Banana Blueberry Oatmeal

Here in Southern California, our hottest weather comes in September and October. It's hot, dry and pretty miserable. Sure enough, up until October 31st it was hot every day.

But then, suddenly, on November 1st, as if the weather was going off of a calendar, it started to get chilly. I mean, not chilly like the midwest or east coast in the fall, but chilly in SoCal standards (60 degrees F). It's even getting into the 40's at night on occasion. I'm definitely not a warm weather person, and prefer the weather to be rainy, cool, and moist. Ironic that I live in the desert.

The early mornings, when Dominik wakes up, are lovely. The house has been cooled down overnight and the air has a crispness to it. We put on thick socks and oversize sweaters and make a hot breakfast. Nothing beats freshly made oatmeal (not microwaved, of course, has to be on the stove) on a cool morning.

Dominik DEVOURS this. I mix up the fruit based on what I have on hand (it's excellent with apples as well) but keep the basic recipe the same. I'm pretty sure he eats a bigger bowl than I do. It's perfect because it warms us up and fills us up for the next few hours. Until snack time, of course.

Banana Blueberry Oatmeal

Ingredients:
-2/3 cups rolled oats
-2 cups nondairy milk like almond or coconut
-1 Tbsp chia seeds
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/4-1/2 cup blueberries
-1 ripe banana
-maple syrup, optional

Directions:
1. Put the oats, milk, chia seeds, cinnamon, salt, and blueberries in a medium saucepan. Stir well and turn on the stove to medium.
2. Bring to a gentle simmer. Turn down to medium-low and simmer until thick.
3. About 2 minutes before turning off heat, dice half the banana and stir well.
4. Fill up two bowls and add the rest of the banana in slices.
5. If more sweetness is desired, add a few tablespoons of maple syrup.

Easy, Basic Tomato Sauce

Every Italian family has their tomato sauce recipe. My mother and grandmother have their special recipe that I request to have frozen for my freezer quite often. There are obviously variations, secret ingredients, different cooking times, etc. But the basic, heart of the recipe stays pretty much the same in all marinara sauces. The only thing that I have omitted that is in most other marinara sauce recipes is sugar. This is added to cut the acidity of the tomatoes, but I honestly feel like it covers up the robustness of the tomatoes. Plus, refined sugar is terrible for you.

Now that I have a toddler, I'll admit that most of time that I need a tomato sauce, I will used the premade jarred kind. I have found a few good brands at my local health food store that does not contain sugar or preservatives or highly processed oils. As great as a store bought sauce can be, nothing beats a homemade one. But I don't have time to simmer a sauce all day. Although simmering it for longer will deepen the flavor, a quick cooking is just as delicious and keeps the freshness and vibrancy of the tomatoes.

If a recipe does not call for fresh tomatoes (which is even more work and using very fresh and ripe tomatoes is a requirement), it calls for cans of crushed tomatoes. The thing I worry about, however, is that chemicals like BPA leech into the tomatoes from the can. There are many manufacturers that make BPA free cans, but recent studies have shown that their petroleum based counterparts are just as harmful. Tomatoes are very acidic and break down these chemicals from the can quite easily, so avoiding them is best. Luckily, I've been seeing more and more companies offer jarred tomatoes.

You can leave this as is and it would be perfect over pasta, in a casserole like lasagna, or for dipping something like zucchini fries. Great additions to the sauce would be red pepper flakes, mushrooms, spinach, or even red lentils for a pack of protein.

Basic Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
-1 jar of crushed tomatoes (or a 32 ounce can)
-3-4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
-3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ~6 tablespoons red wine
-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Saute garlic in the olive oil over medium-low heat; be very careful not to burn the garlic. Only cook until fragrant and slightly golden, not brown. Add herbs and seasonings.
2. Stir in the tomatoes and the wine. Bring to a low boil and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, or longer if you like.
3. Enjoy immediately, or let cool and freeze for later use!

Colorful Beet Burrito Bowls

Living in Southern California, things like burrito bowls are a staple in the kitchen as well as when eating out. It's really the perfect meal because you have a grain, protein, and vegetable. We make them often and with a variety of ingredients if we aren't chowing them down at places like Chipotle.

Beets are a favorite around here. They are bright pink and absolutely beautiful but there's something special about their flavor. Mildly sweet and tender, and also fresh tasting and an interesting addition to any dish. I had a few beets hanging out in the fridge, so I thought, why not? Let's put them into a burrito bowl and call it a meal. A last minute dinner decision turned out to be a hit and one of our favorites.

