Vegan

Chipotle Honey Mashed Sweet Potatoes

March 20, 2013 by Erica

Chipotle Honey Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Guess what kind of food I have for you today?

Sweet potatooooooes!

Sometimes I’m so predictable.

BUT not just any sweet potatoes. Creamy mashed sweet potatoes with a kick of chipotle and a drizzle of honey. If you only eat sweet potatoes once in your life, make sure they’re these ones.

Chipotle Honey Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Side note, does anyone know how to take a good picture of mashed potatoes? If I could have a guest photographer for all future mashed potato posts… that would be great.

Anyway, I’m kind of obsessed with the combination of chipotle/honey/sweet potato that I first came across in these tacos (my favorite!) from Naturally Ella. It’s good in everything! Well, that might be an exaggeration. But if I’m ever wondering what to do with some leftover sweet potatoes, that flavor combination always comes to mind.

These potatoes would be great with a pork chop and a side of green veggies… or just scooped straight out of the serving bowl (not that I would know anything about that!). I was also thinking of using them as a bed for a cauliflower steak with some sort of veggie gravy, which is probably what I’ll do next time. So many possibilities!

In other news, guess what I have for you tomorrow? Just a little sneak peak:

Coffee & Quinoa

And there won’t be any sweet potatoes in them, I promise.

Although, truth be told, I might choose these sweet potatoes over cupcakes if I had to make the choice… yep, there’s a very good chance that I would. Luckily no one in their right mind would make you choose between those two things. That would just be cruel! I’ll take sweet potatoes AND cupcakes, please.

Chipotle Honey Mashed Sweet Potatoes

5.0 from 1 reviews

Chipotle Honey Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Hands-on time

5 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

55 mins

Author: Erica

Yields: 4

Ingredients

3 lbs sweet potatoes (about 3 large sweet potatoes)
2 Tbsp butter or Earth Balance
2 chipotle chili peppers from a can of chipotle chilies in adobo, minced
1 Tbsp adobo sauce (from the can of chipotle peppers)
2 Tbsp honey
¼ tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Scrub sweet potatoes and pierce several times with a fork. Bake until very soft when squeezed with an oven mitt, about 50 minutes.
Scrape the sweet potato flesh into a large bowl and discard the skins. Add remaining ingredients and beat with a hand mixer (or mash by hand) until thoroughly combined.
Serve hot!

Notes

Inspired by Eat, Live, Run.

Roasted Veggie Quinoa Bowl with Miso Tahini Sauce

March 18, 2013 by Erica

Roasted Veggie Quinoa Bowl with Miso Tahini Sauce

I warned you: Sweet Potato Fever over here. Can someone come over to my house and tell me if I’m turning orange around the edges?

Here’s how we’re getting our sweet potato fix today: roasted, in a bowl with quinoa and broccoli, and drenched in a slurpable sauce. This right here is barely a recipe. Buuuut it’s one of the meals I’ve been eating most often recently, so of course I wanted to share. It’s a great way to use up any vegetables you might have gotten overzealous with on your last shopping trip… ahem sweet potatoes.

I almost always use sweet potatoes when I make this, but the other vegetable can be changed up. I usually try to use something green. Here it was broccoli, but I’ve also done Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kale. Green beans or asparagus would also be great as we head into spring!

For a hot meal, this is super fast to make. Quinoa is a quick-cooking grain, and I love that it’s cooked and tender by the time the veggies finish roasting. The dressing can also be whipped up in about 30 seconds, making life so easy.

Roasted Veggie Quinoa Bowl with Miso Tahini Sauce

I recently made this for lunch for Nate, our friend Pete and myself before an afternoon of skiing. I was out of the house when Nate texted me, saying he and Pete were stopping to get Pete’s ski stuff and would be home soon to eat. Eek – for a second I thought I was going to have to renege on my offer to make lunch. But I quickly got my head screwed on straight, raced home, and popped these veggies in the oven. Lunch was ready by the time the boys got back! Success.

This is also one of my favorite lunches to pack for work. It’s so healthy, and the tart and salty sauce is just the type of thing I look forward to eating all morning. Not to mention the sweet potatoes!

Roasted Veggie Quinoa Bowl with Miso Tahini Sauce

5.0 from 1 reviews

Roasted Veggie Quinoa Bowl with Miso Tahini Sauce

Hands-on time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Erica

Yields: 3 servings

Ingredients

For the bowl:

1 large sweet potato (1 1/2 to 2 lbs), peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 small heads broccoli, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 tsp olive oil
sprinkle of salt and pepper
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed

For the miso tahini sauce:

2 Tbsp white miso paste
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon)
2-4 Tbsp water (as needed)
1 small clove garlic, minced (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 and line 2 baking sheets with tin foil.
Toss sweet potato with 1 tsp olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and spread onto one of the baking sheets. Do the same with the broccoli, remaining olive oil, and another sprinkle of salt and pepper and spread onto the other baking sheet. Roast both for 20-25 minutes, until starting to brown, stirring once halfway through.
While vegetables are roasting, cook quinoa. Add to small pot with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until tender. Drain any remaining water.
Finally, prepare the miso tahini sauce. With an immersion blender (or a whisk), mix together the miso, tahini, lemon juice, 2 Tbsp water, and optional garlic. Add additional water to reach desired thickness.
Once vegetables are done, you're ready to eat! Scoop quinoa into each bowl and top with vegetables and miso tahini sauce.
Enjoy!

