really surprised that K liked the pizza because he is VERY picky about her pizza....she usually just likes sauce, olives and cheese sauce so I didnt' expect much out of her.....much to my surprise she actually liked it and went back for seconds.

The flavors in this pizza works so well, they were fantastic!

C's thoughts......

best pizza in years the crust was very soft like gluten pizza and it would be great with root beer

My son and my hubby LOVE root beer.....and I'm not talking about the HFCS crap in the grocery store either.  

My husbands all time favorite Root Beer would have to be Virgil's Root Beer, my son likes the Virgil's Cream Soda....we had that earlier this week...well I had a sip anyway and Oh My that stuff it fabulous!  It isn't made with chemical garbage it is actually made from the natural herbs that root beer was originally made with!  Mmmmm nothing like natural flavors.

In this house you can't have pizza without cream soda or root beer!!!  I also like that they have stevia sweetened root beer and cream soda as well, we buy those most often although the BEST flavors are in the originals.

Gluten-free bagels, and Rosemary Butternut Cream Sauce Recipe

Gluten-Free Chewy Bagel Recipe

If you would like to continue to follow my work......

My recipes and I can now be found @

http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!   

The Rosemary Butternut Sauce recipe is featured in the Wellness Weekend please see the other featured recipes by clicking HERE! 

Gluten free bagels with a chewy inside and a lightly crispy crust.  I tested a couple of bagel techniques and this one turned out perfectly.  My son who is not gluten free kept begging for more bagels, my husband who is a bagel afficionado really enjoyed these bagels as well.  I was so happy to see that my whole family whether gluten free or not could enjoy a gluten free yeasted bread.  Normally the gluten free breads are exclusively eaten by the GF members of the family because they aren't very good.  

My goal in creating these recipes is to make gluten free delicious for everyone!  Celiacs and others who must eat gluten free should NOT have to sacrifice taste or texture.  I wanted to keep you updated on all the recipes that are being created for the Gluten Free Breads E-book coming up at the end of the month.

Okay....on to today's recipe......

Rosemary Butternut Cream Sauce over Pasta

If you are in need of a FAST, easy dinner, this is perfect.  You do have to bake a butternut squash but honestly, I pop it in the oven an hour before I need to make dinner and forget about it.  It is so easy, you don't really have to 'do' anything.  If you forget to do that you certainly could use canned squash if needed, or you can bake squash and freeze it to make it easier to use when needed.

The bottom picture is actually how we served it, with crumbled sunburgers you can get The Peaceful Kitchen Sunburger Recipe HERE.

Vegan Nacho Tempeh and Potato Bake

Vegan Nacho Tempeh and Potato Bake

If you would like to continue to follow my work......

My recipes and I can now be found @

http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!   

Homemade, creamy nacho cheese with a little spicy kick smothers smoked tempeh and potatoes.  Don't be fooled by its gourmet sounding title, this cheesy creation is the perfect quick, simple meal.

It has been a hectic week, we've been looking at moving for about a year.  The home I am in right now has a lot of little quirks that are getting difficult for me.  For instance, the cupboards are 10 feet high and therefore most of the cupboard space is unusable for my 4 foot 11 inch self!  Even with a BIG step stool I cannot reach them.  

My kids would always giggle, Mom is climbing on the counters!

It is true, I had to climb on the counters in order to reach food in the cupboards and you know I really don't want to have so much unusable space, and I don't want to climb on counters, as I would normally tell my kids not to.

The kitchen is tiny, no counter space, so I end up doing all my prep on the kitchen table.  It just isn't practical for me.  I won't bore you with all the boring details but without a disposal and other issues I have been ready to move for a long time, the only reason we stayed so long is because we LOVE the people here!  Finding a wonderful place to live where people wave to you when you drive by whether they know you or not is darn near impossible in our egocentric, disconnected world!

So, we found a wonderful home but it was so popular there were three applications that came in at the same time, literally people were sending applications within minutes of seeing the house.  We had to just send it and now I find myself frantically cleaning and boxing because we have to be out by Aug. 31st!!!  YIKES!

I am doing this all alone and it is a HUGE job for one person to box up and clean a whole house!  Sorry for the lack of posts and recipes lately but I just haven't had much time.  

I made this recipe last night just on a whim  because I couldn't think of anything else to make and it turned out really good and my family enjoyed it so I thought I'd share this with  you.

