Category: Uncategorized

Creamy Tomato Soup

On By Taylor MavingIn #vegan, Dinner, Lunch, Plant-based, Soup, Uncategorized, VegetarianLeave a comment

I recently subscribed to a vegan meal service called Purple Carrot. I have done meal services in the past and for one reason or another I decided they weren’t for me. Changing up your diet to plant-based can definitely have its challenges in the beginning and the biggest challenge for me is that I often feel stifled in the kitchen. I find myself making the same meal over and over again so I thought incorporating a meal service while I adjust to eating vegan again would be a good idea.

So far I am really liking Purple Carrot. They have introduced me to some new products that I didn’t know about and even if I don’t end up continuing with them after a while I will have learned some great recipes. Tonight’s meal was a home run! It is a healthier version of the classic canned tomato soup and grilled cheese that you ate growing up. Going forward I will always make my tomato soup like this even if I do add dairy back into my diet eventually. It was so yummy. When it says two servings it really is only two smaller bowls of soup so I recommend doubling the recipe if you like to have seconds or are feeding more than two. If you’re interested in trying out purple carrot to add some more plant-based meals to your diet they do offer $20 off your first week.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 shallot
  • ¼ cup cashews
  • 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes
  • 5.5 oz coconut milk
  • 1 ancient grain roll
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 tbsp hemp seeds
  • 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • ¼ oz fresh basil
  • 2 tbsp vegan parmesan
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F to warm bread in step 4. Peel and chop the garlic. Peel and roughly chop the shallot.
  2. Place a large pot over medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Once hot, add the chopped garlic and shallot and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Add the cashews, diced tomatoes, coconut milk, and ¼ cup water to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer soup for 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully pour the soup into the blender and blend until smooth. Season tomato soup with salt and pepper.
  4. Halve the ancient roll lengthwise and toast directly on the rack in the oven until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Halve the avocado, remove the pit, and scoop out the flesh. Once the bread is toasted, spread the avocado onto the toasted bread, and top with hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, and a pinch of salt.
  5. Slice the seeded avocado toast. Hand tear the basil leaves. Divide the creamy tomato soup between large bowls. Top with basil and parmesan and serve with seeded avocado toast on the side.
    _1400_700_Vegan_TomatoBisque-1-4804bf2f2898a96e61d3606ae461b72e
    (taken from http://www.purplecarrot.com)

    IMG_3199IMG_3201

Roasted vegetable wrap

On By Taylor MavingIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

This is a really simple and easy meal that is so yummy. We had it for lunch yesterday, but it’s definitely filling to have for a quick weeknight dinner.

Ingredients:

Steps:

  1. Wash and cut asparagus, zucchini and peppers.
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Place asparagus, zucchini, peppers and onions in large baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, adobo and everything but the seasoning and mix together with hands
  3. Place in oven for 10-15 minutes. I like to do the last five minutes or so on a high broil to get a nice char.
  4. Take the wrap and spread hummus and tapenade on it and layer the veggies.

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

 

Black bean tacos

On By Taylor MavingIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

These tacos were seriously satisfying and so hearty. What I love about eating plant-based is that you feel really full but never in a “stuffed” way. I started my day out with oatmeal and fruit paired with celery juice. I had a salad and some humus for lunch and ended my day with these tacos. I overall feel really satisfied and have no cravings…yet. Last night at around 10:30pm I started CRAVING angel hair pasta. I had to use ALL of my willpower to stop myself from making it ended up making a salad instead. It’s absolutely insane how addicting white processed food is. Most carbohydrates that you put into your body break down into sugar and go into your bloodstream. I have been eating white carbs lately and it’s not until you remove it from your diet that you actually realize how truly addictive it is. The good news is if you can fight through the initial cravings your body goes through, you eventually stop wanting it so much. This is just my experience and everyone goes through their own symptoms when it comes to eliminating certain foods. Anyways I hope you enjoy these tacos as much as we did!

Ingredients:

  • Two medium sweet onions sliced
  • One clove of fresh garlic- diced
  • Grapeseed oil
  • 12 oz bag of mini sweet peppers sliced
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 2- 8 oz cans of black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • Chile lime seasoning
  • Adobo seasoning
  • Salt and pepper
  • Grape tomatoes- halved
  • Super green salad blend
  • Green onions
  • Cilantro
  • 1 avocado
  • Whole wheat tortillas

Steps:

