Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Boats

We were able to purchase spaghetti squash at the farmers market for 3/$2. Tonight we made Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Boats.

Ingredients:
2 medium Spaghetti Squash, halved lengthwise and seeds removed.
Baked with water in a pan for 40 minutes

Filling:
1 pint of canned tomatoes
1/4 cup of sliced olives
1/2 cup sliced/diced mushrooms
1 red onion diced
1 red pepper diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBS fresh basil
2 TBS fresh parsley
Directions:
Pan saute using vegetable broth

Pinenut pesto:
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup pinenuts
2 TBS nutritional yeast
salt
1 cup basil
1 1/2 cups spinach
1 tsp lemon juice
3 TBS water or vegetable broth
'Directions:
place everything in the food processor and blend

Assemby:
scrap out the spaghetti squash and place in a large bowl
add sauteed vegetables and herbs
add 1/2 cup of the pesto
blend well
stuff squash shells with filling
top with pesto
bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadilla

Here is the black beans & sweet potato quesadillas recipe. The shredded sweet potatoes give this recipe a meat-like texture which is important to my husband who is eating whole plant based at home for our son and I.

Filling

• broth for sauteing 
• 1 onion , chopped
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 1/2 jalapeno , finely diced (optional)
• 1 1/2 cup black beans , drained and rinsed
• 1-2  sweet potato, peeled and shredded
• 3 TBS taco seasoning mix

• spinach
• cilantro
• 6 tortillas
• aquafaba cheddar
• salsa

Directions:

1. Saute the vegetables in broth or water until the shredded  sweet potatoes are soft

2. Add the taco season mix

3. Spread the aquafaba cheddar on the tortilla, lay spinach and cilantro on the tortilla

4. Add the filling, fold in half

5. Pan fry the quesadilla on both sides

6. Cut and serve with salsa

Moroccan Vegetables from Mercole

in the pot

The bases for the Moroccan Vegetables is from Dr Mercola. Our alterations are included in the recipe below. We served it over rice.

Ingredients:
Vegetable broth
1 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp finely grated ginger
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
15 threads of saffron, (soak in broth first)
1 tsp harissa
1 TBS tomato paste
1 quart of canned tomatoes
1 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 parsnips, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1/4 pound dates, pitted and blended in high speed blender with 1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 pound black olives
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 pound frozen okra (we couldn't find any, added 1 tsp of gumbo file instead)
1/2 pound broccoli
1/2 cauliflower
2 zucchini, diced
salt and pepper to tatse
cilantro leaves
almond yogurt

Directions:
broth saute the onions, garlic and ginger. Stir in the dry spices and tomato paste. Add tomatoes, sweet potato, parsnips, carrots, date paste and olives. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cover pan for 30 minutes. Add remaining vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When serving top with lemon wedges, cilantro, and almond yogurt.

Baked Lentil and Spinach Stuffed Pasta

This recipe has been altered but the original is from Wholefoods

Ingredients: 

• 8 ounces (about 30) jumbo gluten free pasta shells/manicotti
• 1 cup dried lentils and 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cup zucchini pinenut ricotta cheese
• 3 cups  fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 (25-ounce) jar marinara sauce
• 1 1/4 cup shredded daiya mozzarella cheese or aquafaba mozzarella
• pinenut parmesan

Method: 

Cook shells in salted boiling water until just barely tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and cool under cold running water. Drain again.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine lentils, ricotta cheese and spinach.

Spread half of the marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling into each shell and place them open side up in the dish; fit them together snugly, and you should be able to get them all in a single layer. Pour remaining marinara evenly over the top, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes.

Chocolate Dessert Hummus

This recipe for Chocolate Hummus is from Little Blue Plates. We used sprouted almond butter instead of cashew butter, better for our digestive tracks. We altered the recipe to make it diabetic friendly by replacing the sugar with Yacon Syrup.  Remember to limit you intake of Yacon Syrup to 2 tsp per day. If  eaten too much, it has been known to cause abdominal issues, such as loose stools.

