*UNHEALTHY FOOD ALERT* Fried Polk and Dry Land Fish

Allow me to say first and foremost, this blog is about veganism.  Unhealthy stuff WILL pop up on here from time to time.  But, that being said, in search for getting my own health back to where I want it, most of my food is healthy or healthier versions of things I have always loved.  I imagined myself making caulipots tonight with some purple taters, so I could have blue caulipots in honor of my beloved UK.  Instead, delivered to our door was a bag of polk and one dry land fish.  We did as we traditionally do, and fried them both.  Mom and dad let me have the dry land fish as they fried themselves some bluegill. 

That was my dinner tonight.  And it was DELICIOUS.  If you look up polk or polk salad on google or wikipedia, it will tell you that the plant is poisonous.  To properly eat it, according to these sources, you need to boil the crap out of it then fry it.  Well, that is not how we do it here.  I dipped it in unsweetened almond milk, coated it in a cornmeal and flour mixture, then fried it.  It has yet to kill me yet, so I think I'm ok.

Dry land fish is hard to find.  According to many sources, it is called a morel mushroom.  It grows near water sources wild here, and the part that makes it hard to find is that so many people are after them.  Dry land fishing is almost a sport right now. 

The important thing to know about dry land fish is prepping them.  Once you have them, cut them in half and let them soak in a bit of salt water for at least 30 minutes to an hour.  Then, rinse them.  Your dry land fish are ready to be put into the pan!  You can easily fry these two items in the same pan, which I did, and use the same things to batter them, which I did.

Ingredients:

Polk
Dry Land Fish
1c. cornbread mix
1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk

Directions:

1. Heat up oil in an iron skillet.
2. Spread the cornbread mix on a plate and the almond milk in a bowl.
3. Dip the polk or dry land fish into the almond milk until coated. 
4. Dip the drenched polk or dry land fish in the cornmeal mixture
5. Once grease is hot enough, drop the polk and dry land fish in to fry.
6. After around 4 minutes of frying, sometimes less, flip the polk and dry land fish.
7. Once both sides are golden brown, remove and place on some paper towels to get rid of excess grease.
8. Grab polk and dry land fish and begin to chow down.

At this time, I cannot be on a mission to find more dry land fish sadly.  Instead, I am on a mission to get ready to be with Jeremy.  I'll be heading to visit him for my final visit to Minot.  The next time I'll see him, he'll be coming here to meet my family.  I can't wait!

Chocolate Black Raspberry Quinoa

I woke up this morning with several cravings going on silmultaneously.  I wanted chocolate, something crunchy, some black raspberries, and some quinoa.  I thought how easy it would be to get this all just by fixing some breakfast quinoa with black raspberries.  The trickier part was how to get the chocolate and something crunchy.  I have some Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter which is DIVINE, but it wouldn't give me the something crunchy.  Instead, I opted for adding a little bit of dark chocolate almond milk and some pistachios. 

It turned out lovely.  I had to think ahead and not just put the dark chocolate almond milk in, but water as well.  The quinoa would not turn out right if I had just used the almond milk.  And the pistachios really went well with this combination.  I usually have a variety of nuts on hand at all times because I love to use them in recipes and snack on them.  Pistachios are one of my favorites though.

 While making the rest of the recipe, I may have munched on these a little.  Just a little though *winks*.

Black raspberries are my favorite.  I absolutely love them.  When I was little, I would go out and turn myself purple picking and eating these little berries.  I once asked why they had rocks in them (the seeds).  But I still loved them and ate them anyways.  This past summer, two of my uncles and I went and picked a bunch on a hillside by a side road.

I loved every minute of picking these with my Uncle Tommy and my Uncle Clyde Roger.  And I may have eaten a few, just like when I was little.

Onward to the recipe!

Ingredients

1/2 c. quinoa
1/2 c. dark chocolate almond milk
3/4 c. water
1 c. black raspberries
1/2 c. unsalted roasted pistachios

Directions:

1. In a rice cooker, add teh quinoa, dark chocolate almond milk, water, and black raspberries.
2. Add as many of the pistachios as you want into your bowl.
3. When quinoa is cooked, dip it out over the pistachios and mix together.
4. Chow down.

These quinoa breakfast recipes are super simple, but super tasty and a good, healthy breakfast.