  1. Start by taking a medium-sized saucepan and drizzle with oil over high heat. Place the sliced onions in the pan, sprinkle with adobo and stir frequently.
  2. While the onions are sautéing dice the garlic & add to the pan after the onions have been cooking for 5-7 minutes. Stir often and let cook for about 5 minutes. I like my onions to have a nice golden crisp. Take off heat and set aside in a separate bowl.
  3. Drizzle the same pan with a touch more oil and place the peppers in that pan, cook over medium to high heat for 5-7 minutes and add the corn and rinsed black beans. Sprinkle with Chile lime seasoning, adobo, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and reduce heat to medium low and let cook for 10 minutes.
  4. Chop the cilantro, tomatoes, avocado, and scallions and set aside.
  5. Place the tortillas in the oven on a high broil for a couple of minutes.
  6. Top the tortilla with bean mixture, onions, green onions, cilantro, avocado, tomatoes and power green mixture!

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 😍

Avocado Toast

On By Taylor MavingIn Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Uncategorized, Vegetarian2 Comments

My husband always orders this at a local breakfast place we go to and I decided to replicate it at home. What I love about the flavors in this dish is the sea salt and fresh lemon. It’s so simple to make and keeps you full for so long. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 eggs over easy or poached
  • Olive oil spray (to coat the pan)
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 small lemon
  • Sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. of your favorite oil (I used avocado oil)
  • 1 slice of your favorite multi grain bread
  • 1 small tomato sliced (optional)

Steps:

  1. Start by dicing the avocado and place into a bowl, add the oil, sea salt (to taste) and a little bit of fresh squeezed lemon and mash until you have received guacamole like texture.
  2. Toast the bread.
  3. Take a medium sized skillet and coat with olive oil spray. Cook the eggs to your liking.
  4. Smear the avocado onto the bread, place the tomatoes (if you’re using) on top of the avocado and finally the eggs. Sprinkle with sea salt and drizzle with fresh lemon. NOM! IMG_0962

My first week with Blue Apron

On By Taylor MavingIn Informational, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I’ve been curious about Blue Apron for a while now and my friend Elisa sent me a free week of meals so I finally tried it out! My menu for the week (I opted for the vegetarian recipes) consisted of three meals; three cheese calzones, winter squash and baby kale quesadillas and curried cauliflower steaks. First off I was really impressed with the packaging. A box arrives right to your doorstep filled with food and it has really pretty 8×10 menu cards (see below) that I plan on hole punching and putting in my recipe binder! I was shocked at how fresh the ingredients looked. The kale was so green and beautiful. Each recipe comes with a little knickknack bag filled with perfectly proportioned  seasonings, sauces and what not. I really love this concept because so many times you have to go and buy full sized items that a recipe calls for and then you end up wasting it.

3

Now for the actual recipes I really only liked 2 out of 3. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the three cheese calzones, mainly because I like to cook healthy during the work week and I thought the dough was hard to manipulate. Basically if I’m going to indulge I would rather have pizza or parm and order out, but that’s just my personal feelings, and obviously doesn’t apply to everyone.  I also felt like the recipes were a bit long and that it stifled my creativity in the kitchen.

However I absolutely loved not having to worry about what I was going to prepare for dinner that night and knowing that I didn’t have to go to the grocery store. I also tried recipes that I probably wouldn’t have thought of on my own, which keeps it interesting. Blue Apron definitely  has pro’s has con’s depending on how you feel about cooking. I am going to try it out for another week, and report back. The price is really affordable $60.00 for three meals which serves two, so $9.99 per serving.  Have any of you tried Blue Apron? Would love to hear your experience with it!

Sunny side eggs over arugula

On By Taylor MavingIn Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Salad, Uncategorized1 Comment

I really like incorporating greens into my breakfast. This dish is so simple but there’s something that feels really gourmet about it. The flavors are fresh and distinguished and it’s  just delicious! This would also be great for lunch and a light dinner too.

Ingredients:

  • Farm fresh organic eggs (however many you want)
  • Avocado oil (to drizzle)
  • 1/2 of a lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste (I like pink Himalayan salt)
  • Fresh grated parmesan cheese (to sprinkle)
  • Olive oil spray (to coat the pan)
  • Arugula (desired amount)
  • Grape tomatoes (desired amount)
  • Green onions (desired amount)
  • 1 tsp pesto

Steps:

  1. Start by taking a medium sized pan and coat with olive oil spray over medium heat. After the pan has warmed up add the eggs.
  2. While the eggs are cooking take the desired amount of arugula onto a plate. Drizzle with avocado oil, lemon and parmesan cheese.
  3. In the same pan the eggs are cooking add the green onions and tomatoes and let cook for 3-5 minutes to bring out their flavor. Cook your eggs to your desired consistency and place over the arugula.
  4. Top with the tomatoes, green onions, salt and pepper and pesto. I happened to have homemade pesto in my fridge but you can buy any store brand for this. Enjoy! image