Don't be surprised if I end up posting recipes for my veggie juices, smoothies and other simple recipes because that is what I'm going to be living on for the next couple of weeks.

Announcement:

Amazing Gluten Free Breads E-book coming soon......

Here is a sample photo of my AMAZING, moist gluten free bread recipe!  You do NOT want to miss this e-book!!  This bread is the BEST I have ever tasted, you can break it in half with your hands and there is not a single crumble!  I ate 4 slices as soon as it came out of the oven!!

I created my own proprietary Gluten Free Bread flour Blend

I created a gluten free flour blend with the exact same protein percentage as wheat based bread flour and I couldn't believe the result, it was fantastic!

I have also been trying to find some 'special' ingredient that would provide structure as well as moisture to gluten free breads

I found it!!  You will never believe what this simple ingredient everyone has in their kitchen can do for your gluten free breads!

I am so excited to share this with you, I know so many of you will be so thrilled to have a delicious gluten free sandwich bread you can enjoy.

I know your first question is When will it be available?

Well, I want to include a lot more yeasted breads using this new flour blend and secret ingredient and so I have more recipe creation to do.

We will move into our new home Sept. 1st and I promise as soon as I get in there I will start baking like crazy!

I am hoping to have the e-book ready by Oct. 1st

If you want to know when it will be available and to receive updates follow The peaceful Kitchen on Twitter, Facebook or subscribe to the blog!

Applebee's style Blackened Tempeh & cooking tutorial

Applebee's style Blackened Tempeh Salad example for the Tempeh cooking tutorial

If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

A delicious dish based on the All-American favorite restaurant Applebee's.   This dish features delicious cajun spiced blackened tempeh served over a cool, crisp salad with a signature creamy dressing.  

Tempeh can be a little tricky when you first start to prepare it.  It does not have any flavor of its own and so if it is not properly marinated or flavored you can end up with a pretty flavorless dish.     If you are not going to marinate the tempeh, boil it for about 10 minutes  prior to adding it to any casserole, soup or other recipe to reduce the bitterness.

The marinade possibilities for tempeh are endless.  You can prepare thai, italian, chinese, cajun, mexican marinades to accent any dish you are preparing.  Tempeh works beautifully ground for burgers, cut in squares for kabobs, strips for tempeh bacon, or crumbled for sausage.  Don't be afraid to experiment with tempeh.

Tempeh sausage flavors include: liquid smoke, garlic, onion, nutritional yeast, tamari and sage.  You can add a little heat if you like with red pepper flakes

Tempeh bacon:  add a little natural food coloring such as beet juice or turmeric, nutritional yeast, garlic, tamari, liquid smoke, olive oil, sage, thyme, parsley, rosemary, salt.

Tempeh is a traditional food from Indonesia.  It is made by naturally culturing soybeans through a controlled fermentation process.   The soybeans used in tempeh are soaked prior to fermentation.  The process of making tempeh increases the nutritional value of the soybeans.   Tempeh is sold in many varieties, including multi-grain with flax, barley, spelt and other grains.

I am considering changing the format of the blog.....

There are some exciting changes coming that I will announce in the next few months.  I have been working on a new project that I think you will all enjoy!

I have had less time to work on the blog recently and I have found that readership has dropped significantly due to my decrease in posting.  

I am considering only posting photos of the recipes along with articles and cooking tips.

I will only continue to post recipes if there is enough interest in me doing so.  

Instead of posting the whole blackened tempeh salad recipe I will explain how to marinate and cook tempeh.

