Spaghetti Squash with Sunflower Seed Alfredo

Creamy Caper Sunflower Seed Sauce Over Spaghetti Squash

I haven't had an Alfredo sauce since I went vegan over one year ago. Today I decided it was time. Since I was experimenting with sunflower seeds, and discovered how amazingly creamy they become, I knew I could create a palate pleaser. Spaghetti Squash is a great alternative for pasta, leaves me feeling lighter than if I had eating a heavy grain or rice. This dish was an all around winner, and will make a comeback soon.

1 Medium Spaghetti Squash

1 Cup Chopped Tomatoes

1 Cup Chopped Asparagus

1 Clove Garlic Minced

3 Tbs Olive Oil

1. Cut squash lengthwise and remove seeds. Steam for 20 minutes until flesh pulls apart with fork.
2. Lightly saute tomatoes and asparagus in olive oil and garlic.

Caper Alfredo Sauce

1 Cup Soaked Raw Sunflower Seeds (Soaked 6 hours and drained)

1 Tbs Nutritional Yeast

1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tbs Lemon Juice

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Pepper

1/2 Cup Water

1 Tbs Olive Oil

1 Clove Garlic Minced

1 Tbs Capers

1 Tbs Italian Seasoning

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth. 
2. Toss with Spaghetti Squash.

Spinach Florentine Stuffed Phyllo Dough

Cheesy Stuffed Phyllo Dough

Today I felt inspired to create a florentine phyllo dough pastry. This was my second time working with phyllo dough and I say it takes practice. Half of my package got destroyed, but this is a learning experience for me. You could make do with tortilla shells or even trying a croissant if you desire. I enjoy the light crispiness of the phyllo, and need my practice. You can find it in the freezer section by the pie crust usually. The cheese substitute I used is sunflower based, and after being trapped and simmered in the dough, tasted just like cream cheese. I impressed myself and now have the idea to make jalapeno poppers in the near future.You can't see it, but trapped behind all that delicious spinach is creamy cheese, tomatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, and capers. Can you say, "Yes Please!"

4 Phyllo Dough Wrappers (If you find this too thin, may use 8 and double them up)

2 Cups Thawed Frozen Spinach (Drained)

1 Cup Chopped Tomato

1 Cup Chopped Mushrooms (Any Variety)

1 Cup Chopped Asparagus

1/2 Cup Capers

Olive Oil for Basting Dough

1. Fold Phyllo in half and lay on a dry flat surface.
2. Bast with a small amount of olive oil.
3. Assemble 1/4 of the ingredients including cheese sauce.
4. Wrap like burrito.
5. Baste outside with olive oil, flipping over to cover entire pastry. 
6. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 20-30 minutes, until dough is flaky. Flip over half way through. (Handle with a spatula, this dough is fragile.)

Sunflower Seed "Cheese"

1 Cup Soaked Raw Sunflower Seeds (Soaked 6 hours and drained)

1/2 Cup Filtered Water

1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tbs Lemon Juice

1 Clove Garlic

1/2 Tsp Sea Salt

1 Tbs Nutritional Yeast

Blend all ingredients together and portion inside phyllo dough with remaining ingredients.

Getting Enough Iron on a Plant Based Diet

It may be easier to for the body to absorb Iron from animal products but that doesn't mean that you will be deficient. By eating a varied plant-based diet, you should get the necessary amount of Iron needed.

Here are some Iron rich foods:

• Legumes: lentils, soybeans, tofu, tempeh, lima beans
• Grains: quinoa, fortified cereals, brown rice, oatmeal
• Nuts and Seeds: pumpkin, squash, pistachio, sunflower, cashews, unhulled sesame
• Vegetables: spinach, collard greens, swiss chard, kale, broccoli, tomatoes
• Miscellaneous: prunes, raisins, nutritional yeast, blackstrap molasses, spirulina

Easy Veggie Fajitas and Rice

Quick and Easy veggie Fajitas and Rice

Serves 4
Fajitas:
2 Red Peppers Sliced
1 Onion Sliced
1 Pkg Mushrooms sliced 
1 Bunch asparagus chopped
2 Tbs minced Garlic
4 Tbs Coco oil
8 Tortilla shells

Saute all veggies in coco oil until slightly soft. Season with salt and pepper. Warm up tortilla shells. For a little extra protein add refried beans or black beans. You can ever use a vegan nacho cheese, which I was slacking and didn't make today.

