My favorite season is here and I'm excited to start cooking comfort food. This rich healthy dish will warm you from the inside out. I love the nuttiness of roasted butternut squash and when paired with sage the flavors pop and really compliment each other, perfect on a cozy fall evening. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of Arborio rice

1 yellow onion chopped

2 cups of cubed butternut squash

2 Tablespoons of chopped garlic

1 Tablespoon of chopped fresh sage

1 bunch of asparagus, chopped

2 cups of white wine

4 cups of vegetable broth 

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper lay out your cubed butternut squash and dry roast it in the oven at 425º until soft and starting to get golden brown. Take the butternut squash out of the oven and set aside. Next in a large saucepan on medium high heat add olive oil and the chopped onion let this cook until the onion is caramelized. At this point add the dry Arborio rice and lightly toast the rice in the sauce pan stirring constantly. When the rice is lightly toasted turn down the heat to medium and add 1 cup of white wine to deglaze the pan, stir the rice mixture constantly until all the liquid is absorbed. 

Next add the chopped garlic and sage along with another cup of white wine. When you add liquid to the Arborio rice you have to stir constantly until all the liquid is absorbed, this will be an arm workout but well worth it. Next add the dry roasted butternut squash and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Stir and repeat adding the vegetable broth cup by cup 3 more times. At the end add the chopped bunch of asparagus and stir in. At this point your mixture should be thick and creamy and your rice should be fully cooked. If your rice isn't cooked all the way through add another cup of vegetable broth and repeat the process of stirring until the liquid is absorbed. The rice should be completely done at this time. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve. 

Enjoy and remember to always be mindful and eat with compassion!

Coconut Curry Squash Soup

I know its summertime but a big bowl of butternut squash soup sounded so good. This recipe is so simple but so creamy, rich, and delicious. This soup would be a great dish to whip up when guests stop by unexpectedly. I'm going to be making this soup a lot this fall.

Ingredients

2  butternut squash, whole

3/4 cup of light coconut milk

1 tablespoon of curry powder

1 1/2 cups of hot water

1 tsp of salt

Basmati rice

Broccoli

Directions

Skin and chop your butternut squash into small cubes. Place cubes on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and roast in a 425 oven for 30 mins or until tender. (your house will smell amazing at this point)

While the squash is roasting put the basmati rice on to cook. Scoop all of the cooked butternut squash into a high speed blender like a Vitamix. At this point add the coconut milk and half of your hot water and blend until smooth. Then add the curry spice and the salt, along with the rest of the hot water. Blend on high for several minutes until the soup is smooth and soup consistency. You might want to add more water if you like a thinner soup. Steam the broccoli last so it remains warm. Serve like pictured. 

Enjoy and remember to always be mindful and eat with compassion!

Red Potato Salad

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am obsessed with potatoes. When I was little I would eat them raw, that's how much I love them. The classic potato salad recipe just spells comfort food, maybe it's the German in me. Being vegan of course we do not eat your traditional mayonnaise made with eggs. Instead I used Just Mayo an all plant based mayo which is heavenly, in fact Just Mayo is better than the traditional mayo. Just Mayo is tart and sweet all at the same time giving this salad an awesome plant based kick. 

Ingredients

3 tbsp of Just Mayo

2 tbsp of organic extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp of grainy Dijon mustard

Juice and pulp from one lemon

2 tbsp of white wine vinegar

6 medium to large red potatoes

4 stalks of celery, chopped 

2 green onions, chopped

3 tbsp of fresh parsley, chopped

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Directions

Wash and chop your raw potatoes into bite size chunks. Add your potatoes to a pot of boiling water with about 2 tablespoons of sea salt. let them boil until tender. Meanwhile in a large bowl add your Just Mayo, olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and vinegar. Whisk all of these ingredients until its almost fluffy. Then add the chopped celery, sliced green onion, and parsley. When the potatoes are done cooking drain and add them to the Just Mayo mixture. Stir until all the ingredients are well mixed. Then season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Refrigerate until the salad is cold and then serve. 

Enjoy and remember to always be mindful and eat with compassion!

Vegetable Dumplings

This recipe is a little time consuming but easy enough for kids to make. Who says vegans don't eat delicious foods, these dumplings are really yummy and so flavorful. They go great with fried rice, stir-fries, salads, or even in soups.  

Ingredients

3 cups of shiitake mushrooms, chopped 

3 cups of green cabbage, chopped

2 cups of shredded carrots

5 Tbsp of chopped garlic

3 Tbsp of minced ginger

5 green onions chopped

1 cup of bean sprouts, chopped

1 package of vegan wonton wrappers

2 Tbsp of sesame oil

3 Tbsp of low sodium Tamari sauce  

2 Tbsp of rice wine vinegar 

Directions

Chop all of your vegetables and combine them in a large bowl. To the vegetable mix add the Tamari sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, and ginger mixing well. In a large saute pan add one tablespoon of the sesame oil turn the pan to medium high. Add all of the vegetable mixture to the pan and stir just until the mixture starts to wilt then take off the heat. Next lay out ten sheets of wonton wrappers and fill with a little more than one teaspoon of the vegetable mixture in the center of the wrapper. If you over fill them they will break. 

