YUM! Dessert!

One more for today! Just when I thought I was destined to live a life full of sorbet and popsicles..I found this! Soy Dream French Vanilla ice cream. Completely dairy-free. And let me tell you it is sooo good. I crushed up some mint oreos, which are also dairy and egg free, mixed them in and dug in. Just thought I'd share. If any of you guys are looking for an animal free ice cream. This stuff tastes delicious! yum yum yum!

Mexi-tofu

I just saw Elaina's comment on Melissa's post about brown rice, and what a coincidence, I just made some! I love brown rice. There's more texture to it. However, it does take longer to soften than white. So make sure to set aside extra time for it! This is something I whipped up tonight that was super easy and crazy good.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Brown Rice (cooked this much but only ate half)
• Some tofu (didn't really measure how much just chopped some up)
• 1/2 avocado
• Mushroom
• Mango Salsa
• olive oil
• dairy-free butter

1) Prepare the brown rice. I've read a lot of different websites on the "best" way to do it. Still trying to figure it out for myself, so I suggest you do the same thing. First person to figure it out wins!
2) While the rice is cooking, let the tofu sit out for a while and soak up the excess water. Get some olive oil ready for frying up the tofu.
3) Fry the tofu like I explained in the other recipe. Once all the sides are looking a little crispy, throw in the mushrooms and saute them together. While waiting for that, cut up the avocado into chunks.
4) When the rice is done, scoop some of it into a bowl, pour some mango salsa over the top of it, throw the tofu and mushrooms on top, and then finish it off with some fresh avocado! Now eat!
I don't know if I was just starving, but this was so good. I have a really big crush on mango salsa right now. It's like a million times better than normal salsa.

Shredded Chicken in a Tomatillo Sauce

I got the ingredients for this recipe from bevcooks, but changed the method of preparation from the original to make it a million times easier!

INGREDIENTS
* 2 (12 oz) cans whole tomatillos, drained
* 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil (no need for this ingredient using my method)
* 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of any excess fat (I used frozen boneless, skinless chicken cutlets)
* 2 jalapenos, minced (leave the seeds in for more heat) (I left them out)
* 1/2 medium onion, diced
* 3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 (15 oz) can white hominy, drained (I forgot to buy this, so I left it out)
*1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
* juice from 1/2 lime
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* 2 cups cooked jasmine rice (I used brown rice)


METHOD
1. Put frozen chicken into the crockpot.
2. Blend all of the other ingredients together in a blender or food processor, minus the oil and rice.
3. Put the sauce on top of the chicken and cook for 5 hours-ish on high or longer on low or until the chicken is cooked.
4. Take the chicken out, shred it, toss it back in, and throw in some rice!


I ate mine with some whole wheat wraps and a little sriracha. YUM!!

Veganized BLT

I don't know how you guys feel about tofu..but let me tell you..if it's prepared right it's wayyy good. Tonight I had a tub of tofu and a craving for a blt so this is what I came up with. Kind of my own vegan version of a blt. It was dang good. I still have all the makings for another wrap....I might indulge in that later tonight. This was simple easy to make. And although it isn't necessarily 100% healthy, it's much healthier than the fatty meat and mayo filled original version. Most of the ingredients you probably already have..you just need to invest in some tofu!

Ingredients:

• Extra-firm tofu (not silken)
• olive oil
• tomatoes
• lettuce
• avocado
• tortillas or bread (whatever you prefer)
• BBQ sauce
• any other toppings you desire

1) Take the tofu out and cut slices that are about 1/2 inch thick. Set aside a little extra time because you're gonna want to let them sit out for a little bit. Put the slices on a plate and salt both sides. After sitting for about 15 minutes, take a paper towel and try and absorb as much water from them as possible.

2) Heat some olive oil (or other oil) in a frying pan. Make sure it is hot before you put the tofu slices in. Place the tofu slices in and lower the heat a little bit. You'll want to heat each side until they get a little brown and crispy (this may take a few minutes).

3) Once they're finished, take them out and place them on a paper towel to soak up the excess oil. Cut up your toppings. Place them all in a wrap and top with bbq sauce so it has kind of a maple bacon taste. Wrap it up and enjoy!

