Mushroom lentil spaghetti squash casserole {vegan}{gluten free}

My kid loves pasta. 

Like, asks for pasta for breakfast, love.

On top of that, he wants "sauce" on everything. His darling father taught him to say "sauce me!!!" So now he demands "sauce" (which is just veggies- puréed) on everything. Apples, cereal, bananas, carrots- you get the jist of it. 

So spaghetti squash is a sneaky mom win. Holla!

Ingredients:

1 Sketti squash

1/2 c lentils

1 cup veggie broth

1cup or less onions

2-5 cloves garlic

A package of organic mushrooms (I used less)

A splash of unsweetened almond milk

1 TBSP tamari (I'll skip this next time probably) 

1 TBSP nutritional yeast (I'll skip this, too)

1 TBSP instant oats 

1-3 cups of kale

First I (ok-I made kody do this because... Let's face it- cutting squashes SUCK)

Cut the squash in half, removed the seeds (save them & roast them if you want to, YUM) 

And placed them flesh down in a shallow casserole dish of water.

It takes about 30-60 minutes on 375 to bake, depending on how big your squash is.

While the squash is bakin', get to cuttin'! Mince garlic (hopefully you have a garlic press, unlike me) 

Chop onions and sautée in oil (extra healthy points for using coconut oil) for a few minutes.

Add in mushrooms and cook until soft.

Meanwhile boil the cup of broth in a small sauce pan. Add lentils and lower heat. Cool until broth is absorbed into lentils. 

Add lentils to the onion, garlic & mushrooms. Sautée for a few minutes before folding in kale.

After the squash is tender, use a fork to remove the yumminess into a collinder to remove extra liquid. Add the squash to the pan and sautée with all the other ingredients for a few minutes. Add a splash of milk with all the seasonings and tamari or soy sauce.

Throw all of the ingredients into a casserole dish and top with nutritional yeast and instant oats. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (or less) 

Voila! 

Ro devoured it! So did I. 

I didn't bake it long enough though,(supa important!) I had two hungry boys waiting on me.

Kody said "it's good, I just don't want to eat it.. Ever. Again... "

  

Thanks, babe!

I'll definitely cook it again. Just cause he said that :)

Egg plant nuggets {vegan}{gf}{soy free}

I often feel guilty Roman will feel left out growing up as a healthy, vegan kid.

While most kids are having Taco Bell, or chicken mcnuggets he is eating kale.

That's why I'm always on the lookout for foods that won't make Ro feel so completely different all the times. But at the same time are healthy and vegan and nourishing and protein filled.

I saw a recipe on Pinterest for "eggplant bites" not vegan, full of crap, but it sparked my interest to try to create a vegan and healthy version.

Lucky for me, I nailed it the first try. Roman ate all of his, and all of mine. Husband even approved!

I got a small graffiti organic eggplant in my farm box this week.

The truth is I've tried to cook with eggplant three times before and HAAATED it. The texture, the appearance  and the taste. 

But I was determined to find a way to like it, damn it! 

I cut the end off of this beauty and peeled the skin.

Then I cut it into one inch(ish) cubes and salted them with pink salt and let the sit in a strainer for about 30 minutes (just a few minutes would be fine, I'm sure) eggplants really absorb so this was the key to making it really tasty.

Next I combined a 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk and 2 table spoons of chickpea flour. I mixed and waited until they were completely mixed together.

In another both I added some more chickpea flour and seasoned it up- I simply used salt, pepper, garlic salt, paprika, cayenne and a little tab of rosemary. 

Heat a skillet with coconut oil over medium high heat

Coat the eggplant cubes completely into the chickpea almond milk mixture and let them sit for for 30 seconds. 

Immediately after fold them into the dry chickpea and once coated throw them on the heated skillet. Make sure you rotate so all for sides get nice and brown (or, if you're like me, black) cooking thoroughly is key so they aren't squishy on the inside. 

Perfect as is, or for dipping! 

I'll definitely be making them once or twice a week from now on.

Tuna salad sammy {vegan}

So I have a confession to make.

While 98% of the time I eat and enjoy the healthiest of organic and vegan food out there.

What's that other 2%, you ask?

Well mostly chips.

And cookies.

And anything gluteny.

All vegan, of course.  BUT the second Roman is napping or asleep for the night I hit the bag of chips, and most times, finish it.

Not my proudest moment.

And it always make me feel like crap.

I tell myself it's okay because at nap or night I deserve a break and shouldn't have to make an extravagant meal so I can eat healthy. 

And cookies are just grab and go.......

And the chips, too..

So I've been testing out EASY & QUICK, but still healthy recipes that I can throw together quickly.

This one is my favorite!

(One tree hill in the background; no shame)

Ingredients:

1 - 2 avocados 

1 can of garbanzo beans

1 lemon 

Onion

Garlic

Salt, pepper & any other seasonings you'd prefer.

I used about half of a can of chickpeas for just me.

Smash chickpeas until desired consistency. I like them really mashes, and of course I have no sort of masher; but a fork works well!

