"Oh. My. Yum. Vegan Meatballs"

There is a new adjective in Michelle's Thesaurus of a brain ... yup, that's right... the wheels were totally a-turnin' on this one: "Oh. My. Yum."
Seriously though, who literally says that out loud when they eat something so savory, so delicious, so so good?

I don't see any hands.  Well, I guess I'm crazy  {Did I hear you say you already thought that?!}.  Because I couldn't stop saying that phrase when I ate these (vegan) meatballs and soon enough you'll find yourself saying the same phrase.  They are that good.
By now my household is about 90% vegan.  No cheese.  No dairy.  No meat.  We only eat seafood once in a blue moon and organic eggs.  Honestly I feel great.  And am learning that it is SO true that your physique is 80% diet.  But that should be a post for another day.
Instead let's focus on how completely satisfying and mouth-wateringly scrumptious these meatballs are. And healthy.  Pair these with spaghetti squash and spinach tomato sauce and you will be in heaven.  
Dear "Real" Italian comfort food... move on over because you have some major competition here. 

"Oh. My. Yum. Vegan Meatballs"  adapted from the veggie nook
Ingredients 1 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds 3/4 cup nutritional yeast 3/4 cup sundried tomatoes 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp oregano (I didn't measure, just shook a whole bunch in) 1 tsp fennel seeds (same, didn't measure) red pepper flakes dash sea salt 1-2 Tbsp water Method 1.  Blend sunflower seeds in Blendtec or food processor until it resembles coarse flour 2.  Add all ingredients except for water.  Blend together. 3.  Add water to help ingredients stick together if needed. 4.  Roll into little balls and eat.  Or refrigerate for later snacking!

Linking up at these Fabulous Parties: Made It By Monday @ Baked in the South, Made from Scratch Monday @ Living with Food Allergies and Celiac Disease , Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling, Tuesday Talent Show @ Chef in Training, Crazy Sweet Tuesday @ Crazy for Crust, Gluten Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Sweet Treats & Swanky Stuff @ Something Swanky, Anything Goes Linky @ Bacon Time with the Hungry Hypo, Sweets for A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies

Cashew Corn Chowder with Cilantro Cream

So as you know (or may not know) I love love love Pinterest.  Just like almost every other girl.  And just like almost every other girl, I pin mouth watering recipes... Like this recipe for Cashew Corn Chowder with Cilantro Cream.

Since my sweet hubby gave me a Blendtec a month ago (eeee I'm up to 50 uses on it already!!!), I have been itching to try this recipe.  I mean come on, creamy chowder made with cashews instead of cream?  A cream made with cashews instead of dairy?  I've been reading every where in blog land how soaked and blended cashews mimic dairy, but I had yet to try it.
Until... I discovered that Alta over at Tasty Eats at Home was hosting Adopt A Gluten Free Blogger - a  super fun party where GF bloggers "adopt" another GF blogger and recreate at least one of their recipes.
I chose Sarah from My New Roots who, of course, created the Cashew Corn Chowder.  Sarah's blog is wonderful.  It features fresh nutrient rich ingredients and drool worthy photographs.  She is also a holistic nutritionist so her recipes are chock-full of super foods that fuel your body and leave your taste buds begging for more.
This corn chowder was ridiculously easy to make and can easily be adapted to your taste preferences.  (Like... basil can easily substitute the cilantro, canned corn for fresh, etc).  It also freezes beautifully and reheats wonderfully.  
So what are you waiting for??  Check out Sarah's recipe for Cashew Corn Chowder and get cooking and blending!  :)
Linking up at these Fabulous Parties: Made It By Monday @ Baked in the South, Made from Scratch Monday @ Living with Food Allergies and Celiac Disease , Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling, Tuesday Talent Show @ Chef in Training, Crazy Sweet Tuesday @ Crazy for Crust, Gluten Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Sweet Treats & Swanky Stuff @ Something Swanky, Anything Goes Linky @ Bacon Time with the Hungry Hypo, Sweets for A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies

Roasted Rosemary Potato Bites

  Looking for an easy dinner side dish?  Or for breakfast?  Brunch?