Ingredients (serves 12)

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed. (or use 1  1/4 cup cooked black beans.)
• 2 Tablespoons sprouted almond butter (or other nut butter)
• 1/3 cup yacon syrup  
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 5-10 drops of stevia, if needed to be sweeter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup cacao powder 

Directions

1. Place 1 can of drained, rinsed black beans, 2 Tablespoons almond butter, 1/2-3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/3 cup water into a blender container. (or food processor) Cover container with lid and blend on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until mixture is very smooth.
2. If using a high speed blender: Add the 1/2 cup cocoa powder and continue to blend for 30 seconds until cocoa powder is fully incorporated into the bean mixture. (You may need to add another tablespoon or two of water, if mixture becomes too thick to blend, or if you want a thinner consistency for dipping fruit.) If using a low speed blender or personal size blender: then pour the bean mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the cocoa powder, and mix with a hand mixer, until the cocoa powder is fully incorporated into the bean mixture. (You may need to add another tablespoon or two of water, if mixture becomes too thick to mix, or if you want a thinner consistency for dipping fruit.)
3. Spoon Chocolate Hummus into a serving bowl. Serve immediately with fresh fruit or use as a spread for toast. Refrigerate leftovers covered for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. (Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, before serving.)*NOTE: Chocolate Dessert Hummus will thicken further with refrigeration. Add 1-2 Tablespoons hot water to thin to desired consistency.

Find this recipe and more great plant-based recipes at http://www.LittleBluePlates.com

nutritional facts from cronometer.com for the altered recipe stated above
67 Kcal, 1.8 g fat, 12.7 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 2.9 g protein

Sweetheart Cake with Fudge Frosting

My husband's favorite chocolate combinations are chocolate and orange or chocolate and raspberry. This recipe is both.
The recipe for this Sweetheart Cake with Fudge Frosting is from Hallelujah Diet. I used the remaining raspberries to decorate the cake. As with every cake I make, I use part of the recipe to make a birthday glass cake. I keep these in the freezer for upcoming birthdays. 

This delicious pairing, found in Rhonda Malkmus' recipe book, "Rhonda's Culinary Creations" makes the perfect treat to share with a loved one.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

3 cups walnuts, soaked overnight, drained and dried
1 cup raw, unsweetened carob powder
1 cup medjool dates, pitted
3 tablespoons raw, cacao paste, (not a coconut fan)
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1/4 raw vanilla bean, ground fine or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
Zest of 1/2 orange
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

For the frosting:

1/3 cup soft, pitted medjool dates
1/3 cup raw carob powder
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1/4 cup raw agave
1 medium avocado, peeled and pitted

Directions:

To make the cake, simply place all ingredients in a food processor, pulsing until it reaches a thick, smooth consistency. Push the mixture into a cake mold to form, and then let it set in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, place all frosting ingredients into the food processor, and blend until smooth. Remove cake from the refrigerator, and apply frosting generously over the sides and surface of the dessert. Enjoy!

Falafel Burger

This recipe for falafel burgers is from Feasting At Home. We did cook the garbanzo beans. and did bake the patties, this was not a raw dish for us, maybe this summer. For the tzatziki we used a cashew based one from Megan May's cookbook. We served these patties as part of our Buddha Bowl with sweet potatoes, brown rice, broccoli, mushrooms and peppers with a lemon tahini sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 shallot
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 C a mixture of Italian parsley and cilantro
• 2 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp smoked paprika (omitted)
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (omitted)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans

Directions: 

1. In a food processor, pulse all the ingredients except garbanzo beans, until chopped and combined. Add garbanzo beans and pulse repeatedly, scraping down sides, until it sticks together, and forms a granular paste. (Do not blend until smooth.)
2. Form 4 patties and place on parchment lined baking dish and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
3. If baking, pre heat oven to 400F. Bake for 20 minutes.