Apple Cranberry Crisp

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Meatless in the Mountains

I created this recipe last week when I had my neighbors over for dinner.  The menu was: veggie shepherd’s pie, fall salad, roasted beets & carrots, warm crescent rolls and this apple crisp with coconut vanilla ice cream (and red wine and whiskey of course!)  Apples and Fall just go together, so I knew I wanted to make something with apples.  I attempted to make the crisp in a way that would taste like a dessert, but still feel like it was healthy.  I think I may have accomplished that. This could still be made even more healthy… but you have to be a little naughty when it comes to dessert… right?  Well, if you must, you could always swap the flours and sugars to be something like gluten free flour and coconut sugar… that would be fancy & quite healthy as well!

Apple Cranberry Crisp

6 medium apples

1/3 cup frozen cranberries

1 TBS apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, plus 2 TBS

1/4 cup regular sugar

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

pinch of salt

5 TBS coconut oil

Apple Cranberry Crisp

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Start by slicing the apples and place in a large bowl.  Add in the cranberries, apple cider vinegar, 2 TBS flour and 1/4 cup sugar.  Toss to mix well.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

Spray a baking dish with coconut oil spray, then pour the mixture into the baking dish.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

Now prep the topping.  In a food processor, pulse together the oats, nuts, remaining flour, brown sugar, spices and coconut oil until the mixture is crumbly, should only take a few pulses.

Apple Cranberry Crisp Apple Cranberry Crisp

Pour this mixture over the apples and cover with foil.  Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.  Serve with vegan vanilla coconut ice cream, and enjoy!

Apple Cranberry Crisp Apple Cranberry Crisp Apple Cranberry Crisp

A healthy and light version of warm apple cranberry crisp.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

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Pasta with Avocado Sauce

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Meatless in the Mountains

Happy Halloween!!  In honor of this spooky weekend coming up, I’m sharing a recipe for goblin green avocado pasta.  I love avocados, so when I saw Giada making this on the food network (I think it was about 4 years ago) I had to try it, and of course, I loved it.  I only made one small change from her version to make it vegan (the cheese).  The raw garlic can be a bit pungent in this, so if that’s not your thing maybe just a little garlic powder would be better.  (But remember, garlic does ward off evil spirits… so you may want to keep it in for the weekend).  Speaking of Giada and Halloween, I dressed up as Giada for Halloween last year!  (heels, skirt, apron, cooking utensils, low cut shirt, curled hair)… was super easy if you’re still in need of something last minute.  Have a great Halloween weekend everyone!

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1 pound pasta of choice (I used brown rice pasta)

2 avocados

2-3 cups arugula

1 cup fresh basil leaves (I used a combo of basil and parsley)

3 TBS fresh lime juice (about 2 large limes)

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 cup vegan parmesan cheese

1/2 cup toasted almonds

*Save some of the pasta cooking water

First toast the almonds in a small, dry pan on medium low heat.  Keep an eye on them and toast for a few minutes until they begin to become fragrant.  Chop the toasted nuts and set aside.

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Cook the pasta according to package directions, and make sure to save some of the pasta water to loosen the sauce when you’re ready.

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In a high speed blender, add the avocados, arugula, basil, lime juice, garlic, salt & pepper.  jk 6.22.15 008 jk 6.22.15 012 jk 6.22.15 015

Blend until smooth, add some pasta water if the mixture is too thick and not moving in the blender.  Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix well, adding some more pasta water if it seems too thick.

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Top with the vegan parmesan and chopped almonds.

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A filling pasta dish with a creamy (non-dairy) avocado sauce.

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Pumpkin Soup

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Meatless in the Mountains

One more week until Halloween!  No surprise, I’m into pumpkin-everything right now. Pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin butter, pumpkin drinks, pumpkin pasta… I even saw pumpkin cereal on the shelves and quickly threw that in my cart.  Anyways, here’s my stab (Halloween pun intended) at Pumpkin Soup.  I feel like the herbs really make this soup so don’t leave them out!  I used organic canned pumpkin puree but of course you can use real roasted pumpkin if you have the time & patience!  You could also substitute butternut squash instead of pumpkin (boil or roast first) but I love this recipe with the sage better for the squash… anyways, good luck working on your costumes and enjoy filling up on all that pumpkin goodness for another week!

