I am so excited to share a recipe with nutritional yeast in it.  Some of you may be asking what the heck is that exactly and in a nut shell it is a (deactivated) yeast (probably goes without saying)  used as a flavor enhancer popular in vegan dishes due to it's "nutty", "cheesy" flavor.  Because vegans do not eat animal products, they are at risk for a vitamin B12 deficiency (this vitamin is only found in animal products).  Depending on the brand you buy, it may contain B12 which is a very helpful if dairy and meat has been completely eliminated from your diet.


This particular ingredient has been on my radar for quite some time because I'm a sucker for the funky stuff so I was happy to give this sauce a whirl. By roasting the red pepper beforehand, I was able to prepare this sauce in about 15 minutes after work. And although I am not vegan, I enjoy cooking vegan recipes and experimenting. It's so fun to think outside the box to recreate certain textures and flavors (such as creamy and cheesy in this case).

I kept the meal simple with noodles I already had in my pantry and some garlic bread. I also halved the recipe because it's just the two of us, but I will provide the full recipe below.

Have you tried nutritional yeast in recipes?  If not, I hope the next time you are browsing the bulk bins at your local grocery store you buy a little! You don't even have to cook with it..it's supposed to be deeeeelish when sprinkled on popcorn, plain pasta, or basically in any scenario where you might find yourself saying ..

"You know what this needs?"

 "Cheese."

Hope everyone has been having a good week! It's almost the weekend. AHHH!

I know what you're thinking and yes.. that is real cheese on my bread. Can't put anything past you!

Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Recipe by Minimalist Baker 

• 2 red bell peppers
• 2-3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
• pinch of red pepper flakes*
• salt and pepper

1.  Wrap bell peppers in foil and roast  at 500 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.  Once cooled, peel away the skin, stem, and seeds.  (You can do this step beforehand to make things quick or while these are cooking, work on the pasta/onion and garlic).

2.  Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil, salt, and pepper until browned.  

3. Once cooked, put into blender along with the rest of the ingredients.  Add plenty of seasonings to balance out the natural sweetness of the roasted red pepper.and you want the sauce to be flavorful, not bland.

4.  Blend until smooth and fully incorporated.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

5.  Pour sauce into a skillet on low heat, stirring until thickened. 

6.  Serve over pasta.  

*Totally optional but totally recommended

Superfood Pumpkin and a recipe: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Peanut Butter Pumpkin Cookies

I hope everyone had a good weekend! Mine felt busy yet relaxing. I explored my surrounding neighborhood and almost finished a book   :)

In honor of September 1st and Pumpkin Spice Latte season I present to you my first pumpkin recipe of 2014.  I adore pumpkin anything and get so excited to purchase those cute little cans of pumpkin puree at the store. Although I would eat pumpkin anytime of the year, I have to say there is something magical in waiting patiently for Fall each year until breaking it out.  You never get tired of it that way and it's always something to look forward to.

Plus pumpkin has SO many health benefits. 

• Naturally low in calories (1/2 cup serving= ~40 calories)
• High in dietary fiber (1/2 cup serving= 4 GRAMS) --- More than most people get from their morning cereal.
• Rich in antioxidants thanks to Vitamin A, C, & E. 
• Specific benefits include aiding in skin and cell membrane integrity, eye and vision health (prevents cataracts and macular degeneration), and digestive health (remember all that fiber?!) which can help with regularity and aids in better nutrient reabsorption.

Where can you use pumpkin?

Because pumpkin has such a mild flavor it can be a welcome addition in plenty of foods.  

Use pumpkin to replace some of the oil in a recipe, stir into soups, hummus for an extra nutritional kick,  oatmeal, create a yogurt parfait (quick recipe: vanilla or plain yogurt alternating with layers of pumpkin sweetened with a little honey and cinnamon, and finally topped with your favorite granola) < < < definitely making that this week with my leftover pumpkin.

Today I present to you Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Peanut Butter Pumpkin Cookies.  In this recipe there is no butter, eggs, or sugar.. but they are still very moist which you can attribute to the pumpkin.  That is why people use pumpkin instead of oil because you can still create a great product minus all that fat. 

These cookies are the perfect snack -- healthy protein from the peanut butter and plenty of fiber from the oats and the pumpkin. I promise a couple of these mid afternoon will satisfy your sweet tooth craving while keeping the hunger at bay. 

The original recipe is vegan and didn't have any sugar added whatsoever.  I decided to add some honey to the recipe, making it very mildly sweet.  If you're looking for something a little more dessert-y I suggest amping up the honey or maybe using milk chocolate chips. 

