Cheezy Pasta

Vegan Cheezy Pasta

Quick to go together with just a few real food ingredients.  Nutritional yeast is an excellent source of plant based Vitamin B-12 and is also said to enhance immunity and perhaps even help hay fever.  I don't usually measure when I make the sauce, so know that these measurements can be "about" the amount listed and it won't make much difference.  Adjust the "nooch" to your taste.

1/2 cup cashews (I use raw, unsalted)

almond milk to cover plus a little extra

3-4 Tbs nutritional yeast (I like 4!)

1/4 tsp granulated garlic (or 1/2 glove garlic)

1/4 tsp prepared mustard 

1/8 tsp dried turmeric
Water as necessary if too thick.

Pasta - cooked and drained
Save 1-2 Tbs of past water

While past is cooking prepare sauce.  

Place ingredients (all except for the pasta) in a high powered blender and blend on the "sauce" setting until smooth (I use the Blendtec Twister Jar).  Add a Tbs or two of water as necessary if the sauce is too thick.

Drain the pasta - save a Tablespoon or two of the pasta water.  

Pour pasta back into pot and immediately add a few Tablespoons of the Cheezy Sauce over the pasta while it is still hot.  Stir to coat the pasta.  Add a Tbs or two of the pasta water if it is too thick or your prefer a thinner sauce.

Serve alone or with roasted veggies.  Top with salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy!

Blueberry Maca Almond Butter Smoothie

Blueberry Almond Butter Maca Smoothie

Filled with an assortment of fruits and veggies, this smoothie brings a healthy fiber-filled addition to any part of your day.  The maca provides an energy boost and can help balance mood and hormones.  Good for everyone at any age!

1 handful of your favorite greens (kale, spinach, chard, etc)

1 cup blueberries

1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)

1 Tbs almond butter

1-2 tsp dried maca root (I get mine at Trader Joe's, but you can also order the Navitas Brand from Amazon)

sprinkle of cinnamon (about a scant 1/8 tsp)

a couple ice cubes (optional)

Water as needed (sometimes my handful of greens is bigger than others and I need a little water to blends smoothly)

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glass and enjoy!

Makes one good sized smoothie or two smaller one.

Acai Overnight Oats

Acai Overnight Oats
Filled with fiber from the oats, chia and acai, these oats fill your belly and bring superfood nutrients along with them.
Liv found the Quattro 8.5 oz jars to be the perfect size for her mornings - we found them on Amazon, but they are also sold at the Container Store.
Liv actually doesn't measure anymore - find a texture that makes you happiest and stick with that.  Experiment with slightly more or less oats or chia for a thicker or thinner blend.

Scant 1/2 cup organic rolled oats
Scant 2 Tbs Chia Seed
1-2 tsp Acai Powder (she likes 1, I like 2 - the powder is not sweet)
3/4 cup + 2 Tbs Almond Milk (May substitute any milk you like)
1 tsp maple syrup (or sweeten to your taste)
chopped walnuts
More maple syrup to serve

Place dry ingredients (oats, chia and acai) into jar.  Cover with the cap and shake to combine.  Add Almond milk and maple syrup, stir to distribute evenly.  Place in the refrigerator overnight.  

In the morning remove from fridge and add a dash more milk and an additional drizzle of syrup if desired.  Top with chopped walnuts or banana.

Enjoy!

Vegan Oatmeal Waffles

Oatmeal Waffles
 Crispier with thinner batter, you may have to add a Tablespoon or two of water as the batter sits while waiting for the first few to cook.  Tender and tasty, drizzle with pure maple syrup for a healthy start (or end!)  to the day.  Enjoy!


1 cup unsweetened almond milk (may use sweetened if preferred)
1/2 large banana, mashed
2 Tbs ground flax meal
1 Tbs coconut sugar (may sub brown sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
pinch salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbs oatmeal flour or whole wheat flour
1 Tbs chia (optional)
2 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon (my son prefers less cinnamon... Liv likes more!)
1-3 Tbs water

In a medium mixing bowl add the almond milk, mashed banana, flax, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, cider vinegar and pinch of salt.  Whisk well to combine.

In a small bowl combine the flours, chia, baking powder and cinnamon.  Again, whisk to combine (using a dry whisk!).

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined - don't overmix.

In my waffle maker the batter will cook to a crispier waffle if thinner rather than thicker... I usually make my batter slightly thinner than pancake batter.  As the batter sits it will thicken as the oats and chia absorb the liquid, hence you may need to add a tablespoon or two (or three!) of water to this appropriately.  

Follow your waffle maker instructions and make the waffles - I like to spray mine with a coconut oil spray to avoid sticking - and it smells so good!

Serve immediately, or place in a preheated 200º oven in a single layer to keep from getting soggy before serving.

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Pita

Homemade Whole Wheat Pita
Nutty and healthy, these pitas bring the nutrition of whole grains.  Split open and fill with your favorite sandwich ingredient for lunch on the go!
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1 cup warm water
1 tsp yeast
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbs flax meal
1 tsp salt (may use 1 1/2 if you are a salt lover)
2 - 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Place water into the bowl of your stand mixer and add the yeast.  Stir and and wait a minute or so, then add the 1/2 up of all-purpose flour.  Begin mixing with the regular beater on low.  Add the flax meal and salt, then add about 1/2 cup of the whole wheat flour.

