Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Simple, delicious and so easy to make! Butternut squash is being harvested right now! It is high in vitamin A and a great source of energy for those of us who are feeling tired more often then not. As an extra-added bonus, I added turmeric, which is a healing herb that is anti-inflammatory and great for strengthening digestion. Eat for your health!

1-2 large butternut squash (or 3 small) 

4 tablespoons olive oil 

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste) 

4 cups vegetable stock (or 2 vegetable bouillon dissolved in 4 cups water) 

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Preheat oven to 425ºF. 

1. Peel the butternut squash. Cut in half widthwise so the bulbous part is separated from the long part. Cut each side in half lengthwise so there are 4 pieces. Remove the seeds. 
2. Lightly coat the squash halves with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and place cut side down on a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet. 
3. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the squash is tender. 
4. About 15 minutes before the squash is done roasting, in a stockpot over medium heat, sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for about 5 minutes. 
5. Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric, and salt, and sauté for a few more minutes.
6. When squash is done roasting, cut up into smaller pieces and puree in a blender or food processor with the vegetable broth. Add the sautéed onion and puree until smooth. 
7. Put the mixture back into the stockpot, add the maple syrup and heat thoroughly. 

Banana Bread

Bananas are full of potassium and magnesium, making this quick bread a healthy breakfast, afternoon snack, or even a delicious dessert! This recipe is simple to make, vegan and delicious! 

Ingredients: 

½ cup safflower oil

1 cup sucanat (or granulated sugar)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

½ tsp salt

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon 

2 bananas

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350º

1. Oil a 9x5 inch loaf pan
2. In a medium sized bowl, cream the oil, vanilla and sucanat.
3. Mix the flour, salt, cinnamon and baking powder together in a small bowl. 
4. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients. 
5. Mash 2-3 ripe bananas and add to mixture. 
6. Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts if using. Either fold in to mixture or sprinkle on top of loaf. 
7. Pour into oiled pan and bake for 45 minutes. 
8. Cool for 10 minutes and enjoy! 

SO good with butter, peanut butter, or on its own! 

**For festive, seasonal bread, try adding 1 cup of chopped, washed and drained fresh cranberries instead of bananas. 

Peanut Stew

This is a great stew to serve over brown rice or quinoa to make a delicious, satisfying meal. It is a recipe adaptation from one of my favorite cookbooks, Vegan Fire & Spice by Robin Robertson. I chose to leave out the hot chiles, but if you like a little spice add a couple of hot chiles. I also added brussel sprouts because we have an abundance right now and they add great color to the dish! 

This meal also naturally uses all vegan and gluten free ingredients, making it appealing to many people! 

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3-5 sweet potatoes or yams (depending on size), peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
1 carrot, sliced

6-10 brussel sprouts, sliced 

2-3 small fresh hot chiles, seeded and chopped*optional

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1/3 cup peanut butter

3 cups vegetable broth 

2 teaspoons sucanat, light brown sugar, or other natural sweetener

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ cup roasted peanuts, crushed or chopped

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, sweet potatoes, carrot, brussel sprouts and chiles if using. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, peanut butter, vegetable broth, sugar, spices, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a medium simmer and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened, for about 30 minutes. Season to taste and serve with a small scoop of roasted peanuts. 

Maple Oatmeal Raisin Squares

These delightful little squares taste just like oatmeal raisin cookie dough. A healthy alternative that will satisfy your cravings for baked treats in just a small bite! 

Ingredients: 

10 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped 

1 cup raw cashews

½ cup raw oats

¼ cup maple syrup

¼ tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

¼ cup raisins 

raw coconut oil (for greasing the pan)

1. Put the dates, cashews, oats, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor. Blend until a sticky cookie dough forms, about 30 seconds. 

2. Stir in the raisins. 

3. Coat the bottom of an 8-inch square pan with coconut oil and spread the dough in the pan so it is about a ½ inch thick. 

4. Cover and freeze for 4 hours, until the dough is relatively firm. 

5. Store in the freezer—and enjoy a nice chewy treat when eaten out of the freezer. 

This is a recipe adaptation from a new favorite recipe book called Raw Energy by Stephanie Tourles. After going a couple weeks without refined sugar and flour…this book has been my saving grace since I do have a sweet tooth! 

Cocoa Snowballs

If you don’t think you can live without sugar this is the perfect treat to make in order to satisfy those cravings! It is the ideal chocolate treat that is just rich enough to make you not need too much to be satisfied, and they are actually very nutritious and full of antioxidants. 

Ingredients: 

1 vanilla bean, about 7 inches long

1 cup unsweetened coconut, finely shredded

½ cup raw cocoa (cacao) powder 

¼ cup coconut manna or raw, unrefined coconut oil

3 tablespoons raw honey

pinch of sea salt 

1. Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrap out the paste with a knife. 
2. Put the vanilla bean paste, coconut, cocoa, coconut manna or oil, honey, and salt in a medium bowl and stir well till everything is thoroughly blended and the dough is fairly stiff. 
3. Pinch off small pieces and roll into balls about 1 inch diameter. Form around 22 balls.
4. Chill the balls for at least 4 hours prior to eating. 
5. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. 

