Meatless Meatballs

Upgrade your Sunday sauce with these delicious meatless meatballs.

Ingredients:

1 pkg vegan ground (12oz)
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup breadcrumbs or ground flax
1/4 cup combined fresh basil/parsley, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground clove
olive oil for baking dish

Method:

– Preheat oven to 400°.
– In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, adding the vegan ground last. 
– Shape vegan meat mixture into 2 Tbsp sized balls, or use a medium cookie scoop. Place meatballs in a lightly oiled baking dish spaced roughly 1 inch apart.
– Bake for 10-15 minutes, flip, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until browned.
– Once cooked, remove from oven, let cool, and enjoy.

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Vegan Meatloaf

Warm up your home with this flavorful classic.

Ingredients:

1 pkg vegan ground (12oz)
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup breadcrumbs or ground flax
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground clove
1/2 tsp ground paprika

Method:

– Preheat oven to 400°.
– In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, adding the vegan ground last.
– In a greased baking dish, shape vegan meat mixture into a loaf.
– Cook for 25 – 30 minutes, until browned
– Once cooked, remove from oven, let cool, and enjoy.

Juicing is the new coffee

I believe it started unintentionally, but I have ditched coffee.

I’ve loved coffee for years like a proper Gilmore Girl, but all of a sudden I experienced some extra sensitivity to the caffeine. I’ve heard of people not having coffee and wondered how the heck they got through the day. Even some of my friends say they get extreme anxiety and jitters when they have coffee. I thought they were crazy until one very jittery morning.

It was a Monday morning after I took a week long holiday and I knew if there was a day to get my favorite latte, today was it. I had a delicious gingerbread oat milk latte and felt amazing. Then around 3PM I felt like I was on edge and a bit woozy. I ate lunch which helped a bit but still something felt off. This continued until about 9PM when I started to develop a minor headache. Then, it was 3AM and I hadn’t been able to sleep and my headache was now head splitting.

Now, it’s after Christmas and I found a juicer under the tree that was low key the best gift of the year (thank you, honey)! I started juicing and noticed I had an increase of energy but in a much more manageable dosage. It’s also a great way to get nutrients that I wouldn’t normally get. I know eating vegetables and fruits are best consumed for our health in their whole state. But… I’m a realist, and I know I’m never going to naturally grab an apple and snack away, I wish I did, but…

I’ve also been experimenting with tea. I have never been that crazy about it, I like it, but never sought it out. This is something Alex has also been getting into. Any tea recommendations or tips are welcomed 🙂 !

For now, I’m enjoying mixing together different fruits and veggies and creating a little morning elixir. It has become something I look forward to in the morning and also a great way to use up any fruits or veggies so they aren’t wasted.

Spaghetti Squash Hash Browns

A healthier take on hash browns with all the deliciousness.

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash per serving
olive oil
garlic powder
salt & pepper

Method:

– Preheat oven to 400°.
– Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds and ribbing.
– Massage the inside and outside of squash with about 1 Tbsp olive oil for each half, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
– Place squash face down onto a baking sheet, ensuring the sides of the squash touching the pan are coated in olive oil to prevent sticking.
– With a fork, pierce the squash 2-3 times.
– Roast for about 25-30 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the squash with a fork.
– Remove from oven and let cool until you can comfortably rake a fork to fluff and remove the “spaghetti” from the squash.
– Raise oven temperature to 450°.
– In a lightly oiled baking dish, add the “spaghetti” and top with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
– Bake for 10 minutes or until top starts to turn golden.
–Remove, let cool, and enjoy!

Butternut Squash Shepherd’s Pie

Flavorful, comforting, and the perfect rain/snow day meal.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, gutted, peeled, and diced into small chunks
1 pound vegan ground – we used Beyond Meat
2 cups corn
1/4 cup plant milk
2 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp chili powder (total)
2 Tbsp vegan butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground clove
salt & pepper

Method:
– Boil a small pot of water for the butternut squash. Once water is boiling, season water with salt (about 1 Tbsp) and add prepared butternut squash. Cook for about 10 – 15 minutes or until you are able to pierce a fork easily through a piece of squash.
– As squash is cooking preheat the oven to 400°.
– In a pan cook your vegan ground according to the package and add the minced garlic, ground clove, 2 tsp chili powder, and about 1 tsp ground pepper.
– Once the butternut squash is cooked, drain and add squash to a bowl. Add butter, plant milk, 1 tsp chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper for seasoning. With an electric mixer (or potato masher) mix/mash the butternut squash until you have a mashed potatoes consistency, add more plant milk if needed.
– In a baking dish, add a base layer of corn, then add your cooked vegan ground, lastly top with mashed butternut squash. Cook in oven for about 30 minutes or until top starts to brown.
– Once cooked, remove from oven, let cool, and enjoy!

BLT Dip

This dip is a staple for football games in our house – light, flavorful, and full of deliciousness!

Ingredients:

Carrot bacon – carrot bacon recipe
2 cups finely chopped lettuce
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and mashed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt & pepper
Juice from 1 lime

Method:

– Follow recipe for carrot bacon.
– While carrot bacon cooks, prepare the guacamole by combining avocados, onion, cilantro, garlic powder, lime, and salt and pepper.
– Add the guacamole as a base to a serving dish.
– Add lettuce and tomatoes on top of guacamole.
– Once carrot bacon is cooked, make sure it is in bite sized pieces and add to the top of the dip.
– Serve with chips and enjoy!

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Liquid Gold Juice

Refreshing, sweet, and bright, this juice is a great way to kickoff your day! ☼

Ingredients:

1 medium golden beet
1 medium orange
1 green apple

Method:

Simply juice the 3 ingredients and enjoy!

The Swiss Smoothie

Kale is always the go to, switch it up and try a different leafy green!

Ingredients:

Roughly 3-5 medium green Swiss chard leaves, stems removed
1 banana
1 apple
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
2 Tbsp hemp seeds
2 Tbsp nut butter
Splash of plant milk

Method:

– Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, add plant milk until desired consistency.
– Enjoy!

Frozen Mango Margarita

Brighten up with this refreshing margarita!

Ingredients:

1 mango, diced and frozen preferably
Juice from 1 lime
3 medium mint leaves
2 shots Tequila
2 cups ice

Method:

– This one is easy, put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
– Enjoy!

Sneaky Squash

Got some extra veggies in the fridge? Want to sneak them into your dinner? This hack is for you!

The beautiful thing about vegetables like zucchini, summer squash, and carrots – you can sneak them into almost anything!

Making nacho cheese? Add some cooked carrots and or potatoes to the blender. Making a pasta sauce? Blend some cooked zucchini or summer squash and voila, a healthier pasta sauce. My personal favorite is adding an onion, and 2 summer squashes to my mac and cheese sauce.

This trick comes in handy for picky eaters, as these vegetables are not too flavorful, they can help make your dinner go farther and add extra nutrition.