Tag Archives: vegan

Smothered Butternut Squash

15 Saturday Dec 2018

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The sauce on this recipe is addicting. So much so, I’ve managed to eat half a squash today and want more sauce.

What is it with me and raw garlic? I can’t get enough.

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan

Smothered Butternut Squash

1 smallish butternut squash
8-10 cloves garlic
1/2 – 2/3 c. olive oil
2 Tbsp. grainy mustard
4 tsp. sweet paprika
Generous salt
Generous pepper

First, preheat your oven to 200C and prep a baking tray with tinfoil.

Cut the stem ends off your squash, and halve down the middle lengthwise. Scoop the seeds and discard.

Now make your dressing by whizzing all the remaining ingredients.

Spoon a generous amount over each cut half of squash and arrange face up on the sheet.

Bake 25 – 35 minutes or until the thickest part is soft.

To serve, you can either scoop out of the skin in the kitchen, table side, or eat the skins. Whatever your fancy.

Serve with the rest of the sauce drizzled over top (or in my case, slathered).

Should serve 4 with a small squash

Pear + Radish Salad

08 Saturday Dec 2018

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It’s the season of potlucks – or one of them, at least, and as such I’ve been in my typical ‘vegan veggie things in a bowl with zero gluten – but nuts, so no suitable for almost but not quite everyone’ mode.

This salad as written makes a ton. Like 2 trays full, which is overkill for a 10-person potluck. Hopefully, more will turn up – or everyone comes hungry. I’ve got too many party leftovers at my house.

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan

Pear + Radish Salad

A crapton shredded kale (I used something like 6 – 8 cups because that was the size of my package – this dictated the size of my salad because I didn’t want leftovers)
2-3 cups chopped red cabbage
6 smallish pears, chopped
20 radishes (I used English Breakfast, but watermelon or another peppery variety would be even better)
2 hand fulls slivered almonds
1 hand full raw pepitas
2 hands full pine nuts
1 bunch snipped chives

For the dressing

Note: I doubled this recipe to get the amount of dressing I wanted

1/4 c. lemon juice
4 cloves garlic
1.5 Tbsp. date molasses
4-5 glugs or turns around the mixer olive oil
Hand full parsley
4 sprigs thyme
1/4 c. tahini
1/4 c. water
1 Tbsp. grainy mustard (if you’ve been reading awhile, you’ll know by this I always mean Maille Wholegrain because it’s my 😍)
1 green onion
Generous salt & pepper

Prep all salad ingredients and add to a vessel of some sort. Whiz the dressing together in your food processor and pour over the salad. Massage with your hands to combine and work into the kale.

Serves a party

Indian Spiced Mustard Carrots

10 Saturday Nov 2018

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I think I got the general inspiration for this recipe from an image and offhandedly comment on Instagram. Can’t remember who sparked this brainstorm, but ruminating on blending sweet carrots with a hint of char and mustard got my creativity flowing – and to good effect. This is a fantastic side – and can be spiced to fit many palates.

A note on lime chili pickle: if you don’t know what this is, chop yours fine. The chunks can be a bit aggressive if you don’t know what’s going to hit you.

Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan

Indian Spiced Mustard Carrots

2 large carrots
1 medium onion
1-2 Tbsp. neutral oil
5 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. mustard oil
2 tsp. mustard seeds (I used 1 yellow & 1 black)
1/2 tsp. black cumin seeds (optional)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp. lime chili pickle
2 tsp. mango powder
Salt
Pepper
2 tsp. dried oregano
Chives (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200C. Prep a baking sheet by covering with foil.

Rough chop the carrots, onion and garlic. Toss with a liberal sprinkle salt, pepper, the oregano and 1 Tbsp. oil.

Roast 20-30 minutes or until browned to your liking. I did a bit of char, and really could have had more.

Add your veggies to the bowl of a food processor.

In a small pan over medium-high heat, bring the mustard oil up to temp. Toss in the mustard and cumin seeds and toast until fragrant. Chuck in the rosemary and fry until the seeds start to pop.

Add to the food processor. Whiz to combine, pausing halfway through to add a little water if too thick, the second Tablespoon oil if not rich enough, and salt to taste.

Spoon out and stir in the lime chili pickle and mango powder.

Top with snipped chives if desired.

Serves 2 as a side

Fig + Rosemary Faux-Meal

03 Saturday Nov 2018

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I’ve been on a fake oatmeal jag again lately – something about the calendar hitting October and my brain screaming it’s Fall and you should be snuggling in for a winter hibernate despite the fact that it is still 96F and bright sunny where you live.

I may *live* in the land of Summer, but in my mind, it’s PSLs all the way down.