Quinoa and Vegetable Salad with Low Fat, Oil Free Citrus Dressing

Quinoa Vegetable Salad with Citrus Dressing

If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

Nutrient-packed quinoa salad topped with a delicious low-fat, oil-free citrus dill dressing.  This salad would make a delicious lunch or a light, refreshing dinner on a hot summer evening.  The The combination of fresh lemon and orange juice make a perfect citrus combination in this refreshing dressing and the dill adds a delicious flair of flavor!
We had a fun Memorial Day BBQ complete with grilled veggie burgers, corn, potato salad, watermelon and a delicious 7 layer bar dessert that unfortunately did not set up.  
It is so hard when you  make this delicious dessert only to take it out of the oven and realize that it did not firm up!!!  I was at my moms house dealing with very limited access to ingredients and of course the dessert has to be a complete flop!  It would have made a FABULOUS topping for some homemade vanilla ice cream though.
I made a delicious crust with gluten free graham crackers, pecans, turbinado and some earth balance.  Topped with with a delicious coconut, pecan, vanilla cream and chocolate chips.  It would have been the perfect dessert if I had had access to some silken tofu or cashews to help thicken up the coconut cream topping....  Oh well I guess you can't win every time.
I made these delicious veggie burgers with pinto beans, kidney beans, brown rice and a bunch of delicious flavors and so I decided to make it again for memorial day.  I added some potato starch to make sure they held together on the grill....BIG MISTAKE!  Don't change recipes on the day you are serving other people!  The potato starch made the veggie burgers gooey!  I tell  you I really succeeded in messing up the memorial day BBQ Royally!    However, we had  a great time and everyone enjoyed the day despite my culinary disasters. 
I hope you enjoy this delicious salad recipe as much as I did!

Delicious Vegan Penne Florentine

Vegan & Gluten Free Penne Florentine

If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

Whole grain pasta, sauteed yellow squash, and spinach smothered in a creamy sauce with a hint of spicy kick to it.   This delicious dairy free cream sauce has a 'secret' ingredient that boosts its protein content and nutritional value...Shhh the kids won't even know it's in there!

The two most common complaints I hear from busy moms....picky kids who won't eat healthy food and how to sneak healthy ingredients into foods their children WILL eat.  I have found a myriad of ways to get vegetables in my kids meals.  In fact, my vegetable based cheese sauce is a staple lunch ingredient for them everyday.  It takes a little creativity but you can find ways to sneak vegetables, beans, fruits and other healthy foods into your kids meals, and even into their desserts!

**One tip to make whole wheat pasta softer like white pasta, cook it twice as long as white pasta!  I learned that trick and it made all the difference for my family.  Brown rice pasta however is soft with less cooking so I don't have to worry about that anymore but I know there are many people struggling to like whole wheat pasta because they don't know how to cook it.

This delicious dairy free penne florentine features white beans in the cream sauce.   Why would I add a can of white beans in my cream sauce....sneaky added nutrition!

The white beans add the following nutrition per serving of penne florentine

Protein......9.5g

Fiber.........6.5g

Folate.........21%

Calcium.....10%

Iron.........22%

Zinc........18%

Omega 3's......7%

You can add beans in homemade ice creams, brownies, cream sauces and many other recipes to boost nutrition.

Along with striving to create healthy meals that will appeal to the whole family, its always nice to create recipes that are simple and easy.  Busy mom's need simple recipes they can create easily for their family.  

Who doesn't love pasta with a cream sauce?  This is the perfect family meal!

Sunburger and Spinach in a Garlic Cream Sauce Recipe

Sunburger and Spinach in a Garlic Cream Sauce over Brown Rice Recipe

If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

A simple, hearty dish featuring sauteed spinach and crumbled sunburgers in a rich, creamy cashew garlic cream sauce.  This simple recipe features a gourmet flavor in the garlic cream sauce, yet, it can be made in a matter of minutes.  

When I don't have the time to sit and wait nearly an hour for brown rice to cook I use one of my favorite quick and simple alternatives....instant brown rice.   It only takes 10 minutes!


So, when my nutrition clients complain that they don't have time to cook brown rice and use white rice instead I don't buy it for one minute!  If you don't have time to cook brown rice you have two simple solutions!


1.  Instant Brown Rice:  I buy instant brown rice so I can use it for breakfast or for times I really don't have time to cook brown rice and I want something quick and easy.  No excuses, instant brown rice is FASTER than white rice.  Yes, it is more expensive but it is a lifesaver when you are in a pinch.


2. Brown Rice freezes extremely well!  On a lazy Saturday afternoon or on a day when you have some time on your  hands cook up a HUGE batch of brown rice and freeze it in freezer bags or plastic containers.  I freeze brown rice with 4 servings per bag, that way I can easily defrost enough for my family.

When you make the commitment to improve your health and eat healthier you have to find ways to make it work.  For every excuse there is a simple solution.  You  have to be willing to put forth the effort though, if you are a chronic excusitarian, healthy eating certainly is not for you!   I have dealt with dozens and dozens of people and it is rare to find one who is willing to do what it takes, but those who are willing are always the ones who are able to completely reverse diabetes, fibromyalgia and other chronic diseases.  It is a joy to find that rare diamond in the rough who is ready and willing to do what it takes!  It is these individuals who keep me going, seeing their dramatic healing inspires me to move forward despite seemingly insurmountable opposition.

