6 Vegetarian Recipes We Love

Whenever I come across recipes that the whole family likes, I try to keep track of them. I recently started a new Pinterest board called Repeat Recipes so I can remember which ones we liked! I thought I'd share a few of our newest favorites here too.

Are you on the spiralizer bandwagon? I just got a small one and it's ok. I should have saved up and gotten something bigger, but oh well!

I loved this Sweet & Sour Cucumber Salad by Peas & Crayons. Very fresh and light.

Again with the spiralizer, I love zucchini noodles with pesto! I saute the noodles because I prefer the flavor, and usually I skip roasting the tomatoes and just make a bruschetta-like topping with fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil and balsamic vinegar. Yum! Credit for the photo and recipe idea go to A House in the Hills.

I adore curry. I cook curry frequently. But this Pioneer Woman recipe for Chickpea Curry is seriously my favorite curry ever. My kids loved it and leftovers (I made a double batch) were even better. Super easy and really good!

Don't you just adore summer produce? We moved this summer and weren't able to put in a garden, but church members have given us lots of eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes. This Eggplant Caprese Salad from BHG is a great way to get a light meal and use up some of that produce!

Here's my other go-to recipe when we have lots of fresh produce! Ratatouille! I'll make a big batch of this to put with pasta as a potluck dish. It's fresh, healthy and inexpensive.

No one can fool me into thinking spaghetti squash=pasta. But it's a healthier alternative for when you're watching your carbs, and this Spaghetti Squash Chow Mein is a great meal.

There you go, six vegetarian summer dishes that are heavy on the veggies! Except the curry. That's just heavy on the deliciousness and you need to try it ASAP! Just eat a big cucumber salad for lunch and you'll be fine. What are some of your favorite meals lately?

Whole Foods Suppers {Day 17}

For the record, I want to share some of my new favorite recipes and ideas for menu planning. I'm not great at sticking to a set menu for a week and would rather make sure I have most ingredients on hand and pick from a list the day of, depending on what sounds good, how much time/energy I have, and what the weather is.

I've come across some really yummy meal ideas lately! For right now, we eat mostly vegan, gluten-free, and I also don't eat sugar, corn, soy or peanuts. Just so you know. We don't normally restrict our diet quite that much, but for now that's where we are.

Please click on the links provided to Pin from the original source. Thanks!

Simple Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

We just ate this and the yummy smells are still in our house. In fact, since I found this recipe by Kelly Toups a few weeks ago we've eaten this meal every week. Simple, easy, so so good for you, and very satisfying too. Usually I do use the Greek yogurt topping but tonight I switched it up with a vegan version.


Butternut Squash Soup

This soup by Primal Palate is one on regular rotation in the fall and winter at our house. It's simple and so flavorful. I like to roast the squash whole earlier in the day. It's so much easier than peeling and chopping it! Another tip, if you're feeling generous, is to add a can of coconut milk. So good!


Spinach and Mushroom Quinoa

I tried this recipe from Julia's Album for the first time this week. Gary and I really liked it, but the boys--who love the other recipes here--aren't fans at all! I'll probably make it again because it's so easy and we always have these ingredients, but it'll be a side dish, not the main.


Indian Beans and Rice

We eat a lot of beans and rice and variations, like lentils and rice, or quinoa. No Meat Athlete has several variations if you follow the link above, and this Indian version is our favorite. So very simple, nutritious and flavorful! Sometimes I sub lentils for the garbanzos and it's also good.


Roasted Veggie and Black Bean Rice Bowl

Ok, so I haven't exactly tried this one from Back to Her Roots, but I do make something similar. I like to sauté peppers and onions, maybe a jalepeno and some mushrooms with chili powder and pile the veggies on top of rice and beans, then top it with lettuce, tomatoes and whatever other toppings you have. Always a winner!


Wild Rice Dressing

If you have rice already cooked, this is an excellent way to make a new meal or side dish from it. Sometimes I skip the baking step. It's a Thanksgiving recipe from BHG and is a wonderful vegan dish to bring to holiday meals.


Zucchini Noodles with Pesto and Roasted Tomatoes

This dish from A House in the Hills is another one that I make a variation of, and I should take the final step of adding the roasted tomatoes. Zucchini noodles are a great way to enjoy the feel of pasta when one can't eat pasta, and pesto is always a treat!


Stuffed Zucchini

This recipe is on my list that I want to try. It's from Clean Eating Mag and includes things like breadcrumbs, but I think the idea would be great with rice instead. We love grilled and roasted zucchini, so stuffing it with something yummy sounds delicious!