Beet Burrito Bowls

Ingredients:
-3 medium sized beets, peeled and diced
-1 half large onion, diced
-2 medium to large zucchini, diced
-4 cloves chopped garlic
-2 cups cooked rice
-1 can of black beans
-olive oil
-salt and pepper
-1 lime
-optional: red pepper flakes or salsa

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 F and be sure to get your rice cooked according to the package directions (usually 1 cup rinsed rice in 2 cups water, bring to a boil and then simmer until the water is absorbed) while you chop up the vegetables. Be sure to peel the beets first. The smaller the pieces of beets, the softer they will be once cooked. Mix the beets, onion, and zucchini in a casserole dish with several tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Bake for 20 minutes. Stir well and add garlic and the juice of one half of the lime. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.
3. Serve on top of the rice and squeeze more lime on top. Enjoy!

Polenta Lasagna with Lemon Cashew "Ricotta"

Growing up Italian, we always had some kind of delicious baked pasta dish for every holiday and special occasion. Thanksgiving? Lasagna. Christmas? Stuffed shells. Easter? Baked ziti. These were dishes that were also made on weekends every now and then, but they were still special.

When we decided to go vegan, my husband and I wondered how we could still eat these favorite dishes. Not only were they dear to my heart because I grew up with them, my husband discovered what a real feast was with these baked dishes. It was important to us to continue the tradition of a special meal made complete with a hearty Italian dish. The solution was cashew cheese.

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of cashews in some recipes because I don't particularly like the flavor. However, when put into a dish with a rich tomato sauce, only the creaminess and cheesy texture stands out. With a pop of lemon, it tastes fresh and rounds out the flavor profile.

This particular dish was created because I ran out of lasagna noodles but really wanted something similar. I had gotten a tube of polenta to make baked polenta fries (also delicious), so I substituted the noodles with it. The polenta added an extra richness and some pleasurable texture. It was a huge hit with the husband and toddler.

Below is the basic recipe for a quick meal. Homemade sauce would be even better, but I used jarred to cut down on dishes and time. Also, feel free to substitute or add vegetables to the layers.

Polenta Lasagna with Lemon Cashew "Ricotta"

Ingredients:
-1 tube polenta
-1 jar marinara sauce or homemade sauce
-2 Tbsp olive oil
-2 large zucchinis or other vegetables

For the cashew ricotta:
-1 cup cashews, soaked for several hours in 2 cups water
-juice of 1 lemon
-1 garlic clove
-2 tsp dijon mustard
-4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp Italian seasoning
-3-4 Tbsp olive oil
-1/4 cup water

Directions:
1. Make sure the cashews have been soaking ahead of time. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Slice the polenta and vegetables into medallions about 1/2 inch thick. The polenta is pretty delicate and may crumble a bit, that's okay, just save the crumbles to fill in holes in the casserole.
2. Put all the ingredients for cashew cheese in a high powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add water if it's too thick or dry.
3. Grease a small casserole dish with olive oil and layer as follows: 9 rounds Polenta, 1/3 of the cheese, even coating of sauce, enough zucchini to cover in one layer...etc. until everything is used up. Pour the rest of the sauce on top.
4. Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes, until nice and bubbly. Serve immediately with bread and light salad.

Recipe: Spelt Pancakes

One of my favorite breakfast foods are pancakes. There's something so hearty and comforting about them. Pancakes can be eaten plain, with butter, with syrup, with blueberries, with bananas, with chocolate chips... the ideas are endless. They can be even be made to be savory and healthy with scallions and zucchini. Pancakes are, in every way, totally awesome.

They bring memories of waking up Saturday morning to my mom in kitchen with a big stack of hot pancakes, drinking her coffee while watching to Food Network. Although she used the Bisquick box mix, they were always better when she was the one to make them.

Now that I am home every morning with Dominik, I no longer have to rely on a super quick breakfast like granola or a smoothie. Sometimes, especially after a long night, it's really nice to be able to stay in our pajamas a little longer and make pancakes. But now that I'm more aware of ingredients I would like us to avoid, I realize that the box mix is no longer a great choice for us. It's packed with added sugar and highly processed flour. I searched and searched for a recipe that used whole grain flour and no refined sugar but I felt like it was nearly impossible. Most, if not all, recipes contained at least a few tablespoons of granulated sugar. Plus, the whole wheat pancakes that I tried to make were coming out like hockey pucks.