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pumpkin Cookies

Adapted from newtothetable.com

• 1/2 cup chunky all natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 tbsp. or more of honey depending on taste
• 1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• pinch of salt
• optional: cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a bowl stir together peanut butter, pumpkin, honey, vanilla extract, and baking soda.  Add in rolled oats and mini chocolate chips, distributing evenly.

Using a tablespoon (or cookie dough scoop if you're cooler than me in the kitchen gadget department) drop onto lined or sprayed cookie sheet. Use your fingers to gently flatten the cookies and bake for 10-12 minutes. {11 minutes was perfect for me}.

SO easy. Literally took me no time at all. 

Here's to Fall and all things pumpkin!

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bars

Remember this picture from the last post?

I turned these brown guys into healthy granola bars!

I am invariably looking and making granola bars.  I can't help it.  I want to the the kind of lady who churns out the hearty, nutty variety but also the soft, fruity kind.  And I want to make them all so much that I have the recipes memorized and I can rotate them out like clockwork..never tiring of them.  

Today's recipe is one I will make time and time again.  It tastes like banana bread, only it's not.  And unlike most banana breads you will be getting many benefits (high fiber, naturally sweetened, minimally processed, real ingredients, easy on the budget…) 

In this recipe I used mini chips because my friend Kimmy who has come up a lot lately on here (Hey Kimmy!) uses them in baking and thinks they are the bomb.com.. and I have to agree. They are the perfect size helping to compliment the flavors, while not being bossy and overtaking the bar. 

So go forth and make these.  Add them to your lunch or have them for a snack. You won't be sorry :) 

**Customizations: substitute the honey for maple syrup and the chocolate chips and your bars will be vegan.  Omit the nuts if you or any loved ones have a nut allergy.  If you would like these bars to be gluten free look for gluten free oats.

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bars

slightly adapted from momables.com

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3-2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat chex crushed (or whatever rice cereal you prefer)
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• cinnamon (ad lib people)

1.  Toast oats in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.

2.  While cooling, mash bananas in a large bowl.  Mix in the rest of the ingredients, including the oats once they are all cooled.

3.  Spray an 8x8 inch pan and place the mixture in the pan making sure it is evenly distributed. 

4.  Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes.

5.  Once bars have cooled, cut and eat! Makes about 12 bars. 

Life Lately

// Sidewalk A r t \\

-- My other half --

// An attempt to capture a 'selfie' with my Nala //

A great surprise to a great day :-)

First time making Linzer's! Not bad!! 

This recipe

//Working at a bakery currently\\

<> Those trays are for wedding cake tastings <>

Yumz. 

 Found this gem of a restaurant.. authentic Indian food & real cheap $

Also, first time eating a dosa (huge triangle thing)  

Have you ever tried one? 

</> Miniature anything is awesome </> 

Recipe coming soon using these bad boys…

xo Kicking off my first official weekend in Austin with this lovely lady xo

Impromptu bike ride! Best decision we made. 

{ Next time I am totally paddle boarding in that water }

Snapped this on an evening walk in the neighborhood 

Hope everyone is having a fantastic week and that you see the extraordinary in the ordinary.  

My favorite go-to sandwich

It's back to school time and you know what that means.. time to get back into packing a lunch! In honor of the start of the school year I thought I'd share my favorite sandwich.  I have been making it on and off for the past year.  It's been quite some time since I have made it, but all this week this is what I have been bringing to work.

As I mentioned in my English Muffin throw down post, I am not a fan of mass produced bread anymore.  I prefer to buy bread from a local bakery or attempt to make my own (it's a work in progress but I'm motivated to nail it!)  In the pictures above  I am using a whole wheat kaiser roll and a "rustic roll" {that really is the name on the package ha}.  Also pictured: Sharp cheddar cheese, tzatziki sauce, and a medley of spinach, arugula, and fresh herbs (think parsley and cilantro) that I bought from my supermarket already pre-washed in a container to make things super duper quick.

I'm not  going to type this out in recipe format because it's very straightforward.
Grab a roll  and cut in half.  Spread  tzatziki sauce on one side {as much as your little heart desires}. On the other side top with cheddar cheese.  Finish with some greens and that's it!

** I find if you use nice bread, the sauce doesn't get soggy and it holds up nicely if you aren't eating it until  a few hours later.

Bagging it up for worky work. 

Healthy Nachos

Bar food is the best.  It's greasy, it's cheesy, and just plain wonderful.  Nachos, wings (well, now it's more like fried tofu or something), burgers, french fries, fried pickles.. You name I love it.  But I do have one complaint when it comes to nachos.  It's also the reason I am usually hesitant to order them out.  Ready for it?  Okay.  WHY the heck do they only cover the top layer of nachos with delicious toppings and leave the underneath chips naked and forgotten?  Such a scam for the price and such a shame for the tastebuds.

