4th of July Vegan Cupcakes

Cupcakes
2/3 cup soy or almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup safflower oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt

Buttercream Frosting

3 cups confectioners (powder) sugar

1 cup softened vegan butter (Earth Balance works best for baking)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 tsp soy or almond milk

Optional: red, white, and blue sprinkles

Cupcakes

Heat oven to 325°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners. Combine soy/almond milk and apple cider vinegar in a medium bowl, and set aside for at least five minutes or until mixture bubbles. Add agave nectar, oil, vanilla and stir together.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing until batter is smooth and there are no lumps.

Pour batter into muffin tin and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before frosting.

Frosting

In a larger bowl, mix together sugar and softened butter. Mix until well blended and then continue mixing for another 3 minutes. Add in vanilla and milk (add more for spreading consistency) and mix for another minute. Frost cupcakes once they are cool! Top with red, white, and blue sprinkles!

Enjoy!

Avocado Spinach Pesto Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms (Vegan)

• 1 pound spinach fettuccine 
• 2 large portobello mushrooms, chopped into small chunks
• 1 bunch basil leaves (about 2½ ounces)
• 1 cup spinach or arugula
• 1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 1 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced into small chunks
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Garlic salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add spinach fettuccine and cook as directed on package. 

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in skillet. Sauté 1 garlic clove and mushrooms in olive oil for 4 to 6 minutes, until mushrooms are cooked.

While spinach fettuccine cooks, in a food processor blend together basil, spinach, pine nuts, avocados, lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, and 2-3 tablespoons olive oil until it turns into a smooth mixture. Add garlic salt and pepper to taste.

Drain the spinach fettuccine. In a large serving bowl, immediately combine hot fettuccine, avocado spinach pesto sauce, and the sautéed portobello mushrooms. Toss together and serve immediately!

Enjoy!

Fresh Strawberry & Walnut Muffins (vegan)

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup soy milk or almond milk
1/6 cup canola oil
1/6 cup softened Earth Balance butter or Smart Balance Light butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
1/4 cup chopped walnut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease 12 muffin tins.

Mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda. Add soy milk, oil, butter, and vanilla. Lightly stir together ingredients--lumpy batter is okay! Fold in strawberries and walnuts and pour batter into muffin tins. Place in oven and cook for 15 – 20 minutes. Pull muffins out and insert toothpick to test for doneness(if done, the toothpick will remain dry once you remove it from the muffin).

Let muffins sit for at least 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Black Bean Salad Fiesta!!!

• 1 avocado, chopped into small pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 lime
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups spinach leaves
• 1 cup tomatoes, diced
• 2 ears of corn
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt to taste

Boil water in large pot. Place the ears of corn into the pot, cover, and boil for 5-7 minutes. Remove corn from pot. With a knife, cut the corn’s kernels and set aside.

In a large bowl, add the diced pieces of avocado and the juice of the lime. Using a fork, mash the avocado and stir in the lime juice. Add cilantro, black beans, spinach, tomatoes, corn, pepper, garlic clove and mix ingredients until evenly coated. Add salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Linguine with Spinach, Squash, and Red Lentil Sauce (Vegan)

Linguine with Spinach, Squash, and Red Lentil Sauce

• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup dried red lentils
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 yellow squash (diced)
• 2 roma tomatoes (diced)
• 1-2 tbs tomato sauce
  
• 2-3 cups linguine (or other pasta)
  
• 1 bunch spinach, stemmed and roughly chopped
• 1 tbs olive oil
  
• Garlic salt to taste
  

In a medium pot, over medium heat add broth, water, lentils and 3 cloves garlic and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer about 20 minutes (until lentils are mushy). Remove from heat, add tomato sauce and stir until lentils make a sauce. Add garlic salt to taste.

Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of olive oil and 1 clove garlic over medium heat in a medium-sized skillet. Add diced squash, diced tomatoes, and spinach and sauté for about 5-10 minutes, until squash is soft and spinach has wilted.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add linguine (or other pasta) and cook 8 to 10 minutes; drain and return to pot.

Immediately add spinach, squash, tomatoes, and lentil sauce to hot pasta, toss well and serve.

Chickpea Salad

· 1 can chickpeas

· 1 sweet onion

· 1 tomato (diced into small pieces)

· 1 avocado (diced into small pieces)

· 1 tbs minced garlic

· 2 tbs lemon juice

· 1 tbs olive oil

· ½ tbs coriander

· ½ tbs cumin

· ½ tbs turmeric

· 1 tsp garlic salt

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Open can of chickpeas and drain liquid, then place chickpeas in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized skillet. Add onion and minced garlic and sauté for about 10-15 minutes, until onions change from a white to caramelized color. Add ½ tsp of garlic salt to onions (or to taste). Reduce heat to low.

Once chickpeas are soft, add cooked onions, diced avocado and tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, coriander, cumin, turmeric and garlic salt. Stir well together and serve immediately.

Fruit and Veggie Color Wheel

It’s recommended that adults consume at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Unfortunately, the reality of this recommendation is that most people don’t get the amount of servings their body needs to be healthy. For ideas on what fruits and veggies to purchase at the grocery store and descriptions of what each have to offer, take a look at the list below:

GREEN FRUITS AND VEGGIES

Examples:

Leafy greens (collard, mustard, and turnip greens, swiss chard, kale, spinach and lettuce), asparagus, green peppers, broccoli, green beans, peas, green cabbage, green onion, brussels sprouts, okra, zucchini, chinese cabbage (napa/bok choy), green apples, green grapes, honeydew melon, kiwi fruit, artichokes, celery, avocados, limes, zucchini, cucumber.

