Category: Sides

Vegetable soup

On By Taylor MavingIn #vegan, Appetizers, Dinner, Plant-based, Sides, Soup2 Comments

I really like always have a prepared homemade soup in my house. It’s nice to have something you can quickly grab when you get hungry. Some week nights I am too exhausted to make dinner so I’ll just eat whatever prepared soup I have in the fridge and toss together a fresh salad. I am also really lucky that my two year old absolutely loves this soup so I feel really good knowing that he’s getting his nutrients in! I go pretty heavy on the carrots because my little guy LOVES cooked carrots, but you can add less if you’d like. You can also add some noodles to make this dish a bit more filling!

Ingredients:

  • 1 sweet onion- diced
  • 4 large carrots- diced
  • Olive or grapeseed oil
  • 2 cups of chopped celery
  • 4 cloves of garlic- minced
  • 2- 15.5 oz cans of great northern beans -rinsed and drained
  • 1- 15.5 oz of diced tomatoes with basil
  • 32 oz organic veggie broth
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • few sprinkles of: cumin, paprika and chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon of dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon of adobo
  • 5 oz of pre-washed organic baby kale

Steps:

  1. Start by washing and dicing all the veggies. In a medium sized sauce pan drizzle olive oil and turn on medium to high heat. Add the onions. Let cook for a about 5 minutes and add the garlic, carrots, celery.
  2. Sprinkle with cumin, paprika, chili powder, adobo, beans and parsley. Add the tomatoes and broth. Cover and let cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes or the until vegetables are fork tender.
  3. Turn off from heat and stir in the baby kale.IMG_3160IMG_3168

Easy lentil soup

On By Taylor MavingIn #vegan, Dinner, Lunch, Sides, Soup, Uncategorized1 Comment

Last night I had a serious carb craving and made this easy soup to try to satisfy it.  I just ate it again for dinner tonight and it is so yummy. I never measure with spices so I usually just sprinkle, taste and add more if I think it needs it. I will try to be more mindful of how much I am actually using going forward. This soup didn’t have a ton of broth, my husband said it reminded him more of a chili which he liked. Extremely filling and easy to freeze! Also I use mostly organic ingredients especially when it comes to produce, but I don’t always label that in the recipes because that is up to you. Hope you’re all having a good week!

Ingredients:

  • 4 yellow carrots- peeled and chopped
  • 4 sticks of celery- chopped
  • Grapeseed oil
  • 1 cup of brown lentils
  • 1 medium sweet onion- diced
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (I used the pre-minced kind because I was feeling lazy)
  • 32oz box of organic veggie broth
  • 1 28 oz can of organic diced Roma tomatoes  (this is all I had a smaller can would work great too)
  • Handful of spinach
  • Chili powder
  • Adobo
  • Cumin
  • Salt and pepper

Steps:

  1. Start by drizzling some grapeseed oil over a medium sized saucepan over medium to high heat. Place the onions in the skillet and let cook for 5-7 minutes or until they start turning clear.
  2. Add the garlic and spices (chili powder, adobo, cumin, salt and pepper) stir well and cook for a few minutes.
  3. Add the diced carrots and onions and let simmer for a few more minutes. IMG_3097
  4. Add the broth, tomatoes and lentils, stir, reduce heat to meat low, cover and let cook for 25-30 minutes or until the veggies and lentils are cooked through. Add a handful of uncooked spinach to each hot soup bowl you serve.IMG_3105IMG_3107IMG_3115

 

Purple cauliflower and Brussels sprouts with nuts

On By Taylor MavingIn #vegan, Dinner, Lunch, Sides, Uncategorized, VegetarianLeave a comment

Hi there 🙋🏻‍♀️ it’s been a minute since I have blogged. Feeling inspired to revamp my diet and eat healthier as a family. Life with a toddler is so chaotic it’s easy to get lost with your goals. It’s always refreshing to be able to find your inspiration again and try to get back to where you used to be. We are humans, we are not perfect, but as long as we keep striving to be our best and notice when we get off track I think that’s all you can hope for. As I always say “give yourself grace.”

