Why hello there Monday morning… you always come to soon! How are you today friends? I hope you had a fabulous weekend. We certainly did. Nothing too out of the ordinary here- Friday night we shared a delicious dinner with Dustin’s parents.

Saturday, I hit the gym first thing in the am for a weekend workout since I didn’t get to fit in a workout on Friday. After that, I headed to the grocery store to pick up the deliciousness that I am going to share with you today, as well as all of the ingredients to make our first batch of eggnog for the season (I will share that recipe this week too!).

Saturday night we did a little bit of Christmas tree decorating and then turned in for a fairly early night. Sunday we cooked breakfast, watched church from home instead of attending, bathed the pups, took care of a little bit of work that I had been putting off and then I spent the rest of the evening in the kitchen preparing food for the week! Crockpot oats, green smoothies, BBQ roasted chickpeas and a couple of casseroles for one of the hubs final road trips of the year!

Anyway, enough about the weekend and on to this yummy, savory dish your entire family is sure to enjoy! 

Years ago, I made a “Vegan Chicken Pot Pie” that certainly was tasty but very “bready” to say the least. With the help of Mama Pea, I used her recipe as a backbone and then made it work for us with a gluten-free bread-like topping but not a bread only dish like the one I made years ago! Gluten-free, vegan and full of protein, this is a dish that I will certainly make again – in fact, I already made it twice this past weekend! It’s fairly easy, pretty cheap and one that you can make in advance and then throw in the oven as soon as you walk in the door. Next time, I am going to try it in the crock pot too!

Chick Pot Pie

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 small Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
• 1 28 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 2.5 tsp gluten free flour
• 1.5 cups unsweetened plain almond milk
• 3/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth

For the biscuit topping:

• 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 + 2/3 cups gluten free biscuit flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill… Bisquick now has their version too)
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4.5 tbsp coconut oil (still hard, cut into chunks)
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast (or Parmesan cheese)
• 1/2 tsp dried basil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a large casserole dish with non-stick spray.
2. Prepare filling first. Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil over medium high heat. Add diced onion, garlic, celery and potatoes and sauté until the mixture begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in frozen veggies and continue to sauté, string in salt, pepper and herbs. Gently fold in garbanzo beans, careful not to mash. Turn heat to low.
3. Prepare roux next. In a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp coconut oil over medium high heat. Add 2.5 tbsp of flour, using a whisk to combine – string constantly. Slowly add the almond milk and vegetable broth, continuing to whisk until combined and thick, bringing the combination to a boil. Pour the sauce over the vegetable combination, gently stirring to evenly coat the veggies.
4. Pour the vegetable mixture into the large, well-sprayed baking dish.
5. Prep the biscuit topping last. In a medium bowl, combine the almond milk and the lemon juice and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper). Cut in the coconut oil using a fork until it is evenly distributed but still in chunks. Add in the nutritional yeast (or Parm) and basil. Pour in the soured milk and mix until just moist (remember you don’t want the combination too liquidy!)
6. Using two spoons, scoop a spoonful of the batter up with one spoon and push it onto the dish using the second spoon until your biscuits make a lovely topping for the casserole.
7. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for ~45 minutes, after 30 minutes checking every 5-10 minutes to prevent biscuits from burning.
8. Enjoy alone or with a green salad to start!

I am certain that this dish will satisfy all members of your family!

 

Version # 1

 

Version # 2

 

What did you do this weekend? Any cooking?!

 

Have an awesome Monday!

Good health!

 

The post Meatless Monday: Chick Pot Pie appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hello Monday! How are ya friends!? I hope you had a great weekend and are ready to take on another another great week!

I had a weekend FULL of cooking. The hub is headed out on another long road trip so prepped him as many yummy eats as possible to fuel his long days at the baseball field; and I also made some delicious eats with my mom including today’s post (as seen below!) to stay here.

From left to right…Black Bean Burritos pressed in the George Foreman, Double Chocolate Protein Bars (recipe to come soon!), Roasted Balsamic Broccoli, my mom’s Butternut Squash Soup, Crockpot Lasagna (recipe below), and homemade Vegan Apple Cinnamon Rolls (recipe adapted from Katie over at Honeystuck with a few substitutions) which were supposed to go with to to an early morning Falcons tailgate. Not pictured grilled BBQ Chicken, Rosemary White Beans, Mashed Potatoes, and I think that might be all. Wow! Just typing all of that exhausted me!