 Look no further!

  These Roasted Rosemary Potato Bites are sooo yummy and easy to make.  Take five minutes to prepare them, then pop them in the oven for 45 minutes!  They're perfect alone or dipped in ketchup {mmmm ketchup how I love thee}


Ingredients
5-10 organic red potatoes chopped into bite size chunks (I chop enough to fill a 13x9 baking dish)
extra virgin olive oil
rosemary (fresh or dried)
thyme (fresh or dried)
sea salt
pepper
hot pepper flakes (optional)

Method
1.  Preheat oven to 425 F
2.  Place potato bites in 13x9 glass baking dish.  (Potatoes seem to stick less to glass dishes)
3.  Drizzle generously with EVOO and season generously with rosemary and thyme.  Sea salt and pepper to taste!
4.  Give a good stir to make sure potatoes are covered in yummy goodness and place in oven.
5.  Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring every 10 min so that potatoes don't stick too much to dish.
6.  Once they seem done, broil for a few minutes to get them nice and crispy!  Enjoy!  

I'm partying at these blog parties!

Vietnamese Braised Eggplant

So I think our little purple friend always gets the raw end of the deal.  Most people cringe when they hear the word eggplant.  Hey, I used to.


Somehow my taste buds have changed over the years {hallelujah!} and now I buy this purple vegetable almost every single week.  And let me tell you, when it's cooked correctly, it is out. of. this. world.  

Let me introduce you to a new recipe that is inspired by Vietnamese flavors, but has some major twists on it created by yours truly.  This dish is entirely gluten free and vegan but packs some major flavor punch!  Feel free to adjust the spiciness to your liking.  This recipe is just hot enough that you get a slight tingle on your lips.  Oh... and the eggplant... I guarantee this will be the most smooth, silky, soft, and flavourful eggplant you will ever taste.  {Yep... and leftovers are great too!  Just ate some for lunch while drooling over this recipe again...} 

Vietnamese Braised Eggplant adapted from Girl Cooks World

Ingredients
1 large eggplant, peeled & cut into large chunks
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion quartered & separated
1/2 tsp caraway seeds, crushed to release flavor
5 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 can chickpeas, rinsed
3/4 cup light coconut milk (or full fat)
1/4 cup Liquid Aminos (or gluten free soy sauce)
basil & red pepper flakes to garnish

Method
1.  Place eggplant chunks in colander and sprinkle with salt.  Let sit for 20 minutes.
2.  Rinse eggplant, pat dry, then sprinkle with sugar and place in bowl.
3.  In a large skillet, heat olive oil at medium heat.  Then add eggplant and occasionally stir for about 5 minutes.
4.  Add onion, caraway, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.  Stirring occasionally to make sure eggplant and garlic don't stick to pan.
5.  Add pepper, chickpeas, cayenne pepper, black pepper... give a good stir... then add coconut milk and liquid aminos (or soy sauce) and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
6.  Serve eggplant mixture over quinoa or rice.  Garnish with fresh or dried basil and hot pepper flakes and enjoy!

parting at these scrumptious blog hops!

Living with Food Allergies and Celiac Disease "Made from Scratch Mondays"

Deconstructed Eggplant Falafel

Please allow me to introduce you to the most amazing meal.

High protein.


High fiber.


Lots and lots and lots of healthy nutrients.


Gluten free, dairy free, and vegan.

Please rotate this Eggplant Falafel into your monthly meal rotation.  Wait, how about weekly... it's that good.

I first saw this recipe from Joanne at Eats Well With Others.  She is an amazing vegetarian cook and takes mouth watering photos.  I took her recipe for Falafel-Stuffed Eggplant with Tahini Sauce and Tomato Relish and put a few subtle twists on it.  Now it's in a gluten free and vegan form and much heartier since I didn't puree the "stuffing" like she did.  

