Creamy Autumn Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

Haven't been very good about posting all the delicious recipes being made, but I'm trying to get better!

We had a blast for Halloween this year. My mom came to visit so she got to see Warren in his costumes. He was a minion but I quickly realized that he was too big for the costume so thankfully we had a dog costume on deck. Unfortunately, we missed trick-or-treating downtown to all the stores because Warren decided to sleep through it. There's always next year!

Here are some highlights of what's been going on.

We went to the pumpkin patch the day before Halloween. However, the pumpkins had all froze so we weren't able to carve them. What crazy weather! Warren still had fun running around, unless we made him sit still to take a quick picture. 😂

 We also went to a few Halloween parties at the local libraries. He was a minion at first but his costume was way too small. We went with the dog the next day and he looked just as cute!

And now recipe time. This soup is heavenly. Make it. Now.

Original recipe can be found here.

6 cups vegetable stock + 2 more cups for the cashew cream
1 cup uncooked wild rice
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 large (about 1 pound) sweet potato and diced
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 cup cashews, soaked over night or boiled for 10 minutes and let sit for 30 min.
1 bunch kale
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat pot over medium high heat. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Add 1-2 tbsp. vegetable broth as needed to prevent sticking. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.

2. Add in the vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, sweet potato, bay leaf, and Old Bay seasoning. Stir to combine.

3. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

4. Meanwhile, during those final 10 minutes, prepare your cream sauce. In a high speed blender, add cashews and 1/2 cup veg broth. Blend for about 20 seconds, then add the rest of the vegetable broth. Blend for a 2-3 minutes or until sauce looks creamy and not grainy.

5. Add the cream sauce and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

6. Serve warm and enjoy! Can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Tacos de Hongo with Cilantro Cream Sauce and Cilantro Lime Rice

Original recipe can be found here.


For the Cilantro Lime Rice: - original recipe found here.

1 1/2 cups long grain brown rice
1 clove garlic
3 1/2 cups water
1 tsp. salt
zest of one lime
3 tbsp. lime juice
1 cup lightly packed chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems

For the Cilantro Cashew Cream Sauce - original recipe found here.

1 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 1/2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
pepper to taste

For the Mushroom Filling:

6 cloves garlic, minced
vegetable stock
30 button mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
2 1/2 tbsp. chili powder (non-spicy)
1 1/2 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. dried minced onion
sea salt
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes) divided
2 1/2 tbsp. natural tomato sauce

For the Tomato Salad:

2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp. paprika

For the Guacamole:

2-3 avocados
1 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 cup pineapple salsa
garlic powder
salt and pepper
sprinkle of cumin
garlic if desired

Misc.

corn tortillas
black beans (optional)




Directions:

1. Make Cilantro Rice: Add all ingredients to rice cooker and turn on while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

2. Make cream sauce: Soak raw cashews in water for at least 1 hour, preferable 3 hours. Drain and rinse. Add all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend for 30 to 60 seconds or until smooth and creamy.

3. Saute the garlic in a bit of vegetable broth in a saucepan over medium heat; add the chopped mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms shrink and become chewy. Add the chili, paprika, dried minced onion, sea salt, and a couple tablespoons of fresh lime juice; stir well to combine. Add the tomato sauce and cook, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more tomato and/or spices, if desired.

4. Make the tomato salad: Combine the diced tomatoes, red onions, and cilantro in a bowl and squeeze some fresh lime juice over; season with paprika and salt to taste.

5. Make a quick guacamole: Mash the avocado in a separate bowl and season with the rest of ingredients listed.

6. Assemble the corn tortillas with rice, mushroom filling, tomato salad, guacamole, and cream sauce. You can add black beans if you wish.

Enjoy!

Butternut Black Bean Burgers

We had such a fun weekend! It was College of Idaho's Homecoming yesterday, so we headed over for some beers and Bloody Mary's at the beer garden and of course some football! Warren had a great time too with his grandpa and mummers. He ran around the whole stadium and even stole a football from the opposing team. He is quite the handful!

I have been cooking up a storm and trying weekly meal plans. It can be a lot of prep in the beginning, but it is getting easier and I love the fact that I go to the grocery store just once a week now. Plus, I don't have to ask the dreaded question..."What do you want for dinner tonight?"