Low fat Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

There's no real recipe for this creation, so I figured I'd just show you exactly what I used. I was craving mac and cheese, but wanted to make a much healthier version than the one we grew up on. I had the leftover pureed pumpkin eyeing me from the fridge and it hit me, maybe I could throw that in with the cheese sauce. I am super proud of the end results, it was creamy and delicious and even a little healthy.

INGREDIENTS
100% whole wheat elbow macaroni noodles
one bag of reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
pureed pumpkin (I used about a cup and a half) *If no pumpkin, you could use butternut squash
50/50 Smartchoice butter (about a tablespoon)
all purpose flour (a couple of tablespoons)
almond milk (a couple of cups)
unsalted chicken stock (about a cup)

1. Cook the pasta according to box directions and drain.
2. In the same pot (while noodles are sitting in the strainer) add the butter, let it melt, add the flour and stir.
3. Add the almond milk and chicken stock. Whisk until it's heated through.
4. Add the pumpkin and cheese. Stir until it's thickened and delicious looking.
5. Add the noodles and a healthy dose of salt and pepper.
6. SCARF! (This goes without saying...but obviously sprinkle some vinegar on top)
7. Force yourself to not eat seconds.

I've let the leftovers cool completely and then portioned it out into single servings to put in the freezer. I know it's not completely vegan (sorry Feather and Laina), but it really is a great alternative to regular mac and cheese!

Pumpkin Pie Granola

Hey sisters! I'm posting, so you all can get off my butt now. I love granola, but it's so hard to find ANY at the grocery store that's actually good for you, even if it claims that it's "healthy." Even most of the "healthy" granola recipes that I could find had a large amount of butter and oil in them. I was elated when I found this recipe that uses pureed pumpkin and apple sauce in place of any butter or oil. It does have some sugar in it, but I used stevia (like the recipe calls for), and it's not an overwhelming amount so I felt just fine about it. I've stored mine in a ziploc bag and it's still crunchy and delicious. I eat mine with cut up banana slices and some almond milk...Mmmm mmm. Oh yeah, and it's VEGAN too!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups old fashioned rolled oats (use gluten free if you're sensitive to gluten)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 cup sugar substitute of choice (or 1-2 tsp stevia or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cups pumpkin
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 3 tablespoons sugar free maple syrup, or honey, or agave nectar (I used honey because that's what I had)
• Optional add-ins: 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, 1 cup honey teddy grahams lightly crushed

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry using a spatula, (or your hands), until everything is well combined and oats are coated with wet ingredients.

2. Place granola on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, then stir granola around. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the granola is golden brown and is crisp. Take the granola out of the oven, and let it cool completely on the baking sheet. Stir in additional white chocolate chips or teddy grahams at this point if desired. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Link to dashingdish blog

Black Beans and Rice with Apple Salsa

Black Beans and Rice with Apple Salsa (you can add chicken if you want) 
From Our Best Bites

(This was really good! The apple salsa added the perfect flavor. I will definitely make this again. I made it without the chicken and it still has tons of protein.)

1 cup chopped peeled Granny Smith apple
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion, divided
2 limes
1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoons coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin (I like cumin so I used a bit more - like 3/4 tsp)
1 13.5 ounce can chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups cooked brown or white rice (Instead of this I made this: cilantro lime rice - YUM!)
1 rotisserie chicken, or 4 grilled chicken breasts (I didn't use chicken because I wanted it to be veggie, but Mark informed me the chicken broth made it un-veggie.  Oh well - close enough. I guess if you really wanted to be full on vegan you could use vegetable stock or something?) 

Combine apple, cilantro, 2 tablespoons onion, and the juice from half a lime.  Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and black pepper.  Set aside.

Combine remaining onion, bell pepper, and oil in a large skillet.  Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until completely softened, 6-7 minutes.  Add garlic and next 3 ingredients; stir constantly for 2 minutes.  Stir in broth and beans; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium; simmer briskly, mashing some of the beans with the back of a spoon and stirring often, until sauce is thickened, 8-10 minutes (or longer if needed).  Season with salt and pepper to taste and a big squeeze of lime juice (I used the other lime and a half).  Divide rice and beans among plates.  Top with some chicken and apple salsa.  Garnish with additional cilantro and lime wedges.  Serves 4-6. (Chop up some avocados for a garnish too...I love Mexican food!)

