Cast Iron Roasted Sweet Potatoes

categories: Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

A quick and easy method for roasting sweet potatoes. Makes a stunning presentation.

SUPER NUTRITIOUS SWEET POTATOES
Sweet potatoes are delicious and have gorgeous color but there are other even more compelling reasons to love them. Sweet potatoes are rich in:
• vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene),
• vitamin B6,
• vitamin C, and
• potassium
They’re also high in fiber and antioxidants which promote gut health. In addition, they have anti-inflammatory properties and are low on the glycemic index which means that despite their sweetness, they release sugar into the bloodstream slowly – an important attribute as rapid spikes in blood sugar levels are linked to obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. So, as you can see there’s a lot to love about sweet potatoes but I’m going to bet you’ll love them even more once you try this recipe for Cast Iron Roasted Sweet Potatoes. (more…)

14
Jan
2021

Low Carb Almond Flour Bread

categories: Bread, Gluten Free, Healthy, Vegetarian

Delicious, gluten-free bread made with super clean ingredients. Only 5 grams of carbs per slice.

AN EASY-TO-KEEP RESOLUTION
The New Year is a time for healthy eating resolutions – turning over a new leaf and setting dietary goals to change our lives for the better. But lasting improvement can only happen if one sticks to their intentions, and sadly, the research tells us that even though approximately half of all Americans make New Year’s resolutions, less than 10% actually keep them for more than a few months. Often times the problem is that people make resolutions that are too ambitious, like vowing to give up eating bread. The key to making resolutions one can keep, the experts tell us, is to set small, realistic goals, which, over a long period of time, can yield big results. For example, instead of giving up bread entirely, simply switch to eating bread that’s less refined and lower in sugar and carbohydrates than conventionally made bread – bread like this Low Carb Almond Flour Bread. It’s made with super healthy ingredients and is guaranteed to satisfy even the most intense bread craving. Now that’s a resolution anyone can keep! (more…)

24
Jan
2020

Baked Cauliflower Gnocchi

categories: Gluten Free, Healthy, Snacks, Vegetarian

These gluten-free, mild flavored gnocchi are a great, healthy alternative to pasta and French fries. JUMP TO RECIPE

If you’re a Trader Joe’s fan, chances are you’ve heard about their cauliflower gnocchi, a frozen grocery product with a sort of cult-like following. The accolades are well deserved as these vegetables-based dumplings are indeed quite tasty, but to be honest, I’m not crazy about their texture – I find them a little rubbery. So, I set about developing my own version of this product and came up with Baked Cauliflower Gnocchi. These gluten-free, mild flavored gnocchi are crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, and absolutely delicious! I always double or triple the recipe and keep a huge stash in my freezer for an easy weeknight meal. They make a great snack too as hand-held nibbles, and kids love them! (more…)

26
Jun
2019

Seeded Mediterranean Herb Bread

categories: Bread, Gluten Free, Healthy, Vegan, Vegetarian

This vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, bread has a super nutritious line-up of ingredients, including 5 different kinds of seeds, and a mixture of savory Mediterranean herbs and warm, earthy spices.

If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to white, or even whole wheat bread, look no further! This Seeded Mediterranean Herb Bread is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and contains no refined sugar. You’ll be hard-pressed to find bread with a more nutritious line-up of ingredients, including almond flour, brown rice flour, 5 different kinds of seeds, and a mixture of savory Mediterranean herbs and warm, earthy spices. This hearty, delicious bread takes a full hour to bake, but preparing the dough involves nothing more than combining all the ingredients thoroughly, and, since there’s no yeast in this recipe, there’s no extra time required for rising. (more…)

13
Jun
2019

Cauliflower Broccoli Pizza Crust

categories: Gluten Free, Healthy, Vegetarian

A delicious, gluten-free, vegetable-based pizza crust that contains no breadcrumbs and clocks in at only 80 calories per slice!

What if I told you that an easy way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet is to eat pizza – crazy, right? Well, not if that pizza is made with a Cauliflower Broccoli Pizza Crust! Each serving of pizza (2 slices) made on this crust contains about 1 cup of vegetables, which will help you reach the USDA’s recommended goal of 2-3 cups of vegetables per day for teens and adults. (Click here for more info.) You can top this pizza crust with whatever your little heart desires, but for maximum health benefits keep the toppings simple and nutritious. Some marinara, fresh mozzarella, and basil leaves are all that’s needed for a drool-worthy pie that’ll satisfy even the most intense pizza craving.