I usually pick out 7 meals and it lasts us a full week with leftovers and such. This week my menu consisted of:

3 Bean Chili with Cornbread and Cashew Sour Cream
Engine 2 Vegan Lasagna
Vegan White Lasagna Soup - Recipe coming soon!
Meatballs with Gravy and Mashed Potatoes - Recipe coming soon!
Teriyaki Temphe with Brown Rice and Miso Greenbeans
Plain ol' spaghetti with sauce and veggies- No recipe needed, you just boil pasta, haha


and featured today Butternut Squash Black Bean Burgers


The original recipe can be found here.

Ingredients:

1 flax egg (I used this recipe found here.)
1 15 oz. can black beans
1 cup butternut squash pureed
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1.5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant

Toppings:

6 burger buns
tomato slices
Romaine Lettuce
Homemade guac


Directions:

1. Whisk together 1 tbsp. ground flax with 3 tbsp. water and pop in the fridge to set.
2. Next, mash black beans in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Add your butternut squash to the beans and set aside. To prepare squash, cut in half, take out the seeds, and put it face down on a Silpat baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.
4. Next, saute onion, celery, and garlic in vegetable broth until tender and near-translucent, adding the minced garlic towards the end to prevent burning.
5. Season the veggies with your Italian seasoning, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and parsley and stir to coat.
6. Add the freshly sauteed veggies to your beans and squash and stir in your oats.
7. Remove your flax egg from the fridge and add it to the bowl.
8. Stir to fully incorporate and roll mixture into six balls.
9. For optimal burger shape, cup each ball in your hands and squeeze tightly, rotating as you gently, but firmly press it into a disc.
10. Put burgers in a glass baking dish, cover with foil, and refrigerate as you prep the toppings. You can even leave them overnight and bake them the following day.
11. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
12. Put burgers on a Silpat baking sheet for 20 minutes, flipping half way through.
13. Slather buns with guac, tomato, lettuce, whatever you want, and top with a butternut burger.

Enjoy!

Teriyaki Tempeh with Brown Rice and Miso Green Beans

July was quite the busy month! RC had a wrestling camp for a week and while he was away, Warren and I went to hang out with my dad and step mom. We had so much fun. We went to the zoo, water park, and ran around my dads farm full of cows, goats, and of course his favorite, horses! 

This dish is pretty easy to make and sooo delicious! Original recipe can be found here.

Ingredients

1 8 oz organic tempeh

Marinade
3 tbsp vegetable broth
1 tbsp tamari
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Teriyaki Sauce
4 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp sriracha
1 tsp tahini
1 tsp rice wine or apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp arrowroot powder
1/4 tsp liquid smoke

Optional: sesame seeds and scallions

Directions

1. Cut tempeh into triangles in a steamer basket for 10 minutes.
2. Add all ingredients for marinade into bowl and whisk together.
3. Place tempeh into dish and pour marinade over. Marinate for at least 20 minutes.
4. Place vegetable broth into medium hot pan and sear the tempeh 3-5 minutes on each side until crispy.
5. Mix teriyaki sauce ingredients in large bowl.
6. Once temphe is cooked, add tempeh to teriyaki sauce, covering the tempeh.
7. Take tempeh out of sauce (leaving the extra sauce in the bowl) and add back to pan.
8. Heat tempeh again for about 30 seconds on each side to caramelize the sauce on the tempeh.
9. Turn off heat and pour the remaining sauce over the tempeh in the pan. Leave for about a minute for the rest of the sauce to thicken a bit.
Optional: Serve and top with sesame seeds and scallions.


Miso Green Beans

This is a Margranola original! I heat a pan on medium high with a little vegetable broth and 1-2 tbsp of white miso. Once that heats up, I use a whisk and make sure it's all mixed together. Then I add 1-2 pounds of green beans and put the lid on for 5 minutes. Then stir to see if they need longer. Pretty simple!

BBQ Jackfruit Tacos with Avocado Slaw and a Cashew Sour Cream Sauce

RC and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary this past weekend! We went boating with Warren and his parents and went to dinner at Koto Brewing. Their food and drinks are amazing! Although not oil free, I had their smoked coconut tofu sandwich and it was SO good! Plus they gave me a huge helping of salad and plain balsamic vinegar for dressing. I try to be oil free when I can, but I couldn't pass up that delicious sandwich!