And then I perfected it. The most delicious whole grain, sugar free pancake recipe. The secret? Spelt flour. I use spelt flour to make baked goods like muffins because it really helps them to be light and airy like a white flour would. It's a water soluble grain, so it's easily digested and nutrients are absorbed quickly into the body. Because I omitted any sugar from the batter recipe, these are a very plain pancake. For sweetness, fruit or maple syrup can be added; just avoid fake syrup and stick to the real stuff. For a savory pancake, veggies and spices could be added to the batter. Feel free to play around. We love applesauce on ours.

Spelt Pancakes

Ingredients:

-1 cup spelt flour
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (if making sweet pancakes, omit for savory)
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 chia egg (1 tablespoon chia seeds soaked in 4 tablespoon water)
-1 cup non-dairy milk
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla (if sweet, omit for savory)

Directions:

1. Prepare your chia egg by mixing the seeds and water in a bowl and letting sit until it is nice and thick.

2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Whisk milk and vanilla into the chia egg.

4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and only stir until combined, do not over mix.

5. Let the batter sit for a few minutes while the pan heats up. Put a frying pan over medium heat with some vegan butter or coconut oil and let it heat up.

6. Pour the batter into the pan, to make a pancake of your desired size. Cook for about 5-6 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

7. Serve immediately.

Rainbow Pasta Salad

It's feeling more and more like summer now that we have had weeks of warm weather and all the schools are out for the year. Over the weekend we took Dominik for his very first dip in the pool! The pool was warm, but it was still a little chilly for him. So, we only stayed in the water for a short time. But he loves being in water in general and I plan on taking him into the pool many more times!

The pool is at my father in law's house and because they were also having a small cook-out, I brought a pasta salad. Pasta salad is an awesome summer food because it's a cold dish, but it's often very heavy with mayonnaise or cheese. So I created a fresh, colorful pasta salad using a vinaigrette recipe that I use on my other salads. It turned out better than I anticipated, even my meat eating brother and sister in law (both are still very young) requested leftovers to pack in their school lunches!

Rainbow Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

-1 lb multicolored pasta (any pasta with do)

-half red onion, chopped

-1 bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange) diced

-1 zucchini, diced

-1 yellow squash, diced

-2 Tb olive oil

-salt and pepper

-Maple mustard vinaigrette*

*recipe below

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, combine the vegetables in a pan and drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook for about 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 400 F.

3. Once everything has cooled, mix veggies and pasta in a large bowl. Add vinaigrette and refrigerate until chilled.

Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

-1/4 cup olive oil

-4 Tb maple syrup

-4 Tb mustard of your choice

-juice of 1 lemon

-splash of apple cider vinegar (tablespoon or two)

-1 tsp garlic powder

-salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Whisk ingredients until smooth, that's it!

Enjoy!

Baked Zucchini Fries

I really love breastfeeding, it's free and easy to pull out the boob whenever he's hungry. But it makes me so hungry and thirsty ALL the time! It totally makes sense when I look at Dominik, he's definitely growing! Last night, all of the sudden I was so hungry, but I didn't want to eat any more sugary or salty snacks...but I did have a beautiful looking zucchini in the fridge. Zucchini fries! A fry that's actually healthy!

Zucchini Fries

Ingredients:
-1 large or 2 small zucchinis, sliced into "matchsticks"
-3/4 cup flour
-1 cup almond milk or other unsweetened unflavored milk
-1 cup breadcrumbs
-1/2 cup nutritional yeast
-1 tsp paprika
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 420 degrees F.
2Cut zucchini and prepare "stations" for dipping. One bowl of flour, one of milk, and the last with the bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
3. A few at a time, dip the zucchini in the flour, then the milk, then the breadcrumb mixture and place side by side onto a cookie sheet.
4. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
5. Serve with ketchup or marinara sauce for dipping.

Orange Soba with Tofu

Oh my has this been one crazy week! My mother in law as well as my grandmother in law came to stay with us from my birthday (Thursday, May 8th) through the following Monday (May 12th). I tried to get the house as clean as possible while caring for Dominik. The week before we had a heat wave on top of a case of mastitis that gave me an 103 F fever. That type of infection is no joke and I could do little more besides lay in bed shivering from the chills. Luckily, I was able to knock it out quickly by feeding mostly from the infected breast.