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22
May
2019

Orange Sesame Grilled Asparagus

categories: Gluten Free, Healthy, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Grilled asparagus gets a boost of flavor with a delicious sesame citrus dressing. The perfect side dish for spring! JUMP TO RECIPE

No other vegetable symbolizes spring as much as asparagus. If you’re making an effort to eat seasonally, now is the time to enjoy this perennial flowering plant species. Of course, you can find asparagus at the grocery store any time of year, but in the off-season, it’ll likely come from Peru or China and will certainly lose some of its freshness during the transcontinental plane ride to the U.S. After all, vegetables suffer from jet-lag too! To really savor asparagus, you’ll want to jazz it up a bit so that you fully appreciate its beauty, versatility, and amazing flavor. This recipe for Orange Sesame Grilled Asparagus will help you do just that! A simple citrus dressing and a sprinkling of delicate sesame seeds on top of perfectly charred asparagus spears will leave you with a newfound love for asparagus and one more reason to welcome spring! (more…)

01
Apr
2019

Lemony Pesto Roasted Broccoli

categories: Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Basil pesto and freshly squeezed lemon juice give this often bland vegetable a delicious boost of flavor. Broccoli may never be boring again! JUMP TO RECIPE

Broccoli used to be one of my least favorite vegetables until I started roasting it. Prior to that I had always steamed it, but once I learned how high oven heat can transform this ho-hum vegetable I never looked back. I went from feeling indifferent about broccoli to actually liking it and making it fairly frequently. Recently I discovered another way to cook this cruciferous vegetable that elevates the taste even further and now I can say, without hesitation, that I LOVE broccoli! If you want to see how the right cooking technique and two simple ingredients can turn a bland and boring vegetable into a stellar side dish, look no further than Lemony Pesto Roasted Broccoli! (more…)

29
Nov
2018

Cauliflower Puffs

categories: Appetizers, Gluten Free, Healthy, Vegetarian

A healthy, low-calorie hors d’oeuvre with subtle sweet and savory flavor. These melt-in-your-mouth nibbles clock in at only 20 calories each! JUMP TO RECIPE

Appetizers and hors d’oeuvres are the stars of any holiday party. Who can resist all those beautiful puff pastry creations, the rich cream cheese dips, and other delicious bites in the shape of wreathes, snowmen, and reindeer. As much as I love all these (and believe me, I always make a point to sample at least one of each), it’s nice to have some lighter alternatives to these yummy, but often very heavy, appetizers. Enter Cauliflower Puffs! These fluffy and healthy nibbles literally melt in your mouth and are only 20 calories each, so feel free to gobble up as many as you want. Tis the season! (more…)

30
Oct
2018

Roasted Cauliflower with Feta, Tomatoes, Walnuts, and Capers

categories: Gluten Free, Healthy, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Roasted Cauliflower with Feta, Tomatoes, Walnuts, and Capers is a vibrant side dish with a variety of flavors, colors, and textures. An awesome appetizer too. JUMP TO RECIPE

The rise of cauliflower as a celebrity vegetable has been nothing short of meteoric. Much of this growth can be attributed to cauliflower rice, a term used to describe cauliflower that has been chopped into tiny pieces that resemble grains of rice. So staggering is the growth of this vegetable in disguise that huge, multinational brands are now jumping in to capture market share. Green Giant (a division of General Mills) now harvests over 100,000 heads of cauliflower daily to meet the growing demand – a six-fold increase from just a few years ago! I’ve done my part as a food blogger by posting a variety of new-fangled cauliflower-based dishes (see the last paragraph for links to these recipes), but recently I had the urge to go back to using cauliflower in a more traditional way and came up with this recipe for Roasted Cauliflower with Feta, Tomatoes, Walnuts, and Capers. (more…)

09
Oct
2018

Herbed Sesame Sunflower Seed Crackers

categories: Appetizers, Gluten Free, Healthy, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Vegan, gluten-free, dairy free crackers with a wholesome taste and tender texture. JUMP TO RECIPE

I put crackers into the same category as salad dressings. They’re not at all hard to make from scratch yet most people purchase these foods at the grocery store. This is probably even more true for crackers than salad dressings. I once mentioned to a friend that I make my own crackers and she said she never once considered making crackers – that it was so easy to buy good ones, why bother. And this is someone who loves to cook! Well, I’m here to tell you that making crackers couldn’t be simpler and you’ll be rewarded with ones that are healthier and taste so much better than store-bought crackers. These Herbed Sesame Sunflower Seed Crackers are nothing like any crackers you’ve ever purchased. They’re vegan, gluten-free, and dairy free and have a wholesome taste and tender texture. A few of these crackers dipped in Sun-Dried Tomato Red Lentil Hummus is the perfect, healthy snack to stave off those hunger pangs that sometimes strike before dinnertime. (more…)

Category: Vegetarian