One of my favorite restaurants in Twin Falls is called 4 Roots Juice Bar and Cafe. If you haven't been there, it's a must for plant based food. However, I can't always make it to Twin to try their jack fruit tacos and I also wanted to make my recipe oil free.

I found the recipe for BBQ Jackfruit and Avocado Slaw here. The original Cashew Sour Cream Sauce can be found here.

BBQ Jackfruit

2 20-once cans jackfruit in water. I found mine at Trader Joes
1/4 cup BBQ seasoning. You can buy it or make you own (2 tbsp. brown sugar + 1 tsp paprika + tsp garlic powder + 1/2 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp pepper + 1/2 tsp chili powder)
1/2 -3/4 cup BBQ sauce (make sure it's vegan) I used 1/2 cup to reduce sugar and added more water for the sauce

Directions:
1. Rinse and drain jackfruit. Chop off the center "core" portion of the fruit and discard. Place in a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Mix together BBQ seasoning and add to jackfruit. Toss to coat.
3. Heat large skillet over medium heat with a little vegetable broth. Once hot, add seasoned jackfruit. Toss to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes to achieve some color.
4. Add BBQ sauce and thin with enough water to make a sauce. Stir and reduce heat to low-medium and cook for about 20 minutes (up to 35 on low for a deeper flavor).
5. Remove lid and stir occasionally and shred with a fork as you go.
6. Once the jackfruit has been properly simmered, turn up heat to medium high and cook for 2-3 more minutes to get a little extra color/texture. Then remove from heat.

Avocado Slaw

2 cups shredded cabbage and carrots
1/2 ripe avocado
1 tbsp maple syrup
Juice of one lemon or lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Water to thin

Directions:
Make slaw by adding all ingredients except vegetables (avocado through salt and pepper) to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Thin with water until a thick sauce is made, then add veggies and toss to coat. Set in the refrigerator until serving.

Cashew Sour Cream Sauce

1 cup raw cashews
1/2 c. almond milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
generous pinch of salt

Directions:
Soak cashews overnight or boil. In a high speed blender, add all ingredients and blend until nice and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides every now and then. Add more almond milk if necessary. Sour cream is best refrigerated for an hour, but it can be served right away as well.

Enjoy!

Day 10: Pasta Primavera and Kidney Quinoa Burgers with Fries and Mac and Cheese

Lunch: Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

1 red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can corn, rinsed and drained
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (remove seeds to reduce heat)
1 bunch fresh kale, rinsed and chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 large jar pasta sauce
16 oz. whole-grain spaghetti, cooked
1/2 cup raw cashews, finely ground

Saute the onion, garlic, and corn in a large skillet on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the jalapeno, bell pepper, and kale to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and pasta sauce to the vegetables. Ladle the sauce over the pasta and top with cashews.

Dinner: Kidney Quinoa Burgers with Fries and Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

1/4 c. quinoa
1/2 c. water
1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp. barbecue sauce
2 tbsp. ketchup
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. yellow mustard
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/3 c. vital wheat gluten


1. In a small saucepan, combine quinoa with 1/2 cup of water, cover and bring to a boil.
2. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and continue to cook until fluffy and all water has evaporated, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mash beans with a fork in a mixing bowl until the consistency of refried beans.
4. Add remaining ingredients in order, plus cooked quinoa, an stir to combine.
5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a greased cookie sheet.
6. Break mixture into 6 equal segments. Roll each into a ball, flatten it, and shape it into a patty using your hands.
7. Bake for 8 minutes, flip, and bake for 8 more minutes, then flip again for 5 minutes, but only if necessary. When the burgers are brown and crisp on the outside, they are done.

I used the same recipe for fries as the first time.

Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 cup cashews
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp. sea salt
4 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained
3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. onion powder
16 oz. whole grain elbow pasta, cooked

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Saute the onion on medium heat in a nonstick skillet for 5 minutes, until translucent. In a food processor, combine the onion, cashews, lemon juice, water, and salt. Gradually blend in the roasted red peppers, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and onion powder. Thoroughly toss the sauce with pasta. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown on top.

Enjoy! Stay tuned for my overall analysis of these 10 wonderfully healthy days!

