Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients

  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 1 15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2-3 TBS chopped cilantro
  • juice of one lime
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 cup cooked corn
  • 1/4 cup diced pickled red onion
  • white corn tortillas
  • greens of your choice
  • avocado
  • sriracha or salsa
  • vegan nacho cheese sauce

Directions

  1. Pierce sweet potato and microwave on high for 4 minutes or until just starts to soften. Remove from microwave and cool until able to handle. Peel of skin and dice potato.
  2. In a saucepan, combine sweet potato and next 6 ingredients and heat through until sweet potato is soft.
  3. Heat tortillas in 375 degree oven, or in a skillet over medium heat.
  4. Assemble tacos – place greens on tortilla, top with a generous spoonful of bean and sweet potato mixture. Add corn, then pickled red onions(to pickle, pour apple cider vinegar over onions and let them sit for at least 30 minutes). Top with diced avocado, vegan nacho cheese sauce, and sriracha or salsa, then serve!

A plant-based spin on some classic Mexican ingredients for your next Taco Tuesday!

Lentil, Mushroom & Sun Dried Tomato Wraps

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of dried green lentils
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 cup cremini mushrooms, chopped
  • 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes – the ones dried in a bag, not the ones jarred in oil, chopped
  • 1/4 diced red onions
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • oil-free hummus
  • greens, whatever kind you fancy
  • 6 whole grain 10-inch wraps

Directions

  1. Prepare the lentils. Combine lentils and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are cooked through.
  2. Meanwhile, in a skillet combine the next 7 ingredients and cook until tender, adding a splash of vegetable broth or water as needed to prevent sticking. When lentils are ready, add to skillet and mix well.
  3. Spread a tablespoon of hummus on each wrap. Top this with a bed of greens of your choosing. Add a couple of heaping tablespoons of lentil mixture and roll up.

I like to serve this alongside a Strawberry Spinach Salad. Packed with nutrients and protein, this makes for a delicious, filling and healthy lunch!

Tempeh Tacos with Corn Salsa

Ingredients

  • 2 ears of corn, husks and silks removed
  • 1/3 cup diced red onion
  • handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 2-3 TBS cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 8 ounce package of organic tempeh
  • 2 TBS salsa
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 8-10 corn tortillas
  • arugula
  • diced avocado
  • sriracha

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Place corn in microwave and cook on high for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through, but still firm. Remove from microwave and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before handling. Once cooled enough to touch, place upright on cutting board and run a knife down the inside of the kernels, separating them from the cob.
  3. Place corn kernels in a bowl and mix with the next seven ingredients. Mix thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate.
  4. In a skillet over medium heat, combine tempeh, salsa, ground cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook until well combined and slightly softened, using a splash of vegetable broth or water as needed to prevent sticking.
  5. Meanwhile, heat corn tortillas in the oven for about 5 minutes, turning over halfway through. Time hack – can also heat 2-3 at a time in a skillet if you don’t want to wait for an oven to preheat or simply don’t want to heat the house up in the summer months.
  6. Once tortillas are done, it’s time to assemble. Place tortillas in a taco holder or on a plate. Scoop a generous tablespoon of tempeh onto the tortilla. Layer on some arugula, as much or as little as you like. Scoop on a generous tablespoon of corn salsa. Top with diced avocado and a drizzle of sriracha. If you’re not a fan of heat, you can alternately use salsa

Simple, quick, and packed with nutrients! Tempeh is an excellent source of protein, and is made from soy which means it packs a one-two punch as a hormone regulator and a cancer preventer. Arugula is not only a green leafy, but also a cruciferous vegetable, which means it’s fantastic for your immune system, calming inflammation, and overall gut health. Red onions are also a powerhouse for the immune system, and you can’t forget the lycopene of the tomatoes, as well as the antioxidant power that comes with all brightly colored vegetables. Throw in some avocado for a little healthy fat (omit if you are trying to lose weight as there is already enough healthy fat in the tempeh), and a little heat with the sriracha. All packed into one little taco!

We try to do tacos once per week because there are so many different combinations of ingredients that can go into them, they’re fast, and everyone loves tacos! We never get tired of them!

If you try them, I’d love to know what you think. Feel free to let me know in the comments below!

Roasted Red Pepper & Cauliflower Soup

Roasted Red Pepper & Cauliflower Soup

roasted red pepper soup]

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 cups chopped roasted red peppers, from a jar
  • 2 boxes of vegetable broth
  • 1 1/2 heads of cauliflower
  • 1-2 whole carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 large white onion, chopped
  • 1 TBS mined garlic
  • 1 TBS turmeric
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425, or an air fyer to 400 using the bake setting. Cut 1/2 of a head of cauliflower into steaks, lay on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  2. Chop up one head of cauliflower, place into a stock pot with vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes until cauliflower has started to soften.
  3. Place the 1/2 head of cauliflower into the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or put into the air fryer for about 5-7 minutes, checking every couple of minutes.
  4. While cauliflower is roasting, add remaining ingredients to the pot and cook through until softened.
  5. Turn off heat, and use an immersion blender to blend the vegetables until smooth. It should look like tomato soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can place in a blender, but will need to cool a bit first.
  6. Dish the soup into bowls, top with roasted cauliflower, and serve with a wedge of garlic toast. Delish!

 

Balsamic Mushroom & Asparagus Spaghetti

DSC_1219

Ingredients

  • 1 lb spaghetti
  • 2 containers baby bella, or cremini, mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 15-oz can of chickpeas
  • 10-15 spears of asparagus
  • 4 green onions
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth
  • 2-3 TBS balsamic vinegar
  • 1 TBS cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • nutritional yeast, optional, for sprinkling

Directions

  1. Start the spaghetti boiling in a large pot on the stove.
  2. slice the mushroom, cut asparagus into 1-2″ pieces, and chop the green onion into small pieces.
  3. In a large nonstick skillet, add a splash or two of the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Add the mushrooms, asparagus, green onion and chickpeas. Season, and saute in broth over medium heat until heated through and just starting to cook down.
  4. Add balsamic, and continue to simmer. In a separate small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold vegetable broth until smooth. Pour into skillet and heat through until bubbling and slightly thickened.
  5. Drain spaghetti noodles, then divide equally into six bowls.
  6. Distribute mushroom mixture evenly across noodles, sprinkle on some extra green onions and a little nutritional yeast if you wish, and serve.

DSC_1216