Sooo most of the time I don't order them except if I am sharing them as an appetizer.  Then I am happy to munch away on the naked and not so great chips because I know my entree is coming (which hopefully is way better).

Also, nachos aren't exactly the healthiest food.  And this blog is primarily a healthy blog/sometimes not blog because we all gotta live right?  I'm not uptight about food but I also like taking care of my body and treating it well.  Plus I am a Dietitian so I guess it's just a part of my personality/interest.  Anyways.. One day I decided nachos would be tasty but then I thought about potato skins.. and then I decided to combine the two sort of but using a sweet potato instead (holla beta carotene).

And ta da.. healthy nachos were born.  No chips necessary, when you have round saucers of sweet potato.  And if you want to make them more chip like, crisp them up in the oven longer.  It's your call.

This isn't really a "recipe" because you can add whatever you want, in whatever quantities you desire.  It all just depends on how many servings you'd like. 

Sweet Potato Nachos

• 1 large sweet potato 
• 1 can of black beans (or meat if that's your thang)
• Shredded cheese (mexican, cheddar, cojita)
• Salsa/fresh tomatoes
• Sour cream/plain greek yogurt
• Lettuce/kale/spinach 
• Avocado
• Lime
• Cilantro

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 375/400 F.  Slice sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch rounds and lay flat onto a sprayed (ie. Pam) baking sheet.  

2.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping half way.  If you would like them more crispy, leave in longer.

3.  Once done, sprinkle cheese on top and place back in the oven until cheese is melted.

4.  Place sweet potato rounds onto a plate and top with whatever toppings you desire. 

5.  Squeeze a lime on top for some zest. 

Two for One

Hello! Sorry I have been missing in action lately.. I am in the process of moving to Austin with my boyfriend.  We FINALLY got an apartment.  No small feat let me tell you.  Since Chris (my boyfriend) is still in Maine, it was my responsibility to choose where we live… so  I hope he likes it.  I'm pretty sure he will though. The neighborhood it is in is too cute.  I am excited to walk and explore our new surroundings.  I've already spotted some places including coffee, bakeries, and a juice bar with a record store either next to it or a part of it? Not sure, but the explorer in me is intrigued.  And our apartment is pretty big too.  Well bigger than my studio apartment last year was (yay for a living room!), so friends and family come visit pretty please.

Even though I haven't been posting much, I definitely have still be cooking. Today to share I have a citrus kale salad (not really surprising) and Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea tacos. I'm a taco gal but I usually make black bean, corn, and red pepper veggie tacos so I was intrigued by this recipe.  In my opinion, these recipes scream Summer.  Speaking of summer it is going by soooo fast. On one hand it's going to feel like summer foreverrrrrr here ha, but still.  When the school year starts it is the end of summer even if you still have pool days and iced coffee.

For the tacos, the only real work required is chopping up the cauliflower into bite sized florets and preparing the chili powder mixture.  Once that's all taken care of, toss the cauliflower and chickpeas in the mixture and roast for about 30 minutes.

While that was roasting, I made the salad as shown in the pictures below. The oil in the dressing rises to the top fairly quickly so if you're letting it sit for a few minutes, just remember to give it a good stir/shake before using.  In this recipe, I used a tangelo which is a citrus hybrid of a mandarin orange and a grapefruit.  Dying.  So darn tasty.  Anything will work though including clementines, oranges, tangerines, etc. I did not keep my orange slices in pretty segments rather I cut them into chunks just because they are easier to eat that way. But if you're fancy, by all means.. 

A word on the tacos: Don't skip the lime crema! It's fresh and it gives the dish three dimensional flavor. You have the smokey, chili roasted chickpeas and cauliflower layered with the tangy, creamy sauce which is all balanced out by the corn tortilla. Know what I mean? Did that make sense? Just say yes. 

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Tacos
Adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com

 Tacos:

2 tsp. Chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. water

1 (15 ox.) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 small head cauliflower, washed and cut into bite size florets

Corn tortillas

1 large avocado

Chopped cilantro 

Lime crema:

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1/8 cup lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 

Salt and pepper

Hot sauce! Personally I like valentina 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, onion powder, lime juice, olive oil, and water in a large bowl. Stir in the chickpeas and cauliflower.  Spread the mixture out onto a greased baking sheet.  Roast for 30-35 minutes. 