So anyways tonight I made a really simple meal that was full of color and fresh produce. I wanted to add cheese to it so bad, but I am trying to take a break from dairy as it wreaks havoc on my system…so incredibly hard though! The meal was simple and surprisingly filling. My little guy loved the nuts and sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:

  • One head of purple cauliflower
  • 14 oz bag of Brussels sprouts
  • 1 medium sweet onion
  • 4 small sweet potatoes
  • Grape seed oil
  • Garlic powder
  • Curry powder
  • Cumin
  • Adobo
  • Pepper
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1/2 cup walnuts

Steps:

  1. Start by preheating the oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Roughly chop the cauliflower, dice the onion, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts.
  3. Place the cauliflower, onion and Brussel sprouts on a large baking sheet, drizzle with grapeseed oil, adobo, garlic powder and cumin. Place in oven and let cook for 20 minutes or until fork tender. Turn on broil for the last 5 minutes to get a nice char.
  4. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with grapeseed oil and sprinkle with curry powder, cumin and pepper. Place in oven for 20 min or until for tender and remove.
  5. While the veggies are cooking place a medium sized skillet over medium to high heat, drizzle with oil and place chopped nuts on. Cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Mix everything together and enjoy! Cooking views 😍

Three Bean Salad

On By Taylor MavingIn Appetizers, Dinner, Lunch, Salad, Sides, VegetarianLeave a comment

A few weeks ago I went to this vegan food rally at a brewery and had the most amazing bean salad served over warm brown rice and quinoa mixture. My husband and I loved it so much that I got the ingredients the next day and attempted to make it at home. To my surprise I nailed the exact same flavors! I have made this weekly since then. I am seriously obsessed with it.

This bean salad is delicious served alone or as a snack with chips. However if you want to make it more of a meal then see step five for how to make a quick rice and quinoa mixture to serve it over. I love the way the cold bean salad taste over the warm rice.

This makes a decent amount, but it only seems to last a few days at the most in my household because it’s so addicting!

Ingredients:

  • Two 15.5 ounce cans of organic black beans
  • One 15.5 ounce can of organic pinto beans
  • One 15.5 ounce can of organic kidney beans
  • One cup of red wine vinegar
  • Two tablespoons of chile lime seasoning blend
  • One tablespoon garlic powder
  • One lime- squeeze the juice
  • One tablespoon adobo seasoning
  • One tablespoon onion salt
  • One organic green pepper finely diced
  • One organic yellow pepper finely diced
  • One organic red pepper finely diced
  • One sweet onion
  • 2 cups frozen roasted corn
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Steps:

  1. Start by opening the cans of beans and rinsing in a strainer. Place in a large bowl.
  2. Finely dice the peppers and onion and add to the beans.
  3. Add the onion salt, adobo, garlic powder, chili lime, vinegar, lime and cilantro.
  4. Spray a medium sized skillet with some olive oil and heat up the corn. Pour into the bean mixture. Try to find roasted corn if you can I think it really pumps up the flavor!
  5. Mix everything together very well! Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  6. If you want to serve the bean salad over a grain I take a bag of frozen brown rice and frozen quinoa (most stores have frozen brown rice. I get frozen brown quinoa from Trader Joe’s but you can skip it if you don’t live near one and/or don’t feel like making quinoa on the stove) and heat it up in the microwave. Then pour the rice and quinoa mixture over a skillet and pour a couple teaspoons of grape-seed oil (olive or avocado oil work too.) Add some fresh pico de gallo and some Cojita or feta cheese. Let cook for a few minutes.

Pesto Veggie Farro

On By Taylor MavingIn Appetizers, Dinner, Lunch, Sides, Vegetarian2 Comments

I am a big fan of salty items. I’ve  never met an olive I didn’t like. I was aimlessly roaming the aisles of Trader Joe’s today trying to figure out what to make for dinner, and came up with this meal. I have been cooking with the 10 minute farro from Trader Joe’s for a while now and I really love it. Its a nice alternative to brown rice and has 10 grams of protein per serving. It makes a great base for any meal. If you want to make this meal vegan simply don’t add the feta and romano and if you wanted to add fish or meat to this meal I would recommend salmon, shrimp or steak and chicken. It stands all on it’s own as a vegetarian meal and is extremely hearty, between the farro and the butternut squash you will be stuffed!