But on to today!

It’s the 21st which means it’s time for another Recipe Redux post (which perfectly falls on Meatless Monday too!)! In case you’ve missed the past two Recipe Redux posts be sure to check them out. Both were absolutely delicious: Garden Harvest Pickled Okra and Mini Peanut Butter Pies!

The challenge we were given for October was as follows:

The No-Casserole Crock Pot: Some of us grew up on casseroles out of a slow cooker – but now home cooks are using that same slow cooker to roast a chicken, bake bread, make homemade yogurt and for other creative dishes. Show us how you are using the slow cooker to craft a new healthy recipe.

When I started thinking about what I wanted to do for this months challenge dishes like Crockpot Applesauce, Rosemary White Beans and Overnight Crockpot Oats came to mind.

And then something else happened.

Last week, while on the road with Dustin, we sat down at the lobby bar for a glass of wine after dinner. After talking to the bartender for a few minutes, she went on to tell me how tired she was: she’s returning to school in the morning, working during the day, and bar tending at night, all with three children at home. She was telling me that the hardest part about her jam packed schedule was making sure that her children have a warm meal to come home to in the evenings (Does it come to any surprise to you that our conversation ended up on food?).

I could see the compassion in her eyes. She was doing everything she possibly could to better not only her but her children’s life too. She said she tries to plan ahead and uses her crockpot as often as possible. Smart lady.

And then she mentioned Crockpot Lasagna (and spaghetti sandwiches? new to me!).

I’ve told you all before that my husband is the guy that says, “Hey Ash, do you think you could make “Healthy Sausage Balls?”

Really, Dustin? Sausage + massive amounts of cheese + white flour + egg? (Just typing that out gets my wheels spinning although… maybe “Healthier Chicken Sausage Balls?” Humm… we’ll see about that.)

What I am trying to say is that he wants his old favorite, unhealthy foods made healthy, and rightfully so! Healthy food should taste delicious, as shown through the Recipe Redux.

But back to Crockpot Lasagna.

When the bartender mentioned Crockpot Lasagna, I knew my next challenge was upon me.

Enter this Gluten-free, Veggie-packed Crockpot Lasagna.

An easy, yet delicious take on an old favorite!

Crockpot Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried lentils
• 1.5 cups water
• 24 oz. jar marinara sauce (Classico’s Tomato Basil is a good option – or you can make your own!)
• 1 tbsp organic canola oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 10 oz. carton white mushrooms, chopped
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 15 oz. fat-free plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cups vegan Mozzarella cheese, separated
• 2 cups spinach, chopped into shreds
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 10 oz package gluten-free brown rice lasagna noodles

Directions

1. In a medium sauce pan, combine the lentils and the water and cook until just al dente (~20 minutes). Pour the jar of marinara sauce into the pot of lentils and stir gently to combine and set aside (pour about 1/2 cup of water into the empty jar and swirl around to collect the remaining tomato sauce and set the jar aside for later use) .
2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté for ~2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, zucchini, and bell pepper and sauté for 3-4 more minutes, just browning the vegetables.
3. Add the vegetables to the lentil sauce, again, stirring to combine.
4. In a large bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, 1 cup of mozzarella, chopped spinach, and Italian seasoning.
5. Pour 1/3 cup of the veggie marinara lentil sauce in the bottom of the crockpot. Add a layer of lasagna noodles (breaking accordingly to fit into your crockpot).
6. Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture across the top of the noodles.
7. Repeat: 1/3 veggie lentil sauce, noodles, 1/2 cheese, and then one more layer of the noodles and the remaining sauce.
8. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese.
9. Pour the 1/2 cup water from the sauce jar around the edges of the crockpot evenly.
10. Cook on low for ~4-6 hours.
11. Remove the lid and allow your family to oooo and ahhhh over the delicious smell and yummy taste! Serve and enjoy!

–

I hope your family enjoys this dish as much as mine! Have a great day!

Good health!

The post Crockpot Lasagna {The Recipe Redux} appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

My 13-year-old sister stands alone as the only gluten-eating girl in the family. Little does she know, the majority of her diet (since my mom cooks her meals) is gluten-free too, at home at least.