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan if you consider figs vegan

Fig + Rosemary Faux Meal

1 faux-meal base from my poorly named and now re-named No-Atmeal
1 fresh fig
1-2 Tbsp. tahini (2 would be great if your macros allow – mine did not and I would have loved a little more)
1/2-1 tsp. date molasses (same here – I went light; would have loved more)
Nut milk (enough to cover the top of your faux-meal in a thin layer – optional, but I want to believe it adds creaminess)
Halved pecans (walnuts would also work)
Slivered almonds (optional but I love the texture)
1-2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary (I did 2 and loved the piney kinda savory taste going on)
A pinch of salt

Prepare the faux-meal like the recipe, omitting all toppers and spice. Top and spice with these ingredients instead.

Serves 1 for breakfast

Macros for the slack topper portions: 480 calories, 28g carbs (not net carbs), 40g fat, 9g protein

Mushroom Lime Salad

27 Saturday Oct 2018

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This recipe was inspired by an Instagram pic posted by one of my absolute favorite veg bloggers, @heidijswanson from 101 Cookbooks.

Aaaand now that I’m actually looking at the recipe for her salad, she’s got a lot more going on flavor-wise. Mine turned out great – but I bet hers is even more exciting. I was super curious to see if lime + roasted mushrooms would be a good combo, and I’m happy to report it is!

And I bet you could make this even more Fall-feeling with a creamy dressing or some butter in the roast. Or roasted garlic. Everything’s better with roasted garlic.

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, Keto, Whole30

Mushroom Lime Salad

500g your favorite mushrooms (I used half crimini and half button, but fall wild mushrooms would be amazing here)
1 lime
1/2 bunch chives
1 big hand full roasted salted peanuts
1/2c. baby greens or a nice herby salad
Chili garlic spice mix (I use a prepackaged blend)
Your favorite sprinkleable stock starter (I used chicken here – but only because I ran out of my favorite roasted mushroom & onion)

Preheat your oven to 200C and prep a baking sheet with foil.

Quarter the mushrooms and lay in a single layer on the sheet. If you want to bump this up into a full meal and you’re not veg, add chicken breasts to one side of the pan.

Sprinkle everything liberally with the chili garlic spice blend & stock starter and bake for 25 – 35 minutes or until the chicken is done (~25 mins) and the mushrooms are nice and roasted (~35, maybe 40 minutes).

To serve, plunk the warm mushrooms on a bed of baby greens, and sprinkle all with snipped chives, chopped peanuts & lime juice.

Serves 2 for dinner with meat; you may want more greens if veg

Spice Cake Faux-Meal

13 Saturday Oct 2018

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This recipe was inspired by a carrot cake oatmeal posted by Sukkari Life, the sudden bloom of PSLs (yes, we get Pumpkin Spice Lattes here in Doha), and the wishful thinking October brings for lower temperatures (it was only 97F today).

And … it has a vegetable + a fruit, so it’s a healthy breakfast!

Gluten-free, low carb, paleo, Whole30 (with substitutions), vegetarian, vegan (with substations)

Spice Cake Faux-Meal

2 Tbsp. chia seeds
2 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut flakes
2 Tbsp. flaxseed meal
3 Tbsp. grated carrot
3 Tbsp. unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1.5 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. butter (sub if vegan)
1 c. your favorite milk (I used hazelnut)
Pinch salt
Pecan halves
Pepitas
1 Tbsp. tahini
1 tsp. date molasses (sub if Keto or Whole30)

Sautée the carrot in the butter over medium heat until soft or just browning.

Add a generous pinch salt and stir.

Add the applesauce, chia, coconut, flaxseed meal and milk. Stir to combine.

Bring up to a bubble and add the spices. Stir.

When the mixture has been cooking a minute or two and has thickened, cut the heat. Let sit a minute or two.

Scoop into a bowl and top with the nuts, tahini and date molasses (if using).

Serves 1 for breakfast

Roasted Tropical Salad

29 Saturday Sep 2018

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This recipe came about because I was craving pineapple that had been on fire, but can’t be trusted to not try and eat my bodyweight at a churrascaria. Enter the oven – the broiler would have been even better, but come to find out, that’s not something my (European) oven cannot actually accomplish. Boo. The funny things you find you miss when living abroad.

This salad is pretty great, can be dressed up a million different ways, and would make a good addition to any potluck or Summer (even if only in spirit) gathering.

gluten-free, paleo, Whole30 (check your labels), vegetarian and vegan (with omissions)

Roasted Tropical Salad

1 bell pepper (green was less pretty than anticipated; opt for another color if making for a group)
2 medium carrots
1 shallot
1 can pineapple chunks in juice

Chop the above ingredients, sprinkle with a little oil + salt, pepper and chili garlic seasoning and roast in a 200C oven for 20 – 25 minutes, or until the pineapple gets to your desired brownness.

Toss with the following (chopped):

8 ounces shredded red cabbage
Big handful cilantro
1 jalapeno
Thumb ginger
2 cloves garlic

Add the roasted veggies and toss again.

Whisk together the dressing: 

Juice of 1 lemon or lime
2 Tbsp. pineapple juice
1 Tbsp. coconut aminos or soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (check your labels for Whole30; omit for veg)
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

Toss bowl of veggies with dressing.