Healthy Apple Butter

Again, tonight's post will have no pics.  Maybe I'll put some of this up later, but for now, it has none.  Instead of sitting and creating stuff, I sat and watched the film Hungry for Change with my mom.  The message is incredible, as is the information.  If you haven't watched it,  you have until tomorrow evening to watch it free online.  It is life changing.  DO IT! 

Anyways, here is a healthier apple butter recipe.  Something that is just super tasty, a better alternative than heavily laden jams and jellies, and just all out delicious.  Usually, you put in tons and tons of sugar.  Here, I will be blending up a little dates to add to the mixture.  It adds the sweetness without the processed white stuff.

Ingredients:

11-12 apples (any kind of your choice will do) peeled, cored, and diced
12 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked in water
Juice of 1 lemon
Apple Pie Spice blend

Directions:

1.  Put the diced apples into a large pot.  Add the lemon juice and toss together.
2.  Take the pitted dates and the soaking water and add to a blender.  Blend until smooth.
3.  Add the dates to the apples, and mix together.
4.  Turn on medium heat. 
5.  Continue cooking until the apples are turning into mush.  Add in as much of the Apple Pie Spice as you would like.  I like a lot because I like the bold spices, but mix in to your taste.
6.  Turn heat down to low and let simmer for at least one hour, continuing to stir so the mixture doesn't burn.
7.  Put some in a saucer or on some good whole wheat bread and chow down.

While still hot, canning them is a great way to save them.  There are several ways to can, but I use a cheap method that my mom and mamaw taught me.  Boil a big thing of water.  In a separate smaller kettle, boil the lids and seals.  Sit your glass cans in the sink.  Pour the water both around and inside the cans when it is nearing time to can.  Turn off the kettle with the lids and seals, but keep them on the stove.  Empty the water out and quickly fill with the hot apple butter (it is CRUCIAL that it is still hot).  Take the hot leads and seals and screw them on quickly.  You will need a towel during this part so as not to burn the crap out of your hands.  Let the cans sit, and you can hear the pop as the cans seal.  It is a neat trick.  Quick, easy, and pressure cooker.

Fresh Pasta Sauce

Let me begin this by saying it is late, and I have grown tired.  But, I promised myself that I would get this blog up.  So, here I am.  I would have done this earlier, but I was busy talking to Jeremy.  I miss him so very much.  And tonight's meal was slightly inspired by another night with him.

On that plate is Sophie's Kitchen vegan calamari, which is super delicious, and my pasta sauce with quinoa noodles and some fresh green onions from mom and dad's small garden out behind the house.  It was a simple yet delicious meal.  Mom and dad both loved the calamari, exclaiming that it "tasted like clams!"  I like it, too.

This was inspired by another night with Jeremy because over Christmas, I made him some of the vegan calamari.  I wanted a sauce to go with it, so I created one with garlic, onions, diced tomatoes, and some spices.  I knew I could do a better one if I had more time to plan it out, and the above was created. 

For the sauce, you need to think of a super fresh veggie that you want to highlight in the sauce.  I suggest a type of squash, such as zucchini or yellow squash (like I used tonight), or a type of mushroom.  If you're a big olive person, you could also toss some olives in it.  Just depends on your mood and what you have fresh nearby. 

These were my base ingredients, and they were delicious.  I have plans of canning my own tomatoes at the end of the summer, so this will be even better.  It was still incredibly good though.


Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
4-5 cloves of garlic minced
1 shallot diced
4 green onions, sliced
1 smallish yellow squash (1 zucchini, 2 portobella mushrooms, or 4-6 baby bella mushrooms)
1 can diced tomatoes with no salt
1 can diced tomatoes with basil and oregano seasonings
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. Italian herb mix (one without garlic)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Take out about 2 Tbsp of the green onion and reserve on the side. 
2. Heat olive oil in a large iron skillet over medium-low heat.
3. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
4. Add the rest of the green onions, shallot, and squash (or mushrooms), and saute until soft.
5. Add in both cans of diced tomatoes and tomato paste.
6. Add in Italian Herb mix, salt and pepper.
7. Turn down to low heat and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes for flavors to meld.
8. Toss in your favorite kind of pasta, top with some green onions, and chow down.

As I've said before, I really love and highly recommend the quinoa pastas.   I used quinoa spaghetti noodles in this dish tonight.  Enjoy!