2.  To make the lime crema place all ingredients into a bowl and stir. 

3.  Take a warmed corn tortilla and place a spoonful of the cauliflower/chickpea mixture, followed by the lime crema, hot sauce, and avocado.  

Kale Citrus Salad

Adapted from thepioneerwoman.com

Salad:

1 bunch of kale, leaves separated from the stem

1-2 medium oranges, tangerines, tangelos (or 3 clementines)

Crumbled goat cheese ( 4 oz)

Dressing:

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 clove garlic, grated

1 tsp. sugar ( I did a little less than that)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp. greek yogurt

Directions:

1.  Once kale leaves are separated from the stems, thinly slice leaves.  Place in a large bowl.

2.  For the dressing, combine all the ingredients above.  This dressing makes just enough to coat the salad.  I ended up making another batch, but only used 1/4 of it as I thought that was plenty.  Plus it kind of just sinks to the bottom of the bowl, so really you don't need much! 

3.  Pour dressing and toss the salad.  Add oranges and toss again.  

4.  Serve with goat cheese on top*

* Do not add the goat cheese to the whole salad.  If you have leftovers, the goat cheese will break down and it's not very desirable (I've done it before).. so keep it fresh! 

Kale Fried Rice

This dish was inspired by leftover rice in the fridge.  It was my first time making fried rice and I'm going to keep this recipe in my main rotation because it is very adaptable.

  Exact recipes are great, but I also like to wing it and know that it's going to come out delicious every single time.  For this variation I chose kale, carrots, and red bell pepper. But you can choose whatever ingredients you want to use.  Make it your own. 

Right now kale is my go to girl.  I am completely infatuated and obsessed.  I find myself only wanting to look up kale recipes, but I am trying to exercise will power.  Now is not the time to churn out kale salad after kale salad (Note- if I wasn't concerned with boring people to death on this blog, I totally would).  Now is the time to expand my horizons.  Soo I present to you a non-salad kale dish.  #compromise

Also I have shared a few dessert recipes as of late so I feel I owe you guys something savory and healthy.

Adios for now! 

Kale Fried Rice
Slightly adapated from cookieandkate.com

• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 eggs beaten 
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 bell pepper thinly sliced
• 2-3 carrots finely sliced
• 1-2 bunches of lacinato kale*
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 2- 2 1/2 cups cooked and chilled rice
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. chili garlic sauce
• 1 lime cut into wedges 
• Optional: Fresh cilantro for garnish 

*Lacinato kale is smooth as opposed to it's curly sister.  It's my personal favorite, but both will work fine in this recipe.  Against my better judgment I used only 1 bunch of kale. Use two if you're like me and you like a sea of green when you look at your plate. 

Directions

1.  Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium heat with 1 tsp. of oil. Pour in the eggs and stir continuously until you have scrambled eggs.  Remove from pan and store in a bowl off to the side.  Wipe out the pan to clean it and then place one tbsp. of oil into the pan.  Add the garlic, carrots, and bell peppers (or whatever veggies you choose: onions, mushrooms, zucchini etc).  Cook until the veggies are tender.  Add the kale and 1/4 tsp. of salt.  Once kale has wilted, add the veggies to your bowl with the eggs.

2.  Add 2 tsp. of oil to the pan once again and pour in the rice.  Stir until rice is evenly reheated and hot.  Add 1 tbsp. soy sauce and 2 tsp. chili garlic sauce and stir.  Add veggies and eggs, stirring until everything is evenly incorporated. Serve with fresh lime on the side and cilantro on the top. 

Maine Molasses Blueberry Cake!

I LOVE THIS CAKE!!

It is a very special recipe from Chris' (my boyfriend) family; it's his grandmother's recipe to be exact. The first time I had it was last summer when I was visiting with his family and I was instantly hooked. And when I found out it was a family recipe? I died.  There is something about recipes passed down from generation to generation that is so sweet and comforting to me.  When I made this cake a few days ago I was instantly brought back to all the good times I have had visiting his family last summer.  I know people say baking is a stress reliever or they bake when they're homesick and it's no wonder why.  Food has such a strong tie to memories and places.  It made me happy to make this cake as a tribute to the good times I had visiting and getting to know Chris' family. And then to be able to share that with my family?  Well, that was the icing on the cake.

{//     Not that this cake has icing!!! (see corny joke below)  //}

This cake is perfect because it can be eaten at anytime. What constitutes as a cake that can be eaten whenever, you ask?  No frosting.  No frosting on cake= free pass! Kiddinggg but behind every joke is a little bit of truth, right?