Top with the following optional ingredients:

1 big handful pepitas
2 tsp. sesame seeds
Roast chicken

Serves a crowd at a party, or 4-5 for a meal depending on what you add. 

Gochujiang Tahini Bowl

22 Saturday Sep 2018

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This recipe is very loosely based on something I ran across in a PureWow email newsletter: creamy gochujiang sauce. I didn’t have time to click on the link when I saw it, so of course my brain turned it over all afternoon – wondering what that could possibly taste like, and what one would use for cream in a non-dairy way.

The original recipe looks fantastic – and if I’d gotten around to making this recipe in a week DH was home and I hauled myself to the grocery (instead of playing my favorite game: home Chopped), I would have loved to have added zoodles and maybe even coconut milk in place of the dairy.

As it stands, I used what I had on hand – and it was still fabulous. I can think of a ton of ways to use this sauce – in a poke bowl, with spare ribs and broccoli, slicked over mango and scallion, or fried up like bibimbap.

Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, paleo if you choose a non-soy variety

Gochujiang Tahini Bowl

Sauce

2 Tbsp. ajvar (or other red pepper) paste
1/4 c. tahini
2 Tbsp. gochujiang (check your labels for gluten free or paleo)
2 tsp. ginger/garlic paste
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 – 1/2 c. water

Bowl

Sugar snap peas
Broccoli
4 ounces protein (tofu or tempeh if vegan; rotisserie chicken if not)

Toppers

2 tsp. sesame seeds
1-2 scallions, sliced

Blend the sauce ingredients together, starting with 1/4 cup water. If needed, add an additional 1/2 cup – I wanted my sauce velvety but able to ribbon from my spoon, so I went for the full 1/2 cup. Taste – my ajvar was a bit spicy and my particular gochujiang was whatever the manufacturer deems as level 3. On first taste (after 1/4 cup water), the sauce was a touch spicy – diluting with more water took some of that spice out – so keep that in mind when choosing your thickness level.

Drizzle over your chosen bowl ingredients – I used a combination of quick stir-fried sugar snap peas and broccoli – and top with sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions.

Makes enough sauce for 4 bowls 

Low Carb Paleo Falafel

08 Saturday Sep 2018

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Mmmmm … falafel. Theoretically. I’ve been eating paleo or some variation for so long, I barely remember what falafel tastes like – and feel like most of them that I’ve had (except for the very few I’ve taken bites of over here) are kind of dry and tasteless. Joyless.

These could use a touch of work on the wetness side – I suspect an extra egg in the batter would do it – but they’re good. Flavorful, they hold together pretty well, and with the sauce drizzles: yuuuuummmmmmm.

gluten-free, paleo, low-carb, vegetarian, vegan

081418-3

Low Carb Paleo Falafel 

Based on Perfect Whole30 Blender Cauliflower Falafel Tahini Bowl by Paleo Gluten Free Eats

Falafel

2 cups cauliflower rice
1 cup onion
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp. mango powder (or sumac or lemon powder)
2 tsp. cayenne
1 Tbsp. turmeric
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. zaatar
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
4 – 5 cloves garlic

Tahini Sauce

1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup neutral oil (like avocado oil)
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 date (or 1 tsp. date molasses)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Extras

Neutral oil for baking
Pomegranate molasses (check your labels for sugar!)
Zaatar

Preheat your oven to 200C (about 400F). Line a baking tray with foil.

Pulse all falafel items except cauliflower rice in a large food processor until a paste forms. Dump into a large bowl. Add the cauliflower and stir with your hands to combine thoroughly.

Form into golf ball sized balls and place onto the baking tray. Drizzle with a little neutral oil and bake 20 mins. Flip and bake an additional 15 – 20 minutes, or until browned nicely.

Drizzle with the tahini sauce and pomegranate molasses. Dust liberally with zaatar and serve.

Serves 4 for dinner or makes a nice party platter

Low Carb Broccoli Chicken Salad

01 Saturday Sep 2018

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This salad is great as a side for a potluck, is even better when it sits for awhile, and can be easily made vegetarian/vegan/Keto/allergen-friendly.

Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30, Keto, vegetarian, vegan

Low Carb Broccoli Chicken Salad

2-3 cups broccoli, chopped
1/4 head (about 1 cup) red cabbage, chopped
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 scallion, sliced
Almonds – mix of slivered raw and smoked, chopped

Dressing

1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons almond butter
2 teaspoons white miso (can sub if strict paleo)
2 Tablespoons neutral oil

Optional Toppers

Shredded rotisserie chicken
Your favorite raisins

Chop and steam your broccoli until crisp-tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

While the broccoli is cooling, prep all ingredients, adding all but the dressing and toppers to a large bowl. Add the broccoli.

Whisk the dressing and pour over the bowl.

Toss (I massage in with my hands). Hit with salt & pepper.

To serve, top with your desired extras.

As written, serves 2-4 for dinner