As you could imagine, we are always on the hunt for tasty, yet gluten-free recipes. Throw a vegan and a simi-vegan in the mix and I’ll show you how things get complicated, realllll quick. We make it work though. We’re a family of foodies, that’s for sure.

The older of my two younger sisters (which is gluten sensitive) sent me this picture last week…

That meant one thing. I had to recreate.  Cheese-less, however.

And it was done. Thanks to this guy…

These little bites are a perfect appetizer, side, or even meal. And they’re super easy too.

I think this was a Pinterest inspired idea for my sister, but for me, it was a sister-inspired idea. Thanks sis!

Zucchini Pizza Bites 

Vegan or non-vegan…the choice is yours. But gluten-free always.

Ingredients

• 2 (as large and round as you can find) zucchini… mine were a little on the small size
• Olive oil
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced thin (like pepperoni)
• Mozzarella cheese (I used Daiya to make the bites vegan)
• Basil to taste
• Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400.
2. Cut zucchini into about 1/4 inch rounds.
3. Cut the cherry tomatoes into thin rounds.
4. Place rounds on well sprayed baking sheet.
5. Drizzle each round with a small amount of olive oil.
6. Top with tomatoes and as much cheese as you desire.
7. Sprinkle with basil and pepper.
8. Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.

Easy enough, right!?

Make these tasty treats tonight! You won’t be sad you did. Have a great day!

Good health!

The post Gluten-free Girls: Zucchini Pizza Bites appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Good evening and happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, in particular my mom who I unfortunately cannot spend the day with .

We just returned from a night beach walk with the pups; it truly doesn’t get much better than that!

Remember yesterday when I mentioned that we planned on tackling the farmers market, the outlets, the beach, and the wedding all on our first day here?  Well, we almost did! Our day started at the outlets where Dustin was able to find a few pairs of nice pants (since we just realized that I left all of his jeans, his suits, and my workout pants in Statesboro…Did I mention that he has two interviews this week? Yikes.) at the Tommy Bahama store. I was also able to spend a little of my birthday money as well .

Following the outlets, we left in just enough time to make it over to the Old City Farmers Market. Unfortunately we didn’t give ourselves enough time to really get to walk around and visit every vendor because the market is HUGE, but we were able to grab lots of fresh organic veggies! I will grab pictures next time…just as I was going to snap a photo, I realized that I left my memory card in my computer.

After the market, since we only had a few hours to spare before it was time to start getting ready for the market, instead of hitting the beach we decided to grab some towels and lay out on the dock in the back of the house. While it wasn’t sand beneath us, we were still happy to be getting our Vitamin D close by the water.

We then headed in to prepare for the wedding and off to Fernandina Beach we went!

Rachel, the bride (one of my closest high school friends), was absolutely stunning and her groom, Jeremy, was looking pretty sharp himself! The day was absolutely perfect!

She got him!

I was so happy to see lots of old friends too!

This wedding kicks off one of eight that we have in the rest of 2012…lots of fun times to be had!

Tonight I want to leave you with a yummy Asian Lettuce Wrap recipe; one my mom often serves in our house.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 c mushrooms, diced
• 3 tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or Low-Sodium Tamari or Low-Sodium Soy Sauce (the Liquid Aminos have much less sodium than both so I prefer it)
• juice from half a lime
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 dash (or more depending on preference) of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/2 c unsalted peanuts or raw cashews
• 6 Napa cabbage or romaine lettuce leaves

with tofu…

without…

Directions

Sautee veggies in oil.  Add lime, vinegar and liquid aminos/tamari/soy sauce. Next add seasonings and toss in nuts. Serve veggies in leaves. You can also add tofu (for me) or chicken (for Dustin) to this mixture as we did.  Ground turkey works well too.  My mom usually adds either brown rice or quinoa too it as well.  We wanted to stick to veggies tonight.

I hope you are all enjoying your Sunday!

Good health!

The post Kicking Off Wedding Season and Lettuce Wraps appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hi there! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Our weekend, well my weekend, was pretty low key, Dustin’s was a little R-O-W-ah-D-Y. One of Dustin’s good friends was in town so while they were off doing guy things, I did  lot of studying (finals week has arrived), yoga, my first run since the marathon (oops…but it felt so good!), went to the GSU football game (3rd round of the playoffs! now on to the 4th!), church, and then more studying today. Oh yeah and I recently started a new book that I received at my work Christmas party, Born to Run (so far so good! actually great!), so I got to get a little further in it too! Not the best time to start a new (attention grasping) book on the weekend before six finals… but that’s just how life goes

Andddddd, also, one of my best friends got engaged this weekend too! So, congrats to Brie and Brad; couldn’t be happier for them during this exciting time in their lives. Let the wedding festivities begin!