Ingredients:

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  • 1 1/2 cup of farro (or one bag of Trader Joe’s farro– if you can get it)
  • 1 large red onion chopped
  • 2.5 cups of butternut squash cubed. (I buy these pre-cut 12 oz bags)
  • 2 cups of quartered Brussel sprouts
  • 2 cups diced orange peppers
  • 1 box  of mushrooms (around 1 cup)
  • Chives (to taste)
  • 1 cup of pitted marinated Kalmata olives
  • 1/2 cup of marinated artichoke hearts -chopped
  • Feta (to taste)
  • Grapeseed oil (drizzle)
  • Pepper (to taste)
  • 5-6 cloves fresh garlic pressed (if you don’t have fresh garlic about 1 tablespoon minced garlic)

For the Pesto: ( I used about 3 heaping tablespoons – you will have extra)

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  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 3 cups packed basil
  • 1/2 cup grape seed oil
  • 1/2 of lemon squeezed
  • 2 tablespoons of pecorino romano cheese
  • 1 avocado
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup of filtered water

Steps:

  1. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Take a large baking sheet and line with foil. Add the brussel sprouts, peppers, onion, olives, artichokes, mushrooms, garlic, squash, peppers and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Place in oven for about 20 minutes. (I have to cook my mushrooms separate because my hubby doesn’t care for them)While the veggies cook cook the farro according to package directions. I like to cook mine in veggie broth for added flavor, but water is just fine too. Drain and set asideIMG_1673IMG_1680
  2. If you decide to make the pesto (store bought pesto works just as well if your’e not feeling up for it!) start by adding the basil in a food processor or blender, then add the grape seed oil (olive oil is fine too), lemon, pine nuts and avocado. Blend and add the water in slowly until you reach a nice creamy consistency. Pour into a bowl and sprinkle with pepper and lemon zest.
  3. Take 3 heaping tablespoons of the pesto and mix with the cooked farro. Add chives and feta (the amount is up to you!)
  4. When the squash and veggies are fork tender I like to put the oven on a high broil for a few minutes to give everything a nice golden crisp.
  5. Mix the veggie squash mixture with the farro and ENJOY!
  6. IMG_1688IMG_1690

*This dish is also really great to bring to a party and can be served cold.

Green Lentil Soup

On By Taylor MavingIn Dinner, Lunch, Sides, SoupLeave a comment

IMG_1632After finally getting my little man down for a nap I felt like I needed to regroup after having an overall defeating day. Having a toddler that refuses sleep can be one of the most frustrating things as a momma because you know they so badly need it! Plus let’t be honest we can use the break!! Anyways SOUP has always been a go to for me my entire life. I consider it a meal and love all soups. I find it so comforting to the soul and even when I am personally super sick I will still take the time and energy to make my own homemade soup, because there is something about the whole process of cooking it yourself that I find nourishing. I needed to find some comfort today during the stormy afternoon so I pulled everything I had out in my fridge and pantry and came up with this soup. It was simple, easy and delicious. I’ll drain the broth out for my son and let him eat this over brown rice for a heartier meal!

Ingredients:IMG_1619 (1)

  • 2 small zucchini
  • 2 small yellow squash
  • 2 small sweet onions (or 1 large)
  • 1 cup of small whole green lentils
  • 2 tablespoons of minced garlic (fresh would be better- didn’t have any)
  • 32 oz. box of organic vegetable broth
  • 2 cups of filtered water
  • 2 tablespoons Frank’s hot sauce  (add as little or as much as you’d like)
  • 1 cup of chopped celery
  • 1 cup of chopped carrots
  • 1/2 cup cup of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 red pepper -diced
  • Grapeseed oil (olive oil is fine too)
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon adobo
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon parsley (spice trick- I like to pour the spice in my hand and rub together to awaken the flavor)

Steps:

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  1. Start by coating a medium to large sauce pan in oil and adding the diced onions over medium heat.  Saute onions for about 5 minutes or until they turn clear.
  2. Add the celery, carrots, red pepper, garlic and tomatoes. Add in the pepper, cumin, adobo, chili powder and parsley. Lower heat to medium low and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cumin
  3. Add the vegetable broth, water, Frank’s (If you like spice) and lentils. Cover over low heat and let simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it starts boiling too much I like to leave a little crack in the lid for some airflow.
  4. Add in the diced zucchini and squash, stir and turn the heat up to medium- let cook for another 25 minutes or until zucchini and lentils are cooked through. IMG_1624IMG_1627