Day 9: LEFTOVERS!

We have an over abundance of food so today was a leftover day and it was very refreshing not to cook!

Day 8: Orzo Soup and Fajitas with Rice and Guac

Lunch: Italian Orzo Soup


The original recipe can be found here. You can also sprinkle some vegan Parmesan on top too.



Dinner: Fajitas

Ingredients:

4 Portobello mushrooms, sliced into thick strips
1 large onion, sliced
2 bell peppers, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (remove seeds to reduce heat)
12 corn tortillas or whole grain tortillas
Guacamole (can be found here.)
Salsa
Brown rice (can be found here.)

Cook the mushrooms in a large nonstick skillet on high heat for 3 minutes,  or until the mushrooms begin to brown slightly. Add the onion to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers and jalapeno and cook for 3 minutes. Warm the tortillas. To serve, spoon the mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion strips into the corn tortillas with the guacamole and salsa. serve with a side of rice and beans if you choose.

Rice and Guacamole 

I used the same recipe for rice as here.

Day 7: FOK Hummus Wrap with Quinoa Tabbouleh and Kale Goulash with Wild Rice

Lunch: FOK Hummus Wrap with Quinoa Tabbouleh 

I found this recipe from the Forks Over Knives Cookbook by Del  Sroufe


I had left over tabbouleh from yesterday and I made the hummus fresh. I spread the hummus, tabbouleh and a little bit of the ABCD spread from yesterday on a tortilla with some red leaf lettuce.

Hummus

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. cumin
Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and puree until smooth and creamy. Add water as needed to achieve a smooth consistency.


Dinner: Kale Goulash

This is a Marla original!! I made it one night when my husband was out and Warren and I were hungry. I just used what I had in my cupboards and wow! It was so good.

Ingredients:

1-2 bunches kale
3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 can no salt diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
1 bag frozen corn
1 tsp. garlic salt


Wilt kale and add nutritional yeast. Then add the rest of the ingredients and stir for about 5 minutes until it is hot.

Serve with rice, we used wild rice. Yum!

Day 6: ABCD Wraps with Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad and 3 Bean Chili with Sour Cream and Cornbread Muffins

Lunch: ABCD Wraps

The original recipe can be found in My Beef With Meat by Rip Esselstyn

Ingredients:

3-4 whole carrots, chopped
1 cup raw cashews
6 dates, pitted
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
2 tbsp. water
1 loaf Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Bread
1/2 bunch scallions
1 head romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped

Directions:

In a food processor or high-speed blender, blend the carrots, cashews, dates, and nutritional yeast. Add water, as needed, until you reach the desired consistency; it should be similar to hummus.

Toast the bread. Spread a thick layer of the carrot-cashew mixture onto both slices of the toasted bread. Sprinkle 1 slice with the chopped scallions and a heap of the chopped romaine lettuce. Top with the other slice of toasted bread. Cut the sandwich in half and enjoy!

Tip: If you prefer the sandwich less sweet, add fewer dates. If you like scallions, stir them into the spread as well as sprinkling them on top. Also, try red bell pepper and sprouts, or add steamed kale.


Quinoa Tabbouleh

Original recipe from Forks Over Knives the Cookbook by Del Sroufe

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups quinoa, cooked and cooled to room temperature
Zest of 1 lemon and juice of 2 lemons
3 Roma tomatoes
1 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, and diced
2 cups edamame
8 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped parsley
3 tbsp. chopped mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill for 1 hour before serving.


Dinner: 3 Bean Chili with Sour Cream and Cornbread Muffins

Original recipe can be found here. I used an oil-free cornbread recipe from the Forks Over Knives Cookbook by Del Sroufe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp. ground flaxseed
1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup 100% maple syrup
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup oat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup corn kernels (from about 2 ears)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper muffin liners or have ready a 12-cup silicone muffin pan.

2. In a small bowl, combine the flaxseeds with the almond milk and set aside, to allow it to gel, for 5 minutes.

3. In a large mixing bowl, stir the applesauce and maple syrup together. Add the flaxseed-almond milk mixture. Sift in the cornmeal, oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir until well combined, but avoid overmixing. Fold in the corn kernels.