What is so great about this cake?  Well missy or mister.. it has a pronounced gingerbread flavor with sweet blueberries that keep it light and summery. And that's all you need to know.  It is simple and delicious. It is made in a 9 x 13 pan so invite some friends over for coffee and share the love.  {truthfully I can imagine this cake eaten in a variety of scenarios but that is my #1 all time, hands down favorite suggestion and way to dream up serving... Coffee +Friends}

Little squares of love in my mouth

Chris said he could tell I liked it a lot because I kept going back for little slivers at a time.  Oops.  It's true.. I'm a picker.  Especially if I think its really really goood.


Lastly, I'm not going to type out this recipe because I have a picture of the original recipe Chris' mom uses from a community cookbook that Chris' grandmother submitted this recipe to.  I love how worn it is and I think you guys will appreciate this more than me typing it out.

Nom nom nom.

Happy 4th of July & Brenda Sues

I hope everyone has a great 4th of July tomorrow!  Today I come to you with one of my family's favorite desserts.  I like to call em' Brenda Sues after my dear momma, but versions of this recipe are floating around everywhere, so call it what you please.  

While some recipes are a labor of love-- you know, the ones that take forever but they're worth every tedious second?-- well.. this isn't one of those. It will probably take you 15 minutes from start to finish. But hey, didn't you learn not to judge a recipe by it's time? It's plenty delicious and I promise you'll love it.  And here's why: 

1.  It's Easy.  Your 4th grade cousin could make this all by him/herself.

2.  It's Striking.  Layered desserts always look so grandiose, no?

3.  I like it even more the next day.  This is because you'll hit little dissolved nuggets of meringue cookie and oh/my/word.  It's my favorite part. 

4.  It's theme-y.  I love love love food that matches whatever holiday is going on at the moment. And you should too. 

This isn't just a 4th of July recipe however.  This is a make-it-anytime-you-want-recipe.  In my family we typically make it all summer long with only strawberries, but use whatever you'd like.  You can't go wrong.  Don't you just love when you find recipes like that?

So in conclusion, make this recipe sometime this summer! It's a real gem.

Brenda Sues

From my mom

• 1 pint of heavy whipping cream 
• 1 container of strawberries
• 1 pint of blueberries
• 1 tub of meringue cookies [we like vanilla]

1.  Pour heavy whipping cream into a bowl and beat on medium/high speed until cream starts to get thick and turns into whipped cream.

2.  Crush meringue cookies into whipped cream and gently fold to mix well.

3.  Get out a glass and layer in this order until dish is full: sliced strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream mixture

4.  Garnish with a strawberry

Next year I'm totally making a flag cake! 

Orzo Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

Although I have been back in Texas for about a month and half I can't help but comment on how hot it is sometimes. I know, I know.. DUH.  I live in Texas!  Fair enough.  But in my defense I have spent the last two years in Maine where 70's is summer and at night you need a jacket.  If you know me though..you could throw in the fact that I grew up in Florida so I shouldn't be complaining haha.  What can I say I am the true definition of a female-- not everything has to make perfect sense, you go off of what you feel.

And warmer weather makes me feel like eating salads. How's that for going with your feelings? Or eating your feelings :P This one is extremely easy--{my favorite adjective for food}. The only cooking you have to do is boil the orzo and it tastes so dang good! For reals. So please, make it friends.

It does have a little kick to it so if you're not down with that I suggest omitting the 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper and maybe adding the 1 tsp. of chili powder in increments..tasting as you go.

Orzo Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing
Adapted from Cooking Light

• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 1 cup frozen whole kern kernel, thawed and drained
• 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered.
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 [15 oz.] can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup low fat buttermilk
• 3 tbsp. fresh cilantro, divided 
• 3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp. sour cream
• 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 avocado, cut into chunks

1.  Cook orzo according to the package directions.  Drain and rinse; drain well.  Place orzo, corn and next 3 ingredients (through beans) in a large bowl; toss.

2.  Combine buttermilk, 2 tbsp. cilantro and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle over orzo mixture and toss. Top with avocado and garnish with remaining cilantro. 

1. 
   

Lately

This past weekend I visited my good friend and college roommate, Kimmy, in Houston for some girl time.  Kimmy goes to  grad school in Illinois but as fate would have it she is here in Texas working this summer. Lucky me!! Anyways, here are some snapshots of what we did.  Shopping complete with mimosas {They were free.. Pretty rad} and a yummy sushi date with some beer < for her >and wine  

< for me >. Oh and then some couch time with Dallas-- //the show silly, we are in Houston remember??//--, cookies, and popcorn.  Short & sweet visit, but oh so good.  I love you Kimmy! 

Mimosas!