It is interesting to me that those who let food dictate their lives, their friends, their habits, and their health become horrible Food Snobs!  

I heard this word first from my sister in law who called her husband a food snob because he is a picky eater.  I thought it was quite cleaver, however, I decided to put my own spin on the term food snob.  I believe a food snob is someone who is intolerant of others food choices and exhibits this by incessantly mocking, teasing, arguing, and trying to start debates at the dinner table about food.   A food snob is someone who is so insecure about their own food choices they feel they have to hate, gossip about, or make fun of anyone else who has the courage to change dietary habits.    Honestly, who cares!  I don't make comments to anyone about their personal dietary choices, I honestly don't care and it is none of my business!  If they want to come to a dinner party and bring their own alfalfa hay or horse manure to gnaw on what difference does that make to me?   

They also refuse to accommodate others dietary choices because they honestly assume that there is something inherently wrong with avoiding a certain food due to ethical, moral, religious, simple personal choice, or health reasons.   My husband once asked me if I would be willing to accommodate someone who was on a low carb diet and I said absolutely!   I wouldn't be willing to cook meat simply because I find it absolutely repulsive but I could absolutely accommodate a low carb diet if need be.  I would make a delicious salad topped with a nut-based dressing,  a delicious seitan marsala or something like that.  It might be different than what they are used to but I would certainly be willing to do so if I had invited someone to dinner and found out ahead of time that this was their personal dietary choice.   

Over the last 8 years I have met some wonderful people who were excellent examples of love and kindness and I have met some very poor examples as well.  When we lived in Virginia a wonderful, sweet woman invited us to dinner and when I informed her that we were vegetarian she didn't skip a beat, she said okay, great we will make a great vegetarian meal.  She did make a beautiful meal, we all ate and had a great time.  When we were moving she came by the night before we moved out with a box FULL of food.  She said I know you probably don't have anything for breakfast in the morning so I brought you this.  It was full of fruit,  dairy free biscuits, granola and all kinds of delicious food!  It was wonderful, because we really didn't have much for breakfast in the morning and we all enjoyed what she had brought.  It also had some vegetable soup for lunch the next day too.   I have learned great lessons from people along the way about being loving and accepting despite differences but I have also had some very painful experiences from those who have been rude and hateful.

Don't we all have foods we simple do not like? I know I certainly do and always have.  We all have foods we don't like and that is OKAY!   Some people think fruit is unhealthy and don't eat it, some people don't like soy or think it is unhealthy, some people don't like vegetables, some people don't like 'carbs', some people don't like eggs, some people don't like dairy and some people don't like meat...... it's ALL okay.

We were invited to roast hot dogs at a neighbors house and we politely said we would be happy to bring our own and we brought our veggie dogs and they ate their bratwurst and we had a great time and food was a complete non-issue.  This is the way it SHOULD be! 

You are not a food snob because you avoid a certain food for ethical, moral, religious, personal or health reasons!  You are a food snob when you refuse to accept others because of their food choices.

Okay, enough of my ramblings and on to the delicious recipe.

Fermented foods & Vegan Tempeh Reuben Sandwich Recipe

Delicious Vegan Tempeh Reuben Sandwich along with the most AMAZING Dairy-free Thousand Island Dressing!

If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

This rich, creamy, hearty,tempeh reuben sandwich recipe features a delicious, creamy low-fat Thousand Island dressing recipe, homemade white cheese sauce, homeade sauerkraut and delicious smoky tempeh.

Okay, so first I must confess.......  I have never tasted a traditional reuben sandwich.  So, if you are going to try this recipe please understand that I have no frame of reference on how a reuben sandwich would generally taste.  However, I absolutely LOVED this sandwich.

My family did not test this recipe for me so I cannot make any claims about how well received this would be with children.  The reality is that I wouldn't expect many children to enjoy this very much, generally because of the sauerkraut.  I do not know many children who enjoy the taste of fermented veggies but if your kids do that is amazing!

**** I do not recommend using bottled sauerkraut!!  Why? 

Why would you eat sauerkraut without the amazing benefit of PROBIOTICS!  The probiotics in my homemade sauerkraut have helped improve my digestive health more than anything I have ever taken or eaten. 