This is a perfect recipe to serve for guests as well, a lot of the prep work can be done at an earlier time and the presentation is just beautiful.

Ingredients:
Tahini Sauce:


3 tbsp water
2 tbsp tahini (found at specialty food stores) (you could sub hummus if you'd like)
4 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced

Eggplant "Stuffing":


1 large eggplant
few pinches salt
1/4 chopped onion
2 portobello mushrooms diced
2 Tbsp parsley
1 tbsp tahini
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can chickpeas crushed (I used a potato masher and went to town.  you want it to be chunky so it gives the meal a "heartier" feel.  usually the chickpeas are processed to a paste... but I am still waiting on a food processor!)

Relish:


1 cup chopped tomato 
1/2 finely chopped cucumber
1 Tbsp parsley
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt

Method:


1)  Preheat oven to 475 F.
2)  Prepare tahini by mixing water, tahini, lemon juice, cumin and garlic.
3)  Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise and cut sides with a crosshatch pattern.  Place cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 7- 10 minutes until slightly tender and brown.
4)  Remove from the oven and carefully scoop out the pulp, leaving a 3/4-inch edge.  Place pulp in a medium sized bowl.
5)  Combine eggplant pulp with salt, onion, parsley, tahini, olive oil, cumin, coriander, black pepper, cayenne, garlic, mushrooms, and chickpeas in medium sized bowl.  
6)  Spoon the chickpea mixture into eggplant and bake for 25 minutes until the eggplant is tender and the chickpea mixture is lightly brown.
7)  To make the relish, combine the tomato, cucumber, parsley, balsamic, and olive oil.  (I was out of balsalmic vinegar so I mixed 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar with 1/4 tsp sugar to substitute).
8)  To eggplants with relish and drizzle with tahini sauce. 

Enjoy this amazingly refreshing and healthy meal!


(major hubby approved FYI  ;)

Oven Baked Salmon with Penne Primavera

  Mmm, this meal is deeelicious!  I made this the night we came back from our short but sweet trip to Connecticut.  Yep, after being awake for 22 long hours straight I whipped up this dish.  (Cuz I'm that awesome ;)

Oven Baked Salmon

fresh salmon filet(s)

2 Tbs lemon juice

2 Tbs capers

olive oil

garlic pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 350F

2.  Place salmon on aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, capers, and garlic pepper seasoning.

3.  Tent the foil so minimal steam escapes and place on baking pan (with sides to catch liquid)

4.  Bake until fish is flaky (mine was large and took about 35 minutes to bake) then uncover and broil for about 5 minutes 

Penne Primavera


box of penne pasta (I used Hodgson's Mill)
olive oil (I have never measured how much oil I use; I always eyeball it.  But in this recipe I probably used about 4-5 Tbs total throughout)
1/2 large onion sliced
5 garlic cloves minced (more or less depending on your taste)
6 baby bella mushrooms sliced
1/2 sweet pepper sliced
2-3 large handfuls kale
3 oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1 Tbs butter
oregano
sea salt
crushed black pepper
cayenne pepper


1.  Boil pasta according to directions

*tip* add a splash of olive oil in boiling water before adding pasta; this helps keep the pasta from sticking to itself

2.  In large saucepan, saute onion, garlic, and olive oil until onion gets soft and starts to caramelize slightly

3.  Add mushroom, pepper, a few large pinches of oregano, cracked pepper, and a dash of cayenne and sea salt 

4.  After mushrooms have started to soften, add kale, sun-dried tomatoes, and butter.  Also add extra olive oil if needed

5.  Cook until kale is slightly limp then add drained pasta

6.  Mix together and enjoy!

  Growing up I used to watch my Mom whip up the most delicious meals.  She never measured.  Just a pinch of this and a handful of that... I'm lucky that I am able to do the same thing!  With my cooking recipes, feel free to play around with measurements and spices.  (I have yet to follow a recipe exactly; it's fun to have that freedom whereas baking has to be precise).  


  My only advice: load on the garlic, herbs, and spices... the more flavor the better!  ;)