Homemade Agave Almond Granola

I have recently began trying to get my mom on a path that would make both her and my dad healthier.  I've been taking recipes that they really love and redoing them, making them healthier.  These are the recipes that will be coming one by one as I work out all the kinks.  Some of them can't be completely healthy even when remade, but some can. 

Most weekday mornings, my mom has yogurt and granola.  I started looking at her granola and what was in it.  I soon realized that her prepackaged granola was making her sugar skyrocket.  Mom is boderline diabetic, and she has a crash by mid-morning, when she eats things like graham crackers and the like to get her blood sugar back up.  I took the initiative to make her some more nut butter to eat with some apples or bananas for her snack.  But, my true focus was the granola.

Agave nectar is sweet, and I have described it several times as if honey, maple syrup, and molasses had a love child.  It is delicious.  It is also low on the glycemic index, which is awesome for anyone but especially good for boderline diabetics or full-blown diabetics.  I knew this would be the sweetener for her granola.

You'll notice that several recipes of mine contain coconut oil.  Hail Merry, one of my favorite companies, explains coconut oil very well.  It is absolutely fantastic for your body.  Yes, it is a fat, but it is a good, healthy fat, and one in which our bodies can use and needs.

The recipe itself is super simple.  It just takes time to bake it.  Bring a book or your laptop with you as you bake it up.  Mom wanted some dried fruit in her granola, which is fine.  If you do use fruit, be sure that it is unsweetened.

Ingredients:

3 c. of oats
3/4 c. of flax seeds
1/2 c. slivered almonds
1/2 c. coconut oil
1/3 c. agave nectar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 c. unsweetened dried fruit of your choice (optional, and I put apricot in mom's)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the oats, flax seeds, and almonds.
3. In a small bowl, melt the coconut oil in the microwave.  Don't let it get too hot.  Just heat it enough to melt it.
4. To the coconut oil, add the agave, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix these ingredients together well.
5. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients.
6. Spread the granola mixture on a cookie sheet.
7. Let bake for ten minutes, then take out and turn the granola.  Continue doing this until the granola has baked for 40 minutes.
8. Let it cool, then put it in an airtight storage container.  At this point, mix in the dried fruit if you are using it.
9. Chow down.

I like it better without fruit and added with the Avocado Pudding recipe from the Vegan Stoner. Trust me, it's awesome.

Squash or Radish Rolls

One of the first times I went to visit Jeremy in North Dakota, he wanted to make something for me that I had never had and something that he really enjoyed: radish sandwiches.  Instead of getting white bread, we got ciabatta rolls and cut them in half.  He put vegan butter on them and layered radishes that he had sliced, and we had radish sandwiches for dinner.  And I loved them.  He told me that his dad, Larry, always made them for him.  So, thank you Larry for the awesome food.

These rolls were inspired by this moment with Jeremy.  I had radishes and no bread.  I did have a can of crescent rolls.  I also had zucchini that needed to be fixed.  So I made some rolls with zucchini and some with radishes.  I took them to school the next day, and they were adored. 

I simply took the sliced radishes and the sliced zucchini, which the zucchini slices had to be cut in half, and rolled them up into the crescent rolls.  This was my first attempt at them.  I simply added the radishes and zucchini, rolled them up in the crescent rolls with a little spice and baked.  I really liked them.

But they needed more.  Today, I wanted to expand on the initial idea.  Here at my mom and dad's house, I had two small yellow/summer squashes.  I also had some roasted garlic hummus.  A new version of the rolls was born.

These turned out just the way I wanted them.  They were so yummy!  Mom and dad even enjoyed them, which for me means that I rocked it out.  They are picky with their food.  Now, when I have radishes or zucchini or yellow squash that needs to be eaten, I have a quick go-to recipe for them.

Ingredients:

1 yellow squash or zucchini sliced and halved, or sliced up radishes, or a combination
1 can of crescent rolls (you can do more than one can, up to you)
Hummus of your choice (I love roasted garlic or roasted red pepper hummus, yum)
Herb seasoning mix (I used a Mrs. Dash blend here)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Separate the triangles of crescent roll dough. 
3. Spread some hummus on one of the triangles.
4. Take a couple of pieces of the veggie you are using and put them on the thicker edge.
5. Sprinkle with herb mix.
6. Roll over the bottom once to cover the veggie.
7. Add another layer, then roll.
8. Add one and roll.
9. Sprinkle herb mix over the top.
10. Repeat with other triangles.
11. Place evenly on a cookie sheet or pizza pan (I prefer my stone pan or one of my iron skillets)
12.  Bake until the crescent roll is golden brown and the veggie of choice is tender.
13. Put one on a plate and chow down.

