Tag Archives: garlic

Baby Bella Sandwich with Spinach Pesto Spread

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Ever since I made the “Creamy Kale Spread by Laws and Wellness”, I have been hooked veggie sandwiches.  I just loved the idea of nut-based spreads!

Today, I wanted to create a sandwich using my pesto recipe which also contains a little bit of nuts (pine), and to make it a bit thicker, I added cashews.  I also wanted to use the baby bella mushrooms and veggies sitting in my fridge and the basil in my garden.  And, this is the outcome:  baby bella sandwich with spinach pesto spread.

This sandwich is very flavorful, light, “meaty” (from the mushrooms), and really healthy.  I just loved the combination of garlic, basil, pine nuts, and mushrooms.

Enjoy!

Ingredients for Pesto Spread:

  • 3 cups of fresh basil
  • 2 cups of spinach
  • 2/3 cup of raw cashews (soaked for a few hours)
  • 1/3 cup of pine nuts
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Directions for the spread:

  1. Place all ingredients in a food processor.
  2. Blend for a minute or two.

Other ingredients:

  • Red onions (sliced)
  • Tomatoes (sliced)

Baby Bella Mushrooms and Garlic:

  • 16 oz.  of baby bella mushrooms
  • 6 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • salt or pepper or use Mrs. Dash’s No Salt Seasoning
  • 1 tablespoons of olive oil

Directions for the mushroom:

  1. Heat olive oil, add garlic, and cook for a little less than a minute.  
  2. Add mushrooms and cook for 10-15 minutes. 
  3. Toast your bread and build your sandwich.

It was delicious with pickled jalapenos from my backyard.

Coconut Garlic Bread Dip

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I make different versions of this dip for my family and friends, which everyone seems to enjoy.  I will share the other ones with you in the future in another post. :)

I usually like my garlic raw when I make dip for bread, but my 3-year-old doesn’t because it is too spicy for her.  So I decided to cook it a little bit, so she is able to enjoy it with the freshly baked bread I had made.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SUPER EASY BREAD RECIPE

Ingredients:

  • 1 bulb or garlic
  • 4 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • 4 tablespoons of Braggs apple cider vinegar
  • sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh parsley (finely chopped)
  • a pinch of fresh oregano (finely chopped)….THIS IS OPTIONAL

Directions:

  1. Peal garlic.
  2. Heat coconut oil in a pan.
  3. Cook garlic in oil for two to three minutes.
  4. Pour oil and garlic into a bowl.
  5. Smash the garlic with fork.
  6. Add apple cider vinegar and salt.
  7. Top it off with parsley and oregano.
  8. Serve with warm crusty bread.
  9. Enjoy!

Sprouted Grain Bagel Garlic Daiya Cheese Pizza

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This morning, after my daughter and I had our green smoothies, she told me that she wanted me to make pizza for lunch.  I wasn’t really up for making pizza dough, so I thought about using some healthy sprouted grain bagels instead.  Luckily, I had vegan Daiya “cheese” and fire roasted crushed tomatoes in my fridge and pantry, so I was able to put a “pizza” together.

It took me less than 5 minutes to make lunch!

It was yummy!  Best of all, my daughter enjoyed it!

Ingredients:

  • 1 bagel
  • 1/4 cup of crushed fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 clove of garlic (minced)
  • 1/4 tsp parsley(dried)
  • 1/4 tsp of basil (dried)
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven/pizza stone (low BROIL with pizza stone in the middle of the oven).
  2. Mix the minced garlic in with the crushed tomatoes.
  3. Then add parsley, basil, salt and pepper.
  4. Slice bagel then spread your garlic and crushed tomato mixture on.
  5. Add Daiya “cheese”.
  6. Broil for 11 minutes.
  7. Enjoy!

NYE Dinner: Lentil Loaf, Roasted Garlic Mashed Taters, Brussels Sprouts, & Bread Rolls

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I decided to make a lentil loaf today, for New Year’s Eve, since I had not made one in over a year!  It was definitely time for another one!  There are usually different versions of my loaves each time because I like to add different ingredients  for added flavor and or added nutritional value.  I also had a lot of garlic, potatoes, and brussels sprouts laying around, so I decided to use them as well.   This meal is flavorful, filling, low fat, and packed with nutritious ingredients!

Note: I used different types of grains for benefits that comes with the consumption of the different types.  I also added some nuts for added essential fatty acids and protein.