Szechuan Eggplant

Oh, this looks so yummy! I adore eggplant! I had it on my list to buy at the store, but the eggplant all looked terrible, so I had to put it off. This recipe is from Edible Garden and I can't wait to try it. I plan to serve it with rice noodles.

So there you go, a few ideas for great meals that aren't too complicated, nor expensive, and certainly very good for your tastebuds and your tummy!

Whole Foods Breakfasts {Day 14}

Our family has been trying to eat fewer processed foods. There aren't a lot left that we we do eat and we don't at all feel like we're suffering!

Then I went and decided I wanted to do one of those elimination diet things to see what it is my body seems to be reacting to. So for three weeks I'm not eating gluten, dairy, eggs, sugar, soy, peanuts or corn.

There went breakfast, right? Add to that list that we don't usually eat meat--definitely not typical breakfast meats--and it seemed like we'd be eating oatmeal every day. Boring!

I put the word out that I needed some ideas and spent a few hours searching Pinterest for things that mostly avoided the above list (some things are easy to sub or switch) and in the last week we've tried and enjoyed several new breakfasts! I'd like to share them with you, with my comments for whatever it's worth, and a few more I'd like to try so I don't forget.

Here goes!

Please click on the links and pin from the original sources to give credit where credit is due!

Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oats in the Crockpot

This recipe by Food Doodles is easy to put together at night and enjoy waking up to the yummy smell in the morning! It does call for honey or maple syrup, but I'm deciding these natural sugars are ok in small amounts, so this is a definite win for our family. And so fun for fall!


Vanilla Raspberry Chia Pudding

I've been intrigued by this idea so finally tried it. I used this recipe by Not Enough Cinnamon and it was pretty good. I let the chia soak in almond milk, then blended everything because I don't like the tapioca lumpy texture. It set up ok but wasn't quite sweet enough. I also made a chocolate one and thought if I added a frozen banana it would be creamier and sweeter.

We ate this with granola on top and the boys liked it. I'll make it again, just with a tweak or two.


Flourless Banana Bread Muffins

These little muffins from Running with Spoons were so good! I subbed soaked chia seeds for the egg, as I've seen you can do that in baking, and they turned out pretty flat (like the picture) even though they puffed up nicely in the oven. The muffins were easy to mix in the blender, even though I was using slivered almonds instead of almond butter. I will for sure make these again, perhaps with more leavening or something.


Apple Pie Smoothie

We ate the banana muffins with this smoothie from Vegan Insanity. It was really good! I might have thrown in an extra banana or something, but other than that, it's sweet and creamy and quite tasty!


Easy Crockpot Applesauce

I used this recipe after our recent trip to the apple orchard. It hardly has any sugar and it's so sweet! It definitely tastes like a treat, and our house smelled so good all day! We ate this as dessert one evening, and as pancake topping twice now. Finding a good recipe for gluten/egg/dairy free pancakes is still a trial, but I'll find one!


Breakfast Potatoes

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it's on the short list! I love potatoes! I'll serve them with scrambled eggs for my family.


Cacao Coffee

I might just try this cacao coffee this afternoon. Roast cacao nibs and pulse in the coffee grinder to make grounds, then brew in your French press. Gotta try it, at least!

I also want to try more variations of grains in the crockpot. Rice, quinoa, oatmeal, steel cut oats... I'm glad that breakfasts aren't boring, I certainly don't feel limited with my self-imposed restrictions either!

Oh, just a note, I've been doing this elimination thing for less than a week and I feel great! I've cheated a little with maple syrup to sweeten oatmeal and pancakes, and a tablespoon of minimally processed date sugar in my decaf, but I'm encouraged! Hopefully in a couple weeks I can figure out what it is that my body has been trying to tell me to stop eating!

What's your favorite healthy breakfast?

Thai Peanut Kale Salad

So. We all know that kale is amazing for us, right? I've had my fair share of it and just kinda felt ... like I was eating it for my health, which is awesome, but I didn't love it.

And then I tried this salad.

We've been eating a lot of salads-as-a-meal lately. Greek salad, fruit salad with yogurt dressing, tossed salad, taco salad. It's basically a requirement for summer.

A few weeks ago, a friend brought this salad to a potluck picnic. I brought my favorite Greek salad and took a serving of the Thai Peanut Kale Salad to be polite. I had to go back for seconds, it's so good! I asked Jennifer for the recipe (as did all of the other ladies at the potluck!) so she took a picture of it and uploaded it to Facebook where she tagged us all. I've made it probably four times now and thought I'd save it for personal reference as it's getting harder to dig back in the Facebook archives to find the original!

