Hot Coconut Chocolate

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups vanilla coconut milk

1 Tbs cocoa powder

pinch sea salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp raw honey

candy cane (optional)

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, warm the coconut milk on medium low heat

2. Stir in remaining ingredients, simmer for 2 minutes until desired temp is reached and cocoa powder is well mixed in

3. Garnish with candy cane

I set up my xmas decorations a few nights ago, so I was inspired to make a cozy winter drink. I found some great candy canes that were made with brown rice syrup (lower glycemic index) and real peppermint, rather than high fructose corn syrup. Even though they are still not healthy for you, at least you can indulge and feel a little bit better:) I also liked how the peppermint melted into my hot chocolate giving it a nice minty touch. The vanilla coconut milk also goes perfectly with the cocoa. I have already made this a few times. It's so easy and I have all the ingredients on hand. There is no need to buy the hot chocolate packets.

Yummy Salad with Horseradish Dressing

Ingredients

2 cups red bibb lettuce

1 cup green beans

1/2 tsp olive oil

pinch sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup corn

1 egg

1 Tbs pumpkin seeds

1 Tbs sesame seeds

Dressing

1 Tbs veganaise

1/2 Tbs horseradish

Directions

1. Place egg in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, place lid on pot, let simmer for 10 minutes, drain, cool off in cold water, peel, and slice. (I like to make extras for later)

2. Meanwhile, steam green beans for 2 minutes, coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper

3. Mix dressing ingredients together

4. On a large plate, layer the salad with all the ingredients and top with the dressing

This was a delicious lunch I made a few days ago. I love hard boiled eggs in a salad! The green beans were very tasty with the olive oil salt and pepper mix. It all paired nicely with the horseradish dressing. I am not getting tired of horseradish yet. I love how it adds a kick to the typical boring salad. The red bibb lettuce is amazing! It is so buttery and smooth. They don't always have it at the grocery store so it's always a wonderful treat. I never really thought that much about different lettuces because they didn't seem too exciting, but now that I found one I love I pay more attention.

Miso Soup

Ingredients

1 head napa cabbage, chopped

10 cups filtered water

5 vegetable bouillon cubes (no salt added)

4 stalks wakame, dried

1/2 cup corn

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

4 Tbs miso

1 block firm tofu, diced

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot

2. Add cabbage and vegetable bouillon cubes, cook 5 minutes

3. Meanwhile, soak the dried wakame in cold water for 5 minutes

4. Cut the stem out the the wakame and chop into small pieces, add to boiling water

5. Reduce the heat to simmer, scoop out some broth into a cup, add the miso to the broth and stir until mixed, then add to the pot (this is important because you want to slowly get the miso used to the heat)

6. Add corn, tofu, and green onions; simmer 1-2 minutes

I have been making miso soup for a few years now and I make it different every time. This is the second time that I have used the wakame (dried seaweed). I have read about the health benefits and wanted to try them, but I never knew what recipe to add them to. I feel that the miso soup is perfect for them. Wakame is a good source of calcium, iodine, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, C, E, & K, folate, and riboflavin. It's also been found to suppress the growth of cancer tumors and the list goes on. It's hard to not want to try them after you find out how good they are for you. If you can't find them in your grocery store you can always get them online since they are easy to ship since they are dried. This was my first time adding the cabbage to the miso soup, which I really liked and it also added more nutrients. The corn was a random addition because I just wanted to get rid of some leftover corn in the fridge, but it did add a nice sweetness to the soup. It's important to add the green onions the last minute because you want them to still have a nice crunch.

Peanut Soba Noodles

Ingredients

1 pkg soba noodles

1 bottle peanut sauce (365-whole foods)

1/2 pkg tofu, small dice

1 tsp safflower oil

1 cup green beans

1 carrot

1/2 cup cashews, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 lime

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil

2. Meanwhile, saute tofu in a non-stick pan on medium in the safflower oil for 8-10 minutes until golden, add 2 Tbs of peanut sauce and mix well

3. Boil soba noodles for 5 minutes, adding the green beans for 3 minutes, and the carrots for 1 minute, drain, and coat with remaining peanut sauce

4. Stir in cashews, cilantro, and tofu (garnish with lime wedges)

This was my quick supper that I threw together tonight. When you have the peanut sauce already prepared the meal comes together super quick, although a peanut sauce is pretty easy to make. I love that the soba noodles only take 4-6 minutes. Not only are they delicious and hearty, they are perfect for the quick dinner. I cubed the tofu into smaller pieces because I wanted them to cook faster.