4. Spoon out equal portions of batter into the muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Day 5: Bomb Burritos and Creamy Lemon Asparagus with a Balsamic Salad and Sunflower Seeds

Lunch: Bomb Burritos

The original recipe can be found here. I did alter it slightly for this challenge. I used half the walnuts and no oil in the rice. I also left out the miso dressing.

Dinner: Creamy Lemon Asparagus Pasta with a Balsamic Salad and Sunflower Seeds.

Original recipe can be found here. I also had some leftover Vegan Parmesan that I sprinkled on top. Delicious!

*We have been on this challenge for 5 days now, no chips, no oil, and I've been feeling really good! I get hungry more often, but we have so many leftovers that I can snack all day and not feel hungry at night. I'm excited to see what the next 5 days will be like!

Day 4: Quinoa Vegetable Soup with Vegan Parmesan and Leftovers

Lunch: Quinoa Vegetable Soup

The original recipe can be found here.

Dinner: We have been cooking up a storm so we just had leftovers tonight!

Day 3: Pineapple Stir-Fry with Brown Rice and Sweet Potato Burgers with Fries

Lunch: Pineapple Stir-Fry with Brown Rice

 I found this recipe from Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell Esselstyn

Ingredients:

1 large onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp.peeled and chopped fresh ginger
1 10 oz. box mushrooms
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks
2 zucchini, sliced
3-4 leaves bok choy
1 fresh pineapple, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a nonstick saucepan, stir-fry onion, garlic, and ginger in pineapple juice, water, or vinegar until onion begins to soften.

2. Add mushrooms and cook a few minutes until the mushrooms begin to soften.

3. Add red peppers, zucchini, and bok choy and cook until warmed through and beginning to soften.

4. Mix pineapple, jalapeno, pepper, and vinegar in a small bowl and add to vegetables in sauce pan. Cook until mixture is warmed through. Serve on top of brown rice or any favorite whole grain on a bed of greens.

*Almost any vegetables may be substituted. Use what you have!


Brown Rice: 1 part rice to 2 1/4 parts water. Make as much as you want!


Dinner: Sweet Potato Burgers and Fries

The recipe for the burgers can be found here.

Fries

Cut potatoes however you want, I like them in cubes or strips. Put them in a large mixing bowl. Season with anything that sounds good, I normally do Italian type seasoning. Sprinkle some tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos. Stir so everything evenly coats and transfer onto a baking sheet. Bake for 30 min at 350 degrees or longer if you like crispy.

Enjoy!

Day 2: Minestrone Soup and Meatloaf with Wild Rice and Brussel Sprouts

Lunch: Minestrone Soup

You can find the recipe for Minestrone Soup here. We also toasted some Ezekiel bread to dip in it.

Dinner: Meatloaf 

You can find this recipe from The Engine 2 Diet.

Ingredients:

2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
10 ounces firm tofu, drained
1/4  cup walnuts, finely chopped
12 oz vegetarian meat, I used temphe bacon
1 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. each thyme, sage, and rosemary
Ketchup to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a loaf pan. Saute the celery, onion, and garlic on high heat in a sprayed skillet for 5 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and cool. Mash the tofu in a large bowl. Stir in the cooked mixture and remaining ingredients, and combine well. Spoon the mixture into a loaf pan. Top with a layer of ketchup. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Brussel Sprouts:

1 lb of Brussel Sprouts
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. maple syrup

Rinse and cut Brussel Sprouts in half and put in a large mixing bowl. Add balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and garlic powder and stir. Place flat side down on baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, flipping half way through, until they are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

Wild Rice:

3 1/4 cups water
2 cups long grain wild rice mix

1. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice mix, cover the pan, reduce heat, and simmer for 50 minutes.

2. Remove pan from heat and let sit for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Enjoy! 😍

Day 1: TuNO Fish Wraps with Israel Quinoa Salad and Raise the Roof Sweet Potato Lasagna

Here is what's on the menu for DAY 1:

Breakfast: For the next 10 days I will either eat oatmeal with fruit, a little maple syrup sprinkled with cinnamon or Ezekiel bread with apple butter. 