I'm not sure where Jennifer got the recipe so I can't give credit where credit is due. I've looked online for a similar salad and this one is always better, though Lindsey at Pinch of Yum has a Chopped Thai Salad with a similar sauce. Her recipe is amazing but calls for cabbage as the base. Which is awesome and I've made it several times too, but sometimes you just want kale!

Thai Peanut Kale Salad (serves 4)

Salad:

1 bunch kale, chopped (I use half of the giant tub of baby kale and arugula from Sam's)

1 cup carrots, shredded

1 cup shelled edamame or peas or garbanzos 

1 sweet bell pepper, chopped

Any other veggies: cucumber slices, shredded cabbage, scallions, etc

Dressing:

2 heaping spoonfuls of creamy natural peanut butter

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 limes, juiced

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon ginger, grated

1 clove garlic, minced

1-2 tablespoons soy sauce, Bragg’s liquid aminos or tamari 

salt to taste

Directions:

Clean and prepare veggies. The kale especially, tastes better in small pieces. Place all in a large bowl, then prepare the dressing. If you have added extra veggies, go ahead and double the dressing recipe! (I always do.) Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, then drizzle and massage them over the kale mixture. 

Leftovers will taste great the next day! Thanks for the recipe, Jennifer!

Homemade Face Cream

 
My youngest is 2 1/2 and likes to reference things as happening "last week". Sometimes he means yesterday, sometimes he means some other time in the past. It's super cute, but I might be biased.

Anyway, I was starting to tell you about my homemade face cream I referenced in my Crunchy post last week. I thought you'd like to see the way I make it.

 

First I gather all the ingredients on a tray and photograph it for posterity.

Just kidding, but these are the three ingredients I use: Olive oil, coconut oil and lavender essential oil. You also need a whisk or spoon or other stirring device and a jar with a lid.

My container is from an adorable little candle I found at the grocery store last fall. It's a mason jar that's probably only 3-4 ounces. I regret only buying two! I knew it was a seasonal item but thought they'd have more for Christmas or Valentine's but I haven't seen them again. Moving on.

I put a big scoop of coconut oil in the jar then microwave it for 30 seconds to soften the oil so it can be mixed with the other oils.

Next I pour in some olive oil.

For the record, I didn't decant the olive oil to be fancy for this post! I buy oil in the giant containers and prefer to keep them out of sight, so I use this green jar all the time. Not sure why I felt it necessary to clear that up, but whew!

I then add a few drops of lavender essential oil. I'm sure there are others you could use, but I like the smell and it's supposed to be quite fantastic for your skin.

Then whip it up! I've heard of some people blending it in the blender which might have really cool results. I imagine it is really smooth and creamy, but I just don't make enough at once to bother.

The last step I take is to stick the jar of newly mixed face cream in the fridge. I find it takes quite some time for the coconut oil to harden again, so I speed it up by chilling it. By the way, the purpose of mixing olive oil into your face cream is for the consistency. I've found that straight coconut oil is hard to work with, and I prefer the smell when olive oil and essential oil are added.

So there you have it! Super easy, super good for you! I use this every morning and sometimes at night. It only takes about the size of a pea to cover your whole face, so even though I slather it on my boys' faces in the winter too, a little container like this lasts a long time!

This recipe works great as a make-up remover as well. Just rub it on and wipe it off with a soft cloth. I sometimes do this but really don't prefer how it lingers around my eyes, although some people swear by it.

Are you going to try it? You probably have all the ingredients on hand already! What crunchy beauty recipes do you use?

DIY Natural, Squeezable Toothpaste

Today I'm going to let the pictures do the talking. We're thrilled with our healthy, natural, easy-to-make, good-for-you, squeezable toothpaste!

Simple Spa Water

It's not even June yet and we've already had a few days here and there when all you want to do is sit by a fan or in a pool! Another option that is somewhat more practical and still lets you get things done is to make yourself a cool, refreshing drink. 

I'm trying to make healthier choices this summer, and one thing I can do better is to drink more water. Not only is it good for your body to stay hydrated, drinking something cold helps cool you down too. I don't know about you, but adding some flavor to plain water means I'll drink more of it. Are you with me?

Here's what you do.

Gather your ingredients: Fresh mint, a lemon and part of a cucumber.

Wash the mint and strip off the leaves.

Squeeze the juice of the lemon and slice the cucumber. 

Place the cucumber slices, mint leaves and lemon juice in a glass pitcher.

Fill the pitcher with drinking water.

Let refrigerate an hour or two to become chilled and to let the flavors steep.

Enjoy your spa water over ice to make it even more refreshing!

Anyone else out there trying to stay cool this summer? Or trying to stay healthy?