I still love my water kefir and it certainly has been beneficial for my digestion,  but not to the extent that fresh homemade dairy-free yogurts and sauerkraut!  If you struggle with candida, constipation, celiac disease, crohn's, colitis, auto-immune diseases or allergies, or any digestive issue fermented foods are an absolute MUST!

Sauerkraut is SO easy to make, there shouldn't be any excuses about not having time or money!  Purchase high quality probiotic capsules and a head of cabbage.  Grate the cabbage an massage with 1 Tb. salt until it releases its juices.  Pack into quart jars, cover with water and release all the bubbles in the jar, top with a cabage leaf and a few cleaned rocks, screw on the lid and leave for a few days!  It's that simple!

I will post more of my fermented recipes later, but I think it is very important to recognize the benefits of fermented foods and realize that in our over sterilized world EVERYONE should be consuming fermened foods.   On to the recipe.......






Assemble sandwich:


Spread one side of bread with white cheese and top with sauerkraut, spread other side of bread with thousand island dressing and top with corned tempeh. You can spread earth balance on the outside of the bread and grill in a skillet or in a panini pan or george foreman grill until browned on each side.

Roasted pepper Greek Fusilli Pasta

Delicious Roasted Pepper Greek Fusilli Pasta with Kalamata Olives and Fresh Vegetables

If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

A very simple yet elegant dish that will tantalize your taste buds.  Your family will think you've slaved away in the kitchen preparing this delicious Greek dish with roasted peppers, fresh vegetables and whole grain pasta.  This dish combines very simple ingredients with a homemade parmesan cheese that really adds to the flavor of the roasted peppers and simple whole grain pasta.

I have been so busy lately I haven't had much time to think, let alone sit down and post another recipe.  Today I am short on time but I wanted to post a quick recipe to add to your delicious recipe collection this week.

Hubby and I are celebrating our 15 year wedding anniversary so I will be gone for the next couple of days.  I will be eating out and enjoying being pampered in a hotel. 

Okay, so back to the recipe.  Hubby got home late Monday night and wanted a bowl of cereal, he poured his FAVORITE cereal and then I pulled out leftovers just wanting him to try it to see if he thought this simple recipe was blog worthy and he LOVED IT!  He ate quite a bit of the leftovers and then stuffed himself with the cereal since he had already poured on the soymilk.

This delicious vegan Greek pasta recipe can be made very quickly, tossed together on a whim so save this one for when you are short on time.  You can prepare all the ingredients at the same time, roast the peppers while boiling pasta and sauteeing veggies so really it should only take about 20 minutes to get this delicious pasta dish on the table.

Vegan Gluten Free Black Bean & Cheese Ravioli in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

The Ultimate in Gourmet Vegan & Gluten Free Cuisine......

Vegan, Gluten Free Black Bean & Cheese Ravioli in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce!

If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

Gourmet handmade gluten free ravioli filled with a delicious black bean and cheese mixture, topped with a delicious roasted red bell pepper sauce with the perfect blend of spices and fresh basil.  This dish does take a little bit more time to prepare but it is absolutely AMAZING!  It is a definite crowd pleaser.  If you are hosting a dinner party and want to impress your guests, this is the perfect dish!

You'll have to forgive the photo, I made this at my mom's house and I forgot to bring along my nice camera.......This is a cell phone camera picture but I think you can still get the idea of how amazing this dish was!

My kids like to eat the ravioli plain, without any sauce.  Yes, it is actually that good.

I was really worried that the gluten free ravioli would not hold together.  You just drop it in boiling water so you can imagine how worried I was that I'd have a HUGE mess on my hands if the ravioli came apart and released a whole slew of black bean and cheese filling all over in the pan.  Much to my surprise the ravioli came out perfectly, and it floats to the top when done just like regular ravioli.

You can fill this ravioli with ANYTHING you want.  You could use ground tempeh sausage, cheese sauce, ground bean burgers, spinach and tofu ricotta, whatever sounds good to you!

I know haven't posted in awhile but we took an amazing vacation down south away from all the cold, snow and ice!  It was AMAZING to enjoy the warm sun for a change.  We went swimming and hiking through Zion National Park and had a wonderful time.  I had a short break from blogging but I am back and creating more delicious recipes!

Yesterday I was practically in tears as I got a jump start in the kitchen again......

