Try these butternut squash noodles with hempseed pesto for a fantastically simple, vegan, nutrient dense meal. Butternut squash noodles are probably better purchased already made, only because of the odd shape and hard shell of the squash. It could turn into a burdensome project if you try to do it by hand. However, you could absolutely make your own sweet potato, carrot, or zucchini noodles and still have a delicious meal with the pesto. This dish can be done completely raw or cooked as instructed in this recipe. Add some other veggies and-or avocado for more nutrition and variety.
Sicilian Eggplant Wraps with Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette
These Sicilian Eggplant Wraps are a perfect example of how the slightest ingredient hacks can make a big impact on the quality of nutrition you consume per calorie. Eggplants have some surprising health benefits and are rich in essential nutrients like manganese, folate, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin C, and fiber. And they are particularly rich in essential fatty acids. In this recipe we are simply replacing wraps or flatbread made from flour with grilled eggplant slices, making this a simple healthy solution for any busy schedule.
Read MoreChickpea & Hempseed Salad Sandwich on Portobello
If you are keeping away from grains, gluten, and other forms of refined carbohydrates, you should definitely give this Chickpea & Hempseed Salad Sandwich a try. The marinated, roasted, and cooled Portobello mushrooms are used as a base, like an open-faced sandwich. And of course, you can always enjoy these ingredients together on a traditional sandwich as well.
Read MoreVegan Zucchini Lasagna Rolls with Herbed Almond Ricotta
Who loves that nuanced taste of ricotta cheese blended with herbs, tomatoes, and garlic? Who doesn’t actually? This recipe for vegan zucchini lasagna rolls delivers on the nuance while providing a more refreshing, more nutrient dense, clean version, that highlights the awesome natural flavors found in some of our favorite herbs and vegetables. These rolls are better suited for a lunch, brunch, or appetizer, but you could also have them for dinner along with some cooked grains, cannellini beans, and-or a green salad. Don’t let the small size fool you. The almond ricotta in these makes them quite rich and energy dense, and one can fill up on just a few. Get ready for a fantastic blend of fresh flavors!
Grilled Potato Bruschetta Mediterranean Style
Everyone I have ever asked says they love bruschetta! That tangy tinge of flavor from the tomatoes, mixed with fresh garlic and aromatic basil is just the kind of combination that makes life magnificent. But if you are avoiding gluten or bread, you might be wondering what alternatives are out there. This recipe uses grilled sliced potato in place of bread. And although it isn’t grilled bread (quite obviously), the finished product is delicious, satisfying, and quite a bit further up the nutrition scale. Give it a try!
Read MoreBumper Crop and Kitchen Sinks
Did you get an awesome bumper crop of tomatoes this year? Did you go crazy at the Farmers Market and buy too many different, fabulous seasonal foods? Don’t worry! This recipe is like the best “kitchen sink” concoction you will ever sink your teeth into. Who knew that plums, tomatoes and cucumbers would love hanging out in a salad together? Read More
Tuscan Cold Zoodles with Tomato, Basil & Garlic
With gluten free this, avoid that, and whatever else we are adding to the “avoid list” lately, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of calling something what it actually isn’t. For example, a “cauliflower” is commonly being called a “steak,” and no one seems to mind at all. Are we finally losing it as a society? Well, I guess, keeping it all in perspective, it’s cool to get creative with naming some healthy substitutes. It’s just a word anyway, right? I just want whatever I am eating to satiate and hit the spot on whatever my mind and my appetite have conspired to enjoy together. Whenever that happens to be cold tomato basil noodles, this recipe does the trick. For the sake of avoiding the faux food naming pattern, we’re going to call these babies “zoodles”. Whatever you do call it, get ready for “yummy” sounding words and noises when you serve it. Oh, and it’s raw too!
Read MoreBaked Ratatouille with Fresh Basil
Baked ratatouille is super easy, delicious, and this recipe comes just in time for your summer vegetable harvest. It makes a great whole-food plant-based meal served with wild rice, pasta or polenta. It can also be used as a vegetable side dish. One recipe makes enough to enjoy a dinner and a couple easy lunches on the go. I used a handmade ceramic oven dish, which fills the air with a really nice aroma when baking, but a simple Pyrex will also do the trick.
Read Morevegan caesar-style salad with roasted yams and pomegranate
I love making hearty, colorful, nutrient dense salads for dinner, like this vegan caesar style salad.
Some salads consist of a variety of fresh, raw vegetables. For this filling-yet light salad, I used leftover oven roasted yams. But leftovers or not, you can roast up some yams, beets, rutabagas, and put together a delicious, plant-based entre salad in less than 30 minutes. Read More
Portobello Mushroom Stuffed with Miso-Ginger Squash
I’ve always suspected that butternut squash and miso would love hanging out together… and I was totally right! This combination, along with the marinated Portobello mushroom, packs a lot of flavor. And it’s a super easy way to warm up your winter weeknight dinner table.