Poor Man’s Shrimp Cocktail

March 8, 2013 by Erica

poor man's shrimp cocktail

Yep, cauliflower. It’s not just the other white meat… it’s also the poor man’s shrimp. Or the vegetarian’s shrimp. Or the trying-to-get-the-kids-to-eat-their-veggies shrimp.

It’s due to that last one that I know about this dish (OK, and maybe the first one, too). I haven’t had it in years, but I remember my mom making it many times during my childhood, anytime my parents had a party. She always made it first so that we kids would have something to munch on while she finished preparing the food. When I asked Mom if she remembered it, she said “Oh yeah, cheap shrimp!” I never thought twice about it as a kid, but as an adult, I realized that no one else had ever heard of eating cauliflower this way.

poor man's shrimp cocktail

And in case that includes you, let me tell you about it: Homemade cocktail sauce. Served with cauliflower. That’s it! So easy, and surprisingly yummy.

As I type this, I just had to go back and get the rest out of the fridge and am now eating it. SO yummy. It takes me right back to childhood.

poor man's shrimp cocktail

If you remember last Friday’s post, my big weekend plan was to cook all the foods Nate doesn’t like while he was out of town. Horseradish is probably #1 on that list, so naturally I had to incorporate it somehow, and I’ve been meaning to share this easy party food for a while. I texted Nate a picture of the open jar of horseradish as I was making this, and his response was “Ewwww! Thanks for waiting til I leave to eat that!” Not sure if he thought I was just spooning it out of the jar or what… come on, I’m not THAT crazy.

On a side note, I realized that I forgot to take an advantage of the opportunity last weekend to eat OLIVES. Nate does not like olives. And those CAN be eaten straight out of the jar. Next time.

poor man's shrimp cocktail

On another side note, wasn’t it such a pain that I had to open a bottle of wine and several types of cheese in the middle of the day just so that I could take these pictures? Life is tough, I tell ya.

Now, as you may be able to guess from the pictures, you have two options with the cauliflower:

Roasted…

poor man's shrimp cocktail

Or raw.

poor man's shrimp cocktail

I personally prefer the crunch of the raw, probably because that’s how we used to eat it as kids. But you could do roasted if you prefer. Just toss with a teaspoon of olive oil and pinch of salt and roast on a lined baking sheet at 400 for 20-25 minutes, stirring once. Let cool before serving.

A word to the wise: This cocktail sauce use Worcestershire sauce, which is not vegetarian. (It contains anchovies.) I believe there are vegan versions of Worcestershire sauce available, and there are definitely recipes out there on the web for it. You could leave out the Worcestershire sauce or sub soy sauce for it if you’re vegetarian or making this for vegetarians. You could even make the whole cocktail sauce from scratch if you wanted, using the Herbivore Triathlete’s recipe for homemade ketchup. I had originally planned to do this myself until I realized that an unopened bottle of Heinz was languishing in my fridge. I must have bought it when I moved to Utah, thinking I would need it sometime… It seemed wasteful to leave that and make my own. Also, I guess I haven’t eaten ketchup in the last year and a half? Not surprised. That stuff never goes bad… right?

poor man's shrimp cocktail

Are there any foods you ate regularly as a kid but later found out your mom had invented? I’m curious!

poor man's shrimp cocktail

5.0 from 3 reviews

Poor Man's Shrimp Cocktail

Hands-on time

3 mins

Total time

3 mins

Author: Erica

Yields: 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized pieces

For the cocktail sauce:

1 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon)
1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce
3-4 Tbsp prepared horseradish

Instructions

To make the cocktail sauce, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. If you're unsure about the horseradish, start with 2 Tbsp and taste as you go.
Serve alongside chopped cauliflower.

Notes

Adapted from About.com.

Butternut, Chickpea and Kale Soup with Tahini Broth

March 6, 2013 by Erica

butternut kale and chickpea soup with tahini broth

Can you believe it’s March?

I’ve started off every month for the past… oh, year or so, with that same question. I think it’s a sign I’m getting old.

But this month, unlike every month in the fall when I know that another month means even colder weather, I’m happy it’s March. March means that, although everything may still be snow-covered, a few warm days will be tossed in here and there. It’s actually been over 50 the past few days! (Don’t be too alarmed; there’s a chance of snow today… now THAT is March for you.) I always look forward to the warm weather because it means summer produce. Strawberries, tomatoes, basil, peaches… and other things that I have probably forgotten about because I haven’t seen them in so long.

