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Mac & Casheese

I think it's safe to say everyone loves a warm, creamy Mac and Cheese. I know I do, that's if it's vegan of course. The American favorite is traditionally made with butter, milk and cheese, which is unnecessary and truthfully not very appealing. This tasty alternative is made creamy and cheesy with cashews and nutritional yeast. Plus, I threw in some nutrient-dense veggies to even more color, texture and flavor.

Ingredients:

16 oz macaroni (preferably quinoa or brown rice noodles)

2 c broccoli, florets

1½ c peas 

1 c water

¾ c nutritional yeast

½ c cashews

1½ T tahini 

½ lemon, juiced

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp garlic granules

1/8 tsp paprika

1 tsp mellow white miso (optional)

black pepper to taste

Directions:

I suggest first getting out all your ingredients. Then, fill a medium size pot half way with water and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Set a timer so that you’re sure not to overcook the pasta. Once the noodles are just the way you like them, use a colander to drain the pasta. While doing this, you can run the pasta under cold water to prevent noodles from cooking longer. Return pasta to pot with just a little bit of water. Keep removed from the heat.

While the pasta cooks, measure out 1½ cups of peas and set aside. Steam the broccoli in a separate pan. To do this, fill this pan with 1-2 inches of water and add a steam basket and lid. Put the pot on medium-high heat to bring water to a boil. Then add the broccoli florets, letting them steam until they have a desirable softness.

Grind the cashews in a spice grinder to form a cashew powder. A coffee grinder or blender would also work. Be sure to dry the appliance completely so you don't end up with cashew paste.

Blend all remaining ingredients together in a blender. Once the sauce has a creamy consistency, fold it into the cooked macaroni. Turn the heat up to low, and stir in the peas and broccoli. Let cook for just a few minutes to let the flavors blend and warm everything up. Serve immediately and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

Serves: 4-6

BBQ Beans and Greens

Seeing that I have one of the biggest sweetest sweet tooths, it should be no surprise that I'm a huge fan of BBQ sauce. I especially love BBQ veggie pizza, BBQ tempeh, and my newest creation: BBQ Beans and Greens! Pineapple, the key ingredient, adds a perfectly sweet dynamic. If you too enjoy the tangy, sweetness of BBQ sauce, but prefer to skip on all the salt and sugar added to most BBQ sauces, you must try this recipe!!

Photos by culinary instructor, Cathy Fisher of www.straightupfood.com

Ingredients:

¾ cup warm water

5 dates, pitted

6 oz can of tomato paste

8 oz can of pineapple with juice (no added sugar)

2 T apple cider vinegar

2 T dijon mustard

1 T paprika (plain or smoky flavor)

1½ tsp garlic granules

1 tsp onion granules

1 small yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large bunch of kale or collards, chopped

1½ c cooked cannellini beans or 1 can, rinsed

1½ c cooked pinto beans or 1 can, rinsed

Directions:

To make the BBQ sauce, combine the water, dates, tomato paste, pineapple and juice, apple cider vinegar, mustard and spices to a blender. Blend to an even consistency and set aside.

Add diced onion to a large skillet over medium high heat. To sweat the onions keep the lid on the pan and stir occasionally. This will allow the water to sweat out from the onions, so there is no need to start with water or oil. After about 5 minutes, the onions will be soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and sweat for another two minutes.

Then add the beans and chopped greens and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture is too dry, you should add a little bit of water, about a 1/4 cup. Add the BBQ sauce to the beans and greens. Gently toss this mixture so everything is covered with sauce. Cook on low for 5-10 minutes to incorporate the flavors, then serve.

Serves: 4-6

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

On a chilly fall day, my favorite thing to do is make a delicious hearty soup, and then curl up on the couch with a book and bowl of soup. So here's my latest favorite... Cream of Pumpkin Soup! With lots of chopped veggies and a little bit of cashew butter, this dish is the perfect combo of creamy and chunky.   