These are simple to make and just good.  Yes, the crescent roll isn't the best thing in the world for you, but, a little splurge every now and then doesn't hurt.  Enjoy!

The Hunger Games... and Black Bean Brownies.

I promised that I would put up a recipe a day, but tonight, I didn't really cook anything.  You have those days, right?  Well, I ate some snacky-type things, went off and ran one and a half miles, walked with my friend Jen for 45 minutes, did one hour of Zumba instructions, and then went of to see The Hunger Games with Jen.  After having read 2 1/2 of the books (I'm working on the third), I was nervous about how the movie would turn out.  I was right.  They changed things that never needed to be changed, added things that didn't need to be there, and left out things that should have been in there. 

But I digress.  So, to keep up with my word of recipes, I am giving you a recipe for which I do not have pictures.  It is still super tasty and good. I give you, Black Bean Brownies!

I know that many of you are thinking that I am either a.) out of my mind or b.) have no taste buds.  But the thruth is that these are simple, quick, and super tasty. 

Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients:
1. Box of vegan brownie mix (one that makes 24 brownies)
2. One can of black beans

Directions:
1. Rinse the black beans and rinse out the can.
2. Put the black beans back into the can and fill it the rest of the way with water.
3. Throw black beans and water into a blender until well blended.
4. Add the black bean and water mixture to brownie mix.
5. Bake according to directions on the back of the brownie box.
6. Grab a plate and chow down.

These are especially good if you pair it with some coconut milk ice cream, like chocolate mint coconut milk ice cream.  Mmmmmmm.

Healthy Orange Cranberry Muffins

For my family, Sundays are a day to eat a good breakfast.  This is the day that we often made gravy and biscuits and feasted.  We made things that stuck to your ribs for the entire afternoon.  But, at the same time, it was a great meal for a lazy day because you felt like doing nothing afterwards.  I do like to have some vegan gravy and biscuits from time to time, but this Sunday morning, I wanted something good, hot, and healthy.

Enter in my mom's Orange Cranberry Muffins.  These are a favorite of mine.  I wanted to take her recipe and even though she would replace the egg in it for me, I knew there were other things that I could make healthier in it. 

I used milled flax seeds to replace the egg, part wheat flour and part white flour, apple sauce instead of oil, and lastly, I used agave nectar instead of sugar.  All of these things make it a lot healthier!

I almost added pistachios instead of my normal pecans to the muffin, but I know my mom really loves pecans.  I wanted to give her a better version of her recipe that was still delicious.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. milled flax seeds (if you have the packets that I used in the quinoa recipe, just one of those
           packets is perfect)
3 Tbsp water
1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. pecans or other nut (optional)
3/4 c. apple sauce
3/4 c. agave nectar
zest of 1-2 oranges (I recommend at least 1 1/2 oranges)
3/4 c. fresh orange juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Grease your muffin sheet (this will either make 12 regular sized muffins or 6 giant muffins).
3. Mix together the milled flax seeds and the water in a small bowl.  Set to the side to let the mixture get gooey (technical term, promise).
4. Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
5. Add the cranberries and pecans to the dry ingredients.
6. Add together the apple sauce, agave nectar, zest, orange juice, and flax mixture in a large bowl. 
7. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet.
8. Fill the muffin tins.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.
10. Grab a saucer and chow down.

For this recipe, if you want, you can use all whole wheat flour.  If you do this, be sure to use whole wheat pastry flour so the muffins are not too dense and still a good, fluffy muffin.  Enjoy!

Tropical Breakfast Quinoa

This morning when I first woke up, the sky was filled with clouds.  But, through the clouds, you could see the sun trying its very best to peek through the gloomy clouds.  I decided this morning would be a great morning to work on a recipe that has been mulling in my mind for a few weeks. 

I wanted to make Tropical Quinoa.  I wanted to add pineapple, mango, kiwi, and banana to quinoa with coconut milk and fresh macadamia nut butter.  Making fresh nut butter is not difficult.  It literally takes just a few minutes of your time.

I wanted something refreshing and fun.  Turns out though, that I have no mango, and no store near here has mango.  Why must you let me down Food City and IGA?  Next time I make it, it is totally gonna have mango though.