The beautiful, happy couple!

Anyways…Finally talking food again! I feel like it’s been a while since my last recipe post, has it?

A lot of the trouble people tell me they have with eating heathy is the lack of ideas and the inconvenience of  actually preparing a healthy meal.  Like you’ve heard a thousand times, failing to plan is planning to fail.  So, tonight,  I want to share with you two of my favorite vegan go to dishes that may seem a little difficult at first but as you incorporate them into your weekly routines, actually become pretty easy to make.  Both include lentils, a high protein legume, which are much quicker to prepare than other beans since they require no soaking and only take about 30 minutes to cook.  Brown, green, or red lentils all work perfectly in both of these recipes, so the decision is up to you. Lentils are high in molybdenum, folate, fiber, tryptophan, manganese, iron, phosphorus, copper, thiamin (B1) and potassium if you were looking for another reason to make either of these delicious, completely nutritious meals. Both adapted from a blog I love, Oh She Glows.

[Photo Source]

Lentil Loaf:

[Photo Source]

{Last time I made the loaf I didn’t take pictures but I really wanted to share this recipe with you so I decided, hey, a Lentil Loaf is a Lentil Loaf, they all look pretty much the same }

Loaf Ingredients:

• 1 c dry lentils
• 3 c vegetable stock
• 1 flax egg  (3 tbsp mealed flax seed + 1/2 c warm water)
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 c sweet diced sweet onion
• 1 celery stock, sliced finely
• 1 medium grated carrot
• 1/3 apple, grated
• 1/4 c raisins (unfortunately, I omit this ingredient because Dustin doesn’t like the idea of mixing sweet and savory)
• 3/4 c toasted walnuts, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 c regular oats, ground into oat flour
• 1 tbsp mealed flax seed
• 2 slices whole wheat bread (or for G-Free option 3/4 c brown rice or brown rice bread crumbs), toasted and ground into bread crumbs

Glaze Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup (or sometimes I use Agave)
• 1 tbsp apple butter (recipe calls for this, but I omit it once again because Dustin doesn’t like it too sweet)

Directions:

• Preparing dried lentils:  Rinse and place inpot and add stock.  Bring to boil and reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender (about 30 minutes).  Remove from heat.
• Preparing loaf:  In a small bowl, combine ground flax seed with water and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onion, carrot and celery in olive oil for 2 minutes.  Sauté 3 minutes more until soft.  Add grated apple, raisins and walnuts and sauté another minute.  Add thyme and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and fold in cooked lentils, breadcrumbs and soaked flax seed until evenly distributed. Press mixture firmly into lightly oiled loaf pan and set aside.
• Preparing Glaze:  In small saucepan over no heat, combine all glaze ingredients.  Place over medium heat and stir continuously until thick (about 2-3 minutes).  Spread evenly over loaf and bake, uncovered 40 minutes.  Remove and serve.

On to the next one…

Pasta and Neat Sauce 

Ingredients:

• 1.5 bottles of clean tomato/pasta sauce
• 1, 450 gram, bag of lentils
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 medium onion. chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 2 c loosly packed spinach
• 1 tbps EVOO
• 1 box spaghetti or pasta of choice

Directions:

Cook 1 bag of lentils according to directions on package. Meanwhile, saute garlic, onion, zuchinni in EVOO until soft, about 5 minutes.  Rinse and drain lentils when ready (about 30 minutes). Stir in 1.5 bottles of spaghetti sauce, sauteed veggies,raw spinach, salt, and seasonings. Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy!

I hope these recipes give you inspiration to provide your family (or just yourself!) with incredibly nutritious dinners for at least two nights of this upcoming week! Challenge yourself to cook at home as much as possible, once again, your wallet and your waistline will be glad you did.

As for me, let the finals begin…two tomorrow and then only four to go!

Good Health!

Ashley

The post Dinner Time: Sans Meat Loaf appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Smack dab here in the middle of summer, the last thing you would expect that I would share with you is a hot chili recipe… except when it looks like this.