Ingredients:

3 carrot, diced

½ yellow onion, diced

3 stalks of celery, diced

4 c vegetable stock or water

3 red potatoes, diced

1 c boiling water

¼ c cashew butter (or another nut butter)

2 c pumpkin puree

2 dried bay leaves

1 heaping tsp garlic granules

1 heaping tsp sage

¾ tsp rosemary

½ tsp thyme

1 can northern beans, rinsed

2 c curly kale

toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish

black pepper to taste

Directions:
Start by deciding whether you want to use fresh or canned pumpkin. If using fresh pumpkin, start with seeding the pumpkin and chopping it up. Put a steam basket into a large pot filled with about 2 inches of water. Add the diced pumpkin to the steam basket and put the lid on the pot. The heat should be a little over medium. After 10-15 minutes, poke the pumpkin with a fork to see if it's tender. When the pumpkin is fully cooked remove from heat. Transfer the pumpkin to a food processor and puree it to an even consistency. Whether making the pumpkin puree or using canned pumpkin, set it aside until it's called for a little bit later.

In a large pot with the lid on, sweat the carrots, onion, and celery over medium heat, until the onions are translucent. Stir frequently. Then add the vegetable stock or water to the pot, along with the diced potatoes and turn up the heat to med-high. Once the water reaches a boil, reduce heat so that water simmers.

Now stir bay leaf and herbs into soup. In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of very hot water with the cashew butter. Whisk it together until there’s a fairly even consistency. Stir cashew blend and the pumpkin puree into the soup pot. Make sure the soup is mixed well.

Once the potatoes are almost fully cooked, add the chopped kale and the beans. Wait 10 more minutes. The potatoes and kale should be fully cooked. Serve warm, and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves: 4-6 

Orange Sesame Dressing

This simple, creamy dressing packs irresistible flavor. When you're looking for a healthy, oil-free dressing this is great choice. You can easily get variety by adding different spices, herbs or fresh fruit.

Yeilds 2 cups

Ingredients

½ c water

¾ c tahini

¼ c miso (optional)

2 oranges, juiced

1 tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp onion granules

¼ tsp cumin

Blend water, tahini, miso, and orange juice to an even consistency. Add spices and blend again. If you would like the dressing thinner, add 1-2 T more of water or orange juice. The blending will warm the dressing, making it a nice complement to steamed greens or starches. To use for salads, feel free to chill the dressing for +20 minutes in the refrigerator.

Note: If not using miso, start with just orange juice and tahini, leaving the water until the very end. Only add enough water to give it the desired consistency.

Balsamic Beet Salad with Walnuts

This recipe is inspired by one from PCC, one of my favorite grocery stores in Seattle. Yes, I have favorite grocery stores. Actually, I get really excited to go to locally-owned grocery stores when I’m traveling to new cities, particularly to see their produce and their prepared food departments! 

Beets are amazing! I’ve never really tasted beets until I moved west and ate at PCC’s deli, and since then I was hooked. The dressing of balsamic, Dijon and lemon is the perfect combo. So here it is…one of my favorite beet recipes!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

8 medium size beets
½ c walnuts
¼ red onion, sliced thinly
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
½ lemon, juiced
½ tsp T black pepper
½ bunch green onions, diced
 

Directions:

In a small bowl, soak the sliced red onion in the balsamic vinegar, mixing occasionally. Set aside.

Wash the beets and cut off their cut off root and stem ends. Steam beets on the stovetop until they are tender when poked with a fork tender. This is usually about 35-45 minutes depending on their size. When they’re done put them into a colander or bowl in the sink to run a little cold water over them. Using your hands peel of the beet skins under cool, running water while beets are still warm. Cut peeled beets into 1-inch wedges, preserving their round shape. You may want to wait for beets to cool before cutting them.

To toast walnuts, preheat oven to 350° F. Spread nuts on a cookie sheet and toast for about 4 to 5 minutes, until you can smell their aroma. Let cool.

Pull the onions out of the vinegar and add them to the beets. Then add mustard, lemon juice and pepper to vinegar. Whisk together until dressing is blended. Add dressing to the beets and toss well. Break up toasted walnuts. Garnish beets with walnuts and green onion. 

Sweet Potato Lasagna

After years of being one of the world's top triathletes, Rip Esselstyn decided to join his father, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn in promoting a plant-based diet. Dr. Esselstyn, was a top cardiac surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic and completed one of the most extensive studies on the relationship between the heart and diet, which showed that a plant-based diet can reduce and even eliminate heart disease.