This is what I started out with.  I love making quinoa in my rice cooker.  It turns out perfect and tastes delicious.  This is what I ended with:

I added flax after this and topped with coconut.  Mom and dad aren't much for adding milled flax seeds, but I love it.  I get little packets of the flax mill so I can easily pour it on and mix it into my foods. 

After making this, I realized that according to a site I read yesterday, I had three superfoods in this one dish (here is the site: http://www.ecorazzi.com/2012/03/23/15-vegan-superfoods-you-should-be-eating-right-now/).  The end product was delicious.

I promise that this will brighten up your morning.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. pinapple chunked
1/2 c. mango diced (if you don't have it, like I didn't, add another 1/2 c. pinapple)
2 kiwis diced
1 medium banana
1 c. quinoa
1 can of coconut milk
Water
Unsweetened shredded coconut
Milled flax seeds
1 c. raw unsalted macadamia nuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Empty the can of coconut milk in a large measuring cup.  You want 2 cups of liquid total.  Add water to the coconut milk until you get 2 cups of liquid.  Mix the two together.
3. Add the quinoa, coconut milk and water, pineapple, and banana together.
4. When the quinoa is on, spread the macadamia nuts evenly on a cookie sheet. Roast for 10-15 minutes until slightly golden and fragrant.
5. Put the warm macadamia nuts in a food processor until smooth.
6. When quinoa is done, mix in the mango and kiwi.
7. Grab your breakfast bowl.  Put 1 Tbsp of the macadamia butter, one packet of the milled flax seed (or how much you want to throw in) and 1/2 cup of the quinoa in the bowl. 
8. Mix together then top with the coconut and chow down.

This is a great bright way to start out a weekend day.  Enjoy!

Challenge Accepted: Kale Dessert #1 Chocolate Pecan Kale Chips

I was greeted with a challenge a few days ago.  I've been known to make some odd, quirky things, such as zucchini streussel, radish rolls, and zucchini cinnamon rolls, etc.  I love veggies, especially zucchini and kale.  One of my closest friends and coworker, Jen, challenged me to make a kale dessert.  I had two in mind, but this afternoon I came home in need of a pre-workout snack.  I have to teach Zumba at 5:30 this evening.  It is sooooo much fun, but I have to be up for the challenge.  When looking in the fridge, I saw that I had a mere 4 pieces of kale left.  And I remembered the challenge.

My first worry was, what sweet stuff goes with kale?!  I mean, it's a green.  But, that didn't daunt me or discourage me.  Like all good desserts, my mind went two ways: chocolate and something fruity.  I'm a fruit addict; however, I decided to try the chocolate approach first.  Which involved Chocolate Pecan Kale Chips.  Now, these also have a couple other ingredients in them, but these will be prominent. 

I'm not gonna lie.  I was worried when I started throwing these things together.  I come into a kitchen with no true plan, and just keep working until I say, "Hey, this looks good... smells good... hmmm... let's give it a try."  And out popped these beauties.  I threw in lemon zest to give it more of a brightness, and it worked! 

They were yummy.  I say were because I ate them all while trying to write this post. 


Ingredients:

4 leaves of kale, washed, dried, and torn into 1 inch pieces
1/4 c. pecans
1 Tbsp Earth Balance coconut spread (if you don't have this, you can use coconut oil or vegan butter)
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1/8 tsp. allspice
2 Tbsp dark cocoa
Unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. 
2. Melt the coconut spread in a small bowl in the microwave.
3. Add the agave nectar and lemon zest to the melted coconut spread until well combined. 
4. Mix in the allspice and dark cocoa until all is combined.
5.  Put the kale in a large bowl and toss in the pecans.  Pour the chocolate mixture over both.
6. Massage the chocolate mixture into the kale. 
7. Spread kale and pecans evenly across a baking sheet. 
8. Sprinkle the coconut over top.  Sprinkle on as much or as little as you like.
9. Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
10. Grab a bowl and chow down.

I don't know how these taste when they cool off, but when they are still warm and crispy, they are so good.  They can curb a chocolate craving, give you a boost of kale nutrients, and don't have a ton of calories.  Can't say that they have none, but not a lot!  Enjoy :)

Golden Glow Green Juice

Yes, I love my juice.  It is delicious, gives me tons of energy and nutrients, and it makes me oh so happy.  I have read the arguments for both sides, for juicing and against juicing.  In the end, it makes me feel better.  Whether or not it actually is better for me than trying to sit down and eat all of these things, eh, I'll leave that to experts whose knowledge far exceeds mine.