Pumpkin Soup

1 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1 leek

2 apples

4 cups vegetable broth

1 sweet potato

1 can of pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

For garnish:  fresh thyme, or chives or sage or toasted pumpkin seeds or crusty bread!

Start by prepping your veggies.  Wash the leek and chop, keep light green/white part only. Peel and chop the sweet potato and apples.

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add in the leek, and saute for a few minutes.  Next add in the apple and cook another couple minutes.  Finally add in the sweet potato, broth, pumpkin puree, salt & pepper.  Mix well to combine.  Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Pumpkin Soup

Blend the soup in batches in a high-speed blender until smooth.  Return to the soup pot and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.  Serve with your choice of toppings/garnish.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Soup

A hearty and healthy vegan fall soup.

Pumpkin Soup

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Shepherd’s Pie

Posted on October 17, 2015 by Meatless in the Mountains

Fall is in the air… time for warm, satisfying comfort food! This is one of my favorite vegan creations.  This recipe makes a ton of portions, plenty for sharing, freezing and eating right away so if you don’t feel like dealing with all the leftovers, I would cut the recipe in half.  I love freezing them and being able to take them out to enjoy any time.  This dish is one of my most popular Meatless in the Mountains Delivery Orders!  Have you tried it yet??

Shepherd's Pie

3 TBS vegan butter (or olive oil)

2 small/medium yellow onions, diced

4 carrots, diced

6 celery stalks, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

Small box of button mushrooms, diced

1/3 cup frozen peas

2 bay leaves

1 TBS dried thyme

2 TBS flour of your choice

2 1/2 cups dried green lentils

7 cups vegetable broth

Salt & pepper

1 bag of potatoes

4 TBS vegan butter

1/3-1/2 cup almond milk

Vegan Cheddar Cheese (optional)

Start by heating the 3 TBS vegan butter (or olive oil) in a large pot.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the veggies start to soften. Next add in the mushrooms and frozen peas.  Cook for another 5 minutes or so.

Shepherd's Pie Shepherd's Pie

Add the bay leaves, dried thyme and mix well.  Sprinkle in the flour and mix well, cook for a minute longer.  Next add in the vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil then simmer for about an hour until the lentils have cooked.  Once the lentils are done, season to taste with salt & pepper.

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie

What? I didn’t do it.

While the lentils cook, peel and chop the potatoes and add them to a large pot.  Fill with cold water just to cover the potatoes.  Bring to a boil on stove and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Drain the water then add the potatoes back to the pot.  Add in the 4 TBS vegan butter, almond milk and a sprinkle of salt & pepper.  Mash well until soft, fluffy and well combined.

Shepherd's Pie Shepherd's Pie

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  To create the shepherd’s pies, pour the lentil mixture into baking dishes, then spread the potatoes on top.  Sprinkle on some vegan cheddar cheese if you’d like, or top with a sprinkle of dried thyme.  Bake for 30 minutes (with foil underneath in case it spills over).  Enjoy!

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Shepherd's Pie

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Shepherd's Pie

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Non-Chicken Noodle Soup

Posted on October 10, 2015 by Meatless in the Mountains

I created this recipe for a friend, Maggie (she’s a new Mommy, congrats!) who recently asked me for a vegan chicken noodle soup recipe for cozy winter nights.  This was so fun to create and I’m really pleased with the results!  Thanks for the suggestion, Maggie!  In place of the chicken, I roasted tofu slices with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh thyme.  The baked consistency of the tofu actually resembles chicken, it’s kind of crazy.  I wanted to use the traditional noodle-type pasta in the soup, but the only whole wheat/organic pasta choice in the grocery store I was in was curly ziti, so I went with that, but you could use any kind you’d like!  This makes a huge pot of soup.  My husband and I happily ate this all week and never got sick of it.  We topped it with some fresh parsley, vegan parmesan and red pepper flakes. Hope you give this a try!

Non-Chicken Noodle Soup

2 TBS+ extra virgin olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, diced

4 cloves garlic; minced

4 medium carrots, diced

4 celery ribs, diced

10+ sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

18 cups vegetable broth

1 package of noodles/pasta

1 block of extra firm tofu

Salt & Pepper

Toppings:  Fresh parsley, vegan parmesan, red pepper flakes

Drain the tofu and press out the moisture for at least an hour.  Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with EVOO spray, or line with foil and spray the foil.  When the tofu is ready, slice into squares and place on the baking sheet.  Sprinkle on some salt, pepper, fresh thyme and drizzle with olive oil.  Flip over once, then twice to cover all sides.