Rip's been on a mission to teach people how the food they eat affects their health. As a firefighter in Austin, TX, Rip actually transformed the rest of the firefighters at the Engine 2 firehouse into plant-based rescuers. Next came his book, the Engine 2 Diet, and in 2009, he joined Whole Foods Market as a Healthy Eating Partner Rip, raise awareness for the company’s team members, customers, and all of America about the health benefits of eating a plant-strong diet composed of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. 

This is the first recipe I made from the Engine 2 Diet. I love lasagna and l love sweet potatoes so when I came across Rip’s ‘Raise-the-Roof’ Lasagna I was super excited! It was DELICIOUS and so I’ve made this time and time again for family dinners, potlucks, and even to keep as frozen meals to take to work. Every time I do, it's an absolute hit! Thank you Rip! I have no doubt you'll love it too. Feel free to amend up the veggies, herbs, and spices to satisfy your taste buds. 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

16 oz spinach, frozen or fresh

2 sweet potatoes, chopped

2 boxes lasagna noodles, brown rice

1 onion, diced

1 head of broccoli, diced

2 carrots, diced

1 c mushrooms, diced

2 red bell pepper, diced

1 c corn

1 tsp garlic granules

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 tsp rosemary

48 oz pasta sauce, SOS-free preferred

4 tomatoes, sliced thin

¾ cup raw cashews

Make Sweet Potato layer: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If using frozen spinach, let it thaw. Cut up the sweet potatoes and steam them on the stovetop. To do this you should have a steam basket inside a pot that has 2 inches of water at the bottom. Put sweet potatoes in the steamer, cover with a lid, and let steam for about 12-15 minutes. When the potatoes are soft, transfer them to a bowl, and mash them with a potato masher.

Make Noodles: Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the lasagna noodles and bring it to a boil on the stove. Set a timer for how long the noodles should cook for according to the box, you want them to be slightly al dente and not overcooked because they will be heated again. Add the lasagna noodles once the water is boiling. When the noodles are done, gently pull them out with a tong and lay them gently on a plate. If the timing is right you can place the pasta directly on top of the first layer of vegetables or the second layer of sweet potatoes.

Make Vegetable Layer: Sauté the onion, broccoli, and carrots in a nonstick pan. Keep the pan covered and if the veggies start to stick add a little water as needed. Once the onions are translucent, add the peppers and mushrooms, and herbs. Once the veggies are soft stir in the corn. Move them to a large bowl.

Assemble: Cover the bottom of a 9x13 in casserole with a layer of sauce. Add a layer of noodles and cover with sauce. Spread the vegetable mix over the sauced noodles. Cover with second layer of noodles and sauce. Add the spinach and then cover with mashed sweet potatoes. Add a final layer of noodles, and top with sauce. Cover the lasagna with thinly sliced tomatoes.

Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Grind cashews in a coffee or spice grinder. Make sure there is no moisture in the grinder before adding the cashews and do not over grind - both will turn the cashews into a paste rather than a powder. After 45 minutes, remove the foil, sprinkle with the cashews, and return to the oven for 15 minutes.

Avospacho

Traditional gazpacho, originating in Spain, is a cool tomato-based vegetable soup. With this avocado version, the soup is quite creamy and a beautiful green color. Adding peas and cucumber to the base and stirring in chopped veggies keeps it from being too high in fat. The best part: no cooking needed. You’ll love this dish on those warm summer nights.

Serves 4 

Diced ingredients

1 avocado, diced

¾ c zucchini, diced

¾ c cucumber, diced

½ c red bell pepper, diced

1/3 c red onions, diced

2 T fresh cilantro, chopped

Blended Ingredients:

1 avocado, without skin

1 c frozen peas

2½ c water

½ c cucumber, chopped

1 lime, juiced

1 lemon, juiced

1 T garlic granules

1½ tsp cumin

1 T jalapeno, chopped (optional)

Combine the diced ingredients into a large bowl. Add the ‘blended soup ingredients’ to a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Pour the blended mix into the bowl and stir. Best served chilled.