Lunch: I made TuNo Fish Wraps in Ezekiel tortillas. The recipe can be found here. I also paired it with Israel Quinoa Salad from Forks Over Knives The Cookbook. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. turmeric

1 cup finely chopped tomatoes (from 1-2 medium tomatoes)

1 inely chopped medium cucumber (from about 1 medium cucumber)

1 finely red bell pepper (you can roast it if you want, I did not)

1 tbsp. finely chopped basil

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse the quinoa under cold water and drain. Bring 1 1/4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the quinoa, cumin, and turmeric, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat, fluff the quinoa with a fork, and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.

2. While the quinoa cools, combine the tomato, cucumber, red pepper, basil, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Stir in the cooled quinoa and season with salt and pepper. Yum!

Dinner: For dinner I am making the Raise the Roof Sweet Potato Lasagna from Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn. Recipe can be found here. I substituted the beans for a block of tofu though. 

10 Day Challenge!

I usually eat pretty healthy, but I am upping my game for the next 10 days and going completely Whole Food Plant-Based No Oil (WFPBNO). Another family member, including my husband, are also joining me to keep each other accountable. I have made a menu for the next 10 days and this is the first time I've actually meal prepped. I'm really hoping I will continue doing so, because though it takes more time in the beginning, I love not having to stress about what to make each day for lunch and dinner.

Here are the rule for our challenge according to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn:

1. Do not eat meat.

2. Do not eat chicken, even white meat.

3. Do not eat fish.

4. Do not eat any dairy products. That means no skim milk, no nonfat yogurt, no sherbet, and no cheese at all.

5. Do not eat eggs. That includes egg whites and even egg substitutes that contain egg whites.

6. Do not use any oil at all. Not even virgin olive oil or canola oil.

7. Use only whole-grain products. That means no white flour products. Be sure the list of ingredients uses a phrase like "whole wheat" or "whole grain." Avoid semolina and wheat flour, which are actually white. Use brown rice.

8. Do not drink fruit juice. (It is fine to eat fruit, or to use small amounts of fruit juice in recipes or to flavor beverages.

9. Do not eat any nuts (although if you have no heart disease, you can occasionally have walnuts.) For this challenge we will be eating very little cashews and walnuts.

10. Do not eat avocados. For this challenge we will eat two meals with avocado, but in very small amounts. 

11. Do not eat coconut.

12. Eat soy products cautiously. Many are highly processes and high in fat. Use "light" tofu. Avoid soy cheese, which almost always contains oil and casein. For this challenge we will eat two meals with tofu. 

13. Read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell with Thomas M. Campbell II


My goals are to add more delicious go-to meals in with our other regulars and to cut processed food out of my diet.

10 days of delicious, plant-based food, let's get started!

Vegan Lasagna

Tax Season is finally over!! Time to party! My mom flew in the night before the tax deadline, so RC and I were able to celebrate the next day with beers at the bar by 2 p.m. 😂
It's been nice to have RC home more so we can spend time together as a family. We missed  him.

Here are some more April highlights...

Warren loves his dinosaur collection he inherited by the very nice people who owned the house before us. He even makes the cutest dinosaur "rooooarrrrr"

He also has a blast at his Grandpa and Mummers house petting goats and their giant horses. He sure does love horses!

We went exploring Southern Idaho and went to the beautiful Shoshone Falls.

Easter hugs are the best hugs! Look at those handsome men of mine.

Warren's first Easter egg hunt. He loved it!

GG helped him find some of his eggs.

Walking with Uma to see his cousin Rhett run the mile at his track meet.

Fun in the sun with my wittle man. I love, love, love him so much!!!

And now for a recipe! I found the original here. I made this for Easter dinner and it was a huge hit! I would highly suggest the vegan Parmesan sprinkled on at the end. 👍


Lasagna

Tofu Ricotta
28 oz tofu
2 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/4 cup fresh basil
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt

Meat Crumble
2 c. walnuts
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. pepper
2 lb cremini mushrooms
1 onion, diced

Lasagna Base
1 jar tomato sauce
1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. In a food processor, combine tofu, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, basil, garlic, slat, and pepper, blend until smooth. Then set aside and rinse out of food processor.

3. In the food processor, combine walnuts, garlic, liquid smoke, soy sauce, smoked paprika, oregano, rosemary, and pepper. Blend until well mixed, then set aside and rinse out food processor.