Mix in lemon juice.  I cut my lemon in half and used that.

Add onions, garlic, and seasonings.

I threw some tomatoes and lettuce and toasted a sprouted bun from my local farm. 

So. Good.

So. Easy.

And i still had time to sit on my ass and do nothing before Roman woke up from his nap. win.

Instagram: 

Hippiehails

Homemade chickpea tortilla bowls{vegan}{gf}

Seriously, if you don't have chickpea flour- stop what you are doing right now and go get some. 

They make my life so EASY... Oh, and delicious! 

Oil a frying pan with coconut oil and put on medium/high heat. 

Preheat oven to about 300

Take equal parts flour to water.

I did 1 cup chickpea flour and 1 cup spring water plus about a tablespoon of pink salt. 

Wisk until it's smooth and clump free.

Cook like you would a pancake. 

Flip once bubbled and cook other side.

Let them cool on a plate until they are workable.

Lots of coconut oil helps for easy flipage!

 

Oil the bottom side of a muffin tin.

{my unpaper towel needs sunning!}

Assemble them in between four tins for a bowl, or two for a taco shell.

Bake until they are as crispy as you want them!

Turn broil on for the last few minutes if desired. 

Perfection!!!!

I added refried organic black beans and organic rice with hot sauce. I was in a rush with a crying baby at my legs, but anything could go in there! 

Yum.

Enjoy!!

Reese's {4 ingredients}{vegan}{GF}

I never thought that the perfection of Reese's could ever be duplicated. 

Turns out that 1) Reese's are shit. Have you seen those ingredients?!?! 

Wtf?!?! Gross.

And 2)  they are so easily duplicated while being HEALTHY {can you believe that?} easy, and NO BAKE!!

basically, you can have Reese's breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Vegan Reese's or Veese's {see what I did there?}

For the peanut butter layer, you'll need:

3/4 cup organic peanut butter

1.5 T organic maple syrup  

2 T organic coconut oil {melted}

Mix all together and into a cupcake mold fill the liners about 1/2 full. This will make about 6 Veese's. Freeze for 15 minutes or long enough to harden.

For the chocolate layer you'll need:

1/4 C cocoa 

1/4 C organic coconut oil

1 T organic maple syrup 

Mix all together thoroughly and top off the peanut butter layer. Freeze for about 15 more minutes and enjoy. 

If you have any left overs keep them refrigerated or frozen.

The most amazingly delicious CHICKPEA NUGGETS{vegan}{gf}

Chickpea nuggets. 

Just the name alone sounds freakin phenomenal right?

I was cruisin' Pinterest and those word spoke to me. Why had I never thought of this before!?!?! The two ingredients were hummus & bread crumbs.

I figured I could put a healthy spin on it. The outcome was two thumbs up from my little boy and my big one! 

Chickpea Nuggets:

 

1 can of organic garbanzo beans 

1 vegan gluten free patty {this part is optional, but makes it so much tastier}

*i use sunshine burgers. Vegan, gluten free and non gmo verified with only a couple ingredients.

Lemon juice

1/2 onion chopped very thinly 

Fresh minced garlic{we are garlic lovers so I usually use 4}

1-4 TBSP of organic chickpea flour. {If you used a veggie patty you can use less of this. It can also be subbed with any type of flour you'd prefer!} just make sure you have enough for the nuggets to form

1/2 cup of less of lentils {I always sprout mine} {this is also optional.}

1 cup organic vegtable broth 

Pink salt. Pepper. Garlic salt.. Which ever seasonings you prefer. 

Put your lentils in a pan with the vegtable broth on medium heat and let cook until most of the broth has been absorbed. 

Meanwhile, have your vegan patty cooking. 

Take your garbanzo beans and use a food processor {I even smash with a fork when I dont want to clean the processor} and get those beans roughly puréed! Add some lemon juice, and season those suckers till they are good. I also use a teaspoon or two of tahini.

After the lentils and burger are cooked and good to go, combine all in a bowl and then add your flour. Stir lightly with your hands. It's good keep the texture. 

Roll Into balls and bake at 350 until they are done to your own perfection. I usually bake them for about 20 minutes because I like mine crispy. 

Healthy, quick & easy and fun! Enjoy! 

Pumpkin pie chia pudding{vegan}{gf}

If you're like me, making breakfast in the morning equals a frantic toddler grabbing at your legs screaming for breakfast right NOW!!!! Roman goes from content to starving in .5 seconds. 

So I'm all about preparing breakfast the night before. And extra points if it's easy. 

I'm all about easy.

PUMPKINPIECHIASEEDPUDDING

• 1/2 cup pumpkin 

• 3 TBSP chia seeds 

• 1 cup of {your choice of} milk 

• dash of vanilla 

• 1-3 TBSP pure maple syrup 

Any other add-ins to your hearts desire. 

Ginger, cinnamon, allspice are good in this, too. 

 

That's it. Add to a glass container, stir and put in the fridge over night. 

This is a whole house pleaser, and especially toddler friendly.