Egg Sandwich with Green Bean Appetizer

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 slices whole wheat sour dough bread, lightly toasted

2 eggs

1 tsp safflower oil

1/2 avocado, thinly sliced

3 slice fakin bacon

2 Tbs veganaise

1 Tbs garlic aioli mustard

Appetizer

1 1/2 cups fresh green beans

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

3 Tbs veganaise

1 1/2 Tbs fresh horseradish

Directions

1. Fry eggs in the safflower oil on medium low heat, breaking the yolks, and cooking until solid on each side; about 3 minutes

2. In the same pan as the eggs, cook the bacon until golden, about 2 mins each side

3. Meanwhile, steam green beans for 3 minutes, coat with the olive oil, salt, and pepper

4. Mix veganaise and garlic aioli mustard together, spread on toast, layer in egg, bacon, and avocado

5. Mix veganaise and horseradish for a dipping sauce for the green beans

Every once and awhile I will get on an egg sandwich kick, so I am always trying to find new creative ways to enjoy them. I love egg sandwiches for a quick supper. The green beans were looking great at the grocery store so I had picked up a bunch. I wanted to try to find a new way to enjoy them, so I thought I would serve them as an appetizer to my sandwich or basically a side dish. It gave you the sensation of dipping fries into a yummy sauce, but without all the bad stuff. I have been continuing my horseradish crazes. It gave a nice kick to the green beans, which can be a little boring at times.

Portobello Pizza

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 portobello mushrooms

3/4 cup marinara sauce

1/2 cup daiya vegan cheddar cheese

1 Tbs vegan parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Wipe mushrooms clean with paper towel, remove stems, dice finely, and sprinkle in the inside of the mushrooms

3. Place mushrooms on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes

4. Take mushrooms out of the oven and layer in the marinara, cheeses, and top with chives; bake for another 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted

This was a super quick supper! Eric said his only complaint was that there were not more:) By using the portobello as the pizza crust you make this dish super healthy! Feel free to throw on any other preferred pizza toppings. I just made theses simple. I loaded in the marinara sauce, partly because I was trying to use up an open bottle, but mostly because it was delicious. It's important to have a great tasting marinara sauce. I decided to sprinkle the mushrooms stems in the inside of the mushroom because I didn't want to waste them and you couldn't even tell they were in there in the end. My mom would be proud of me for not wasting:)

Beet Burgers with Horseradish Mayo

Ingredients

2 cups cooked beets, diced

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 cup kale, stems removed & chopped finely

1 portobello mushroom, diced finely

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 Tbs white truffle oil

2 Tbs fresh chives, chopped

1 Tbs fresh thyme, chopped

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Horseradish Mayo

3 Tbs veganaise

1 Tbs real horseradish

4 slices whole wheat sour dough bread

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Saute mushroom & kale in truffle oil until wilted, about 3-4 minutes on medium low heat, adding the garlic the last minute.

3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl mash the beets and black beans together with a potato masher (this is what makes your burgers stick together)

4. Mix mushroom mixture, sunflower seeds, chives, thyme, and salt& pepper into the beet mixture

5. Form into patties and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway.

6. Mix horseradish and veganaise together, spread on bread slices and top with burger.

I roasted a bunch of beets at the end of the summer when I had extras from the farmer's market and then I froze them to use for another time. I had roasted them with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and thyme. I knew that I wanted to make the beet burgers so I just put the bag of frozen beets in the refrigerator the day before so they would thaw out. Since I had the beets already cooked this was a super easy recipe. I was very happy with how they turned out and they made great lunches throughout the week. I also found a new love for horseradish! My dad has always been a huge horseradish fan, so I would try it every once in awhile growing up, but I never really thought much about it. But now that I love the mayo mixed with the horseradish I will be experimenting with it a lot more! Above I stated that you want fresh horseradish and what I mean by that is that you want to get the product that is in the refrigerated section of the grocery store and the ingredients listed with simply be horseradish and no other funky additives. It will also be stronger because it is pure horseradish, rather than being watered-down with other additives.