Non-Chicken Noodle Soup

Bake for 20 minutes, then flip each piece, and bake for another 20 minutes.  Tofu should be hardened and have a chicken-like consistency! (but not rock hard)

Non-Chicken Noodle Soup

While the tofu bakes, heat a large pot on medium heat and add the 2 TBS olive oil.  Add in all the veggies and herbs, and saute until the veggies start to soften (7-10 minutes).

Non-Chicken Noodle Soup

Add the broth and then bring the soup to a boil.  Add some salt to the soup then drop the noodles and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the noodles are al dente.

Non-Chicken Noodle Soup

Season with salt & pepper to taste.  Last step is to chop the baked tofu into bite-size pieces, and add to the soup.  Stir to combine well.

Non-Chicken Noodle Soup

Non-Chicken Noodle Soup

Serve the soup with fresh parsley, vegan parmesan and red pepper flakes if you’d like. Enjoy!

Non-Chicken Noodle Soup

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Non-Chicken Noodle Soup

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Pumpkin Butter

Posted on October 3, 2015 by Meatless in the Mountains

It’s October!  Time for pumpkins.  I threw this together last weekend and have been enjoying it on toast, pancakes and waffles, so yummy!  I usually freeze leftover pancakes & waffles so I can pull them out of the freezer & enjoy them in the toaster oven for quick breakfasts.  This would be a great item to share or gift as well.  Enjoy, and happy October!

Pumpkin Butter

1 15oz can pumpkin puree

heaping 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple juice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

pinch of salt

Pumpkin Butter

Add all ingredients in small saucepan over low-medium low heat.  Mix to combine well.  Bring the mixture to a boil,  then reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes until butter thickens.  Enjoy on toast, pancakes, waffles, apples, or anything else you can think of!

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Pumpkin Butter

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Chickpea and Brown Rice Soup

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Meatless in the Mountains

Happy Autumn!  Hope everyone is getting outside and enjoying the change of seasons.

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We recently did a juice cleanse, and this was the first real meal I ate after cleansing.  I wanted something extremely healthy, but also filling and really quick/easy, because I was hungry! This came together within minutes and hit the spot.  One note, if you follow the directions exactly, the chickpeas will be kind of mushy.  I happen to like that texture of them in the soup, however, if you like more of a bite to the chickpea, just add them in at the end before serving.  I thought it was delicious, but then again, I hadn’t eaten in 3 days… so I hope in fact it actually is delicious – you’ll have to let me know!

MIM Chickpea and Rice Soup

4+ cups vegetable broth

1 celery stalk

1/2 large carrot

1/4 yellow onion

1 cup brown rice

1/2 cup cooked chickpeas

fresh parsley

Chop the celery, onion and carrot into small pieces then saute them with a splash of veggie broth for about 5 minutes, until they start to soften.

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Add the rice and chickpeas, mix well, then pour in the remaining veggie stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Serve with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley.

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Red Cabbage with Chickpeas

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Meatless in the Mountains

Today’s recipe is brought to you by a guest blogger – my Aunt Lucia!  She made this meal and sent me all of the beautiful pictures and I’m excited to share!  Thanks for giving me a week off, Lulu!  This looks easy, delicious, and I can’t wait to try it.  The red cabbage came from my sister’s in-law’s gardens, but somehow my Aunt Lu ended up with it.  She decided to take a spin on one of our Italian family classics – swiss chard and kidney beans (my Nonna used to make this a lot).  The cabbage replaces the swiss chard, and Lulu chose the chickpeas in place of the kidney beans because she thought the white bean would like nice with the purple cabbage, so thoughtful.  Anyways, hope you enjoy and thanks again to my guest blogger Aunt Lu with her first MIM debut!

Red Cabbage & Chickpeas

1/2 head of red/purple cabbage

1 cup of cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

2 cloves garlic, minced

EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Salt & Pepper

Start by cutting out the core in the cabbage, and slice into quarters. Break the leaves apart and clean under water, then pat dry.

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Heat some olive oil in a saute pan, and cook the garlic for a couple minutes.  Add in the cabbage, sprinkle of salt & pepper, and cook until the cabbage has softened and wilted.

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Add the chickpeas and mix until warmed through.

Red Cabbage & Chickpeas

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