VEGAN RECIPES
These stuffed potatoes are the perfect meal. They full of flavor and are super nutritious. The sweet potatoes are filled with a mixture of lentils and kale and then topped with a creamy cashew and tahini sauce.
Continue reading “Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Lentils and Cashew Cream”
This is my new favorite way to eat kale. I have always cooked it, but it is so much better raw. I thought the kale would be more bitter, but it really has a great flavor when its raw. My son just wants it raw now too (unless I am making kale chips). He ate 3 huge servings of this salad. It is so colorful and it is packed full of nutrients and the quinoa gives the salad a little more protein.
I have been trying to eat more raw foods lately in an attempt to detox after the holidays. Some things, like kale, are great raw. Other things, like sweet potatoes, not so much. I have also greatly reduced my coffee consumption, which was really scary for a family for a few days, and given up refined sugar. I am feeling much better already, so hopefully I can stay on track this time.
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked, rinsed
1 bunch kale
3 oranges sectioned
3 large carrots peeled and grated
1/2 cup raisins
Balsamic vinaigrette- recipe follows
Pre heat the oven to 400. Place the sweet potatoes on a large sheet pan and toss with the olive oil and a little salt. Roast them for about 20-25 minutes until they are fork tender. While the potatoes are roasting, cook the quinoa. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small sauce pan. Add in the quinoa, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the stem from the kale and chop it. Put the kale in a large bowl. When the potatoes and quinoa are finished, combine them with the kale and all the remaining ingredients and toss it together.
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP dijon mustard
1 TBSP agave nectar or honey
1/4 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well combined.
Falafel is one of my favorite foods. This variation on the regular falafel turned out to be equally delicious. The sweet potatoes give the falafel a completely different texture then the original and they add great flavor. The outside gets nice and crispy and the middle is very creamy. Serve it with warm pita and tahini sauce.
2 large sweet potaoes
1 Can of chick pea drained and rinsed
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup parsley
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 cup chick pea flour
1 cup bread crumbs
4 TBSP canola oil
Bake the sweet potatoes at 400 degrees until tender (about 20-30 minutes). Let the potatoes cool and then remove the skin, it should just peep off. Set aside.
Add the garlic into a food processor and finely chop it. Add in the sweet potatoes, parsley, coriander, cumin and salt. Process it until the potatoes are mostly smooth. Add in the chick peas and pulse it until the chick peas are mostly chopped, you want it to still have some texture. Put the mixture into a large bowl and add in the chick pea flour and the bread crumbs. Mix it thoroughly.
Heat the oil in a large skillet or on a griddle over medium high heat. Put the falafel mixture in the hot oil by the heaping tablespoons and press them down a little. Cook on each side for 4-5 minutes until the falafel are a nice golden brown and crispy. Serve the falafel with the tahini sauce and warm pita.
1 cup chick peas
juice of 1 lemon
1 clove of garlic
2 TBSP tahini
1/2 cup parsley
3/4 – 1 cup water
Add all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until sooth. Start with 3/4 cup water and add more as needed. You want it be a little thick, but still pourable.
The mashed sweet potatoes and roasted green beans are great side dishes for any meal. They are super easy, so they are great to do during the week and they are fancy enough for a special dinner. We eat sweet potatoes all the time, so I try to make them in different ways and this is definitely a favorite of the kids. Mashing them is als really great for kids who may not like to try new foods. Roasting the green beans brings out the sweetness in them that you don’t get when the beans are boiled. This is my favorite way to have green beans now.
5 large sweet potatoes
Juice of 1 large orange
1/4 cup of butter (you can sub apple juice or veggie broth to make this lower fat)
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
salt to taste
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 inch cubes. Add them to the pot and cook for about 15 minutes until the sweet potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add in the remaining ingredients and mashed the sweet potatoes until you reach the consistency that you like. If they are little dry just add more liquid a little at a time.
6 cups of fresh green beans trimmed
2 TBSP Canola Oil
2 TBSP Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 425. Toss the green beans, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper on a large baking sheet. Try not over crowd the pan, you may have to use 2 pans if your pans are smaller. Roast the green beans for about 10 minutes.