Yes, even those of us who know our way around the kitchen can still make some real blunders!

I wanted to make some amazing, delicious gluten free cinnamon rolls.  This is definitely on my to do list.  Well, I rinsed out the bowl I had made mashed potatoes in and began making my cinnamon roll dough when much to my shock and horror I smelled GARLIC!!!!!! 

My amazing cinnamon roll dough wreaked of my garlic mashed potatoes!  Yes, they were completely RUINED!

Well, I had to have Sunday dessert so I started on a new venture.....Gluten free Blondie Brownies.

Well, unfortunately I did not check the oven temp and of course it was set to 400 degrees which dried out the blondies!  Seriously!  Well, my son ended up eating the whole pan saying they made delicious gluten free graham crackers..... That is NOT what I was going for!  Oh well, after a few minutes of sheer frustration I made some banana ice cream, crumbled up the crispy over baked blondies and that was dessert!

Gluten free cinnamon rolls are still on my to do list and I promise, some day soon I will be posting the most amazing, moist cinnamon rolls you've ever had.  But until then......Enjoy the ravioli.

Gluten free Homemade Black Bean Ravioli and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Serves 6

Vegan Tempeh sausage Gumbo in honor of Mardi Gras

Delicious Vegan Spicy Tempeh Sausage Gumbo

If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

Savory, spicy tempeh sausage graces this rich and delicious vegan version of gumbo.  This vegan gumbo is flavored with a delicious mix of spices, lots of veggies as well as a homemade spicy vegan sausage and my famous sunburgers.

The spiciness of this dish can easily be adjusted according to your personal taste.  My family cannot even handle the spiciness of a garlic clove so I made this dish without the hot sauce, chili flakes and cayenne for them and then I added the spice for me.  You can give it just a little kick or you can pour on the hot sauce, however you like your gumbo!  This gumbo has a lovely flavor without the spice if you have a sensitive mouth like my family.

I must admit, I have NEVER tasted gumbo before in my life!

So you'll have to forgive me if it does not have the authentic flavor you are used to.  I researched a lot of gumbo recipes and I must admit there is a WIDE variation in ingredients.  Some used canned tomatoes and tomato paste, some didn't use any tomatoes!  It was hard to create a genuine recipe with such a wide variation among recipes so I tried to come up with the best of all recipes in my version.

My husband had quite a few cankers when I made this recipe and that is the reason I did not use any tomatoes because they sting his mouth when he has cankers.  If you want to add a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies to this recipe I think it would add an excellent flavor!  Play with the recipe and see what you like.

My family LOVED this recipe!  Even my kids really enjoyed this recipe.  It has a delicious, subtle flavor and then you add the amount of kick you like, it is so easy to make.

 

Up coming Recipes you DON'T want to miss.....

 

HUGE fluffy vegan & gluten free buttermilk biscuits

 

HUGE vegan & gluten free cinnamon rolls

 

Vegan & gluten free black bean ravioli in a roasted red bell pepper cream sauce

 

and much more.......

Delicious Vegan Valentine Dinner Menu

Delicious Vegan Sausage Stuffed Gluten Free Seitan Valentine Dinner Menu

If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

The most amazing vegan valentine dinner featured delicious, hickory smoked vegan sausage smothered in homemade mozzarella cheese sauce rolled up in gluten free seitan sitting in a bed of fettucinni topped with a delicious garlic rosemary cream sauce.

My husband kept eating this until he said he was so full he felt sick!  He ended up over-eating on the delicious gluten free brownies and chocolate mint ice cream I made as well, it was certainly a button popping valentines dinner!

My kids LOVED this meal and have been eating the leftovers the past couple of days.  I was really trying to think of something special to make for my husband for valentines day and I was having a hard time.  I asked the kids what they thought would be good and of course I got responses like, "noodles and sweet and sour sauce"  or "pasta" 

I hate to admit that I was frustrated with their answers, but I really needed some inspiration.  I looked through some food websites and saw a lot of 'stuffed' style recipes and knowing my husband LOVES Italian flavors this recipe idea came to mind.  I had NO idea how this was going to turn out but much to my surprise it turned out delicious!   I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.