Baked Tofu Sticks

Adapted from "So Good and Tasty"

Ingredients

1 block firm tofu, cut into slices

3 Tbs shoyu (soy) sauce

1 Tbs rice vinegar

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 slice whole wheat sunflower bread, toasted

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

2 Tbs fresh chives, chopped

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

3 Tbs spelt flour

6 Tbs water

1/2 cup marinara sauce

Directions

1. Pressed tofu for 30 minutes, by placing in a towel, put in a large bowl, and put 2 cans (I use beans) on top.

2. Once the tofu is pressed, mix up the marinade of shoyu, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, and garlic; coat tofu in marinade and allow to sit for 30 minutes

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

4. Pulse the toast in a food processor to make fine bread crumbs or you can just slice the bread super fine to make the bread crumbs ( I was too lazy to get out my food processor, but I think it was more work for my wrist in the end)

5. Mix the toast bread crumbs with the panko bread crumbs, paprika, chives, salt & pepper, and cayenne pepper in a large shallow dish.

6. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and water together until combined

7. Dip the tofu sticks into the flour mixture and then into the bread crumb mixture, place on parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway.

8. Meanwhile, warm the marinara sauce in a saucepan

I was so excited to make these when I saw them on the So Good & Tasty blog. I knew that they would be good! I made my own spin on them and I thought they would be best served with marinara because they remind me of mozzarella sticks. They do take a little extra time with the pressing of the tofu and marinading, but if you plan ahead they are quick easy. These are also great the next day as leftovers. Just pop them back in the oven for a few minutes and they are even crisper the next day.

Garlic Chive Beer Bread

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup oats

1 Tbs maple syrup

1 tsp salt

1 Tbs baking powder

12 oz Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss beer

3 Tbs fresh chives, chopped

1 garlic clove, pressed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Mix dry ingredients together, make a well in the center of the bowl, and pour in wet ingredients; mix lightly

3. Place in buttered loaf pan, place on center rack in oven, and bake for 45 minutes.

This was a super easy and tasty bread. I love having something baking in the oven during this cold season because it makes the house cozy and warm. I think I will try making this recipe with spelt flour next time and play around with some other herbs. I like substituting some of the flour with oats because it adds extra fiber.

Portobello Mushroom Sandwich with Guac Potato Skins

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 slices whole wheat sour dough bread

1 portobello mushroom, thinly sliced

2 tsp garlic thyme infused olive oil

1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced

Guacamole

1 avocado

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 baked red potato, cut in half

1/2 marinara sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Place sliced portobello mushroom and red peppers on baking sheet and coat with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes

3. Spoon out half the potato insides and bake for 8-10 minutes on the same baking sheet as the mushrooms and peppers.

4. Meanwhile, make guacamole by mashing the avocado and stirring in the remaining seasonings.

5. Make sandwiches by layering guacamole on each slice of bread and topping with the mushrooms and peppers.

6. Make the potatoes by spooning in guacamole into each half and topping with marinara sauce.

I was very pleased with how this quick supper came out. I had leftover potato skins from baked potatoes I made the other night that I was too full to finish, so I thought I would save them and turn them into an appetizer or side dish in this case. I sliced the mushrooms as thin as possible, which I really liked the texture of. I read an article about a portobello mushroom that was cooked at a restaurant that resembled steak and they said that the mushroom was sliced very thin, so I thought I would experiment with it. I just infused the olive oil a few days ago, so this was my first recipe trying it out. This was also my first time trying the whole wheat sour dough bread, which was amazing! The tartness of the bread added a great flavor to the sandwich.

Cheddar Sage Biscuits

Adapted from Martha Stewart: online

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbs baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp Himalayan salt

2 1/4 cups aged cheddar cheese, grated

3 Tbs chopped fresh sage

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. In a food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Add cheddar and sage and pulse to combine.

4. Add butter and pulse until mixture is the texture of coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces butter remaining. Add buttermilk and pulse just until combined, 2 to 3 times.

5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead just until it comes together.

6. With your hands, press the dough out to a 3/4-inch thickness.

7. Cut out 12 biscuits using a glass or a biscuit cutter (reroll and cut scraps).

8. Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet, 1 1/2 inches apart, and bake until puffed and golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I made this recipe a few weeks ago to bring along to a dinner party. I was very pleased with how they turned out! I only made a few minor adjustments to the original recipe. I did run into some difficulty with my food processor not being large enough for all the ingredients, so I just worked in smaller batches. They are best when they are warm right out of the oven!