When it’s fresh, light, and healthy, summer time chili doesn’t seem so bad! Or at least to me!

A Healthy Girl’s Chili

Serves 8

You’ll need…

• 1 cup rinsed and drained black qunioa
• 2 cups water
• 1 large red onon, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and minced
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 28 oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups black beans
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp dried parsley or 2 tbsp fresh
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

Combine quinoa and water in pot, cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cook until water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large pan and spray with nonstick spray (or add a few drops of olive oil); add onion, bell pepper, celery, and jalapeño. Sauté over medium heat for about 7 minutes.

Stir in fresh tomatoes and carrots: sauté for 3-4 more minutes.  Stir in beans, crushed tomatoes, and seasonings.  Cook about 25 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in quinoa.  Cook for about 5 more minutes.

Recipe adapted from here.

Vegan Cornbread

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup frozen corn, de-thawed
• 1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup milled flax seed
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup coconut
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 cups original unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 chopped jalapeño

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond milk and the vinegar and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.  Add the oil and maple syrup (water) to the milk mixture.  Wish until foamy and bubbly, about 2 minutes.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together using a large wooden spoon.  Stir in the jalapeños. Pour the  batter into a prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve warm.

Recipe adapted from here.

Enjoy!

We just got home from a mini-vacay… Lot’s to fill you in on this week! Have a wonderful Monday!

The post Vegan Cornbread w Black Quinoa and Black Bean Chili appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Growing up, if I saw my mom using a recipe, I would have thought something was wrong; she’s just not the recipe type: she’s just good on her own.  When Dustin and I first got married, I wasn’t the recipe type either.  When someone would ask me for a recipe, I would say, “ummmm…. a little of this, a little of that, and if you think it needs a little more, throw it in.”  Not saying that my food was decent, even edible back then, but that’s just all I knew.

When I started blogging, way back when , that’s when I all of a sudden started following recipes: because I was following other blogs, mostly food blogs, offering good ideas and recipes.

Sometimes, however, I feel like trial and error sometimes makes for the best dinners, whatever it is that you are trying to make.  Yeah, you may be forced to eat something you’d rather not, but at least it was your own effort that went into it (I’m sure Dustin would disagree).

Sometimes when we have unusual things, like when I first started making things Dustin wasn’t used to, he would say, “Did you just make this up?” AKA, why didn’t you follow a recipe?  The first time I used kidney beans (or maybe lentils, I can’t remember)  in my spaghetti sauce, Dustin asked me if this was “an Ashley invention?” Where’s the trust!?! I mean, can’t a newly wed wife get a break!?  Just kidding, but seriously, cooking isn’t something we learn over night: it’s a gradual process and it really does take a life time.  If you think about who is the best cook that you know, most likely, it’s your grandmother.  I wonder why?  Maybe because she’s had the most practice.  I would bet that she wasn’t an expert cook her first few years  of marriage.

When Dustin was still playing baseball, living arrangements were always…ummmm….well, just not normal?  I guess that’s the right word.  Usually when two people get married, that means living together, alone, for some, maybe the for the first time in their lives.  Well, not us.  Because of the way baseball works, every January through April, we lived with two other couples and since Dustin was hurt our first few years of marriage, we had to stay in Orlando.  Because of this, whenever any of his friends got hurt and were sent to rehab, usually they lived with us throughout the season too.

If you’ve followed this blog at all, you know that I don’t like eating out because of the horrible things that are served, claimed to be food.  Because of this choice, cooking and eating at home, became pretty customary for Dustin and me.  The problem,however: we had many, many roommates.  This left me to learn how to cook usually on about eight people a night.  That’s a horrifying dream for any bride.  Serving your husband a terrible meal is one thing, serving his friends and their wives a terrible meal is completely horrifying!  Needless to say, I got through it and I guess you could say that it made me a better cook because of, but seriously, I wouldn’t wish that upon the best chef… come on, we all have off nights, right??

Last night, I decided that it would be a trial and error kind of night, and I think that it mayyyy have worked in my favor!

Chipotle Black Bean Burgers served over a bed of Spinach, with Mashed Garlic Cauliflower, and Roasted Squash. (Vegan and Gluten Free if you swap the barley for something like brown or wild rice or quinoa.)