Zucchini Bites

On By Taylor MavingIn Dinner, Lunch, Sides, Uncategorized, Vegetarian1 Comment

I have always shied away from picking the larger zucchini out of my dad’s garden. I prefer the smaller to medium sized ones. However my dad convinced me that the large ones were just as good as long as you prepare it correctly. So he cut them into large slices and seasoned them and put them on the grill. He was right they were totally awesome. Last night after a weekend of eating lots of carbs and dairy my husband and I were in need of a lighter meal. These could be served as an appetizer or as a main dish. We had about 3 each and we were stuffed! The dish was bursting with delicious flavors and only took about 25 minutes to make! veggies

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium red onion (large dices)
  • 1 box of 13.4 oz cannellini beans (I highly recommend these!)
  • 3 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic (I love garlic- you can use less if you prefer)
  • 1 large zucchini (cut into ½ inch pieces)
  • Italian seasonings (as needed)
  • Garlic powder (as needed)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Balsamic vinegar (as needed)
  • Olive oil (as needed)
  • 1 large tomato thinly sliced
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (to taste)
  • 8 cups loosely packed spinach
  • Red chili pepper flakes (to taste)
  • ¼ cup of filtered waterspinach

Steps:

  • Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.
  • In the meantime- take 3 teaspoons of olive oil and heat in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they start to caramelize, add the garlic and cook for a few minutes. Set aside.
  • Take a deeper pan and put ¼ cups of water in it add the spinach and cover over low heat until spinach has wilted and immediately remove from heat.
  • Add the beans, onion and garlic to the spinach and mix- add salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasonings to taste. Cover to keep warm.
  • When the oven has heated up to 400 take the sliced zucchini and lightly baste in olive oil (Wegman’s basting oil would be really good!), drizzle balsamic vinegar, sprinkle garlic powder, and Italian seasonings. Do this to both sides of the zucchini.
  • Place in oven for 10 minutes or until it’s fork tender, take out and add the tomatoes. Turn oven on a low broil and put back in for 5-7 minutes or until zucchini has started to brown and the tomatoes have started to roast.
  • Take the spinach bean mixture and add to the to top of the zucchini, sprinkle parmesan cheese and red chili flakes!final image

Spicy Red Lentil Soup

On By Taylor MavingIn Dinner, Lunch, Soup, Uncategorized, VegetarianLeave a comment

Wegman’s always has such a great variety of soup. A few years ago I tried their spicy red lentil chili and was blown away! To my delight they had the recipe online and I have been making this soup ever since. The recipe calls for some things I don’t cook with like cornstarch and butter so I have made my own adjustments to make this soup healthier and easier to make. You really don’t need to add a thickener to this soup because the lentils expand so much it makes the soup thick on it’s own. Also always remember that food is customizable so for the tobasco and seasonings you can alter them according to your tastebuds! I added a few drop of the tobasco in each bowl I served because I happen to love spice. This large pot of soup costs under $10.00 to make and its so filling, cant beat that 😉

Ingredients:

Sorry about my kitty's head
Sorry about my kitty’s head
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 2 large Tbsp Earth Balance spread
  • 1/2 cup white onion- diced
  • 1 cup scallions- finely diced
  • 1 stalk celery -diced ( I throw the leaves in for flavor)
  • 4-5 garlic cloves- diced (I love garlic you can add less if you’d like)
  • 1 medium tomato- cored and diced
  • 1 large green pepper -finely diced
  • 1 large carrot- peeled and finely diced
  • 6 cups veggie stock (you can make your own or use store bought)
  • 1 Tbsp Tobasco sauce
  • 1/2 tsp  turmeric (“few sprinkles”)
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin (“”)
  • 1/2 tsp  chili powder (“”)
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (one sprinkle)
  • sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Steps:

  1. Start by pouring the veggie broth into a large pot along with the lentils over medium to high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring ocasioanlly and turn heat down to medium low and cover loosely.photo 2
  2. In a seperate skillet add the earth balance spread over medium to high heat let melt, add the scallions and onions and stir frequently for 3-5 minutes, add the garlic and let cook for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add the finely diced carrots, celery, peppers and tomatoes into the skillet and let cook down for 7-8 minutes over medium heat, stirring freqeuntly.photo 3
  4. Pour the veggie mixture into the pot with the lentils. Add your spices; tumeric, cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add the tobasco
  5. Stir all of the ingredients together, let cook over medium to low heat, loosely covered for about 40 minutes, stirring ocasioanlly. photo 4photo 5