 

Summer Zucchini Minestrone

On By Taylor MavingIn Appetizers, Dinner, Lunch, Sides, Soup, Vegetarian1 Comment

This easy soup recipe is the perfect way to incorporate fresh local veggies during the summer season.
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Ingredients:

  • 28 oz. can of San Marzano tomatoes
  • 4-5 small zucchinis, diced
  • 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 large vidalia onion
  • Splash of olive oil
  • 3 fresh cloves minced garlic
  • 2 cups of organic spinach
  • 1.5 teaspoons of organic chicken soup base
  • 3-4 cups of filtered water
  • Parmesan cheese to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 – 15 oz. cans of organic cannellini beans

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Steps:

  1. Start by taking a medium sized sauce pan and coat the bottom with olive oil, turn heat on medium and add the onions, basil and parsley stirring frequently for about 5 minutes and then add the garlic stirring for another 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and reduce heat to medium-low and let cook for about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the tomatoes (if they are whole cut them into bite sized pieces first), beans, water, salt and pepper and the soup base.
  3. Cover the pan and let simmer over medium to low heat for 30-35 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with parmesan and red chili flakes.

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One Pot Veggie Penne Pasta

On By Taylor MavingIn Dinner, Lunch, Sides, VegetarianLeave a comment

I have seen these one pot veggie pasta dishes on Pinterest for a while now and have been dying to try it out.  Most of them are inspired by Martha Stewart’s One Pot Meals cookbook. I was a little skeptical at first because I love sautéing my veggies, but I figured I would give this method a try. I just used the vegetables I had in my fridge. This recipe turned out delicious, my husband said it taste like a vodka penne which is good considering I didn’t use any cream- just cheese. I prefer my normal method of making veggie pasta, but this one pot pasta dish is tasty and easy so I would still recommend it!

Ingredients:

  • 1 sweet onion diced
  • 1 cup fresh peas
  • 1 organic zucchini -quartered
  • 12 oz grape tomatoes -quartered
  • 4 large basil leaves torn
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 lemon -squeezed
  • 2 cloves minced garlic (I was out so I used a few cubes of this)
  • 12 oz of whole wheat penne
  • 4 cups of veggie broth (I had to drain a little out at the end)
  • 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Red chili flakes to taste (if desired)

Steps:

1.) Add the penne, tomatoes, zucchini, basil, Parmesan cheese, veggie broth, onion, salt and pepper, chili flakes, garlic and lemon.

2.) Bring to a boil and reduce to medium heat stirring frequently. Let cook for 10-12 minutes or until the pasta is tender. If all of the broth hasn’t evaporated then strain out the remainder.

3.) Add the mozzarella cheese and stir until melted, serve and enjoy! image

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Eggplant Parmesan

On By Taylor MavingIn Dinner, Lunch, Sides, Vegetarian3 Comments

Eggplant Parmesan is hands down my favorite meal of all time. I love everything about it. I’m always hesitant to order it at a restaurant because it takes a lot of time and effort and you can definitely tell when people take shortcuts. For me it’s all about consistency. This recipe is a lot of work, about two hours in the kitchen, but the result is mouthwatering and totally worth it. I’ve seen recipes where people just bake it and skip the frying part, but I promise you it’s worth it to take the extra time to make this dish the right way. Eggplant is a very watery vegetable so it’s essential to get some of the water out, otherwise you end up with a yucky texture. I cut the eggplant and then dust it with ground sea salt, as you’ll see in the picture below the salt sucks the water out of the eggplant. imageAnother way to make your life easier while making this recipe is to set up a nice prep station. Get all of your ingredients out and ready to go and make sure you clean up after yourself as you go, otherwise it can be overwhelming. You will be multitasking, so establishing a clean functional prep space is clutch. I was thoroughly ecstatic about the way that this eggplant parm turned out and if you’re in the mood to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty (with breadcrumbs) I promise you it will be so worth it!