Chipotle Black Bean Burger Ingredients

• 2 cups black beans (separated)
• 1 cup barley
• 1 zucchini, shredded (that’s the yellow in the picture; I’m not sure what kind of zucchini it is)
• 1 piece whole wheat bread ( I used Ezekiel 7 Grain; to make breadcrumbs)
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 1 small onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chipotle pepper powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 chia egg (1 tbps chia seeds + 3 tbsp warm water, let sit for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes )

Directions:

Soak, rinse, and cook black beans.  Prepare barley. Preheat oven to 350. Sauté  in EVOO, onion, garlic, shredded zucchini, and seasonings.  Place 1 cup of black beans and bread into food processor.  Blend until broken down.  Place other 1 cup black beans and 1 cup barley in with the sauteed veggies.  Add beans and breadcrumbs from food processor to mixture.  Mix everything together.  Add chia egg and mix until even. Form patties, I was able to make 6.  Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes.

Mashed Garlic Cauliflower Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1/4 c + 1 tbsp low sodium vegetable stock  (separated)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 c Earth Balance Soy Free Vegan Buttery Spread
• 1/2 tbsp dry parsley (or fresh)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Steam cauliflower.  Place into food processor with 1 tbsp vegetable stock.  Process until smooth.  In a pot, melt the Earth Balance.  Sauté garlic in Earth Balance.  Add cauliflower from food processor along with the rest of the vegetable stock.  Add seasonings and serve.

We’re off to Kansas City for the weekend!  So excited!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend as well!

The post Chipotle Black Bean Burgers w/ Mashed Garlic Cauliflower appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Parsnip fries anyone? Ha, the idea sounded crazy to me at first too! Just give them a try!

Coming out of the oven.

Ingredients

• 3 parsnips
• 2 tbsp EVOO or less
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

Shave and slice thinly (into fries!)

Roast for 30-40 minutes at 375 or broil until crispy.

Recipe adapted from http://www.foodmayhem.com/ For a lonely dinner, while the hub is already in Charleston with the baseball team, BBQ lentils, parsnip fries, and sautéed purple potatoes, purple onions, and zucchini topped with Nutritional Yeast. 

The post Think health… not McDonalds: Parsnip Fries appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

I eat salmon because I love it; Dustin, however, is just the opposite.  He ONLY eats salmon because he knows how good it is for him.  Luckily, I really do enjoy almost all “healthy” foods, so there is no forcing here.  In order to help Dustin like (no, loveeee) this yummy pink fish, it’s all about how I prepare it.  I have finally found a way for him to not only get his Omega 3s but also enjoy it too.  Enter: Agave Mustard Salmon, kind of like Honey Mustard, if you will.

For some reason, my picture keeps rotating this way on it’s own, but this is fresh, straight from Alaska, wild salmon.  The fishermen who actually caught this fish were at the market a few weeks ago, so of course I had to stop by and give them some business.

For the salmon, I only needed 5 ingredients: Agave, Course Ground Mustard, Vegetable Broth, Salt, and Pepper.

I clearly used the end of both!  Add a little broth to about 2 tablespoons of both the mustard and the agave (just enough to make it spreadable) and use a brush to add it to your salmon.

Bake it at 375 for about 10 minutes per inch of thickness and not only do you have a healthy dinner, but a sweet one too!

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My poor husband, my poor, poor husband.  Well, actually he’s the one that first got me interested in nutrition, but I guess he didn’t know I would truly learn to love it. While most men sit on the couch, shoveling down potato chips, my husband gets to chow down on KALE CHIPS! What in the world is that, you ask? I used to wonder the same thing.

Kale is a green vegetable, like broccoli or spinach, that I often read about but have always been too intimidated to try …kind of like artichokes (I’m going to tackle them next ).  So, finally, a few weeks ago, I decided to be scared no more!  It looks like this in the grocery store…

…. not too scary, right? But what the heck do I do with it?

I remembered reading something about kale chips in my favorite health magazine (Oxygen), so I googled ‘Kale Chips’ and sure enough, it was true:  Salt and vinegar Kale Chips! I made them for Dustin and I one night and they were absolutely delicious.  Crispy, very crispy, salty, tangy, and perfect.

Now they are my favorite lunch side instead of greasy, nasty, trans-fat filled potato chips  This is what they end up looking like served as a side…along with our ‘Faux’ Fried BBQ Chicken, Corn-on-the-Gob, and Green Peas.

Give it a try, you won’t be sad you did!

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