Gluten Free Seitan

2/3 c. water

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans

1/2 c. nutritional yeast

1/4 c. potato starch

1/2 c. orgran gluten substitute

1 1/2 Tb. egg replacer

3 Tb. cornstarch

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. sage

2 Tb. parsley

2 1/2 Tb. tamari

1 tsp. rosemary

2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 c. minced dried onion

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. liquid smoke

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. marjoram

dash black pepper

Blend water and garbanzo beans until liquified. Transfer garbanzo paste into a bowl and add spices and nutritional yeast first, then add the flours, gluten substitute and other thickeners. Stir until thick dough forms.   Roll out entire recipe on wax paper into a large oval shape.
 
Spread the white cheddar sauce down the center 1/3rd of the seitan, then spread the tempeh sausage on top of the cheese sauce and top with the chopped spinach.   Roll each side of the seitan over the filling with the wax paper and then put in a steamer basket or use a large stock pot filled with 1-2 inches of water with a large metal sieve/strainer inside place the seitan roll inside the metal strainer [not in the water] cover the pot and steam on high for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Peel off the wax paper and place the seitan roll on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Slice the seitan roll into 1 inch slices.
 
Garlic Rosemary Cream Sauce
 
2 c. water
1/2 c. cashews
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
 
Blend until creamy.  Pour in a saucepan and warm over medium heat until sauce thickens.
 
Serve:  Place a serving of fetuccini on a plate, put a slice of stuffed seitan on the fetuccini and then top with the garlic rosemary cream sauce and more of the white cheddar cheese if desired.

Delicious Dairy Free Seven Layer Dip

Dairy-free Vegan Seven Layer Dip

If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

This hearty seven layer dip was the hit of the party on superbowl Sunday.  My dad was a little skeptical about a dairy free seven layer dip.  However, when he dipped his first chip in for a taste he said, this doesn't have cheese?  Nope.

This delicious dairy free seven layer dip does feature a delicious vegan cheese sauce that compliments the flavors of the dip perfectly. 

As you can see the dip didn't even last for a photo before people started digging in!

We had an amazing superbowl Sunday menu, unfortunately I did not get photos of the entire spread.  Here is a teaser preview of what we had.  I will post the recipes for everything we ate in the coming weeks:

• Fruit tray with a delicious poppy seed dip
• Vegetable platter
• Gluten free seitan buffalo wings
• Seitan buffalo wings
• Healthy Hostess style gluten free cupcakes
• Potato chips with creamy dip

If you want a gluten free seitan recipe let me know in the comments!

I have created a delicious gluten free seitan recipe that will work prefectly for any recipe you would normally use seitan in.  I want to see how much interest there is in a gluten free seitan substitute.  I have seen a few on the internet but they seem complicated, time consuming and the review do not indicate that these seitan substitutes taste as well as people would like.

Okay, so on to the feature recipe.......dairy free, vegan seven layer dip

Greek Kale and Rice Bowl Recipe and Kale Nutrition Information

Greek Kale and Rice Bowl

If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

Delicious Greek-style meal featuring kale that will leave even children begging for more.  This amazing dish has roma tomatoes, tempeh, and instant brown rice simmered in a delicious broth with a splash of lemon juice for added flavor.   I wanted to find new ways to get my kids to eat kale, aside from 'hiding' it in chocolate smoothies.

This recipe was a total HIT with the kiddos and they did not pick around the kale either.  I couldn't believe how simple ingredients could turn into such an amazing creation.  I am grateful that I was able to find yet another recipe to get greens into my sugar loving family!  This has become a new family favorite and will definitely be a go to recipe when I need something quick and healthy.

Why do I want to get more Kale into my family's diet?

Kale is a SUPERFOOD!!!  Packed with nutrients and it contains  as much protein per calorie as Beef!

As they say.....Kale IS the new Beef!  Kale has an amazing nutrition profile!

1 c. Kale

Calories.................33

Protein..................5g

Omega 3's............ 23% daily value

 Vit. A...................1201%

Folate................... 9%

 B6........................28%

Vit. C....................178%

Vit. K....................1788%

Calcium.................20%

Iron........................13%

In 1 oz. of Beef

Calories...................34

Protein.....................5g

Omega 3's...............1%

Vit. A.......................0

Folate......................0

B6............................8%

Vit. C.......................0

Vit. K.......................0

Calcium...................0

Iron.........................3%

Not to mention all of the antioxidants and phytochemicals found in kale!   Here is one way you can get your family to eat kale and actually enjoy it!