Rice:
1 Cup Brown Rice
1 3/4 Cup Veg Broth or Water
1/2 Cup Canned Crushed Tomatoes
1 Small Onion Chopped
1 Can Corn
1 Tsp Cumin
1/4 Tsp Cayenne
2 Tbs Minced Garlic
2 Tbs Coco Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring broth to boil. Stir in rice, cover tightly and cook for 45 min. Saute garlic and onion in coco oil in a separate pan. When rice is finished stir in all ingredients. Simmer for a few minutes to warm everything. With the rice I would have added cilantro and jalapeno, but I used what I had. It was still tasty. This was a simple and satisfying meal. 

When making recipes I try to use whatever ingredients I have in the house. Please feel free to be inspired by my creations, and then make your own. I think spinach or kale would have been great sauteed for the fajitas too.

Nacho Average Brownies

Chocolate Fix? 

1 1/4 Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup Cane Sugar
1 Tsp Baking Powder
3/4 Cup Cacao Powder
1 Tsp Salt
3 Tbs Melted Coconut Oil
2 Tbs Chia Seeds (soaked in 6 Tbs water for 10 min then blended with liquid ingredients)
1 Tsp Vanilla
1/2 Cup Almond Milk
1 Tsp Cinnamon
Dash of Cayenne to balance flavors
1 Banana ( This made them have a slight chocolate banana flavor, this step could be skipped.) 

Fold together dry ingredients. Blend wet ingredients and soaked chia seeds and then mix into dry ingredients. Grease an 8x8 pan with coconut oil. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until your toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate Glaze

1 Cup Vegan Margarine or Coconut Spread softened
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla
2 Tbs Cacao Powder
1/4 Cup Almond Milk
Pinch Salt

Blend all ingredients together. Once cake is cool, glaze and enjoy. 

Today the 5 year old I nanny for decided that he was going to marry me, and that we should bake a wedding cake. This is what we came up with. This was really simple and is a mixture between cake and brownie, and tastes like banana and chocolate. If you use a different type of flour, it may be more cake like. The family said it was blog worthy so I am sharing.

Vegan Baking Alternatives

Simple Vegan Baking Alternatives

When you think of baking what are the first ingredients that come to mind? Eggs, white flour, white sugar, butter, milk? Well those ingredients are ancient history for this vibrant vegan. I've gathered a few substitutions to make your desserts guilt and cruelty free.

Cruelty free egg replacers are as easy as soaking chia seeds or mashing a banana. 

1 Egg is equal to:

• 1 Tbs Flaxseed + 3-4 Tbs Water pureed in blender for 1-2 minutes.
• 1 Tbs Chia Seed + 3 Tbs Water stirred and let sit for 10 minutes.
• 1/2 Banana Mashed
• 1 Tbs Soy Protein powder + 3 Tbs Water combined
• 1/4 Cup Applesauce
• 1/4 Cup Silken Tofu
• 3 Tbs Chickpea Flour + 3 Tbs Water
• 3 Tbs Peanut Butter

Avoid processed and refined white flour by choosing a healthier option. A few include:

• Coconut
• Oats
• Quinoa
• Brown Rice
• Wheat
• Amaranth
• Barley
• Buckwheat

Still avoiding white processed foods we can simply trade the old with one of these:

• Dates
• Raw Sugar
• Raw Agave Nectar
• Date Sugar
• Coconut Sugar
• Stevia

Kicking out the butter:

• Vegan Margarine
• Coconut Spread
• Vegan Shortening
• Coconut Oil

Moo-over milk. 

• Almond
• Soy
• Rice
• Hemp
• Coconut