Lentil Loaf

Ingredients:

  • 1 and 1/4 uncooked green lentils
  • 1/4 cup of wheat berries
  • 1/4 cup of multi-grain hot cereal mix (rye, barley, oats, and wheat) note: you can just use oatmeal if you don’t have this…
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 cup of diced shallots (2 large)
  • 4 cloves of minced garlic (fresh)
  • 1/2 cup of walnuts
  • 3/4 cup of Ian’s whole wheat panko bread crumbs
  • 4 tablespoons of ground flax seeds/flax meal
  • 3 tablespoons of raw wheat germ (optional…I added this nutritional purposes)
  • 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of vegan bouillon Better Than Bouillon, No Chicken Base, Vegetarian, 8 oz.
  • 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon of oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon of basil
  • pinch of thyme
  • 1 tsp of liquid aminos (optional…for salt)
  • pepper
  • ketchup
  • olive oil spray

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Boil lentils and wheat berries for about 20 minutes or until soft and cooked.
  3. While it is cooking, place carrot, walnuts,  and multi-grain cereal mix into the food processor and blend for a minute.
  4. When it is blended, place in a large bowl.
  5. Pour lentils in the food processor with garlic, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, liquid aminos, oregano, thyme, basil, and little bit of pepper.
  6. Blend for a minute or two. 
  7. Place blended lentils in the large bowl with your carrot mixture.
  8. Add raw wheat germ, ground flax seeds, panko crumbs and diced shallots into your large bowl.
  9. Mix it all together very well.
  10. Pour mixture into a greased (olive oil spray) 8 x 8 baking pan and press the lentils down tightly.
  11. Pour ketchup on top.

    My daughter helping with dinner.

  12. Cook in the preheated oven for 50 minutes.
  13. While it is baking, you can throw the garlic into the oven to roast.  For directions on garlic roasting, CLICK HERE.  This will be for your ROASTED GARLIC MASHED POTATOES.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

Notice I don’t use any vegan butter for this recipe?  I promise, you won’t even miss it.  Less fat to worry about!

Directions:

  1. Remove skins from garlic and mash them up.
  2. Add non-dairy milk, dulse granules, and bouillon to mashed garlic.
  3. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher.
  4. Add the non-dairy milk mixture to the mashed potatoes.
  5. Mix well.
  6. Serve.

Garlic Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

  • 2.5 cups of quartered brussels sprouts
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 4 cloves of minced garlic
  • olive oil spray
  • pepper

Directions:

  1. Spray a little olive oil to your pan.
  2. Add minced garlic and cook for less than a minute.
  3. Add brussels sprouts, water, pepper, and bouillon.
  4. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. Serve.

Serve with fresh baked whole wheat bread rolls!

Happy New Year!

Garlic Sweet Potatoes

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Sweet potatoes are wonderfully healthy!

Here is another sweet potato recipe, click here.

Ingredients:

  • 3 sweet potatoes
  • 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons of tamari or liquid aminos (all natural soy sauce)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 420 degrees.
  2. Mix olive oil, liquid aminos/tamari, and garlic in a bowl.
  3. Slice the potatoes lengthwise (like french fries).
  4. Place everything in a container and shake.
  5. Bake potatoes for 20-25 minutes.
  6. Serve and enjoy!

Vegan Pesto Pizza

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You are probably wondering why I have been posting a lot of “pesto” recipes lately.  Well, it is because I have 2 huge basil bushes in the backyard that screams, “MAKE PESTO OUT OF MEEEE!”.  And, I do what it says!

This is super easy and you won’t feel guilty eating it!

Ingredients:

  • Whole grain pizza dough (all natural/vegan) from the deli (I always get mine from Earthfare).
  • 4 to 8 tablespoons of pesto sauce (depending on how ‘saucy’ you want it.  Click here for pesto recipe.  Note: make half as much for pizza.
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup of DAIYA Vegan mozzarella “cheese”…adjust to how “cheesy” you want it.
  • 1/2 of a tomato sliced
  • 1/4 of a red onion (diced)
  • 1/4 cup of broccoli (sliced).
  • 1 Tofuky Italian “sausage” sliced
  • 3 tablespoons of cornmeal.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Roll out dough to flatten.
  3. Sprinkle corn meal on your pizza stone or baking sheet (helps your pizza not stick).
  4. Place dough on your pizza stone or baking sheet.
  5. Spread pesto sauce.
  6. Add veggies and Tofurky “sausage”
  7. Place in oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
  8. Broil in high heat for 2 minutes.
  9. Enjoy!

Husband’s Super Duper Hot Guacamole

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This guacamole is not for everyone because it is so hot.  You can just simply remove the jalapenos and habaneros off of the ingredients list.