Switch to the dough hook, and add another 1/2 cup of the whole wheat flour.  At this point I begin adding the flour in 2 Tbs increments, waiting a for flour to be incorporated before adding more flour.

Note the amount of flour needed will vary based on humidity and measuring - you want the dough to come together, but be careful not to add too much flour.  The fresh whole wheat flour will continue to absorb water as it rests.  You ant your dough to come together, but it should still be sticky.

As the dough begins to clean the side of the bowl, stop adding flour and allow the dough to knead for about 5 minutes or so.

Remove the dough ball and place into an oiled bowl, turning once to coat with oil.  Cover with a dish cloth and allow to rise for 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat oven to 425º while dough is rising, place a stone or baking sheet in the oven to preheat as well.

Remove dough from bowl and place onto a floured rolling surface.  Cut dough in half, replacing one half into the bowl.  Cover.

With the remaining half, roll with your hands into a fat "log" then cut into 5 pieces.

Roll each piece to about a 1/4-inch thickness.

Place the rounds onto the hot pan or stone in the oven and bake for 5 minutes, or until pita is puffed and lightly browned.

Remove baked rounds to a wire rack to cool.  Note, the pitas will deflate when removed from the oven.

Liv Life Note:  We make this recipe so often I no longer measure the ingredients... to make a slightly larger batch, place about 1 1/4 water in the bowl, add yeast, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, and the salt and mix.  Simply add more flour (either whole wheat or all-purpose) until the dough ball cleans the sides of the bowl.  Follow the rest of the directions as above.

Liv Life Note 2:  Occasionally my pita doesn't puff... after much research, I still haven't come to a good reason why, but whether it puffs or not, it's still wonderful!

Masterful Mint Chip Gelato

Capt. Greg’s Masterful Mint Chip Gelato
Brilliant with bright flavors, Captain Greg has done it again.  With descriptions of "silky", "laced with chocolate" and "fantasy", this treat brings dessert to a whole new level.

Ingredients:
4 cups whole milk 
 3 cups heavy whipping cream 
 8 large egg yolks 
 2 cups sugar 
 20 - 25 Sprigs fresh mint 
¼ teaspoon pure peppermint extract 
50 - 60 Andes Crème de Menthe Thins 
Optional: 4 - 5 drops green food coloring 
Makes 2 Quarts

Directions: 

Cool and harden the Andes Crème de Menthe Thins for at least 1 hour in the freezer. Remove and cut each mint into quarters or smaller. Return the chips to the freezer. 

Separate the egg yolks and lightly beat them with a wooden spoon. Combine yolks with the sugar, stirring until the mixture is creamy, pale yellow and very thick. Transfer into a large saucepan (3 Quarts). 

In a separate saucepan, combine the milk, cream and fresh mint sprigs. Warm the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly until steaming. Cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Allow it to steep for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture and discard the mint solids. 

Whisk the milk, cream and mint into the yolk and sugar mixture. Hint: Start with just 2 cups of the milk whisked vigorously into the yolk mixture so the eggs don’t cook solid. Then whisk in the remaining milk and cream, adding it slowly. Cook over a low heat stirring constantly until thick enough to lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon. 

Strain the mixture into a large bowl through a fine mesh strainer. Stir in the peppermint. 

Optional: Tradition has taken mint chip from its natural color to a light green. You can do so by adding 4 - 5 drops of green food coloring. Stir thoroughly. Cool completely in the refrigerator (at least two hours), then process in an ice cream maker. As the mixer begins to slow  (and gelato is almost entirely set) add the Andes Mint chips to the nearly-frozen gelato. Resume mixing until the machine is done. Turn the gelato into medium containers with lids. Cover and freeze at least 24 hours.

Watermelon Arugula Salad

Picnic in the Park Watermelon Arugula Salad with Watermelon Vinaigrette 
Sweet yet zesty, watermelon and arugula seem to have been meant for each other.  Toss together at the last minute for a fresh, crisp salad that's sure to sing summer's praises.

Salad Recipe:
4 large handfuls arugula
1/3 cup cooked and cooled quinoa
3 Tbs chopped red onion
3/4 -1 cup watermelon chunks
crispy chick peas
pumpkin seeds (I like Go Raw Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds) 

Dressing Recipe:
1/4 cup watermelon chunks
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs good quality olive oil
4 mint leaves
1 Tbs chopped red onion
1/2 tsp mustard

To make the dressing place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.  Strain if desired (I don't strain).  Place into a storage container and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Place greens, quinoa and chopped red onion in a bowl and toss.  Add the watermelon chunks.  Add desired amount of dressing and toss gently to combine.  

Serve onto serving plates and garnish with the crispy chickpeas and/or pumpkin seeds.  Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Liv Life Note:  Note that the salad ingredient measurements are only a guide... add more greens, more watermelon, etc for a bigger crowd.

Liv Life Note 2:  My thanks to OXO for sending me an 8-Piece Glass Snap Set along with the super handy (I adore this thing!) Salad Dressing Shaker along with a set of 2 in 1 Salad Servers (they turn into tongs too!).