Wild Rice Burger

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice, with 1 tsp white truffle oil

1 can great northern beans, drained & rinsed

1 can black olives, drained & rinsed

1/2 cup corn

1 cup frozen spinach

1 tsp safflower oil

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Garlic Mustard Mayo

4 Tbs veganaise

2 tsp garlic aioli mustard

Multi-grain bread, lightly toasted

Romaine lettuce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Saute spinach and garlic in oil, for 2 minutes on medium low heat

3. Mash beans with a potato masher

4. Mix in all remaining ingredients and form into patties

5. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway

6. Mix mustard and mayo together, spread on bread, and layer in the pattie and lettuce.

This is how I used up my extra wild rice from the acorn squash recipe. I have found that cooking burgers in the oven rather than a frying pan is much easier and healthier because you don't need all the added oil to keep the pattie from sticking. I didn't have to add an egg or bread crumbs to make the burgers stick together because when you mash the beans they get sticky and act as a glue. These burgers were also great reheated for lunch the following day.

Pierogies

Ingredients

2 cups frozen pierogies

2 cups kale, chopped & stems removed

1/2 cup corn

1 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a soft boil, add pierogies, and cook 5-8 minutes, until they start to float to the top of the water, & drain.

2. Meanwhile, saute kale, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the olive oil on medium low heat for 3 minutes, until kale starts to wilt.

3. Add corn, cooked pierogies, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes.

This is a super easy lazy supper! Eric and I were feeling a little lazy last night, so we thought we would just cook some pierogies, but then I felt we needed to add some vegetables, so this is what came about. It was actually delicious! I absolutely love pierogies! Who wouldn't love pasta stuffed with cheesy mashed potatoes!

Spiced Indian Cauliflower Soup

Adapted from Christine Ingram: Vegetarian & Vegetable Cooking

Ingredients

2 red potatoes, diced

1 small head of cauliflower, diced

1/2 onion, sliced

1 tsp safflower oil

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 Tbs fresh ginger, minced

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

4 cups water

2 vegetable bouillon cubes, no salt added

2 6oz containers of plain yogurt

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

cilantro, for garnish

Directions

1. Put potatoes, onions, cauliflower, oil, and 1/2 cup water in a large pot, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, put coriander seeds and mustard seeds in a mortar and grind to a fine powder with the pestle.

3. Add garlic, ginger, and remaining spices to the pot; cook 2 minutes.

4. Add 4 cups of water, bring to a boil, then add bouillon cubes, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Take pot off the stove, puree with immersion blender, and stir in yogurt.

This was the first recipe that I made out of the new cookbook Eric got me for my birthday. It made the house smell so good with all the Indian spices cooking. The smells reminded me of one of my favorite restaurants in St. Paul, Everest On Grand. Now I want to explore more Indian recipes.

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients

1/2 onion, sliced

1 tsp safflower oil

2 poblano peppers, sliced

1 pkg vegetarian ground beef (Whole Foods)

1 cup frozen diced sweet potatoes

1 cup RW Knudsen tomato veggie juice

3 garlic cloves, pressed

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

1 tsp agave nectar

1 cup vegan cream cheese (Follow Your Heart)

1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed

1 can corn, drained & rinsed

1 can black olives, drained & rinsed

1/2 cup cilantro, save 2 Tbs for garnish on top

1 pkg small corn tortillas

1 cup Daiya mozzarella vegan cheese

1/2 cup salsa

Guacamole

1 avocado

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp cilantro

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven 425 degrees

Directions

1. Saute onion in oil for 3 minutes on medium low.
2. Add peppers, sweet potatoes, veggie beef, tomato juice; saute for 3 more minutes.
3. Add garlic, all the spices, cream cheese, and agave nectar; cook 2 minutes.
4. Add beans, corn, olives, and cilantro; cook 1 minute.
5. In a 9x13 pan, spread 1/4 cup salsa on bottom of pan, then layer: corn tortillas, veggie mixture, cheese, corn tortillas, veggie mixture, cheese, corn tortillas, 1/4 cup salsa, cheese, and garnish with cilantro
6. Bake 20 minutes, until cheese is melted
7. Meanwhile, mash avocado and add remaining seasonings.
8. Serve lasagna slice with a dollop of guacamole on top.

I was really pleased with how this recipe turned out. I had a bunch of corn tortillas in my freezer that I had been wanting to use up, so I thought the best way to use up a package would be a big dish like lasagna. I like trying to reinvent traditional dishes using another culture's cuisine. This was also a great way to clean out the refrigerator. The dish was even better because I used Eric's Dad's homemade salsa=yum! I think this would be a great dish for a dinner party because you could make everything ahead of time and then just throw the pan in the oven once the guests arrive.