This recipe is from Raw Energy by Stephanie Tourles

Curried Tempeh Mango Salad

If this cold weather is making you crave summer…this is the perfect thing to make to get you through! This makes a delicious sandwich filling or a great spread to serve over a bed of salad greens. It may sound weird to you, but the flavors meld together so perfectly! Make sure to plan ahead when you want to eat it because it tastes best if it sits for at least an hour or up to overnight before serving. 

Ingredients: 

1 (8-oz) package tempeh

1 tablespoon tamari

1 cup mango—1 mango or a little less (peeled and chopped into chunks)

Dressing: 

3 tablespoons Vegannaise

2 teaspoons curry powder

Juice of 2 limes (about ½ c)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tsp maple syrup 

½ tsp hot sauce

pinch salt

1. Tear the tempeh into bite-sized pieces and place into a small saucepan. Cover with water and add the tamari. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and transfer tempeh to a medium sized bowl. 
2. While the tempeh is cooking make the dressing. 
3. Add the mangoes and dressing to the tempeh and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight. Adjust seasonings to taste. 

This is a recipe adaptation from Vegan with Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Red Lentil Stew

This is the perfect stew to make on a winter day 

Ingredients: 

1 tbsp yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp sea salt

2 cups red lentils

2 cans light coconut milk

4-6 cups water (enough to cover ingredients)

½ cup carrot, diced

½ cup celery 

2 cups sweet potato, diced

1 tbsp ginger, minced

2 tbsp curry powder

¼ tsp cayenne

½ tsp black pepper

1. Sauté onion for a couple minutes. Add garlic, salt, and stir to combine. 
2. Add lentils, coconut milk, water, and remaining ingredients. Cover and bring to boil. 
3. Stir well and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 30-45 minutes more until lentils are cooked and creamy. 

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Curred Cashew Créme

This soup is simple, vegan, and delicious! The curried cashew crème really makes this soup seem special even though it is a super simple soup to make. 

Ingredients: 

1 head cauliflower, chopped into small pieces 

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, minced

1 Yukon gold potato, diced 

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups vegetable broth

1 ½ c non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened soymilk) 

Curried Cashew Crème

Ingredients:

¾ cup unsalted raw cashews

1 ½ tbsp curry powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup warmed non-dairy milk

Pre-heat oven to 450ºF

1. Combine cauliflower, garlic, onion, and potato in an oiled baking pan. 
2. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper
3. Roast about 30 minutes and stir halfway. 
4. Add roasted vegetables to a large pot with broth and bring to boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes. 
5. Blend soup until smooth and simmer 10 more minutes then add milk. 

For Curried Cashew Crème: 

1. Blend cashews into a fine powder. 
2. Add curry, salt, and non-dairy milk. 

Serve soup with the curried cashew crème and enjoy! 

Sesame Kale Crisps

We love kale anyways, but this is a fun way to eat the nutritious, leafy green. It satisfies that salty chip craving that most Americans have. 

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale, remove stems

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

¼ c sesame seeds

coarse salt

Pre-heat the oven to 200ºF

Remove stems and tear up kale into pieces. 

Drizzle the olive oil, lemon juice, and sesame seeds all over the kale. 

Season with salt and toss to coat evenly. 

Bake on a rimmed baking sheet for 30 minutes. 

Flip over and cook for 20-25 more minutes. 

Store in container for up to 3 days. 

*Variation—season with nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. 

Sesame Scrambled Tofu with Greens and Yams

This is a delicious, quick and simple meal to whip up when you’re pressed for time. 

Serves 4

Ingredients: 

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 small onion, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 pound firm-tofu (or extra-firm)

1 bunch leafy greens, remove stem and tear into pieces (I like kale!)

2 tablespoons tamari

2 medium size yams, baked, cooled, peeled and cut into chunks

3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1. Heat sesame oil in a large pan, and sauté onion, garlic and ginger for a bout a minute.
2. Tear the tofu into bite-size pieces and sauté with the onion mixture for about 5 minutes. 
3. Add the greens and tamari. Sauté for about 7 minutes, or until the greens have completely cooked down. Add a little water if needed. 
4. Add the yams and gently stir enough to cook through. 
5. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. 

This is a recipe adaptation from Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (one of my favorite cookbook authors!)

Macadamia Mango Granola

Not your typical granola with pecans and cranberries...This granola is made with coconut oil an has dried mango and macadamia nuts—making it a delicious tropical treat! The macadamia nuts will melt in your mouth, and they are high in monosaturated fats, which are great for lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. If using gluten free rolled oats, it also can be a gluten free granola! 

Ingredients: 

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped (you can find raw macadamia nuts in the fridge)

½ cup sesame seeds

2/3 cup unsweetened flaked (not shredded) coconut

4 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

6 tablespoons honey (I used our new local raw honey) 

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup finely chopped dried mango (unsweetened and unsulfured)

2/3 cup finely chopped dried pineapple (unsweetened and unsulfured)*

* I used flame raisins instead of pineapple because I didn’t have any unsweetened pineapple…not as tropical, but an excellent alternative

1. Preheat oven to 300ºF

2. In a large bowl, combine oars, macadamia nuts, sesame seeds, and flaked coconut. 

3. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt coconut oil. Add honey, salt, and cinnamon and stir well to combine. 