Vegan Pancakes

I just wanted to share how easy it is to make pancakes without eggs or milk! I'm not a huge pancake fan..so I probably won't be making these very often. However, it's SUPER easy. Who needs those stupid eggs and milk anyway?

Ingredients

• 1 Cup flour
• 1 Tbsp. Sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 Cup soy milk (I understand if you're still drinking milk, you probably won't have this on hand, but I highly suggest it. I hate the taste of milk, but love the taste of vanilla soymilk--even the light version)
• 2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil

Just mix everything together and prepare like normal pancakes! Ta da! All done! You can make do whatever you want with them. You can add chocolate chips, blueberries, bananas, etc.

Black Bean-Quinoa Burgers

Since most of the junk you guys post on here are things I cannot eat, I thought I would force you guys to look at some other options. This is a veggie-burger that is totally yummy and great for you! The consistency of the patty is not necessarily meat-like. It has a much squishier texture, but don't let that disappoint you. The flavor is awesome--even Jordan and Andrew said they liked it. Just don't expect it to taste or feel like hamburger.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped (I used the already chopped kind, and just made sure to have 1/4 cup)
• 1 1/2 cup cooked black beans, or 1 15-0z. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbs. steak seasoning
• hamburger buns

Directions

1. Stir together quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan, and season with salt, if desired. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. (You should have 1 1/2 cups quinoa)
2. Meanwhile, place onion and sun-dried tomatoes in medium non-stick skillet, and cook over medium heat. (The oil left on the tomatoes should be enough to saute the onion.) Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until onion has softened. Stir in 3/4 cup black beans, garlic, steak seasoning, and 3/4 cup water. Simmer 9-11 minutes, or until most liquid has evaporated.
3. Transfer bean-onion mixture to food processor (or blender) add 3/4 cup cooked quinoa, and process until smooth. Transfer to bowl, and stir in remaining black beans and quinoa. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and cool.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and generously coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape bean mixture into 8 patties (this gets pretty sticky and messing, just warning you), and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, or until patties are crisp on top. Flip patties with spatula, and bake 10 minutes more, or until both sides are crisp.
5. Now serve on buns with whatever fixings you want on your delicious burger!

Get excited and be ready to see some more awesome veggie recipes on here! Don't be too chicken to try them out. :)

Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice

Coconut Rice

From ourbestbites.com

(I halved the recipe and it still made enough for Mark, Tyler, and me with a little leftover)

2 c. white or Jasmine rice (I used basmati, cuz that's what I had)

1 can coconut milk

2 c. water

1 tsp. Kosher salt

Splash of white vinegar (optional, but it helps with the texture) (I didn't do this. I was too chicken)

2-3 tsp. white sugar

Handful of chopped green onions, plus chopped green onion tops for garnish (we're using the whole animal here...)

Black pepper to taste

Combine rice, coconut milk, water, salt, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil  Turn heat to low and cover for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Allow to stand 5 minutes.  Add green onions, black pepper (if desired), and additional salt if necessary.  Serve with any Asian or tropical-inspired food.

Asian BBQ Chicken

Asian BBQ ChickenFrom ourbestbites.com (I have decided to start paying homage to the blogs I get my recipes from)

1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
2 T lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t curry powder
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 t grated fresh ginger (I used that pre-minced ginger you get in a jar)
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I only made 4, but mine were bone-in, skin-on so I don't know if that makes them bigger or something.... but next time I will do boneless, skinless, because it was TONS more work!)

Combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve brown sugar. Place marinade and chicken in a zip-lock bag. Pop that bag in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or longer if you have it (even overnight) (I did mine for about 5 hours - who thinks a whole day ahead!?)

Preheat a grill (or an indoor grill pan or broiler). (I used my new indoor grill pan....YAY!) Spray cooking surface with cooking spray and place chicken on it to cook. Cook for 5-10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness.  Optional:  garnish with sliced green onions

*Tip:  When I make this I usually make 1 1/2 times the marinade.  I reserve some of the marinade before adding the chicken and then use it in the last few minutes of grilling, or just brush it on after for extra flavor. (I think next time I will save some and drizzle it over the rice too....extra yumminess!)

(I made sweet and savory coconut rice to go with this and I highly recommend that).