Autumn in an Acorn Squash

Ingredients

1 medium sized acorn squash

1 tsp garlic powder

3 Tbs white truffle oil

1 tsp olive oil

2 cup wild rice mix (brown rice), rinsed

5 cups water

1 vegetable bouillon cube

1 Tbs Earth Balance butter

1 leek, sliced, soaked in water, and drained

4 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced in half

1 apple, diced

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup pine nuts

2 Tbs fresh sage, minced

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, place on baking sheet flesh side up, rub with olive and 1 tsp white truffle oil, sprinkle with garlic powder, and bake for 50-60 minutes until tender
3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan bring wild rice mix and water to a boil, add vegetable bouillon cube, reduce heat to low, and cook for 45-50 minutes until tender.
4. While the rice and squash are cooking, on low heat saute leeks, apples, sage, garlic, and mushrooms in butter and 2 Tbs white truffle oil until tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Add cranberries, pine nuts, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper, and saute for 5-10 minutes on low.
6. Once the rice is cooked add remaining truffle oil, mix, and set aside 1 1/2 cups to use for another recipe (I like to make extra since it takes so long to cook).
7. Mix the rice into the mushroom mixture evenly.
8. When the squash is cooked take a fork and scrape the flesh out of the squash and mix into the rice mixture, the spoon the mixture back into the shell for serving.

This was a recipe that I created after being inspired by my dear bearded friend:) and his wife after they stuffed a pumpkin with wild rice, which was amazing! I added all my favorite autumn ingredients, which made the house smell amazing! This was a perfect Sunday supper:)

Oat Waffles with Spiced Apple Topping

Ingredients

Waffles (adapted from waffle-recipes.com)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup oats

1 Tbs baking powder

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup skim milk

2 Tbs brown sugar

6 Tbs melted butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp sea salt

Spiced Apple Topping

2 granny smith apples, diced

2 Tbs butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions

1. Mix the apple sauce ingredients together in a large pot, cover, and bring to a simmering boil for 10 minutes, until apples are softened.

2. Meanwhile, mix waffle ingredients together, pour 1/2 cup of batter into preheated waffle iron, cook 2-3 minutes depending on waffle iron, and place cooked waffles in a 200 degree oven to keep warm while finishing the rest of the waffles.

3. Serve waffles with spiced apple topping.

I made this recipe on Sunday when I was visiting my parents. I was in the mood for waffles, so I started googling recipes and I found this one. I thought the oats would add an interesting element to the waffles and I liked that it bumped up the nutrition factor. I was worried that they might be too heavy or not taste like regular waffles, but once they were cooked you couldn't even tell that there were oats in them. I came up with the idea for the apple topping because I wanted to make the waffles extra special and more unique than the typical maple syrup topping. I also thought that it was a good way to sneak some fruit in as well. The apple topping turned out great and it worked perfectly with the oat waffles. I have to warn you though because they are very filling! So start out small. We had a few extra waffles, so we just threw them in the freezer, so then all you have to do is throw them in the toaster the next time you want a waffle.

Protein-Packed Spicy Orzo

Ingredients

2 cups orzo

2 cups snow peas

1 pkg firm tofu, drained, rinsed, & cubed

1 can corn, drained & rinsed

1 can aduki beans, drained & rinsed

1 can black olives, drained & rinsed

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

Marinade

2 Tbs Braggs liquid amino (soy sauce)

1 tsp garlic aioli mustard (Trader Joes)

2 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

Sauce

1 cup vegan cream cheese (Follow Your Heart)

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Mix marinade ingredients together, coat tofu, place tofu on parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add orzo, cook 8-10 minutes, add snow peas the last minute, and drain.

4. While the orzo is cooking, mix the sauce ingredients together, once the orzo is done, add the sauce to the warm pasta and mix well.

5. Add remaining ingredients to the cooked orzo and mix well.

This was a random creation that I came up with for supper tonight and luckily it turned out great! Eric and I definitely overate because it was so tasty that it was hard to stop eating. This recipe makes a lot of pasta, which is great because then you will have lots of leftovers for lunch the next day. I love cooking with orzo because it is so comforting and it tastes great warm or cold. It felt good to get back to cooking tonight because I have been really busy and sick for the last week so I didn't have the time or energy to cook much. This recipe was super easy to whip up and it is also very healthy. I thought I would call this recipe "protein-packed" because there are 3 different protein sources: the tofu, pumpkin seeds, and the aduki beans. I highly recommend trying aduki beans, which is an easy to digest mild bean. I always like to try something different and it makes the dish more special. This was my first time using the vegan cream cheese and I don't think it will be my last. I don't think I would eat it plain, but when you doctor it up with spices it tastes great and you can feel better because you don't have all the fat and cholesterol like you would have in regular cream cheese.