What do they do for you?

Overall, nutrients found in this green group reduce cancer risks, lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels, normalize digestion time, support retinal health and vision, fight harmful free radicals, and boost immune system activity.

YELLOW-ORANGE FRUITS AND VEGGIES

Examples:

Carrots, summer squash, corn, rutabagas, cantaloupe, grapefruit, lemons, nectarines, organs, peaches, pineapples, tangerines, apricots, mangoes, papayas, nectarines, sweet corn, sweet potatoes.

What do they do for you?

Overall, nutrients in the yellow-orange group reduce age-related macula degeneration and the risk of cancer, lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, promote the formation and healthy joints, fight harmful free radicals, and help build healthy bones.

RED FRUITS AND VEGGIES

Examples:

Tomatoes, red peppers, red onions, beets, red cabbage, kidney beans, apples, grapefruit, red grapes, strawberries, cherries, watermelon, raspberries, cranberries, pomegranates, radicchio, radishes, rhubarb.

What do they do for you?

Overall, the red group reduces the risk of several types of cancer, lowers blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels, act as antioxidants to protect cells from damage, support joint tissues, and help keep your heart healthy.

BLUE-PURPLE FRUITS AND VEGGIES

Examples:

Eggplant, purple grapes, plums, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, purple figs, black currants, prunes.

What do they do for you?

Overall, the blue-purple group support retinal health, lower LDL cholesterol, help boost your immune system, support healthy digestion, improve calcium and other mineral absorption, fight inflammation, reduce tumor growth, and limit the activity of cancer cells, they may also help reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease. Blueberries have been shown in some studies to improve memory and health aging.

WHITE FRUITS AND VEGGIES:

Examples:

Cauliflower, mushrooms, white beans, onions, garlic, parsnips, shallots, turnips, ginger, jicama, bananas, pears, potatoes, white corn.

What do they do for you?

Overall, the white group contains nutrients such as that provide powerful immune boosting activity, reduce the risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancers, help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Bananas and potatoes are good sources of potassium. Potassium helps your heart and kidneys function, as well as prevent your muscles from getting sore after working out.

Sweet Potato Tortilla Pizza (Vegan Optional)

Sweet Potato Tortilla Pizza

• 2-4 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 6 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup scallions
• 1/2 cup spinach leaves
  
• Garlic powder (to taste)
  
• Oregano (to taste)
  
• Basil (to taste)
• Pinch of salt
  
• 1 oz shredded part skim mozzarella cheese (or vegan mozzarella cheese substitute)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Chop up sweet potatoes into small pieces. Lightly coat a pan with olive oil, and add sweet potatoes. Sprinkle garlic powder and salt on sweet potatoes and place in oven for about 20 minutes.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, chop about 1/4 cup of scallions and set aside. Turn stove on to medium/medium-high and heat up tomato sauce in a small saucepan. Add garlic power, basil, oregano, and salt to taste. Toss in approximately 1/2 cup of spinach leaves and stir in until wilted. Turn burner to low heat.

Poke tortillas with a knife a couple times, place on a pizza or pie pan and bake for about 2 minutes until crispy.

Remove tortillas and sweet potatoes from oven. Add tomato sauce, cheese, scallions, and sweet potatoes on tortilla. Place in over for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and enjoy!

Veggie Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce (Vegan Optional)

Veggie Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce

• Pasta (any type)
• 1 cup skim milk*
• ½ packet of creamy pesto sauce mix
• 1 zucchini (diced into small pieces)
• 1 squash (diced into small pieces)
• 1 packet 8-12 oz mushrooms (sliced)
• 1-2 cups broccoli (chopped into smaller pieces)
• 1 tbs Smart Balance Light® butter
• ¼ cup shredded Mozzarella*
• ½ tsp garlic salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Prepare pasta as instructed on box.

Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized skillet. Add sliced mushrooms, diced zucchini, squash and broccoli and sauté for about 5-10 minutes, until the mushrooms turn from white to brown.

Combine skim milk and creamy pesto sauce mix medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add butter and stir mixture with a whisk until slightly thickened (3-5 minutes). Once desired thickness is achieved, add in shredded Mozzarella and stir in until melted.

Remove pesto sauce from heat and add in the sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, squash and broccoli. Toss with cooked pasta and serve immediately.

*To make this dish vegan, substitute soy or almond milk for the skim milk and omit the Mozzarella cheese.

Portabella Mushroom Enchiladas (Vegan Optional)

Portabella Mushroom Enchiladas

• 4-5 large portabella mushrooms, diced
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 cups red enchilada sauce
• corn or flour tortillas
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup shredded part skim mozzarella (optional)

Prepare brown rice as instructed on box.

Preheat oven to 350°. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in skillet. Sauté garlic and mushrooms in olive oil for 4 to 6 minutes, until mushrooms are cooked. Add in spinach leaves with mushrooms and sauté for a couple minutes, until leaves have wilted and become dark green. Remove from heat.

In a large baking pan or casserole dish, place a thin layer of enchilada sauce, about 2 tablespoons, over the bottom surface.

In microwave, heat tortillas for a few seconds, just until soft and easy to roll. Place about 3 tablespoons of the mushroom, spinach, and brown rice in the center of a tortilla. Drizzle with about a tablespoon of enchilada sauce. Wrap and place in the casserole or baking dish. Continue until filling is gone.

Pour extra enchilada sauce top of wrapped enchiladas. If preferred, sprinkle shredded part skim mozzarella on top of wrapped enchiladas. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.