Dip your finger in water and wet the edges of the wrapper, this is so the sides will stick together. Fold the wrapper into a triangle pinching the edges together, then take the two long edges of the triangle and bring them together dab with water so they stick together. 

I cook my dumplings 10 at a time, again I add a little sesame oil to the pan at a medium heat so they do not burn. Gently add your dumplings to the oiled pan and let them brown on both sides. Then carefully add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan. Be extra careful the oil will pop up. Place a lid on the pan and let the dumplings steam for a couple of minutes. With tongs gently take the dumplings out of the pan and place on a cutting board to cool. Repeat the process until you have used all of the wrappers. This recipes will make a bunch of dumplings but they will go fast!

Enjoy and remember to always be mindful and eat with compassion!

Linguini Margarita

I love making up pasta recipes, even more I love eating pasta. This dish is light, zesty and perfect for this warm spring weather. I try to keep my recipes simple with fresh ingredients, this dish is that to a tee. This recipe might be one of my personal favorites because of  the raw fresh garlic. Garlic contains a compound called Allicin which has potent medical properties, such as boosting the immune system. 

Ingredients

1 package of brown rice or plain linguine 

3 fresh organic Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

6 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 lemons, juiced

Zest from one lemon

1 tablespoon of agave   

1 large bunch of fresh basil, chopped

Fresh ground pepper

Directions

Prepare your tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Cook your pasta and in a large bowl add your chopped garlic to the warm pasta. In a separate smaller bowl add your olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Whisk the lemon mixture until it emulsifies. Add this mixture to your pasta and toss. Then add your chopped tomatoes and fresh basil. When serving add a generous amount of ground pepper. 

Enjoy and remember to always be mindful and eat with compassion! 

Spring Veggie Ciabatta Sandwich

Happy Spring Equinox, the weather is finally getting warmer and it's exciting to get outside and grill a bit! I had been craving grilled zucchini when I thought of this recipe. This chewy sandwich is fresh and savory, it's so good! The secret ingredient of this sandwich is the Ciabatta loaf. Ciabatta bread is usually vegan, but always check to make sure there are no animal products. 

Ingredients

1 loaf of ciabatta 

4 Tbs of hummus (Engine 2 has a real yummy oil and salt free hummus)

2 whole marinated roasted red peppers

2 big zucchini cut length wise into thin long strips

1 cup of marinated artichoke hearts

3 cups of fresh arugula 

Balsamic vinaigrette

1/4 cup Brianna's French vinaigrette 

(If you cannot find this vinaigrette, any Italian vinaigrette will work.)  

Fresh ground pepper

Directions

Cut your ciabatta in half and slather the hummus onto the bottom part of the loaf. Thinly slice your two zucchinis length wise so you have long ribbons. Place your zucchini in a storage ziplock baggie and add the Brianna's vinaigrette and let the zucchini marinade for about an hour. Warm up your grill and grill up the zucchini just until they start to get grill marks on them. On top of the hummus lay the roasted red pepper, and then all of the zucchini, next the artichokes. Sprinkle the vegetables with fresh ground pepper, then top with arugula. On the top half of the ciabatta loaf turn it upside down and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette, let the vinaigrette soak into the bread for a minute before you finish the sandwich. Gently smash the sandwich together and cut the sandwiches into serving slices. 

Enjoy and remember to always be mindful and eat with compassion! 

Veggie Noodle Stir Fry

I love the simplicity of noodles and fresh vegetables. This dish is packed full of vitamins and so satisfying. Eating a plant based diet does not mean you have to skimp at all, and no animals were hurt in the process. Which is a win, win for everyone! 

Ingredients

1 box of brown rice Pad Thai noodles or fresh stir fry noodles

1 cup of broccoli

1 cup of snow peas

1 cup of mushrooms

1 cup of julienned carrots

1 cup of shelled edamame

1 cup of julienne red pepper 

1 cup of vegetable broth 

1/2 cup of coconut sugar

3 Tbs of a salt free Chinese 5 Spice

1/2 tsp of garlic powder

2 Tbs Tamari

Directions

I used fresh stir fry for the pictured dish, you just need to put them in a large non stick frying pan and along with the vegetable broth and all of the vegetables let this simmer so the vegetables can steam. Then add the sugar, tamari and the spices. Stir the mixture, cook until the sauce reduces then serve. 

Enjoy and remember to always be mindful and eat with compassion!