Ingredients:

  • 2 avocados
  • 1 tomato
  • 1/4 of an onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 3 jalapenos
  • 1 habanero pepper (optional because these peppers are CRAZY hot)
  • juice of one lemon or 2 limes
  • 2/3 cup of a cilantro
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions:

  1. Throw everything in the food processor.
  2. Serve with chips, burritos, tacos, etc.
  3. Enjoy!

Pesto with Quionoa Pasta Noodles

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Ingredients for pesto sauce:

  • 2 qt bag or 1 to 1.5 cups of fresh basil
  • 2 cups of fresh spinach
  • 1.5 cloves of an elephant garlic or 4 to 6 cloves of regular garlic (NOTE: We love lots of garlic in our pasta, if you don’t, then reduce your amount to a few cloves of garlic.
  • 2/3 cup of nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup of pine nuts (Note: I sometimes add a few tablespoons of cashews to make it a bit creamier)
  • 1/2 cup of olive oil
  • 1 fresh tomato (medium)
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions:

  1. Cook quinoa noodles..
  2. First saute the pine nuts and cashews (cashew optional) in a little bit of olive oil until it is brown and toasted.
  3. After it is toasted, place the nuts in the food processor with oil, tomato, nutritional yeast, and garlic.
  4. Process together until it is smooth.
  5. Add spinach and basil, then process again for a few minutes.
  6. Add salt ant pepper to taste.
  7. Add to quinoa noodles.
  8. Top it off with some more pine nuts (optional).
  9. Enjoy!

Quinoa Pasta Vegan Pesto Salad

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We love basil!  We love pesto!  We love quinoa pasta! :)

Ingredients for pesto sauce:

  • 2 qt bag or 1 to 1.5 cups of fresh basil
  • 2 cups of fresh spinach
  • 1.5 cloves of an elephant garlic or 4 to 6 cloves of regular garlic.  (NOTE: We love lots of garlic in our pasta, if you don’t, then reduce your amount to a few cloves of garlic.
  • 2/3 cup of nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup of pine nuts (Note: I sometimes add a few tablespoons of cashews to make it a bit creamier)
  • 1/2 cup of olive oil
  • 1 fresh tomato (medium)
  • salt
  • pepper

Veggies to mix in the salad: Today, I just used ONE CUP of steamed peas, but usually I would add lightly steamed broccoli along with it.

Directions:

  1. Cook veggie quinoa pasta (I used the curly pasta).
  2. First saute the pine nuts and cashews (cashew optional) in a little bit of olive oil until it is brown and toasted.
  3. After it is toasted, place the nuts in the food processor with oil, tomato, nutritional yeast, and garlic.
  4. Process together until it is smooth.
  5. Add spinach and basil, then process again for a few minutes.
  6. Add salt ant pepper to taste.
  7. Mix sauce with cooked veggie quinoa pasta.
  8. Serve hot or cold.
  9. Enjoy!

The Husband’s Super Easy VEGAN Calzone

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My husband made this last week.  It is yummy, easy, and quick!

So, if you are craving calzone, make it yourself!  Make it vegan!  You will enjoy it much more knowing you didn’t consume a ton of fat and cholesterol….not to mention contributing to cruelty.

Ingredients:

  • All natural pizza dough from the deli
  • 1/3 to 1/2 a bag of DAIYA “cheese”
  • 1 to 2 Italian Sausage by Tofurky (sliced/diced)
  • Note: adding firm diced tofu would also be delicious….or spinach, garlic, mushrooms, bell pepper….get creative!

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Roll out the dough and flatten.
  3. Add “cheese” and Tofurky “sausage”.
  4. Roll it back up.  Close it up.  My husband just rolled it up like a burrito.  But, you can roll it however you want to do it.
  5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes…until the outside is golden and crusty and the inside is fully cooked (dough done, cheese melted, etc.)
  6. Enjoy!

This is how it looked before it was rolled up into a burrito calzone :)

Note: putting cornmeal on your pizza stone or pizza pan will help the dough not stick to it.

Some people stay away from over processed “cheeses” that have weird ingredients, but, I found that the ingredients in Daiya to be the best alternative (read below).  I think it is better than the cow breast milk cheese because it does not have the hormones, casein, extra fat, etc.  Dairy products are linked to cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, allergies, and even cancer.

To learn more, click here.

Info I got from http://www.daiyafoods.com.

Daiya Mozzarella Style Shreds are giving a whole new meaning to word pizza!

Daiya is a deliciously dairy free vegan product that has an irresistible melt, stretch and taste.  Daiya is a healthy alternative that you and family can enjoy on pizza, lasagna, nachos, or in any of your favorite meals and recipes at home. 

3 cheers to helping you and your family look and feel your best!

Daiya Mozzarella Style Shreds are made entirely from plant-based ingredients and are:

  • Cholesterol free
  • Trans Fat free
  • Dairy free
  • Free of all animal products (Vegan)
  • Free of common allergens including:
    • Dairy (casein and lactose), soy, gluten, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts (excluding coconut)
  • Free of Artificial Ingredients
  • Free of Preservatives
  • Free of Hormones & Antibiotics
  • Kosher

The full list of ingredients are as follows:

Filtered water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and /or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, vegan natural flavors, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, citric acid (for flavor), titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral).

Baby and husband.

Here is the calzone that I made.

Directions: flatten out the dough (from the deli) and shape it into a an oval.  Fill it up with vegan cheese and veggies of your choice and fold in half.

Filling: spinah, minced garlic, vegan cheese, Tofurky Italian "sausage", and diced onions.