But this year, I kind of started to panic when I realized spring was coming. I haven’t cooked enough winter food yet! Blogging will do that to you. I need more time for soup!

butternut kale and chickpea soup with tahini broth

So that was the impetus behind this soup. That, and wanting to make something creative with tahini while Nate was out of town this weekend because, as you may remember, he does not like tahini. So I made a soup and put tahini in the broth. It’s yummy, and satisfied my soup craving so that I can finally make peace with winter.

The main flavor of this soup comes from the butternut squash, making it slightly sweet. The broth is also spiced; I used coriander, turmeric, and thyme, but you could play around with those. And when it comes down to it, I think the tahini is actually optional (for all you tahini haters out there… I don’t understand you).

I love that this soup is chock full of veggies and flavor. Warming, filling, yummy-tasting… all my favorite qualities in an end-of-winter soup.

butternut kale and chickpea soup with tahini broth

5.0 from 1 reviews

Butternut, Chickpea and Kale Soup with Tahini Broth

Hands-on time

15 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

50 mins

Author: Erica

Yields: 4-5 servings

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
2 large or 3 small cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
pinch of cayenne
pinch of dried thyme (optional)
5 cups vegetable broth with no tomatoes (such as Whole Foods 365 Organic)
4 cups diced butternut squash
1 14-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 ½ cups)
1 cup reserved chickpea liquid (or substitute 1 cup vegetable broth)
1/4 cup tahini
juice of 1 lemon
2 handfuls curly kale, torn into bite-size pieces
sprinkle of salt

Instructions

In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute about 5-6 minutes. Add celery and saute another 3-4 minutes.
Add bay leaf and all spices and stir to coat. Add the vegetable broth, butternut squash, and chickpeas and bring to a simmer. Simmer 20-25 minutes, until squash is tender.
In a heat-proof measuring cup, microwave the chickpea liquid (or additional vegetable broth) until hot, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tahini until thoroughly combined. Add to the soup along with the lemon juice and kale.
Remove from heat. Salt to taste. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Tropical Oatmeal

March 4, 2013 by Erica

tropical oatmeal

Good morning! I know on Friday I laid out my grand plans for a big weekend of cooking. And it happened! But I just can’t get back to the regularly scheduled program until I stop everything and tell you about this oatmeal.

I’m going through a bit of a coconut phase. I blame the rest of the blog world, which is also in love with coconut.

In the last few weeks alone, I’ve posted lentil, banana bread, and salad recipes containing coconut. What I didn’t tell you is that I’ve been starting every morning with coconut, too!

tropical oatmeal

I’m always thinking about posting my breakfasts here, but let’s face it… they’re not too exciting. Oatmeal in the winter, Cheerios in the summer, with the occasional quinoa thrown in.

In the winter months, I go through phases with my oatmeal toppings (like everyone), and I always end up craving them so much. Some favorites lately: Frozen berries and brown sugar; peanut butter, banana, and chocolate chips; and now, coconut butter and mango. And even if it is just oatmeal, let me tell you that I think this coconut + mango combination is blog-worthy.

tropical oatmeal

Have you tried coconut butter yet? I just bought my first jar a few weeks ago and am loving it. Rather than just extracting the oil from the coconut, coconut butter is the entire flesh of the coconut, ground up. It’s very rich and has amazing coconut flavor. This oatmeal is my favorite use for it, but it’s also amazing spread on toast, and I’m excited to find more ways to use it, too. Whatever you do, let it melt before you eat it. YUM.

I’ll be honest: coconut butter breaks the bank a little. Artisana, the brand I bought, is $11.99 for a 16-oz jar. Yikes – that’s more than Justin’s almond butter! I did just see a 15-oz. Maranatha jar for $7.99 at the grocery store, so I’ll probably try that out next time. The good news is that a little goes a long way. In addition to being rich, it’s pretty brittle, so I usually microwave the whole jar for 15-30 seconds before scraping any out. Having to scrape it out, rather than being able to dip in and come out with a big ol’ scoop, stretches that jar quite a bit. If you like using coconut oil in cooking or baking, I definitely recommend trying out a jar of coconut butter.

tropical oatmeal

It’s still very much wintertime in Utah, and when I wake up on a cold and dark morning, this is my new favorite way of denying reality for 5 more minutes. Now it’s obviously not really a “recipe” – you can make your oatmeal any way you’d like or even use these toppings on any other breakfast cereal. No matter how many times I eat this combo, though, it just feels so luxurious! One more way to trick myself into getting through the winter (and the workweek).

tropical oatmeal

Tropical Oatmeal

Hands-on time

2 mins

Cook time

3 mins

Total time

5 mins

Author: Erica

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 Tbsp ground flax seeds
1/2 cup cold water
sprinkle of cinnamon
1 Tbsp coconut butter
1 Tbsp sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 mango, peeled and chopped (or substitute 1/2 orange or 1/2 cup of fresh chopped pineapple)

Instructions

Combine oats and flax in a microwave-safe bowl. Add water, stir to combine, and microwave on high for 3 minutes.
Remove from microwave (careful, the bowl might be hot!), sprinkle with cinnamon, and top with remaining ingredients. Wait a minute or two for coconut butter to melt, then dig in!

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