Anyways, this mornings random thrown together juice is quite tasty, and spectacularly dark green.  So, I decided to share the recipe! 

And yes, this bottle was FULL before I drank it.  It was just so tasty, and I was hungry.  I'm now almost full as I drink the last few swigs.  That is my handy-dandy take-juice-to-work-cause-I'm-running-late bottle.  I think my mom got it for me somewhere where it was 2 for a dollar.  I'm gonna guess the Dollar Store.  I've been using my other bottle to store quinoa... mmmm.

BACK TO THE JUICE!  The juice is simple, and gives you a nice boost. I called it Golden Glow Green Juice because getting all those nutrients every single day in a little green juice is going to help make your skin glow. It is amazing.

Ingredients:

4 good-sized leaves of kale
1 large cucumber
1 large stalk of celery
1 large broccoli stem
1 cup of spinach (optional)
1 mango
2 lemon slices
1 granny smith apple
1 banana

Directions:

1. Easy enough, juice everything.

2. Grab a bottle or glass and drink up.

Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce with Quinoa Noodles and Veggies

Before I get to the good stuff, I'm gonna explain just a little bit about myself and this blog.  I'm Laura Beth.  I've been promising friends for a while now that I would start actually measuring out and putting my recipes up somewhere where they can find them.  So, I'm starting this blog.  I'm a homegrown KY girl who bleeds blue, but will soon be heading out to Southern California to be with my Air Force captain (who I'm very proud of, obviously).  But, I stay strong in my roots from my food to my accent.  California will have to prepare itself for a girl like me!

I figure since this is my first post, I will start off with what I have been munching on all week.  I really do need a better camera for taking pics of my food.  For now, my Palm Pre will have to do.  I think Jeremy has a really good camera and is much better at taking pictures than I am.  That'll be his job in helping me for this blog.  So, at last, I introduce to you Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce with Quinoa Noodles and Veggies!

In case you were wondering, it is scrumptious!  Anyways, this recipe started when my mom tore out a recipe from a magazine at her doctor's office.  She decided no one else would want the vegan recipes on the page, so she brought it back to me.  I've never been one to break the rules, but following recipes has not been a strong suit either.  I stare at a recipe, or at a cabinet or fridge for that matter, and decide what I think I would like to do with it.  To say that this recipe resembles the initial recipe would be an all out lie.  Sure there are some similar things... like peanut butter and tofu going into the sauce and the broccoli and red peppers... but I pretty much changed everything about it.

I thought a closer view would explain a little more.  I know, I know, it's blury, but I'll fix it with Jeremy's camera soon enough.

Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce with Quinoa Noodles and Veggies

Ingredients

Sauce:
2/3 c. natural crunchy peanut butter
2/3 c. blended silken tofu
2 tsp. of Fiery Fusion Pepper blend (if you like it spicier, add more)
10 Tbsp. pasta water
salt and black pepper to taste

Other Stuff:
3 c. broccoli
1 package of Quinoa Rotelle Pasta
6 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 shallots, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. coconut oil
1 red bell pepper, diced

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Once it is at a boil, blanche the broccoli until down.  Be sure not to overcook the broccoli.  Scoop broccoli out of the water.  Don't strain out the water.

2. Throw 1 tsp. of the coconut in the remaining water and the package of Quinoa Pasta.  Following cooking directions on the package.

3. In the meantime, add 1 Tbsp. of coconut oil in an iron skillet.  Drop in the garlic for a few seconds until fragrant.  Add in the shallots and mushrooms.  Saute together until done.

4. About two minutes before the pasta is done, add the peanut butter, tofu, and pasta water in a bowl.  Mix together and add the pepper blend, salt, and black pepper. 

5. Drain pasta and put back in the pot with the broccoli, mushrooms, shallots and garlic. 

6. Pour sauce over and mix.

7. Lastly, add the raw red pepper peices for a bit of crunch and mix together.

8. Grab a bowl and chow down.

Serves six.


While this recipe is best while it is hot, it is great warmed back up as well.  And there you have it!  My first recipe that I've put up.  For those of you wondering, it is both vegan and gluten-free (as long as you grab the right peanut butter and tofu).  Enjoy!