4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Slowly fold liquid mixture into dry mixture and stir well to coat evenly. 

5. Spread mixture in a large, rimmed baking sheet (12 x 17 inches) or two 9 x13 inch pans. Bake, stirring occasionally, 25-35 minutes or until lightly golden. 

6. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. The granola will crisp up while it cools. Stir in the mango and pineapple, or any other dried fruit.

This recipe is from the February issue of the Delicious Living magazine, which is complementary at New Morning Natural Foods (until we run out). 

Quinoa Pizza Bites

These little pizza bites are great things to make when you have left over quinoa already cooked up. They make unique appetizers—perfect party food! Quinoa is a complete protein making it an excellent addition to any meal, and it is also an excellent source of magnesium!

Makes ~36-40 bites

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 large eggs
• 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbs dried basil (or ½ cup fresh basil, chopped…if it’s in season)
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• ½ tsp seasoning salt
• 1 tsp paprika (optional)
• 1 tsp dried crushed oregano
• Tomato sauce for dipping

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Mix together all ingredients, except pizza sauce, in a medium mixing bowl.

3.  Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping tbs each), and press down gently to compact. 

4.  Bake for 17-20 minutes. 

If they are still crumbly when you try to take them out of the pan put them back in the oven a little longer because they will hold together better. 

Roasted Red Potatoes with Herbs

These are great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Roasted potatoes (or home fries if you are enjoying them for breakfast) are quick to make and very delicious. 

 Ingredients: 

4-6 medium red potatoes

2 tbsp olive oil 

Juice of ½ lemon

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp cracked pepper

~ 2 tbsp dried herbs (parsley, dill, oregano, chives…etc.) Put as much as you’d like…until potatoes are well covered.*

1. Pre-heat oven to 400ºF. 
2. Quarter the potatoes lengthwise and chop into 1-inch square pieces. 
3. Toss potatoes with lemon, oil garlic, salt, and pepper.
4. Sprinkle a generous amount of dried herbs…at least a couple tablespoons or until the potatoes are well covered. 
5. Spread potatoes on an oiled and rimmed baking sheet. Roast for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and tender. 
6. Stir up the potatoes halfway through the roasting process. 

*If fresh herbs are in season, mince up a couple tablespoons of fresh herbs and toss the potatoes with fresh herbs after they are done roasting instead of tossing with dried herbs before. 

Sweet Potato Hummus

Not your typical hummus. This is a sweeter take on hummus due to the sweet potato. The sweet potato adds a whole new level of nutritious wonderfulness with all that added vitamin A it brings. 

 1 cup baked sweet potato (skin removed)

1 1/2 cups garbanzo beans, drained

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp tahini

4 Tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

1-2 tsp agave or maple syrup

salt and spice to taste*

* I used one teaspoon of cumin, one teaspoon of chili powder, and one teaspoon of turmeric. You can certainly try a variety of different spices, depending on what flavors you like. The original recipe I found used a Cajun spice.  

 1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor

2. Pulse or blend until smooth. 

This is a great dip to serve with crackers or even sliced apples! 

Tempeh Sausage Pastry Puffs

One of my new favorite meals has become brunch. There are endless possibilities of what you can make and eat for brunch, which makes it exciting and way delicious. Recently we had brunch for dinner, and this was one of the newly discovered recipes, which is from the cookbook Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. 

Ingredients: 

8 ounces tempeh, crumbled (We have a locally made tempeh from Lalibela Farm that is outstanding!)

1 package puff pastry, thawed (either overnight in the refrigerator or for 30 minutes on the counter)

1 cup vegetable broth

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp lemon juice 

2 tbsp olive oil

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp fennel seeds, chopped

2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp dried rosemary

½ tsp red pepper flakes, 

salt, to taste

olive oil for brushing the pastry

1. Thaw puff pastry ahead of time. 
2. Whisk the vegetable broth, soy sauce, and lemon juice in a small bowl to make the marinade. Add the crumbled tempeh and let marinate for an hour. 
3. When the hour is almost up, preheat a large pan over medium heat and sauté the red bell pepper and onion in the oil for 7-10 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
4. Add the garlic and spices and sauté for a few more minutes. 
5. Drain the marinated tempeh and add it to the pan. 
6. Turn the heat up to medium high and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often. 
7. While the mixture is cooking start preparing the puff pastries. First preheat the oven to 400°F. 
8. Brush a large baking sheet with olive oil. Cut each pastry sheet into nine squares and set them on the baking sheet at least an inch apart. Brush the tops of the pastries with olive oil. 
9. When the tempeh is ready, taste for salt and add more if needed, then remove from heat. 
10. Put one heaping tablespoon of tempeh on the middle of each square. 
11. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the pastries are nice and puffed. Serve right away.