Ingredients:

Steps:

1.) Start by cutting the eggplant, lay the pieces out on and dust with sea salt- let them sit for at least 30 minutes or until you see the water come out.image2.) If you’re going to make homemade marinara follow this step, if not please skip to step 3. Drizzle some olive oil on a large skillet and turn the heat to medium. Add the halved onion, celery, bay leaves and garlic, fresh basil and parsley, dried Italian herbs and let cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and simmer for at least an hour and half. When pouring the sauce on the eggplant just use the red sauce, avoid the onion, garlic, celery and bay leaves.image3.) Once the eggplant has been sitting for at least 30 minutes pat eggplant with paper towels to absorb the water. Set yourself up with a nice work area, take 5-6 eggs and whisk in a bowl. Take the Italian breadcrumbs, Italian panko breadcrumbs and flour all equal parts and mix together (you can use just breadcrumbs- I just find this mixture to result in the perfect consistency.) image4.) Dip the eggplant in the eggs and then coat in breadcrumbs (*Tip- after a while the breadcrumbs can get clumpy- I dump them out and make a new mixture about halfway through to ensure a nice even coat. It’s also helpful to do this right near the sink so you can rinse your hands off when you need to.) Spray the breaded eggplant with a light coat of olive oil spray on both sides.

5.) Get two skillets out and coat with vegetable over medium to high heat. Once the oil is warm add the eggplant. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the eggplant is golden brown and then flip and cook on the other side. Set the fried eggplant off to the side and repeat this step until all the eggplant has been fried. (*Tip- you will have to reuse the skillets since there will be a lot of eggplant. Run some water in on the skillet in between rounds and add new oil to keep the oil fresh.)imageimage6.) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Take your favorite pan and spray with olive oil, take the fried eggplant and put on the bottom of the pan. Add sauce (just enough on each layer to cover the eggplant,)  cheese (desired amount,) fresh basil and repeat until you get to the top of the pan! I had about 4-5 extra fried eggplants that I just set aside. imageimage7.) Cover the eggplant with aluminum foil and place in the lower rack and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover let rest for about 5 minutes and ENJOY the fruits of your labor.image image

Veggie Garden Salad

On By Taylor MavingIn Appetizers, Lunch, Salad, Sides, VegetarianLeave a comment

On Saturday I went to a local farmer’s market to get my weekly produce. Farmer’s markets are just starting to come back  after taking a break during the hot summer months in Florida. I absolutely love starting my Saturday with a coffee in my hand and the sun shining while looking at beautiful food.  There are so many beneficial reasons to go to your local farmers markets; support your local farmers, know where your food comes from, connect with your community, save $$ (my total bill was $29 for A LOT of fresh fruit and veggies) and to protect the environment (just to name a few.) If you live in a colder climate most states have indoor farmer’s markets, you just have to do your research! Stocking up on local produce help make weeknight dinners easier. I never really plan my meals out ahead of time, but I always have certain ingredients in my kitchen so that I can whip together a yummy recipe. Besides having fresh produce in my home at all times I always make sure to have organic brown rice, organic quinoa, protein plus pasta and tons of beans and lentils.  I also love fresh herbs, but they go bad so easily so I keep these pastes in my fridge. This salad was refreshing and yummy, and remember to really scrub your fruits and veggies before eating!5 4 6 7 8

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium cucumbers diced- I like to keep the skin on
  • 2 red peppers diced
  • 5 radishes diced
  • 1 cup of chopped tomatoes (about 15 small tomatoes)
  • 1 can of rinsed organic great northern beans
  • 1/2 white diced onion
  • 2 heaping tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
  • 2 heaping tablespoons white balsamic vinaigrette (I like to use both but you could do 1/4 cup of either)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4  cup Parmesan cheese (if you aren’t going to eat in one sitting then sprinkle cheese on each individual bowl)
  • 1/2 of a fresh lemon squeezed
  • 3 celery stalks

Steps:

  1. Dice all the vegetables up and place into a large bowl.
  2. Take the balsamic vinaigrette, cheese, salt and pepper, garlic powder, lemon and olive oil and whisk in a separate bowl.
  3. Pour over the vegetables and mix well. Place in refrigerator and let chill for 30 minutes or so. 23