My birthday and first Mother's day were very busy, but nice. Both were spent at home with the visiting family, which is stressful but at the same time very nice to be surrounded by family. It was a bit overwhelming at times, especially for Dominik, because we did quite a bit of touristy things outside of the house. But he did great being carried around everywhere and now we are slowly getting back into a routine.

This week we have had another intense heat wave that has fueled NINE wildfires in my area. Yup, San Diego's on fire again.  We can see the smoke billowing from our house, but the fires are still quite a ways in the distance (knock on wood). At this point all you can really do is keep the news on and hope that nothing starts in nearby. It's incredibly heartbreaking to see so many people loose everything they have. I am so grateful that no one has been seriously hurt and the fire department is staying so on top of everything.

With a particularly crazy and stressful week, I was even more inclined to do as little cooking as possible. And so this recipe was born! It's incredibly easy, very little prep and chopping (you could even substitute the chopped garlic with powdered and do no chopping at all). 

Orange Soba:

Ingredients:

1 package soba noodles

1 package frozen vegetables

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 cloves garlic chopped finely

2 Tbsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch

2 Tbsp oil (either olive or canola will be fine)

*optional: a few Tbsp of sriracha 

Directions:

1. Cook soba noodles according to package directions and set aside.

2. Mix orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, and arrowroot powder in a bowl. 

3. Pour orange/soy mixture along with the frozen veggies and oil into a large pan and saute until vegetables are heated through and sauce has thickened.

4. Stir in the noodles and cook until everything is well combined and heated through. Serve with simple tofu.

Simple Tofu

Ingredients:

3-4 Tbsp oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tsp garlic powder

1 package firm tofu

Directions:

1. Slice tofu and arrange on an oven safe platter/pan.

2. Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over tofu. Let marinate at least 30 minutes.

3. Bake at 375 F for about 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Grandpa's Enchiladas

Growing up, my dad would make us enchiladas as a special treat. My sister and I would look forward to this momentous occasion because these enchiladas are...amazing. My dad uses the recipe that my grandfather used (and gained a bit of fame for here on the west coast). My grandpa made these enchiladas with turkey, cheddar cheese, and salsa while my dad used chicken instead of turkey. As the generations continue to change, I use beans and veggies to replace the meat. It's a bit of a long process so this is a special occasion or day at home meal.

*Remember: this is a family recipe that is "eyeballed" so the exact amount of these ingredients depends on the taste of the enjoyers :)

Grandpa's Enchiladas (Veganized):

Ingredients:

- One can of enchilada sauce (I like La Victoria brand)
- About one cup of salsa
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 large tomatoes, diced
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- Around 10 corn tortillas (more or less depending on how you fill them)
- Canola oil
- 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- veggie of your choice (I used three zucchinis)
- optional: vegan cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Prehead the oven to 350 F. Dice the onion, cilantro, and tomatoes and mix in a large bowl with the salsa. In another bowl, mix the beans and veggie of your choice.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. In a saucepan, pour the enchilada sauce and turn the burner on the lowest setting. Be sure to have your casserole pan ready.
3. Fry one tortilla at a time, making sure that each side is golden. Immediately dip the tortilla into the enchilada sauce to coat well. Transfer to the casserole dish and fill with the salsa, veggie and bean mix and any other fillings you like (such as the cheese). Gently roll the tortilla around the filling and tuck tube into the casserole dish.
4. Once the casserole dish is filled, drizzle the top with enchilada sauce (no more than 1/4 of a cup or you will have soggy enchiladas) and if you choose, vegan cheese.
5. Bake uncovered for about 10-15 minutes or until heated through and gently crisped on top.
6. Serve hot. Leftovers are good too!

Chocolate Chip Cutie Muffins

I finally have a muffin/cupcake pan! The only question was, where to begin?! Muffins and cupcakes are equally delicious, but I decided to start with a muffin since I had the ingredients for something so delectably delicious.......

One of the highlighted ingredients in these muffins are clementines, often sold under the brand name, "Cuties". Clementines are a citrus fruit that originate either from Father Clement Rodier's garden in Algeria as a mandarin hybrid, or from a very close variety (the Canton mandarin) found in certain provinces of China. They are essentially a cross between a sweet orange and a mandarin. Whatever the origin, these beautiful babies are like oranges but super easy to peel, seedless, oh-so-sweet and juicy, and small enough to fit into the palm of your hand. 