4. In the food processor, chop up mushrooms so that they are in small chunks.

5. In a large pan, cook mushrooms so that liquid is released and evaporated, about 6-8 minutes. Clear out a circle in the middle, add onion. Saute onion until translucent, add walnut mixture and mix well.

6. In a large sauce pan, cook lasagna noodles for half of time required.

7. In a 9x9 inch lasagna pan, add 2 cups of red sauce to cover the bottom, then layer 4 half-cooked lasagna noodles, then spread ricotta mixture over top, followed by "meat" mixture, and then more red sauce. Repeat until finished. Cover with aluminum foil.

8. Bake in oven for 25 minutes, remove aluminum foil and bake for 5 more minutes.

*If you want to add vegan Parmesan , do so now and bake for an additional 15 minutes not 5. 

9. Allow to cool about 10-15 minutes, then cut into ninths, serve.

10. Enjoy!

Tea Scones and Granola Bars

Hello, Spring! We have been in our house now for a few months and it feels amazing. There are still a million things to be done, but instead I will focus on the fact that we have walls and a fully functioning kitchen, in fact, I would say my DREAM kitchen!

Here are a few pictures to catch up on the wittle guy. <3

Warren is a little over a year and half now, crazy! He finally sleeps almost through the night. It hasn't been an easy road with sleep but it's getting better which has been so nice. There are the occasional times he wakes up at 3 am and wants to stay up but at least it's not every night now. But overall, he is so happy, rarely gets sick, and loves his family!

Wrestling season ended a few weeks ago, but we went to a lot of tournaments, which Warren loved! He still has a few years though before he can go out there and scrap. 

He is also completely obsessed with horses. Good thing his Uma and Papa have some minis to ride around on. I'm sure he will soon graduate to a big horse. Maybe we have a cowboy on our hands...

And now for a recipe! We were able to design our kitchen and it is so fun to cook in. I'm also loving that I can bake in my new double ovens! 

I started listening to some plant based podcasts and there is no denying the evidence. I  have been more strict with no oil and feel like I have more energy again. 

My favorite right now is Nutrition Rounds. She even interviewed Dr. Esselstyn!! 

The recipe for these amazing scones and granola bars comes from Forks Over Knives The Cookbook. They are so good, Warren and I can finish a batch, poor RC, haha. 

Tea Scones

Yields 1 dozen scones

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 cups oat flour (I just blended oats in my NutriBullet)

2 tbsp. baking powder

1/4 or less dry sweetener (I used pure cane sugar)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup almond butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I put a Silpat baking mat under my baking sheet. Parchment paper works as well. 

2. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside to curdle for a few minutes and then add the vanilla.

3. In a medium bowl, add oat flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.

4. In a small bowl, mix together applesauce and almond butter with a fork. Use the fork to cut the applesauce mixture into the flour mixture, until crumbly. Add the milk mixture and stir until just moistened. Do not overmix.

5. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup (or ice-cream scoop) to scoop the scones out onto the baking sheet. Mist it with a little water first so that the batter comes out easier. Bake for 20-24 minutes. In my oven, 20 min is perfect. 

6. Allow the scones to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transfering them to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Enjoy!

There are some add ins that you can do, but I haven't ventured out yet from the original yummy scones. 

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Yields 8 bars

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup brown rice syrup

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups whole rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with a 10 inch square of parchment paper.

2. In a small saucepan, mix together the peanut butter, maple syrup, and brown rice syrup. Gently heat the mixture over low heat, whisking with a fork, just until it's warm enough for the ingredients to incorporate and become smooth. 

3. Remove from the heat. Let the mixture cool a bit so that it's still warm but not hot. Mix in the vanilla, then add oats, salt, and cinnamon and mix very well.

4. Now wet your hands and press the oats into the pan. Firmly press the oat mixture into the pan, pressing on the top and packing the bars as tightly as you can. Bake for 18 minutes, or until the sides of the bars are lightly browned. 

5. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the bars from the pan by lifting up by the corners of the parchment paper. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely (with the parchment underneath)

6. Use an 8 inch knife to slice the bars into eight rectangles. It's best to press down firmly in one motion to slice, rather than using a sawing motion, which make make the bars crumble a bit. Slice once down the middle, and then 4 times across the other way. 

7. Store the bars in a tightly sealed container at room temperature, however mine never make it through the day. 

Enjoy!