Clementines are a winter citrus, so my husband and I have to wait until November through January to eat them, and we tend to go through an insane amount. They are just so easy to peel and snack on! Like other citrus, they are high in Vitamin C, which is a particularly important immune boosting vitamin during flu season. Vitamin C is also a natural antihistamine and an antioxidant. 

Chocolate Chip Cutie Muffins

Ingredients:

Dry:

-2 cups all purpose flour

-2 tsp baking powder

-1 tsp cinnamon

-1 tsp ground ginger

-1/4 tsp salt

-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less depending on how spicy you want it)

Wet:

-3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (other mild tasting nondairy milks will do too)

-1/3 cup grapeseed oil (or canola)

-1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp agave nectar

-2 Tbsp lemon juice

-5 clementines (juice 3, dice 2)

-2 tsp clementine zest

-1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet in another.

2. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until smooth and well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

3. Pour batter into greased muffin tins and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Smashed Avocado Pesto

We've recently planted a whole bunch of new goodies in our garden. Tomatoes, crookneck squash, swiss chard, lavender, strawberries, pumpkins, red bell peppers, spinach, jalapenos, and basil. Well, my husband takes care of them while I cook what we harvest. I am notorious for killing any and all plants, mostly due to the fact that I forget to water them and then over-water to make up for it. Our basil and swiss chard seem to be doing particularly well so I've been using them quite a bit.

But to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of swiss chard. It really needs to be the right recipe, otherwise it tastes bitter and tough or slimy (if cooked incorrect). I've found that a great way to use it, so that our bodies get the maximum benefit from it as well, is to blend it up. You can blend it with some sweet fruit to make a green smoothie (warning: still a bit bitter) or with basil to make a pesto.

Pestos are so convenient and delicious and most importantly, quick. You can also pretty much put pesto on any type of grain, not just pasta. Pesto with quinoa is particularly yummy. When I decided to make a pesto, I was craving something creamier, so I mashed in some avocado. The extra healthy fats were a bonus!

Note: when making a pesto, there's honestly no set recipe. It's up to you (and also what you have on hand) how your pesto turns out.


Smashed Avocado Pesto:

Ingredients:
-1Ib pasta or any grain you want
-about 1 cup fresh basil leaves *throw in some swiss chard leaves or kale if on hand
-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
-2 Tbsp lemon juice
-1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
-pinch of pepper
-scant 1/4 cup raw cashews
-1-2 small/medium garlic cloves
-ripe avocado

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions or if using another grain, prepare it.
2. In a food processor, blend all ingredients except the avocado until well mixed (basil, swiss chard if using, salt, pepper, olive oil, cashews, lemon, and garlic)
3. In a separate bowl, smash the avocado with a fork until nice and creamy.
4. Mix both the pesto and the avocado with the pasta and enjoy!

No Bake Carob Cookies

My husband is on a sugar/caffeine free diet in order to help rid him of debilitating migraines. So far it seems to really be helping. This was no easy feat. This is a man who can easily down a box of girl scout cookies in one sitting. We were able to replace certain foods with Zevia soda (a fantastic soda made with stevia, caffeine and sugar free), chia seed pudding, sugar free peanut butter, etc. But what he missed most? Chocolate. Finally, I realized the solution: Carob!

Carob is a type of legume that grows in pods, similar to peas and to chocolate. The pods (not the seeds) are dried and ground to make a mildly sweet powder that tastes very similar to chocolate. When the hubby requested a chocolate-y treat made with carob, I wanted to stick to something easy, rich, and at least somewhat healthy. And oh. my. goodnesssssss. These are freaking delicious. They taste like very rich chocolate/peanut butter brownies.

No Bake Carob Cookies
makes 8-10 cookies

Ingredients:
-1 cup rolled oats
-1/2 peanut butter
-5 Tbsp carob powder
-1 ripe banana, smashed
-1 Tbsp neutral tasting oil (like grapeseed)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp nutmeg
-3-4 scoops stevia powder*

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients until well combined. Roll into cookies and chill in the fridge until firm (about 15-30 minutes). Store in fridge or freezer.
*The stevia powder I got is from Trader Joe's and comes with a tiny scoop. Stevia is very sweet, so if there is no scoop, start with a very scant 1/8 teaspoon